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The Words of Todd

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Progressive Christian

2021-04-11T09:22:08-04:00

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.

Insufficient

Last updated on: April 11, 2021 at 9:22 am By Todd R. Vick

What if prayer were like a cosmic ATM card, and you receive this message? A recent conversation with a dear friend left me befuddled. He made a statement that really gave me pause. He said, “Christ’s love is boundless, but not enough to change the human heart.” Not enough? Insufficient? We were talking about the awful posts and comments we are bombarded with in this Information Age. The words spoken between total strangers, hiding behind a screen, paints an ugly... Read more

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2021-04-11T09:36:46-04:00

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.

But, I’m (Not) A Racist

Last updated on: April 11, 2021 at 9:36 am By Todd R. Vick

I’m a lower middle class white male. I always have been. When we talk about “privilege,” we are not referring to wealth. The privilege is that I have always been able to cross the street, take a walk, marry a white woman, and vote — all of which I can do without worrying for my life. Ever. Another jewel in my non-racist crown is that I have as many black friends as white — maybe more. I love them all... Read more

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2021-04-08T11:14:54-04:00

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.

When We Refuse to See the Obvious

Last updated on: April 8, 2021 at 11:14 am By Todd R. Vick

I was a Pastor for 30 years. Before that, I was very involved in the local ministry of my church. If the doors were open, I was there, ready to serve. Three days from now will be the 38th year of me being a Jesus follower. On April 11, 1983, I acknowledged who Jesus is, and invited him into my sixteen year old heart. What follows is an excerpt from my upcoming book, The Reconstructing of Your Mind, releasing in mid June... Read more

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2021-04-06T10:59:40-04:00

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.

Escape From the Conservative Reality Cage

Last updated on: April 6, 2021 at 10:59 am By Todd R. Vick

I have three pets. There is, Toby, the Hyper-Beagle; there is a bunny, Mr. Snuggles, and a white dove named Angel, who is twenty-four years old. The dog has free reign of the house (as well as of the humans!), but Mr. Snuggles lives in a 10’ by 6’ pen and Angel is in a cage. Angel’s cage is small, but she never complains. For years, she has lived in this small cage with two perches and some toys. Every... Read more

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2021-04-02T11:50:14-04:00

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.

Love, Death, and Resurrection (In That Order)

Last updated on: April 2, 2021 at 11:50 am By Todd R. Vick

In Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan, Admiral Kirk said, how we face death is at least as important as how we face life. Later, he is confronted by his son, David, with the truth that until Spock died, he had never really faced death. I cheated death, he said, and patted myself on my back for my ingenuity. Cheating death was never an option for Jesus. Biologically speaking, the kernel, or wheat berry, is the seed from which... Read more

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2021-04-01T12:49:04-04:00

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.

Jesus: The Rebel Without Applause

Last updated on: April 1, 2021 at 12:49 pm By Todd R. Vick

Classic movies are one of my guilty pleasures. Hi, my name’s Todd, and I am a hardcore cinephile. From silent movies of old to Avengers: Endgame, I have seen thousands of films. A few have stood out for me over the years, like Rebel Without A Cause, the movie that put James Dean on the map. After moving to a new town, troublemaking teen Jim Stark (Dean) is supposed to have a clean slate, although being the new kid in... Read more

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2021-03-29T11:39:12-04:00

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 Point-of-View Problem

Last updated on: March 29, 2021 at 11:39 am By Todd R. Vick

The scientific word for point-of-view is cognition. Your cognition takes many years to develop. It is the sum-total of all you have learned, everything you believe, and all your individual experiences. My cognition, or point-of-view could be completely opposite from yours regarding, well…anything. Therein lies the conundrum: We are who and what we are, and we are unwilling to change. What we know is all we need to know. Instead of remaining polarized by our differences, we should embrace and... Read more

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2021-03-25T11:45:21-04:00

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.

Evangelism Has Outlived It’s Usefulness

Last updated on: March 25, 2021 at 11:45 am By Todd R. Vick

Evangelism has outlived its usefulness. I will say it again. Evangelism has outlived its usefulness. When I say evangelism, I am talking about the sales pitch. Maybe you’ve heard it before. You have a problem. You are a sinner from birth. You are separated from God and his love. You are going to go to hell when you die if you don’t repent. There is a solution. Jesus died on the cross so you could be forgiven of your sins... Read more

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2021-03-24T14:35:01-04:00

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.

Churchianity is Big Business, Conclusion — TV Preachers & Televangelists

Last updated on: March 24, 2021 at 2:35 pm By Todd R. Vick

You’ve seen them, haven’t you? Early in the morning, late at night, or when there is just nothing else worth watching on TV, they are there. I’m talking about TV preachers. These men and women with perfect hair, perfect teeth, and perfect clothes, spend their thirty minutes asking you to help them stay on the air. They do this by offering you some book, message series, or ridiculous item like Jim Bakker’s, “Rapture Survival Kit.” Benny Hinn might have offered... Read more

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2021-03-23T08:58:41-04:00

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.

Churchianity is Big Business, part 2

Last updated on: March 23, 2021 at 8:58 am By Todd R. Vick

In my last piece I examined the whole mega-church mentality that seems to saturate what is Americanized Christendom, or what I like to call, “Churchianity.” I would now like to offer what I believe are mindsets which have rendered the Church ineffective and even unimportant by our generation. I am drawing from my own personal ministry experiences, and though I wouldn’t consider myself an expert, I am most definitely a seasoned and wounded participant. I left the ministry for personal... Read more

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