Blog - Page 13 of 318 - John H Armstrong

One of the Most Joyful Weeks in My Remembrance

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:13:17-05:00September 27th, 2015|Categories: ACT 3, American Evangelicalism, Current Affairs, Jesus, Love, Missional-Ecumenism, Personal, Pope Francis, Protestantism, Religion, Renewal, Roman Catholicism, Television, The Church, Unity of the Church|

As I sit this evening at my computer I am amazed. For five days every newscast and commentator has responded the visit of Pope Francis to America with such joy and positive energy. From every perspective, including the most non-religious journalists and broadcasters, people have talked about the pope but in doing so they have talked a great deal about Jesus, the Bible and the joy of the gospel. I have never heard so much public talk about matters of profound truth and faith in my lifetime, except perhaps at the funerals of President Kennedy (1963) and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1968). We have seen pictures of Pope Francis with prisoners, in a seminary speaking to bishops and students about the two greatest works of a shepherd (prayer and the preaching the gospel), praying at the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York with representatives of world religions, speaking before the United Nations, speaking before Congress, meeting with the Speaker of the House, meeting with the President and then this evening leaving our shores after being with […]

Christ Our Peace: The Radical Concept of Christian Unity (Guest Blog)

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:13:17-05:00September 17th, 2015|Categories: Missional-Ecumenism, Unity of the Church|

For He himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. (Ephesians 2:14-16)

What a radical concept Christian unity is! The fact that in Christ, we are one!

This heavenly reality certainly does not appear to be true when we look around the world. We all come from various backgrounds and cultures, life experiences, and we have our own denominational distinctions. Each person sees the world very differently, and because of this, we are inherently prone to disagree with and distance ourselves from those who are culturally, denominationally, and ethnically distinct from us.

Yes, it is easier to worship with people who look like us, act like us, and have the same theological beliefs as us. […]

The Third Annual Catholic-Evangelical Conversation

By John Armstrong|2015-09-11T07:05:44-05:00September 11th, 2015|Categories: ACT 3, American Evangelicalism, Current Affairs, Evangelism, Gospel/Good News, Missional Church, Missional-Ecumenism, Pope Francis, Roman Catholicism|

“From September 1^st to the 5^th, the University of Saint Mary of the Lake in Mundelein Illinois was the site for the Third Annual Evangelical and Catholic Conversation. Along with the University, the conversation is sponsored by the Archdiocesan Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs and ACT-3, a network of relational partnerships between churches, missions and leaders in missional ecumenism. Father Thomas A. Baima, Dr. John Armstrong, Dr. Craig Higgins and Pastor Norberto Saracco were the principal organizers. Participants include Catholics and Evangelicals from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Italy, Guatemala, England, South Korea and Argentina. They discussed Pope Francis’ call for dialogue, fraternity and action which he lays out in Evangelii Gaudium (the Joy of the Gospel) and heard two presentations. Fr. Thomas Baima delivered the keynote address on the biblical basis for a common understanding of the Church. Dr. Craig Higgins presented a response. Additionally, Dr. John Armstrong and Pastor Norberto Saracco led the group in discussing experiences of positive relations between Evangelicals and Catholics in their various countries.”

“This project is part of a larger effort called “missional ecumenism.” This effort operates alongside of the official dialogues […]

Michael Lindsay: Do We All Have to Agree?

By John Armstrong|2015-08-09T18:39:37-05:00August 14th, 2015|Categories: America and Americanism, American Evangelicalism, Culture, Politics|

I cannot tell you how impressed I am by the leadership, courage and clarity of President Michael Lindsay of Gordon College. This is, in my view, the kind of leadership we need in Christian higher education. I will be watching and praying for Michael Lindsay with great hope and joy for Christ and his kingdom, which happens to be the motto of my college, Wheaton.

https://youtu.be/tv7mDOvuF8c

Why Have Some Political Conservatives So Radically Missed the Pope’s Message?

By John Armstrong|2015-08-09T18:33:44-05:00August 13th, 2015|Categories: America and Americanism, Roman Catholicism|

I confess that when I saw this clip I was stunned. It amazes me what some “talking heads” will say in trying to figure out Pope Francis. This one has to “take the cake.”

Following the Visit of Pope Francis to America in September

By John Armstrong|2015-08-09T18:30:43-05:00August 11th, 2015|Categories: Roman Catholicism|

I hope you will begin to pray for the visit of Pope Francis to the United States this September. Here is one way to follow this historic visit.

Cardinal O’Malley’s Magnificent Address on Unity at Gordon College

By John Armstrong|2015-08-09T11:53:13-05:00August 10th, 2015|Categories: ACT 3, American Evangelicalism, Missional-Ecumenism, Personal, Poverty, Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, The Church, The Future, Unity of the Church|

One of the most remarkable addresses I have watched this year was on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of historic Gordon College (Massachusetts). Gordon College is the flagship evangelical college in New England. Like all such evangelical colleges it is openly growing into deeper relationship with Catholics with each passing year. This lecture marks one of the most wonderful calls to deep, public unity that I have seen within the leadership of our churches in the United States.

Please pray for the visit of Pope Francis in September. On his heart, besides all the public meetings that you will see, is his deep concern for unity with evangelicals. Cardinal O’Malley is one with all of us who are seeking first the kingdom of God. Let us pray and rejoice at such an address and the historic symbolism of where it was given.

I know that I say this often but this is address is worth every minute you can invest in watching it. I know the trend says that very few people will watch such a long speech on their computer. But if you love Christian unity this presentation is […]

A Reformed Evangelical and Eastern Orthodox Conversation (Video)

By John Armstrong|2015-07-26T16:26:18-05:00July 23rd, 2015|Categories: ACT 3, American Evangelicalism, Missional-Ecumenism, My Christian Unity Story, Orthodoxy, Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, The Church, Unity of the Church|

This is an “older” video of a dialogue that I did with Fr. Jon Braun, who is an Antiochian Orthodox priest. Fr. Braun was a Campus Crusade for Christ staff leader when I was a college student in 1967-1971. Eventually, along with several of his good friends on Campus Crusade for Christ staff, Fr. Braun entered the Orthodox Church. (He was a Presbyterian before his conversion to Orthodoxy.) We were both invited to share in this conversation together by an Orthodox Church in Bloomington, Indiana. I have never publicly posted this particular video. As you will note, if you follow me online, I was “the old John” in this video. (I was about 50 pounds heavier). I have been asked over the past three years, “Are you sick?” No, I intentionally lost a lot of weight and as a result I look thinner. More importantly, I feel much, much better. I hope you will find this dialogue interesting and helpful. It is the only one I’ve ever done “one-to-one” with an Orthodox priest in a public context.

The Church of Pope Francis: The Dialogue I’ve Being Waiting to See and Hear

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:13:17-05:00July 20th, 2015|Categories: ACT 3, Current Affairs, Jesus, Leadership, Missional-Ecumenism, Pastoral Renewal, Religion, Roman Catholicism, The Church, The Future|

With all the views of Pope Francis coming from right-left-and in-between I have wanted to see a god dialogue about the man, his view of important issues and his leadership style. Finally, the Jesuit magazine America has given me what I was searching for online. What is remarkable about this program is who is speaking here. The moderator is Nancy Gibbs, managing editor of TIME. Michael Gerson, next to Nancy in the panel, was a policy advisor to President George W. Bush. He is an evangelical non-Catholic. He is also a Wheaton College graduate. (He makes a joke about Wheaton College which is old but still funny). Michael was a TA to one of my favorite theology professors, Dr. Alan Johnson. Then there is the highly regarded progressive Catholic, retired Northwestern University professor and Pulitzer Prize winning author, Dr. Gary Wills. Wills has written some of the most critical contemporary commentary on the Catholic Church of anyone in American academia. At the end of this panel, on your right, is the editor of America, Fr. Matt Malone, SJ. I would describe this group, if […]

Same-sex relationships and the church

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:13:17-05:00July 16th, 2015|Categories: ACT 3, American Evangelicalism, Culture, Current Affairs, Homosexuality, Love, The Church|

A very helpful interaction of the kind that is called for by people who love deeply and follow Christ. You will find things to disagree with but if you agree with everything why bother to reconfirm you own views? I submit this as a helpful and civil exchange.

Full blog post copied below, if you prefer to embed the whole post:

https://gcnjustin.tumblr.com/post/83744904791/video-youve-never-heard-me-make-this-argument