Category: reposts

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Repost: “Progressive Christians” and Yours Truly

Dennis

progressivexianityI wrote this post in the summer of 2011.  The trend has continued in the succeeding years.  I will write something more current on the issue, but this old posts still stands.

I’ve been noticing lately within Mainline Protestant  circles, the rising use of the word “progressive” as a way to describe Christians who might have once used the term “mainline Protestant.”  The biggest change to note is over at the religion megasite Patheos, which changed the name of one of their religion portals.  What was once called “Mainline Protestant” is now called “Progressive Christian.”  That change has brought about a discussion of the term and there have been some fairly good posts about name change.

That said, I’m also a tad bit wary of the term.
Continue reading “Repost: “Progressive Christians” and Yours Truly”

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Repost: Out of Place

Dennis

Note: I wrote this earlier this year about relationships. One thing I’d like to add: tell people that you care for them or that you are their friend. For someone like me with autism it can make all the difference in the world. When I was in high school, I ran track. I didn’t run well, but I did run track. Practice would take place after school. I remember heading into the locker room to change, and passing by this front room set aside for physical therapy. Every time I passed by there were people my age chatting and having … Continue reading Repost: Out of Place

church planting, disciples of christ, ecclesiology, kingdom of god, mainline church, new churches, progressive christianity, reposts, social justiceLeave a comment

Adventures In Church Planting: 2013 (REPOST)

Dennis

Originally posted on The Clockwork Pastor:
As most of you know, I’ve been the head of a new church ministry in my Region.  There have been some good and not so good developments in the area of church planting last year, though for the most part it was a down year in many ways.  The good news is that our group got bigger as a few more people expressed interest in being involved.  The so-so news is how I’m leading.  I want to give people the chance to step up and take part, but I have to balance that with… Continue reading Adventures In Church Planting: 2013 (REPOST)

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Repost: Beyond George Zimmerman (the Ferguson Edition)

Dennis

I do have something to say about Michael Brown, the police and Ferguson, MO.  But while I’m thinking about what to write, I wanted to share a post I wrote in the days following the verdict acquitting George Zimmerman in the murder of Trayvon Martin.  Funny how only the names have been changed. Ever since the verdict from the George Zimmerman case was made known, I’ve been wondering what I wanted to write about this event. I happened to be down the road from Sanford, Florida in Orlando for the 2013 General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). … Continue reading Repost: Beyond George Zimmerman (the Ferguson Edition)

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Repost: Saving Liberal Christianity

Dennis

The following is a post written in 2012. On the heels of what I wrote late last week on the pitfalls of Progressive Christianity, there has been a flurry of articles on the future of liberal Christianity.  I want to start off with a piece by Allan Bevere who wrote the following last Friday: In recent years evangelical Protestantism has been going through a soul searching, questioning some of its cherished political and hermeneutical positions that have become so intertwined with evangelicalism. An increasing number of evangelicals are re-evaluating some of their “sacred” views on Scripture and science and politics. I … Continue reading Repost: Saving Liberal Christianity

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Repost: On Funerals and Christian Cliches

Dennis

On Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year is a time many churches have “Blue Christmas” services.  Mindful of that, I wanted to share this post from 2012. This past weekend, I was in Orlando, Florida for the funeral of an uncle. My Uncle David was the youngest of my mother’s siblings dying at the age of sixty. Diabetes took it’s toll on David’s body and finally that body gave out. David leaves behind a grieving widow and five children, three of which are too young to have to have to deal with losing a parent. David was an … Continue reading Repost: On Funerals and Christian Cliches

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Repost: God Doesn’t Love the One Percent.

Dennis

From 2012. I have a mixed relationship with Mary’s Magnificat found in Luke 1. On the one hand it is a wonderful message of justice; that the lowly in life will be vindicated and remembered by God. I love singing the song A Canticle of the Turning by Rory Cooney. But the text also is bothersome to me. It’s take on the rich and powerful is not one of charity; instead it is a hard justice-one where the rich are sent away empty and the powerful are made low. God of grace and love it isn’t. David Neff writes in … Continue reading Repost: God Doesn’t Love the One Percent.

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Repost: Love, Justice, Vengence and Grace

Dennis

The following is a blog post from 2007. ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your … Continue reading Repost: Love, Justice, Vengence and Grace

christianity, church, church life, civility, culture, culture wars, evangelicalism, forgiveness, gay, gay ministers, gay rights, homosexuality, identity, inclusion, Jesus, justice, LGBT, liberal christianity, liberal protestantism, mainline church, mainline churches, reposts, same sex marriage1 Comment

Repost: I Miss the Old Mel White

Dennis

The positive Mel White of old the “SpongeBob Squarepants of the gay community” is long gone. What’s left is a man that’s pretty pissed off at the church and when I say church, I mean the whole church. Continue reading Repost: I Miss the Old Mel White