Church – Apprentice 2 Jesus

Exhaustion

David French gets to the heart of most things culturally and politically in a way that speak volumes to me. His free weekly comments are spot on this week as well when it comes to our nation and the Fourth of July.

The pruning of the American Church

We go through news cycles fast. (There are other descriptions, but they have to do with gun images and I’m not ready for that right now.) The absolute corruption of the leadership of the SBC needs to be understood. It’s “SOOOOO last week” but it cannot be allowed that convenience!

Prayers for the church

I reflect often on how the prayers of those who have gone before are so helpful to start words for me. It is true in this time when the American church is being shaken. The shaking comes NOT from the culture and some perceived persecution. The shaking comes from the Spirit because the American churchContinue reading “Prayers for the church”

The Church

I love the Body of Christ. We’ve done a good job of messing up the vision of Christ’s body in the conservative evangelical church in America, yet… there is this magnificent Body of Christ that endures and thrives all over the world. This hymn was used in our Second Sunday of Lent and one verseContinue reading “The Church”

Deacons and serving

I have been just over a year in ordained ministry as a vocational deacon in the Anglican Church. The main thing we know about deacons is… they “serve.” It’s that term “serve” that may need a little work because I think it may have atrophied. These are some initial thoughts and very much in process.

Our spiritual blindness

Mark 8:22–26 (NIV): They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”24Continue reading “Our spiritual blindness”

Hacking our way to clarity

The second half of this Holy Post Podcast has an interview with Philip Yancey. They feature his latest book, which is his memoir. Yancey has been a challenging voice for me for decades. (His interview comes around 49 minutes in.) With our current struggle with terminology like “deconstruction”, Yancey represents the understanding that some formContinue reading “Hacking our way to clarity”

Our obsession with “winning”

Decades ago I remember a column or opinion piece written about our obsessions and warped values. At the time it was referring to the way we lift up people who work hard, work long hours, and don’t have time to “take it easy.” The prime example for that article was Dick Cheney (long before heContinue reading “Our obsession with “winning””

Influence

Over the years what I have always read about, heard about, and believed was Billy Graham had a way to proclaim Christ and be a friend of high powered people without having much of a political agenda. Then I came across a documentary on a Catholic priest named Theodore Hesburgh. It was unreal how heContinue reading “Influence”

We have to hold powerful people accountable

The series “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” is a devastating podcast series. It is a hard look into Mark Driscoll and the poisonous culture of Mars Hill Church in Seattle. But it needs to be told. And it needs to be heard. In my own group, the ACNA, more news comes out aboutContinue reading “We have to hold powerful people accountable”