(Update: you’d be better off reading the previous post before this one…) Hands. Many of you noticed his hands, just as many of us did in Marianne’s class 15 years ago. The story of the picture, as I remember it, goes like this. This painting …
Read MoreWhat do you notice?
This is an assignment. I’m asking you do actually do what I’m going to ask, and then respond in the comments. Can you handle that? One of my favorite profs at Fuller was Marianne Meye Thompson. She was a key person in helping the bible …
Read MoreWe need a bigger Jesus
I was first drawn to Quakers, because I read about early Friends and was amazed at how holistic their view of Jesus was. They had intense personal experiences with God which immediately led them out to change the world. Social justice and passionate spirituality, all …
Read MoreSo, where will they find a place to belong?
As the years march on, more and more people will find themselves outside church walls. How will the church respond? If you’re a chart/statistics person, start by reading this. It’s a review of George Barna’s upcoming book by Andrew Jones, a leading voice in the …
Read MoreExemplary suffering
Matt is raising amazingly thoughtful questions in the comments, and frankly, has made this blog worthwhile for me because of it. Let me reframe a little bit, thanks to Matt’s prodding. Christians need people like the Pope and others to model suffering for us. It’s …
Read MoreGraceful suffering
Seeing graceful suffering reminds us that the fabric of our world, the lifeblood of redemption, comes through the willful suffering of God in Jesus Christ. The victory and vindication of God is not in glorious, overcoming power, but through redemptive, love-incarnated suffering. Thanks, Matt and …
Read MoreVicarious suffering
Over lunch today, I was reading the latest Newsweek; in particular, an article about Pope John Paul II. I know virtually nothing about the Pope and Catholicism, but this article caught my attention, because it has to do in part with the value of suffering. …
Read MoreMore on the President talking to God….
Someone recently told a group of us that it’s become impossible in Christian circles to even discuss politics. The tensions and the emotions are simply too high to have any kind of discourse. But we need to discuss it. Neither party in America today comes …
Read MoreDay 8 for Barclay Press
I had an idea that I thought was great, and now it could get me in trouble. My idea was this: each week, the Apple iTunes music store has a free download of the week. I thought, hey, here’s a chance to listen to what …
Read MoreDay 2 for Barclay Press
One of the great benefits of being released to pastoral ministry is the freedom to take time in the day to getaway and hear from God. What’s sad is how relatively infrequently I take advantage of it. I carved a few hours out of my …
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