Author Archives: rthenderson

BLOG 7/22/13. ‘PEW ZOMBIES’ … OR INTERACTIVE LEARNERS?  A few years ago in my own denomination, the Presbyterian Poll discerned that we were a denomination of “Biblically and theologically illiterate laity.” Consider that we’re talking about some 11,000 congregations consisting … Continue reading →

BLOG 7/18/13: CONSUMER CULTURE GOES TO CHURCH I believe it was missiologist Robert Coleman who made the point that: “If you can’t relate your life to the Great Commission, then your life is irrelevant to history.” I frequently reflect on … Continue reading →

BLOG 7/15/13. (CONT) ECONOMIC JUSTICE AND THE FORM OF THE CHURCH I asked the question in my last Blog as to whether the church was quite too silent on the subject of economic justice, and I got some inquiries back … Continue reading →

BLOG 7/11/13. IS THE CHURCH SILENT ON ECONOMIC INJUSTICE: MAMMON? I grew up in the deeply segregated South, and until I was in my twenties never heard the church speak to the enormous problem of racial injustice (though there were … Continue reading →

BLOG 7/8/13.   “FEAR OF DYING?” It’s interesting, at this octogenarian passage of my life, to be surrounded as I am by some bright, wonderful and much younger friends, who give me great hope for the future because they are not … Continue reading →

BLOG. 6/5/13. THE CHURCH IN ITS ESSENCE: COUNTER-CULTURAL This week, the obituary of Will Campbell has been in major papers. For my generation he was a colorful, controversial, and maverick—but insightful—prophet. He was of the opinion that most churches in … Continue reading →

BLOG. 5/3/13: “YOU’RE A WRITER? OH!” I get this response frequently from acquaintances, who know that in my misty past as for forty years  I was a teaching pastor (among other things) in the Presbyterian Church, but not as a … Continue reading →

BLOG. 5/30/13. WHAT IN THE WORLD IS CHURCH MEMBERSHIP ALL ABOUT?   For the Traditionalist Generation, in which I grew up, no one ever questioned existing institutions much; we simply accepted them as ‘givens’. And growing up in church institutions … Continue reading →

BLOG. 5/27/13: THE INEVITABEL REDEFING OF CHURCH LEADERSHIP   On this Memorial Day and Monday morning, allow me to convey a very strong impression which comes as a result of my 5/13/13 Blog on: “The Liability of Being Called ‘Reverend.” … Continue reading →

A correction on today’s post, in the last line shoud read: each without the other is incomplete. (No matter how many times I proof read these posts, errors seem to creep in, alas!)