In my last post, I argued that repetition isn't as bad as we make it out to be. In fact, repetition is important. We are shaped by repetition—and that's true whether we are aware of the formative power of repetition or not. James K. A. Smith argues that we...
We all know what it's like to be bored with worship. Anyone who has been around the church for a while knows what it is to sing a praise song so many times that it becomes almost painful. Our worship services can become boring, predictable, numbing. And that's not...
It's easy to be grumpy about all of the denominations in the church. If we're supposed to be united as the body of Christ, then why do we have Baptists and Presbyterians and Methodists and Lutherans and Episcopalians and Evangelical Free Churches and Assemblies of God a host of...
One year ago, internationally acclaimed artist Makoto Fujimura published a small booklet entitled On Becoming Generative: An Introduction to Culture Care. This booklet, and Fujimura’s concept of “Culture Care,” have resonated with many. This month Makoto Fujimura released the full length expansion of his Culture Care concept, Culture Care:...
Many of our towns are overflowing with churches. If you’ve ever tried to find a new church, you know how many options are typically available.
You can choose based on denomination: Baptist, Presbyterian, Evangelical Free, Assembly of God, Foursquare, Brethren, Methodist…you name it. And many of these broad categories actually...
How do you reach an impoverished neighborhood with the gospel?
A typical approach is to send in money occasionally. But poverty is actually far more complex than most people imagine. It takes on a variety of forms, and it stems from impossibly deep-seated assumptions, systems, and processes. It’s actually a...
Every week, an enthusiastic team of staff and volunteers pulls out their crayons, baby wipes, sticker charts, and craft sheets, rolls up their sleeves, and cares for the children in our church. Say what you will about a society that knows nothing about commitment and hard work, this crew...
Now that attention has turned from Miley to the civil war in Syria, people everywhere are wondering: Should America intervene?
The cause for intervention, of course, stems from August 21, when Syrian President al-Assad allegedly used chemical weapons against rebel forces, leading to the death of over 1,400 people including...
This past week I had the privilege of taking part in a weekend conference for the Chinese Evangelical Free Church of Los Angeles. Like many Chinese churches, this church consists of three congregations: English, Cantonese, and Mandarin.
Though the whole conference was great, perhaps the most impactful moment came on...
Jesus is the light of the world. John tells us all about that in his gospel. But the most striking picture of this actually comes on the last pages of our Bibles.
Revelation 21-22 give us a picture of the world set to rights, of the world as it was...