Kathy Vestal recently asked a question that many avoid, yet one which should be addressed directly on a regular basis by those who seek to follow the way of Jesus: Are we following the Church’s teachings more closely than we follow Jesus’ teachings? So What? In an ideal world, perhaps one would simply assume the teachings of the church and those of Jesus would be identical or overlap so significantly that any attempts to differentiate the two would seem artificial. In Read More …
Jesus
Dignity, Respect, Gentleness & Love (#0901)
Bill Tammeus, a Kansas City area author and religious blogger, recently offered practical wisdom that is worth reading often and living daily: All the great religions teach that we should treat people with dignity, respect, gentleness, love. And with good reason. All of us are fragile. All of us in one way or another are trying to handle the various -- and sometimes vicious -- curveballs life has heaved at us. So What? The way of Jesus is love. As a follower of Jesus, what Read More …
The Only Jesus (#0898)
I have heard people with widely divergent theological perspectives utter the same message on many occasions: you may be the only Jesus others see. In the parish I serve, the senior minister often challenges the congregation to live into this truth. So What? For those who follow the way of Jesus, the quest should be a 24/7/365 venture. How do the words "you may be the only Jesus someone sees today" inspire you to live out your faith? Read More …
Review of Selling Water by the River (#0897)
Meet the Author Shane Hipps is a second career pastor. This portion of his journey started after working as a strategic planner in advertising. Hipps served as lead Pastor of Trinity Mennonite Church (2005-2010). He is now nearing the end of his time as teaching pastor at Mars Hill (2010-2012). Hipps is the author of two books: Selling Water by the River (2012) and Flickering Pixels (2009 - my review) as well as the co-author of The Hidden Power Read More …
Football, Jesus, and Ninja (#0896)
Football, Jesus and ninja sound like words that might be associated with some form of a youth group game. In fact, I may have played a modified version of ninja football on a retreat years ago. Interestingly, these words can be found on the list of the 25 Most Popular Passwords of 2012. So What? Reality check. Apparently many people still don't take security seriously. How else could the #1 most popular password be "password"? Also appearing on the list Read More …
Televising Jesus’ Return (#0892)
In reviewing news stories for potential discussion on this blog, I have encountered many unusual happenings. The latest to make that list is the preparation being undertaken by not one but two "Christian" television networks to ensure they have the resources necessary to provide live coverage of Jesus' second coming. Daystar, one of the two networks, now features a live stream from the Mount of Olives on its website. So What? Over the years I have heard Read More …
Review Of Jesus: A Theography (#0883)
Meet the Authors Leonard Sweet, E. Stanley Jones professor of evangelism at Drew University and visiting distinguished professor of Evangelism at George Fox University, was voted one of the 50 Most Influential Christians in America, and continues to write and speak prophetically about the church. An ordained United Methodist pastor, Sweet has authored over 20 books (read my reviews: Viral: How Social Networking is Poised to Ignite Revival - 2012, I Am a Follower: The Way, Read More …
Religious Athletes (#0881)
According to recent research by Grey Matter Research & Consulting "relatively few Americans react negatively to the frequent intersection between professional sports and religion." The study considered seven different types of religious expression: Athletes from opposing teams gathering together on the field or court after a game for prayer, Athletes speaking up about their faith in interviews after the game, Athletes speaking up about their faith in interviews after the Read More …
Review of Embracing Obscurity (#0869)
Meet the Author After posting nearly 200 book reviews on sowhatfaith using the same basic format, I find myself writing the first introduction to an author that lacks biographical data. The anonymous author of the book chose not to reveal her/his identity because he/she felt it was inconsistent with the book's basic message. While never sharing that identifying information, the author did weave personal stories into most chapters. Book Basics Many today define success in terms of Read More …
Not Revolutionary Enough (#0864)
Evan Woodson, a senior at Oklahoma State University, recently wrote an editorial for his university's student newspaper about how his college experiences have helped him come to recognize that the common suburban understanding of Christianity isn't as revolutionary as it should be. While his whole story is well worth the read, Woodson's questions are ones that must be answered by each person who seeks to follow the way of Jesus: How did we get to a point where everyone we sit by at Read More …