Wherein I get to announce news that hasn’t officially been announced only because somebody else beat me to it and, well, it’s no longer news, now tell you what I’ve been itching to say for the past [undisclosed amount of time] because the news has been embargoed till now. Whew!…
Tongues and Cartoons: Will they not say that you are out of your mind?
Wherein I lament the failure to practice what good theology and biblical interpretation ought to have taught us: tongues-for-show only shows one thing: lunacy. Surely, by now, everybody’s seen or at least heard of the WashingtonPost.com political cartoon by equal-opportunity skewer-artist Pat Oliphant that was automatically posted to the WP’s…
Bible Gateway up for grabs & GospelCom to close
Wherein I lament the passing of one of the Christian Web’s greatest and most popular Websites. One year ago I interviewed for a job at Gospel Communications. There was an opening for a training specialist and I happily made it through the various rounds of interviews and reference checks. In…
All You Need to Know About the Assemblies of God…
Wherein I break my silence to introduce my latest freelance writing project for ChristianityToday.com (a small article) and attempt to exlain in a thousand words or less what the entire media elite have yet to figure out despite the powers of Lexis-Nexis. So last monday Ted Olsen at Christianity Today…
Gay marriage . . . and bubbly.
Wherein I reflect on gay marriage and just a wee little bit upon marriage itself. Please note, I really have no business writing this stuff. But I just don’t have the sense… Okay, so during my one-hour drive home from work a couple days ago, I was listening to public…
What Willow Creek’s ‘Reveal’ study really tells us…
Christianity Today released an article this month titled, Willow Creek’s ‘Huge Shift’. Since a friend asked what I thought about this, I thought I’d share it with you, my faithful readers and random visitors with hope that you will further sharpen my thinking. Or (gasp!) correct me. This is my…
The Happy Good Heathen
A few days ago, a friend from an Assemblies of God-oriented discussion group raised an interesting topic. Since I haven’t posted much here for a while, I thought I’d share my thoughts and joyfully invite your comments. The Good Pagan Carissa wrote: « I think, and this is a lay…
Church Rentals: Have Space Will Worship
This is my pre-published version of an article I wrote for Christianity Today International’s Resources department. It is part of a larger downloadable study exploring Church rental issues. Here, with the help of a few friends, I consider the advantages and disadvantages of renting worship space. The urban landscape is…
Moral Outrage: Folsom Street Sinnage … er … Signage
Wherein I opine on the culture war between Christianity and those of homosexual persuasion, and their supporters. So, breaking news, San Fransisco is a gay-friendly town. Oh, more breaking news: Chrisitanity is anathema to a sinful lifestyle. And it’s an easy target for sinners. So the 24th annual hedonistic fetish…
Cyber-Sexuality: Maintaining Real Purity in a Virtual World
The question … I recently received an email note from a friend. She wrote: "I am curious if anyone knows of some Christian articles dealing with internet flirting or cyber sex … I just can’t seem to find anything that I can relate to or identify with, and I know that there…
George O. Wood: General Superintendent
George O. Wood has been elected to the office of the General Superintendent of the General Council of the Assemblies of God George Wood is a prince of a man who is not only well-educated, but sensible. In my experience in interacting with him not only in meetings but when…
Pastoral Politics at General Council
Sometimes business meetings can be funny in their own little way. Especially when politicking gets heated. Oh, the hi-jinx of business meetings. I actually laughed out loud at one minor General Council tempest that could have had massive implications for the vote for the general superintendent on Thursday. During the…
The General Council vote: issues and predictions
Tomorrow, the 52nd biennial business-meeting for the General Council of the Assemblies of God begins. On Thursday, our next General Superintendent will be selected. Here are my thoughts on matters over which I have no input or influence, and which are probably inappropriate for me to publicly opine over. Unfortunately,…
Resignation Speculation and the Leadership Change
On the resignation of the Assemblies of God’s current superintendent, Rev. Thomas Trask, and the chaos that is in its wake. Wherein I opine on matters explicitly not my business. I’d like to make it perfectly clear at the outset: I am not a credentialed Assemblies of God minister. I’m…
What’s Different? Church vs. Bar
photo: ukdenners Overheard recently: “I’m wondering what’s the difference between church and the bar?” In church you pray for the Spirit. In a bar you pay for the spirits? (Sorry, couldn’t resist!) Anyways… Everybody knows your name… When Jennifer and I lived in Springfield, MO, and worked at the Assemblies…
Tammy Faye Messner: March 7, 1942 – July 20, 2007
Tammy Faye Messner, the former wife of Jim Bakker of PTL fame, has passed away after struggling against colon and lung cancer for several years. On July 17, just three days before her death, Messner’s last message on her website announced that she had gained 5 pounds: up from her…
Carlton Pearson: The closest to God you’ll probably ever get
The Carlton Pearson curiosity continues. Over the last few weeks I’ve noticed the amount of search engine queries landing on this site have shot heavenward for Carlton Pearson. The searchers have typed: carlton pearson goes bad carlton pearson has cancer carlton pearson has lost his mind is carlton pearson gay?…
Thomas E. Trask: resignation effective — almost immediately
photo: escapedtowisconsin The Rev. E. Thomas Trask, General Superintendent of the General Council of the Assemblies of God, has announced his resignation. I will prepare a report with more details soon. Really. I will. Note: As promised, my long rambling cogitation is now available here. [tags]trask, tom-trask, thomas-trask, thomas-e-trask, general-superintendent,…
The I Dig Jesus Meme: My Response
For the second time in my short life as a blogger, I’ve been meme-tagged by an evil blogging compatriot hoping to provoke me into playing a silly blog-tagging game, generating more content, and generally surrendering to mass hysteria. Okay. I’m in! But only because I’m a sucker for attention. And…
Ruth Bell Graham, 1920 – 2007
The light of the Church on Earth is a bit dimmer today, but the chorus in Heaven is that much more joyful. Statement by the President Regarding the Death of Ruth Bell GrahamContact: White House, Office of the Press Secretary, 202-456-2580 WASHINGTON, June 14 /Standard Newswire/ — the following is…
Involuntary Self-Denial and Relationship Breakdown
Why so many problems begin with frustrated desire Every day, headlines assault us with troubling news. These recent titles from a local news website are just a small sampling: Two Shotgunned to Death [source] Joyriding Gang Member Slain; Crash Injures Family [source] Local Soldier Dies in Afghanistan [source] School Gets…
Tony and the red-letter Christianity
Social justice gets a bad rap among many Evangelicals and Fundamentalists, but Tony Campolo sets us straight.
Will also present for food: Internet Ministry Conference
It’s official: I’m presenting at the 2008 Internet Ministry Conference hosted by GospelCom. Gospel Communications has teamed up with the Internet Evangelism Coalition and now the two conferences, GospelCon and the Internet Evangelism Conference, have been merged. The conference serves two dual purposes: one is to train GospelCom’s ministry partners…
Sexual Conversion: Gender dysphoria, the UMC and the transgendered minister
I recently wrote about the relatively unremarked issue of gender dysphoria and believers opting for gender reassignment. I wrote that I had communicated with Assemblies of God leadership about this issue some years ago, and that I believed a position paper is in order — now, not at some later date…
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Ranking the Divine: The Holy Spirit and Search trends
I’ve often heard it said within Pentecostal circles that the Holy Spirit gets little recognition — even within our own Pentecostal and Charismatic circles. Of course, there’s some theological justification for this: According to Jesus’ promise in John 14:26, one of the Holy Spirit’s primary roles in the believer’s life is…