There was a large ecumenical gathering in Rome two weeks ago to pray for Christian Unity and to attempt to thaw out the ecumenical “big chill” that has grown as a result of recent Vatican statements. I found the following article about the event very hopeful.
[Read more...]
The Child in Christian Thought, ed. by Marcia J. Bunge (Religion, Marriage, and Family series. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2001. 513 pp. $24.00. ISBN 0-8028-4693-9) is a collection of essays on the concept and theological thinking about the child throughout Christian history. The book is part of the larger “The Child in Christian Thought†project by editor Marcia Bunge that strived to inform current thinking on children, the church, and families by tracing the concept of the child and childhood through the history of Christian thought.
[Read more...]
Two recent conversations related to the function of “priesthood†reminded me of the perennial nature of the “ordained vs. laity†polarity that exists in the thinking, if not in the actual practice, of believers. One conversation involved an impatient dismissive rant from an Episcopal priest friend about the concept of “priesthood of all believers†as understood by some free church congregations. The other conversation was a woeful tale from a fellow Baptist about a crisis related to complaints about “non-ordained staff†serving communion.
[Read more...]
One of my all-time favorite cartoons growing up was Quickdraw McGraw and his faithful companion, Babalooi (does that date me?). Do you remember them? Quickdraw was the noble but naïve, quick-on-the-trigger sheriff who fought off wicked desperados who inevitably found their way into his small quiet prairie town. Babalooi was the devoted and wise Mexican companion who always saved Quickdraw from his misguided attempts. In case you didn’ t know, Quickdraw was a horse and Babalooi was a burrito (a donkey, not the Taco Bell kind!)—they were the Don Quixote and Sancho Panza of Saturday mornings.
[Read more...]
Jenell Paris and Margot Eyring have prepared a most useful tool for those involved in missional efforts, whether leader or participant. Urban Disciples: A Beginner’s Guide to Serving God in the Inner City (Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press, 2000. 99 pages. $14.00. ISBN 0-8170-1367-9), is a workbook for persons or teams participating in, or planning on engaging in, urban mission experiences. The content is adaptable for various kinds of missions groups, including, as listed by the authors, “church Bible study groups, college ministry groups, small groups, cell groups, urban plunge programs, short-term mission projects, urban ministry courses at seminaries and colleges, and people in the first years of long-term ministry.â€
[Read more...]
Edgar Elliston’s chapter in the book, Teaching Them Obedience In All Things: Equipping for the 21st Century (Evangelical Missiological Society Series Number 7. Pasadena, CA: William Cary Library, 1999. 286 pages. $9.95. ISBN 0-87808-381-2) is the seventh in a series in a collection of ten papers presented in 1998 at the Evangelical Missiological Society. Under the rubric of obedience, the papers are organized in four sections: Biblical and missiological foundations, Christian higher education, case studies, and curricular issues related to the training of missionaries.
[Read more...]
I’ve been consulting with several clergy who are contemplating leaving their ministry settings. It’s not unusual for these consultations to come in waves, and it’s always interesting that they do. It seems that issues, crises, and topics have their seasons. I’ve not yet learned to read the signs in the wind or in the patterns of the clouds to know how to anticipate when that phenomenon happens, I just accept that these things “come in threes†as they say—or fives or sixes.
[Read more...]
