Art has the ability to move us toward truth (or away from truth). It has the ability to bring comfort in chaos and hope when all seems hopeless. It brings encouragement to the downcast and expands vision when we are nearsighted. Artists bring ideas and emotions to life. We are […]
Discipleship
Our present pandemic has not only forced churches to host on-line worship gatherings, but led some to begin having conversations about transitioning to house church models. I have heard more discussions regarding house churches in the past five months than in the last several years. But what makes a house […]
What are House Churches?
“Many exegetical studies on mission fail to indicate which notion of mission is used or presupposed. Some authors operate with a vague concept of mission, sometimes linked with the term ‘mission,’ used in official declarations (e.g., that of the World Council of Churches), that describes comprehensively all aims, efforts and […]
Understanding Mission(s)–Beverly Hillbilly Style
With the publication of Transforming Mission (1991), David Bosch acknowledged the Church’s activity in mission has transitioned through several paradigms. His conclusion at the end of the twentieth century was the new paradigm had not arrived but was in the process of development. We are still in this liminal state. […]
Apostolic Imagination: Rethinking Missions
Life in the Kingdom is filled with irony. The first is last (Matt 20:16). The greatest is like a little child (Matt 18:4). The cheek is turned (Matt 5:39). The extra mile is traveled (Matt 5:41). We should not be surprised by this Ethic. Yet, an unnecessary tension is found […]
Simplicity of Depth
Double Standard — a rule or principle which is unfairly applied in different ways to different people or groups. The world is filled with double standards. Unfortunately, the Church is too, including theological institutions. Expectations related to differing job descriptions, responsibilities, and roles do not count as double standards, especially […]