Category Archives: Church
Avoiding the Teachings of Jesus
In adapting some of Richard Rohr’s writings, Mike at Waving and Drowning (see link below) raises an interesting question: How is it that after two thousand years of meditation on Jesus, we’ve managed so effectively to avoid most of what he taught so unequivocally? He then goes on to show how this is true by [...]
What’s In a Name – Church Names in the Here and Now (UPDATED)
UPDATE: Jim informed me that the correct name for our church would be WillnJims ChurchaJesus. The sign above now reflects this. Julie also reported that the church she attended today was Evangel Assemblies of God and that they have three distinct services: The Classic, The Bridge, and now The Current. I guess that makes it [...]
The Church and Preaching
A church that suffers no persecution but enjoys the privileges and support of the things of the earth – beware! – is not the true church of Jesus Christ. A preaching that does not point out sin is not the preaching of the gospel. A preaching that makes sinners feel good, so that they are [...]
Flannery O’Connor on the Church
“I think that the Church is the only thing that is going to make the terrible world we are coming to endurable; the only thing that makes the Church endurable is that it is somehow the body of Christ and that on this we are fed. It seems to be a fact that you suffer [...]
Church Growth and Following Jesus
If there is one thing I have tired of in my 20 plus years of ministry, it is the emphasis that many in the church world have on church growth. I have read countless books on turning churches around and helping them grow, often written by people, who, for one reason or another, have experienced [...]
Being Nice, Love, and Living as a Follower of Jesus
On the blog inward/outward, the Rev. Alan Jones has a very good post entitled “Being Nice, and Other Barriers to Love.” I highly recommend you take some time to read the post in its entirety, though below you will find some of its beginning paragraphs. One of the most damaging things about the popular view [...]
The Least of These
First off, let me say that Julie has an excellent blog post about her recent encounter with a homeless woman in Bismarck, ND, and I encourage you to read it. There are some days when I read Julie’s blog and I think to myself, “Gee, I wish I could write about my everyday experiences like [...]
Effective Churches
Image by wallyg via Flickr Yesterday, on his personal blog (see link below), Will Willimon, Bishop of the the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church, wrote about characteristics of effective churches. Willimon says that the list below was developed by the leaders of the Southeastern Juridiction of the UMC and wondered how various [...]
Churches Versus Funeral Homes
It is my opinion that over the years many churches and their pastors have allowed funeral homes and directors to take over some of the tasks that only churches should have. In particular I am talking about the practice of having memorial services, or what we United Methodists call a "Service of Death and Resurrection” [...]
The Church as a Prostitute
In a recent post on Emergent Self, Judith Hougen wrote: Some years ago I sat at a sidewalk cafe with Barry, a pastor from San Francisco, during a break at a spiritual formation conference in Denver. I was interviewing him for a phantom book project. I sipped iced tea and described to him my ideas [...]
