Category Archives: Christianity & Church
St. John Chrysostom: How Then Can They Believe?
Do you wish to honour the body of Christ? Do not ignore him when he is naked. Do not pay him homage in the temple clad in silk, only then to neglect him outside where he is cold and ill-clad. He who said: “This is my body” is the same who said: “You saw me [...]
List: Three Dangerous Phrases
There are three dangerous phrases that I often hear Christians say. These phrases are not innately harmful, but like a crack in the wall of a house, they often indicate a deeper problem.
“I like to think…”
This phrase almost always precedes an unsubstantiated theological claim. There are two things wrong with it. The first is that [...]
Jesus, the River
Jesus, the river.
We, the residential developers damming the river with religion on one side and human perspective on the other, that we may create a pond.
We, the home buyers eager for a coveted place next to the pond, that we may demonstrate our social status to the world.
We, the pond, overgrown with weeds and polluted [...]
On Giving
Inherited wisdom tells us that the tithe is what we put in the offering on Sunday. Most Christians assume this and do not give it a second thought. But is that all there is to it? How are we to properly view tithing in respect to the local church, the universal church, and those outside [...]
Jubilee Campaign
I read this recently and was compelled to share it. It’s from The Irresistable Revolution by Shane Claiborne.
The background of this particular excerpt is that while Shane was doing an internship at Willow Creek Community Church, they embarked on a multi-million dollar building project, which he very much opposed. He was unable to talk [...]
Belief, pt. 1: Words & Truth
Since I’ve started writing more in this past year, I have come to appreciate how hard it is to write well. The skill with which a good writer can weave together words and ideas is comparable to the skill required of a woodworker to build a guitar. Every detail must be carefully addressed, and each [...]
Why Do We Name Our Churches?
Why do we name our churches?
In the Bible, Paul referred to the saints in Ephesus and the church of God in Corinth when addressing his letters. Churches were not named, just described.
If I told someone about the church of God in Cedar Falls, he would ask, “Which one?” There are so many churches that there [...]
Church Advertising
One of the big churches in the area hands out stickers for its members to put on the rear windows of their vehicles. What message does this broadcast to the community? I have seen dozens of these stickers around Cedar Falls, but only on late-model SUVs and new sedans. If I was part of the [...]
Do Not Mistake the Map for the Treasure
I visited a church last year and heard a children’s lesson that has been on my mind ever since. It was an object lesson: in front of the kids that day was a treasure box. The teacher pulled a series of items out of the box—dollar bills, toys, a soccer ball—and one by one he [...]
Prophet, Priest or King?
My friend and pastor Brooks just made an entry on his blog about Prophets, Priests and Kings. I began writing a response in the comments, but it started getting lengthy. I thought it might be worthwhile to instead post it here, with the intention that it will give some context to everything else I write.
If [...]
