Conversations concerning the church seem to be increasing, especially when they are about her nature or essence. This growing discussion, centered on what the church is in herself and what constitutes her nature, evidences an awareness that how the church imagines herself determines most everything else about her – how she acts and reacts, spends her money, organizes her corporate life, interfaces with the wider culture, etc. So, whether the church defines herself as house, organic, emergent, or aqua does makes a difference. Read more…
Which Mission? Whose Mission?
by mikestroope | January 20th, 2011 | Change, Church, Culture, Mission | No CommentsThe world as we know it is rapidly changing. Current economic, demographic, technological, and political changes can cause our heads to spin. Yet, one change that may not be as obvious is that the American context is becoming less and less Christian, especially in the way Christianity has been traditionally understood and followed. People are asking such questions as “Why bother with church?” “What has the Christian faith to do with the real problems of life?” In some quarters, the questions are not as benign. These people aggressively ask, “Why are Christians so bigoted, narrow-minded, and anti-everything?” Studies show that while there is a growing interest in matters spiritual, Christianity and the church are increasingly viewed as irrelevant or passé, especially when it comes to our collective lives as Americans.
So, how are Christians to respond to this new reality? Read more…
An Amazing Journey
by mikestroope | January 7th, 2011 | Culture, Formation, Hope | No CommentsRecently I visited a number of friends who have moved to other countries within the last six months. They have relocated themselves and now live with new foods, languages, ways of relating, means of transportation, mediums of exchange, roles, and neighbors. These friends have done well, leaning into so many changes and adjustments. And yet, the more significant journey they have made has not been to obvious cultural or external realities. Rather, they are on an amazing journey within themselves. Read more…
Imagine What Could Be
by mikestroope | December 27th, 2010 | Culture, Formation | 2 CommentsWhat is imagined becomes what is and shapes what already exists. Before we are able to touch, feel, and experience that which is good and true, it is imagined. Its creation happens twice – first in the mind and then in the world around. If what is good and true is to remain, acts which mirror goodness and truthfulness must be imagined. In similar manner, that which is evil and false comes into being and endures through the power of imagination. Prejudice, hatred, and lies take shape in the mind before finding their expression in slurs, abuse, and trickery. Such are the forceful possibilities of imagination. Read more…
Gratitude Lives
by mikestroope | December 24th, 2010 | Formation | No CommentsWhile gratitude walks in the footsteps of humility and grace, pride and harshness give wing to entitlement. It can be generally said that people view life either as gift or entitlement, in humility or with pride. It is only by the generosity and kindness engendered by gratitude that we are able to live with grace and love toward others rather than as self-centered, boorish people. The difference is not merely a matter of character or will power. Gratitude cannot just be summoned at will or put on like a jacket. Rather, it must be discovered in a manager and on a wooden cross. As we are overwhelmed by God’s love and forgiveness, gratitude takes up residence in our words, actions, and embrace. Thereby, in our lives, by God’s power, gratitude lives.
Must Read Books
by mikestroope | December 14th, 2010 | Formation | No CommentsWhen I hear the phrase ‘must read books’, I don’t necessarily think of books that entertained me or only those that I enjoyed. Rather, I think of books that significantly shaped my thinking, moved me to a new perspective, or even changed the course of my life. These books came to me at critical points, and thus, serve as markers in my growth as a person and in the development of my thinking. Most of these books have been read numerous times and now stare at me from the shelf to remind me of lessons learned, perspectives gained, and commitments made.
While my list of life-shaping books is quite long, I offer below my top must read books.
The Way Ahead
by mikestroope | December 7th, 2010 | Hope | No CommentsThe following is a quote from a student’s paper …
“… fear weakens and paralyzes us … hopelessness is a kind of death; one is immobilized by the dark and threatening visage of the future. But hope enlivens us. When viewed with hope, the way ahead is open and inviting. Hope draws us into the future and in this way it engages us in life.”
- Glenn Tinder, The Fabric of Hope: An Essay (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1999), 13.
Thank you Katie.
Jewels
by mikestroope | December 1st, 2010 | Church | 1 CommentAs I am currently reading through term papers, I occasionally come across jewels from students or from teachers of the past. The following is from a dead teacher, Lesslie Newbigin …
The Church is the pilgrim people of God. It is on the move – hastening to the ends of the earth to beseech all men to be reconciled to God, and hastening to the end of the time to meet its Lord who will gather all into one. Therefore the nature of the Church is never to be finally defined in static terms, but only in terms of that to which it is going [...] When the Church ceases to be one, or ceases to be missionary, it contradicts its own nature. Yet the Church is not defined by what it is, but by that End to which it moves. And the power of the End now works in the Church, the power of the Holy Spirit who is the earnest of the inheritance still to be revealed. (The Household of God, pp. 18-19).
Thank you, Chad.
The Christian Imagination
by mikestroope | November 29th, 2010 | History, Resources | 1 CommentAt the urging of a friend, I now have in my possession Willie James Jennings’ The Christian Imagination: Theology and the Origins of Race (Yale, 2010). Jennings will be a holiday companion and guide beyond the boundaries of race, oppression, and citizenship; that is, once grading and graduation are done. Thank you Joe Bumbulis for the recommendation.
Thoughtful Speech
by mikestroope | November 22nd, 2010 | Change, Formation | No CommentsA friend recently remarked that much of what is spoken these days falls into one of two categories; it is either combative and uncivil, or it is inane and trivial. His observation is that people either state matters as incontestable fact when what they are saying cannot be proved or verified, or they understate in a rather casual, urbane manner that which should be said with conviction and fervor. Since what is spoken in both cases seems to be without serious or careful consideration, my friend feels we must redouble our efforts to ensure that we measure our words, so that we speak to each other in a thoughtful manner.
My friend is absolutely correct for a number of reasons. Read more…