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Category Archives: Uncategorized
Richland Hills, Instrumental Music, and the future of the Churches of Christ, Part 1
It’s well known among the Churches of Christ that our largest congregation, the Richland Hills Church of Christ in Ft. Worth, recently decided to add an instrumental Saturday night worship service to their two Sunday morning a cappella services. I … Continue reading
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Communion Meditation: Why do the trays pass differently the third time around?
The men who are waiting there in the back to pass out the trays to pick up the collection are perhaps the most under-appreciated servants of the church. As they pass the trays from row to row, they try hard … Continue reading
Litigation Between Brothers, part 2
There are a host of practical questions that arise in an effort to arbitrate a case between brothers. I don’t know all the answers, but here’s a stab at some answers– Who is my brother? This is, of course, the … Continue reading
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Litigation Between Brothers, part 1
In a frequently ignored passage, Paul commands us not to take our disputes to the secular courts but to resolve them within the church. (1 Cor. 6:1-8) If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it … Continue reading
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The Church Treasury, Judas, and Jesus’ Money Bag: A Parable
It was perhaps the most well-attended elders and deacons meeting ever. The elders had called the meeting to discuss building a new church building, and everyone wanted to participate in such a momentous decision. There was no choice but to … Continue reading
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Entertainment, Applause, and Worship
Recently, we received a complaint that something we were experimenting with at church is wrong because it’s “entertainment. This is not surprising. Many Church periodicals have taken to condemning various practices on the grounds that the practice is entertainment, as … Continue reading
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Advice for Two New Elders
Well, we ordained two new elders today—poor guys. I was supposed to join them for lunch today and offer some words of advice, but my old nemesis, kidney stones, intervened to keep that from happening. During those few hours when … Continue reading
Lord of the Sabbath
I’m teaching a class on Luke and this is the next passage. It’s not an immediately transparent passage, at least not to me. (Luke 6:1-10) One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some … Continue reading
James, Faith, and Works
For reasons I can’t really explain, I’m just fascinated by Church of Christ listservs. I’m endlessly fascinated by the discussions that take place. Some are really quite insightful, even brilliant. Others are just a little odd, even worrisome. One of … Continue reading
Martin Luther, John Calvin, Faith Only, and Baptism
We in the Churches of Christ often resist the idea of being saved by “faith only,” as stated in the classic Reformation formulation, for fear of denying the necessity of baptism. Indeed, many who take a Calvinistic view of baptism, … Continue reading
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