A call to a new Reformation in the teaching and life of Jesus' followers
This evening, the U.S. House of Representatives is voting on a resolution reaffirming “In God We Trust” as the motto of the United States. I’m sure the purpose of such a resolution, which changes nothing and has no force of law, is mainly to get an election-year vote on the books reaffirming the difference between “God’s Own Party” and the godless Democrats. But with full … Continue reading In God We Trust…REALLY???
I had a friend ask me today what my definition of a Christian is. I resisted the question to some degree, as I remain extremely troubled by the obsession many have, with drawing lines to delineate who is “in” and “out” of fellowship, orthodoxy, or whatever. I am not taking anything back that I said in my Word About Creeds. Nevertheless, if I claim to … Continue reading What IS a Christian, anyway?
And he told them a parable, saying, “The farm of a certain rich man bore well. And he talked it over with himself, saying, ‘What shall I do? I don’t have space to store my crops.’ And he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will take down my storehouses and build bigger, and there I will gather all my grain and … Continue reading Bumper Crops and Bigger Barns
The other day, a Facebook friend of mine posted a big caption on his profile: “JESUS Is With the 99%.” Predictably, he got a bunch of “likes” from his liberal buddies, and just as predictably, he got some major pushback from his conservative friends. The Christian camp has divided along the usual lines, with one side loudly shouting that Jesus would join the rowdy crowd … Continue reading WJOW (Would Jesus Occupy Wall Street)?
I normally don’t embed videos on this blog, so for those of you who would rather read a sermon than listen to one (as I normally would), I apologize. However this message by my friend Rod Cardoza is worth the half-hour it’ll take you to hear it: Rod is the founder of The Abrahamic Alliance, a Silicon Valley-based ministry that seeks to build bridges between … Continue reading Love God, Love Neigbors…including Muslim Neighbors!
There is a fascinating article in the Washington Post this morning on a new discovery that has the potential to shake up the world of physics. It seems that an experiment at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, has everybody wondering if perhaps they’ve found evidence that a particle can travel faster than light. This is important because if true, it means Einstein’s theory … Continue reading Challenging truth? Bring it on!
I strongly encourage you all to read Tom Wright’s American Christians and the death penalty in today’s Washington Post. Tom’s asking the same questions I’ve been asking for years, critiquing the dichotomy between pro-capital-punishment “Pro-Life” Christians on one hand, and anti-capital-punishment “Pro-Choice” folks on the other. He’s right on both counts. And I was especially moved by his closing question: …how many folk out there … Continue reading Tom Wright on what deaths we support or oppose…
I’ve been running into a lot of comments from friends across the blogosphere lately, revolving around the issue of how the church should respond to homosexuality today. I write this response with trepidation, because I have a hunch it’ll upset many of my more “liberal” friends with about the same level of fervor many of my other writings upset my “conservative” brethren. However, I feel … Continue reading Open? Yes! Affirming? No.
I was at an event recently where a missionary from Africa came and shared about their work. After he spoke a pastor came up and shared how blessed he felt that a member of his church was called to the mission field. Although it sounds odd it seemed as though in the mind of the pastor this persons calling was “higher” because he left the … Continue reading Aren’t We All Missionaries?
I’ve not had time to write for the last couple weeks, but I have to recommend this editorial, Evangelicals Without Blowhards by Nicholas Kristoff in the New York Times. Kristoff makes an excellent case for what happens when people actually try to live like Jesus instead of usurping the Holy Spirit’s role in convicting everyone else of sin. He also gives a heartfelt tribute to … Continue reading “Evangelicals Without Blowhards” – Nicholas Kristoff speaks