Two friends recently passed along this article from the New York Times, which describes a charismatic megachurch in whose focal point is a chain of prayer, praise and worship that has been unbroken since 1999. At their meeting place in Kansas City, Missouri, the International House of Prayer has maintained ongoing worship services, day and …
[The angel] called out with a mighty voice, ‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!’ … Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, so that you do not take part in her sins, and so that you do not share in her plagues…’” – Revelation 18:2, 4As residents …
Everything that God creates has a purpose; from the tiniest insect to the blue whale, all living beings are made to glorify God. And God creates not only individual creatures, but communities of living things, binding them together in organic systems that reflect the right order of God. Christ draws us into new, covenant relationships …
When we invite Christ into our midst, we can expect to be changed. As we open the door for Jesus to enter in, he transforms us inside and outside; God’s refining fire works for our redemption as individuals and as communities. But that is not the end of the story. Christ’s ministry of reconciliation will …
Read more “Membership, Covenant and Engagement: Engaging with the World”
The night before Jesus was to be tortured and executed by the religious and imperial authorities, he gathered one last time with his disciples, to break bread and to bless his beloved brothers and sisters who would soon become the first members of the Church. Jesus spoke not only to those gathered that evening, but …
Read more “Membership, Covenant and Engagement: Love One Another”
The Steady March of Progress – And AlienationSince the beginning of the industrial revolution, those of us in the industrialized West have become increasingly isolated from one another as we have grown in wealth, technological prowess and personal mobility. Our small towns and rural areas have been drained of their population, especially young people, and …
As we seek to understand what it means to be the Church in our post-modern, post-Christendom society, engagement is a key concept. How do we interact with the wider society? How do we show Christ’s love to the world, while taking care to not get caught up in the world’s way of doing things? Sympathetic …