Blog - Page 87 of 318 - John H Armstrong

A Book on Theology (Humor)

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:34-05:00April 23rd, 2012|Categories: Humor, Theology|

I do not recall where I saw the cartoon but it was one with Charlie Brown and Snoopy.

Charlie said to Snoopy, "I hear you're writing a book on theology. I hope that you have a good title."

Snoopy replied, "I have the perfect title (as he sat on his doghouse with his typewriter)."

Has It Ever Occurred to You That You Might Be Wrong?

I have been dabbling with a book that is part memoir and part theological reflection. I am often tempted to use Snoopy's title. What do you think?

Transitions: The ACT 3 Cohort Groups and Our New Web Presence

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:34-05:00April 19th, 2012|Categories: ACT 3, Missional Church, Missional-Ecumenism|

I am presently working on developing a new blog site as well as a new ACT 3 web site. I am also working on developing a separate site for the ACT 3 Missional-Ecumenical Cohort Groups. This site will provide information about this new training program but it will also provide an opportunity for students and graduates to enter private subsections of the site for updates and important on-going interaction. Graduates will become part of a life-long learning process through this site, and learn about future gatherings, which we will provide to those who finish this course.

Our first ACT 3 Cohort class graduated this last Tuesday, April 17. Thirteen adults completed the first Cohort that we've done. We began last October in a classroom on the Wheaton College campus. I am praying for hundreds more to follow these thirteen in the next five years. I am also working to find and equip a group of very gifted leaders who can facilitate these groups across the country as this ministry grows. The goal is to find and teach […]

The Lund Principle

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:34-05:00April 17th, 2012|Categories: Missional-Ecumenism, Unity of the Church|

On August 27, 1953, at the third world conference on Faith and Order, meeting in Lund, Sweden, a text was agreed upon titled: "A Word to the Churches." This text was released to the press for worldwide publication almost immediately. A part of this statement eventually became known (in ecumenical circles) as "The Lund Principle." The statement comes from a sentence which asks:

"Should not our churches ask themsevles whether they are showing sufficient eagerness to enter into conversation with other churches, and whether they should not act together in all matters except those in which deep differences of conviction compel them to act separately?"

The final part of this question, which I've put in italics, subsequently became known as The Lund Principle. This may be the most often quoted statement in the history of the Faith & Order Commission. It is often used as an exhortation but in the original context you […]

The Good Old Days That Never Were

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:34-05:00April 17th, 2012|Categories: Church History, The Future|

It seems like for as long as I can remember I've heard people talk about the "good ole' days" of the past. Whatever is happening now is worse than the past and somewhere else, at some time in the past, days were so much better than right now. Christians are particularly prone to this nonsense. They act as if history did not happen, humans are not mortal and the church never made a mistake, at least a serious one. Protestants romanticize the sixteenth century and Catholics romanticize about the days before Vatican II. Almost everyone acts like the Middle Ages were entirely bereft of anything positive and after 1900 Western civilization began a downward high slide from which it cannot recover.

All of this kind of nonsense reminds me of a great quote from St. Augustine: "If you believe that former times are better than today, it is because you are not living in those times." Amen.

Burning Questions for Missional Christians

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:35-05:00April 16th, 2012|Categories: America and Americanism, American Evangelicalism, Emergent Church, Missional Church, Missional-Ecumenism, The Church, The Future|

Christianity began as a tiny movement of Jews who believed that God had raised Jesus from the dead. They spread this message to Jews and Gentiles and planted churches across the Roman Empire in the first three centuries of the common era. There is abundant evidence that these churches were generally small and that most congregations numbered something like 30-70 people. Issues regarding how to develop and govern these churches arose over time. It seems apparent that there is no extant blueprint that has been passed on to us regarding how this should be done down through the centuries. Christianity seems incredibly adaptable to various cultures and for this reason it could spead into all cultures.

What we do know is that in spite of many faults the church acquired it eventually provided the basis for a new era of learning, industry and civil order that arose from the impact of the church upon society. In the sixteenth century the Reformation not only divided the church in the West but it led to renewal in the Catholic […]

Religious "Reverts" — Are Americans Coming Back to Church?

By John Armstrong|2012-04-13T04:00:00-05:00April 13th, 2012|Categories: Evangelism, Faith, The Church|

The Easter Weekend edition of USA Today had a front page story on religious “reverts.” It explored the current push of various religious groups, including Jews and Christians, to reach out to a large and growing demographic. That demographic consists of millions of people who have left organized religion over the last two decades. The article told the story of people, ranging from cradle Catholics to former-Southern Baptists, who have come home.

For all that the article revealed about people who are on their way back this sentence said it all: “Then (referring to the reverts), unlike most, they came back.” Simply put the stories of reverts make an interesting narrative but the numbers of such reverts is still small. Very few people who leave the religion of their childhood ever return to it.

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life noted that more than half of all Americans say they have switched religions at least once. Only 9% of them say that they’ve come back to the churches or religious centers that shaped them, or maybe I should say never shaped them.

The interesting thing […]

Christian Identity & the Place of Trinitarian Ecumenism

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:35-05:00April 12th, 2012|Categories: The Trinity, Unity of the Church|

Christian faith is about the alternatives of life and death rather than about abstract doctrinal and philosophical forms. This does not mean doctrine is unimportant. It simply means it is not life itself. The church is where divine life is to be lived on earth by the outpoured Spirit who creates in us the living prayer of Christ who is the Son of the eternal Father. To be a Christian is thus to participate in the life of the Trinity, not simply to give mental assent to doctrines or emotional loyalty to a form of religion.

If this is true then faithfulness to the church is not the same as loyalty to our national or cultural identities. We are not American Christians, German Christians, Greek Christians or French Christians. We are Christians! We must not become prisoners to national, local or ethnic identities. Such identities have their place in the human reality and realm. They are not inherently evil. But the catholic identity of the body of Christ means that we love and serve the whole Christian […]

Seven Days in Utopia

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:35-05:00April 11th, 2012|Categories: Uncategorized|

Seven Days in Utopia is a new religious drama directed by Matt Russell, starring Robert Duvall, Lucas Black and Melissa Leo. This star studded cast makes for more than the typical Christian film.

The film script is based on the book, Golf's Sacred Journey: Seven Days at the Links of Utopia, written by David Lamar Cook, a psychologist who received a Ph.D. in Sport and Performance Psychology from the University of Virginia. It was actually filmed in a small Texas town with the real name of Utopia. (Some of the scenes were shot in Fredericksburg, Texas.) Utopia is about 80 miles from San Antonio. The film was released last September (2011). I discovered it last week on the shelf of my public library. I was attracted to it for one primary reason – Robert Duvall is one of my favorite actors. In my judgment, his role in The Apostle is still the finest portrayal of a minister in modern […]

The Hunger Games Phenomenon

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:45-05:00April 10th, 2012|Categories: Culture, Film|

I do not often get into popular cultural movements, whether they involve films or books. In the case of the new popular movie, "The Hunger Games," I decided to see what the fuss was all about and went to see this hugely successful film the day it opened in theaters nationally. I have to say I enjoyed it immensely. I would not recommend anyone 12 or under see it but I would recommend that teens and parents see it and discuss it. My own 14-year old granddaughter read the book and her parents and their daughter saw it. I applaud their parental action and response.

"The Hunger Games" has some ancient, powerful and futuristic themes in one two-hour plus movie. These themes ought to be addressed by every thinking person in our culture. Besides the fact that this film is simply entertaining (without showing violence and bloody gore) it does make death a central issue […]

A Book on Leadership That Breaks the Modern Mold

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:45-05:00April 9th, 2012|Categories: Books, Leadership|

Books on leadership abound. Christian books on leadership are almost a dime a dozen these days. Rarely does a new book on this subject capture my interest and move my spirit deeply. This is why I was so surprised by a new book that I recommend: Legendary Leaders. This moving book is written by teacher and coach Monte E. Wilson. I can tell you that this is a gem that every leader or aspiring leader would profit from immensely.

Arthurian myths and legends have resonated with millions of readers. Why? Because we want to believe that such leaders as King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, and a kingdom based on justice, compassion, and nobility, are possible, thus Camelot is read not as a fairy tale, but as an achievable idea.

As a lifelong student of […]