Blog - Page 271 of 318 - John H Armstrong

A Fair Critique of Emergent

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:23:25-05:00April 16th, 2007|Categories: Emergent Church|

I have followed the Emergent Church (EC) phenomenon for several years now. I have not read all the books that are coming out with popular EC themes and titles but I have read several of them carefully. I have also used one or two of these books in my classes and openly shared in dialog with writers such as Brian McLaren, who is often seen as the leader of this movement by outsiders. Insiders respect Brian a great deal but they understand that the depth of leadership, and the varied important voices in this movement, is much wider than Brian. One of the most popular writers in EC circles, as one example, is Scot McKnight. Scot is anything but a young gun for a modern "cool" movement.

I have recently taken my own public hits for being "too emergent" yet I am not deeply involved in this, or any other, movement in any meaningful sense. I am certainly not an apologist for the EC movement nor do I intend to write emergent books. (I do count many emergent leaders as friends and desire […]

Jackie Robinson: A Tribute

By John Armstrong|2007-04-15T21:16:45-05:00April 15th, 2007|Categories: Baseball|

Today marks the 60th anniversary of the breaking of the color barrier in major league baseball in America. Jackie Robinson played his first game for the Brooklyn Dodgers. On that day the sport, and the the nation, were changed forever. The complicated nature of race relations in this country were profoundly altered by the courage and skill of one baseball player. But Robinson was more than just a ballplayer. He was a great ballplayer and an even greater man. Inspired by his faith in Christ, and his Christian values, Robinson was willing to suffer immense opposition not just to play ball and be the first black player but to change a game, and through that game, a nation.

Today a number of baseball players wore number 42 to remember Jackie Robinson. Sadly, only 8% of major league players today are African Americans. Blacks play basketball in much greater numbers and over 70% of professional football players are black, exploding the myth that they do not play baseball simply because of the lack of space and money. Gerald Early, writing in Time magazine, […]

Lex Orandi, Lex Vivendi

By John Armstrong|2007-04-14T18:43:53-05:00April 14th, 2007|Categories: The Church|

Modern evangelicals generally approach the subject of worship by focusing upon biblical texts and/or biblical theology, or by focusing upon the style question as an end in itself. Rarely do they put the two of these together in any meaningful way. John Witvliet, professor of worship at Calvin College, addressed this subject in his lecture on Friday morning at the Wheaton Theology Conference by showing us how worship (lex orandi) and mission (lex vivendi) are intimately connected.

Witvliet, one of the finest voices in worship renewal within the Reformed world, stressed that discussions and considerations of the forms and patterns of worship must talk more about the strategic means by which real convictions can be expressed contextually in radically appropriate ways. He used various patristic sources from 4th century church to make his point. He did this by giving us a sampler of certain rich and full texts, suggesting that these were the kinds of texts that can provide a rich source of wisdom for contemporary practice. This kind of ressourcement could prove very helpful to many worship leaders but sadly most […]

Mayhem or Magisterium?

By John Armstrong|2007-04-13T07:02:40-05:00April 13th, 2007|Categories: Church Tradition|

As noted in yesterday’s post I am attending the 16th annual Wheaton Theology Conference, April 12-14. The opening address featured a presentation by evangelical patristics scholar D. H. Williams that was worth the entire event. Dan showed how evangelicalism’s new-found enthusiasm for the early Fathers is a welcome movement that can lead the church to renewal but in our enthusiasm we are in serious danger of misusing the ancients as well. A major reason for misuse is our failure to understand how truly unlike (dissimilis) us they are. There are some likenesses to Protestant evangelicalism (simiis) that should be observed as well. These realities call for caution if we are to recapture the patristic spirit and methods of spirituality and exegesis for their own purpose before we try to link them with our own. To inappropriately "claim" the early Fathers for our time, by a few simple suggestions, is a huge mistake. Williams offered some great suggestions about using the creeds diachronically. The early Christians, he noted, became subject to an agenda and thus by this they created their own culture. We must do […]

Ancient Faith for the Church's Future

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:23:25-05:00April 12th, 2007|Categories: Church Tradition|

The 16th annual Wheaton College Theology Conference begins today. This conference, originally the vision and dream of the late Timothy Phillips and former-Wheaton College theology professor Dennis Ockholm, has become a first-rate event for those who care about serious theological discussion and learning. This year’s theme is: "Ancient Faith for the Church’s Future." Speakers include D. Stephen Long, Brian Daley, Christopher Hall, Christine Pohl, D. H. Williams, Alan Kreider, Tony Jones, John Witvliet, Kathryn Greene-McCreight and Ray Anderson. These speakers represent an interesting blend of emergent leaders and ancient church scholars.

The conference is built on the premise that one of the more promising developments among evangelical Protestants is the recent rediscovery of the rich biblical, spiritual, and theological treasure to be found within the early church. The event will focus on the life and thought of the early church and ask a number of pressing questions: How do we appropriate the riches of the early church in ways that are faithful to its own world and relevant to our own? In what ways do the ancient practices of spiritual life and devotion […]

A Humble Reformed Faith

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:23:25-05:00April 11th, 2007|Categories: Reformed Christianity|

The terms "generous orthodoxy" and "humble orthodoxy" have become popular in recent years. I like both terms a great deal, though definitions vary wildly. Who doesn’t want to be generous, or humble? (Actually, I can think of some people I know who probably think the term generous is nefarious in some sinister way!)

I am personally preparing for my oral examinations with a classis of the Reformed Church in America (RCA) on April 24. I am doing this in order to have my credentials as a minister transfered into the RCA. (I believe deeply in connectionalism so remaining independent of church accountability as a minister is not an option.) This decision has actually been developing over a long period of time. The largest hurdle, initially, was the question of baptism. I have always been Reformed, at least since I was a very young Baptist minister back in the 1970s. I came to embrace the Reformed view of the Lord’s Supper, a view that welcomed the mystery of Christ’s "real presence" in the meal (elements) about twenty years ago. But I could not yet […]

Finding Your Sweet Spot

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:23:25-05:00April 10th, 2007|Categories: Books|

Max Lucado’s book Cure for the Common Life: Living in Your Sweet Spot (Nelson: Nashville, 2005) is not a book for scholars. Lucado, in fact, is not a scholar at all. But he has written a wonderfully readable and immensely practical book. A friend gave it to me several months ago suggesting that it was his favorite “life-changing” book for 2006. I put it aside thinking at the time that I wouldn’t benefit that much from reading it. (I am quite sure that my pride shows forth abundantly when I conclude about a matter in this way.) I have always appreciated Max Lucado, at least as a clear and effective writer. He writes with an elegance and simplicity that I envy (not sinfully I think).

This easy-to-read book reasons that God gave each of us a uniqueness, a talent, or a carefully designed skill, something that is yours to develop and thus use to honor and serve him in the fullest sense. By using this personal uniqueness, which Lucado calls "finding your sweet spot" (a sports metaphor), you will fulfill your reason […]

Why Illness Does Not Define Me

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:23:25-05:00April 9th, 2007|Categories: Personal|

I have endured a chronic illness since 1998. At times this illness has forced me to stop almost everything I thought I needed to do. This has been true at different various stages of my life since age 49. Last week I had to cancel a number of appointments and once again found this terribly hard to do. Saying "no" is a very hard thing for me to do. (I think this is a major flaw, not a heroic tendency in any sense of the word.)

I believe some people need to say "no" much more often in order to get to "yes." I am one such person. Maybe you can identify with me in some way. I am a people person, thus I like to get people’s appreciation, and I long to hear "well done" from my peers. I feel the sting of deeply personal opposition when I get it, which is sometimes quite often since I am a public person with public views.

I reflected deeply upon these personal issues over the days of Lent. I am profoundly […]

He is Risen

By John Armstrong|2007-04-08T16:45:32-05:00April 8th, 2007|Categories: Lordship of Christ|

Without the resurrection Christianity falls apart. With it the Church has a clear word that marks it and equips it to engage the entire world with a message of hope. I pray that you found today’s celebration of his resurrection a time of incredible joy filled with the gospel of peace. It brings to a close a long phase of the church year and opens up to us a whole new season to follow.

All Christians, East and West, celebrated Easter on the same date this year, which doesn’t happen too often. This fact, in itself, brought a sense of the unity of the church to my own mind today. May the Holy Spirit give all Christians a deeper experience of their inherent unity in the months ahead. Amen.

The Easter Vigil

By John Armstrong|2007-04-07T18:32:20-05:00April 7th, 2007|Categories: Church Tradition|

Holy Saturday, or the Easter Vigil, is the seventh day, the day Christ rested in the tomb. In the synoptic accounts this day was clearly the Jewish Sabbath, which provided the early church with appropriate symbolism. The day is meant to be a quiet one since today the church remembers Christ dead and waiting for the great day of resurrection. There is no communion served on this day in Church history. It is also meant to be a day of darkness and remembrance. In a world of darkness we remember that there is no future without the hope which is linked to Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.

Traditionally the vigil allows the Church to remember those who have departed and who wait, with us, the resurrection. While Good Friday is traditionally a day of fasting most do not fast on this Saturday. However Christians observe this day Holy Saturday has always been a time of reflection and waiting, a time of weeping that lasts for a night while we await the joy that comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5).

In […]