Church as ‘Date-night’

Worship is all of life right?  Romans 12:1 right?
Well ok.  But try telling your spouse, “We don’t need to set aside special time for each other, marriage is all of life.’
No, no, no.  Church is date-night.  (My Sunday night sermon).
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Life Together founded on our alien righteousness

Lest you think I’ve taken a disastrous turn towards the self, here’s Bonhoeffer on the only basis for Christian community – the alien righteousness of Christ.  There is here a whole theology of salvation, of church, of pastoral care and of preaching:
The death and the life of the Christian is not determined by his own [...]

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A theology of mission 3

In the last post, we saw the deepest continuity between God’s mission and ours.
But now we must highlight the discontinuity.
Continuity and Discontinuity
Perhaps the Matthean Great Commission will show both the continuity and discontinuity points:
‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them [...]

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A theology of mission 2 – The Missio Dei

When Karl Barth addressed the Brandenburg Missionary Conference in 1932 he introduced a missiological perspective which has determined the shape of mission theology in every part of the Church. 
“Must not even the most faithful missionary, the most convinced friend of missions, have reason to reflect that the term missio was in the ancient Church [...]

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A theology of mission 1

This began life as an essay I wrote for post-ordination training.
Typically ‘mission’ is understood as an activity that the church undertakes.  On this understanding, the church, alongside its other duties, is also a sender and supporter of gospel workers. 

In this paradigm a church may seek to enlarge their “sending arrow” greatly.  They may tirelessly champion [...]

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Personality, temperament, gifts, huh?

Codepoke made this comment on my last post on “personality types“
Still conflicted. :-)
If the Spirit has gifted you as a pastor and you torture yourself trying to prophecy, you have not benefited anyone. Some are eyes and some are feet. When the eye tries to do its part in the body by being walked on, [...]

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Church – Jacuzzi or Waterfall??

What is church like?
Is it a jacuzzi? 

Cosy? Relaxing?  A chance for you and your nearest and dearest to recharge the batteries?
Or is it…
A waterfall?
 
 
 Scary?  Exciting?  Expansive?  Never safe?
Or is it… and here’s my new word for the week…
A jacuzzerfall

Here we see the blessings of our close fellowship in Christ flowing out and blessing the whole [...]

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The Priesthood of all believers and Trinity 2

In previous posts I have discussed the priesthood of all believers and how this doctrine interacts with the doctrine of the trinity.  In my last post on this I examined the connection from Trinity => church.  In this post we’ll go in the other direction: church => trinity (a much more perilous route!!).  My question is:
          Can ‘different [...]

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The Priesthood of all believers and Trinity 1

When discussing the priesthood of all believers I tried to highlight the corporate nature of our priestliness.  I only find my priestliness in union with Christ and in union with others.  Both are essential.
The priesthood of all believers is not a priestliness that is the private possession of each believer.  If we argue like this then the [...]

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