Turning Over a New Leaf

The road goes ever on and on....

Many things in my life are about to change, including the location of this blog. From this time forward you can find Souljourning at www.souljourning.wordpress.com. Stay tuned.

Radical Orthodoxy

Pentecost & Evangelism

We are told in the book of Acts that on the Day of Pentecost, about 3,000 souls were added to the Church. This simple fact has for many linked the Day of Pentecost to the process of evangelism, which interests me as an Evangelist considerably as you might imagine. But I think the coming of the Spirit to the Church was more than a membership drive, and so evangelism for us must be more & deeper than simply new members.

The miracle of Pentecost is a clear reversal of the tragedy of the Tower of Babel where humans became not only further estranged from God, but also from one another. The Communion for which we were created is lost and the story of the progressive disaster of that lost communion marks much of the opening narratives of Scripture. In contrast, the Gospels and Acts tell a story of the reversal of that lost communion.

One of the great challenges of the Church in the modern age is to return the proclamation of the Gospel (evangelism) to its proper foundations and rescue it from the increasing secularism of marketing growth and moralistic interpretations. Christ did not come to make bad men good, but to make dead men live. The conversion of 3,000 at Pentecost was not a membership drive, but glorious reversal of both The Fall and the tragedy of Babel. That is the Gospel we proclaim! Not, “Join our church, be good, and God will take care of you,” but “Life, freedom, healing, forgiveness, redemption, and salvation are offered to you in the death & resurrection of Jesus.” We, The Church, are simply the humble stewards of that message, that way of life, and the mysteries of the Sacraments through which Jesus still comes to us.

Psalm 121 Anglican Style

Two New Blogs of Note

The first, is a wonderful New Testament studies blog put together by my close friend Mr. Larsen, who recently had a paper accepted by the SBL for presentation at their national conference. Check it out here: Matt's NT Studies Blog

The second is a blog dedicated to Anglican spirituality, theology, history, and worship. Check it here: A Tribe Called Anglican

The Green Patriarch

This documentary was produced last year by Becket Films and looks at the environmental activism of the Ecumenical Patriarch of the Orthodox Church Bartholomew, whose work stems from his belief that we are part of nature, and that God’s intention for humans is to be stewards, or caretakers, of all creation.

Watch it here: The Green Patriarch

Cloudbank Sessions

Hold the presses! At long last, the wishes of the people and the Universe have been realized ... Donnie Mortimer has finally recorded an album! Check it here:

http://mortimermusic.blogspot.com/

Do whatever you need to do (including small and medium size misdemeanours) to get your hands on what I'm sure we'll be one of the most musically brilliant and well crafted pieces of art in your collection.

Also, check out this article in Elephant Magazine regarding Donnie, his music, and the album:

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2010/01/new-music-donnie-mortimer-in-the-studio

Christian in a Meaningful Sense

“I would say that if you don’t believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and Messiah, and that he rose again from the dead and by his sacrifice our sins are forgiven, you’re really not in any meaningful sense a Christian.”

-- Christopher Hitchens, Atheist and Author in response to a Unitarian minister

Free Fallin'

Couldn't help but share this:

New NT Wright Book Coming in March

From Publishers Weekly:

How do you develop a character suited for God's Kingdom? Practice, practice, practice. That, in a nutshell, is the message of this volume on building Christian character by Wright, a prodigiously prolific Bible scholar and Anglican Bishop of Durham, England. In arguing for this new vision of virtue, which is a vision of Jesus Christ himself, Wright carefully explores such classical exponents of character as Aristotle. He also acknowledges the existence of other notions of encouraging behavior-based rules, duty, or being true to oneself. Drawing on Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, Wright asserts that true transformation comes through the work of the Holy Spirit and through worship, mission, and following Jesus. As the habits of virtue grow, the church will become the royal priesthood it is meant to be, anticipating God's coming new world.

"Bishop Wright, with his usual wisdom and erudition, shows how an account of the virtues is not only compatible but is required by the New Testament understanding of what it means to be a Christian. This important book will hopefully be read by theologian and non-theologian alike." -- Stanley Hauerwas, Duke Divinity School

Gusher Marathon Training: Week 1

Well, after a long (5 year) hiatus from endurance running, I am reentering the fray this spring at the inagural Gusher Marathon in Beaumont, TX. This week is the first week of my training. May the Lord preserve me and keep me from injury.