Category Archives: Christian practice

Appealing to the conscience of everyone

Posted on December 22, 2014 by Mark Love

I’m not a philosopher or psychologist, so my functional anthropology lacks the precision and care that it deserves. But I’ve often been fascinated by what Paul means by the term “conscience.” It appears in the 2 Cor 4 text that … Continue reading →

Posted in 2 Corinthians, Christian practice, conscience, hermeneutics, ministry, missional leadership, missional practice, Paul | 4 Comments

“Christian leadership” is not an oxymoron, part 5

Posted on July 17, 2014 by Mark Love

Recently, I visited with a group of church elders who felt the need to do something related to the issue of gender inclusion in their worship. Their instinct was to begin with a Bible study. This is because, in my … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian practice, hermeneutics, missional leadership, missional theology | 3 Comments

“Christian leadership” is not an oxymoron, part 4

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Mark Love

Sorry for the delay between posts. It’s been a busy few weeks, including the loss of my laptop for a few days. But here we go. Anything that passes for missional leadership must find its focus in the life of … Continue reading →

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“Christian Leadership” is not an oxymoron, part 3

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Mark Love

Leading a missional community is different than leading other things. It’s different than leading Google or Apple or a car dealership or a local coffee shop or a farmer’s market. It’s even different than leading a church, at least church … Continue reading →

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“Christian leadership” is not an oxymoron, part 2

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Mark Love

Some people are leaders. Period. Some people have the capacity to interpret situations through attentiveness and close listening, anticipate outcomes, clearly articulate what’s at stake in situations or decisions, line out processes, effectively engage differences, collaborate and build consensus, motivate … Continue reading →

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Living in a story bigger than justification by faith: theological worlds

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Mark Love

My friend and former student, Wayne Beason, asked a good question in response to the last blog post. I made the observation that if you proclaim the Kingdom of God’s nearness prior to eating and healing, you have nothing, other … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian practice, hermeneutics, missional leadership, missional theology, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Jesus’ baptism and ours: the Jordan River runs through Romans

Posted on April 1, 2014 by Mark Love

Before my baptism, I memorized Romans 6:1-14. A seminal text for sure. “What shall we say then, shall we persist in sin that grace may abound? By no means! … Do you not know that all of us who were … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian practice, missional theology, theology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Three Smooth Stones: Myth and Parable

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Mark Love

Anderson and Foley’s outstanding book, Mighty Stories, Dangerous Rituals, brought clarity to my work as a minister in ways few other books have. In it, they argue that narrative and ritual are primal ways that humans make meaning. In other … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian practice, culture, hermeneutics, missional leadership, missional theology | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

On Sinners Reading Scripture

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Mark Love

My undergrads often comment on how strange Scripture seems to them when they read it. They can’t make sense of a lot of it. They’re like the Eunuch in the chariot saying, “how can I understand what I’m reading unless … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian practice, hermeneutics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Miami Dolphins and Female Preachers

Posted on November 19, 2013 by Mark Love

Maybe you’re been following the saga of Jonathan Martin, Richie Incognito and the Miami Dolphins. Martin walked away from the team because he was being “bullied” by Incognito, apparently by the use of racial epitaphs and threats of violence. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian practice, missional leadership, Scripture, theology, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments