The church has been fishing for a long time in our North American context using methods learned from our forebearers and business books. We caught lots of fish for lots of decades using the attractional church methods. But like the disciples, we have been fishing all night long and we are experiencing fewer and fewer results. It is time to start casting our nets on the right side of the boat.
When I was younger, I was not a fan of the Apostle Paul. In my tradition, Paul was often used as a hero of the faith (which he is) who could do no wrong (which he could even at his own admission – see Romans 3:23 and 1 Timothy 1:5). He was elevated so highly …
As of this writing, 19 ten-year-old children and two teachers have died in another school shooting involving the high caliber rapid firing AR-15 and a handgun. The 18-year-old shooter with unknown motives spent 45 wretched minutes barricaded in a classroom firing bullet after bullet into the bodies of innocent children before being killed by police …
A few summers back I decided to remove the chain-link fence that defined the edges of my backyard. Two of my neighbors helped me take out the fence, sharing their tools and their time they even helped me find someone to haul away the old material for recycling. In its place, my family has spent …
One the common complaints regarding the safety measures of quarantining and isolation to prevent the spread of Covid has been feelings of loneliness. Churches are social institutions that thrive on the interaction between congregants and those the church serve through its various mission and ministry opportunities. The desire for churches to gather is often in …
From Isolation to Community: A Renewed Vision for Christian Life Together, A Review Read More »
“Register for our free webinar! Click here to receive the first chapter of our latest book! Watch this introduction video to our longer conversation with a popular speaker! ICYMI here is the link to our most recent article! Be sure to subscribe, like, and share our podcast, so others can hear more great content. Do …
Easter dancing does not just happen. You cannot go about business as usual, then wake up Easter Sunday ready to dance. For one who spends most of his life in the good Midwestern emotional middle, it requires lots of preparation for me to have the emotional and spiritual vulnerability necessary to channel this level of enthusiasm. Easter dancing is a crescendo, not an exercise in spontaneity.
But when the cross becomes the only lens through which to examine the Christian experience, we miss out on many other rich elements both scripture and tradition have to offer. By over-emphasizing one part of the story, our spiritual and scriptural imaginations become closed off to the power of the full resurrection story.
I utilize the Book of Common Prayer’s daily office to help guide my daily (well…near daily) devotional practice. It provides a structure I find comforting as it guides me through a series of prayers, petitions, and a psalm, Old Testament, New Testament, and Gospel reading each day. Baptists are well known for our love of scripture. Using a resource like the BCP gives me multiple touch points on God’s biblical narrative each day. Collectively the well-worn set of prayers and scriptures continue to shape me as I learn more about myself and my relationship to Christ and his church.
The next day the great crowd that had come for the Festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They too palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,“Hosanna!”“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”“Blessed is the king of Israel!”(John 12:12-13) A dear friend who recently passed away, …
Your work is holy. Your vocational calling as a stylist and beautician in a salon is sacred. It is what you are good at and it matters that you do it well.
Special thanks to Myles Werntz of the Baptist Studies Center at Abiline Christian University for hosting me for this YouTube interview. To learn more about the Baptist Studies Center visit their website: https://www.acu.edu/academics/college-of-biblical-studies/departments/bible-missions-ministry/baptist-studies-center/