Good thing about the cubbies, and my Royals, it is now officially college football season. Go Cats, or hawks, whatever your preference may be.

Scot,
There is actually one more chapter in Boyd’s book, entitled, “Christians and Violence.” . It has to do with War and Passivism. It has spurred me to read the stack of books on the subject that have been awaiting me (I’ve been meaning to think deeply on this subject for some time). I will write the review of that chapter some time next week.

About number one (Technology): I’ve always hated having a watch on my wrist, but I have a great need to always know the time. So I am one of those that now uses my cell phone as my timepiece. Only now I have a problem: When I am doing something without my cellphone strapped to my waist, I don’t know the time. Oh, the paradoxes of techno-life!!

Bob,
I very much look forward to what you have to say from your grappling on Christians and war/pacifism issues. I am going to be working more on that myself. In fact, in our devos at RBC Ministries Tuesday, I’m supposed to defend a Mennonite/Anabaptist stance on war/pacifism versus the norm understood there (by all in that group) based on something of the Just War theory of Augustine- something of a debate there, probably. (This arose out of the end of our last devos, out of thin air, it almost seems. But in our study of Genesis and human violence.) And I don’t entirely fit into a peg on this. Though I think that is more and more the case these days.

Re: 2. Sounds like Greg Boyd has become “Stanley Hauerwas on steroids”–right on his diagnosis of the problem; (possibly) way wrong on his prescription to treat the problem. I have found the works of Oliver O’Donovan to be a good counter voice in this very important discussion. Anyone else find O’Donovan helpful?
Tim

And the Mets are the best. Yea, Yea, go METS.

Tim,
I want read O’Donovan. I hear lots of good about him.

Good stuff from Oliver O’Donovan:
“By virtue of the fact that there is a Creator, there is also a creation that is ordered to its Creator, a world that exists as his creation and in no other way, so that by its very existence it points to God.” “Redeemed creation does not merely confront us moral agents but includes us and enables us to participate in it.” (O’Donovan, Resurrection and Moral Order (Eerdmans, 1986), p. 31, 101)

On trends in church planting-
I don’t see what the problem is if a group wants to watch a video of some other preacher. It may be a “good sermon” -or not. I do think it’s more desirable to glean insights from your own local people, and a “sermon” is not necessary to do that, but some training in handling the text is helpful. Some of us no doubt remember when sermons -and “prophetic words” -on audio cassette tape were new. I don’t recall too many negative comments about those; most people were happy to have them available, and some few actually listened to them again.
My concern wrt church planting is with a multiplication of “more of the same”, if “the same” is the problematic stuff that David Fitch, Greg Boyd and others have been writing about.
Scot, don’t worry too much about your blog traffic. Perhaps you could improve how you keep posts organized (hard to imagine that, given the state of your desk, but I suppose it’s possible). If you Really want to get a lot of hits, keep writing about women in ministry… (Alternatively, the Tall Skinny Kiwi senses the need to fast from his blog for September.)
Best to you & Kris these autumn days.
Dana

Thanks, Scot, for your support. It is much appreciated!

Subversive Influence » Blog Archive » Jesus Creed » Weekly Meanderings

[...] Scot McKnight’s Weekly Meanderings are up for this week. A bit more thin than some weeks, but always a few good links for those who mine. [...]