Do you ever hear something that you know is wrong but you cannot quite put your finger on it? Have you ever had a conversation with someone where you knew you disagreed but you could not put your finger on what exactly the difference was? I think I may have figured out what rubs me the wrong way so often in Christian circles. We have a way of sounding biblical, looking Christian, speaking of Jesus while somehow subverting the gospel. Take for instance notes I found from a conference on tackling fear, worry, and anxiety. It starts with the basics. It is theologically sound on who God … [Read more...] about Gospel-Sounding Legalism
Archives for 2013
Requiem for a Christian Friendship
Once, I had a friend. Let's call him Frank T. What a great guy. Smart. Insightful. Hard-working. Godly. A goofball. Wonderfully irreverent sense of humor that sometimes treads right up to the line but doesn't cross it. We were pals, Frank and I. Our friendship taught me some of his favorite movies (Mel Brooks figures heavily). It communicated to me his favorite sports to watch. I know what sport he plays best recreationally because friendship led us to play together. Ol' Frank collects some sports memorabilia; I know very little about the collecting, but our friendship made it … [Read more...] about Requiem for a Christian Friendship
A Desert Marathon and Measuring Success in Ministry
The most worthless class I took at Southwestern was Pastoral Ministry. Our professor told stories about how he gained respect by challenging a deacon to a fistfight, said little of consequence and taught me nothing about pastoral ministry that did me any good when I finally changed my first name to "Pastor." But I experienced something a few years back that taught me more about ministry than I ever learned in ministry classes. I am now 55 years old (212 in blogging years). I have had my fair share of ups and a number of downs. Several times during the thirty-one years I have been in … [Read more...] about A Desert Marathon and Measuring Success in Ministry
Just Barely Hanging On
Part One of this can be read here. Donald sits at the kitchen table in silence, blankly gazing at the back yard. The wisteria are getting a little ragged, and need to be trimmed. The open window to his left allows in a few bugs. Hummingbirds rob the feeders and robins snatch up the seed Donald scattered on the flat river rocks at 4;30 that morning. Iris had a rough night, so he gave up on sleep after 4:00. Silence. Sip of coffee. A glance at the worn study Bible in front of him. He wasn’t always a believer. The late 60’s were filled with skepticism, and it wasn’t until a late … [Read more...] about Just Barely Hanging On
God’s Happy Little Trees
I love watching Bob Ross paint his happy little trees. However, on occasion Bob will do something that really bothers me emotionally. What almost killed me was that Ross would paint a very intricate and beautiful mountain, or a bunch of happy little trees on a mountain ridge and then…I’m getting all worked up remember it…he would practically destroy the thing by putting a big fat tree that covers almost everything he just painted. For a solid 10 minutes I’d sit there shocked and quivering and not able to enjoy my Fruit Loops while I watched this afro-wearin’ painter make something … [Read more...] about God’s Happy Little Trees
Missionary Axioms
Mrs. Samita was one my least favorite teachers of all-time. She taught algebra, geometry and necromancy. I suspected her of having bizarre hobbies, like beating puppies with kittens and quietly following along behind paranoid schizophrenics in her car with the headlights off. All that aside, she taught me the meaning of the concept of axiom. An axiom is something that is so true it does not require proof. Gravity, for example, would be axiomatic. Arrogance in the NY Yankees would qualify as well. So with that definition in mind, I invite you to peruse this list of missionary axioms, aspects … [Read more...] about Missionary Axioms
Christian Social Engagement in a Post-Christian America: Maybe We Should Change Our Tune?
I write this with some trepidation, because I am well aware of the all-too-common tendency among us to misread, misinterpret, misunderstand and misapply. So, let me be clear about what I am NOT going to say in this post before I try to make my point. I am NOT saying that Christians should retreat from engagement in the social and political arena. I do not believe that the church’s task is political, but spiritual – we are here to introduce sinners to Christ who is their only hope of salvation and to teach the full truth of God’s Word through which the Spirit works to transform us to be … [Read more...] about Christian Social Engagement in a Post-Christian America: Maybe We Should Change Our Tune?