It is time to change the mood. It is time to pull back. It is time to rethink, restart, repent. It is the season of Lent. I am preparing myself for Lent now for the seventh time. I have been practicing Lent since 2008, when …
Read MoreSo what do I tell a new Christian to do? (Cyprian’s 120 Instructions)
“The grace of God ought to be gratuitous.” – Cyprian (third-century Christian bishop) I am a Discipleship Pastor, which means I am a Pastor Pastor, because the entire pastoral vocation consists in guiding people in the way of faithful Christian discipleship. I have often wondered what …
Read MoreReflections on the Prince of Peace
We are coming to the end of the second week of Advent in 2013 and the theme for this week is peace. So my thoughts this week, as we prepare ourselves for Christmas, has been upon one of the titles given to Jesus, the title …
Read MoreJesus and Nonviolence: A Response to Mark Driscoll
I appreciate Mark Driscoll, maybe even more than my friends do. I first stumbled upon Driscoll in the late 1990s when I was in seminary and wrestling with postmodernity and the mission of the church. Mars Hill was in its infancy and some around the …
Read MoreA Eucharistic People
The heart of Christian worship is the celebration of communion, otherwise known as “the Lord’s Supper” or “the Eucharist.” All other elements of Christian worship are tangential to eating the bread and drinking from the cup in a proclamation of Jesus’ death. Jesus’ body was …
Read MoreI Believe in Hell
I recently responded to a member of my church who was asking questions about hell. I sent him a 750-word email in response to his questions about hell, who goes there, and how long it lasts. This response was not my first, nor will it …
Read MoreSubstance and Evidence
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1 KJV) Faith is a human attribute. Faith is an essential human attribute. God has no need of faith because nothing is unseen for him, but we earth-bound creatures …
Read MoreThe Peace Prayer of St. Francis
This prayer was not written by St. Francis of Assisi. It was not written by Pope Francis. It first began to circulate during World War I. The author is unknown, but early copies of it were on a card in honor of St. Francis, so …
Read MoreN.T. Wright on the Ordination of Practicing Homosexuals
The acceptability of homosexuality is becoming one of the defining issues of our day. Gay marriage has become a polarizing cultural issue with current trends showing a rise in the support for the legalization of same-sex unions. A recent ABC News/Washington Post survey showed 58% …
Read MoreThe Jesus Life
John, the beloved disciple of Jesus, makes things simple for us. He writes: Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:12) The logic here is indeed simple. Jesus equals life. No Jesus, …
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