In the movie, "Support You Local Sheriff," James Garner as sheriff gets Bruce Dern to sit quietly in a prison cell with no bars in it, later even getting Dern to help him install the bars, by convincing him that crossing the imaginary walls surrounding the cell would be far more dangerous than sitting quietly …
Month: March 2016
Three Recommended Posts
I usually do my own blogposts... but there are three articles I would like to recommend: 1. Four Ways the Church Misunderstands Spiritual Formation http://www.patheos.com/blogs/whatgodwantsforyourlife/2016/03/4-ways-the-church-misunderstands-spiritual-formation/ This is pretty simple... but I like it. Some may think this isn't that relevant to missions, but decide for yourself. Not only does it apply to churches, but to …
Hell, Paradise, and Self-discovery
I suppose I should have better things to do than hunt and peck a post when I am sitting on in the lobby of a beach resort in Baler, Aurora Province, Philippines. I am here with seminary faculty for a post-graduation retreat. A few meetings and a lot of fun. I don't really do fun. …
Paul and Barnabas Test and Defining “Missionary”
A few weeks back a friend of mine was writing a thesis and asked me for a good definition for the word "missionary." I struggled with this because I have my own understanding of what a missionary is, but it does not have a short definition, and it lacks the precision that would be preferable …
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Bartleby, Joshua, and the 2016 Elections
This year, the US and the Philippines are both holding presidential elections. In 10th grade in High School (I think), we read "Bartleby the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street" by Herman Melville. We didn't really understand what this short story meant. I am comforted by the fact that there is no consensus on one …
Toxic Ministry
Ministry is dangerous to one's holistic (or "wholistic") well-being. For those outside of the ministry, this may seem strange. Is not the language of pastors, missionaries and others in Christianity laced with "Praise God" and "Hallelujah!" and so forth? Is not the stories told by these people full of statements of victory? But that is …
Opinions on Southern Baptist Missions, Churches, and Missionaries
Thom Rainer's blogsite had a podcast on why it is important for churches to ensure that the missionaries they support have commonality of doctrine, vision, and focus. Associated with that post was a comment by a listener that appeared to be asking (paraphrasing and reading into it): "Why should churches select and support individual missionaries …
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Why Churches Talk the Great Commission but Don’t Do It
I’ve worked with many churches, though, that proclaim the Great Commission but never get around to doing it. Source: Why Churches Talk the Great Commission but Don’t Do It