A few weeks ago, my colleague Dr. Channing Crisler posted some very helpful comments concerning the (in)appropriateness of judging and judgments. Coming from a different angle I’d like to diagnose a different problem endemic to the spirit of our age. The precise wording differs on context but I’d say the phrase “We shouldn’t judge” or “Don’t you judge me” or … Read More
Marriage Licenses, sold by Verizon (w/ a 2-year commitment)
Cultural views on marriage are changing rapidly. The previous slow march of allowing same-sex couples to marry has sped up recently. A decade ago the question seemed to be: should homosexual couples be allowed to marry? After the initial and resounding “no” by multiple state referenda, by all accounts the cultural, electoral, and judicial answer seems to be moving in … Read More
Smartphones need to be used smartly
Dr. Ryan Neal writes about the dangers of technology like the iPhone and how we can be smart in how we use them and set good bounderies in our lives.
I see dead people
In much of Christianese (the language spoken by Christians but unintelligible to the uninitiated) the term for an unbeliever is “lost.” So, if a Christian says: “I have a lost neighbor” we understand immediately what’s conveyed, and the meaning is not that they have ended up on the wrong street and don’t know how to get home. But I’m afraid … Read More
Book Recommendation: Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand
This past summer I made a commitment to read more outside of my typical interests and beyond anything that might be counted as related to work, which means that books on theology, hermeneutics, and ethics would not count toward this commitment. Think of it as New Year’s resolution made 7 months late, or (my preference) made 5 months early. To … Read More
Cowboys & Aliens: Coming to a Church Near You
[gravatar email=”rneal@andersonuniversity.edu” size=”100″ title=”Ryan Neal” alt=”Ryan Neal” class=”user-picture” align=”right”]I am surrounded by cowboys. So are you. I see aliens. So can you. Well, I can’t guarantee that cowboys and aliens are in your midst, but I’d say the odds are pretty high. More specifically, I predict you have both cowboys and aliens involved in your ministry, at every level. Let … Read More
The Pastor’s Best Tool: The Church
What does every pastor need? Surely dozens of answers might be offered. A nice facility? Or, perhaps, a growing community surrounding the church that would provide a field ripe for harvest might head the list. I suppose every pastor might desire an expanding budget to allow for additional staff or upgraded technology. Each of these is legitimate. But I think … Read More