Category Archives: Muscle & Shovel, by Michael Shank

We are considering Michael Shank’s book Muscle and a Shovel. “Reverend” We’re now getting to even more picayune peculiarities of the conservative Churches of Christ. (I’m starting to get really embarrassed by this. I mean, I attend a Church of … Continue reading →

We are considering Michael Shank’s book Muscle and a Shovel. Chapter 27, continued Randall illustrates the exclusionary principle that underlies the Regulative Principle — “Mike, what did the Lord use in the communion meal?” I thought about it for a … Continue reading →

We are considering Michael Shank’s book Muscle and a Shovel. Chapter 26 The Five Acts of Worship Randall next makes a presentation on the Five Acts of Worship: Lord’s Supper, Prayer, Singing, Giving, Preaching. Randall argues that if you dropped … Continue reading →

We are considering Michael Shank’s book Muscle and a Shovel. Chapter 22 Shank becomes upset with the divisions resulting from “denominationalism.” Each denomination teaches an opposing set of practices and beliefs. Their idea of unity is to keep their individual … Continue reading →

We are considering Michael Shank’s book Muscle and a Shovel. Chapter 19 The Ethiopian eunuch We next find Shank studying the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch together. Randall had introduced them to the story, saying it’s important to … Continue reading →

We are considering Michael Shank’s book Muscle and a Shovel. Chapter 16 Shank gets into a discussion with another friend about Acts 2:38. I’m going to cut short the long litany of Baptist vs. Church of Christ baptism arguments at … Continue reading →

We are considering Michael Shank’s book Muscle and a Shovel. Chapter 12 Shank describes a family gathering at which his aunt tried to pray for him to receive the gift of tongues. She prayed in tongues as part of the … Continue reading →

We are considering Michael Shank’s book Muscle and a Shovel. Nick Gill commented earlier, and I completely misunderstood his question (my fault), and I wrote a 2,000-word reply to the wrong question. But the essay addresses issues that are being … Continue reading →

We are considering Michael Shank’s book Muscle and a Shovel. Chapter 9 In chapter 9, Randall thoroughly disproves the notion that the church was founded by John the Baptist. He is, of course, exactly right. The library taught Shank the … Continue reading →

We are considering Michael Shank’s book Muscle and a Shovel. As promised, I need to tell the story of the Landmark Baptist movement, founded in the 19th Century and centered in Nashville, Tennessee. Alexander Campbell famously debated the leader and … Continue reading →