Tag Archives: missional church

Salvation is bigger and different than we’ve imagined

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Mark Love

I mean, you can’t keep up with the literature. The books and articles and presentations charting revisionary directions on the meaning of salvation are like crickets in a Texas summer: plague like and chirping. There are two prominent themes. First, … Continue reading →

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Tell a Story, Change the World

Posted on June 22, 2016 by Mark Love

I’ve said in this space many times that information is a fairly weak instigator for change. We don’t change much, generally speaking, just because we receive new information. We tend to absorb new information into the frameworks we already have … Continue reading →

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15:28 compliant: spaces for the storytellers

Posted on September 2, 2015 by Mark Love

Let me remind you what I’m doing here in my recent blog posts. I’m taking Acts 15:28 as a decisive clue for Luke’s understanding of the church. That is, the phrase, “it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to … Continue reading →

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“Christian leadership” is not an oxymoron

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Mark Love

Sorry for the long delay between posts. Since my last post, I got married, honeymooned in San Francisco, and took three weeks to recover from a nasty bout of bronchitis. Hopefully, I’m up and back at it now. My friend, … Continue reading →

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Missional Living: Don’t do “missional things,” be the ball

Posted on May 5, 2014 by Mark Love

It’s always good to hear other people talk about what they mean by the word “missional.” It helps me clarify my own thinking and, in turn, to identify hooks upon which others can hang better understandings. My pet peeve, as … Continue reading →

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Living in a bigger story than justification by faith: it doesn’t matter if you didn’t like the songs

Posted on April 7, 2014 by Mark Love

Last blog, I pursued the question of one of my students. If N.T. Wright is correct that justification by faith is not the heart of Paul’s gospel, what does that look like in church life. I began my response by … Continue reading →

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Learning Without Cynicism

Posted on January 28, 2014 by Mark Love

I’ve seen it and experienced it myself. Advanced theological training often leaves students and future ministers cynical. I think there are several reasons for this. First, seminary training tends to be deconstructive. There’s almost no way around this to some … Continue reading →

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In Praise of the Mega-Church: no, really

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Mark Love

Some people assume that because my sympathies lie with the missional church that I am anti-megachurch. I will admit that I have concerns about megachurches, or that I think they are poorly suited for some things. But for many things, … Continue reading →

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What follows is not a “fix” for small groups. Rather, it’s a suggestion of one form they could take that would lean in a more missional direction. I think there are a lot of things that could improve groups and … Continue reading →

Posted on July 30, 2013 by Mark Love | 1 Comment

Small Groups: The promise of heaven, the perils of hell (or at least purgatory)

Posted on July 25, 2013 by Mark Love

I know I should like the idea of small groups, but my experience has left me less than enthusiastic. I should like the idea, because fundamentally Christianity is a communal reality. The God who exists in community creates for community. … Continue reading →

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