Discernment as the Missional Church’s Way of Life My previous post on missional discernment concluded with the promise of a model of the discernment process. My comments there point beyond the vital indications in the surveyed biblical passages. Scripture bears witness to the fact of discernment in the life of the first-century church and narratesContinue reading “Missional Discernment (Part 2)”
Category Archives: Missional Church
Missional Discernment (Part 1)
In another post, I mentioned an ongoing study of spiritual disciplines using Ruth Haley Barton’s book Sacred Rhythms. I’ve recently been leading the discussion of her chapter on discernment, which has some strengths and some glaring weaknesses. Here, I briefly highlight one of the deficiencies in the privatized and internalized process of discernment that BartonContinue reading “Missional Discernment (Part 1)”
After Freedom
Imagine, if you can, that you are in prison. Perhaps the justice system worked as it should. It does much of the time. You committed a crime and paid the penalty. Perhaps the system failed you. It does far too much of the time. You languished in prison unjustly. Either way, your former life isContinue reading “After Freedom”
Discipleship Leads to Mission?
Mike Breen is wrong about missional ecclesiology. Here’s his claim: Now one of the buzzwords around today is the word “missional.” People want to create missional churches or missional programs or missional small groups. The problem is that we don’t have a “missional” problem or a leadership problem in the Western church. We have aContinue reading “Discipleship Leads to Mission?”
Relentless Now (Global Missions Experience Address)
This is the text of my address at the Global Missions Experience, hosted by Harding University at Camp Tahkodah, Sept. 17-20, 2015. The theme for the experience was “Relentless.” We reflected on God’s own relentlessness, serving and pursuing him relentlessly, the relentless cry of the world, and the relentless advance of the kingdom. My contribution wasContinue reading “Relentless Now (Global Missions Experience Address)”
Spiritual Disciplines for Mission: Guru Mashup
Spiritual disciplines are supposed to be normal in Christian life. The revival of evangelical interest in them, especially since the publication of Richard Foster’s watershed Celebration of Discipline, has been of inestimable importance. Yet, because the disciplines tend to get sucked into the black hole of American self-help religion, I’m interested in highlighting a missional understanding ofContinue reading “Spiritual Disciplines for Mission: Guru Mashup”
On Drinking, Cussing, and Nudity (or Being a Christian at Bonnaroo)
I trashed this article in its original form. I worked on it for a while but couldn’t put my finger on a clear idea. I considered publishing rambling thoughts on my Bonnaroo experience, but I ultimately killed it in deference to cogent argumentation. Then someone sent me a bulletin from a Church of Christ in Manchester, TN,Continue reading “On Drinking, Cussing, and Nudity (or Being a Christian at Bonnaroo)”
Scripture & Mission 