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Progressive Christian

2023-04-24T11:29:51-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Ultimately, It Was Love

Last updated on: April 24, 2023 at 11:29 am By C. Don Jones

My Annual Conference saw 264 congregations leave last Saturday. Love let them go. It was all that was left to do. What I feared just a few years ago happened. My church split. And I could not participate in the vote. I could not help feeling it was all wrong. In a previous post, I talked about my reservations about celebrating Holy Communion at the time. I received the body and blood of Christ hoping for grace. I found it.... Read more

The United Methodist Church

2023-04-20T09:24:37-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Earth Day Virtue

Last updated on: April 20, 2023 at 9:24 am By C. Don Jones

This Earth Day, I am reading, for the first time, A Sand County Almanac. I know. It is long overdue that I read it. At least no one is authorized to pull my eco-card for it. I bought what amounts to a 70th anniversary printing and was equally pleased to see an Introduction from Barbara Kingsolver. Icing on the cake, as they say. I know very little about Aldo Leopold, aside from the cool name. And so I am looking forward... Read more

2023-04-20T09:25:30-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Communing With Judas

Last updated on: April 20, 2023 at 9:25 am By C. Don Jones

It is a common holy week theme. Can you sit with your Judas? Do we even wish to do so? This Saturday we will formally separate congregations from our Annual Conference. Unfortunately, we are not separating the clergy members who have lied, misinformed, and manipulated the prejudices of lay members to maintain their own incomes. True, these people don’t attend clergy meetings. Our most recent clergy convocation was a beautiful experience for a number of reasons. One of the largest... Read more

Biblical Interpretation

The United Methodist Church

Wesleyan

2023-04-11T12:23:22-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

3 Days Is All It Takes

Last updated on: April 11, 2023 at 12:23 pm By C. Don Jones

Why did Jonah need to stay in the belly of the fish for 3 days? It is a question we almost never ask. Jesus mentions the 3 days and nights in the fish to point toward the resurrection. For early Christians, Jonah became a symbol of the Resurrection. Curiously, that is not the point the book of Jonah makes. The story of Jonah is about mercy. 3 Days of Judgment Jonah is swallowed up by the fish after persuading the... Read more

Biblical Interpretation

Divine Judgment

2023-04-06T11:18:36-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

No, Jesus Did Not Walk Out of the Tomb

Last updated on: April 6, 2023 at 11:18 am By C. Don Jones

The canonical gospels never show Jesus walking out of his tomb. Yet, popular memes on social media give this impression. The pictures are interesting because they miss the point. Jesus never walks out of his tomb like…like… Lazarus. According to tradition, Lazarus lived for about 30 years after that until he died again. The Tomb Stories Matthew shows an angel opening a sealed tomb that is now empty. Mark shows the tomb already opened after the women are concerned about... Read more

Biblical Interpretation

Holy Week

2023-04-03T10:56:32-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Free To Love

Last updated on: April 3, 2023 at 10:56 am By C. Don Jones

Paul says “For freedom Christ has set us free.” (Galatians 5:1) I for one am glad to hear it. I suppose the churches in Galatia enjoyed hearing this sentiment as it was read to them. No doubt, some took these words at face value. Other people were more cautious. “For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole... Read more

Biblical Interpretation

Holy Week

2023-03-30T13:37:44-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Enough For Palm Sunday

Last updated on: March 30, 2023 at 1:37 pm By C. Don Jones

Enough. Fed up. Tired of it. Disgust overload. Guns are the drug of choice for a sizable portion of the population of the USA. And fear is the unstated reason for this violence to continue. The recent rampage at The Covenant School in Nashville is the latest outcome. The right to bear arms is confused with the right to sell weapons of war to any one with a credit card. Legislators appear in Christmas cards holding these weapons along with... Read more

Fear

Redemptive Violence Myth

Violence

2023-03-27T11:26:35-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Seminaries Are Not The Problem

Last updated on: March 27, 2023 at 11:26 am By C. Don Jones

Seminaries get blame for not training clergy appropriately. The blame comes from a certain segment of society which claims all that higher education does is make good people liberal. The recent approval of two southern Baptist seminaries for training clergy in the Global Methodist Church reflects this prejudice. Most secularists oppose theological education as either programming or indoctrination. The objection is the subjects studied contribute little to enhancing human knowledge or betterment of society. Conservative church leaders object to theological... Read more

Progressive Christianity

The United Methodist Church

Theology

2023-03-23T16:01:33-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

4 Reasons Why You Need A Church

Last updated on: March 23, 2023 at 4:01 pm By C. Don Jones

Progressive Christians do not feel at home in many churches anymore. There are reasons to find a church or develop a congregation of like-minded Jesus followers. It is understandable when one feels wounded or angry to avoid churches all together. Yet it is not the best thing to do. I will give four reasons followers of Jesus need church. 1. Reasons of Mutual Help Community is like experience. You don’t feel the need for it until you need it. People... Read more

Home and Religion

Church Discipline

Community

2023-03-21T10:42:46-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Problem of Forgiveness and “Women Talking”

Last updated on: March 21, 2023 at 10:42 am By C. Don Jones

I finally saw the film Women Talking. I highly recommend it to anyone believing forgiveness is easy. While the film is fiction, it is based on actual events. The women involved in the discussion are part of a religious community based in pacifism and simple living. The commands to love one’s neighbor and forgive one’s enemies have become pious platitudes in the community. After a series of sexual assaults are committed, one man of the community is caught. He then identifies... Read more

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