It is in our homes that others see us—and Christ in us—in our marriages, our families, our hobbies, our entertainment, our food, our ability to include outsiders without [ More ... ]
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 I bet that you visited this site because you are interested in the idea of belonging to a small discipleship group. You assume that I am something of an “authority” on relational discipleship, and that I have been for years a part of a thriving small group, or perhaps the director of a small group ministry. Wrong on all accounts. I am by personality a loner, an introvert who has always been inclined to solve my problems before I talk to anyone about them—even my wonderful wife, Joan. I grew up in a religious environment where asking too many questions or airing too much dirty laundry was fraught with the possibility [ More ... ]  photo by furryscaly A quick look through the book catalog (not to speak of an Internet search) suggests that I need to clarify what I mean by “relational theology.” “Open” theologians claim the label, as do members of the “Emergent” Church. Then there are psychologists who use the title, as well as some who appear to think of “relational” theology as opposed to “traditional” theology. Note that the words “open,” “emergent” (or “emerging),” and “traditional” have no fixed meaning. I welcome readers’ responses to the following paragraphs. My Biblical frame of reference is Jesus’ parable of the vine and branches in John 15. The image that Jesus used was that of [ More ... ] This story comes to me from my oldest son, who teaches the adult Sunday school class involved. Names have been changed) Wilber and Lucy had attended other churches in town, but no one knew that when they started attending Sunday school. From the first Sunday they (especially Lucy) were a problem. She insisted on dominating the entire class with an apparently endless litany of woes about finances, health (she was in a wheelchair), and injustice. The members of the class tried to be sympathetic, but lots of irritation began to show. Subsequent Sundays were repeats. What to do with Lucy? Several members of the class talked privately, and decided to take the [ More ... ]  A friend e-mailed me a sophisticated electronic picture this week. As I moved the cursor from face to face in the painting, a sidebar opened explaining who that individual was and why he or she was in the scene. The theme was patriotic, and I won’t take time to describe the varied characters, not all of whom were “patriots.” The center of the picture was a regal Jesus holding in his hand a copy of the Constitution of the United States. What constitutes a Christian heritage is bitterly disputed today, but I believe that we are heirs of a thousand years of choices by mostly ordinary people [ More ... ]  The past president of Toyko Christian University explained to me the fundamental difference between the Japanese and Americans (and this applies to all eastern civilizations and all Westerners). The Japanese believe that individual identity lies in the group to which one belongs. Any individual will have as many identities as groups. He (or she—and so throughout) is a member of a family, an employee of a corporation, and a member of a bowling team (and likely others). He identifies with the values and practices of the group in which he is engaged at a given moment. He assumes for a time the values, conduct, and relationships that characterize that group. [ More ... ] |
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