Monthly Archives: January 2009

Renewing Our Worship: Attitudes

Posted on January 31, 2009 by Jay Guin

The tension in the room was palpable. You could seemingly even smell it. Five elders sat on one end of the table, trying to act like shepherds, even though they didn’t feel like shepherds. You see, they were angry, although … Continue reading →

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Baba Yetu

Posted on January 31, 2009 by Jay Guin

It’s Saturday! And that puts me in a “Baba Yetu” kind of mood. “Baba Yetu” is the Lord’s Prayer in Swahili, composed by Christopher Tin. It was used as the theme music for the computer game Civilization IV. This is … Continue reading →

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Renewing Our Worship: Introduction

Posted on January 30, 2009 by Jay Guin

At the suggestion of Mark, I’m going to put down some ideas about upgrading the worship service of a typical Church of Christ. Of course, there’s no such thing as a typical Church of Christ. Some would find many of … Continue reading →

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The Baptists’ Evolving View of Baptism (and the Churches of Christ, too)

Posted on January 29, 2009 by Jay Guin

One of the most pronounced identity markers of the Churches of Christ and Christian Churches is our view of baptism. In contrast to most evangelical churches, we reject infant baptism, insist on baptism by immersion, and consider baptism the moment … Continue reading →

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A Lover’s Quarrel: A Colony of Heaven

Posted on January 28, 2009 by Jay Guin

Garrett’s twelfth and final wish for the Churches of Christ is – Let us be a colony of heaven — Cross-shaped, grace-oriented, Spirit-filled. There’s too much to say on this, so I’ll just quote Garrett –

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Faith Lessons by Ray Vander Laan: When Storms Come / Piercing the Darkness

Posted on January 28, 2009 by Jay Guin

I’m combining two lessons, because the stories are very familiar and Ray Vander Laan does a great job with each. There’s not a lot to add, and the two lessons fit together nicely. The Sea of Galilee The lesson is … Continue reading →

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Churches of Christ in Decline: What Went Wrong

Posted on January 27, 2009 by Jay Guin

In the last post, I quoted passages from the first volume of Alexander Campbell’s The Christian Baptist in which he describes how we planned to unite all Christendom. Over and over, Campbell and Walter Scott, the Restoration Movement’s first missionary, … Continue reading →

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Churches of Christ in Decline: Boundary Markers and The Christian Baptist

Posted on January 27, 2009 by Jay Guin

Alexander Campbell first published his teachings in a periodical called The Christian Baptist, begining in 1823. The following are some excerpts that remain instructive today. First, regarding the “bond of union among Christians.” Passing by, for the present, the various … Continue reading →

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A Lover’s Quarrel: Renewed Assemblies

Posted on January 26, 2009 by Jay Guin

Garrett’s eleventh wish for the Churches of Christ is – Let there be renewal in our assemblies. We must find ways to make our assemblies more exciting and fulfilling. … Our preaching often lacks passion and a sense of urgency, … Continue reading →

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Churches of Christ in Decline: What to Do About It

Posted on January 26, 2009 by Jay Guin

Okay. I’m all over the Churches of Christ in the United States thing. It’s in the past. It’s time to look forward. How do the Churches of Christ overcome their decline? I’ve written lots of posts on this in the … Continue reading →

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