Many years ago I was being stashed at Destroyer Squadron 2 (in Norfolk, Virginia) in between ship duties. During that time, I was asked to join a Damage Control Inspection on a ship I had never been on before. I was a Lieutenant Junior Grade (LTJG) at the time. Even though I was mostly along …
Month: June 2016
“Wabi-Sabi” Redemption
Some time back I had written on the metaphor of "Kintsukuroi" with regards to the Christian Faith... particularly our understanding of humanity (theological anthropology). I noted that in the Japanese pottery artform of "golden repair," beauty is seen in the accentuation of the repairs rather than the hiding of repairs. The making of beauty out …
How Do We Learn?
Yeah... How DO we learn. There are all sorts of talks about Learning Styles and Modes of Learning. But in the end, some sort of "philosophy" or training should be better for nurturing change in a trainee. Our Counseling Center provides Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) and that has gotten me reflecting on how we learn, …
Nonviolent Response and Self-purification
Here is a lengthy quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Junior. This is from an annotated version of "Letter from Birmngham Jail" that can be found HERE. In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action. We have gone through all …
But is it Biblical?
Here are a few vignettes: 1. Prosperity. I was in chapel at seminary, when an outside pastor spoke... he was talking about how God wanted all His children to be (financially) rich. He then added, "Some of you may not like me saying that, but it is what the Bible teaches." Well, I am not …
As We Change in Ministry
Over the years I have felt that we need to rethink some aspects of evaluation for ministry. Missionary Calling is thought of as a single divine action to a place or vocation. Perhaps one could say that the Missionary Call is a single act of the sending church, but from the divine standpoint, such a …
A Living Parable of God’s Graciousness
... the origins of the church are rooted in the ministry and the purpose of Jesus, his mission, ... was to preach, to serve, and witness to the reign of God, ... Jesus preached the reign of God mostly through parables, short and vivid stories that spoke of God's almost incredible forgiving love and/or urgent …
God as Our Father. Parenting Types and Our Understanding of God
This is a sermon presentation linking four major parenting types-- (Authoritarian, Permissive, Neglectful, and Authoritative)-- to four major views of God. Since "Father" is a metaphor for God, an understanding of what makes a good father, can help us understand what God is like. Conversely, knowing God, gives us insight in how a
The Gospel Coalition and how (not) to engage culture | Religion News Service
<I do admit I barely know TGC. I suppose living in the Philippines, not being Calvinist, and having a more "mutual submission" view of marital relations means I am not in the same circles. However, beyond challenging some of the activities of this group... the article does point out a basic problem with cultural engagement. …
Continue reading The Gospel Coalition and how (not) to engage culture | Religion News Service
Quotes for Reflection
I like quoting other people a lot. However, at risk of being a bit self-indulgent, here are some quotes that I have written in http://www.munsonmissions.org from April 2015 to today, that I feel are worth repeating. Feel free to agree, or disagree. I am a Christian, not because of Christians. I am a Christian, not …