Archive for the ‘theology’ Category

Calvin

I’m sure John Calvin was a nice guy. I really am. I’m sure he loved Jesus, people, the Apostle Paul (that’s a no-brainer), the occasional rousing game of Gin Rummy, and life in general. I really am. But I’m pretty teed off these days, and he is as good a target as anyone to vomit [...]

Continue reading »

Moving Beyond Johnny Paycheck – Part 2

So in the comments of yesterday’s post, Miller brought up the fact that folks have been complaining about their jobs for centuries, evidence of which is the über-popular Johnny Paycheck song, “Take This Job and Shove It.” (side note: I didn’t realize that David Allen Coe actually wrote and recorded the song first, but Paycheck’s [...]

Continue reading »

freedom

Since 9/11, we’ve often heard President Bush state that freedom is a “gift of the Almighty,” that God desires all people to be free. It is common knowledge that the President’s theological belief on this particular issue has undergirded much of this country’s foreign policy and military action over the last six years. I just [...]

Continue reading »

“…nor will they train for war anymore.”

Isaiah 2 The Mountain of the LORD 1 This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: 2 In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. 3 [...]

Continue reading »

political (un)involvement: part deux

OK, so I rail against political involvement the other day on this blog, and then I read two very challenging passages from two very challenging authors that made me think again. What’s a guy to think? For those of us who grow instantly nauseated at the mention of the word politics, maybe we can break [...]

Continue reading »

political (un)involvement

I had a talk the other day with our friends Aaron and Amy about politics and faith. “Steve probably took the radical leftist viewpoint,” you’re thinking. (I know, I know — I have in the past been guilty of being over-passionate about my viewpoint in political discussions). But on Sunday, I took a different route. [...]

Continue reading »

a couple things…

First, here’s the link to a Christian Chronicle story that profiles the simple/organic/house church movement in Churches of Christ. Chrissy and I were interviewed by the author. Second, I had a great “emergent cohort” meeting with several new friends who are modeling kingdom life in Beverly, Mass., which is about an hour north of the [...]

Continue reading »

the last week: reflections

The sun is setting on the Holts’ time in Texas. Friday marks our’ last full day as residents of Abilene, TX. We ship out on Saturday morning on our three-day, U-Haul-dragging trek to Boston, Mass., our new home. This reality has not fully set in yet, but I’m sure the process will begin as the [...]

Continue reading »

living in God’s story

This week I am in a challenging and Christ-centered class called “Living in God’s Story: Spiritual Formation in Missions.” We have talked about the spiritual disciplines, about church, about the nature of the Trinity, about our “missional God,” and many, many other things. Dr. Earl Lavender, director of missions at Lipscomb, is teaching the class [...]

Continue reading »

world-creation

I don’t want to be a church planter as much as I want to be a world-creator/enactor. Let me explain. Walter Brueggemann has popularized the image of the preacher as a poet who causes people to imagine new worlds and calls them to inhabit them: The event of preaching is an event in transformed imagination. [...]

Continue reading »

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.