On the blogs and in my brain…

Jay Voorhees: Casting a Vision for the People Called Methodist:

“…simply repeating a mantra of “vital congregations” over and over again is not casting a vision, for it fails to provide a connection to how congregational vitality is connected to discipleship – our primary calling and mission.”

Fred Clark as a nice overview of much of the recent discussion on the church blogs about “masculine Christianity” and women in ministry.

Check out the Missional Methodist Manifesto.

3 Ways Smart Leaders Prepare for the Unknown.

Reinhold Niebuhr:

Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime;

therefore, we must be saved by hope.

Nothing true or beautiful makes complete sense

in any context of history;

therefore, we must be saved by faith.

Nothing we do, no matter how virtuous,

can be accomplished alone;

therefore, we are saved by love. (via inward/outward)

Shane Claiborne: Occupy Nonviolence:

“It is always tempting to demonize people and humanize corporations. It’s easy to forget that we are up against something bigger than flesh and blood people. And it’s particularly easy to forget that people are not the enemy when people are shooting pepper spray in your face.”

Jamie the Very Worst Missionary: The Tourist Gospel.

Geoff Surratt: 5 Scary Trends the Shipwreck the Church.

Usually McSweeney’s gives me a great dose of humor, but this article on Jesus for President is a powerful, straightforward expression of faith that I can resonate with:

“… the reality is, if you want to live like Jesus is your president it means committing to a long hard life of self-denial. A life of little privacy and no independence, of homelessness and restlessness, no promises of the pursuit of happiness, but great big draughts of joy.”

Roger Olson: Rick Santorum, Barak Obama and theology.

Sarah Cunningham: The Theology of Falling.

Ragamuffin Soul: Introverts – The Churches Unspoken Second Class Citizens.

Need to try this with the kids: