Why I Read "The Message"
Why I Read "The Message"

“Eugene Peterson believed translation is a kind of ‘lectio divina–more than only getting the words right, there is spirit, the vibrancy of the text, the livingness of the message.’ The Bible was not a dead book. It was vibrantly alive” (218). What Peterson was trying to do was paraphrase the biblical text into idioms common to the folks who worshipped at the congregation he served in the Baltimore suburbs and even more to working-class folks like his father, a butcher, and the people he grew up around in Kalispell, Montana.

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Robert MayerGuest UserComment
The Gospel Is Really Very Counter Intuitive
The Gospel Is Really Very Counter Intuitive

The Gospel is really very counter intuitive. We are wired as Pharisees. We have a hard time understanding the nature of grace. Even though we confess that we believe God saves us by grace, we tend to operate in the arena of works. We are basically performance driven. We live on a treadmill of performance in how we conceive of God dealing with us. We are treated by others this way and we treat others this way. But God does not treat his born again and justified children in this way. It is God’s grace relied upon and even to some degree felt that motivates his children to live in in loving obedience to him rather than in a quid pro quo performance oriented existence.

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Spiritual Formation, Lou GoingLouis GoingComment
Heroes
Heroes

We don’t hear much about heroes today. Perhaps folks are too jaded and cynical to think that there are public figures worthy of our admiration for their character, their accomplishments, and for their contributions to humanity. Heroes are those who step up to challenges. They don’t back down in the face of struggle or difficulty. They inspire others. They do the right thing even when it costs something. They are folks who are not so much “me” centered as they are “we” centered. They are people who give us something to aspire to; folks whom you want your kids to admire and emulate.

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Spiritual Formation, Leadership, Discipleship, Robert MayerGuest UserComment
The Enduring Resolution on Human Dignity - A Proposal for the Triennial Convention
The Enduring Resolution on Human Dignity - A Proposal for the Triennial Convention

Drafted by Erik Reynolds, Thomas Loghry, Nathaniel Bickford, and Andy Rice, the following resolution has been submitted to the Resolutions Committee of the 2020 Triennial Convention (meeting April 21-23, 2021). It is intended to replace resolutions 74-38 and 96-67 and thereby present a stronger and more comprehensive statement by Advent Christians on the dignity of human life.

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NewsThomas Loghryabortion, human life, sanctity, dignity, resolutions Comments
Jesus Didn’t Go to Heaven When He Died
Jesus Didn’t Go to Heaven When He Died

Most of us are familiar with the Easter narrative. In fact, many of us feel so familiar with the details that we don’t suppose there’s anything we have left unconsidered. Jesus died on the cross and rose again - that’s all there is to it. Three days no doubt felt like eternity to the disciples, but it is little trouble for us to rush between the cross and the empty tomb. We always do like to get to the good part.

But would you allow me to trouble you?

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Tom Loghry, TheologyThomas LoghryJesus, Death, Harrowing of Hell, ResurrectionComment
Did Jesus “Hang Out” with Sinners?
Did Jesus “Hang Out” with Sinners?

Scrolling through Facebook just the other day, I came across a meme that must have been circulating since the new year; it was a New Year’s Resolution meme. It read, “This year, I resolve to be more like Jesus,” which is great to hear. The list that followed had some good general goals such as, “Love people more,” along with some more whimsical ones like, “Take naps on boats.” But one stood out to me among all of the others; it read, “Hang out with sinners.” Of course, this got me thinking and asking some questions perhaps too deep to be wasted on a trifling thing like a meme, but important questions with real consequences nonetheless.

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Biblical TheologyDevin NicelyJesus, sinners, sin Comments
Four Reasons for Not Doing Communion Online
Four Reasons for Not Doing Communion Online

Pastors and churches have been forced into new territory over the last year as COVID-19 restrictions have greatly diminished or eliminated the local church’s ability to assemble for times of worship, fellowship and preaching. Looking for ways to minister to flocks they couldn’t meet with, many, perhaps most, pastors quickly found themselves somewhere they never thought they would be – online. To their credit, these pastors have quickly and nimbly adapted to using new technology for ministry, most notably in the Sunday morning worship service.

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Church PracticesJustin Nashcommunion, Lord's Supper, online, virtual Comment
Cross or Torture Stake
Cross or Torture Stake

If you have ever encountered a Jehovah’s Witness, you may have been told that Jesus was not crucified on a cross, but rather nailed to an upright torture stake with no horizontal crossbeam. They say this is because of a mistranslation from the Greek to English language. Is this actually the case? And either way, why is this such an important issue? In this article, we will examine the claims of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and explain why this is such a big deal to them.

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Biblical TheologyDevin Nicelycross, torture stake, jehovah's witnesses, new world translation, Alexemenos Graffito Comment
On the Inconsistency of Women's Ordination in the Advent Christian Denomination
On the Inconsistency of Women's Ordination in the Advent Christian Denomination

“Why is there so much inconsistency within the Advent Christian denomination when it comes to the ordination of women?”

This question came to mind recently while watching a live podcast episode of Bible Banter that had Dr. Mark Woolfington on as a guest for the topic of discussion: Ordination Standards.

The broad discussion was centered around what ordination standards are in place currently, what should change, and what is needed in ordination standards for Advent Christians. As I was listening and watching, I made a comment about the need for consistency in ordination standards, which led to more discussion on the need for a commonly identified theological foundation in order to build more consistent ordination standards.

Thinking about the inconsistent ordination standards, methods, processes, and practices got me thinking…

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Pastors, Catherine Rybicki, Church Practices, TheologyCatherine Rybicki Comments