Every Sunday, we’ll be posting articles and links that are saying something important about church, culture, and mission. Here’s what resonated with us this week on the web:

Church & Theology

Ben Sternke explores how to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom:

Does the gospel I preach naturally lead to people becoming disciples of Jesus?

We need to go beyond the anemic, piecemeal gospels of “heaven when we die” or “justice here and now” and learn to proclaim the gospel that Jesus and the apostles announced: the good news of the kingdom of God.

Brian Dolleman and Richard Beck make the claim that Christianity is boring:

Yes, there is something repetitious about the Christian life. Following Jesus isn’t necessarily about going into new territory every day. Often, it’s about doing the same things over and over and over…

Scot McKnight reviews and riffs on Lucy Peppiatt's Women and Worship at Corinth:

The bigger issue is that “at least for some” is not the issue for “others.” This is why Lucy Peppiatt’s thorough discussion of options in her book Women and Worship at Corinth helps us all. She sorts it all out, and then shows that each sort has significant problems, and problems enough to drive us to cry out for something more compelling.

News & Views

Jonathan Merritt writes a two part series on church discipline in America, especially in light of recent events:

While no major religious polling organizations posses recent data on how many American churches utilize similar discipline procedures, many believe the number is growing, particularly among conservative congregations. As more cases come to light over time, they raise questions about the biblical basis and legal implications of such practices. Are these churches doing their best to care for their flocks or are crossing a ethical line?

Tim Keller reviews books by Matthew Vines and Ken Wilson on the Bible and same-sex relationships:

The saddest thing for me as a reader was how, in books on the Bible and sex, Vines and Wilson concentrated almost wholly on the biblical negatives—the prohibitions against homosexual practice—instead of giving sustained attention to the high, (yes) glorious scriptural vision of sexuality. Both authors rightly say that the Bible calls for mutual loving relationships in marriage, but it points to far more than that. 

Matthew Vines responds to Tim Keller's review to reinforce his argument:

It is not enough to say that “male and female have unique, non-interchangeable glories.” In order to make a persuasive argument from Scripture, Keller—and anyone else taking this approach—must define specifically what those “unique, non-interchangeable glories” are, and must then demonstrate that the Bible itself teaches that one or more of those aspects of gender complementarity is exclusively and universally normative.

 

Favorite Podcasts

Jason Collins on the Fresh Expressions US podcast.

Brian Zahnd preaches "Jesus Restores All Things" on the Word of Life podcast.

Glenn Packiam on the Seminary Dropout Podcast.

Partners & Resources

Watch: Tory Baucum on Christians Learning to Like People Outside the Faith, at Fresh Expressions US.

Prodigal Christianity: An Interview With Geoff Holsclaw, by Dan White Jr. at V3 Movement.

Urban Church Planting, by Manny Ortiz and Susan Baker at Biblical Seminary.

On The Missio Blog

On the blog this week, we launched into Ordinary Time with a diverse selection of posts:

Peter’s Story: Why Does The Church Reject When It Ought To Embrace?, by Fred Liggin.

Natasha Sistrunk Robinson Recaps The #TrulyHuman Gathering At Christianity Today!, by Missio Alliance.

Is The Holy Spirit The Love Between The Father And The Son?, by Derek Vreeland.

Are We Really Building The Kingdom?, by Karen Wilk.