Category: Worldview
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Everyone, everywhere
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20) The Catch vision: To introduce the Gospel of…
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Matthew 28:19-20 Challenge
by Marti Fischer You’ll need to take some time with this one… Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of…
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Big Game Rivalry Week
Rivalry week has come a little early here in southern California. Most of the west coast intra-state rivalries (Washington vs Washington St., Oregon vs Oregon St., Arizona vs Arizona St.) are having their games next weekend. But here in southern California (and up in the San Francisco bay area where it’s Cal vs Stanford), it’s…
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Walking with God
And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. Genesis 5:24 KJV Sometimes I just love the King James version of the Bible. Enoch was and then suddenly he was not. How boring to say he disappeared. He simply was not. Enoch and Elijah are the only two people we know…
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Don’t be afraid
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32 When you look at the world and your little place in it, it’s easy to feel small and insignificant. Especially in light of the recent shootings of innocent, random people that make us feel so helpless. The result…
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‘Christian’ is a noun — only
The word “Christian” makes a very bad adjective. In fact, there should be an automatic red flag that pops up in your mind every time you see or hear it, or especially when you try to use it as such. When you’re about to write or say “Christian something-or-other,” there needs to be a pause…
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Going AWOL from the culture war
In the story of David and Abigail (1 Samuel 25), David vows retribution for the way his men were treated by the landowner (Nabal) who should have been grateful for the kindness his servants received from them. These men of David were armed and dangerous fighting men who stood guard in the field against thieves…
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Lay down your swords
“So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him [Nabal] by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.” (1 Samuel 25:22 KJV) No doubt about it; David was pissed. He had just had a handful of his fighting men sent away by…
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Re-branding Christianity
I’M FOR THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND HATE — a popular bumper sticker that speaks a volume of truth. Every once in a while, it becomes necessary to refocus our sight. Who are we as Christians; what do we stand for; and what are we supposed to be doing? This has become increasingly hard to…
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A whiter shade of truth
This weekend, I will be returning to Wheaton College, a Christian college in Wheaton, Illinois, where 50 years ago I received my bachelor’s degree, and I will be celebrating that fact with a number of my classmates for our 50th reunion. It will obviously be a time of fun and nostalgia. It will be a…
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Living without cellphone security
“Here’s your change.” “Paper or plastic?” “Credit or debit?” “You want ketchup with that?” I don’t want a straw. I want real human moments. I want to see you. I want you to see me. I don’t want to give that up. Thanks to John Fagliano for pointing out this scene from the 2001 animated…
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Look all around you
The first round of the Masters Golf Tournament today at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia will be a step back in time. The spectators will be unusually quiet and particularly observant. If you don’t know why, you could probably watch this event for a while before figuring out what was different. For the…
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Mainstream Christianity is an oxymoron
I always know I’ve struck a chord when comments come in from all sides — email, Facebook, website, Twitter. One brother said his friends are being discipled more by Fox News than by the Holy Bible. Another said he’s displeasing his friends on both sides of the political spectrum (that’s usually a sign that you…
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Truth Speaks to Power
I am currently reading a book called Truth Speaks to Power: The Countercultural Nature of Scripture by Walter Brueggemann. I picked up the book more for its subtitle than for its title. As a child of the Jesus Movement (also known as the Jesus Revolution), I’m interested in anything with “Countercultural” and “Scripture” in the…
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When they become us
Aside from an actual Them magazine which is a real publication published in Japan, my reference to a “Them” magazine is purely fictional, as a send-up of Us. I couldn’t help but think if we had an Us magazine, then we should surely have a Them magazine to go with it. Can’t you see these…
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What about “Them” magazine?
Marti received an “Us” magazine in the mail a couple of days ago. I haven’t talked to her about this yet, but I’m sure it wasn’t something she chose. We’ve gotten caught in a few of those magazine subscription schemes. Usually it involves an inner-city kid who is trying to work his/her way out of…
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Hope follows tragedy
It was later in the day on Friday, March 15, the day of the shooting attack on a Muslim mosque full of worshipers in Christchurch, New Zealand, when I was sending an email to my friend and former college classmate who is a Baptist pastor in Modesto, California. He mentioned in a return email that…
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America (still) in crisis
Os Guinness’s observations and prophetic challenges about America and culture are so spot on, they remain true over time and something that needs to grab our attention more than just once. I am re-releasing a summary of an interview we did with him almost two years ago. We need to remember and be encouraged at…