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Aug, 04, 2017 0
Reform is usually associated with something negative. As a child, I remember hearing of troublemakers who were sent to “Reform School,” an alternative school for those who had misbehaved in some way.
This fall, we commemorate the 500th Anniversary of the event that most scholars point to as the…
Jul, 28, 2017 0
Reformation before Luther
Though the catalyst to the series of events known today as the Protestant Reformation was sparked in 1517 by Martin Luther’s posting of his 95 theses to the church doors at Wittenburg, the Church had long before been engaged in the process of reformation. In fact, one…
Jul, 27, 2017 0
On a few occasions in my ministry I have heard comments that seemed to disparage the value of theology in our everyday life. One example was in a local church board meeting.
“Brother Middendorf,” the man said with a flourish, “We don’t want a pastor who will be throwing theology around at us. That…
Jul, 26, 2017 0
Friends talk about our ever-changing world and our roles as Christians in it: They call attention to daily news headlines reminding us that winds of change blow continually across the globe. They speak of the developing picture of national leaders and shifts in governments around the world. They…
Jul, 26, 2017 0
Friends talk about our ever-changing world and our roles as Christians in it: They call attention to daily news headlines reminding us that winds of change blow continually across the globe. They speak of the developing picture of national leaders and shifts in governments around the world. They…
Jul, 14, 2017 0
It is customary for many, at the first signs of spring, to begin a time when preparations are made for a thorough cleaning of every room in the house. The phrase “Spring Cleaning” is popular for a reason! I suppose there is something about the signs of new life all around—new flowers blooming,…
Jul, 13, 2017 0
I thought those parables about scattering seed, planting vineyards, and chasing sheep were as out of date and ancient as my childhood. I grew up in the country picking strawberries every summer for my dad. My uncles farmed corn, beans, and watermelon. I could run the baler as well as any of my…
Jul, 13, 2017 0
Wesleyan spirituality includes a particular method for growth in God’s grace (which is why Wesleyan Christians are often called Methodists). This method begins with what has traditionally been called the General Rules, what we now call the Covenant of Christian Character.1 These rules are not a…
Jul, 13, 2017 0
Why are so many Christians willing to believe and share only one side of stories? Shouldn’t we be more mindful?
A: It has happened to all of us. We hear a story, an out of context quote, or a prayer concern, and we assume (often incorrectly) that we know the entire story. A college-age child comes…
Jul, 13, 2017 0
Q: From the early era on, the church has not observed the feasts, festivals, and dietary laws that God commanded in the Old Testament. Why not?
A: This question relates to the bigger question of what Christians should do with the laws in the Old Testament. Rabbis tell us there are 613 different…