New Video from Toby Mac

Posted on March 2, 2008 by Jay F Guin


I’m not a big Toby Mac fan, as a rule. But I rather like this one.
Thanks to Bobby Valentine for pointing this out over at his Stoned-Campbell Disciple blog.

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Marks of the Church

Posted on March 2, 2008 by Jay F Guin

grace2.jpgAlan Rouse has some interesting thoughts on “marks of the church” over at his always-interesting blog.

He works through the history of the term and gives some interesting comparisons from other denominations who use the term.

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New Look!

Posted on March 2, 2008 by Jay F Guin

star.jpgWordPress has made a new template available I thought I’d try. The list of stuff on the right hand side had gotten two long, and this template lets me divide the various items into two columns. Better yet, it makes the comments more readable. I was really, really tired to trying to read the teeny, tiny font.

Let me know if you don’t like this. I can always go back to the old look.

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Amazing Grace, Part 2.5: Further on Marks of the Church (In Response to Josh)

Posted on March 1, 2008 by Jay F Guin

grace2.jpgJosh Keele, who posts nearly as much on this blog as I do, and with whom I disagree on many things, raises an interesting and important question. If Galatians teaches that the marks of the church are faith and love only, what about the Lord’s Supper?

It’s a good question that deserves an answer. Continue reading →

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Leading Change for Ministers, Part 2

Posted on March 1, 2008 by Jay F Guin

change.jpgContinuing from Part 1 —

* Start with grace. Everything stems from the gospel. Get it right, and everything else should follow. Don’t even try to talk about divorce, the role of women, or instrumental music with a works-salvation eldership.

Legalism peels off in layers. You have to go over the material repeatedly, in greater and greater depth, as the leadership fits the new learning into their old understandings. Continue reading →

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The Regulative Principle: History, Part 1

Posted on March 1, 2008 by Jay F Guin

freedom_authority.jpgThe Regulative Principle is the doctrine that all that is not specifically authorized is forbidden. It’s antithesis is called the Normative Principle, which is that whatever is not specifically prohibited in Scripture is permitted. Both are wrong.

History

The Regulative Principle was first announced by John Calvin and represents his approach to purifying the church from various Catholic additions that had accreted over the 1,500 years of Christianity preceding Calvin’s work.

In Calvin’s teaching, it’s really the “Regulative Principle of Worship,” as he only applied it to the doctrine of worship. However, others came to apply it to church organization, such as James Henry Thornwell in 1841-2, part of the Old School Presbyterian Church. Even the Puritans and other strict, old-school Calvinists saw the dangers of expanding the rule to include all of Christianity. Continue reading →

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Amazing Grace: Part 1.5, The Salvation of those who commit the Galatian heresy

Posted on February 29, 2008 by Jay F Guin

grace2.jpgWe adult Bible class teachers met Wednesday night to go over Parts 0.5 and 1 of the lessons on Galatians (those of us who didn’t go to the basketball game). It was correctly pointed out that I left unclear my position on whether those who are guilty of the Galatian heresy are lost. I said in Part 1 that I thought that the teachers were the ones Paul mainly had in mind. Continue reading →

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Top Posts for February

Posted on February 29, 2008 by Jay F Guin

star.jpgAs is my habit, it’s time to post a summary of February’s top posts —

Quail Springs Minister “Disfellowshipped 486
Quail Springs Church of Christ “Disfello 337
Quail Springs Church of Christ “Disfello 266
Index 238
Quail Springs Church of Christ “Disfello 207
About the Author 200
Communion Meditation: A Lesson from an E 179
Quail Springs Minister “Disfellowshippe 158
U.S. Income and Employment Taxes for Mis 151
Communion Meditations 137
Quail Springs Church of Christ “Disfello 135
Upgrading a Church of Christ Worship Ser 135
Books by Jay Guin 132
Communion Meditation: The Christian Pass 115
<i>A Plea to Reconsider</i>: On How Hard 110
<i>A Plea to Reconsider</i>: Abusing Res 108
Quail Springs Church of Christ “Disfello 107
<i>A Plea to Reconsider</i>: Introductio 107
Amazing Grace: Objections (revised, agai 103
Leading Change: On Being a “Change Agent 100
Amazing Grace 99
Leading Change for Elders, Part 1 91
But If You Do Marry … 90
Born of Water 90
Instrumental Music 89
Amazing Grace: Does God Forgive Doctrina 88
Research Materials 81
Searching for The Third Way: Once Saved, 79
Lessons on Grace: How Grace Unites (or R 73
Searching for The Third Way: Introductio 70
January’s top posts 66
The Holy Spirit and Revolutionary Grace 64
2008 Pepperdine Lectureship 61
Amazing Grace: Objections, Supplemental 61
Searching for The Third Way: The Trinity 58
Amazing Grace: Our Heritage of Wonderful 56
A Communion Meditation Reflecting on the 55
Leading Change for Elders, Part 3 54
<i>Gospel Advocate</i> Creed 47
Quail Springs Church of Christ “Disfello 46
Searching for The Third Way: Predestinat 45
Roll Tide!!!! 45
The <i>”Gospel Advocate”</i> Creed 45
Amazing Grace: Now that We’re Saved (the 45
Amazing Grace: Now that We’re Saved (ref 44
Searching for The Third Way: Predestinat 44
Buried Talents 43
Baptism 42
Blue Like Jazz: Lesson materials 41
A Theological History of Restoration Mov 41
Ministers Guilty of Sexual Sin 40
Amazing Grace: The Scary Lesson of Galat 40
What’s Wrong With How We Do Church?: And 40
Grace and How We’ve Taught It Wrong 40
Leading Change for Elders, Part 2 39
A Communion Meditation: The Pattern for 38
Church Growth: National Trends 37
Searching for The Third Way: Once Saved, 37
On Communion Meditations 37
Richland Hills, Instrumental Music, and 35
Entertainment, Applause, and Worship 35
Amazing Grace: The Scary Lesson of Galat 34
Hermeneutics 33
<i>Blue Like Jazz</i> lessons 33
Searching for The Third Way: Once Saved, 31
Do We Teach Another Gospel? 31
The Prostitute, the Pharisee, and the Pr 31
Communion Meditation: The Bread of Life 30
Leading Change for Ministers, Part 1 30
A fresh approach to the Lord’s Supper 29
A Debate on Instrumental Music, Part 1 29

Well, it’s obvious that the Quail Springs ad has struck a chord. Those posts have gotten by far the most traffic. And February has set a record for monthly hits with nearly 12,600 hits!

I’m a little surprised that the post on upgrading a worship service has gotten the traffic it has. If that was helpful, you might like this old one on communion meditations.

I doubt that I’ll see that much traffic in March. I’ll be off a week on vacation (going to see Mickey in Orlando) and I doubt that there will be another controversy quite like Quail Springs! I hope not.

Thanks to all of you for helping to spread the word — and thanks especially to those who post comments here. The blog is much better when we talk about it among ourselves — especially those of you who correct my mistakes or just plain disagree!

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The Future of the Progressive Churches of Christ: Part 1, Background

Posted on February 29, 2008 by Jay F Guin

elephantintheroom.jpgLately, I’ve been pondering the direction of the progressive Churches of Christ. Where are we going to be in 20 or 30 years? More importantly, where do we want to be in 20 or 30 years?

Now, many congregational leaders have learned of the importance of vision in leading a church. Are we just keeping house or should we have common goals we’re going to work toward as a community? The same principle holds true at the denominational level.

Vision, I believe, is just as important for a community of congregations as for the community that is a congregation. I mean, I just don’t think it’s enough to lead a local church well. We must also cooperate congregation to congregation. If we don’t work together, then the unity Jesus prayed for would be far too abstract. It wouldn’t matter in any real sense. But to do what?

You see, the problem none of us is addressing — the elephant in the room — is who are the progressive Churches of Christ going to be?

[PS — I’m not through with the Third Way series. I just figured we all needed a break.]

Continue reading →

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Searching for The Third Way: Predestination, Part 4

Posted on February 26, 2008 by Jay F Guin

three-thumb.jpgThe Third Way of Predestination

In Christianity, there are essentially two views of predestination. The Calvinists teach that God decides who will be saved and then changes them, outside their own choosing, so they’ll have faith. Calvinists deny that we can choose to be saved or not saved.

Arminians teach free will. We decide whether to have faith. This, however, gives the Arminians serious problems when they are asked to interpret the predestination verses. They come up with all sorts of clever theories, all of which explain away the passages. The Arminians cannot explain why Paul considers predestination a source of great comfort for individual Christians.

The Calvinist view is indeed comforting — for the elect. It’s ugly and awful for the rest. The Arminian view is true to our experience — we make choices every day — but completely missed the message Paul wants us to hear — a message of cosmic importance! Continue reading →

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