Blog - Page 268 of 318 - John H Armstrong

My Annual President's Letter

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:23:19-05:00May 8th, 2007|Categories: Personal|

Each May I write to everyone in our database to allow
them the opportunity to hear our vision and financial needs clearly stated. (We
do not do major donor contacts month by month so this is our simple method of choice. We explain
and ask that you pray and decide to do what you will.) This year my letter was mailed by U. S.
postal service to over 1,500 readers at the end of April. With nearly 2,500
readers of the ACT 3 Weekly, and
thousands more readers of these blogs that I write each day, I am now making this same
letter available to all who can receive it in various Internet forms. I humbly ask
you to read this letter, which is quite short and to the point, and then to respond
to it in whatever way that you feel led by God.

The purpose of ACT 3 is clearly stated in these words:

ACT 3 is a ministry to advance the missional mandate of the Lord Jesus
Christ in the third millennium, through the witness of Scripture and the wisdom
of the Christian tradition.

[…]

Two Inspiring Faith Films

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:23:19-05:00May 8th, 2007|Categories: Film|

I recently watched two films (now on DVD) that were wonderfully inspirational. The first film was: Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Pacifist and Nazi Resister (2003) The second was: Mother Teresa (2003). Both were worth the investment of my time.

Bonhoeffer is the story of the German pastor/theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who died at the end of World War II as a martyr. He was indirectly connected to an underground movement that attempted the assassination of Adolf Hitler. (By the way this plot almost succeeded thus one wonders what would have happened had Hitler died two years sooner. How many lives would have been saved by this heroic, but ethically difficult, act?) The film is a riveting narrative on the nature of true faith and discipleship. Bonhoeffer has not become a role model to many modern Christians simply because he died at the end of the Second World War. He is a hero and role model of obedient faith because of the way he both lived and died as a faithful disciple of Christ. If you have ever read Letters and Papers from Prison you will […]

Who's Kidding Who?

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:23:19-05:00May 7th, 2007|Categories: Politics|

There is clearly a "Christian Left" growing among evangelicals in America. We have heard a great deal about the "Christian Right" for more than two decades. I frequently critique this movement unfavorably. But what is the Christian Left?

The Christian Left is almost as hard to define, in one certain sense, as the Christian Right. And it is equally hard to tell, at least at this point, how many people actually fit this new designation and just how many potential voters this movement really represents. Is there real political power in this movement? Time will tell. It seems to be a small right group now but the movement is clearly gaining in terms of public notice. It is especially appealing to some evangelical Christians who draw a lot of attention to a select set of issues that they have linked to the Bible in a certain way.

There can be no doubt that since the 2004 presidential campaign this movement has grown in popularity. It is becoming increasingly outspoken in how it frames the political issues of the day in […]

A Beautiful Commencement Day at Wheaton

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:23:20-05:00May 6th, 2007|Categories: Personal|

Commencement Week at Wheaton College was this weekend. My son, Matthew John, received an M. A. degree in Christian Formation & Ministry. This obviously made the day special for our entire family. It was also a very special day for me because I had the privilege of teaching some of those who received their degrees in the class of ’07 (Grace Lee, Yreille Belizarie, Wendy Bisset and Nancy Mowers). As I watched my students proceed into Edman Chapel, cross the platform to receive their degrees, and then a few of them get special honors bestowed upon them, I couldn’t help but celebrate this personal achievement. These were my students, people that I came to know and love over the past few years. I am an adjunct professor of evangelism, thus I teach only two or three courses each academic year but what a thrill this investment is in the lives of such choice servants of God. This teaching position allows me to meet some truly remarkable Christians who come to this unique place to better equip their minds and lives for Christ and His […]

Left or Right?

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:23:22-05:00May 5th, 2007|Categories: Emergent Church|

It seems to me that there are two dangers, at least ideologically, for the contemporary Church. One is on the Right, the other is on the Left. I offer a very simple (simplistic?) way for describing these two dangers and a possible middle way.

When younger people move toward the postmodern paradigm, which I think is warranted in several important philosophical ways, this usually brings with it a leftward political and social stance. Few that I meet among those who are deeply interested in this postmodern shift, and who embrace it with an openness to learn from it in truly Christian ways, seem able to escape this liberal tilt. They are not so liberal theologically, at least not in the classic sense of liberal theology. They are often accused of this but the accusation is not helpful or generally accurate if you really know liberal theology and then read these modern writers critically and in proper context. But among evangelical postmoderns, or so-called Emergents, this tendency to pull toward the left politically and socially is quite apparent. I have sensed that this tendency […]

Politicizing the National Day of Prayer

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:23:22-05:00May 4th, 2007|Categories: Current Affairs|

For many years now there has been a National Day of Prayer in America on the first Thursday of the month of May, thus yesterday was our annual National Day of Prayer. I have participated in this event from Washington, D.C., where a live broadcast originated in the evening that reached all across the nation and the globe. I am the last person to offer criticism of any prayer I assure you. But this year’s National Day of Prayer led me to ponder several very uncomfortable concerns. The culture wars have clearly overtaken the whole concept of prayer in the public arena. I wonder if it is time to find a different way to express Christian prayer for the nation.

Reports from various newspapers this morning tell of how different communities approached the day. Some made it into a sectarian religious event in which homosexual lifestyle was a part of the agenda, pro and con. In some prayer gatherings in Chicago homosexuality was spoken of openly with approval while in others it was mentioned negatively. In Wheaton 150 people came to an hour […]

The Many Forms of Discrimination

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:23:22-05:00May 3rd, 2007|Categories: Race and Racism|

Discrimination takes numerous forms in America. Racism is not limited to one group or to one ethnic background. It is a human problem but it is one that we humans have a very hard time addressing with profound honesty in this country. We are far too smug about this and Christians are inclined to go along with the smugness.

Consider the forthcoming production of well-known filmmaker Ken Burns for PBS, a 14 1/2 hour-epic film series titled: "The War." Burns, who produced fantastic series on The Civil War, Baseball and Mark Twain is the best we have at this genre of film for television. But in this new series Burns, and PBS with him, have failed to relate the complete historical story of America at war accurately. This was brought to my attention by a Washington Post Syndicated column this week by Ruben Navarrette. Navarrette notes the absence of Latino participation in this great story. The "greatest generation" that fought in Europe and the Pacific theaters of war included a considerable number of Latinos who sacrificed greatly alongside other Americans. But their story […]

What About the Millennial Generation?

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:23:22-05:00May 2nd, 2007|Categories: Emergent Church|

Some call them "Gen Y" because they are younger than "Gen X." Others call them the Millennials, or even the post-9/11 generation. They are Millennials because they came of age in 2000. They are one of the most discussed and debated generation since the Boomers came along. Whether you like the discussion, or find it boring and pointless, it continues. Who are these young adults, between the age of 18 and 24?

This generation should be considered socially, politically and spiritually. I am most interested in the latter but all three categories interest me. Here is what we do know about Millennials. They worry a lot more about Iraq than older adults. They think America is on the wrong track but they are not generally sure why or how to fix it. They are liberal, but not always or consistently. They most likely come from broken homes thus they are longing for deeper relationships that can help them cope with the world. But they do not marry as previous generations and they are not having many children at all. They are spiritually hungry, […]

An Evening with Cardinal George

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:23:22-05:00May 1st, 2007|Categories: Roman Catholicism|

Last evening I attended the opening event in a week set apart to honor the tenth anniversary of Francis Cardinal George of the Chicago Archdiocese. The event was an ecumenical gathering and one that made some deep impressions upon me personally. Several of my impressions were very positive, one not as positive. I have written a longer piece on the evening that will appear next Monday, May 7, as the ACT 3 Weekly. If you do not subscribe to this you can do so at the Web site (www.act3online.com) by filling out the request form for the free weekly mailing.

I was invited to this occasion because of my personal friendship with leaders in the Chicago Archdiocese and my ongoing dialog with Catholics as an evangelical teacher. I was happy to participate and saw absolutely no one I knew from my own world. That always feels a bit strange but I am intrigued by meeting new people and watching how other Christians, and people of non-Christian faith, express themselves in public and private. I remain a learner and thus this was an […]

The Death of My Friend Bob Webber (1933-2007)

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:23:22-05:00April 30th, 2007|Categories: Personal|

Bob Webber (1933-2007) died Friday at 6:10 PM (Eastern time) in his wife Joanne’s arms, after an 8 month battle with pancreatic cancer. Bob is best known for his numerous books published over the past forty years. He touched on so many subjects it is hard to know where to begin to enumerate his contributions as a writer. His more recent call for a positively framed ancient-future faith may have touched more young leaders in the North American Church than the work of any single person. A public memorial service in the Chicago-area is being planned, details will be posted on the Northern Seminary website: www.seminary.edu.

I will not compose a flowery oration about Bob. I would like to tell you why I loved and respected him as my friend and valued his counsel so profoundly. I first got to know Bob while I was a student at Wheaton College in 1969. My first remembrance was actually quite negative. Bob held views that I detested and I was pretty angry about the way he challenged students and faculty. He preached an "infamous" […]