Mel Lawrenz, Senior Pastor at Elmbrook, passed the following quotation from Paul Borden's recent book Direct Hit to me:Healthy congregations are defined by sacrifice... They exist more for those who are currently not part of the group than for those who comprise the current congregation.This is what being missional is all about: existing for the …
Robert E. Webber – his influence
This is a follow-up to my post yesterday about a mentor of mine, Dr. Robert E. Webber. For a more thorough biographical sketch, you can find a press release from Northern Seminary here.Bob was the first person to get me to think historically about my faith and theology. In a Christian Thought class that I …
God Debates – a follow-up article
Further to my post yesterday, Newsweek has provided background on the two debaters, some s0ft sociological research on religion, and more here in an article entitled "Is God Real? The Debate Over Religion."It's also worth looking at a response to the debate from Rabbi Marc Gellman which critiques it as strangely missing the point by …
Debating God’s Existence
A recent issues of Newsweek featured an exchange between Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life and pastor of Saddleback Church, and Sam Harris, renowned atheist and author of Letter to a Christian Nation.The exchange is extensive and touches on a variety of issues: creation via evolution vs. creation via personal divine presence; the …
The Emerging Church
I am often asked for a concise summary of what the emerging church is all about. Scot McKnight, a professor at North Park Seminary on the north side of Chicago, recently published an article in Christianity Today that I found to be a helpful summary of the movement. This is a feat of wonder given …
Matthew Erickson 