miscellany [ mis-uh-ley-nee], noun
1. a miscellaneous collection or group of various or somewhat unrelated items2. a miscellaneous collection of literary compositions or pieces by several authors, dealing with various topics, assembled in a volume or book
Igniting Holy Fire: Lessons from the Ancient Church. “For some time, church growth was predicated on the notion of making the church feel welcoming and comfortable. Contemporary music, good coffee, a casual atmosphere, a great children’s program, and the absence of 'religious' rituals brought people in the door. Once they were in, so this line of thinking went, they could hear the message of the Gospel, get to know other Christians, join a small group, and thereby grow in the knowledge and love of God. The problem was, while the crowds were large, large numbers didn’t necessarily translate into individual personal growth in Christ. The Willow Creek Reveal study, for example, indicated a disconnect between attendance and transformation. As it turns out, making church as comfortable and easy as possible isn’t the best way forward. Rather, it makes the church simply one more consumeristic commodity.”
miscellany [ mis-uh-ley-nee], noun
1. a miscellaneous collection or group of various or somewhat unrelated items2. a miscellaneous collection of literary compositions or pieces by several authors, dealing with various topics, assembled in a volume or book
The Death of Christendom, the Rise of the Church. We all tend to lament the decline of American Christianity in the last 50 years or so. The blatant assaults on our faith are wearying, and we know they will only get worse. But we ought to take heart!
miscellany [ mis-uh-ley-nee], noun
1. a miscellaneous collection or group of various or somewhat unrelated items2. a miscellaneous collection of literary compositions or pieces by several authors, dealing with various topics, assembled in a volume or book
This week two different but related articled caught my eye, both encouraging us to enjoy the good, the beautiful, the elegant, and the dignified...one of them in relation to our everyday lives, the other in relation to our worship.
miscellany [ mis-uh-ley-nee], noun
1. a miscellaneous collection or group of various or somewhat unrelated items2. a miscellaneous collection of literary compositions or pieces by several authors, dealing with various topics, assembled in a volume or book
How Cell Phones Impact Our Relationships. Take two minutes and give it a watch. As we've told our kids repeatedly, the real-life person in front of you is infinitely more important than the unreal world on your phone...treat them that way.
miscellany [ mis-uh-ley-nee], noun
1. a miscellaneous collection or group of various or somewhat unrelated items2. a miscellaneous collection of literary compositions or pieces by several authors, dealing with various topics, assembled in a volume or book
Given our recent experience with Hurricane Beryl, I thought this quote from Amma Theodora of the Desert quote appropriate: “If trees have not stood up against trial, winter’s storms, they cannot bear fruit. It is much the same with us. This present age is a storm, and it is only through many trials and temptations that we can obtain an inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
miscellany [ mis-uh-ley-nee], noun
1. a miscellaneous collection or group of various or somewhat unrelated items2. a miscellaneous collection of literary compositions or pieces by several authors, dealing with various topics, assembled in a volume or book
How important is it? “Well, the Methodists have gone and done it. The United Methodists in the US have decided that it is worth dividing their church and for the sake of giving approval to homosexuality and homosexual clergy. This issue was the hill on which a church died. Imagine that. Not for the sake of the divinity of Christ or His humanity or for the sake of justification or for the cause of Scripture — they were willing to kill a church for the sake of the alphabet soup of sexual desire and gender identity.” Pr. Peters nailed it with his assessment of the true priorities of the UMC.
miscellany [ mis-uh-ley-nee], noun
1. a miscellaneous collection or group of various or somewhat unrelated items2. a miscellaneous collection of literary compositions or pieces by several authors, dealing with various topics, assembled in a volume or book
Tractor Supply Company Statement In the midst of “Pride Month,” American's force-fed, practically-legislated celebration of the complete spectrum of sexual immorality, it's nice to see someone besides the Texas Rangers emphasize business over politics. I never turn down even the weakest excuse to visit Tractor Supply...now I'm even more of a fan.
miscellany [ mis-uh-ley-nee], noun
1. a miscellaneous collection or group of various or somewhat unrelated items2. a miscellaneous collection of literary compositions or pieces by several authors, dealing with various topics, assembled in a volume or book
Politics and religion...again If you pay attention to media on the left, they have been crying foul for some time about the terror of so-called 'Christian nationalism,' which as defined by many on the left is little more than a Christian who actually believes what the Bible says.
miscellany [ mis-uh-ley-nee], noun
1. a miscellaneous collection or group of various or somewhat unrelated items2. a miscellaneous collection of literary compositions or pieces by several authors, dealing with various topics, assembled in a volume or book
Algorithmic Spirituality _“According to a Premier Christianity article published in 2018, the 'verse of the day' feature common on Bible apps could actually 'be skewing your view of God.' The apps populate 'their verse of the day lists with those verses most tweeted or shared by the user community.' Because people are more likely to share feel-good verses than more meaty or difficult passages, this algorithmic approach produces a 'tendency towards therapeutic texts,' creating 'a therapeutic filter bubble.'
miscellany [ mis-uh-ley-nee], noun
1. a miscellaneous collection or group of various or somewhat unrelated items2. a miscellaneous collection of literary compositions or pieces by several authors, dealing with various topics, assembled in a volume or book
The Christological Character of Typological Reading
The Bible is a unique book and must be read in a unique way, despite what agnostics and liberal theologians want to tell us. How does Jesus interpret the Old Testament? How do the Spirit-inspired New Testament authors interpret the Old Testament? How has the Church consistently interpreted the Old Testament for the last 2000 years?