Many of us have been distressed by the ad placed by three ministers “disfellowshipping” the Quail Springs minister for being the preacher of a congregation that’s added an instrumental service. Some have suggested that the right-thinking Churches of Christ should publish their own ad … something to the effect of “They don’t speak for us!”
I think that’s a bad idea … a really bad idea. Continue reading
Continuing our listing of ways to avoid splitting your church when you lead them to make a major change —
* Lack of political capital. Most elderships don’t think in political terms. Some would get upset at my using the vocabulary of politics. Maybe I should say, “Lack of trust” or “Lack of confidence.”
Some elderships have the confidence of the church. Most of the church would follow them into hell and back. Other elderships have hardly any of the church’s confidence. What makes the difference? Continue reading
In the first post of this series, I mentioned the classic conundrum of Calvinism vs. Arminianism as regards whether Christians can fall from grace. It’s a long-standing argument, and both sides are quite insistent on the subject.
The Churches of Christ are staunchly Arminian, as are Methodists. We believe that Christians can fall from grace. Presbyterians are Calvinists. Baptists are some of both, but most are Calvinists when it comes to once saved, always saved — known as the “perseverance of the saints” in theological circles. (By the way, “Arminian” is named for the theologian Jacobus (or James) Arminius, not the nation of Armenia.) Continue reading
The main post is up now. I’ve left this one on the site to make the comments available.
I’ve previously mentioned that Quail Springs Church of Christ, in the Oklahoma City area, recently added a second Sunday morning service that includes instrumental music. Of their 900 members, some 300 members left.On Feb. 6, 2008, some of the congregations in the area ran a full-page ad in the Oklahoman, the major local paper. A .pdf of the ad may be found here.
There are countless reasons why publishing this ad is very wrong. Here are some of them — Continue reading
The U.S. income and Social Security tax system is complex beyond imagining. It’s especially complex for U.S. citizens serving oversees as missionaries. Most accountants and lawyers are unfamiliar with these rules, less so for how they work together with the rules for ministers of the gospel.
I’ve earlier posted an outline laying out the tax rules for ministers here. This post is supplemented here. This is an effort to supplement that information as it applies to U.S. citizens who are missionaries in other countries.
Just to illustrate the nature of Third Ways, let’s start with a familiar example: the Trinity. I’m not going to say much new here, just point out how the Trinity exemplifies Third Way solutions.
You see, the Trinity is the classic Third Way. One side argues that there is just one God. We are monotheists, not polytheists!
Another side argues that the Bible declares Jesus, the Spirit, and God are all divine. There are, therefore, three divine beings.
The two sides wrangle back and forth, pointing out the verses that support their views. And neither considers that there might be a third possibility. Indeed, when someone mentions that perhaps they are both right, both scoff. Logic demands that there be but one or three — not both one and three! Continue reading
The topic is how an eldership might lead its congregation to make a controversial change. It’s an important one — one that people frequently ask me about. And to be perfectly frank, I’m not sure I know the answer. But I do have a thought or two to share that might help — no solutions, but maybe some steps toward a solution. Continue reading
Alabama just signed the consensus number 1 recruiting class in the country!
Yes, I know this is somewhat off the subject — and potentially divisive — but my brothers and sisters surely understand the injunction to “rejoice with those who rejoice”!
I feel as though I’ve been freed from a gulag … as though the whole world … even communists … were now Alabama fans! Surely, this is a sign of the End!
In working with the teachers to prepare this lesson, I decided it would be helpful to spend less time on Uzzah and Simon Magus and more time on a few Old Testament stories that better help us understand the character of God. You see, you can’t know the meaning of the words until you know the author of the words.
The fundamental flaw with the way Nadab and Abihu have been used is how God is presented in the traditional Church of Christ (and Calvinist) version of the story. John Calvin and his disciples used the story to argue that acting without authority damns. Not only does this misread the story, it misreads God. God certainly expects to be obeyed, but God does not damn for innocent mistakes. In fact, God never, ever damns those who come to him with faith and a penitent heart. Continue reading
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