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

Pastor Corey Widmer explores a deeper theology of sin on the Third Church blog:

As the funerals of those killed in Charleston come to a close and as the Christian community reflects on race and our role in it, I’d like to go deeper into a Biblical theology of sin and how it might inform our response to a situation like the one in Charleston. Many pundits and other media leaders are suggesting we should respond this way and that; but how does the Bible call us to respond? And how might a richer, deeper biblical theology of sin help us to be faithful to the gospel even in difficult national conversations about history and race?

Gannon Sims writes at Fresh Expressions US about making disciples in fresh expressions of church:

The way we understand discipleship gets to the heart of what it means to be Church. Bob Hopkins, of the UK Fresh Expressions team suggests “If church becomes more of a verb, then we can see church done in its different aspects in different activities, engagements, families and get-togethers. . . contributing to one another to make it fully church.”

Ben Sternke lists seven kinds of books every pastor should read:

I named this post “7 Kinds of Books Every Pastor Should Read” because it seemed like a good headline, but I don’t actually want to be that prescriptive about it. But as I thought about the kinds of books I’m reading, they seem to boil down into these 7 categories. I’ve also put a couple examples of each category.

News & Views

Wesley Hill writes at The Washington Post about a gay Christian leader's recent resignation, and showing honor:

Julie and I both know that Christian churches and communities are often toxic places for LGBT people. Drawing only from my own small circle of gay friends, I could share stories of jobs denied, friendships lost, promotions refused and hospitality qualified — all because of what Julie describes, rightly, as “straight up homophobia.”

And yet I’m not sure that such tragedies are the result of the traditional Christian teaching on marriage and sex in and of itself. 

Ed Stetzer writes at Christianity Today with a challenge to progressive Christians on Planned Parenthood and abortion:

Will this video actually cause some mainline Christians and progressive evangelicals to think that, perhaps, the overwhelming embrace of abortion, or "choice," has led to this—an all out defense of an abortion doctor casually dismissing the crushing of human bodies in the womb in specific ways so that profitable organs can be preserved?

Benjamin Corey writes about Bree Newsome and her act of civil disobedience in taking down the Confederate flag:

Of all the things I think we can learn from Bree Newsome, perhaps the most important is the realization that peace refers to entire situations and communities being made right. Thusly, if one is dedicated to nonviolent peacemaking in the tradition of following Jesus, one is dedicated not to calm, but to making things right again.

Favorite Podcasts

Dan White Jr. on the Sermonsmith podcast.

Rob Bell on the Seminary Dropout podcast.

Stan Graham on the Fresh Expressions US podcast.

 

On The Missio Blog

Thinking About Transitioning A Church? Don’t Do It!, by Seth Richardson and Matt Tebbe.

A Baptism Of Tears, by Dr. Charlie Self.

ANNOUNCING: A New Podcast Partnership With Theology On Mission + The Latest Episode!, by Missio Alliance.

A Or B? A Few Thoughts On Discernment And Decision Making, by Scott Emery.