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Category Archives: Uncategorized
Surprised by Hope: God’s Justice and Illegal Immigration, Part 3
Notice how we tend to think about political issues. * Some of us see political issues as entirely separate from Christianity. Church has nothing to do with illegal immigrants. The Bible simply doesn’t address such things. * Others see the … Continue reading
Surprised by Hope: God’s Justice and Illegal Immigration, Part 2
We are the aliens The next theological observation is found in several verses, such as — (Heb 11:13) All these people [in the honor roll of faith] were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the … Continue reading
Posted in Heaven, Uncategorized
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Surprised by Hope: God’s Justice and Illegal Immigration, Part 1
I’ve been trying to think of a good example of the difference between the Christian perspective and the political perspective for class. I think illegal immigration likely shows the difference as well as anything. Imagine that you’re a U.S. Senator. … Continue reading
Posted in Heaven, Uncategorized
Tagged All, illegal immigration, justice, N. T. Wright, Surprised by Hope
3 Comments
Which Gospel? The Gospel of Community (More Hauerwas)
I probably shouldn’t spend this many posts on the subject — except it’s an area where we struggle … a lot. In America today, community is largely gone. We often barely know our neighbors. We find work is the center … Continue reading
Posted in Gospel, What Is the?, Uncategorized
Tagged All, gospel, Pat Willimon, Resident Aliens, Stanley Hauerwas
2 Comments
Which Gospel? The Gospel of Community, Part 4 (Small Groups)
The fashionable remedy to the Biblical need for community is a program of small groups — and they are fast becoming a standard part of how everyone does church. Which worries me, because if everyone is doing it, it must … Continue reading
Which Gospel? The Gospel of Community, Part 3 (Kingdom Parables)
Have you ever noticed how often Jesus begins a parable with the “Kingdom of Heaven is like …”? Well, replace “Kingdom of Heaven” with “church”* and re-read those parables. For example, (Mat 13:31-32) He told them another parable: “The kingdom … Continue reading
Which Gospel? The Gospel of Community, Part 2 (Romans 12)
Notice how in Romans 12 Paul speaks of individual transformation, but this is expressed over and over again in terms of relationships within the Kingdom — (Rom 12) Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer … Continue reading
Which Gospel? The Gospel of Community, Part 1 (Introduction)
Here’s the part of the chart that describes what community is all about — the journey from slavery to freedom in the Promised Land was a community journey devote selves to fellowship meet daily all things in common sharing breaking … Continue reading
Which Gospel? The Gospel of Unity
It’s a little surprising that so many baptism, communion, and “gospel” passages point directly toward unity of the saints. I mean, it’s something everyone gives lip service to, but we really don’t take unity seriously, do we? And yet … … Continue reading
Posted in Gospel, What Is the?, Uncategorized
Tagged All, gospel, John Howard Yoder, N. T. Wright, Stanley Hauerwas
4 Comments
Surprised by Hope: Beauty
Wright likens the world to a chalice or a violin — beautiful in itself but much more beautiful in anticipation of the wine it will hold or the music it will play. Thus, the world in which we live is … Continue reading
