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Archive for the ‘Basic Christian Doctrine’ Category
LESSON 46 CONVERSATION IN THE COMMUNITY
7 Sep 2010Yesterday I worshipped at a Greek Orthodox Cathedral. I left elated having heard a fine sermon and participated in a beautiful liturgy. However, as the day progressed, I became more and more melancholy. When I reflected on why this was, my thoughts went back to the worship that I came to see as the epitome [...]
LESSON 45 GOD’S WORD IS SPOKEN
31 Aug 2010Last week I suggested the Bible presents Christianity as an ongoing two- way conversation between God and his people. Lupe responded with an email that covered very well what I intended to say this week. I suggest you read her observations in the comment I added to last week’s post. She acknowledged the power of [...]
LESSON 44 Conversation as Discernment
24 Aug 2010As Bob makes clear it is easier to make conversation around the meal a symbol than to implement it as an activity in any large gathering of the Church. However, I still think it deserves to be considered in our time. The Bible presents Christianity as an ongoing conversation between God and his people. God [...]
LESSON 43 CONVERSATION AS DISCERNMENT
17 Aug 2010My observation that Christian conversation, and especially that which takes place around the communion table, might be the most helpful way to discern God’s Word drew a number of responses. All of them expressed hope for this kind of creative conversation, but also disappointment that it is not happening. Myron observed, “Most of the “conversation” is [...]
When I began my ministry in the early 1960s everyone was talking about Eugene Carson Blake’s proposal for uniting the Church. He urged mainline Protestants to unify before they began trying to reconcile their theological differences. His point was once we obeyed the New Testament call for one Body in Christ, we would become family [...]
I find myself unable or maybe unwilling to do much while on vacation. So I decided to simply suggest you read this piece by Dorothy Solle that Sister Rita sent me. Dorothee Sölle was a free thinking German theologian who died in 2003. She spoke out against the Vietnam War, the arms race of the [...]
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As Juan observes about history not being objective fact but a story continuously retold to make sense of our present and future, so too custom is an ever-changing guide to the Christian life. The community is continuously retelling it to find both the continuity and the creativity she needs. I find the best model for [...]
Finding myself on vacation, I plan to be more anecdotal in the next couple weeks. Well, perhaps it has to do with more than my vacation. I think we have come to where we truly live our lives. That means speaking of experience more than theology. When I want to check whether an inspiration is [...]
We often overlook how ceremony determines what we regard as God’s Word. We learn a great deal of our Christianity by using the liturgy every week and reliving the Church Year annually. This ritual establishes the habits of the heart by which Christians live, sometimes unconsciously; and comes to serve as one of the standards [...]
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- Tags: Ceremony, Habits of the Heart., Liturgy, Means of Grace, Ritual
About this blog
Welcome to the Frontline Study. Written by Pastor Fritz Foltz, this site is here to stretch your thinking and invite your ideas. Your comments are strongly encouraged.
Studies
- Basic Christian Doctrine (47)
- On the Road with Paul (23)
- The Christian Lifestyle (14)
- bob nordvall: Speaking Electronically If any further proof were needed of the new electronic age, it came last [...]
- Fritz Foltz: Lupe sent the following email that I think is helpful: This week you raised a very interesting issue [...]
- bob nordvall: Between communion and the potluck church supper Fritz proposes making conversation at the meal to [...]
- bob nordvall: In a country with a state established church, that church is less dependent upon the will and contri [...]
- jmaldon: Pastor Fritz has pointed in the past that charismatic preachers claim reliving the primitive church. [...]
- LESSON 46 CONVERSATION IN THE COMMUNITY
- LESSON 45 GOD’S WORD IS SPOKEN
- LESSON 44 Conversation as Discernment
- LESSON 43 CONVERSATION AS DISCERNMENT
- LESSON 42 HOW WE DETERMINE GOD’S WORD- COMMUNITY IV
- LESSON 41 HOW WE DETERMINE GOD’S WORD-COMMUNITY III
- LESSON 40 HOW WE DETERMINE GOD’S WORD- COMMUNITY II
- LESSON 39 HOW WE DETERMINE GOD’S WORD- COMMUNITY I
- LESSON 38 HOW WE DETERMINE THE WORD OF GOD- CLERGY
- LESSON 37 HOW DO WE DETERMINE GOD- CEREMONY