Blog - Page 203 of 318 - John H Armstrong

The Problem of Systematic Theology, Part Two

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:20:54-05:00January 27th, 2009|Categories: The Church|

Serious academic theology has a rightful place in the church. Make no mistake about this fact. Ministers need to be trained to be good students of the Word and of theology. This is mandated by a number of statements we find in the Pastoral Epistles. But this biblical requirement has been met, or supposedly met, by a form of training that has become deeply flawed in many ways.

I am not advocating that we destroy our seminaries. Nor am I advocating that we oppose them or close them. Many have an excellent and well-deserved respect. What I am advocating is a serious renewal in the way we equip ministers and how ministers then serve the church.

Systematic theology has become an end in itself for too many schools and ministers. Because Christians believe God is the ultimate author of the Scripture, which is of course true, they then deduce that humans can build a systematic theological framework that is a reflection […]

Obama's Approval Ratings?

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:20:55-05:00January 26th, 2009|Categories: Culture|

In a culture where we want "instant" everything even I was amazed to read today that there is already a poll out on President Obama's approval rating. "You have to be kidding me," you respond. No, I am dead serious. John F. Kennedy had the highest rating after his first three days in office, at 72%. Obama is tied with Dwight Eisenhower's rating, who enjoyed 68% approval after his first few days in office. Thus Obama has the second highest approval rating since World War II, about the time all this tracking of opinion began.

How can anyone have a "serious" opinion about the president's job approval by now? How can any thinking person even bother respond to such a question/survey. If they surveyed me I would tell them to leave me alone. I am dead serious. This is about the most insane stuff I have read since last Tuesday and the inauguration.

It is this same endless taking of the pulse that harms the church. A pastor can't be on the job for a few […]

The Problem of Systematic Theology, Part One

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:20:55-05:00January 26th, 2009|Categories: The Church|

Serious theology is generally done by academicians. This is good and bad. I thank God for humble, well-trained, competent academics who use their gifts in service of Christ's kingdom and the church. But there are immense problems with this approach. And make no mistake about it this is not how it always was done. In fact, this is not how it is still done in many places and parts of the world today.

Academic institutions train pastors and leaders to be junior academics, or at least something like an academic. Academics love debate and theological warfare. They can savage those who disagree with them. The smallest details become "hobby horses." But people who are not trained in formal academic ways do the same, following the spirit of the academic but without the training. (They adopt this by reading books and by listening to academics and by becoming "wanna be" academics.) As a rule academics guard turf and ideas. They write and teach about […]

Being Missional Is Not Limited to Church

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:20:55-05:00January 25th, 2009|Categories: Missional Church|

We sometimes get the idea that being missional is only about a particular form or style of church life; e.g. emerging, etc. This is a mistake. Being missional is much more about adopting the attitude and message of the kingdom of Christ, both personally and in the life of a church congregation. This story of a Texas high school football team underscores my point beautifully. See if you don't agree. I loved it.

How Christians Can Make a Difference in Politics

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:20:55-05:00January 24th, 2009|Categories: Politics|

Some readers might think that I believe all Christians should avoid politics. Nothing could be further from the truth. What I do oppose is the way the Christian Right has engaged the subject of politics since 1976. This was the year that began the turn of events that resulted in the last eight years of Republican leadership, which many came to assume represents the views of most white evangelical Christians. While my own political views are more conservative than those of President Obama I think the continual attacks upon him by the Christian Right are quite harmful to the mission of the church in America. We are driving a deeper wedge between "us" and "them" and the result is making mission much more difficult in so many places and contexts that I cannot begin to explain the damage this creates for those of us who believe the church's first, and primary, task is to make disciples of Jesus in the wider culture.In making real disciples we will, […]

Praying for Revival in Our Cities

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:20:55-05:00January 23rd, 2009|Categories: Renewal|

One of the numerous opportunities that I am afforded for missional impact and input is in prayer movements for revival and city transformation. Most of you already know that the first Thursday of May is the National Day of Prayer. This year a group of my friends are staging an important event in suburban Dallas two days before the National Day of Prayer, on May 5. I have taken a particular interest in this effort as a friend and supporter. God of the City is the project. There are many such events around the country and I urge you to support them in your own area and pray for revival in the churches of our land. The great need of the hour is not going to be met in Washington, D.C., but in your town and mine, in your church and mine, when the Holy Spirit is poured out in mercy and power upon large numbers of our people. Come Lord, refresh us from on high!

[…]

The Missional Church in My Neighborhood

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:20:55-05:00January 22nd, 2009|Categories: Missional Church|

A former
student of mine, from a class at the Wheaton Graduate School, is a
church-planter in Carol Stream, the town where I live in suburban
Chicago. His work, directly supported by the North American Mission
Board of the SBC, is one of the most thrilling missional church visions
I know firsthand. He recently posted a prayer request on his Facebook
that so thrilled me I asked his permission to blog this so you could
see his vision and understand what is really going on in America. (I am
changing names here to protect the mission and the people involved.) My
friend wrote:

In
the past couple months, our team has been connecting with Nepali
refugees who have recently started moving into Chicagoland. The first
connections were made through some Karen teens who invited some Nepali
young adults to the Karen Bible study.

Our
friendships have developed well through a Karen midweek study, an
international Sunday school and some other special events. Last week
(1/11), things took a new turn as I was able to gather six Nepali’s
together for a time of prayer and conversation. They all agreed […]

Rick Warren's Public Prayer

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:20:55-05:00January 21st, 2009|Categories: Current Affairs|

Dr. Rick Warren seems to live in the eye of the storm these days. I think this actually is where all faithful ministers must live if they are to make a real impact upon people. On the right Rick Warren is now being attacked for tolerance and civility toward the wrong people, especially toward President Obama. I read one criticism after another the night before the inauguration. I found it disheartening and disappointing. Then after he prayed yesterday at the inauguration I visited the Web again and found the left had gone to work on his prayer with ferocity. Web sites have comments of all sorts of course. Those who post the responses of all continue to savage Warren as an intolerant bigot and a vile intolerant homophobe. For such people the one thing they will not tolerate is a Christian who still believe homosexual practice is a sin. So what we have here is a very public Christian minister, one who clearly loves Jesus […]

The Missional Church in My Neighborhood

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:20:56-05:00January 20th, 2009|Categories: Missional Church|

A former
student of mine, from a class at the Wheaton Graduate School, is a
church-planter in Carol Stream, the town where I live in suburban
Chicago. His work, directly supported by the North American Mission
Board of the SBC, is one of the most thrilling missional church visions
I know firsthand. He recently posted a prayer request on his Facebook
that so thrilled me I asked his permission to blog this so you could
see his vision and understand what is really going on in America. (I am
changing names here to protect the mission and the people involved.) My
friend wrote:

In
the past couple months, our team has been connecting with Nepali
refugees who have recently started moving into Chicagoland. The first
connections were made through some Karen teens who invited some Nepali
young adults to the Karen Bible study.

Our
friendships have developed well through a Karen midweek study, an
international Sunday school and some other special events. Last week
(1/11), things took a new turn as I was able […]

The Historic Inauguration of Barack Obama as our 44th President: The Triumph of Hope

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:20:56-05:00January 20th, 2009|Categories: America and Americanism|

This is a day of great celebration for all America, whether we voted for or against our new president. Why, you ask?

1. The color barrier, a great curse on our society for our entire history, has finally been broken at the highest level in the land. No more will race or ethnicity be the same in so many ways. And no more are we white America and the rest. Racism will not magically end for sure but the whole tenor of things will be truly altered.

2. This new leader brings new hope and new courage to face real problems. Whether Obama can accomplish even a half of what he hopes for he offers promise and a new day. People and societies need "new days" now and then. We surely need one right now.

3. This day represents the truth that "great expectations" are alive and well in the land […]