I think that one thing that keeps evangelicals from missional encounters is that we have the illusion that we must first be equipped before we do anything. Remember, the pattern in John 4 is that God sustain us with his own life when we take the initiative to encounter others in relationships of mutuality and […]

In John 4, Jesus states that he was sustained by his encounter with the woman at the well in Sychar.  The narrative concludes with Jesus exhorting his disciples to reap a harvest.  The implication is that missional encounters will be their sustenance. Like the Jewish culture Jesus confronted, churches can tend to become isolated communities […]

Jesus cultivated relationships with all the wrong people, at least according to Jewish prejudices.  In John 4, he passes through the Samaritan town of Sychar and encounters a woman drawing water from the town well. Everything about this episode is highly offensive to John’s first audiences.  He’s in Samaria (gasp!), speaking with a Samaritan (ugh!!), […]

In various settings over the years, I’ve heard evangelical leaders and pastors claim that the church’s main task is evangelism.  All sorts of evangelism initiatives have been kicked into gear based on this assumed obvious fact regarding the purpose of the church.  Many people raised in evangelical churches can tell tales of guilt-motivated canvassing efforts involving […]

The cross is central in Mark’s Gospel, determining everything about the character of Jesus, God, and discipleship to God’s Son. The cross also orients leadership among God’s people. Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” “What do you […]

  We have not loved you with our whole heart, and mind, and strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have not forgiven others, as we have been forgiven. Have mercy on us, Lord.   We have been deaf to your call to serve, as Christ served us. We have not been […]

I’ve been claiming that Romans is Paul’s pastoral counsel to a church in crisis.  Rather than referring to events throughout salvation history, Paul’s discussion in Romans 5 has to do with dynamics currently up and running in the Roman Christian community. I wrote yesterday that Paul’s statements in vv. 20-21 have to do with recent […]

In my last few posts on Romans 5, I’ve claimed that Paul isn’t necessarily recounting salvation history.  He’s speaking of these things to fully describe the two realms up and running within creation—the cosmic realm called “Adam,” and the cosmic realm called “the grace-gift.” In “Adam,” the cosmic power of Sin reigns, Adam’s transgression dominates […]

In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus is constantly touching people.  Not only this, but he touches people he isn’t supposed to be touching, according to the purity codes of his culture. In Mark 1, Jesus heals a leper: A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can […]

In my last two posts on Romans 5 (here and here), I wrote that Paul speaks of justification as God’s having acted powerfully on behalf of the Roman Christians.  They are not only declared righteous, they are transformed, rectified, made new, transferred into a new cosmic realm called “this grace.”  They take up a new […]