Category Archives: culture

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

Time: What Christian Love Demands

Posted on July 24, 2013 by Mark Love

I recently witnessed an interaction that led me to conclude that the worst offense a person can commit in our day and age is wasting another person’s time. The person who felt his and other people’s time had been wasted … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian practice, culture, missional theology | Tagged , , , , , | 19 Comments

Beyond Numbers and Dollars: new metrics for a post-Christendom church

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Mark Love

It’s tougher to know these days if your church is doing well. It used to be easier to evaluate. Numbers were the key: members and dollars. And in a setting where going or belonging to a church was a cultural … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian practice, culture, missional leadership, missional theology, theology | Tagged , , , | 11 Comments

Sons of Anarchy: Reflections on Family and Violence

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Mark Love

I’ve been trying to catch up on my Sons of Anarchy viewing. Since I gave up cable a few years ago, I’ve lost the thread and am a couple of seasons behind. It’s a violent show, and I’m not prone … Continue reading →

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

Reflections on the Arab Spring, Current Unrest, and the Dynamics of Change

Posted on September 21, 2012 by Mark Love

Last year’s Arab Spring seemed to suggest a seismic shift of sorts in that part of the world. Dictators were being thrown over and replaced with people’s movements, fledgling democracies forming right before our eyes. One of the things most … Continue reading →

Posted in culture, missional leadership | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

The Kingdom is Near: can I keep my deodorant?

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Mark Love

I listen to Bruce Cockburn. When Eddie Vedder sings, Society, I get it. I read Stanley Haurwas and John Howard Yoder and something within me says, “that sounds right.” I can get a little excitement going for a counter-cultural response … Continue reading →

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

Faith and the White House: things I bet you didn’t know

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Mark Love

One of my all-time favorite tv shows is The West Wing. I loved watching smart characters who passionately believed in what they were doing, worked hard and smart, and loved the people with whom they worked. Aaron Sorkin’s writing, as … Continue reading →

Posted in culture, theology | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Mark’s Most Excellent Adventures

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Mark Love

This has been an incredible year of experiences for me. The past few weeks have been full of good things. We graduated some amazing students in our masters in missional leadership program, including my son, Josh. I attended the Pepperdine … Continue reading →

Posted in culture, missional theology, theology, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

My mentors are all younger than me

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Mark Love

This isn’t the way it’s supposed to be. The one thing you’re supposed to bring as you get older is wisdom, which in turn could make you a mentor to younger, less wise, persons. I mean, everything else about getting … Continue reading →

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

Why Ministry Training Must Change: we’re not in Kansas anymore

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Mark Love

No one has invested more in the way we have been training ministers for the past 200 years than I have. I have a BA in biblical studies, an MA in Christian history, an MDiv (the gold standard ministry degree), … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian practice, culture, missional leadership, missional theology, theology | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments