Tag Archives: missional

Make me Clean: a reflection on illness and salvation

Posted on April 9, 2012 by

I have a benign essential tremor. My hands have a tremor. It’s worse in my left hand than my right. Some days are worse than others and I can’t seem to pinpoint any reason why. I am, it seems, subject … Continue reading →

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The First Great Commission: mercy, not sacrifice

Posted on April 3, 2012 by

We all know how the gospel of Matthew ends: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go into all the world, making disciples…” These verses, are less well known. “Woe to you scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites! … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian practice, missional theology, Scripture, theology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Why Ministry Training Must Change: forming learning communities

Posted on March 29, 2012 by

I am fully convinced that situated learning, or learning in context, is the way to prepare ministers. I was dubious about whether learning that depended a great deal on online delivery would work toward these ends. I was particularly concerned … Continue reading →

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Why Theological Training Must Change: cultivating a God-centered identity

Posted on March 27, 2012 by

The great NT scholar, Richard Hays, once spoke at a conference I hosted on the topic, Reading Scripture in Community. He made a brilliant presentation on “practices of the resurrection” that should inform the way we engage Scripture as a … Continue reading →

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Mercy, Not Sacrifice: Welcome to the table of the Lord

Posted on March 22, 2012 by

I grew up in a tradition, the tradition in which I still participate, that practiced the Lord’s Supper every Sunday. It was impressed upon me by those presiding at the table that this was not a practice to be trifled … Continue reading →

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

Posted on March 21, 2012 by

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

Mercy, Not Sacrifice: The Missional Imperative

Posted on February 21, 2012 by

In Matthew 9, Jesus challenges the Pharisees, “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’” A few chapters later, the Pharisees find themselves on the wrong side of a dispute about the law with Jesus. There he … Continue reading →

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