Linkathon!
New poll shows younger people growing negative about church and media…
Student ministry in a scientific age…
What church people need to know about once churched people…
Choosing which hills to die on…
Five poverty busters you should know…
How it became so easy to ignore the poor…
Does your work matter to the church?
Loving/hating Christian radio…
Christianity’s greatest enemy…
Wenatchee the Hatchet on how Driscoll cleaned up on his book deal…
Ancient cosmology and the Bible…
On open letter to the church from a millennial…
Throckmorton on Driscoll’s book scheme…
What not to say to someone who has been hurt by the church…
Five disruptive church trends…
Christian rapper renounces faith, Charisma says it’s a sign of the end…
Many thanks to EricL for the help…support him at top right!
As a former church person, what you need to know about me, is that I am not broken.
I didn’t leave because I was hurt or offended.
I didn’t leave because I want to live in sin.
However, I am so glad to be free of church. Not in a million years would I ever choose to submit myself to those endless rules and petty battles again.
Truly I am free.
I grow more negative about people who grow more negative.
I want to see what all of these dissenters can build not hear about what they can deconstruct. When I start seeing articles about what they will stand for and live for instead of empty claims I will listen.
BD,
That’s a good observation and one I’ve been giving much thought to.
This is a process…and construction will come in the midst of the deconstruction.
I think the deconstruction has just begun…
Good set of links this week Michael.
Thank you, Dan!
The open letter to the church from a millenial was way too long. He needs to learn how to edit his stuff. Also, if he really believed what he was saying he would have found a church by now–a Lutheran, or Orthodox, or Episcopalian church or whatever. But instead he’s just whining on the internet.
The reconstruction can begin when parents (and particularly fathers) begin catechizing their own children at home. This may sound provincial, but Luther’s Small Catechism may be the best thing every written for bringing up children in the faith (and you don’t have to be Lutheran to use it). However, I must also say that children are also taught by what the see in the home. So, parents teach by their living witness – whether positive or negative.
http://www.amazon.com/Luthers-Catechism-Explanation-Martin-Luther/dp/0758611218/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1452027064&sr=1-1
It’s always sad when someone renounces the faith, but I kinda don’t get why Charisma chose a celebrity to make their usual end times statements. Oh, I get it, he’s a celebrity. Or is he? I don’t know. Never heard of him.
RE: Mark Driscoll. I have no dogs in this fight, but I really think he needs to just go away from the spotlight and get a job out of the limelight.
Christianity’s greatest enemy? (Snark alert)…I would have thought that if it was the Gospel (TM) Coalition’s website, it would be something like boys playing with girls toys, or men doing the dishes. Complacency? Can’t argue with that.
Loving/hating Christian radio…oh boy…too much material to work with on that one.
Michael, a bit off topic, but what is your pick for the Viking-Seahawks game in MN this Sunday? Our Vikes? The Seachickens? Or the Siberian Express (check the weather forecast…)?
I want to add an all important link to this great collection of links:
Come, There Is Drought, We Are Thirsty, Come Holy Spirit Come, Rain Down Upon Us, Fill Us Now.
http://shekinahfellowship.blogspot.com/2016/01/come-there-is-drought-we-are-thirsty.html
Dan, it looks to be one tough game.
Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch is ready to return from sports hernia surgery.
The Vikings are a very good defensive team and have given up 17 or fewer points during their winning streak.
Seattle is a trendy pick in the NFC, and rightfully so.
But Minnesota is an underrated home dog in this spot and riding a lot of momentum after upsetting the Packers to end their four-year run atop the NFC North.
The Seattle Seahawks have traditionally not done well in freezing temperatures.
Advantage, Minnesota Vikings?
We are in for one great game none the less!
Surfer51,
Yes, I think the score will be much closer than when they last met, what was it, 38-7 Seahawks? I just can’t see the Seahawks scoring that much with the temp around zero and wind chills -20 to -30! But what troubles me is that the Vikes/Bridgewater can’t seem to put up lots of passing numbers. I have a hard time picking this one!
Surfer51 again,
That’s right, the Vikes did beat the Pack, and no one as I recall was picking the Vikings to win that game. Although for a time it looked like neither team wanted to win that game!
Dan,
I think Seattle is the best team in football right now.
The game will be closer but without a very good offensive line or quarterback the result will be the same.
I don’t trust in Teddy…
well, i watch a little football on and off … how can any team that depends on a passing game perform at zero degrees? pray for those folk in the stands to survive
Could always deflate the ball…LOL
(I din’t say that 🙂
Not sure why so many articles on this site tear down the Church. The millenials letter seems ridiculous to me. He wants ritualistic liturgy every week? Not putting down Orthodoxy because some here are Orthodox but has this guy been to an Episcopal church lately? Has he ever stepped foot in an RC church? He will b greatly disappointed and crying about “dead church” within weeks. The Scripture is read from the pulpit. Same playbook week after week year after year. Only about 10% of the Bible is ever covered. Most of the hymns are dirges that inspire no one. And the majority of attendees are “doing thier duty” and don’t have much connection with what is going on. Sorry to offend but that is the state of most of Orthodoxy
Most liturgical churches cover the entire Bible in three years. I find more life in “dead” churches and hymns than in evangelical hype.
Cookie – because those evangelical 3 part series on David numbering his troops and the 7/11 praise jingles that sing about self, pointing us inward, are so awe inspiring
Perhaps you have never looked at the Lectionary (sometimes referred to as ‘Same playbook week after week year after year.’ ) but it takes you through the life of Jesus each year in the Gospel reading, along with supporting passages from the OT, the Psalms and the Epistles. (something evangelical preachers refuse to do because they don’t see the OT relating to Jesus other than obvious prophecies.
I have attached here a lectionary so you can see how the weekly reading tie together as one story.
I will challenge you to post an service from your church covering as much scripture reading than that of the weekly lectionary. (better known as the same old playbook) along with that repetitious Lord’s Supper.
here is the link
look up next Sunday and read along.
still forgot the link 🙂
http://wordtoworship.com/lectionary/lcms
Em (#14) –
Google “Ice Bowl 1967” to see just how bad it was for that game.
So was Mother Theresa really just a media creation? Was she really that bad? Or was it her organization? Or is this just anti-Christian stuff? The connection between glorifying poverty in its own right, though, was interesting, as this is a difference between protestants and RCs, is it not?