The Rev. Dr. Jeremy Berg is the founding and lead pastor of MainStreet Covenant Church in Minnetonka Beach, MN, where he has served since 2010. He is an adjunct professor of Biblical and Theological Studies who has taught classes at Bethel University, University of Northwestern—St. Paul, North Central University, Crown College, and Solid Rock Discipleship School. Jeremy earned a doctorate in New Testament Context under Scot McKnight at Northern Seminary (Chicago). He and his wife, Kjerstin, have three kids, Peter, Isaak and Abigail.
The Josiah Smith Band have been a special part of my season of ministry at Fusion. They have been part of nearly all of our Fusion retreats and have left an impact on our group with their music and their sincere love of our students. One neat moment was when Josiah came to our morning … More Josiah Smith Band – “With Open Hands”
I’m sharing some noteworthy excerpts from one of my favorite, most influential books — “Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony” by Stanley Hauerwas & William Willimon. Chapter four addresses Christian social ethics as faithfulness to the community’s normative story — in this case the Jesus-shaped story. “The habit of Constantinian thinking is difficult to … More Resident Aliens 4
This is a growing collection of resources to help familiarize Christians with the current debate on what the Bible teaches about homosexuality and how we can better love and minister to the GLBTQ community. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TEACH? Here’s a good place to start if you’re wondering what the Bible teaches and how both sides make their … More Jesus, the Bible, & Homosexuality – Resources
“Nothing is impossible for the man who will not listen to reason.” -John Belushi (in the film “Animal House”)
As a sophomore in college two friends bought me a new study Bible as a gift. I took that Bible to the dining center and began reading the Acts of the Apostles for the first time. Something happened that night as I read this seemingly harmless story of the birth and expansion of the early … More ESSAY: The Collision of Stories: An Exploration in Narrative Theology (2002)
I’m sharing some noteworthy excerpts from one of my favorite, most influential little books on church engaging culture — “Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony” by Stanley Hauerwas & Will Willimon. Chapter 3 is my favorite chapter of all, recasting the entire Christian life and experience of salvation as the invitation into a new, … More Resident Aliens 3
I found another great political insight at Jesus Creed Blog today. Sorry for so much political banter at DI lately. I hope my heart for a more balanced, nuanced and open-minded debate, and less polarization and stone-throwing is coming through in these posts. -Jeremy David Brooks gets it when it comes to how people are … More Sketching Obama
Chapter 2 of “Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony” by Hauerwas & Willimon engages the issue of the church’s engagement with the powers-that-be. In typical Hauerwasian fashion, they suggest the church focus it’s energy on being the church — a distinct, alien tribe that remains faithful to it’s own life shaped by in the … More Resident Aliens 2
UPDATE: Albert Mohler has a fair critique of the situation from a conservative angle worth reading HERE. Can’t we just get along? Well, probably not. But can’t we just at least try to listen to and respect those on the other side of socio-political issues? I’ve been posting lately on the political question sparked by Glenn … More Polarized & Perplexed About Helping the Poor
Already 21 years old, “Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony” is a little book by the Duke duo Stanley Hauerwas and William Willimon that purports to offer “a provocative Christian assessment of culture and ministry for people who know that something is wrong.” Two decades later, something is still wrong. This book speaks powerfully … More Resident Aliens 1
Recently Glenn Beck warned Christians to be suspicious of churches that promote “social justice.” His exact words on his March 2 show were: “I beg you, look for the words ‘social justice’ or ‘economic justice’ on your church Web site. If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, … More Witherington’s Response to Glenn Beck
“We have short attention spans. Having been introduced to God, we soon lose interest in God and become preoccupied with ourselves. Self expands and soul atrophies. Psychology trumps theology. … [And this] usually adds up to a workable life … But — it is not the practice of resurrection, it is not growing up in … More QUOTABLES: Eugene Peterson
Michael Spencer (Internet Monk) is a well-known Christian blogger who has been a special part of my journey the past couple years as I’ve enjoyed his daily writings and especially his western Kentucky accent and candor on his weekly Internet Monk Radio Podcast. I’ve never met Michael but I feel like he is a good … More Prayers For A Dying Friend
“If one-tenth of what you believe is true, you ought to be ten times as excited as you are.” – From The Crisis in the University by Sir Walter Moberly
Check out A Jesus Manifesto by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola. Then listen to an interview with them from the Steve Brown Etc radio broadcast HERE. Christians have made the gospel about so many things … things other than Christ. Jesus Christ is the gravitational pull that brings everything together and gives them significance, reality, … More A Jesus Manifesto for the 21st Century (by Sweet & Viola)
“Can the church stop its puny, hack dreams of trying to “make a difference in the world” and start dreaming God-sized dreams of making the world different? Can the church invent and prevent, redeem and redream, this postmodern future? -From Soul Tsunami by Leonard Sweet
One of the essential human needs is to have a sense of purpose; the desire to be a part of something larger than themselves; to play an important role and have a long-term impact in some arena of life. The human spirit cries out against the modern, secular narrative that belittles human existence to the … More Discipleship 2: Jumpin’ on a Moving Train & Searching for Atlantis
McLaren’s latest and largest full frontal assault on evangelicalism and historic orthodoxy is now available in stores: “A New Kind of Christianity: Ten Questions That Are Transforming the Faith”. I cannot think of anyone better to offer a fair and balanced review of this book than Dr. Scot McKnight. The review is found in Christianity … More McKnight on McLaren’s “A New Kind of Christianity”
The Christian life of the first disciples who answered when Jesus said “Follow me” is far different from what it is for many today. Back then, the call of discipleship truly included a cross to take up and carry, as persecution was the lot of most early followers. Repentance, being far more than contrition for … More Discipleship 1: An Adventurous Journey
A holy man was having a conversation with God one day and said, ‘ God , I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.’ God led the holy man to two doors.. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in . In the middle of the room was a large round … More Classic Parable of the Long-handled Spoon
“The true understanding of the Bible is that it tells a story of which my life is a part, the story of God’s tireless, loving, wrathful, inexhaustible patience with the human family, and of our unbelief, blindness, disobedience. To accept this story as the truth of the human story (and so of my story) commits … More QUOTABLES: Leslie Newbigin
My mom sent me this in one of those infamous “Forward This Or Else” chain letters. But maybe some of you like these. Some good wisdom here. It was written by Regina Brett, who is NOT 90 years old as the email said. “To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught … More Timeless Wisdom for Life
Scot McKnight at Jesus Creed is exploring Christian Smith’s new book: Souls in Transition: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults. What do emerging adults think of religion? This next chp in Smith and Snell discovered in their fantastic new book: Souls in Transition: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults will be of use to all … More Today’s Emerging Adults 2
Scot McKnight at Jesus Creed is exploring Christian Smith’s new book: Souls in Transition: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults. Today the question is: What is the cultural world of the emerging adult? We’re talking about 46 million emerging adults… so generalizations need careful backing of evidence and all kinds of nuance. What … More Today’s Emerging Adults 1
Kingdom Harbor 