“The problem with our “change the world” rhetoric is that it is too often a thinly veiled grasp for power and a quest for dominance—things that are antithetical to the way Jesus calls his disciples to live.” Brian Zahnd Every time in history the Church has tried to raise the Christian flag over a nation, a …
Servant Subversion versus Exploitation
Jesus, our prototypical Subversive, was a culture-changing, foot-washing troublemaker! He insists that playing on his team entails more than having his name on the front of our jerseys. When we say that we aspire to be like him are we just talking about his clean-talking, drug-free, conservative-voting niceness? Or do we mean that we’re following …
Servant Subversion versus Fortification
When I embarked on it I had no idea that this writing on Jeremiah 29:11 would take me on such a circuitous, even arduous, journey. I confess that I’ve ranted more than I intended about such things as the nature of “prosperity”, how we achieve it, and when we will fully receive it. In my …
Some Substandard Strategies for Strangers
“As the dominant culture moves further and further away from traditional Christian beliefs … [it] is causing tremendous fear, uncertainty, and anxiety among many people of faith. . . . ‘We used to be the home team,’ one person said to me. ‘Now we’re the away team.’ The challenge facing Christians in America is to …
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When can we expect “prosperity” (shalom)?
“… plans to give you hope and a future.” If you’ve been tracking with me you know what I believe about what prosperity is and how we get it. Now let’s go back to verse 11 and talk about when we can expect prosperity. Whenever I hear this passage announced it sounds to me like …
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