Posts

Showing posts from May, 2021

God’s Image, My Irritation: Learning to Love the People Who Frustrate Me

-
Image
  by Bart Denny I believe every human being is created in the image of God—the imago Dei . Genesis tells us, “God created mankind in his own image” (Genesis 1:27). That declaration comes before differences in nationality, politics, occupation, social standing, education, religious affiliation, or usefulness to society. People have worth because God made them. Their value isn’t something the government grants, the culture recognizes, or actions and opinions I personally approve of. I believe all of that. The harder question is whether anyone could tell I believe it by the way I treat people who frustrate me. James confronts this inconsistency with uncomfortable directness: “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness” (James 3:9). That verse doesn’t allow me to separate my theology from my tone. I can’t praise the God whose image a person bears while casually belittling, mocking, or dehumanizing that person...
Post a Comment
Read more

"People just don't want to come to church anymore!" The Last Words of a Dying Church

-
 Lately, I've had the opportunity to observe some dying churches, and to talk to people about the increasing problem of church decline and death. I know many dying organizations subscribe to the mantra, "We've never done it that way before." But, in the case of churches, it assumes that at least someone  in the organization is trying to turn things around.  Why does no one show up for worship on Sundays? Because "no one wants to come to church anymore." It's actually an answer that I heard before COVID, but the pandemic seems to reinforce that line of thinking. And I understand that cultural Christianity is dead. There is no societal expectation that people show up for church just because that's what "respectable" people do. That should be a win. Do we really want unregenerate people in church leadership? But it does cut into the numbers, especially for churches that don't really have much to offer by way of authentic community, vibrant...
Post a Comment
Read more