Lots going on, but not much to talk about. I had a great “getting things done” day around the house yesterday. I checked off a long list of to-do’s that needed to get done. I’m reading Simply Christian by N. T. Wright. As is usual for Wright, it’s good. I’d love to get a curious […]
Wineskins McLaren Review
Wineskins has my review of McLaren’s latest book here. Brian McLaren, The Secret Message of Jesus
June 1, 2006 by 4 Comments
N.T. Wright and Anne Rice
Fascinating conversation with N.T. Wright and Anne Rice. Strange combination.
May 31, 2006 by 5 Comments
American Gospel
I’ve been listening to American Gospel by John Meacham and thoroughly enjoying it. He makes the case that the relationship between church and state, religion and politics, and Christianity and the faith of the Founding Fathers is like most things in history: more complex and nuanced than most people want to believe. He contends that […]
May 24, 2006 by 6 Comments
I Think I May Be a Crunchy Con
I’ve been glued to Rod Dreher’s book, Crunchy Cons. It was given to me by a friend who kept recommending it and could tell that I wasn’t going to read it unless he bought it for me. By the way, if you can perfect such a response to all book recommendations, you can get a […]
April 25, 2006 by
The Last Word
Here are a few of my favorite passages from The Last Word. Much would-be Christian thought (including much would-be “biblical” Christian thought) in the last two hundred years has tacitly conceded these huge claims, turning “Kingdom of God” into “the hope for heaven after death” and treating Jesus’s death, at the most, as the mechanism […]
April 19, 2006 by 11 Comments
Recovered
I think I’ve just about recovered from the workhop. Last week was really difficult. I was pumped because of the way the workshop went and all the positive feedback we received. At the same time I was depressed. I had a major case of the post-event doldrums. The workshop had been an open program on […]
April 6, 2006 by 4 Comments
The Logic of Evangelism
Yesterday at the Tulsa Emergent Cohort we talked about evangelism. I tried to stoke the conversation by bringing some quotes from one of the best books on evangelism I’ve read: The Logic of Evangelism by William J. Abraham. What is especially striking is the way in which the gospel of the kingdom initially spread. It […]
January 13, 2006 by 4 Comments
Equipping is Not Delegating
Here are some important words from R. Paul Stevens that I return to every couple of months because I need this reminder: Equipping is not delegating. Pastors think they are equipping the laity when they delegate certain parts of their ministry to laypersons. For example, a pastor my not personally enjoy doing premarital counseling, so […]
January 11, 2006 by 5 Comments
Embracing Grace
Another great book I read in 2005 is Embracing Grace by Scot McKnight. Scot’s blog is a must read and I listed another book of his, The Jesus Creed, in my official 2005 favorites list. I’ve become quite a fan of McKnight’s work over the last six or seven months. He’s also become an important […]
January 6, 2006 by 3 Comments
Telling Stories, Asking Questions, Learning Lessons