I really wanted to like Jesus Manifesto by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola. I really did. Unfortunately, like the other works by these two authors I just could not get into the groove of their prose. Leonard Sweet in particular writes in a style that does not resonate with me. I’m not sure what it

I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed this, but in the Scriptures, people seem to pray with their eyes open. When you read the prayers of the Scriptures, do you picture the Biblical speakers with their eyes closed? I don’t. In fact, when the disciples’ eyes are closed, they generally miss the glory of the

In previous post of this series, we talked about worshiping with our eyes open to see the intersection of grace and need. Today, let’s take our consideration further. It is common to talk about worship as a one-way conversation – God speaking to you or you speaking to God. Often, we believe these things to

I have to admit something up front. I don’t trust statistics. This isn’t a very popular opinion among pastors, but I think statistics are overrated. They can be too easily manipulated – both in collection and in interpretation. So when I started reading Bradley R.E. Wright’s book, Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites…and Other Lies You’ve Been

I love music because I was raised in music. My dad is a guitar player. My sister plays piano and sings. We had bluegrass bands in our church (seriously). There was never a time in my life when I wasn’t longing to play the guitar. And after I married one of the most amazingly sincere

The divine nature – there is perhaps no single issue that has caused more debate, separation, confusion, schism and frustration. The issue is so divisive that as soon as the Council of Nicaea formulated what is classically understood to be the “Trinity”, Constantine the Great led his armies to destroy a community of people who

This morning, the elders announced the second candidate name for our merged congregation. The previous candidate, Sojourner Fellowship was deemed too lengthy and a bit obscure. The candidate name is: The Church on Bedford Road The elders felt that this is the way most people know us. It is a familiar way to refer to

Previously in this series, I wrote brief biographic sketches of two men: Anselm of Canterbury and Peter Abelard. Today, I want to contrast their views of the world and theology, particularly the topic of the atonement. Basically, the atonement is a theological shorthand for “how did Jesus’ death save people?” It is a complex issue that has