Blog - Page 25 of 318 - John H Armstrong

A Gospel Call in Montreal (2)

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:13:59-05:00November 12th, 2014|Categories: ACT 3, Evangelism, Missional-Ecumenism, Protestantism, Renewal, Roman Catholicism, The Church, The Future, Unity of the Church|

The primary purpose of the Gospel Call mission that Fr. Thomas Ryan and I led in Montreal (October 25–29) was to celebrate the gains of Christian unity from the last fifty years and “take these gains to the pews.” For all the work done in ecumenism very little is actually being done to help specific churches and leaders build collaborative efforts for unity in Christ’s mission. No work that I have done in recent years more clearly expresses the purpose of ACT3 Network than the Gospel Call work since ACT3’s mission is specifically “to empower churches and leaders for unity in Christ’s mission.” The Gospel Call mission seeks to practically “empower” this vision to happen on the ground, where churches are located in a city or town. These churches are located, in many cases, side-by-side. (Some of our churches in Montreal were literally across the street from each other!)

Fr. Ryan and I both believe that as long as local communities of believers live in separation from each other, the credibility of the gospel of reconciliation that they […]

A Gospel Call in Montreal (1)

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:13:59-05:00November 11th, 2014|Categories: Uncategorized|

Yesterday (November 10) I noted that I preached twice on Reformation Sunday (October 26) in Montreal. I also mentioned that I was in Quebec to serve in partnership with Fr. Tom Ryan of the Paulist Fathers. We were the lead missioners in a Gospel Call event. The Gospel Call is a four-day renewal event which brings together Christians for worship, community and mission. The Gospel Call provides a unique “on the ground” opportunity for Christians, and their respective parishes, to come together in order to give visible expression to the deep communion that we already share in the Trinitarian life of God. We gather from many different Christian traditions to listen to the Word of God and respond in solidarity to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.

This Gospel Call mission can take place in any context where congregations wish to come together for such a mission. The churches invite Fr. Ryan and me to come and serve them together. The mission is sponsored by local congregations in a town, suburb or city center. The number […]

The Most Memorable Reformation Sunday in My Life

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:13:59-05:00November 10th, 2014|Categories: ACT 3, Gospel/Good News, Missional-Ecumenism, Personal, Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, Renewal, Roman Catholicism, The Church, The Future, Unity of the Church|

October 26, 2014, was a day that dawned with profound joy in my soul. I shall never forget it as long as I live. It began with personal morning prayer in a guest home in Montreal. I was in this great city to do my first Gospel Call mission with Fr. Thomas Ryan, CSP. Tom directs the ministry of ecumenism for the Paulists and works out of their Washington, D.C. office. He invited me in 2013 to join him as his fellow team member/missioner for a four-day event that we hope to do at least three times per year in various parts of North America. Tom did his first Gospel Call mission almost twenty-five years ago in Canada. He has had three Protestant partners before me. I will share more about the mission this week but today I’d like to tell you my story of this unforgettable day, October 26.

After breakfast I went to St. Luke Catholic Church in Montreal. In the first Mass of the Lord’s Day I was invited to give the homily. […]

ACT3 Network Story Video (3)

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:13:59-05:00November 5th, 2014|Categories: ACT 3, Evangelism, Love, Missional Church, Missional-Ecumenism, My Christian Unity Story, Personal, The Church, The Future, Unity of the Church|

On Monday I introduced you to the best resource we have ever created to share our vision. This new resource is our ACT3 Network Story video. Yesterday I shared some ways in which you could use this story to impact your own life and that of others who you feel that you can reach. Today I wish to share how we will use many new video resources that came from our interviews. I believe that we have created short films that share a great story that can impact thousands of viewers like you.

In making this new ACT3 Network Story film producer and director Tim Frakes shot 10-12 minute interviews with about forty-five different people. These interviews included filming with Catholic and Orthodox priests, Protestant ministers from many traditions, lay leaders from the entire church and people of varied backgrounds ethnically and nationally. We interviewed men and women, young and old. The major question that we asked each person was simple: “Tell us what Christian unity means to you and why?” We also asked each person to talk about how they saw ACT3 Network sharing this vision with others. You will hear […]

ACT3 Network Story Video (2)

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:14:02-05:00November 4th, 2014|Categories: ACT 3, Evangelism, Missional Church, Missional-Ecumenism, My Christian Unity Story, Personal, The Church, The Future, Unity of the Church|

I introduced our new ACT3 Network video yesterday. Because this new resource is so important to what we are attempting to do I share more today. You can help us extend the witness of ACT3 by using this video in several ways:

1. Send this blog, and the video link, to your friends. Ask them to watch the video and then to pray for ACT3.

2. Encourage friends to join us in the work of missional-ecumenism by sharing the news of this work more widely, with all Christians everywhere. By these kinds of tools we can reach a global audience.

3. Support us financially if you can. We do not do “fund raising” campaigns or plead for funds. We are responsible and accountable. I have lived my life, and led this mission, as an “open book.” I do not make a big income. When I speak the money is all directed to ACT3, not to me personally. I have gladly taken salary hits in order to be faithful to this message. I thus am not ashamed to ask for your support of a truly honest and faithful ministry. […]

ACT3 Network Story Video (1)

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:14:02-05:00November 3rd, 2014|Categories: ACT 3, Evangelism, Film, Missional Church, Missional-Ecumenism, My Christian Unity Story, Personal, The Church, The Future, Unity of the Church|

For more than a year I have desired to present a well-done video that shares the vision of ACT3 Network as clearly as possible. Given the time span that people will give to viewing such a video online this presentation needed to be designed to run for less than five minutes. It also needed to feature some of our ACT3 friends, our “big” story and my personal vision for missional-ecumenism. Finally, we have produced this new video. I am genuinely excited about it and the potential it has to help our mission. When you now go to our website you will see this film on the homepage.

Today I introduce you to this new ACT3 Network Story video. I will tell you more about this video, and how it can be used to read the flame of missional-ecumenism, over the next few days. Please watch it if you are interested and then share it with your friends as widely as possible.

Please allow the Spirit to lead you as you watch. We need donors and friends who will help us make this vision “viral.” To this end please pass this link to the […]

Truth Is First a Person: Learning the Missional-Ecumenical Paradigm

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:14:02-05:00October 31st, 2014|Categories: American Evangelicalism, Biblical Theology, Evangelism, Missional-Ecumenism, Personal, Roman Catholicism, The Church, The Future|

During our recent Lausanne Catholic-Evangelical Conversation at Mundelein Seminary we had a presentation designed for the public that took place on the opening night. I intend to post this entire event in video format as soon as possible. I think we should have this video by the end of November, or sooner. It will be a well-made film and include questions and answers. (If you missed the same event in 2013 the video of that dialogue is also on our website.)

One of the respondents in this particular dialogue was my co-chair, and very good friend, Fr. Thomas A Baima. Baima is the Dean of the Graduate School of Theology. A professor in the Department of Systematic Theology, Father Baima is Vicar for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the Archdiocese of Chicago. He is nationally recognized as an specialist in these fields. Fr. Baima is one of the best missional thinkers that I know personally. In his response to the evening presentations he made several noteworthy statements, several of which I now share with you.

As Christians, we are standing […]

The Palestinian-Israel Debate Among Evangelicals and Why It Matters (Part Two)

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:14:02-05:00October 30th, 2014|Categories: American Evangelicalism, Biblical Theology, Current Affairs, Israel, Personal, Politics, Religion, The Future|

My point yesterday about the assumptions of many Christian writers who defend Zionism, and attack younger evangelicals for their liberal views on this issue, is made quite well by Luke W. Moon’s final sentence in his article I cited: “American evangelicals should think very hard about whether they want to give up the opportunity to be a blessing to the nation that blessed us with Jesus Christ.” Wow! If we do not support the modern secular state of Israel then we are missing out on the opportunity to bless the Jews!!!

My response to this sentence is really quite simple: “Are you kidding me?”

I write as one who freely dialogues with rabbis, has some great relationships with Jews and really does believe that the modern state of Israel should exist politically. I also support the broad-based support for Israel against terrorism and extremism. I also write as one who believes that the history of Christianity reveals a tragic response to the Jews that has been anything but consistent with regards to the teaching of Christ, who was himself a […]

The Palestinian-Israel Debate Among Evangelicals and Why It Matters (Part One)

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:14:02-05:00October 29th, 2014|Categories: Biblical Theology, Current Affairs, Israel, Kingdom of God, Politics|

A growing divide between evangelical Christians, regarding the state of Israel and the Palestinian problem, has arisen in recent years. This debate, and the subsequent divide that grows out of it, is prompted by very passionate voices on both sides. Many conservative churches and leaders support Israel without equivocation. As I understand what has happened this support often comes without serious questions about whether or not injustice has taken place on the part of Israel. Others, often with a more progressive political agenda, support the Palestinian cause, sometimes in ways that reject the whole notion of Israel’s existence and future.

An example of this growing divide recently came to my attention via a Christian political publication called Faith & Freedom (Fall 2014). Author Luke W. Moon, the co-director of the Philos Project on Christian engagement with Israel, contributed an article to this issue titled: “The Latest Threat to Evangelical Support for Israel.” By the title you can readily see the author’s intent. He argues, and it seems rightly, that only a small percentage of evangelical leaders actually challenge “support […]

Nature’s God: The Origins of the American Republic and Why It Matters (Part Two)

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:14:03-05:00October 28th, 2014|Categories: America and Americanism, American Evangelicalism, Church History, Culture, Current Affairs, History, Philosophy, Politics, Religion, Renewal, The Church, The Future|

Matthew Stewart’s Nature’s God: The Heretical Origins of the American Republic is, at least to my mind, one of the most interesting, readable and important books I have read in 2014. I could hardly put it down. It reads easily and demonstrates quite convincingly most, though not all, of the author’s claims.

Stewart argues that the ideas which directly shaped the American revolution were largely ancient, pagan and continental (i.e., European not English). The Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius, and the natural divinity of the Dutch Jewish heretic Benedict de Spinoza (photo at right), largely shaped the views of most of our American founders.

Stewart draws deeply from a study of European philosophy, without becoming bogged down in ideas that you cannot comprehend. He shows how the philosophical ideas of the founders were shaped by thinkers that were anathema to the clergy of the time. These American revolutionaries hated the idea of God’s law and rejected supernatural revelation.

When you read the Declaration of Independence you should ask questions: “What is […]