*Re-publishing this on the one-year anniversary of his passing. His thought still shapes my own, and the few times we met still leave a lasting impression.
If you’ve had a heart for missionary work overseas you may or may not have heard of the name “Ralph Winter”. Hands down, his was THE MOST influential voice in global mission in the past 50 years. While not the hagiographical superstar, his thought has subtly, yet profoundly influenced – no – charted the course of global Christianity and steered it toward new dimensions. Pop ideas like the 10 / 40 window would not be were it not for him, and those themes only scratch the surface of his ideas. Sadly, Ralph Winter passed away yesterday (5/20/09) at his home in Pasadena, after a long and courageous battle with Multiple Myeloma. He was well into his eighties. Read more…
This class is being offered this spring @ Regent, taught by John Stackhouse: Make Up Your Mind: How to Think as a Christian:: Regent College Summer Programs. Hmm. Sounds like an intriguing class. I’m wrapping up a paper now on this subject; how to do Christian theology in the presence of so great a pluralism and difference; is there any way we can navigate a theological unity again? Hence my intrigue at the recent Anglican concession… And is it possible – even conceivable – to find a Protestant Catholicity? What are the non-negotiables and what are the things we can hold loosely? What place does Christian charity have in the matter? The pietists reacted against Scholasticism – but is a dichotomy created in the process between thinking and feeling? I don’t know how Stackhouse is going to approach it but I’d be interested to hear more. And no I can’t take the class.
I need to say one more thing. Read more…
This is seriously rad.
Due to my “high art” background I would usually sneer at such an endeavor, but this reproduction of the story of Paul in Japanese manga form is actually pretty neat – and appears to be endorsed by the Catholic Church. Weird. But cool. My graduation from seminary is coming up, if anyone wants to give me a gift 
www.paultarsustoredemption.com
I was leafing through the Revised Common Lectionary in preparation for a sermon when I noticed: this upcoming Sunday is “Trinity Sunday.” What in the world is that? It’s a day set aside in observance and celebration of the Trinity. Well how in the world do we do that? Christine Sine has some great thoughts, creative suggestions. I for one, am looking for more. I’m not preaching this Sunday, but I’m always open to the fusion of liturgical and traditional with contemporary and relevant. Join with the world over this Sunday in the contemplation of the divine Godhead. And here’s some thoughts by Lesslie Newbigin on the subject I just happened to stumble upon today: Read more…
Anyone got that pic of him in front of the multi-faith stained glass window?
So I’ll bite; someone has to say something about last night’s epic closer. Many didn’t like it. I for one, thought it was elegant, deeply moving, and beautifully under-spoken. I’m now satisfied with the mystery of the origins of the light, Jacob, the Man in Black – although for a brief while the vagaries of it bothered me too, not to mention that entire episode about the origins of Jacob/M.I.B. After all, if they’re not the first, then who is? Read more…
So this is fun; it comes from “Strange Signs from Abroad: A Sampling of Chinglish”
But isn’t that a gaffe in itself?
I’m not expressing a personal wish.
But I am observing an amazing phenomenon – namely the induction, or shall we say the reinstatement of Protestant Anglicans back into the Catholic fold. So the R.C. Church is providing a “new kind of structure” to facilitate the induction of dissenting Anglicans – a way of doing church that keeps the unity but allows room for diverse expressions. This is like – revolutionary for the R.C. Church, no? Read more…
Interesting article about Jonathan Falwell who has organized the Refuel conference for ministers. There’s a few things he says that I think are noteworthy. Snippets from the article:
The well-known pastor stated bluntly, “Something is wrong in ministry.”
Part of the problem, he indicated, is trying to make it to the big numbers and most influential lists or aiming for the most Twitter followers.
“I believe that we have self-imposed measurements of success that are skewed, that are wrong,” said Falwell, pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church – which is notably one of the largest churches in the country. Read more…
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As we are opening ourselves up to call I wanted to re-post this position paper about my own personal philosophy of ministry. It’s a bit wordy but there’s some snippets of clarity in there.
“It should be stated at the outset the problems with the designation of my ministry; I follow the lead of Andrew Purves’ thinking here in Reconstructing Pastoral Theology, and take quite seriously this idea of crucifying my ministry.[1]… as such this is a repudiation of “my” ministry as a self-advancing scheme. I endeavor to reflect deeper on the privilege and the mystery of the participatio Christi as much as the imitatio Christi; on the efficacy of Christ’s work as the foundation for my work. Read more…
I once gave a talk to a largely 1st-gen Korean audience and made the somewhat strongish claim that the “silent exodus” (i.e., the departure of the second-generation from the mother-tongue churches) was a good and necessary thing, and that one day the Korean-American church would cease to be. A somewhat flustered and boxy gentleman in the back challenged me asking me what proof I had, to which I had no good reply. It was one of those moments where “I wish I had said…” Read more…
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