Blog - Page 91 of 318 - John H Armstrong

More Information on CCT and My Week in Memphis

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:49-05:00February 23rd, 2012|Categories: Missional-Ecumenism, Unity of the Church|

The last two days I've shared information about Christian Churches Together in the USA. Today I share from a fuller account of the week issued today as a press release about the meeting. CCT completed its sixth annual meeting (February 14-17, 2012) in Memphis, Tennessee. Some 85 church and organizational leaders (representing 36 African American, Catholic, Historic Protestant, Evangelical/Pentecostal and Orthodox churches and 6 Christian organizations: American Bible Society, Bread for the World, Evangelicals for Social Action, Habitat For Humanity, Sojourners and World Vision) met to discern together how CCT should respond to racism and poverty now. This theme began in last year’s annual meeting (which was held in Birmingham) and it was decided to continue the theme this year drawing on the historical resources of Memphis.

The participants visited the National Civil Rights Museum/Lorraine Motel (site of Dr. King’s martyrdom), Slave Haven Museum (an Underground Railroad safe house), and the historic Mason Temple where Dr. King delivered his “Mountain Top” speech. We heard an inspiring sermon from Bishop Claire Burkat (ELCA) to begin our time together. […]

Statement from the Annual Meeting of Christian Churches Together

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:49-05:00February 22nd, 2012|Categories: Missional-Ecumenism, Race and Racism, Unity of the Church|

February 17, 2012

One in Christ for the Sake of All

Representatives of the churches and organizations of Christian Churches Together in the United States assembled in Memphis, February 14-17, 2012, to respond to one question:

How might the Holy Spirit use the witness of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and his Letter from the Birmingham Jail to help the church live the Gospel more fully and proclaim it more faithfully?

In our time together, our hearts and our minds have been engaged by Jesus’ announcement that:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the […]

Christian Churches Together

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:49-05:00February 21st, 2012|Categories: Missional-Ecumenism, Unity of the Church|

Christian Churches Together in the USA (CCT) is a new forum that grew out of a deeply felt need to broaden and expand fellowship, unity, and witness among the diverse expressions of Christian faith today. It is a 21st century movement that is inclusive of the diversity of Christian families in the United States — Evangelical, Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Pentecostals, historic Protestant, Racial and Ethnic churches. One of the things that makes CCT unique is that all five of these churches (Catholic, Orthodox, historic Protestant, Evangelical/Pentecostal and African American) are present and each person who shares in the meeting shares with each other in wonderfully personal and relaxed ways. Honestly, I know nothing else quite like it.

Christian Churches Together provides a context — marked by prayer, theological dialogue and fellowship — in which churches can develop relationships with other churches with whom they presently have […]

Finding Our Way Back to the Mission of Jesus

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:49-05:00February 20th, 2012|Categories: Gospel/Good News, Jesus, Poverty|

In my personal conservative (white) background the mission of Jesus was understood in almost entirely private and individual terms. We were called to preach the gospel to the lost and then to call on them to come to Jesus personally. That was it. Everything else was just an "add-on" (not part of the gospel or necessary) since this private spiritual message is what really mattered. Over the last several decades I have come to question this assumption very deeply. I question it because it simply doesn't fit into the narrative of the four Gospels, the message we see in the life and mission of Jesus. Recently a story in Luke 4 reminded me of this point afresh.

¹⁴ Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. ¹⁵ He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

¹⁶ He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He […]

True Leadership?

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:49-05:00February 17th, 2012|Categories: Leadership|

Some years ago I was asked to teach a six-part leadership seminar in local churches around the country. I did this while I was still an active local church pastor. I taught, on average, about two seminars a month. I usually began on Friday night with two-45 minute sessions and then did four more on Saturday, returning home in time to preach in my own church on Sunday morning. This experience actually prepared me to teach more widely. After a few years at this work I was offered a position where I would teach this material on a full-time basis. I chose, however, not to leave the pastorate for another four years. Then in 1991-92 I became convinced of a new vision, one centered upon church renewal. My heart was being drawn outward toward the whole church. Thus on May 1, 1992, I became the full-time president of what is now called ACT 3. I had begun ACT 3 in 1991 to launch a quarterly journal "for leaders" called the Reformation & Revival Journal. […]

The One Who Takes the Son Gets Everything: A Parable

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:49-05:00February 16th, 2012|Categories: Christ/Christology, Forgiveness, Gospel/Good News|

Ever so often I am forwarded an anonymous story or parable that is worth keeping and sharing. Most are too romantic for my tastes. Some are just not very good stories. One never knows who found or wrote these stories because they just get passed along from person to person with no attribution. I got one such story last week from a good friend. Instead of simply passing it along I share it today as a blog post.

I have to say that this parable (or story) speaks to the very heart and soul of faith and the work of Christ on our behalf. I loved it and thus I now share it. The punctuation is not mine but in the original copy I received. If anyone can tell me the source I will be happy to acknowledge it. For now just enjoy this powerful story . . . .

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They […]

A Question My Friend Posed to Christopher J. H. Wright

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:50-05:00February 15th, 2012|Categories: American Evangelicalism, Missional Church, Missional-Ecumenism, The Church, Unity of the Church|

The Rev. Dr. Christopher J. H. Wright is one of the most respected Christian thinkers and leaders in the world. I have followed him for years, especially when he began to work closely with John R. W. Stott.

Chris was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1947. His parents were missionaries in Brazil, though Chris as the youngest son was born after they came back at the end of the Second World War. He grew up in Belfast and was nurtured as an Irish Presbyterian. He studied classics at Cambridge in the 1960s, and then started his career as a high-school teacher in Grosvenor High School, Belfast. In the 1970s he studied for his doctorate in Cambridge, England, in the field of Old Testament economic ethics; his book from this work was published as God’s People in God’s Land (Eerdmans and Paternoster). He was ordained in the Anglican Church of England in 1977 and served as an assistant pastor in the […]

Religion & Liberty: A Magazine Your Should Read

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:50-05:00February 14th, 2012|Categories: Acton Institute, Poverty|

I admit my own bias but one of my favorite magazines is Religion & Liberty, published by the Acton Institute. You can get a print subscription but you can also read issues online. The most recent issue features a great interview on "Rethinking Mission to the Poor." This is vintage Acton thinking expressed by the kind of people who have made a real difference working with the poor. Check out the current issue at Acton's magazine site.

While you're there check out the November-December issue for 2010. You might recognize the guy on the cover. I hope you will enjoy the interview they did with me. I was very pleased with the finished product and how they told my story through this interview.

I am very pleased to serve Acton as a partner by being a Senior Advisor. In this role I represent Acton to evangelical leaders and seminary professors. I am pleased […]

Should the Church Gather for the Unchurched?

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:50-05:00February 13th, 2012|Categories: Liturgy, Sacraments, The Church|

When I was in Phoenix in Arizona I met Rev. Matthew Marino. Matt is the Episcopal Canon of Arizona for Youth and Adult Ministries. He serves out of the diocesan office in Phoenix, where we met for the first time in November last year. We had a delightful time and connected very easily.

Matt has 30 years experience leading youth ministry in a variety of contexts (rural, suburban and urban) and across the economic and ethnic continuum. He has developed a variety of training programs including the two-year Youth Ministry Apprenticeship training for full-time youth directors, curriculums for Young Life's multi-ethnic Student-Staff and volunteers, and the Remuda Ranch Center Aftercare Recovery Workbook. He has a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Arizona State University and was a member of Fuller Theological Seminary's first Urban Youth Ministry Cohort. Matt is Canon for Youth and Young Adults, leads the YMA training and a church plant team at St. Jude's, Phoenix. Matt's passion […]

I Am the Bread of Life

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:50-05:00February 10th, 2012|Categories: Jesus, Sacraments, The Church|

One of the most transforming passages in the whole of Scripture is John 6. I have lived here for several years. There is no way for me to adequately explain how this text has worked its way into my soul but it has and there is no mistake about the spiritual reality.

I no longer "debate" the various ways that Christians explain the Lord's Supper. I find the entire debate unprofitable. If you ask me, "Is this Christ body and blood?" then my answer is uncategorically affirmative. If you ask me to "define" what this means and how this happens then I have no earthly idea. I also believe that you can make no sense whatsoever out of John 6 by denying that these words and Christ's intention here are related to the Eucharistic life that we share with Christ in the Bread and the Wine.

If you want to debate this then I have no interest. If you want to share in this mystery by faith then you are quite likely to […]