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Previous Posts
The Last Text Message
Today is my last day with Beliefnet, and my last day as the author of this blog. The Text Messages archives will remain live at this location, but posting will cease. If that sounds gloomy, it's an accurate reflection of my mind this afternoon. I've chosen to pursue new opportunities, but I'm n
posted 3:47:12pm Feb. 04, 2009 |
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Quitting Church: A Q&A with Julia Duin
Why do people stop going to church? This big question is the subject of Julia Duin's small book, Quitting Church: Why teh Faithful are Fleeing and What To Do About It. Duin is not a disinterested observer of the phenomenon of church-dropping; rather, she's a churchgoer who wants churches to work wel
posted 4:03:51pm Feb. 03, 2009 |
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Rob Stennett vs. Marilynne Robinson
I'm overjoyed that my good friend Rob Stennett has won the Award of Merit from Christianity Today for his novel The Almost True Story of Ryan Fisher. (Here's CT's review of the book.) Stennett's hilarious book is about a real estate agent who joins a suburban church in order to reach the Christian h
posted 2:36:44pm Jan. 30, 2009 |
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What is spiritual restoration?
Slate asked for an essay on Ted Haggard's spiritual restoration. I'm okay with what I came up with for now, but the more I think about it, the more I think we need better thinking on what restoration looks like for very public, outspoken, influential men and women like Haggard:Most people who fail n
posted 9:00:56am Jan. 29, 2009 |
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It's Not TV; it's Ted TV
A blog might not be the best medium for an essay like this. But I want to offer some more considered thoughts on Ted Haggard and his HBO documentary; I hope this performs some kind of service in a story that I hope will end--in its public iteration--very soon. This was written as a stand-alone essay
posted 3:57:44am Jan. 28, 2009 |
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posted January 8, 2009 at 8:22 pm
That’s very tolerent of her–bravo!
posted January 9, 2009 at 10:46 am
Hello,
Most of my friends who go out witnessing are Calvinists. I’m Calvinist, and I go to a church that tries not to take a stand on Calvinism/Arminianism. As far as I know, I’m the only Calvinist that goes to church there, and I can’t get anyone to go witnessing with me. Calvinists preach the gospel to be obedient to God, and for His glory, which is a great reason.
Thanks,
Bill
posted January 9, 2009 at 11:57 am
Thanks, Bill. Yeah, I know that’s true–was just making a silly joke.
posted January 9, 2009 at 2:35 pm
It’s really sad that you think that’s “Calvinist.” Calvin’s own evangelistic measures were huge, literally creating underground mega-churches (even by today’s standards) in France. The vast majority of the missionaries from the modern missionary movement as far back as David Brainerd, to William Carey, Adoniram Judson, Hudson Taylor. I mean wow, I guess I have to conclude that you know very little about Calvinism and it’s history.
posted January 9, 2009 at 2:37 pm
…And not to mention that one of the greatest books on missions in the last century, John Piper’s “Let the Nations Be Glad”…
posted January 9, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Seriously, people, it was a joke. Not a very good one, I suppose.