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Tuesday reflection for week six
How did Jesus redeem the practices around him when he walked on this earth? It was interesting to discuss and hear specific examples of how Jesus lived within the powers and practices of his time but also took bold steps to reform the expectations and challenge the processes people had become used to. He didn’t…
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Whew!
The past week has been a blur! In the last seven days I have had more papers, tests, to dos, and get dones than could possibly be done by one sane person! I’ve loved all of it, but I’m ready to get back to a life that has a little time for relationships and relaxation.…
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Book Review: Culture Jam by Kalle Lasn (Quill, 1999)
The Author Kalle Lasn is the founder of Adbusters Media Corporation and Adbusters magazine. Lasn, who lives in Vancouver, Canada, has helped launch campaigns such as Buy Nothing Day and TV Turnoff Week to raise public awareness about the power corporations and media hold in the Western world. The Book Culture Jam is a manifesto…
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Thursday reflections for week five
On Leadership Recently I’ve been trying to balance a little dissonance between what I’ve learned about leadership, what I’ve experienced in leadership, what I’m learning about leadership, and what I’m learning in class. (Clear enough?) I’ve always learned it is the leader who is to set the vision and the course for a group. Some…
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The cringe factor
This post isn’t a reflection, but it’s related to a lot of what we’re discussing in class. When an institution is out of touch with the subculture/culture it’s within, people outside of the church culture just won’t get it. Off key music and lousy graphics can produce the cringe factor, but even more than that,…
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All types…
From Ben Arment … I believe a sign of spiritual maturity in pastors is seeing that God uses all types of churches to build his kingdom. By my standards, their tactics are absurd; their approaches are irrelevant; and their decisions are irrational. But one thing is certain ~ God uses all types of churches to…
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A Hummer? Or the poor?
If you’ve ever pondered whether Jesus would use $50,000 to help the poor or buy a Hummer, this site is for you. It’s a series of “public service announcements” created in the style of NBC’s The More You Know campaign and covers topics such as worship, attendance, clothing, and tithing. Check it out at thechurchyouknow.com.
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Tuesday reflection for week five
Jesus continually redefined roles. He challenged expectations. In class, we discussed four different types of resistance that have been found where the weak are able to confront the powerful. The two extremes are public lobbying/confrontation and bitter grumbling. In the middle are everyday resistance and symbolic resistance. Symbolic resistance is like burning a flag. Everyday…
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Thursday reflections for week four
Much of church history ignored what Jesus did within culture. What happens when we look at Jesus as a missionary? We see both his message and his method. His message was the Kingdom of God. He announced it. He inaugurated it. He embodied it through sayings and actions. The rule and reign of God was…
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Book Review: Fences and Windows by Naomi Klein (Picador, 2002)
The Author and Book Fences and Windows is a collection of columns and speeches by Canadian Naomi Klein, author of No Logo, from the time just before, during and following the events of September 11, 2001. In Fences and Windows, Klein follows the political movement against globalization, showing the human side of a movement that…
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Tuesday class reflections: week four
We had some great discussions in class Tuesday, but one piece stood out to me most. We discussed how in some ways, emerging churches are coming to a different understanding of theology from the traditional American evangelical mindset, and it’s changing how they do church. And it’s a larger shift than a different kind of…
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Start moving!
I’m a big picture person. So when I start thinking about ministry, or plans, it’s easy to start looking at the whole picture. “What’s the point? Where are we headed? What are our values?” A lot of that is good and valuable. A lot of people don’t take long enough to do that. But at…
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Thursday reflections for week three
In class Thursday we talked about how different theorists bring together the ideas of practices and the Powers. We discussed how the idea that getting a person into an office or a position could “change everything” is really untrue when you consider the power of the office itself. There are systems. There is momentum. There…
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Book Review: Transforming Power by Robert Linthicum (InterVarsity Press, 2003)
The Author Robert Linthicum is a specialist in urban evangelism and urban renewal. He directs the organization Partners in Urban Transformation, which “strengthens international networks of urban ministry and provides encouragement and resources for urban workers.” He has also been head of the Urban Ministries division of World Vision. The Book Transforming Power takes a…
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Tuesday reflections for week three
In class on Tuesday Ryan Bolger introduced the idea of practices: the bundles of routinized human activities (doings and sayings) infused and bound by shared, often implicit, practical understanding (embodied skills, knowledge, know-how, presuppositions, background knowledge, emotions, and intention). Basically, they’re the little mini-cultures that, when combined, make up a broader culture. People can have…
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Jon Sampson 