Category Archives: Index

Are We Sacramentalists? The Lord’s Supper

[I’m reposting this to get it in right order within the series.] Most Protestants consider the Lord’s Supper to be a sacrament. The Churches of Christ do not. Rather, we follow the view of Zwingli that the communion is purely … Continue reading

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The Future of the Progressive Churches of Christ: A Drug-Induced Dream

I’ve been passing these kidney stones, and I have to take some pretty powerful drugs. And drugs lead to some very strange dreams. I woke, or so it seemed, about 100 years from now. I was surrounded by kind but … Continue reading

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The Future of the Progressive Churches of Christ: Part 10, If I Were Pope

Well, the Churches of Christ don’t have a pope, or anything close to it. And I don’t think we should. And if we did, it certainly shouldn’t be me. But if God were to make me the progressive Churches of … Continue reading

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Are We Sacramentalists? Baptism

It’s hard to deny the sacramental character of baptism as taught in the Churches of Christ. Although Zwingli taught “external things are nothing. They avail nothing for salvation,” the Churches of Christ have always taught that baptism is the event … Continue reading

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A Better Way to Be a Restoration Church

[I’m reposting this one from August. It’s cited in the article on a New Restorationism. The post makes better sense once you’ve read this.] In the last post, I suggested that a better approach to the assembly is to think … Continue reading

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The Future of the Progressive Churches of Christ: Part 9, A New Restorationism

It’s just so easy, and facile, to say the Restoration Movement has run its course and we need to do something else now. If that were entirely true, why aren’t we all Baptists or Methodists or something else? Why are … Continue reading

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A fresh approach to the Lord’s Supper

[I’m reposting this note from a year ago. We had a similar service this morning for Mission Sunday. I thought it was worth sharing this idea once again. Sunday was Missions Sunday for us. We enjoyed a truly extraordinary day … Continue reading

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Are We Sacramentalists? Introduction

“Sacramentalist” just sounds kind of cool, doesn’t it? Lots of alliteration and sibilance. But it’s not a word you hear much in Church of Christ circles. We’ve been accused by many of teaching baptism as a sacrament. We usually figure … Continue reading

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The Future of the Progressive Churches of Christ: Part 8, Predictions

Only God knows the future, and he’s not shared it with me. But here’s my best guess. And it’s part of why I’m so unhappy with how we progressives are acting. This is, of course, the unless-something-happens-to-fix-it version. * Many … Continue reading

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Lessons on Managing Missions from Game Theory, Midwives, McDonalds, and the Wishbone Offense, Part 3

[Still on drugs for the kidney stone.] “Mama wanted me to be a preacher. I told her coachin’ and preachin’ were a lot alike.” — Bear Bryant. Okay, it’s time to talk about the wishbone, triple option offense. All Alabama … Continue reading

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