On March 15th I defended my dissertation assignment, bringing to conclusion a three year process to receive a Doctor of Ministry degree… what a relief! As I think about this phase of my life coming to an end, I had some things that I thought were important to “name” and to share. Perhaps this mayContinue reading “Doctoral Work Reflection”
St. Francis of Assisi once said, “True progress quietly and persistently moves along without notice.” I’m discovering this idea to be helpful as I investigate my own journey of Christian formation. Much of the discussion of orchestrating Christian formation in the local church in N. American seems to be adapted from cultural expectations. Some speakContinue reading “Metaphors for Christian Formation”
I’m typing Section 3 of dissertation today, and the rest of the month, and I’m listening to music with my iconic white Apple Ear buds. I’m actually listening to one of the greatest Pop albums ever, Cartel’s Chroma. The white ear buds are iconic for Apple. When one is listening to music with these in,Continue reading “White Apple Ear Buds and Silly Bluetooth Devices”
For my dissertation, I’m working through Diana Butler Bass’s Christianity After Religion. She is investigating the idea of the North American culture seeking to be “spiritual” without being “religious.” One of the things she brings to the table that I’ve thought about since reading is the idea of “believing, behaving, and belonging.” These are theContinue reading “Believing, Behaving, Belonging”
Henri de Lubac, a Roman Catholic theologian, writes about the 3 bodies of Christ in Christian theology. First, the literal, physical body of Jesus of Nazareth. The bod that was wounded, pierced, buried in a tomb, and resurrected on the 3rd day. Second, the body of Jesus that is passed and celebrated during worship throughContinue reading “3 bodies of Christ”
I’m in the process of preparing to write a dissertation for my D.Min. The overall idea is to put together a formation/discipleship model fit in the 21st century. This model will seek to incorporate Christian practices that will help open someone up to God, self, and others. These practices will be ancient, current, and invented.Continue reading “Need Your Help- Test Subjects for a Formation Model”
Joe Skillen 