Comments for

Comment on by the shadow

the shadow — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 03:48:50 +0000

The cartoon is not about Obama, you idiot. It refers to the CONGRESS. CONGRESSMEN WROTE THE STIMULUS, NOT OBAMA!

Comment on Pulling the Plug on a Church Plant by Wayne

Wayne — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 23:11:32 +0000

@drew I am here for everyone's vicarious edification! Seriously, I hope it helps.

Comment on The (Institutional) Church Is Like The Bark On A Tree by Wayne

Wayne — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 23:08:17 +0000

agreed; I might even go so far as to say that the bark itself is symbiotically alive together with the tree.

Comment on Pulling the Plug on a Church Plant by drew

drew — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 13:26:34 +0000

great stuff, wayne. thanks for doing the hard work of reflection to save many of us the heartache.

Comment on The (Institutional) Church Is Like The Bark On A Tree by Matt EHH

Matt EHH — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:30:28 +0000

I don’t like the “dead” thing. There is fair criticism that church/bark can look and act dead. But anyone who can take a step back and see the tree/global, historical, and moving church and see that there are just some portions that look like death.

He has a good point: Institutions can protect and house creations.

the metaphor, for me, would be more served to say the church appears dead. Someone with less church issues might not need that crutch.

Comment on The (Institutional) Church Is Like The Bark On A Tree by Wayne

Wayne — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:25:37 +0000

that’s the thing; is it fair to say the bark / church is dead?
Considering it’s coming from a Catholic theologian blows me away…

Comment on The (Institutional) Church Is Like The Bark On A Tree by Matt EHH

Matt EHH — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:37:09 +0000

I love the metaphor. I wonder if it would help us church angst type people to look at tree picture without a scientific perspective. I mean, for most of history a tree is a tree. It consists of tree stuff: leaves, wood, bark, etc. And without all the tree stuff it would be something else ie wood boards, pile of sticks. You can’t separate a tree from itself. Bark is the tree. Tree is the bark. the bark can’t say to the branches, “I don’t need you”. It’s more than a functional trade off of different tree duties, but the pieces share one identity.

i’m rambling but I just find myself often looking for ways to bifurcate myself from the bad parts of the church. And while I’m all for questioning and challenging and improving things, I need to try to remember that “A bad brother— is still a brother”.

Comment on Is Social Justice The Modern Sacrament? by Jennifer

Jennifer — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:18:13 +0000

This question has been on my mind (and heart) for quite some time and unfortunately just goes spinning around and around with lots of ‘but, but, but’ interspersed and not much in the way of concrete answers. Looking forward to reading any dialogue on the subject.

Comment on GIMME A SHOUT by Daniel Sangi Im

Daniel Sangi Im — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:39:12 +0000

Hey Wayne,
Looks like i’ll be visiting family in Vancouver from Feb 8 – 21. Do you want to meet up for coffee and a chat? If you have time, why don’t you email me your phone number? danielsangi@gmail.com

Comment on Critiquing Developmentalism: What’s Wrong With Haiti? by .elise.anne.

.elise.anne. — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:33:18 +0000

i like where you are going, wayne, about two-way depravity. Brooks is measuring progress by our standards. Now, as far as basic needs, sure, our nation has “progressed” more in that more people have them met. But like you said, is our materialism a point of “progress”?

And, the D.R. oppressed (oppresses?) Haitians a lot, b/c of skin tone, language differences, etc etc. Mass murders by the DR. That sure doesn’t help Haiti, either. (Edwidge Danticat is a Haitian author who writes about the history between the two…)

Comment on GIMME A SHOUT by Jeff Caldwell

Jeff Caldwell — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 06:42:20 +0000

Hello Wayne,
Thanks for speaking tonight! Learning about His Kingdom was an eye opener.

Please take some time to visit my friend, Jamin and Tamara Yorks, pictures on FB.
Here is a link http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=47627&id=1484839668&l=d9b75a3478

Send me your email and I’ll forward you more info.

God bless you and your ministry,

Jeff

Comment on Film Review: Deconstructing Avatar by Wayne

Wayne — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 03:39:54 +0000

I think that’s really well said John…
it’s almost the prophet’s tendency to punish our own people

but the point that you make is concise as it is true: guilt isn’t the same as repentance and the latter is a God-given gift

how r u guys? we need to catch up soon bro

Comment on Film Review: Deconstructing Avatar by JO

JO — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:28:38 +0000

“what is it that you hate about your own race so much?”

It seems to me that a similar question might be asked of many Christians. If movies such as Avatar reflect some deep white man’s burden of guilt, then I think that a similar guilt exists in the heart of many Christians for the sins committed under the banner of Christ. In both cases, the one with the burden of guilt hopes perhaps that by becoming part of the oppressed people and leading them to triumph that will assuage the guilt. Or, perhaps these longings are but false pride.

Whatever the case, I don’t think the guilt is productive. Repentance and guilt are not the same thing and often do not have the same outcome.

Comment on U.S. tells displaced Haitians to “stay out” of the U.S. by Wayne

Wayne — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 23:43:05 +0000

to say the least

Comment on Critiquing Developmentalism: What’s Wrong With Haiti? by Wayne

Wayne — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 23:40:55 +0000

hmm… that brings up a good point of what development really is; monetary, economic, social, political, or indeed spiritual? Of course this latter would be rejected largely, but as evangelicals it makes complete sense;

I only contend that depravity be a two-way street; is it conceivable that their voodooism is trumped by our materialism, power et al? Or maybe not?…