Category: Church and Ecclesiology
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The Transformative Power of a Cross-Carrying Life
The call to “carry our cross” is… intense. I don’t know that talking and thinking about it means as much as just doing it, but then Jesus did leave us not only His example but also His words. We have to understand what He calls us to do; we have to count the cost. Reading…
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Racism and the Way of the Cross
Guy Hershberger wrote “The Way of the Cross in Human Relations” in 1958. In the book, he explored the cross as a definition of life in the Kingdom of God and applied it to contemporary challenges. Today, we share an excerpt on the subject of racism. His views on this subject reflect a refusal to…
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From leaven to loaf: the Kingdom in 2022
It’s quite interesting watching yeast at work. It is everywhere, ostensibly – on the peel of pears and grapes, in the air, etc. Medieval bakers did not quite know what it was, but they knew what it did. They would set a bowl of flour and water out in the field or under an apple…
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(Video) Courageous Love: The Story of Dirk Willems
When our survival instinct kicks in, it’s often every man and women for themselves. Yet, in the moment of crisis, one courageous young man, Dirk Willems, made a decision that cost him everything. He chose the way of love. The year was 1569. Holland was under the rule of the Spanish King Philip the Second.…
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The Out-ward Bound Church by Vernard Eller
What is the different between an outward and inward bound church? In 1980, Vernard Eller wrote “The Outward Bound: Caravanning as a Style of Church”. He has an interesting and dynamic style of writing that draws you into metaphors and allegories with humor and frankness. You can read the entire book here. Chapter 1: Three…
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(Video) Costly Discipleship: The Witness of Anna Jansz
What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus, to count the cost and carry our cross? Anna Jansz, a 16th century martyr, came to faith amidst chaos and revolution in 16th century Holland. She chose the way of Christ and loved not her life until death. In this, she demonstrated the courage and…
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“Kingdom Reductionism” and the Atonement Debates – Essay by Dean Taylor
Today I am teaching my students in the historical theology class about the Atonement. I wanted to find some different opinions surrounding the doctrine of the Atonement. I found a few, and I will warn you, these are some pretty strong words. I chose clips that purposefully conflict with each other. Dean Taylor As seen…
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God’s Loving Care and Human Suffering by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
This little-known sermon by Dietrich Bonhoeffer is a poignant take on human suffering and what God’s love means to us and to others. It was preached at a Harvest Festival in Berlin on October 4, 1931. “Your steadfast love is better than life” (Psalm 63:3) Two and a half millennia have passed since that ancient…
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Is “Critical Theory” against the gospel?
It’s particularly interesting when Christian and academic worlds intersect, particularly on a current socio-political issue like “critical race theory”. Across the Christian world, we see a lot of debate about what this really means and how it affects us as Christians. In fact, we hear a lot of allegations that it’s fundamentally “anti-gospel”. One particular…
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Discipleship and Submission in the Church
When Jesus gathered His disciples to Him soon before the ascension, He said, “go and make disciples of all nations”. He didn’t say, “go and build churches” or even “go and establish My reign” – not that we are not to do these things, but we are to first and foremost make disciples and teach…
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