The ‘Mission/Church’ Question

by mikestroope | July 16th, 2010 | Church, Mission | No Comments

One of my chief concerns, both intellectually and practically, has been the relationship between church and mission.  Since 1997 I have been trying to connect the two in both understanding and practice.  Read more…

Don’t Judge Me!

by mikestroope | July 7th, 2010 | Church, Formation | 3 Comments

Judge you?  Of course not!  You and I are brothers, sisters – we are community. Read more…

More rethinking of missions

by mikestroope | July 6th, 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments

See the continuation of Vinoth Ramachandra’s  thoughts on ‘More on Rethinking Mission’.

Faith or Fear

by mikestroope | May 30th, 2010 | Formation, Hope | 1 Comment

“Fear can hamstring the soul.” -Amy Carmichael

If we fear, we live in the gray areas of pause and regret.  Fear keeps us from attempting the impossible, stepping beyond what is comfortable, choosing difficult paths, and loving in a costly manner.  The opposite of fear is faith.  To walk by faith means to believe the impossible can be reality, to live without what we think we must have, and to love without the prospect of returned love.  While fear paralyzes and debilitates, faith liberates us to believe in and hope for what might be.

Fear comes naturally for us, and thus is not a conscious choice but our gut reaction to difficulties, disappointments and rejection.  Faith, on the other hand, must be an intentional decision.  To choose faith instead of  fear is to live toward the hope of a better world, personal transformation, justice, love, etc.   While fear destroys our hope, faith is the beginning of hope.

Because I desire to live in hope, I choose faith over my fears.

Wonder-working words

by mikestroope | May 26th, 2010 | Formation | No Comments

Words work wonders.  Or do they?

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Saying “No”

by mikestroope | May 21st, 2010 | Mission | 2 Comments

One of the blogs I regularly read is by Vinoth Ramachandra.  In a recent post, Who Says “No” to “Mission Trips”?, Ramachandra offers a needed, helpful perspective on the short-term mission phenomenon.  He questions the necessity of and motives behind the large amount of mission traffic from the West to the Rest and dares to say that maybe someone should say ‘No’.

New Look

by mikestroope | May 18th, 2010 | Change | 3 Comments

Two years ago, while visiting with a friend about producing a newsletter to share thoughts and convictions with friends past and present, he exclaimed – Why a newsletter!  Why not a blog?  The result of his coaxing and coaching has been mereHope.  Two years and many posts later, I am thinking “Why would I ever do a newsletter?” I enjoy blogging, and I hope people actually enjoy reading what I post!

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Reward in the Journey

by mikestroope | February 22nd, 2010 | Formation, World | No Comments

While I must strive toward a destination and goals, I, at the same time, need to live as though the journey is its own reward. To journey today means I live the next step, lean into the upcoming turn, and love those in front of me. My greatest temptation is to live too far in the past or to look too far into the future.

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Memory as Tether

by mikestroope | February 8th, 2010 | Formation, Hope | No Comments

I am making an effort to read Scripture daily so that I might remember. It is so easy to forget the content of faith, commitments I have made, experiences that have shaped me, and the places where hope can be found. It is easy to forget Jesus. Reading Scripture jolts me back to ultimate realities, moves me beyond the numbing effects of daily work and activities, and reconnects me to Jesus.

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Hope in the Rubble

by mikestroope | February 1st, 2010 | Culture, Hope | No Comments

Growing up I learned via various mediums (church, movies, books) that good and evil existed in separate realms and were color-coded. The good guys had white hats and said certain words and phrases, and the bad guys wore black hats and said the exact opposite of the good guys. And yet, I have since discovered that the world is not so clear and simple. Read more…