The Churches of Christ, one of three current expressions of the Restoration Movement, has influenced my faith. I attended and received my doctoral degree in ministry from the Amridge University (formerly Southern Christian University), which is affiliated with this movement. The Restoration Movement (Churches of Christ, Independent Christian Church, and Disciples of Christ) is comprised of those churches that seek to restore the New Testament church. Since the Read More …
My Faith – Influenced by the Disciples of Christ (#0096)
The Disciples of Christ denomination, one of three current expressions of the Restoration Movement, has influenced my faith. I served as Associate Pastor at Central Christian Church in Dallas, Texas and as Youth Pastor at First Christian Church in Garland, Texas. The Restoration Movement (Disciples of Christ, Independent Christian Church, and Churches of Christ) is comprised of those churches that seek to restore the New Testament church. The Christian Read More …
My Faith – Influenced by the Independent Christian Church (#0095)
The Independent Christian Church, one of three current expressions of the Restoration Movement, has influenced my faith. I attended and received my undergraduate degree in ministry from Dallas Christian College, which is affiliated with this movement. The Restoration Movement (Independent Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, and Churches of Christ) is comprised of those churches that seek to restore the New Testament church. Since the early church as pictured Read More …
One Faith – Many Traditions (#0094)
Christian Experience I know several people who have been in the same denomination from birth and who plan to remain in it for the rest of their lives. In earlier generations this pattern was normative, but, as a result of numerous variables, has become atypical. For those in Generation X or Y, the norm is to be influenced by and to participate in multiple traditions. My Journey I am a part of Generation X and have been influenced by many traditions. In the Read More …
Trinitarian Language (#0093)
Trinity Sunday offers those who follow the liturgical calendar an opportunity to consider one of the most widely held Christian beliefs. In a recent article, David Lose, Marbury E. Anderson Chair in Biblical Preaching at Luther Seminary, suggests that the place of the Trinity in the local church is changing: " . . . when it comes to the local congregation, I suspect the Trinity is on the ropes. This isn't because the average Christian isn't smart enough to understand the Read More …
My Experiences with Tweeting in Worship (#0092)
A few weeks ago, I wrote Tweeting in Worship to highlight the expanded usage of Twitter in corporate worship and consider some of the possible benefits. To move from that theoretical exploration toward an experiential appraisal, I tweeted in worship services on two consecutive Sundays in congregations affiliated with different denominations. Shown below are my unedited tweets with time stamps: May 9 - Emmanuel Lutheran Church (ELCA) Bountiful God, Read More …
Review of Christianity’s Family Tree (#0091)
Hamilton, Adam. Christianity's Family Tree: What Other Christians Believe and Why. Abingdon Press, 2007. ISBN: 9780687481162. Meet the Author Adam Hamilton is the founding pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, which has grown from four members in 1990 to over 12,000 members today. Hamilton's parish is currently the largest in his denomination with an average weekly worship attendance of over 7400. He was named by Religion and Ethics Read More …
Review of After the Baby Boomers (#0090)
Wuthnow, Robert. After the Baby Boomers: How Twenty- and Thirty-Somethings are Shaping the Future of American Religion. Princeton University Press, 2007. ISBN: 9780691146140. Meet the Author Robert Wuthnow is the Gerhard Andlinger Professor of Social Sciences and Director of the Center for the Study of American Religion at Princeton University. Wuthnow is widely published in the areas of sociology of religion, culture and civil society. His recent books Read More …
Review of The Unity of the Church (#0089)
Pope Benedict XVI. Joseph Ratzinger in Communio, Volume 1: The Unity of the Church. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2010. Meet the Author Pope Benedict XVI, born Joseph Alois Ratzinger, is the 265th and reigning pope of the Roman Catholic Church. After being ordained in 1951 and earning his doctoral degree in 1953, he spent many years in academia. During that time, together with Hans Urs von Balthasar, Henri de Lubac and other important theologians, he initiated the Read More …
Why I Am Not Quitting Facebook (#0088)
Facebook Privacy Concerns Facebook continues to evolve and some of the most recent changes surrounding the privacy of information are a bit unsettling. More specifically, over time, users have had less and less control over what information is public and what can remain private. Matt McKeon, a developer with the Visual Communication Lab at IBM, recently posted a series of images that clearly depict the radical change in privacy over time. The first and last images (click Read More …