Why Trials MatterJill Johnson08/28/2010 - 
During the trials that the past few years brought my family, I have come to realize what matters most in life. I found that we, as fallen humans, cannot fully appreciate the blessings that God gives us until we endure the trials He ordains for us. Christ never promised his believers an earthly life full of health and prosperity. . . . 
Why the Church Matters
Garrett East
08/16/2010 - 
Although it is important never to equate the Church with the kingdom of God, the Church of Jesus Christ is the sign, foretaste, and herald of God’s kingdom. As a sign, the Church points to something that it is not. Just as a sign labeled “Austin—55 miles” should never be confused with the city of Austin itself, so the Church should never be confused with the kingdom. Nevertheless, just as the sign directs one to the city, so the Church directs one to the kingdom. And just as the sign is seen and not heard, so the Church, without speaking, points to the kingdom in its visible life together. . . .
Why Language for God Matters
Naomi Walters
08/12/2010 - 
Christians should not use gendered pronouns to refer to God. More to the point, God is not a “he.” Whether you agree or disagree with the previous statements, you likely do so passionately. This passion reveals the fact that you feel it matters what we say about God. It matters how we speak about God; on this all Christians agree. In fact, there is no subject more important than God. . . .
Alexander Campbell: Millennial Blogger?
Greg Taylor
08/05/2010
- Writing on the site pages of the Disciples of Christ Historical Society, New Wineskins Managing Editor Greg Taylor compares the world of religious journalism, early and current, in the Restoration Movement. Would Alexander Campbell have published a weblog titled "The Millennial Blogger"? . . . .
Greg also reviews Bill Hybels' book The Power of a Whisper at the Leadership Journal site. . . .
Why Reading Scripture Matters
Amy McLaughlin
07/21/2010 - 
This past school year I was required to read Eugene Peterson’s Eat This Book for one of my classes at Lipscomb University. I found in its pages a convicting challenge, and the challenge was this: lectio divina. Lectio Divina, commonly translated as “spiritual reading,” is a reading of scripture in which living and reading are reciprocal, interwoven with one another; it is a formative life-changing reading of scripture. I tend to agree with Peterson that this kind of reading should indeed be our goal. However, this task has proven to be more daunting than I imagined. . . .
Why Theology Matters
Brad East
07/18/2010 - 
Theology is notoriously difficult to define. Many have claimed that theology, taken literally, is simply any and all talk about God. And to some extent we ought to allow this straightforward understanding: certainly to be a Christian, and in a sense to be human at all, is to engage in theological practice. All of life, it may be said, is a kind of grappling with how to speak—not to mention what that speech entails in day-to-day living — about, and to, God. . . .
Why Justice Matters
Jordan Wesley
07/14/2010 - 
“That there is something unfolding in the universe whether one speaks of it as an unconscious process, or whether one speaks of it as some unmoved mover, or whether someone speaks of it as a personal God. There is something in the universe that unfolds for justice and so in Montgomery we felt somehow that as we struggled we had a cosmic companionship. And this was one of the things that kept the people together, the belief that the universe is on the side of justice.” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, June 4th, 1957, at the University of California at Berkley ... Extraordinary persons such as Mother Teresa press us to stare into the eyes of grotesque inequities, and in the humanity of this abstract pursuit of justice, we find a cosmic companion, the one behind and before the struggle for justice. . . .
Why Mission Matters
Ryan Woods
07/11/2010 - 
I tried to be a missionary once. I failed. For two years I spent time in a ghetto suburb of Lisbon, Portugal trying to save the world. The world did not get saved. As a matter of fact, I did not technically save anybody. I learned to love soccer, I spent time with teenagers and homeless men, and I grew my hair out. But missionaries are supposed to grow churches, see hordes of people come to Jesus, and perfect their altar calls. I did none of those. I helped my Angolan musician friend Rey Kuango write lyrics in English. I fed homeless folk and saw a community of emerge at our church from their ranks. I provided a place to stay for my friend Nikko away from his cockroach-infested home where his light fixture consisted of a light bulb and two wires that he shoved into the outlet. But I never performed an altar call. Being a missionary is nearly one of the hardest things I have ever done. But it was nothing compared to what it prepared me for later in my life of ministry. . . .
What Really Matters
Sara Barton
07/07/2010 - 
When I was asked to edit an issue of New Wineskins, therefore, I knew that I wanted to invite young thinkers to contribute to the theme, What Really Matters? Every writer who contributed to this issue (besides myself) is younger than thirty. Our conversations over email, through Facebook messages, and in text messages, have been what I hoped they would be. They have been centered on what matters in the lives of those who profess Jesus as Lord in our postmodern world. They have been about loving God and loving others. . . .
Diagnosis before Treatment: Seeking Peace in our Splintered Family (Nick Gill - 04/10/2010)
Hosanna - Jesus, Save Us! - A Pattern We Cannot Imitate (Charme Robarts - 04/08/2010)
A Living Presence, Not A Legal Pattern (by Charles Prince - 04/06/2010)
Patternism in Adventism (Jim Ayars - 04/04/2010)
Pursuing a Pattern of Personal Holiness (Rick Presley - 04/02/2010)
A Pattern to Lean On (Tim Woodroof - 03/31/2010)
How It Happened: Some Historical Perspective (Edward Fudge - 03/28/2010)
Beware the Pattern! (Jay Guin - 03/25/2010)
Patternism in Churches of Christ: A Template for Sin (Royce Ogle - 03/23/2010)
Pondering Patternism (Al Maxey - 03/21/2010)
About This Issue (Edward Fudge, Guest Editor - 03/19/2010)
Why the Name of Jesus MattersJaron Bentley08/05/2010 - 
Not everyone accepts Jesus’ name, and there are good reasons for it. The name of Jesus hasn’t just been used for love and compassion, but also for violence and injustice. Many people, without claiming the name of Jesus, seem to have just as real a relationship with God as those who do. And how, exactly, do we know that the name of Jesus is what saves us? . . .
Why Preaching Matters
Wayne Beason
07/31/2010 - 
What if we were to look beyond the apparent individualistic nature of sermons? Is it possible that we might find, even in preaching, an exciting communal reality? At first blush, the sermon seems to be the product of a sole contributor, the preacher. However, if we were to widen the lens with which we view the sermon, we are likely to find a whole host of voices speaking together in unison, harmony - and dissonance. . . .
Why Community Matters (to Me)
Rachel Cox Henderson
07/25/2010 - 
One of our class readings outlined what the author called, “The Three Worst Types of Christians.” The first two were pretty obvious: The Christian who separates too much from the world, and the Christian who is too much like it. However, the third one really stumped me: The Christian who befriends non-believers just to convert them. I remember reading that and thinking… “Wait a minute…why else WOULD you befriend someone who doesn’t believe?” I had never thought of friendships with nonbelievers as anything other than a missionary method. The author more fully elaborated by asking this question: “Think of an unbelieving friend. If you knew that person would never come to know Jesus, would you keep investing in a friendship with them anyway?” The indictment I felt after reading that question sent me on exciting journey that’s still leading to new discoveries every day. . . .
ZOE Group Update
Eric Noah-Wilson
07/02/2010 - Our team met in Nashville at the end of June and decided that it was time to take a fresh look at ZOE. Much has changed in our world and in our churches since our beginning in 1997. We needed to seriously consider the possibility that ZOE might have run its time and course and that we needed to celebrate what God has done and end the ministry. After a long and passionate discussion we all felt strongly that God was not finished with ZOE yet. We still face some daunting challenges, most notably how to keep things going in a struggling economy. But we're determined to try. . . .
'Inside Out' MP3 Downloads Now Available OnlineGo to the ZOE LifeStore today to order your Inside Out singles or album for immediate download to your computer!
Just type "Inside" in the search box and select items with mp3 in the title.
(To put the album art on your mp3 player, use the image to the left.)
Live a Life of Worship!
(Here is the mp3 album with song samples.)
The Unexpected Minister
Edward Fudge
09/05/2010 - I had flown to Baton Rouge, Louisiana on business, where I took a taxicab from the airport to my hotel. Upon entering the cab, I immediately noticed a large and well-worn Bible on the driver's dashboard. I commented concerning the stormy weather I had left in Houston and asked the cab-driver if they had experienced it in Baton Rouge. He responded that he had been reading about storms in the Old Testament prophets. . . .
Family Notes - 9/1/2010
Edward Fudge
09/01/2010 - Edward at Holy Apostles | The Divine Dilemma | GracEmeal in Lubbock, Tex. | Excerpt
The Point of Hell
Edward Fudge
08/29/2010 - Evangelical Christians around the world are rethinking the traditional doctrine of hell as unending conscious torment, and a number of the most-respected Bible scholars, teachers and preachers have publicly stated that they do not believe that the traditional view is biblical. For more on that, visit my website at www.EdwardFudge.com/written/fire.html for a variety of multimedia materials, most without financial charge. But that is not what I want to talk about today.
Family Notes - 8/25/2010
Edward Fudge
08/25/2010 - This Week at Lifeway | Holy Land Tour 2011 | Free PDF Books Worldwide | Gracemeal in Lubbock, TX
The Myth of Modernity (2)
Edward Fudge
08/22/2010 - The mindset of Modernity that we talked about last week strutted onto the scene with an air of self-confidence and with a mouthful of sunny promises. Unfortunately, as we sometimes say in Texas, it was "all hat and no cattle." Science did not take us to Utopia but to the brink of destruction. The new religion based on Reason did not usher in God's kingdom, but recast God as an usher assigned to serve the kingdoms and agendas of man. Viewed from all angles, Modernity's striking figure turned out to be an illusion created by smoke and mirrors. Its promises have been discredited and its boasts exposed. A new mindset now permeates our culture, a way of thinking often described as "postmodern."
A quotation from the Savior for today,
A thought-provoking quote from New Wineskins writing contributors and a link to the full article containing it:
News from the Vineyard
