The Blue Parakeet — A Review

by The RevNo Comments
First, Dr. McKnight and Zondervan thank you for the advance copy.–The Blue Parakeet is a text that discusses how we actually read the Bible. Dr. McKnight brings up two key ideas throughout his short work. His first organizing principle is the concept that the Bible was written in a certain period’s time and ways. The second is that we are to read the Bible alongside of tradition as opposed to through it.Dr. McKnight seeks to challenge some of the assumptions that we have regarding how we read the Bible. He begins with a discussion of his own history where people would “read the Bible and do what it says” even though as he began reading the Bible for himself he realized that they did not do all it says. This then leads to the dominant question that he seeks to answer: how do we read the Bible in our times and our ways?The book is divided into four parts, “What...
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Where Are You From?

by The RevNo Comments
The Hansen Report: Where Are You From? | Out of Ur | Conversations for Ministry Leaders.This article is quality. I think that the ramifications are huge for a congregation like the one that I am a part of. We live in a suburban setting and there are tons of church choices.This reality makes implementing change very difficult. The reason for this is that instead engaging with the body in the midst of change the “I will go to that other church” card is played. This also frees people from having to engage with the church when there are deficiencies.When my wife and I moved back to the Detroit area we decided to choose a church and not shop for a church. This meant that we never visited a different church. We came to our church and stayed. No matter what.We believed that any weaknesses in the church were things that God had for us to step into there.It makes me...
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In honor of two weeks of political rhetoric…

by The RevNo Comments
Thanks Derek…A Savior on Capitol Hill | [derekwebb.net]I’m so tired of these mortal menwith their hands on their wallets and their hearts full of sinscared of their enemies, scared of their friendsand always running for re-electionso come to DC if it be thy willbecause we’ve never had a savior on Capitol Hillyou can always trust the devil or a politicianto be the devil or a politicianbut beyond that friends you’d best beware’cause at the Pentagon bar they’re an inseparable pairand as long as the lobbyists are paying their billswe’ll never have a savior on Capitol Hill[Bridge]all of our problems gonna disappearwhen we can whisper right in that President’s earhe could walk right across the reflection poolin his combat boots and ten thousand dollar suityou can render unto Caesar everything that’s hisyou can trust in his power to come to your defenseit’s the way of the world, the way of the gunit’s the trading of an evil for a lesser oneso...
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Blue Parakeet…

by The RevNo Comments
The next grand installment is coming to Church Remix. Zondervan was offering about 100 free copies of Scot McKnight’s new book, Blue Parakeet, to bloggers. I am excited to announce that my copy is on its way and as soon as it does the posts will be rolling in.I am also thinking that I will be posting thoughts, random or otherwise, from my Older Testament class this semester. I think that there might be some useful insights from those earlier incarnations of the people God. What do you think? Just maybe?That’s where things are headed....
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Communion…now this is good…

by The RevNo Comments
My son and I were worshipping together on Sunday and being the first Sunday of the month we partook in Communion. As the elements came to us, he smiled at me and we had the following conversation:Ethan: Do I get some of that?Me: No son. We need to make sure that you truly follow Jesus by faith and that you believe that he is your Lord and that he has forgiven you.Ethan: I do Dad.Me: Well, you have to get up with Pastor Doug and tell everyone that you do.Ethan: By myself?Me: Yep.Ethan: I’m not ready for that Dad, but I can’t wait!Amazing! This ties the whole thing together for me. We have confused the sacraments. For believing children communion is the place for the public proclamation of their faith. For the new convert it’s baptism.Can you imagine what that day will be like when he stands before the world and proclaims his faith in the risen Messiah and claims...
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Baptism 2 — It’s importance now…

by The RevNo Comments
Today’s culture is adrfit. There is no longer an oppressive meta-narrative keeping everyone in check. Everything changes, and everything changes fast. If you have to wait more than a couple of minutes for your fast food you get upset. If the lines at the self-checkout are long you can’t understand why they don’t have more. People change their relationships almost as often as they do their underwear.Yeah, it’s a different world. The change that has taken place has left many disillusioned, frustrated, and wondering if there is anything left that matters, that will be what it says it will be.Many of the college students that I work with are looking for stability. They are desirous that somethign will deliver. They can see through all the bull crap that’s out there and so they are cynical. Who can blame them? Every week it sems that another “holy” man has turned out to be a pedophile or morally degenerate in some way....
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Baptism 1

by The RevNo Comments
I am on vacation in beautiful North Myrtle Beach, SC. Today is the last day. We leave tonight for Louisville and then on to Evansville. I will miss the beach!!I have begun emailing with a close friend about Baptism. So, I thought I would begin my thoughts here. This first post is rough and raw. It’s the baseline argument for infant baptism. It’s not as nuanced as I would like, but, that will come later, maybe. The point of the following posts hopefully will be to show it’s importance in our culture.The basic argument from my perspective runs like this: God is a covenantal God and works out his will through the work of covenants. The ultimate covenant being that of the new covenant in the person of Jesus. The sign of the covenant began with Abraham as that of circumcision. This was the marker of God’s covenant people and was applied to male infants at eight days old. In Christ...
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