Examiner.com article: Moving beyond “Churchianity”
I’ve published another article for Examiner.com as the Raleigh Practical Christianity Examiner. The article is called “Moving beyond ‘Churchianity.’”
This article is a short (Examiner.com articles have to be short) review of Michael Spencer’s posthumously published Mere Churchianity.
Here is a brief excerpt:
The late Michael Spencer was known to many as the Internet Monk. On his blog, he published articles on the edge of evangelicalism calling Christians back to a spirituality that was shaped like Jesus Christ. Why? Because Spencer saw a disconnect between the Jesus of Scriptures and the modern day church.
His book Mere Churchianity: Finding Your Way Back to Jesus-Shaped Spirituality which was published posthumously continues that call.
Please use the link above to read the rest of the article.
Examiner.com article: Sunday 101: Why should Christians meet together?
I’ve published another article for Examiner.com as the Raleigh Practical Christianity Examiner. This article is part of my Sunday 101 series. It is called “Sunday 101: Why should Christians meet together?”
If you’ve been reading my blog for very long, then you know that my PhD dissertation is an attempt to answer that very question. But, in this article, I try to answer the question in less than 300 words.
Here’s an excerpt from the article:
So, why should believers get together with one another? If you ask most Christians that question, you would probably hear the answer, “Worship.” But, Scripture does not indicate that Christians get together expressly for the purpose of worship.
Instead, for the person following Jesus Christ, all of life should be lived as an offering of worship to God. In fact, Paul writes about giving our bodies (referring to our whole lives) as a sacrifice of God in order to worship him. We worship God when we obey him in each part of our lives and in everything that we do.
Examiner.com article: The Wild Goose Festival is coming to Raleigh
I’ve published another article for Examiner.com as the Raleigh Practical Christianity Examiner. The article is called “The Wild Goose Festival is coming to Raleigh.”
The Wild Goose Festival is a new festival that focuses on music, spirituality, conversation, and community. It will be held in June near Raleigh.
Here is an excerpt from my article:
While several prominent speakers have been announced, the festival promoters intend to create more of a conversation than the typical teacher/learner atmosphere generated at most conferences.
Please use the link above to jump over to Examiner.com and read the rest of this short article.
Examiner.com article: They can’t take advantage of us
I’ve published another article for Examiner.com as the Raleigh Practical Christianity Examiner. The article is called “They can’t take advantage of us.”
Many Christians are concerned that people will take advantage of their good will if they begin helping others. But, if we understand the attitude and motivation we should have when we serve and give to others, then people can’t take advantage of us.
I begin with a story that I haven’t told on my blog yet:
A man – a stranger to all of the ladies – walked up to the door and introduced himself. He explained that he was trying to return home to a city just up the highway, but he didn’t have enough money to buy gas for his car.
The ladies talked to him and listened to his story. They heard about his struggles and his needs. One of the ladies offered to provide some groceries for him. A few of the other ladies offered to buy him some gas, then pooled the few dollars that they had between them. While some went to get the food for him, others followed him to the gas station to pump some gas into his car.
Please use the link above to jump over to Examiner.com and read the entire (short) article.
Examiner.com article: The church forsakes the church sometimes
I’ve published another article for Examiner.com as the Raleigh Practical Christianity Examiner. The article is called “The church forsakes the church sometimes.”
I begin the article with a story about two ladies (sisters) who I met at the food pantry. I haven’t told these sisters’ story on my blog before, so I hope you “enjoy” it.
Here is a brief excerpt:
Not only are these women dealing with the health problems that I mentioned, but their church is in the beginning stages of a split. Almost everyone who is part of the church is drawing up sides and concentrating on the particular issue that is splitting these children of God from one another.
And what about people who are hurting and need help, like these sisters? They are left to hurt alone with no one to help them.
Please use the link above to read the rest of the article.
Examiner.com article: Sunday 101: The Sunday Morning Worship Service
I’ve published another article for Examiner.com as the Raleigh Practical Christianity Examiner. The article is part of my “Sunday 101” series, and it’s called “Sunday 101: The Sunday Morning Worship Service.”
In this article, I continue to examine some of the basic beliefs and practices concerning the church and compare them to Scripture.
As the title suggests, this article is about the prevalent practice known as the “Sunday Morning Worship Service.”
Here’s an excerpt:
For most modern churches, the Sunday morning worship service is the center of church life and the focus of the church’s week. This is true for small churches and large churches, new churches and old churches, and churches of many different denominational stripes.
Given that the Sunday morning worship service plays such an important role in the lives of Christians today, certainly we find that focus in Scripture as well, right? Well, not exactly.
Please use the link above to jump over to Examiner.com and read the entire article. It’s only about 300 words.
Examiner.com article: How many churches do you see?
I’ve published another article for Examiner.com as the Raleigh Practical Christianity Examiner. The article is called “How many churches do you see?”
The article is a brief review of John Armstrong’s Your Church is Too Small, but it is also a call to recognize that the church is bigger than what is traditionally called “the local church.”
Here is a short excerpt:
Armstrong also encourages Christians to work together across traditional local church boundaries for the sake of God’s mission in this world. How do we do this? Do we just accept anyone who claims to be a Christians regardless of what they belive?
We do this by making the gospel central, and accepting all of those who Christ has accepted, even if they disagree with us.
Please use the link above to jump over to Examiner.com and read the rest of his short article.
Examiner.com article: She wants to live for God every day
I’ve published another article for Examiner.com as the Raleigh Practical Christianity Examiner. The article is called “She wants to live for God every day.”
In this article, I tell a story that happened last night – something that I have not shared on my blog yet. Interestingly, the event occurred after a group of young people started a study of Colossians that was completely independent of my own study.
Here is part of the article:
She talked about several things, but then she began recounting part of the discussion they had about Colossians. She remembered the phrase, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son.”
As we talked briefly about the phrase, she remarked that she was now living in the kingdom of God, but that she didn’t always live as if she were part of God’s kingdom. She said, “I want to live for God every day, not just a few times each week.”
Please use the link above to read the whole article; it is very short.
Examiner.com article: I love you, and I’m glad you’re not dead
I’ve published another article for Examiner.com as the Raleigh Practical Christianity Examiner. The article is called “I love you, and I’m glad you’re not dead.”
This article tells part of the story of an opportunity that we had to show the love of Christ to a resident of a local nursing home.
Here is an excerpt:
While we were talking about God, she started talking about her children again. She’s angry with God because “he took†her sons in separate automobile accidents when they were both twenty-one. She also has a daughter, but her daughter is not “good†like her sons, at least according to Ms. J.
She was almost in tears when she told me that her daughter once threw hot coffee in her face and yelled at her, “I hate you! I wish you were dead!â€
Please use the link above to read the remainder of the article.
Examiner.com article: Sunday 101: What about Sunday?
I’ve published another article at Examiner.com as the Raleigh Practical Christianity Examiner. This is post is part of my “Sunday 101” series, and it’s called “Sunday 101: What about Sunday?”
In the New Testament, when did Christians meet together? Did they treat Sunday as a special day for the church to get together?
Here is an excerpt:
Drive through almost any neighborhood and down any highway in the Raleigh area on Sunday morning, and you’ll find church building parking lots filled with cars. Christians gather together on Sundays because that’s when Christians have always gathered, right? Christians in the New Testament met together on Sundays, right?
Well, not exactly…
Please click the link above to read the entire article.