Monthly Archives: August 2016

BLOG 8/31/16. “FOLLOWING CHRIST—CHANGING THE WORLD” One of the perennial challenges that any Christian community faces is: How to keep its weekly gatherings for worship from dissipating into predictable spiritual entertainment disconnected from anything to do with the mission for … Continue reading →

BLOG 8/28/16. WHERE DOES THE CHURCH ENGAGE THE REAL PEOPLE OF THE WORLD? Oh, I’m going to get in trouble for this, … but here goes: One of the tragic distortions, or subversions, that also has become one of the … Continue reading →

BLOG 8/24/16. THE CHURCH: RETRIEVING ITS RAISON D’ETRE I am continually intrigued by that Silicon Valley bunch, and all of the stuff they have created that couldn’t have even been conceived a couple of decades ago, … and how they … Continue reading →

BLOG 8/21/16. “FORSAKING RELIGION”? NOT REALLY A recent issue of Atlantic Magazine reports that the generation of college students today are (in its words) “forsaking religion.” Indulge me if I challenge that. I’ve been hearing that kind of appraisal for … Continue reading →

BLOG 8/17/16. BREAKING WITH TRADITIONAL ORTHODOXY ON CHURCH INSTITUTIONS (continuing the conversation from the last blog) The response to my last blog on: “the sons of the world being more shrewd than the children of light” was interesting. For at … Continue reading →

BLOG 8/14/16. “THE SONS OF THIS WORLD ARE MORE SHREWD IN DEALING WITH THEIR OWN GENERATION THAN THE SONS OF LIGHT.” Fact #1. A couple of years ago the local media made a huge deal out of the opening of … Continue reading →

BLOG 8/10/16. WHERE DOES ONE LEARN HOW TO LIVE AS A CHILD OF THE LIGHT? The other evening, by chance, a gentleman, who is a very influential official in local government, learning that I was a retired pastor came over … Continue reading →

BLOG 8/7/16. GOD’S NEW HUMANITY PEOPLE AND THEIR INESCAPABLE POLITICAL CONTEXT. Hey, friends: there is no way we can escape this season of the presidential and congressional campaigns. So, what’ new? Centuries before Jesus arrived on the stage of history, … Continue reading →

BLOG 8/3/16. THE SHEER, OFTEN CONFUSING, MYSTERY OF CHRISTIAN FAITH For starts, Jesus told his followers that not everyone who calls him ‘Lord, Lord’ is going to enter his kingdom, but rather those who do the will of his Father … Continue reading →