To be a confessing Christian is to be one who longs to act, think and be more like Jesus, and one who, along that journey of transformation, admits deep need for God's power, grace and body. Lent is a time to re-admit this need. In the early years of The Way of Jesus, persecution was the norm. One of the readings from this Sunday's lectionary comes from an epistle Paul wrote from prison (Philippians 3:4b-14). He was in prison for being a Christian. There have been, and still are, countless “red martyrs”--men and … [Read more...] about White Martyrdom and the Unpersecuted People of God
spiritual formation
Shoot Christians Say: Lent and Ash Wednesday
Lent is Church language. For countless jaded Christians the word implies little more than hypocrisy and self-righteousness. For others it's that time of year to give up coffee or baked goods for a few weeks. When some think of it, this might pop into their heads: “It seems like I remember my sin enough without smudging it on my face and going without my favorite drink for a month and a half.” I invited a friend to the Ash Wednesday service with a local Catholic congregation and this was his response: “Nah man. … [Read more...] about Shoot Christians Say: Lent and Ash Wednesday
Head, Heart and Hands Together: Implications and Challenges
Questions How would you summarize how the overemphasis on or neglect of either the head, hearts or hands dimension of one's faith (or the faith of one's faith community) causes one to be less than what God envisions for us as His children? How does your faith community address the God-desired balance of head, hearts and hands for our lives? Note: The local assembly of which I'm a member and partnered with in this study is part of the Brethren in Christ Church. As such their core values receive attention in the … [Read more...] about Head, Heart and Hands Together: Implications and Challenges
Head, Heart and Hands Together: An Interdisciplinary Perspective
Questions Has the balance/relationship of head, heart and hands been explored/discussed in some manner in your field? If so, what has been the conversation? If not, how might you propose research and writing on the balance/relationship of head, heart and hands in your field? … [Read more...] about Head, Heart and Hands Together: An Interdisciplinary Perspective
Head, Heart and Hands Together: The Biblical Case
How would you present the biblical case for a faith with well-developed and balanced dimensions of head heart hands?* … [Read more...] about Head, Heart and Hands Together: The Biblical Case