So I’ve got a question for you: if someone comes on your blog and flames you in the comments and then asks for the comments to be deleted, should you delete them or let her/him stew in her/his own juices? Read more

I can’t resist one more extended quote on the church from Theology and Joy: “Being-there-for-others is an important matter. Dietrich Bonhoeffer used this formula to illuminate the mystery of Christ’s vicarious living and dying for us. Being-there-for-others is also the secret of love with those who follow the man from Nazareth. Being-there-for-others is the fundamental structure of Christ’s church which vicariously spoeaks up for men and particularly represents thos who have no one to speak for them… “Still, being-there-for-others is... Read more

In 1971, Moltmann wrote an extended essay called Theology and Joy in which he attempts to answer the questions, How can Christians claim to be joyful people in these anxiety-filled days (Vietnam, etc.)? and What is the role of the church in a society that no longer values the church’s civic functions? Here are a couple quotes: “The vision of God comes to life by following the crucified with permanent repentance and through constant changing of existing conditions. It cannot... Read more

Had a really fun lunch today with about ten youth workers from the Princeton area. We talked about postmodern thought, youth ministry, and emergent. The dude from Young Life took a few hits, but he was a great sport. Really, we just used YL as the straw man that stood in for modern ministry in general — fact is, it could have been almost any ministry/church. Anyway, it was a great time. I’ve spent the rest of the day climbing... Read more

I had a pretty good day yesterday. Really, one of the best days ever. Here’s a run-down. Woke up (in my barren, cell-like apartment in Princeton) and made a pot of espresso. Read the rest of Moltmann’s Theology of Hope. When I googled the restaurant at which I’d be eating dinner, I thought, Oh crap, I need to go buy a tie (all my ties are in Minnesota), so I walked over to Marshall’s and bought a green tie for... Read more

Twins beat Yanks in 4 games… Read more

So I have the good fortune of reading a lot of books as my vocation right now, so I’ll try and cull one or two good quotes from each book for this blog. The first is Theology of Hope: On the Ground and the Implications of a Christian Eschatology by Jurgen Moltmann: “The resurrection has set in motion an eschatologically determined process of history, whose goal is the annihilation of death in the victory of life of the resurrection, and... Read more

…there won’t be any links or pictures or anything fancy like that on this blog. Nor will there be a list of “Books I’m Engaging” (that I actually haven’t picked up in 6 months) along the left side. Read more

So I was speaking at the pretty cool youth event recently, and during the evening session, the ‘worship leader’ (as they like to be called), said something like this between songs: “Isn’t it just great to be here…in the presence of the Lord…to be silent before him…yeah, it’s really great…cuz, you know, he’s always there for us…like, have you ever felt really ticked at God?…Yeah, you know, that’s okay for you to feel that way, because God can handle it…he’s... Read more

A friend, who shall remain nameless, and I were wondering why Len Sweet has not really been a part of the the emerging church conversation of late — at least he has not been at the core of it (emergent conventions, gatherings, theological conversations, etc.). I said I think Len is like a doorman: he stands at the door and ushers people into the conversation. My friend said, “Yeah, he’s like the gateway drug to emergent.” That’s beautiful. Read more