Exilic discipleship. That’s a new term to some. (Okay, most.) You can take the term, however, sociologically or soteriologically. (“Ok, Case, enough with the confusing words…”) Here goes… Soteriology is the study of salvation. Soter is Greek for savior; Logos is word. Words on the savior. Soteriologically, or in the sense of our salvation as … Read more
Exilic Discipleship
Calvin’s 12-Step Program
John Calvin is the man. I love, love, love some of his quotes which are so sobering and needed in today’s materialistic, consumeristic glut of American culture. He writes in his Golden Booklet, “…a true Christian will not ascribe any prosperity to his own diligence, industry, or good fortune, but he will acknowledge that God … Read more
Jesus or Business: The Hope of the World?
Jay Steinmetz responded to the summer riots in Baltimore with an editorial in the Wall Street Journal entitled “My Baltimore Business Problem.” He offers a soft one-two punch to the regulatory environment which makes offering jobs in blighted parts of the city difficult. Business, he argues, is the way to prevent riots by instilling dignity, … Read more
The 31-Day Bible Plunge
I have been increasingly moved by the reactions of First Pres-ers to this idea: the Bible is not some mish-mash of random sayings, bits of wisdom, stories of ancient characters, and beautiful poetry. The Bible is actually one cohesive story from Genesis to Revelation, from the Garden of Eden to the City of the New … Read more
Culture Makers on God’s Behalf
Can I start with a big mind-blowing idea we discussed in the Gotham Fellowship, and then explain? Ok, good. Big Idea: The purpose of the Church is to fulfill the Great Commission of Matthew 28 by participating with God in the fulfillment of the cultural mandate of Genesis 1. Wow.. Any brain cells left? Let … Read more
And Boehner Cried
I was away from the Gotham Fellowship this week, and unfortunately poor technology prevented me from joining the class discussion. Yet, there is much still to say given Pope Francis’ visit to the United States this week as it relates to the concepts we are learning in the Gotham Fellowship, and Christian faith in general. … Read more
Culture: Critique it, Change it, or Create it?
Critique it, change it, or create it? These are the three categories that Andy Crouch names as reactions to culture Christians in the 20th century have had in his seminal work, Culture Making. The book summary notes: It is not enough to condemn culture. Nor is it sufficient merely to critique culture or to copy … Read more
Seriously, Gotham?
Gotham: [goth-uh m, goh-thuh m for 1; got-uh m, goh-thuh m for 2] noun 1. a journalistic nickname for New York City. 2. an English village, proverbial for the foolishness of its inhabitants. Related form Gothamite, noun or… 3. a nine month journey in public theology, worldivew, vocation, cultural transformation and … Read more
