I have previously blogged on the danger of celebrity and the pitfalls that pastors and church leaders may fall into when the Christian media machine gets a hold of you. Lately (I think spurred on by Mark Driscoll’s most recent book and his rockstar persona), there have been a lot of posts about Christian celebrity.… Read More »
Peter Enns, a professor of Old Testament and New Testament Studies at Eastern University, has written a book that is getting a lot of press time in the Christian blogosphere. The book, entitled The Evolution of Adam, attempts to reconcile the Genesis record with modern scientific thought, as well as explain the apostle Paul’s use of… Read More »
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtklfgWES9Y] Yesterday, the Acoustic Gurus presented a song I wrote using Psalm 1 for lyrics. If you have a songbook with 150 different lyrics that you claim is inspired by God, why do you sing songs by less inspired authors? Like it or hate it, I think our primary source material for music should be… Read More »
Kurt Willems linked to this blog post written by an atheist who attends a Vineyard church in Scotland. I thought it was an interesting perspective. As I read the article, I identified three things that keep the author returning to the worship gatherings of this congregation. The highly relational way people connect The celebratory, participatory… Read More »
You quite literally can’t read the Hebrew Scriptures without encountering harvests of every size, shape and color. Since Palestine was a highly agrarian region for most of its history, harvests loom large. They define offerings and sacred holidays in the Torah. The barley and wheat harvests in particular defined the rhythms of life and even… Read More »
Let’s consider the times Jesus referred to his kingdom as sheep. Jesus really tackles this idea in John 10: As his sheep, we hear his voice and recognize his authority over us (v 2) We follow him only (vv 3-4) We do not follow the voices of strange shepherds (v 5) He protects us as… Read More »
In the Christian Scriptures, the church is depicted in a number of metaphors and images. This varied imagery has led to a lot of crazy theology when taken too far, and not a few whacked out worship songs that I refer to as “prom songs for Jesus.” Among the images we have in the Scriptures… Read More »
Out of Ur posted an interesting discussion from the Elephant Room that touched on non-pastor bloggers and authority in the church. In the panel discussing the topic are a couple of my favorite pastors: Matt Chandler and Perry Noble. I have respect for their ministries primarily because they have respect for God’s word. Also present… Read More »
Ed Stetzer recently wrote in Facts and Trends that the “Elephant in the Church” is the lack of robust disciple-making. He writes: Many churches are now rediscovering ways to push more depth from the Sunday morning stage, better ways to assimilate the crowds into small groups and discipling relationships, more organic ways to nurture spiritual… Read More »
Heaven.
That place where you go when you die. First, you stroll through the pearly gates and meet St. Peter, then you get a crown and a mansion and can eat all you want. There’s a temple and lots of holy people around, angels singing from the clouds. You get a harp. It’s great.
Of course, that image is entirely wrong. Oh, some of it is in the Scriptures, but the way we perceive it and the way it will truly be are two different things.