Blog - Page 134 of 318 - John H Armstrong

How Are Unity and Mission Related?

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:18:09-05:00November 22nd, 2010|Categories: ACT 3, Missional-Ecumenism, Unity of the Church|

In my book, Your Church Is Too Small, I make a link between unity and mission based upon John 13:34-35; 17:20-23 and 20:21. It is clear that the unity Jesus prayed for in John 17 was intended to lead the world to understand that the Father had sent the Son (17:21). My discovery of this principle was rather simple but totally life-transforming. One does not need a theological education to see it in the text. Our relationships with Christians are meant to model the Father and Son relationship in the incarnation in such a way that the world will see the reality of God’s love.

The New Commandment, given in John 13:34-35, underscores the same point in the clearest words possible. When we love one another Jesus says that “everyone will know that you are my disciples” (13:35). Francis Schaeffer was right when he said this “love” was “the mark” of the Christian. Yet far too few of us really believe this and even fewer of us make it our actual practice. No matter what the situation is you can never go wrong if you […]

The Passing of the Peace

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:18:09-05:00November 21st, 2010|Categories: Liturgy, Sacraments, Unity of the Church|

When I began to understand ancient liturgical practice some years ago one of the more beautiful discoveries was “The Passing of the Peace.” I had never heard the term until I was introduced to the practice in a liturgical context. Like everything else I encounter in the practice of worship I wanted to know what this term really meant and where the practice came from.

First, for those who do not know the term, it is used in many liturgical services after the reading of biblical texts, the sermon and The Lord’s Prayer. It always comes before the Eucharist or communion. The church will be led in prayer as a congregation and various ways of responding and praying are used. Following this the “passing of the peace” generally occurs. The leader says, “The peace of Christ be with you.” The congregation responds, “And also with you.” And then the leader urges the people to share the peace with one another.

Second, the “passing of the peace” occurs just before […]

What Do You Really Sacrifice for the Kingdom?

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:18:09-05:00November 20th, 2010|Categories: Donors and Funding, Money & Stewardship, Wealth|

Self-denial is generally misunderstood by Christians. The common wisdom seems to be that self-denial is denying yourself something that you should not do in the first place. Such is simply not the case. We truly deny ourselves when we refuse to do something that we are free to do but then choose to surrender because of the Spirit’s leading us to give for the sake of Christ’s kingdom. The spiritual irony here is that nothing we ever give up will not be replaced, if not in this life, then clearly in the next. This does not mean that we are all called to make a vow of poverty. The church has never taught such an idea except in cultic contexts. A vow of poverty is a voluntary witness made by a few who are called to witness to the gospel in this unique way.

But all of us, rich and poor, can make free choices to forego legitimate pleasures and activities for the kingdom. This thinking comes to bear particularly on those of us who earn a pretty decent amount of money. The truth is that the […]

Catholic Faith in Chicago

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:18:12-05:00November 19th, 2010|Categories: Roman Catholicism|

Historically one of the most diverse and vibrant Roman Catholic dioceses in America has been Chicago. It was once the largest but I believe that is no longer true. Chicago is known for many things but any consideration of this great city is incomplete without consider the role the Catholic Church has had in the city and its history.

One of the more controversial voices in the modern American Catholic Church is Father Andrew Greeley, author of scores of books, both fiction and non-fiction. Father Greeley is a renowned figure but what is often forgotten is that he is a trained sociologist. In 2008 he fell while getting out of a cab and suffered what the Chicago Tribune called “a near fatal brain injury.” One of Greeley’s passions was to complete a comprehensive study of Catholics in Chicago. His research is intriguing to say the least. Outcry about sex-abuse, disdain for arrogant bishops, disagreement with the church about birth control and abortion rights all exist in Chicago but […]

My Upcoming Ministry in Philadelphia

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:18:12-05:00November 18th, 2010|Categories: ACT 3|

I will be speaking at several different venues on several different days during an upcoming trip to the Philadelphia area. I will speak to a luncheon on Monday, December 13, at Biblical Theological Seminary. This lunch is free but registration is required. You can register by calling 800-235-4021, extension 158. You can also register online at Biblical Seminary. I hope many of my friends in Philadelphia will come and invite others. If you know people in that area encourage them to attend as well.

I will speak several times internal to the seminary. I teach a large class as well as faculty/staff. There will also be an ACT 3 Friends night on Thursday, December 16, at 6:30 p.m. We will enjoy pizza and soda. In order to plan for the crowd accordingly I need to know how many are coming. Please register for this evening via our ACT 3 home page at www.act3online.com.

The Social Network

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:18:12-05:00November 17th, 2010|Categories: Film, Web/Tech|

The critics insist, rightly so I think, that one of the true blockbuster films of 2010 is “The Social Network.” The film, directed by David Fincher, opened in October in the U.S. to strong reviews and fairly large box-office success. It traces the beginning and development of Facebook into the cultural phenomenon that it is today.

Facebook began at Harvard in a university dorm room where student Mark Zuckerberg, and a few friends, imagined and created a new means of communication between students. The rest is the story as they shared their network and began to market it beyond the university environment in which it was created. Mark Zuckerberg is played by the brilliant young actor, Jesse Eisenberg. Eisenberg apparently gets very close to the real person in his portrayal of Zuckerberg. Mark Zuckerberg is ambiguous, if not simply unlikable in the extreme. He destroys everyone who might be called his friend and consistently finds ways to ruin every human relationship he had or might have. Ironically, the […]

ACT 3: A Missional Order for the Church

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:18:12-05:00November 16th, 2010|Categories: ACT 3, Missional-Ecumenism|

From the inception of ACT 3 as a mission, back in 1991, I have believed in the church. I have three great loves: (1) Jesus Christ; (2) The Holy Scripture and (3) The Church. The church encompasses the whole body of Christ (catholic/universal). It also encompasses the congregation where you gather in worship and fellowship with others. But, as I show in Your Church Is Too Small, the church also includes the whole collection of Christians and congregations (Barth: communities) in a geographical area, thus the church in Rome or the church in Carol Stream, which is the town where I live and worship. All three of these uses are important if we are to have a robust biblical doctrine and practice of the Christian life.

But two words have come to dominate the purpose of ACT 3 from its inception in 1991. We are not the church. We are not even a para-church as some use the term. We are a missional order, a teaching fellowship, a decentralized band of Christians committed to deep and transformative church renewal. The first word that has come to dominate […]

Restoring True Unity with Doctrinal Fidelity

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:18:12-05:00November 15th, 2010|Categories: Missional Church, Missional-Ecumenism, Theology, Unity of the Church|

The normal way debates about Christian unity proceed is along the lines of fairly traditional binary, left and right, models. One side says we must preserve doctrinal fidelity or we will lose the core teaching of the faith. The other side argues that without unity we stand in opposition to the very truth that the earliest Christians confessed.

My question is simple: Why must we chose one side or the other. Is this an either/or question or rather a both/and one? I think it is the latter. We need a strong, clear doctrinal basis for our conversation and fellowship to remain rooted in the ancient faith that was handed down to Christians through the centuries. The earliest creeds provide this for us. We also need a deep and growing commitment to seek relational unity in every way possible. The two are not opposites but mutually complimentary truths. What we should pursue is “unity within reconciled diversity.” This means we will not be able to join in the same communion, at least not yet in some contexts, but it means we can respect and esteem others in the […]

The Important Ministry of My Friend Michael Mercer

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:18:13-05:00November 14th, 2010|Categories: American Evangelicalism, Personal, The Future|

One of the most popular Christian blog sites on the Internet is the Internet Monk. Begun in 2000 by Michael Spencer, who died all too soon in his 50s earlier this year, the site now features several contributors. The principal writer of the Internet Monk goes by the screen name Chaplain Mike. I want to tell you a little about Chaplain Mike, our growing relationship and friendship, and then guide you to a recent post that I think is worth your time to give you one sample of his writing. You will find such a treasure of past and current posts on this site that you will quickly see why I love it as I do.

The late Michael Spencer, whom I only met through the Internet like so many of you, introduced me to Chaplain Mike in a round about way. He did an interview with Chaplain Michael Mercer and offered the following introduction to his readers on November 17, 2009:

Chaplain Mike Mercer is one of the long-time faithful friends of this web site. Many of you will recognize him as a frequent commenter. Mike […]

The Sad Legacy of the Church and Her Relationship with Native Americans

By John Armstrong|2025-09-04T07:04:13-05:00November 13th, 2010|Categories: America and Americanism, Film, Missional Church|

Most of us know that the church in America did not always deal with native Americans honorably. In fact, in many cases (if not most) the church was used by the government to help suppress Indians and their culture. Children, for example, were taken from their mothers at age two and three and removed to boarding schools between 1870 and 1930 as a regular part of America’s treatment of tribes. Treaties, made and respected by the U. S. Constitution were routinely broken and Christians looked the other way. Only when the Civil Rights Movement emerged in the 1960s did this begin to seriously change among American Indians. And the church became the willing partner of the state in educating these children, breaking these treaties and forcing the Indians off their lands. The church helped to carry out these tasks in such a fierce anti-Indian manner that this history should call all of us to some measure of shame and deeply humble response in the present time.

I confess that I knew very little about the various tribes of American Indians and even less about their history before […]