The human ego is a sly and persistent bugger. Our bent toward self-centeredness is an ever-present menace in times of well-intended Christian living. You never know when and where the individual ego, under the strong influence of the Enemy, will take and distort an otherwise good, God made gift. The Enemy will often lead our … More When ‘Togetherness’ Isn’t Enough
I’m preparing a message on the stoning of Stephen this Sunday. Here’s something to ponder from William Willimon in his commentary on Acts: Stanley Hauerwas has written about the mass suicide at “Jonestown” when hundreds of followers of Jim Jones and his “People’s Temple” took their lives and the lives of their children (p. 106). … More A Faith Worth Living & Dying For?
“Whenever a people are bound together in loyalty to a story that includes something as strange as the Sermon on the Mount, we are put at odds with the world.” – From Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony by Hauerwas & Willimon
More reflections on Willimon’s book called “Pastor.” Today some insights on preaching: “Whereas classical rhetoricians such as Aristotle spent much of their energies concerned with the limitations and desires of the listeners, urging speakers to take care to tailer their speeches to the disposition of their listeners, Christian speaking is first concerned with the disposition … More Pastor 8 – Pastors as Preachers
Honestly, this is one of the best sections of any book I have ever read. I have rarely been this excited and passionate about anything I’ve read related to the power of Scripture. In the reading of these words, my reason for being a pastor was reaffirmed. I have experienced firsthand the world altering power … More Pastor 7 – “Obedient Playfulness” with the Text
From William Willimon’s definitive book on ordained ministry entitled Pastor. “The history of pastoral care in America is a history of the adoption of inappropriate models of leadership by the clergy. This stands as a warning to us of the perils of uncritical adoption of secular techniques and models of leadership…..” “The pastor as manager … More Pastor 2 – More than a Manager
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
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
Jeremy L. Berg 