The Art of Asking
Posted: March 7, 2013 Filed under: Church, Community, Consumerism, Culture, Intentional Living, Love, Money-free, Music, Simplicity | Tags: Amanda Palmer, Asking, church, church ministry, ministry, religion, spirituality Leave a comment »Why are people in church ministry so terrible at asking people for things well? in my latest Out of Ur post, I dig in to the root issue. Oh, and Amanda Palmer shows up, too.
If you lead people, you are constantly choosing to engage with them either as tools to be used or human beings to be empowered.
-Paul
The Beards of Ministry
Posted: February 15, 2013 Filed under: Church, Fun, Humor | Tags: Beards, ministry, Pastors 2 Comments »Illustrated by the always excellent Kyle Rohane, here’s my hairy and humorous take on the beards that pastors wear. Via Out of Ur.
Remembering Richard Twiss
Posted: February 14, 2013 Filed under: Biblical Studies, Church, Community, Culture, Intentional Living, Love | Tags: Community, Culture, Lakota, Richard Twiss, Theology Leave a comment »My brief reflections on a great man, over at Out of Ur.com:
Central to Richard’s life and ministry was the drive to walk in the path of Jesus as a proud and faithful Native man. He challenged the institutional church with his bold and joyful worship of triune Creator through his traditional dances and ceremonies, and with his sharp theology that refused to allow the “cowboys” to co-opt the gospel. He had a vision of a Christ-sprung justice that joyfully drummed down racial barriers. He was bold in speaking the truth, often blending cultural confrontation with a dark, hilarious sense of humor that lightened a room while twitching the truth just a little deeper into our ribs.
They’re Coming For You, Barbara
Posted: February 5, 2013 Filed under: Art, Church, Community, Consumerism, Culture, film, Fun, Weird | Tags: Christianity, christianity today, George Romero, Night of the Living Dead, zombie apocalypse, Zombies Leave a comment »
My piece on the Zombie Apocalypse is now in front of the paywall over at Christianity Today. Go read it while it’s free, Sparkies!
The true villains in such stories are not the dead, but the broken living. Zombies serve as an elemental force in the plot, like a flood or a hurricane in disaster movies. The dead force the true conflict—humanity’s inability to be truly human.
Can You be Muslim and Christian at the Same Time?
Posted: January 16, 2013 Filed under: Biblical Studies, Church, Community, Culture, Intentional Living, Love | Tags: Christianity, church, Insider movements, Islam, Mission, Out of Ur, religion Leave a comment »Go read my new post on “Insider Movements” over on Out of Ur.
It seems that now (as always) Christ’s bride is preparing herself, secretly and smiling, in unexpected places. She is dressing in the temples and mosques of our Hindu and Muslim neighbors. She is even dressing herself in our churches, where some followers of Jesus are called to insider movements of a different kind.
Read the piece and share your thoughts.
Christmas is 4 Ever – Holiday Cheer from Bootsy Collins
Posted: November 26, 2012 Filed under: Advent, Creativity, Culture, Fun, Humor, Music, Weird | Tags: Booties, Christmas, Christmas music, Funk, funky christmas, holidays 1 Comment »
The search for your funky Christmas soundtrack is over 4 ever. Listen here.
Booty Claus is here, baby.
Thanks to Kevin Emmert for the bootylicious shout out.
