Blog - Page 89 of 318 - John H Armstrong

Ludwig Wittgenstein on Leaving Judgment to God

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:47-05:00March 16th, 2012|Categories: Uncategorized|

Ludwig Josef Johann Wittgenstein (26 April 1889 – 29 April 1951) was a European philosopher who worked primarily in logic, the philosophy of the mind and language. He was professor in philosophy at the University of Cambridge from 1939 until 1947. In his lifetime he wrote very little. Yet in 1999 his posthumously published Philosophical Investigations (1953) was ranked as the most important book of 20th-century philosophy, standing out as "…the one crossover masterpiece in twentieth-century philosophy, appealing across diverse specializations and philosophical orientations." Bertrand Russell, the famous atheist, described Wittgenstein as "the most perfect example I have ever known of genius as traditionally conceived, passionate, profound, intense, and dominating."

Wittgenstein rejected faith but at the same time seemed unable to escape from its influence upon his mind. He still has things to say about Christianity that are both challenging and worthy of serious reflection. He wrote, in Culture and Value, that:

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The Contraception Coverage Debate

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:47-05:00March 15th, 2012|Categories: Politics, Separation of Church & State|

I have tried to get my mind around the current debate over contraception and the freedom of religion in America. In my opinion this is not easy to do. I admire the Catholic bishops deeply and share their concerns in general. But I also see other factors at work in this controversy that are seemingly missed in the heat of this debate.

What I do know is that the Obama administration made a huge miscalculation in its initial proposal, a proposal which clearly required Christians to violate their conscience. What I am not as sure about is the present compromise and where it will lead. The White House, if I am understanding their stance correctly, has granted a year to faith groups to find a way to comply with mandated health insurance that does not cover contraception. Report from the Capital (Baptist Joint Committee) says that "The White House has privately assured religious leaders–especially those who head the Catholic hospitals, universities and social service agencies most affected by the employer mandate–that President Obama will be directly involved in […]

Must Missional Be Ecumenical?

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:47-05:00March 13th, 2012|Categories: Missional-Ecumenism|

I shared dinner a week ago with a new friend that I met through my book and then through Facebook conversations. Maurice Hagar is not an ordinary Christian businessman. He has a clear vision for unity and mission and is now acting upon it in faith. This has led him to begin an effort in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. He posted the following on my Facebook page. I want to share it via today's blog:

I am absolutely convinced that missional MUST be ecumenical. If you're not convinced, begin with Jesus in John 17, then read Jason Dukes' Beyond MY Church, and finish with The Unity Factor or Your Church Is Too Small by John H. Armstrong for a closing argument. Maybe the resources at 1LoveWake will help you too.

That said, on my journey into what Armstrong calls missional-ecumenism, I find a couple of things most interesting, and open to multiple interpretations I suppose. First, […]

A Catholic Reflection on Your Church Is Too Small: A Brief Reply to a Gracious Former-Atheist I Love and Respect

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:48-05:00March 12th, 2012|Categories: Missional-Ecumenism, Roman Catholicism, Unity of the Church|

Catholic apologist, and former-atheist, Devin Rose is a conservative thinker, a clear writer and an extremely gracious Christ-like brother. He has written a recent book titled: If Catholicism Is True: The Reformation Meets Rome. (I have not yet read his book but I will attempt to do so.) Devin Rose has corresponded with me via Facebook in recent months and has recently read my book, Your Church Is Too Small. I respect him as a person, a brother and a man who I believe reviewed my work with a gentle spirit and a good faith argument. I want everyone who cares about this subject to read his review. I will offer a few salient comments below but do not plan to offer an extensive counter-review. I do not desire to enter into the combat zone of Catholic and evangelical apologetics. (There are hundreds, likely thousands, of blogs, tracts and books that do this […]

Defining Ministry in These Times Is the New Question for Us All

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:48-05:00March 9th, 2012|Categories: ACT 3, Missional Church, Missional-Ecumenism, The Church|

On Saturday, February 25, I had the privilege of teaching about 35 (mostly) young adults at City Church San Francisco. The program I taught was connected with the Newbigin House of Studies, which is a wonderful new program for training lay leadership. It also includes a seminary program for urban church planters and pastors linked with Western Seminary in Holland, Michigan. Western is a seminary that is affiliated with the Reformed Church in America, my own denomination.

I cannot tell you how thrilled I was to teach missional-ecumenism to this eager group in San Francisco. I met Christians who have been in the faith for less than two years who are already mature in their thinking and missional practice. They are living out the faith beyond what I have seen in most Christians that I’ve encountered around the country. This is why I am so excited about the future. The number of such young Christians leaders is not large but their depth and vision is strong. They are light years ahead of where I was in my […]

The Way of the Cross Is Dialogue

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:48-05:00March 8th, 2012|Categories: ACT 3, Missional Church, Missional-Ecumenism|

Last fall I began my first ACT 3 Missional-Ecumenical Cohort Group. This group consists of fifteen men and women who are deeply committed to learning how to be practitioners of what I call missional-ecumenism. They have committed themselves to reading over 1,500 pages of printed text, meeting for four whole (long) days spread out over eight months, to small group dialogues and to interaction via social media. I have learned a whole lot more than I've taught in the past six months. I have also seen a number of things that need to be altered to make the ACT 3 Cohort Groups more effective. These students have encouraged me and helped to build a foundation for future groups. On April 17 this first class will graduate from the program. Then our second year begins in September-October. A group may be coming to a city near you.

If you would like to learn a lot more about these groups go to ACT 3 and check out the material about the groups on our home page. […]

Is John Piper's Interpretation of Tornadoes Correct?

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:48-05:00March 7th, 2012|Categories: Divine Providence, Gospel/Good News|

For the record, I have warm personal regard for Dr. John Piper. I have known him for at least 25 years. He spoke at several events for me in Wheaton and I did the same for him in Minneapolis. I respect him for his integrity, courage and godly perseverance through trials and deep challenges. I believe that he has helped multitudes discover a great and awesome God. I also believe he has impacted thousands of young Christians to grow in deeply personal ways. But I believe John does get some things wrong. I have avoided saying this in the past because I do not like to challenge the views of people that I know and love. While bloggers near and far can jump on John Piper's oft-quoted statements I am loathe to join in these criticisms precisely because of my past relationship with John. I place real value upon this past relationship with a brother in Christ even though John and I are not […]

An Invitation to the Conversation on Unity in Christ's Mission

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:48-05:00March 6th, 2012|Categories: ACT 3, Missional-Ecumenism, Unity of the Church|

Untitled from Jake Mater on Vimeo.

Unity is Neither a Means Nor an End

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:48-05:00March 5th, 2012|Categories: Missional-Ecumenism, Unity of the Church|

On the morning of 28 February, during his second day of visiting the offices of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Geneva, Archbishop Rowan Williams of the Church of England addressed a round table discussion on the unity of the Christian church (02/28/12). His comments are noteworthy, at least so far as I am concerned.

The Archbishop said, “Unity is neither a means nor an end.” He told assembled staff, visitors and governing body members of the WCC and other organizations in the Ecumenical Center that, “Unity is what God has given us in the church.”

Williams also noted that the responsibility of Christians who receive the gift of unity lies in “seeking a life in which no one is without the other.” This life, “constantly moving us forward into a further truth," compels all who live within the love of God to ask the question: “Who is not yet here?”

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What Are the Real Solutions to Poverty in America?

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:48-05:00March 2nd, 2012|Categories: Poverty|

The argument about poverty and how to address it creates more debates among serious Christians than almost any concern I know. Some Christians believe the response should be to tax the rich and redistribute wealth through government safety nets and programs. Other Christians are equally convinced that such programs are not only unnecessary but downright harmful. When incentive is removed and the poor are given government aid it destroys their dignity and creates a welfare dependency that is a serious problem. So far as I can tell this debate has raged in America all my life.

In the religious world this debate plays out constantly. Jim Wallis and Sojourners focus on condemning greed and promoting social justice through government solutions. Others, including many that I am closer to in this debate, argue that income inequality is itself a form of greed. Both sides argue their point of view with conviction and sometimes their arguments become rather fierce, even mean-spirited.

In 2010 1.6 million children in the US were homeless and more than 15% […]