Blog - Page 135 of 318 - John H Armstrong

Tony Dungy: Blessed By Hatred?

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:18:13-05:00November 12th, 2010|Categories: Culture, The Christian Minister/Ministry, The Persecuted Church|

Tony Dungy, former head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, is an outspoken and wonderfully consistent Christian. His story is told in several books that reveal his faith and principles of personal coaching and leadership: Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices and Priorities of a Winning Life, Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance and The Mentor Leader: Secrets to Building People and Teams That Win Consistently. Dungy has recently become an NBC analyst for NFL games. This new job has opened Dungy to a lot of harsh criticism. He has been called by critics a “high priest, the oracle who passes judgment on all moral questions.”

Since football involves a whole host of moral and personal issues Dungy is frequently asked to weigh in on people and situations in his new role. Questions such as: “Should Reggie Bush have returned his Heisman Trophy?” Or, “Does Michael Vick deserve forgiveness?” Or recently, “Should Coach Rex Ryan cut back on the f bombs?” Dungy has answered yes to all three […]

The Importance of T. F. Torrance

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:18:13-05:00November 11th, 2010|Categories: Biblical Theology, Books, Christ/Christology, Reformed Christianity, The Trinity, Theology|

Thomas Forsyth Torrance (1913 – 2007) was one of the greatest of all 20th century Christian theologians. Torrance’s diverse writing is often dense, not the easiest to grasp by simple reading and yet tremendously important. As I work away on a book on the Trinity I find myself going back to Torrance time and time again.

Tom Torrance, as his friends called him, was born in China to Scottish missionary parents. He studied classics at Edinburgh and Oxford before he studied under the famous Karl Barth at Basel. After a brief stint in New York as a teacher at Auburn Seminary World War II broke out and Torrance became a chaplain. He later served a parish in Scotland for ten more years. His best known work came by lecturing for 27 years as Professor of Christian Dogmatics at New College in the University of Edinburgh. While he wrote many books and articles advancing his own study of theology, he also translated several hundred theological writings into English from […]

A Catholic Priest on “True Ecumenism”

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:18:13-05:00November 10th, 2010|Categories: Evangelism, Missional-Ecumenism|

One of my deep frustrations is to get conservative Catholics to take ecumenism seriously. There is no official reason not to take it seriously but at the level of real action many would rather not get into this messy business. (By the way, I have a similar problem with conservative Protestants who think in one way about ecumenism, namely that the word means “compromise.”)

A recent article by Msgr. Owen F. Campion, the associate publisher of Our Sunday Visitor (OSV), a widely read Catholic weekly, brought me a great deal of encouragement because I found a conservative Catholic writer who does take ecumenism seriously. Campion, writing in the October 12 issue of OSV, says that true ecumenism, “rather than playing down differences . . . is about coming together in Christian witness to the world.” Bravo! This is precisely he central point in my view of missional-ecumenism.

Campion refers to Pope Benedict XVI’s recent visit to Westminster Abbey in England. He writes that Westminster is a “strong symbol of the […]

The Election and Status Quo

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:18:13-05:00November 9th, 2010|Categories: Politics|

While some of my friends are rejoicing at the results of the national election on Tuesday others are discouraged. Opinions, at least among my friends, cover a wide spectrum. I suppose that should tell you something about me. Friendship in Christ trumps all politics in my private and public world! And love of neighbor outweighs political partisanship every time. I think that is what the Scripture makes plain and the rest is not nearly as important as we’ve made it.

But I do have a few opinions about what transpired. First, with the Republicans now in control of the House of Representatives, in the biggest swing in power in 70 years or more, we must wonder what does this mean? If it means we have “shutdowns” of the government as we did in 1995, following the Gingrich triumph, then I think we will suffer and the GOP will pay for it in 2012. There are clearly better ways to oppose President Obama than these kinds of stunts and […]

Awesome! Pop-Up Hallelujah Chorus at Macy

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:18:14-05:00November 8th, 2010|Categories: Culture, Music|

This incredible video, from a project called "Random Acts of Culture," so moved me that I wept at my desk this afternoon. What an incredible experience. Be prepared to be moved to your core at the power of the text of Scripture in the lives of people through a cultural form that can still exercise great influence. When you click the hyperlink you will see the video icon and the play button clearly on your screen.

Awesome! Pop-Up Hallelujah Chorus at Macy.

How Does Ideology Lead to Sectarianism?

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:18:14-05:00November 8th, 2010|Categories: Ideology, Unity of the Church|

I rarely mention my ACT 3 Weekly articles on these blogs but I am currently completing a series of articles on the dangers of ideology as a substitute for Christ and the good news of the kingdom. You can find back issues and also subscribe to this weekly mailing on the site.

In my first article in this series on the danger of ideology to the modern church I wrote the following:

What do I mean when I speak of ideology? The English word refers to visionary theorizing, or to a systematic body of concepts, especially regarding human culture or life. I have in mind not only a body of systematic concepts but particularly the integrated assertions, theories and aims that constitute a sociopolitical program of some type. It is this idea of a sociopolitical program that I believe so profoundly threatens the church in her calling to remain laser-focused on the mission of Christ. The late evangelical theologian Donald G. Bloesch rightly calls the relationship between ideology and faith “enigmatic.” The very mystery of this relationship calls Christian leaders to think about this problem very seriously. […]

A Prayer for Unity

By John Armstrong|2010-11-07T04:00:00-06:00November 7th, 2010|Categories: ACT 3, Unity of the Church|

Here's a portion of a prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr that I pray today with great joy and purpose:

We pray, O Lord, for your church, that it may be healed of its divisions by your grace; that it may teach your word with courage to a sinful world, and may mediate with true charity your love and mercy to all men. Strengthen every ministry of reconciliation therein with your spirit. Grant that it may be a true community of grace in which the pride of race or nation is humbled, where the strong and mighty are brought to judgment, and the meek and lowly are lifted up. Make it more faithful to its Lord, and more instant to meet the needs of men. Amen.

No prayer more faithfully summarizes what ACT 3 is about in “equipping leaders for unity in Christ’s mission.” We love the church, all of it, and we long to see it healed of divisions so that it can teach God’s word with courage to a sinful world. We want to see the church become missional, which is expressed here in Niebuhr’s request that the […]

The Passing of Sparky Anderson: A True Icon in Baseball

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:18:14-05:00November 6th, 2010|Categories: Baseball|

Sparky Anderson, the famous Hall of Fame baseball manager of the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers, passed away on Thursday at the age of 76. Sparky Anderson’s death moves me as a fan of this great game because I grew up in the age of his great success managing great players and teams. Sparky was, to put it simply, an iconic figure in the world of baseball.

Sparky Anderson won three World Series Championships, two with the Cincinnati Reds during the 1970s and another with the Detroit Tigers in 1984. Sparky Anderson had a 27 year managerial career in baseball with a record of 2194-1834 making him one of the all time great managers. But Sparky Anderson was about a lot more than winning. He had a love for the game, for his players and for playing the sport the right way. This made him a beloved public figure.

Sparky Anderson moved people profoundly. His players loved him and always played hard for him. He knew how to console and […]

Ecumenical Babel: How Ideology Destroys Biblical Ecumenism

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:18:14-05:00November 5th, 2010|Categories: ACT 3, Economy/Economics, Unity of the Church|

I did a review of a fine book, Ecumenical Babel, on August 14. The author, Jordan Ballor, will be speaking on his book this coming Monday-Tuesday here in the Chicago area. The first meeting is Monday, November 8, at 7 p.m. at the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College. We will meet in the Wilson Suite on the Fourth Floor. Our host is the Wheaton College Student Ecumenical Society. One of the leaders of this group is David Strickler, my ACT 3 intern this year. David and I will partner the leadership of this event and though we expect many Wheaton College students to attend the evening is open to everyone. Join us if you can. No need to register for this event.

On Tuesday, November 9, Jordan speaks again at an ACT 3 Luncheon in Bloomingdale. We are hosted for this event by St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, pastored by an ACT 3 board member, Brandon Woosley. This event begins at 11:45 a.m. and ends at […]

How a Little Can Do a Lot

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:18:14-05:00November 4th, 2010|Categories: Personal, Poverty, The Church, Wealth|

It goes without saying that I take great joy in my son and his heart for mission. He is a rather amazing young man. He has begun a flourishing ministry to middle school kids in public schools that is now in its eleventh year. He planted a church because of the disciples he had made though his wider ministry and the need he saw to connect them to a living community of faith. He is deeply involved in social issues relating to immigration and has helped me to see this issue far more clearly than anyone else I know.

Matt is my firstborn (1973). He is also my friend and peer. I will always be his dad, and he will always be a son, but our relationship has matured into one of deep friendship and trust. I need him speaking into my life in order to hear what the Spirit is saying to me. We meet often to talk, listen and pray for one another over a meal.

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