Postmodern Renaissance Culture Revolutionary

Notes for future reference regarding a community welcoming church: https://thomrainer.com/2018/03/seven-potentially-deadly-church-sicknesses/ Attitudinal Angst : a church illness where church members are most focused on getting their own desires and preferences met, rather than being a serving member of the body of Christ. It is also called Church Country Club Membership. Slippage Syndrome : the church illness where a church stops focusing on its primary purposes. Evangelism slippage is the most common. Detail Distraction : a church illness where there is too much focus on minor issues to the detriment of major issues. For example, routine meetings can become more important than compelling missions. Institutional Idolatry : a church illness where the members have an unbiblical devotion to inconsequential matters such as facilities, order of worship, or styles of worship. Activity Acclimation : a church illness where the members see busyness to be the same as commitment ...

If you are hiding under a social media rock, then you probably have not heard about Pokemon Go. It is a game played on cell phones or other portable devices. The Pokemon property has been around about 20 years and has spawned games, television shows, comic books, and movies. The basic rule of the game is to catch imaginary creatures and collect them, power them up (by collecting more of the same), and sending them to fight others. The collecting part requires a player to wander around the real world until they cross paths with a critter. Then, using the device on which they are playing, the critter is captured by flicking a ball on the screen toward the object of their capturing desires. Part of the real world interaction are places of interest or gathering. Pokestops are a sort of refilling station. Gyms are places where rival players can "battle" their Pokemon. No real violence is committed. What Niantic and Nintendo have done is create an intersection of virtual realit...

Part one of the series: Religious freedom in the midst of the Culture Wars Part two of the series: Culture Wars....and the politicians and media. I have been a Christian since I was 7 or 8. I remember my first experience of accepting the Lordship of Jesus Christ. I remember sitting in church and Sunday School listening to the lessons of what the Bible says and is about. I remember reading the Bible, finding its messages for myself. And in all of that, I came to believe the Bible to be an authority in my life. Its words I have allowed to speak into my life. I make the best attempt possible to transform those words into a lifestyle. I don't make the best example of what the scriptures say at all times of my life. I am called to account for bad choices and I hold myself to account for bad choices.    And to those Christians who have chosen to represent the Church in a stance against gays, I want to hold you to account for your choices.   Let me begin with a point...

I was at the beautiful Canyon Camp for the last two days. Canyon Camp is our United Methodist campground in Central Oklahoma. I was there for a retreat that our Bishop holds every year. This year's theme was the subject of evangelism. Most people realize the struggle the UM church is having with declining numbers. We have been challenged to build our numbers as the tangible sign of our overall mission of making disciples for Jesus Christ. I want to share some of the insights from the retreat for your comments. First- most of the material that was being shared was an affirmation. The information that was being presented was the same thing I have been sharing with the leadership of the church for two years. The model of operation suggested was what shaped the formation of the Vision Team. The style of evangelism and ministry that was being encouraged is our ministry model we currently have. It was affirming that we are doing something "right". (It's only right when the ...