Limitations of Personal Assessments

March 26, 2010

I have a love-hate relationship with personal assessments.  I love self-discovery and hold the ancient motto of Socrates in high regard: “Know thyself” and “The unexamined life is not worth living.”  I’ve done the Myers-Briggs, StrengthsFinder, Spiritual Gifts inventory, EQ assessments, and currently doing some church planter assessments. Here’s my main frustration and source of … More Limitations of Personal Assessments

Resident Aliens 4

March 22, 2010

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

Jesus, the Bible, & Homosexuality – Resources

March 21, 2010

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

ESSAY: The Collision of Stories: An Exploration in Narrative Theology (2002)

March 20, 2010

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)

Resident Aliens 3

March 19, 2010

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

Sketching Obama

March 18, 2010

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

Resident Aliens 2

March 17, 2010

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

Polarized & Perplexed About Helping the Poor

March 16, 2010

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

Resident Aliens 1

March 15, 2010

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

A Jesus Manifesto for the 21st Century (by Sweet & Viola)

March 7, 2010

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)

QUOTABLES: Leonard Sweet

March 6, 2010

“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

Discipleship 2: Jumpin’ on a Moving Train & Searching for Atlantis

March 3, 2010

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

McKnight on McLaren’s “A New Kind of Christianity”

March 2, 2010

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”