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There it an important upcoming conference hat could help sort our Advent Christian identity….
Loosening our grip on some of our distinctives would only amount to extinction if we are a movement, not a church. Movements must be steadfast in maintaining their niche points of concern, but churches need not…If the Advent Christian church shifted to positions of neutrality on certain secondary doctrines we would remain the church no matter the degree to which we redefine Advent Christian identity.
Not all of you know me well...some may wonder about my own history in the denomination and my desires for the Advent Christian church. I thought now would be a good time to share my own story so that you might appreciate the diversity of backgrounds and thought among the “younger” generation. I encourage my peers to do the same.
In this last article, I will lay out what will be basically required of any model to complete the unfinished work of our past. On top of this, I will also offer two rudimentary models for restructuring the denomination which would alleviate some of the stress of our leadership shortage and give us stronger footing for revitalizing the denomination.
You can only understand the Advent Christian denomination if you understand that it was a movement before it was a denomination…
Nearly two years ago, Nathaniel Bickford wrote an article that shook the Advent Christian denomination to its core. He pointed out that we have problems that demand solutions - too few leaders, too many positions, and no denominational standards…
Have you considered that Jesus goes to a cross so that you may go there too? I don’t mean that only metaphorically or spiritually or any sense other than physically. Jesus went to a cross so that you could be nailed up there beside him.
News of what’s been happening has spread like wildfire. When it eventually reached me, my gut response was honestly skepticism and cynicism. I’m a church kid who has been around the denominational block. I’ve seen passionate worship paired with rotten character firsthand. My instinct is to say, “Let’s see what happens next.”
Unequivocally, the end of Roe v. Wade is very good. While it does not result in abortion being banned across the United States, it opens that possibility and has obliterated the notion of a national consensus on the morality of abortion…
Sometimes the realization of some truth crashes over you all at once, like a wave breaking on the shore. Other times it mounts slowly, each piece gathered and joined together like a puzzle, until you finally see the picture…
Can it really be five years? It is hard to believe that so much time has passed from when I published the first blog post on Advent Christian Voices…
In most situations, is God’s will for your life really some great mystery? Yes, there are exceptional circumstances in which you are faced with competing values and the resulting confusion, but is it generally so complicated?
Two-thousand plus twenty-two,
a number closer than twenty-one.
Unto time unknown, tis true,
to that different day under the sun…
I wasn’t planning on publishing a piece for Reformation day, but I read something the other day that really struck a nerve.
Sometimes there are blog articles that really get you thinking. Nathaniel Bickford’s article, “Solutions?” is just that kind of piece. Honestly, I’ve thought along his lines for awhile, but I couldn’t help noticing how it grabbed the attention of so many of you.
William Miller and his followers look like a pack of fools - an example of what not to do. However, I would contend that assessing the merits of the movement is a bit more complex. To be clear, date-setting is absolutely not commendable. No, what I have in mind far more basic and entirely orthodox. The virtue I have observed is this…
I fear failure. Do you? It’s not so bad that I don’t bother trying anything at all - that’s just choosing failure. Nonetheless, I still fear it.
“So…are you a socialist or a capitalist?”Smiling, I respond to my imaginary inquisitor, “I’m an adventist.”
Some people have American flag pajamas. You know it’s true. Red, white, and blue attire knows no bounds. When you see such garb, do you think it’s a bit much? Maybe too patriotic? Perhaps you do; that tends to be my opinion.
Whenever the subject of abortion is brought back to the surface of public conversation, a whirlpool of debate and ethical consternation forms. Certain questions give us pause and leave us feeling uncertain. We ponder, “Are women who get abortions no different than the common murderer?” We ask, “What about those who find themselves in a crisis pregnancy?”
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?
Laying in bed late one night, I began thinking of my life story. As I considered the plot of my narrative, I found there could be two tellings. And which way it went struck me as immensely important, not because I am immensely important, but because the story I tell myself about myself guides me into the future. This is true not only of me but also of you.
Advent Christians managed to make biblical authority meaningless even as it was being celebrated. What will we do today?
Editor Tom Loghry’s outline for an Advent Christian reset.