Category Archives: teaching

Defacto ANE Family

Posted on April 11, 2016 by ehurst

The original first churches under the leadership of Jesus’ disciples were defacto Hebrew families. Consider the historical cultural context. The Hebrew people lived under ANE feudalism. Their immediate government was their family, and any higher political power was obliged to … Continue reading →

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Calm Down

Posted on April 9, 2016 by ehurst

This is your elder/pastor writing, the shepherd who loves you because God taught him how to love: You need to calm down. Okay, some of you need to calm down, or maybe you can try to help folks who aren’t … Continue reading →

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Mysticism and Trust Models

Posted on April 9, 2016 by ehurst

In Christian Mysticism, models for trust have no significance. It’s hard to break a system that doesn’t exist. Our “system” manifests here, but isn’t rooted here. By moving everything of importance into the moral sphere of the heart, human frailties … Continue reading →

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Not Green

Posted on April 8, 2016 by ehurst

My favorite color is orange. While I’m like most humans with an aesthetic preference for blue (it has to do with the mechanics of vision in our eyes), I would rather wear orange. That’s because when I’m on my bike, … Continue reading →

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A Word for Men

Posted on April 7, 2016 by ehurst

The biggest problem is not so much what we do as it is how we abuse God’s wonderful gifts. As always, what follows assumes you have already recognized the grand failure of Western Civilization. As much as possible you must … Continue reading →

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Answering 02: Two Realms

Posted on April 6, 2016 by ehurst

(This is a reblog linking back the other way, for once.) How do you explain it? In my mind there remain a handful of people who seemed to understand. They were on their own path and knew it, so I … Continue reading →

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Between the Lines

Posted on April 4, 2016 by ehurst

Sometimes I cruise the various Christian News sites. It’s always politics, just a peculiar voting block. Some of the most vicious and spiteful commentary on the planet shows up on those sites. The majority of them oppose Donald Trump. I’m … Continue reading →

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Parabolic Training

Posted on March 30, 2016 by ehurst

A parable is not meant to offer a scientific model. A parable is a characterization of something that is alive on a level beyond what words can describe. So a parable is an invitation to explore something with your heart … Continue reading →

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Prickly Failure

Posted on March 29, 2016 by ehurst

I am human and there are limits to what I can do. I confess there are a handful of people I don’t want to see; I struggle to be polite when I do see them. For a couple of folks … Continue reading →

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Perverted Professional Standards

Posted on March 28, 2016 by ehurst

There’s a burden on my mind about church leadership. I’ll pick the occasion of Tullian Tchividjian’s professional meltdown for my opinionated screed. The linked story includes more detail than most accounts in the popular media. Let’s pretend it’s accurate, though … Continue reading →

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