Archive for the ‘church’ Category

Spiritual Masturbation

Over coffee this morning, a good friend reminded me that so much of our “insider talk” as Christians basically equates to masturbatory language. We talk and talk, ascending to higher plains of intellectual enlightenment, making ourselves and each other feel satisfied in the short-term — but not too long afterward, we are unsatisfied and actually [...]

Continue reading »

Church@Brunch

Just got back from Sunday morning brunch at one of our favorite little Eastie spots. It’s a wonderful little breakfast-lunch place that you’d never find by accident, because it’s in the middle of a working boat yard. You give your order to Wendy at a little walk-up window inside, grab a recycled cup for some [...]

Continue reading »

my political journey

If you haven’t noticed, 2008 is an election year. (Some of you just muttered to yourself, “So that’s why they keep showing that toothy guy and old man on the news!”) A certain excitement surrounds presidential elections.  Much of it is media-induced, as was evident by the earlier-than-ever start to the primary season (summer 2007).  [...]

Continue reading »

a minister lives here

…and the Senate wants to know why.  Read to the very end of this piece in the LA Times.

Continue reading »

my very last rant about the American church

I write the following at the risk of alienating my remaining 10 or so readers who could care less about reforming the conventional American church.  I’m right there with them most days, except since Friday, when I randomly linked to a slick video promoting a church’s building campaign. If you’ll take 10 minutes to watch [...]

Continue reading »

“you know not how”

John Piper and I don’t agree on everything theologically, but man do I love what he said at a recent conference at his church. He is speaking truth, and those of us in kingdom work had better listen closely. Let me just give one last counsel or piece of advice. This comes right off of [...]

Continue reading »

no surprise here

Check out the most recent USA Today report on post-high school church involvement. Not really anything new here, just another study showing that church attendance is simply not that important to most twentysomething Christians, let alone not-yet-Christians. In fact, we’d be considered among those who have “left the church.” Here’s a snippet: Seven in 10 [...]

Continue reading »

coverings and church perception

Keith Giles has some helpful things to say about “spiritual covering” in today’s Subversive Underground Newsletter. He contrasts authentic biblical accountability in ministry and missions with what some churches call “spiritual covering,” which he asserts is often used as a way to control the activity of their members. He concludes with this powerful statement: The [...]

Continue reading »

church reform

“If Christianity is to become aware of what it is, we must abandon the pastoral church which takes care of people, which is the usual form of the Western church. Instead, we have to call to life a Christian community church. Either we set about this church reform by ourselves, or it will be forced [...]

Continue reading »

My friend, who is in the process of leaving a church he’s attended for 8 1/2 years, made this comment in a conversation Tuesday: The biggest problem to me with that [church] model is that it keeps it’s members busy doing things to attract other people, and in the end the people doing all the [...]

Continue reading »

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.