Thoughts from John Collins, a United Methodist Pastor in the Flint Hills.
You may have noticed the “Save the Net” badge on the right of this blog that links to an organization working for net neutrality. I’ve never found time to set fourth my thoughts on this matter, but Danny Collum has an article on sojo.net laying out some of the Christian arguments for net neutrality.
Dan Dick has this excellent post on the ability of a church building to make a lasting impression on first time visitors and the way that impression contributes to a church’s hospitality or lack thereof. If you’ve ever wondered why I have focused so much attention on this area (or even if you haven’t) you should take a look.
A good article here by Jason Byassee of Duke Divinity School. God isn’t done with the United Methodist Church yet.
Hat Tip: Brian Mclaren
Dan Dick has a moving essay on the historical situation of the Mary, Joseph and the first Christmas. It’s well worth a read. I agree with him that setting the story in all it’s gritty reality makes it all the more miraculous.
Link: http://doroteos2.wordpress.com/2009/12/23/before-there-was-an-ending/
Dan Dick has a good post on the importance of authenticity for both Clauses (as in Santa) and Churches. It’s a short relatively short read and I highly recommend it.
Link: http://doroteos2.wordpress.com/2009/12/10/claus-trophobia/
Over at United Methodist Deviations, Dan Dick has an excellent post titled “Cagey Christians.” It’s a follow-up to his “Cranky Christians ” post. An excerpt:
Whereas cranky Christians are those who gripe and moan about every little thing, throwing tantrums to get their own way, and acting out in a wide variety of unpleasant ways, cagey Christians employ much more subtle — but no less destructive — tactics.
There are several “cagey Christian” behaviors that Dan Dick addresses. I especially appreciated his recommendation not to try to address the problem of those who gossip, but rather to focus efforts on those who listen to them. I heartily recommend the whole article.
Link: http://doroteos2.wordpress.com/2009/07/27/cagey-christians/
A blog entry from Dan Dick titled Messin’ With the System. I love the quote, which he attributes to Dr. Ezra Earl Jones: “The system is designed for the results it’s getting.” Thanks to David Livingston for flagging this one.
Link: http://doroteos2.wordpress.com/2009/05/19/messin-with-the-system-and-a-beloved-metaphor/
Dan Hotchkiss of the Alban Institute has an excellent article on church budgets during difficult financial times at http://www.alban.org/conversation.aspx?id=7184.