Scripture

Inspired: A Review of Rachel Held Evans’ New Book

I’ve had the chance to read an advanced copy of Rachel Held Evans’ new book Inspired: Slaying giants, walking on water, and loving the Bible again. Here are my thoughts/review of the book. (Page numbers may change before final release and are therefore not referenced in this review.) What Evans has done here is, in my view, […]

Hospitality: MennoNerds Synchroblog

Hospitality. Today is the second contribution to the MennoNerds Synchro-Blog on Missional Spirituality. My topic for today is Hospitality. This is mentioned seven times in the New Testament in the NET version. (Acts 28.7, Romans 12.13, 1 Timothy 3.2, 1 Timothy 5.10, Titus 1.8, 1 Peter 4.9) One clear theme is that this trait is expected of […]

Family

Family. What comes to mind when you hear this word and contemplate what it means? For me, as I assume is true with most of my readers, there are multiple layers of meaning. Of course, I first think of my wife and our kids. I then think back and remember growing up with my parents […]

A Disembodied Head? Part 11: Unity

20 “I am not praying only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their testimony, 21 that they will all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they will be in us, so that the world will believe […]

A Disembodied Head? Part 10: The Spirit

10 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own initiative, but the Father residing in me performs his miraculous deeds. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is […]

A Disembodied Head? Part 9: Romans 13

1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except by God’s appointment, and the authorities that exist have been instituted by God. 2 So the person who resists such authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will incur judgment 3 (for rulers cause no fear […]

A Disembodied Head? Part 8: Violence

52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back in its place! For all who take hold of the sword will die by the sword. 53 Or do you think that I cannot call on my Father, and that he would send me more than twelve legions of angels right now? (Matthew 26.52-53) The story […]

A Disembodied Head? Part 7: Power

12 So when Jesus had washed their feet and put his outer clothing back on, he took his place at the table again and said to them, “Do you understand what I have done for you? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and do so correctly, for that is what I am. 14 If […]

A Disembodied Head? Part 6: Politics

17 So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away – look, what is new has come! 18 And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation. 19 In other words, in […]

A Disembodied Head? Part 5: America

18 Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. […]