Reflections of an Undeconstructed Pentecostal
Last night I read a news item about an “academic exercise” at Florida State University where students were encouraged to write the name “Jesus” in large letters on a piece of paper and then throw it to the floor and stomp on it. One student refused and the incident has provoked outraged. Frankly, I read the news article and thought the so-called academic exercise to be just another stupid act of religious bigotry and went to bed.
Continue reading “Stomping on Jesus: A Holy Week Meditation”
“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
Continue reading “Hear, Love, Teach, Preserve, Equip, Be Ready”
I’ve been watching the coverage of the Papal Conclave. I find it amazing that the whole world is watching in anticipation. When the Church of God convenes in General Assembly, it’s not worthy of national coverage on CNN or FOX. The same can be said of other Pentecostal or Protestant churches. It seems that no one cares when Protestants elect a leader.
Five hundred years after the Reformation, the selection of a new Pope still matters to the world. And, whether we like it or not, it matters to Protestants and Pentecostals.
Continue reading “When the Whole World is Watching”
When I was a child, my brothers and I sometimes quarreled and fought. Dad would come in the room and sternly warn us, “Boys, you better stop fighting right now or I’ll have you on your knees hugging and kissing each other.” Many of our childhood brawls ended with us on our knees embracing each other. There are many examples of sibling rivalries throughout the Bible, beginning with the story of Cain and Abel. Sometimes sibling rivalry has developed into civil war.
Continue reading “The Father’s Embrace: Restoration, Grace, & Joy”
As one of my theology professors used to say, “Words mean something.” What he was trying to teach is that we should be careful with the use of words, especially when we are trying to teach or proclaim the truth of the Gospel of Christ. Cases in point are a couple of popular sayings illustrated below:
It seems that the word religion has developed a negative connotation. One would think that to be religious means to be self-righteous, formal, and ritualistic, among others. In fact, religious means: manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality; devoted to religious beliefs or observances; or, to be scrupulously and conscientiously faithful.
Continue reading “So, You Don’t Want to be Religious?”
A few years ago I was engaged in a battle of heart and mind. I was struggling with the church – the body of Christ. You need to know that when I use the word “church,” it means the church catholic – all expressions of the church throughout the world. I was disappointed and cynical, and began to seriously doubt the present relevance and future significance of the church. This battle was fierce and prolonged. Even now skirmishes continue to erupt. One day, while driving and contemplating these issues, I prayed,
Continue reading “Irenaeus, Boccaccio, and the Church”
I’m often confounded by the theology of Twitter and Facebook. We used to put this kind of stuff on bumper stickers and t-shirts. You know what I mean… short, pithy sayings that reflect popular theology. With the advent of Facebook and Twitter this stuff goes viral. I understand the need to KISS, i.e., “keep it simple, stupid.” That’s how propaganda becomes the public consciousness. The problem with KISS is that sometimes simple makes us stupid. By that I mean that we don’t think…, we just say, “Amen!” So I would like to offer a few “KISS” statements that may sound good at first; but on further reflection just don’t add up, if we judge them by the truth of Holy Scripture.
Continue reading “Really?! The Theology of Facebook and Twitter”