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The Devil Has All the Good Liturgies
I really enjoyed James Smith’s book, Desiring the Kingdom, so I look forward to this new book, Imagining the Kingdom. He has an interview in Christianity Today and he brings up the whole idea of allegiances again. Everything in life is liturgy, according to Smith. It’s about our loyalties. His claim is we are defined by what we worship rather than what…
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The Bland Gospel
For some reason there needs to be an attack “radical” Christianity. We want to be radically normal. God bless us all. Whether we are headed to the most unreached people group of the world, or out the door to coach our kids’ baseball team, I think I really want to ask, “How do we see JESUS?” Mark Labberton’s piece in…
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Jesus saves, unless you’re an Episcopalian?
One of the more bizarre sermons I’ve found lately comes from the presiding bishop of the Episcopalian church, which is the presiding church for Anglicans in the United States. This may a good example of why there is a shift in that loyalty and more Anglican movements are popping up in North America. The full text needs to be read,…
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Language Shifts Indicate Cultural Shifts
David Brooks has a column today reflecting on language shifts over the last 50 years. His observations are interesting. Usage of humility words like “modesty” and “humbleness” dropped by 52 percent. Usage of compassion words like “kindness” and “helpfulness” dropped by 56 percent. Meanwhile, usage of words associated with the ability to deliver, like “discipline” and “dependability” rose over…
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Are you a cracked pot?
We have the treasure of Christ, but that treasure is not to show US off. It is to show JESUS. Paul says we are simply cracked pots so the true glory of Christ can shine through. When we understand the Kingdom is not about us, our ego, or our glory, Christ can truly shine through. When we think it is our glory,…
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The Astonishing Reality of Christ
The issue we need to face in our lives is not getting the answers “right” in our Christianity. It’s not about a test we take to see if we have the right answers about Jesus. When someone comes to a college, I shouldn’t give them instructions just so they have right answers. If I am doing my job right, I…
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The Radical Love of Christ
1 Corinthians 13. I usually avoid this chapter because it was so abused at weddings over the years. Coming back to this chapter as an “ancient well” in my spiritual reading is always the toughest passage to visit. But it is so needed. Especially in the Body of Christ. Especially in this day. The Corinthians church was into spiritual superiority.…
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Day of Pentecost
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to…
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Transformational Living — Romans 12
I am given grace for MY life. There is a measure of faith given TO ME. I cannot measure my life in Christ against someone else. I cannot live my life in Christ in front of the world as a marketing tool. Judging yourself with sober judgment is near impossible in a Facebook gazing, self-marketing world. But that is our…
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Resurrection and Pentecost
The call to Christianity is the call to community. It is not a community we get to pick. It is the Kingdom of God. We WANT to pick it, and therein lies the rub. It is probably why we are all so divided all the time. We want to PICK our “neighbors” and the Kingdom of God just doesn’t play…
