Tag Archives: missional theology

Salvation is bigger and different than we’ve imagined

Posted on February 22, 2017 by

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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Preaching the startling news

Posted on February 14, 2017 by

So, if part of the saving work of the gospel is to startle us into a new perception of the world (see my two previous posts), then what should the aim of preaching be? Preaching, every week preaching, should be … Continue reading →

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Some implications of being startled

Posted on February 11, 2017 by

In my last post, I suggested that there is often a connection between the word “gospel” and being surprised. The good news is not the same old, same old, because it is truly startling. And I wondered if this might … Continue reading →

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Startled unto Salvation

Posted on February 8, 2017 by

I’ve been thinking a lot about gospel and salvation these days, and some things are falling together in ways that they haven’t before. Let me begin with the idea that the gospel is “news.” Shocking, I know. But we tend … Continue reading →

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The Patient Practice of Sail Making

Posted on August 10, 2016 by

A little excerpt from the book I’m trying to finish on Luke’s view of the church. The movement and power of the Holy Spirit explains the practices and shape of the church in Acts. This statement bears some emphasis. In … Continue reading →

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Blessed are those who believe without seeing

Posted on June 16, 2016 by

Wouldn’t you kill for a paragraph or two in the NT on what should happen in the worship assembly? Maybe we could put to death some of our worship wars. Alas, no NT writer ever weighed in on the appropriate … Continue reading →

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Worship Planning: what are we aiming at?

Posted on June 13, 2016 by

I am often struck by how much thought goes into planning worship these days. Back in the day, worship planning often meant the song leader picking out songs on the front row right before worship (with enough time to slide … Continue reading →

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Worship and the formation of missional communities

Posted on June 6, 2016 by

While barrels of ink have been used to explore all things missional, very little of it has been used to talk about the relationship of missional communities and worship. I think the primary reasons are two-fold. First, many people still think … Continue reading →

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15:28 compliant: spaces for the storytellers

Posted on September 2, 2015 by

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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Are your congregation’s efforts at worship renewal pagan?

Posted on August 29, 2015 by

Last weekend, Randy Harris, from Abilene Christian University, spent a day with our new missional leadership cohort at Rochester College, helping them to write a shared rule of life. Randy’s the guy to do this work, and we get so … Continue reading →

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