Keeping Possessions from Possessing Us

by | Sep 21, 2010 | Opinion

Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel with the Beatitudes. (The teachings in Matthew 5-7 were no doubt given by Jesus in many different contexts, and the biblical writer gathered them into this form.) The first beatitude is: “Blessed are...

What Ever Happened to Following the Way of Jesus?

by | Sep 2, 2010 | Opinion

In the book of Acts, Luke says that Paul, who then was “still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord,” went into Damascus looking for those “who belonged to the Way” (Acts 9:1-2). This is how the first Christians were...

Two Kinds of Christianity: Which Do You Follow?

by | Aug 11, 2010 | Opinion

There are some major differences between belief-centered Christianity that focuses on creeds and doctrine and the kind that puts a priority on following in the way of Jesus. Some Christians mistakenly think that in the beginning of the Jesus movement there was...

Finding Courage to Challenge Churches’ Patriarchy

by | Jul 19, 2010 | Opinion

Spiritual writer Richard Rohr has observed that in recent centuries most churches have been on the wrong side of most human reformations and revolutions – until after these reformations succeeded. Consider the issue of civil rights: Many churches in America remained...