Archive for October, 2009
« Previous EntriesYou Don’t See This Everyday!
Saturday, October 31st, 2009A few days ago I flew from Los Angeles to San Antonio on Southwest Airlines. I was surprised to find the Southwest section of the terminal decorated for Halloween. Here are a couple of photos:
A Case for Virtual Church
Thursday, October 29th, 2009Part 4 of series: The Challenge and Opportunity of Virtual Church
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In my last two posts I explained that virtual church, in my opinion, is “real” in many ways that count. Therefore it’s not crazy to consider the possibility that virtual church is something worth doing, at least […]
Could Virtual Church Be Real Church? Section 2
Wednesday, October 28th, 2009Part 3 of series: The Challenge and Opportunity of Virtual Church
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In my last post I began to respond to those who might think that this whole conversation about the reality of virtual church is just plain ridiculous. “After all,” one might object, “how can ‘church’ that exists […]
Wit and Wisdom from Bill Swedberg
Tuesday, October 27th, 2009If you read my blog yesterday, you saw my tribute to my father-in-law, Bill Swedberg. He died a couple of weeks ago. On Saturday I officiated at his memorial service. A few years Bill died, his daughter Debbie gave him a journal to record key aspects of his life. It was called A Father’s Legacy: […]
A Tribute to My Father-in-Law, Bill Swedberg
Monday, October 26th, 2009Last Saturday I officiated at the memorial service for my father-in-law, Bill Swedberg. He died a couple of weeks ago at the age of 84, a victim of Parkinson’s Syndrome. The service was held at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California, where Bill’s wife is buried (and also my father and my maternal grandparents).
Bill […]
Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling
Sunday, October 25th, 2009Has God Forgotten to Be Gracious?
READ Psalm 77:1-20
Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he slammed the door on his compassion?
Psalm 77:9
Psalm 77, written by Asaph, begins with a profound expression of anguish. The psalmist has found himself in a terribly difficult and painful situation. He has cried out to God, even shouting and praying all […]
Could Virtual Church Be Real Church?
Friday, October 23rd, 2009Part 2 of series: The Challenge and Opportunity of Virtual Church
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Yesterday I began a blog series focusing on the challenge and opportunity of virtual church. This series will be, in part, a conversation with the book SimChurch: Being the Church in the Virtual World by Douglas Estes. […]
The Challenge of Virtual Church: Introduction
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009Part 1 of series: The Challenge and Opportunity of Virtual Church
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A month ago I did a blog series on the topic: Is Online Church Really Church? Inspired by a conversation at the Christian Web Conference in Southern California, I wrestled with the notion of whether or not […]
SimChurch: Being the Church in the Virtual World, by Douglas Estes
Wednesday, October 21st, 2009Today this website is a “stop” on a blog tour for a new book, SimChurch: Being the Church in the Virtual World, by Douglas Estes (Zondervan, 2009). This book offers an in-depth analysis of so-called “virtual churches.” We’re not talking here about what I’ve called “online church,” namely, real world churches that use the Internet […]
Introducing Patheos
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009A few weeks ago, one of my colleagues at Foundations for Laity Renewal forwarded to me a news release about Patheos and its effort to increase meaningful dialogue among different religious traditions. Keith Mirrer, our Director of Communications, keeps abreast of religious news stories and forwards to me those that are relevant to my work. […]
Final Views of New England
Monday, October 19th, 2009Before I return to my usual blogging routine, I thought I’d post three more photos of New England, from my trip there a couple of weeks ago.
First, the statue of Paul Revere, with the Old North Church in the background. A visit to these national monuments is worthwhile, not only because of their historical significance, […]
Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling
Sunday, October 18th, 2009Drinking the Cup of Judgment
READ Psalm 75:1-10
For the LORD holds a cup in his hand that is full of foaming wine mixed with spices.
He pours out the wine in judgment, and all the wicked must drink it, draining it to the dregs.
Psalm 75:8
In Psalm 75:8, the image of a cup filled with wine represents the […]
Views of Harvard
Friday, October 16th, 2009During my trip to New England last week, I was able to visit Harvard University. I had not been back to my alma mater since my final graduation there in 1992. Of course I enjoyed plenty of nostalgia, which I generously shared with my wife. I thought I’d share a bit with you, through some […]
Park Street Church in Boston
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009Last weekend I had the privilege of preaching at Park Street Church in downtown Boston. Park St. is celebrating its bicentennial this year. That’s right, 200 years! They’ve had a bunch of guest preachers, including me.
I thought I’d share some pictures of this amazing church (by which I mean the people, not just the building). […]
Scenes from Rockport, Massachusetts
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009Here are a few photos from one of my favorite places in the world, Rockport, Massachusetts. The red fishing shack in the center of these photos is Motif #1, one of the most photographed, painted, and drawn structures in the world. This is actually the second Motif #1, since the original was destroyed in the […]
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