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The King Jesus Gospel — Messing Up the Message
I am beginning to work my way through The King Jesus Gospel by Scot McKnight. My church staff will be making our way through it the next several weeks as well. The diagnosis of the “evangelical problem” resonates with me. The struggle over “decisions” and “disciples” has been something I’ve felt for all my years in ministry. McKnight lays out his…
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The Attitude of a Servant and the Need for Justice
The challenge of the servanthood of Jesus is one I like to avoid, quite honestly. 😉 When I get into a text like Philippians 2:1-13 I dig into the meditation of serving. This time through I am tracking the thought of “servant” through the Bible (in a very quick manner). What I am finding is one can’t make this journey…
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The Challenge of Servanthood in an Age of Self-Branding
The text for next Sunday is Philippians 2:1-13. I find these words incredibly challenging in an age where self-branding and marketing is so dominant. 1 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete…
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It Should Still Be TILL DEATH Do Us Part
A lot is being made of Pat Robertson’s horrifying comments (HERE) about a man divorcing his wife who is stricken with Alzheimer’s. (I find it highly ironic the MEDIA is shocked by someone in the church advocating divorce, but that’s another story.) A column (HERE) really hits hard on Robertson’s statement. These words are really pointed: Pat Robertson’s cruel marriage…
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Whiplash Politics and Microwave Christianity
David Brooks of the New York Times hits the nail on the head today. (HERE.) We think so highly of ourselves, we just think we can whip this economy back into shape without realizing the depth of the problem and that TIME will really help in pulling ourselves out of the mess. This is leading to what I call “whiplash”…
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Happy Birthday, Tyler Perry!
Let Madea teach you the Bible!
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The Loss of a Moral Compass
David Brooks’ column in The New York Times gives a synopsis of where we have come. Just yesterday in my Church History lecture I was talking with my students about the place tradition had in the Church for about 1700 years. While I will never argue that trusting tradition is always a good thing, I will say it is basically a good thing,…
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Reflecting on 9/11
This is part of what I shared this morning with my congregation: The tragedy of 9/11 is a lesson in misplaced faith. Misplace your trust in the financial schemes of this world or the arm of power this world can give you… and even THAT can come crashing down. But what has the Church done since that time? We’ve chased…
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Reflections Ten Years Later
I know that huge moments are frozen in time. The assassination of JFK is frozen in time. Anyone who was alive on that day that I have asked could tell me where they were and what they were doing the moment they heard about the death of JFK. I can remember where I was the moment I heard the news…
Category: Culture
