Faith

Slowing the Pace with this Advent Devotional Idea

The season of Advent began yesterday and so Christians have entered into the traditional season of expectation and waiting for the coming of Jesus!  It will be for many “the most wonderful time of the year;” however, as you know, it can be a season that brings great anxiety, pressure, and even depression. Last year, [...]

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Grace, Effort, Earning, and Spiritual Disciplines

Dallas Willard talks about the relationship between grace and spiritual disciplines. What a rich 5 minute discussion! If you make it at least to the 2:15 mark, you’ll hear this insightful, freeing nugget: Grace is not opposed to effort; it’s opposed to earning. Effort is action.  Earning is attitude. Something to ponder for awhile!  

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Uncontacted Tribe: Video Footage

Amazing! Uncontacted Amazon Tribe: First ever aerial footage. This video introduced me to the work of uncontactedtribes.org.  So amazing to think about the implications of being Jesus’ witnesses to “the ends of the earth” – what would that look like to this group of people?

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Become Yourself

Thomas Merton was speaking to a group of his novices: “There is only one thing for anybody to become in life. There’s no point in becoming spiritual – the whole thing is a waste of time.  What you came here for is to become yourself, to discover your complete identity to be you.  But the [...]

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Doubtless

This morning I was meeting with a friend for prayer and we had a brief conversation about our various doubts and seasons in our lives where doubts (about God, about the authority of Scripture, etc.) have seemed to reign.  We closed our time by praying through Matthew 14:22-33, the story of Peter walking on water. [...]

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A Missional Response to Kentucky’s Struggles?

My home state of Kentucky is ranked next to last among the states in “well-being,” according to a recent Gallup poll.  Based on responses to questions on work environment, emotional health, physical health, basic access, healthy behavior, and life-evaluation, Kentucky scored a “D minus,” 62.3%.  The Well-Being Index is calculated on a scale of 0 [...]

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The Narrative That Re-Plots Our Identity

The Good News is not just a series of facts to which we yield our assent but a dramatic narrative that replots our identity. Think of it in terms of a theatrical play. Each week we come to church with our own scripts. If yours is anything like mine, it’s “the show about nothing.” Yet [...]

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Brian McLaren’s New Book and the Use of the Word ‘Heretic’

Brian McLaren has written a new book, A New Kind of Christianity: Ten Questions That Are Transforming the Faith.  I’ve followed some of the blog chatter in response, and while there are some supportive and gracious reviews, too many have taken on a vitriolic tone.  Healthy, vigorous discussion of ideas has given way to name-calling [...]

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