Some Blogs I Discovered in 2011

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:54 pm By Tony Jones

Rachel Held Evans – We all discovered her, didn’t we? An evangelical (or is she post-evangelical) woman who isn’t afraid of bullies like Mark Driscoll. Slacktivist – Fred Clark manages to make the Left Behind series interesting, and he is a witty mouthpiece for progressive Christianity. John Shore – He receives letters that should make any homophobic Christian think twice, and he is an indefatigable ally of GLBT folks in the church. Media Decoder – The fascinating compilation of media... Read more

The Enduring Relevance of the Didache

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:54 pm By Tony Jones

For a few years now, I’ve argued that the long-lost ancient text of the early church, known as the didache, has a great deal of relevance for the church of today. In fact, I wrote a book about it, called The Teaching of the Twelve: Believing and Practicing the Primitive Christianity of the Ancient Didache Community. It’s on sale this week for $2.99. There’s a companion DVD for group use as well. And see all the Tony Jones and Doug Pagitt... Read more

Should Churches Be Able to Build Anywhere?

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:54 pm By Tony Jones

According to a federal law passed in 2000, the answer is basically yes. To wit, a Unitarian Universalist church in Wayzata, Minnesota has won an out-of-court settlement to build a new church in the middle of a residential neighborhood, against the objections of the City of Wayzata: In a church-state dispute with echoes across the country, a Wayzata congregation has won its battle to build a new church in a residential neighborhood. The Unitarian Universalist Church of Minnetonka will be... Read more

How Did People in the Bible Pray?

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:54 pm By Tony Jones

That’s the question I set out to answer in my book, Ask, Seek, Knock: Prayers to Change Your Life. I just figured, if we look to the Bible as a sacred text that gives us guidance in spiritual matters, maybe the characters therein exemplified something we can learn from. So I looked at Old Testament figures, the Psalmist, Jesus, the Apostles, and even leaders in the early, medieval, and modern church. The result, I think, is a pretty interesting book.... Read more

Catholic Cardinal Compares Gay Activists to KKK

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:54 pm By Tony Jones

In another example of someone from the Catholic Church hierarchy using rhetoric that’s about as far from Jesus as one can imagine, Chicago’s Cardinal Francis George has compared organizers of that city’s gay pride parade to members of the white supremacist group, the Ku Klux Klan: “You know, you don’t want the gay liberation movement to morph into something like the Ku Klux Klan, demonstrating in the streets against Catholicism. So I think if that’s what’s happening, and I don’t know that... Read more

Lectio Divina Might Save Your (Prayer) Life

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:54 pm By Tony Jones

I discovered lectio divina many years ago, during a very spiritually dry time in my life. In the time since, I have practiced lectio innumerable times, and it’s become a core aspect of my spirituality. Maybe even more importantly, it’s given me a renewed sense of love and appreciation for the Bible (and that’s saying something). A few years back, I wrote a book on the practice of lectio divina. It’s called Divine Intervention: Encountering God Through the Ancient Practice... Read more

A Poem for the Pastor’s Wife

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:54 pm By Tony Jones

Thank me now and curse me later. I’ve run across the perfect poem for the pastor’s wife in your life. I’ve put in bold my favorite lines. The Pastor’s Wife by Judy Bowling She’s a Godly woman, she has such grace Always a warm greeting, a smile on her face She’s always encouraging, she knows her place She is – The Pastor’s Wife She has to always look just right Always on time, though the schedule’s tight From early morning,... Read more

My “Minor Classic” on Spiritual Disciplines (for 99¢!)

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:54 pm By Tony Jones

Of the books I’ve written, two seem to have the most staying power. One is Postmodern Youth Ministry, my first book, which has managed to stay on many syllabi for the last decade. The other is The Sacred Way: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Life. I get more appreciative comments on this book than any I’ve written. It’s sold at Renovaré events. And it seems to have some staying power. While it doesn’t sell like a Richard Foster or Dallas Willard... Read more

Garrison Keillor Hasn’t Read Moby Dick

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:54 pm By Tony Jones

Garrison Keillor, whom I admire, in spite of his quirks. Last week, Courtney and I attended a Garrison Keillor book reading, in which he generally rambled about life, read from the book he’s writing now about the Adventures of Guy Noir, and, the ostensible reason for the gathering, read from his new book, A Christmas Blizzard: A Novel. He was, as usual, self-deprecating about his writing, his looks, and his life in general. During the Q&A after the readings, someone... Read more

Merry Christache

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:54 pm By Tony Jones

For Christmas, I gave Courtney and my kids a gift better than anything O. Henry could come up with. I gave them a mustache. And they couldn’t be happier. Read more