A call to a new Reformation in the teaching and life of Jesus' followers
(The following is a lesson I taught for our Advent series at my church Dec. 18th) When Jesus announced the beginning of his ministry, the first prophetic reference he made was to the book of Isaiah: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up … Continue reading Jubilee is an Advent prophecy!
“The poor you will always have with you…” So said Jesus according to the accounts of three of the four Gospel writers (Matt. 26:11, Mark 14:7, and John 12:8). He said it in the context of someone objecting to a woman pouring perfume on his feet, when the value could have been given to the poor. (aside…Matthew says the disciples objected and doesn’t identify the … Continue reading The Poor Will Always Be With You…Meaning What?
Although I read Love Wins back when it first came out, I have recently wanted to see and experience the enhanced E-book version that includes video and a study guide. That’s not the point of this post, what I would like to focus on is more on the thread of Rob Bell thrashing and a common theme he is hit with in God’s wrath. As … Continue reading Understanding the Wrath of God
I have just finished Lee C. Camp’s book Who Is My Enemy? This is a book every American Christian should read–full stop. It is also a book everyone who’s frustrated with the public political stance of American Christians should read. And it’s also a book anyone wrestling with the questions of war and peace with regard to the church and/or teachings of Jesus Christ should … Continue reading Who Is My Enemy? by Lee C. Camp (book review)
Everyone, please go read Shane Claiborne’s excellent piece When Soldiers Become Saints over at Red Letter Christians. Shane is telling us of a modern-day soldier who became a conscientious objector, and also of St. Martin of Tours, whose feast day happened to coincide with Veterans’ Day. This is the kind of church history we seldom hear. . .but should!
Greg Boyd tweeted out earlier this week that a friend of his has amassed quite a bit of historical evidence proving the open view was supported by Arminian theologians in 1642. He is working to get data published from Thomas’s work whether in the form of a book or a paper. These findings are significant because much of the claims against those who criticize open … Continue reading Open Theists From the Reformation to the Present
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)?