Robert Parham has written an editorial for EthicsDaily.com calling for Cenrist Baptists to begin blogging more diligently.
I lament the fact that so much of what we see from televangelists is fake and unnuanced and much of the time just downright mean-spirited. But perhaps that is what plays to the crowd, while the faithful take to more humble tasks like working for peace and caring for the sick.
I hope that more "Centrist Baptists" will come online to change the discourse of what it means to believe in Christ, that the darkness of this world might see the light of Christ's community, and not just a different shade of night. I think we can do this by following the insights Jerrod Hugenot, from the Roger Williams Fellowship, shared in his article Ethics of Blogging.
So, yes, let us "Centrist Baptists" blog on. But let us do it with humility and with the purposes of Christ and His kingdom in mind.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Centrist Baptists? Who are They?
Robert Parham has written an editorial for EthicsDaily.com calling for Cenrist Baptists to begin blogging more diligently.
I lament the fact that so much of what we see from televangelists is fake and unnuanced and much of the time just downright mean-spirited. But perhaps that is what plays to the crowd, while the faithful take to more humble tasks like working for peace and caring for the sick.
I hope that more "Centrist Baptists" will come online to change the discourse of what it means to believe in Christ, that the darkness of this world might see the light of Christ's community, and not just a different shade of night. I think we can do this by following the insights Jerrod Hugenot, from the Roger Williams Fellowship, shared in his article Ethics of Blogging.
So, yes, let us "Centrist Baptists" blog on. But let us do it with humility and with the purposes of Christ and His kingdom in mind.
I lament the fact that so much of what we see from televangelists is fake and unnuanced and much of the time just downright mean-spirited. But perhaps that is what plays to the crowd, while the faithful take to more humble tasks like working for peace and caring for the sick.
I hope that more "Centrist Baptists" will come online to change the discourse of what it means to believe in Christ, that the darkness of this world might see the light of Christ's community, and not just a different shade of night. I think we can do this by following the insights Jerrod Hugenot, from the Roger Williams Fellowship, shared in his article Ethics of Blogging.
So, yes, let us "Centrist Baptists" blog on. But let us do it with humility and with the purposes of Christ and His kingdom in mind.
Monday, August 14, 2006
Six Months
August 8, 2006
Friends,
Grace and peace!
Six months, if you can believe that. That's right, we've been on this journey together for six months now and the first leg of our journey has been full of excitement and hope for the future of the United Church of Colchester. We have prayed together, broke bread together, served the poor together and we have even climbed mountains together.
As we begin our second six months together and begin to climb even greater mountains I pray that we will each dedicate ourselves to being more intentional in finding time to be shaped by the stories of our faith. Our Scriptures are not just an account of lives lived, they are the definitive account of life itself. I pray that we will begin to more completely see our own stories in the stories of faith, and share those connections with one another. The leadership of the church is working hard to create more opportunities for shared study and I hope everyone will make a genuine effort to be involved in this important piece of Christian formation.
Sunday worship is becoming an exciting event. And indeed it should be. Worship should reflect the life with God, which is anything but boring. It is my hope that each Sunday we will hear and sing great music which reflect the time-honored tradition of the church, that we will pray with and for one another, and that the hope the resurrection will be preached in a fresh and inspiring sermon. Pray as we seek to make put together a worship service that is all-at-once welcoming to outsiders, reflective of who we are as a particular part of Christ's church, and true to the great tradition of our faith.
Finally, as we continue our journey together, let us set our minds on continuing to be a people dedicated to loving one another and to seeking the peace of the community around us. A vision for being the beloved community should inspire us to share our lives more with one another, and with our neighbors. We are the broken fragments of Christ's body and we offer ourselves to one another as tokens of the promise of His salvation.
Alan Jones writes, "The opposite of faith is not doubt. The opposite of faith is certainty." The American Church is addicted to the certain. "Little ventured, little lost" seems to be its motto. But when I look out on the faces of the United Church of Colchester, I see a body of people who look like they are ready to take a giant leap of faith - together.
Who knows what we will leap off into? And who would want to?
Proud to be your pastor,
Ryon
Friends,
Grace and peace!
Six months, if you can believe that. That's right, we've been on this journey together for six months now and the first leg of our journey has been full of excitement and hope for the future of the United Church of Colchester. We have prayed together, broke bread together, served the poor together and we have even climbed mountains together.
As we begin our second six months together and begin to climb even greater mountains I pray that we will each dedicate ourselves to being more intentional in finding time to be shaped by the stories of our faith. Our Scriptures are not just an account of lives lived, they are the definitive account of life itself. I pray that we will begin to more completely see our own stories in the stories of faith, and share those connections with one another. The leadership of the church is working hard to create more opportunities for shared study and I hope everyone will make a genuine effort to be involved in this important piece of Christian formation.
Sunday worship is becoming an exciting event. And indeed it should be. Worship should reflect the life with God, which is anything but boring. It is my hope that each Sunday we will hear and sing great music which reflect the time-honored tradition of the church, that we will pray with and for one another, and that the hope the resurrection will be preached in a fresh and inspiring sermon. Pray as we seek to make put together a worship service that is all-at-once welcoming to outsiders, reflective of who we are as a particular part of Christ's church, and true to the great tradition of our faith.
Finally, as we continue our journey together, let us set our minds on continuing to be a people dedicated to loving one another and to seeking the peace of the community around us. A vision for being the beloved community should inspire us to share our lives more with one another, and with our neighbors. We are the broken fragments of Christ's body and we offer ourselves to one another as tokens of the promise of His salvation.
Alan Jones writes, "The opposite of faith is not doubt. The opposite of faith is certainty." The American Church is addicted to the certain. "Little ventured, little lost" seems to be its motto. But when I look out on the faces of the United Church of Colchester, I see a body of people who look like they are ready to take a giant leap of faith - together.
Who knows what we will leap off into? And who would want to?
Proud to be your pastor,
Ryon
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