Category Archives: Riffs

Riffs: 12:23:06: “We’ve quit going to church.”

Brant Hanson and family are done with the church. You could have seen it coming. Further reading in the comment threads will reveal a switch to the kind of Christian community that many are exploring in house groups, stripped down and simplified fellowships, and informal networks of like-minded, de-megachurched families and individuals. I don’t readContinue reading “Riffs: 12:23:06: “We’ve quit going to church.””

Riffs 12:17:06: Dan Edelen and a Gospel That Speaks To Failure

Dan Edelen is on one of the best bloggers I know of, and his post We Need A Gospel That Speaks To Failure is outa the park, center field. Your church is looking for new elders. Which of these two 40-year old men has a better chance of becoming an elder, the self-made man whoContinue reading “Riffs 12:17:06: Dan Edelen and a Gospel That Speaks To Failure”

Riffs: 12:12:06: Challies on Why He Doesn’t Homeschool

UPDATE: Noel Heikkinen writes a wonderful endorsement of Challies’ post from his own experience. UPDATE II: Challies does Part II. Tim Challies starts a series on why he doesn’t homeschool. IM readers know the subject of options in education is near and dear to my heart and I want to urge you to read Tim’sContinue reading “Riffs: 12:12:06: Challies on Why He Doesn’t Homeschool”

Robert Short on The Partial Jesus of the Nominal Christian

The BHT has a regular banner quote, and this one was so good I wanted to share it with my readers over here. The nominal Christian, then, will see Jesus as a name, a representative, a symbol, a personification, a prototype, a figure, a model, an exemplar for something else. The nominal Christian pays homageContinue reading “Robert Short on The Partial Jesus of the Nominal Christian”

Riffs: 12:10:06 Alan Hirsch on The Apostolic Genius

Courtesy of the thoroughly agitated Bill Kinnon, a post by Alan Hirsch on “The Apostolic Genius.” How did the early church do what they did? (Without cool ads!) Take it away, Mr. Hirsch. About four years ago I attended a seminar on missional church where the speaker asked the question “How many Christians do youContinue reading “Riffs: 12:10:06 Alan Hirsch on The Apostolic Genius”

Riffs:12:06:06 Dan Kimball Responds to Macarthur’s Portrayal of the Emerging Church

UPDATE II: Andrew Sandlin with a fine review of the Emerging Church and politics. An outstanding essay. Very helpful. UPDATE: Bill Kinnon let’s his hair down, so to speak, in this post on Macarthur’s letter. Dan Kimball’s response to John Macarthur’s characterization of the emerging church stands in stark contrast to the large quoted sectionsContinue reading “Riffs:12:06:06 Dan Kimball Responds to Macarthur’s Portrayal of the Emerging Church”

Riffs 11:20:06: Why Bad (Christian) Movies Succeed (and better movies never will)

Barbara Nicolosi’s review of Facing the Giants reminded me that I’ve been avoiding talking about this surprisingly successful church-produced film. All around the net, from Christians and non-Christians, the reviews have consistently presented this risky film venture as predictable in approach, but also with universal surprise at its success. Even reviewers like Michael Medved, whoContinue reading “Riffs 11:20:06: Why Bad (Christian) Movies Succeed (and better movies never will)”

Glenn Lucke on TRs/The “Humility Zone”

Chief blogger at Common Grounds Online Glenn Lucke responds to my discussion of “TRs”, and adds his two cents on epistemological humility, a term I call the “humility zone,” and which TRs hate more than Mark Driscoll teaching ESL. Glenn “gets it” when it comes to the irony of believing in total depravity but findingContinue reading “Glenn Lucke on TRs/The “Humility Zone””

Riffs 11:07:06 Bryan Chapell on Brokenness; Julie Bogart on Truthfulness

On the sidebar of the Boar’s Head Tavern, a well known member’s only establishment, there is a sidebar link entitled “The Poor In Spirit.” If you go there, you will find the funeral sermon by Dr. Bryan Chapell for his friend and mentor, Petros Roukas, former pastor of Lexington’s Tate’s Creek Presbyterian Church, who hadContinue reading “Riffs 11:07:06 Bryan Chapell on Brokenness; Julie Bogart on Truthfulness”