Between the Trees

Check out this guest post by Michael Bell over at the iMonk. Then come back and reread Eric’s excellent post from last fall dealing with similar issues.

I was baptized at Grace Chapel.
As odd as it was for me, having grown up in the church, to not be baptized till I was almost 21… I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ll always look back at that day with a very sweet fondness.

New DN column.
I feel really vain posting these here but I feel like it’s the only substantial posting I have time for unfortunately.

Sorry, couldn’t resist the word humor.
Recently a friend asked me about my opinion on a nationally-known pastor whose been gaining popularity recently due to several TV appearances. Before I answered, I decided to just google his name and make sure I was up to date on what he’s been up to so I didn’t answer [...]

I know it might sound like some country-western love song, but I can’t stop loving you.
I know this sort of love is behind the times. I’m supposed to be more cautious, more jaded, more realistic.
And I have every reason to. I’ve had all the heart-breaks and bad times. You’ve beaten me down. You’ve betrayed me. [...]

Here’s the audio of Eric’s sermon. If you weren’t able to be at Grace on Sunday, download it and listen.
Or if you were there, go listen to it again. It will do your soul good.
Eric, I’m proud of you and glad to call you brother.

The whole thing is worth reading but this one in particular is brilliant:
“Evangelicalism would be better if it would admit and address its authority issue. Evangelicalism consists, to a large extent, of groups and individuals waving Bibles and shouting verses at one another. Evangelicals use terms like “Biblical Christianity” as if they could actually produce [...]

Going off of Eric’s post, I think the most basic cause of the problem he’s describing is that it’s very easy for us as Christians to confuse callings and imperatives.
Scripture is full of universal imperatives for all Christians - In Colossians Paul tells us our speech should be edifying. In Philippians he tells us to [...]

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about one of the big questions of theology, or at least what should be one of the big questions. No, not about God’s sovereignty and human freedom. Not about the nature of inspiration in the Scriptures. Not even about how I can poke fun at my credobaptist friends… actually, [...]

I keep reading posts about how people, expecially young people, are leaving the church. The thing that worries me is how many evangelicals are going to respond to this. Our big programs and flashy churches aren’t working, we’ll think, so it’s time for bigger programs and flashier churches! Pastors dropping out of helicopters! Fireworks! Even [...]