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January 19, 2015

Fall 2014 and January 2015 Bethel Seminary Syllabi

See below my syllabi for this fall's and January's courses at Bethel Seminary. I myself have been greatly helped by schools and professors posting their syllabi and I hope I may be helpful to someone else. 

Leading Congregational Worship Download 00 Syllabus ML526 Rowell 2014-10-29

Organizational Leadership and Church Governance Download 00 Syllabus ML615 Rowell 2014-09-02

The Global Church in Mission Download 00 Syllabus ML632 Rowell 2014-09-07 1120 pm

Missional Outreach and Evangelism Download 00 Syllabus ML507DI Rowell 2014-12-29

Discipleship in Community Download 00 Syllabus ML506DI Rowell 2014-12-29

See also from January and spring 2014: Syllabi From Interim And Spring Semester At Bethel Seminary

 

Posted at 02:15 PM in Bethel Seminary | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

November 02, 2014

Tweets May 1, 2014 - Nov 2, 2014

Rather than blogging very often, I often post short thoughts and share resources on Twitter. I have posted below my tweets (Twitter posts) from May 1 through today Nov 2, 2014. On Twitter, I share resources and brief thoughts. Most of what I post is related to my interest in church leadership. By posting my tweets here, non-Twitter users can easily see what I have been thinking about. They are also searchable here because they are on a webpage.  

Nov 2014 5 TWEETS

"I don’t think avoiding Twitter is pragmatic if your audience is there, but it’s also unwise to dump..." tmblr.co/ZA1xby1UZvjr_

Throwing out Halloween candy is like running several marathons.

RELEASED TODAY: “Reading Backwards” by Richard B. Hays.baylorpr.es/sHays pic.twitter.com/Mwkjw6W3aw

The benefit of Twitter is interaction with professors/pastors--a change from day job with students/lay people. But it skews sense of normal.

 
 

Oct 2014 55 TWEETS

Goodbye, Mars Hill: Driscoll's multisite empire to sell properties and dissolve as churches go separate ways bit.ly/1vpBpRR

"A Ukrainian man who claimed responsibility for organizing a campaign to send heroin to my home last..." tmblr.co/ZA1xby1UVSO7C

Interesting profile of a leader: @BostonGlobe: "@mayortommenino, Boston’s longest serving mayor, has died at age 71."bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/10/…

Why a Seminary Professor Is an MBA Student bit.ly/1Ci3kqx 

I also love my MotoX (Android) smart phone from @republicwirelss $25 a month for basically unlimited texts, data, and phone. Can't beat it.

If you are used to Apple applications, don't switch to Windows laptop. But if you are using Windows laptop, I would not switch to Mac.

In Aug 2013 I got new MacBook Pro ($1000+) and new ASUS Windows 8 laptop ($399) from Groupon. I love the speed and reliability of...Windows.

Whew! Lots of people sharing opinions re today’s article on the flipped classroom. Great to see! ow.ly/DxaQk

50 Years of Stupid Grammar Advice shar.es/10fANR via @chronicle

@jrgordon13 Missional Outreach & Evangelism; Global Mission of the Church. Once they get it, they like it. Main text is: Newbigin's TGiaPS

@jrgordon13 Yes, I have students read selection from Unapologetic by Spufford: theguardian.com/books/2012/aug…

A high school teacher who spends two days as a student finds the sitting exhausting and the passivity demeaning.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-s…

What does the culture need from Christians? @nytdavidbrooks Audio and Transcript. (Oct 2) thegathering.com/fredsblog/davi… @TheGatheringCom@fred2smi

Friend @CeliaWolff has "Speak, friend, and enter" from Lord of the Rings on her office door. :-) ebay.com/itm/LORD-OF-TH…

Curtis Freeman's Contesting Catholicity probably the most important Baptist work since Fiddes' Tracks and Tracesandygoodliff.typepad.com/my_weblog/2014…

Board of Elders vs. Board of Advisors remind why polity and conflicts of interest matter. patheos.com/blogs/warrenth… &christianitytoday.com/ct/2014/octobe…

Hadn't seen Feb 2014 story about "spontaneous baptisms." Thorough planning involved planting people to come forward.religionnews.com/2014/02/24/meg…

"We cannot be credibly good without the outcast." Living the good life: Rowan Williams on Marilynne Robinsonnewstatesman.com/culture/2014/1…

Some of my comments on student papers who prayed 150 Psalms over 30 days and read Eugene Peterson's Answering God.andyrowell.net/andy_rowell/20…

The Pope's concluding comments at the Synod on divorce, sexual issues etc. This is profoundly good leadership.en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/10/1…

Have younger pastors given up climbing the "pastoral career ladder", or have we just found a new way to do it? buff.ly/1omcoKj

 has more people (1.4 billion) than all of Africa (1.1 billion).pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014… via @conradhackettpic.twitter.com/ZPUx6xoVy8

"universities expanded marketing, diversity, disability, sustainability, security, recruiting, tech, fundraising." necir.org/2014/02/06/new…

Maybe the sermon's gonna be a bit long, but today is a day of rest. And these people look exhausted, in need of a little shut-eye

This is the best of the articles I've read about Driscoll, and it just so happens to be written by my dad. christianitytoday.com/parse/2014/oct…

My daughter's nighttime situation is rather Isaianic & eschatological: the lion shall lie with the dog and bear and Dora and elephant and...

Why is Mark Driscoll trending? He has resigned from Mars Hill Church. Breaking details here: religionnews.com/2014/10/15/exc…pic.twitter.com/8Alh0l5G1E

Resident Aliens 25 Years Later: Stanley Hauerwas & William Willimon at Duke 2014 Convocation shar.es/1mdmWl @DukeDivinity 

Ebola update today from @BethelSeminary student in Liberia during live online session. He traveled 88 miles to Monrovia for good internet.

2 books by Mark McCloskey @BethelSeminary on his 4-R Model of Transformational Leadership: amazon.com/Learning-Leade… &jmarkpartners.com

 

David Hollinger reviews Grant Wacker's book on Billy Graham:ow.ly/C4QMW

This is the best. When airport security asks a Nobel Prize winner what’s in his carry-on bag: blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/2…pic.twitter.com/lqpDZoRitk

Minnesota second best state to live in the USA after New Hampshire.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog…

John Sommerville citychurchmpls.org jokes that pastors are tempted to append to email messages "Heb 13:17".

Deacons, Church, and World: Hints from Karl Barth for the Church’s Public Witness | Comment Magazine cardus.ca/comment/articl… via@commentmag

Stanley Hauerwas drops out of General Theological Seminary lecture series after controversy religionnews.com/2014/10/08/sta…pic.twitter.com/DuN8AY4XaC

@TylerWS @drantbradley Yes, Bibleworks, Accordance, and Olive Tree. This is something of an expose on Logos:christianitytoday.com/ct/2014/march/…

Love U2's new "Song for Someone" "If there is a light you can’t always see And there is a world we can’t always be" u2.com/discography/ly…

"Peter Enns believes Exodus was a comic battle." (That's 'cosmic'…Not God & Anubis telling insulting jokes about each other's mother.)

@ostrachan I have students read: Barth, Church Dogmatics, IV/3.2, 769-780 on the church's purpose; 734-742, 812-824 on mission in context.

@ostrachan A brief, representative, accessible piece from Barth himself: 𝑮𝒐𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝑨𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑨𝒅𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 by Karl Barth (3 of 3)

@ostrachan On the implications of Barth for ministry: 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑩𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒏 𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 by William H. Willimon (2 of 3)

@ostrachan Description of his ministry: 𝑲𝒂𝒓𝒍 𝑩𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉: 𝑯𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒐𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒆𝒙𝒕𝒔 by Eberhard Busch (1 of 3)

 
 

Extraordinary shot of HK protests from last night.pic.twitter.com/hXpO9fGcUe

Good discussion of the place of Dallas Willard and @garyblackjr 's 'Theology of Dallas Willard' at @theotherjournaltheotherjournal.com/2014/09/15/the…

You know who ELSE made it over the White House fence?pic.twitter.com/t5VWJ9tdwP h/t @Jarsenault

76 of 79. That's the # of brains of NFL players found w/ CTE at the biggest brain bank for traumatic brain injury: pbs.org/wgbh/pages/fro…

New York Times Plans Cutbacks in Newsroom Staff nyti.ms/1nKLyew

Marilynne Robinson gets the  treatment in @NYTmag from Wyatt Mason: nytimes.com/2014/10/05/mag…

 

Sep 2014 26 TWEETS

@raushenbush Board interprets strike as resignation, terminates their employment. episcopalcafe.com/lead/seminarie…

The New Yorker reviews Marilynne Robinson's latest: "This is an unflinching book." newyorker.com/magazine/2014/…

Is Blogging Bad for Your Academic Career? (Gupta) wp.me/p2Rhc-1yw

All men should be farmers and all women should be mothers. Facetious hermeneutics with Elesha Coffman.christianitytoday.com/women/2014/sep…

P.osted: Is it the mission of the church to be a blessing to people? DeYoung and Gilbert say no: postost.net/2014/09/missio…

David died on Friday surrounded by his friends, family and books. More information at ln.is/dgmyers.blogsp… Naomi Myers

"upgrading an iPhone on a 24-month phone service contract doesn’t cost $199. This year it will cost me at least $649" nytimes.com/2014/09/28/tec…

July synagogue remarks from English professor @dg_myers who died of cancer yesterday after 6 year struggle:dgmyers.blogspot.com/2014/07/choosi…

Excellent bumper sticker seen near Duke: "Midwives help people out."

Gifted for Leadership: for women called to ministry. Be sure to check out the redesigned blog from @Leadership_Jnl: giftedforleadership.com

My latest article has been published in IJST on dialectical theology as theology of mission. bit.ly/1mvtAMa

Chris Rice @reconcilers describes @JohnMPerkins with Lao Tzu: "Go to the people. Live with them. Learn from them..."reconcilers.wordpress.com/2014/09/25/go-…

My comments yesterday to the Christian College Consortium: a Pietist perspective on remaining Christ-centered. wp.me/p1DrnD-4ar

Ending a sentence with a period is so 20th Century Aggressive, apparently.bit.ly/1vb3lLr  

Chip Kelly shows some love to the faculty. | The Philadelphia Eagles' Secret Coaches: Professors m.wsj.com/articles/the-p…

#3: Africa is much bigger than it appears on most maps. bit.ly/ZbZbsdpic.twitter.com/zkYKpL09rH

George Hunsinger responds to Matthew Rose. bit.ly/1wKe3ZK

Me: You smell like meat. Bea, age 6: I am meat.

Lecrae: Christian rappers, Christian rap, and the No. 1 album in the countrygrantland.com/hollywood-pros…

Syria, Afghanistan, Haiti, Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad and Madagascar - need hope. usatoday.com/story/news/nat…gallup.com/poll/175694/co…

Only Syria, Afghanistan, and Haiti have lower level of thriving than Congo.@congoinitiative gallup.com/poll/175694/co…usatoday.com/story/news/nat…

Superb review essay by Victoria Barnett on recent Bonhoeffer books by Marsh, Nation, and Williams.contemporarychurchhistory.org/2014/09/interp…

It's September 15th, which means that @qcommons is less than a month away!! Have you grabbed your tickets yet?! qcommons.com/twincities/

Wonderful news for our insect friends. pic.twitter.com/0BNGBmqJjP

If you are a Barthian, you don't say the flow or structure of your syllabus, you say the *architectonics* of your syllabus. 

 

Aug 2014 53 TWEETS

Prayer "does not have to be beautiful or edifying, logically coherent or theologically correct." Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics, III/4, 88.

Prayer is first of all, petition. "The Christian is able to ask." - Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics, III/3, p. 269.

Solid articles here from professors on online teaching: @facultyfocusfacultyfocus.com

Utterly fascinating story: a man who disappeared for almost 30 years in the woods. gq.com/news-politics/… 

"And that brings up the macho performance of busyness. Often, when I mention trying to work less,..." tmblr.co/ZR9d0p1PSt6eF

@postbarthian I explained Barth's The Christian Life in this review:amazon.com/gp/aw/review/0…

@postbarthian You want what is titled The Christian Life.

Sara Wyse of Bethel recommends to professors: How People Learnnap.edu/openbook.php?i… and Make it Stickhup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?is…

My wife Amy preached today at City Church for the first time. I didn't notice the four-year-old's dress was on backwards.

You shall love your neighbor as your coffee.

Listened to volume 1 of 3 of "The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill" (1984) and was struck by his will and force but also misjudgments.

"There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency what should not be done at all." Peter Drucker quoted by @ericries.

Enjoyed audiobook The Lean Startup by @ericries (2011). It is impossible to know ahead of time which ideas will fly so test early and often.

@CarolynCGivens @toddhiestand Yes, I was going to recommend The Wingfeather Saga by @AndrewPeterson which I read with 9 year old.

"75 percent) of whites have entirely white social networks without any minority presence."  theatlantic.com/politics/archi…

 

@edstetzer Check out: @edrinwilliams Bethel Sem grad @jkameroncarterDuke Div prof @CSCleve Bethel U prof @joshuadubois DC @BrianBantumSPU

@DouthatNYT @GabrielRossman @jsende Large weddings may also be a good way to reinforce commitment

@DouthatNYT @GabrielRossman @jsende Could be selective group w bigger weddings but....

 
 

Views: On being a gay faculty member at a Christian college:insidehighered.com/views/2014/08/…

@drewdyck Great story. Website comment: The next page buttons are really tiny. Anything you all can do about that.

Story of what happened after a pastor of a large church started exhibiting strange behaviors. bitly.com/1AurD5G by @aresimpson

@octothorp I recently read the opening story of Ishmael meeting Queequeg to my 9 and 6 year old boys who loved it.

In one America, people think about diets, guns and religion. In the other, digital cameras. nyti.ms/1oLlKy7

White folks: "I can't believe  is happening in America." Black and brown folks: " is America."

This is more or less true all the time, but you should be reading@tanehisicoates’ Twitter feed right now

Wow. Wow wow wow. Capt. Johnson is amazing.cnn.com/video/data/2.0… 

"We should think of networking in terms of service." - @susancain 

Question @BillHybels "What do you look for in a leader?" Answer@JeffreyImmelt "Rule-breakers." (That's a paraphrase.) 

Leaders "figure it out"--are "resourceful." @BillHybels  / Yes, determination, perseverance, and flexibility are big.

But I love this event - the Leadership Summit at Willow - and I'm glad to get to be here and share. So that's the weird tension of the day.

I just want to say: It feels a little weird to be tweeting about anything other than Ferguson, or Gaza, or depression today.

Did you miss any of the lectures from the 2014 Barth conference? Have no fear. Access them all here: tiny.cc/48ifkx

@DaveOdomDuke @faithleadership Wise practical theology flows from formation: 1 Cor for leadership, Psalms for worship, theology for mission.

@DaveOdomDuke @faithleadership I say seminaries matter for formation for a lifetime of healthier ministry.

Why do seminaries matter? @DaveOdomDuke @faithleadershipfaithandleadership.com/blog/08-03-201… / Odom is always good and this is no exception.

The President's best biographer, David Remnick, with a stunning profile of@McFaul in @NewYorker: newyorker.com/magazine/2014/…

Why kids need free, unstructured play. In two words: social skills.n.pr/1p9PMdK @npr_ed 

"Misfire..." See this on our FIRST EPISODE. Good times. ow.ly/i/6td8l@brandonhatmaker @hgtv 

Saul doesn't persecute Christians, but Christ. He's like his royal namesake from the tribe of Benjamin, chasing down David to kill him.

Thanks to @JoelBGreen, there is a good chance I will not suck as a first-year professor.  chroniclevitae.com/news/248-how-t…

Allie's Rules For High School: #20 Selfies are for faces. sandrastanley.com

Slightly disagreeing with, but mainly extending, a point made by Robbie George: text-patterns.thenewatlantis.com/2014/08/advice… 

 
 
 

Jul 2014 35 TWEETS

 

A group of authors is called a Procrastination.

Is Working From Coffee Shops Good or Bad For Your Productivity? The Science: bit.ly/1rS1UAX by @LenMarkidan

A report from @lscanlon @presoutlook on @shayner48 fight with pancreatic cancer. Continued prayers appreciated. pres-outlook.org/2014/07/columb…

"If your goal is to end up passionate about what you do, “Follow your passion” is terrible advice." buff.ly/WUKM20

@wdavidotaylor For the first time I recently upgraded to Spotify Premium for more sanity regarding outside noise.

Enjoyed audiobooks The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt (Pulitzer 1980) & Theodore Rex (2002) by Edmund Morris. Teddy was passionate & productive.

News: My wife Amy will be Pastor of Community Life at citychurchmpls.orgI'm still at @BethelSeminary. We are moving to SW Mpls on Sat.

Life Change: Moving to England to work at Trinity College Bristol!thissideofsunday.blogspot.com/2014/07/life-c…

Interview I did with Lifehacker with questions about my daily tasks and how I do them, which I guess is their thing: smarturl.it/fdvr6c

@Yair_Rosenberg @JeffreyGoldberg @Melusethia Jesus as a good Jew would want peace, justice, love, and truth as e.g. Jeffrey is working for.

Calvinist Pastor Turns from  to  after 20 Years as a Calvinist and Intensive Study feedly.com/k/1k3HdRr

Twitter lets you pretend to be friends with celebrities and strangers. Facebook lets you pretend to be friends with your friends.

Quote of my year: "To put it mildly, the world is a mess." - Fmr SecState@madeleine Albright on @FaceTheNation.

FYI Larry Hurtado's critical review of NT Wright's " Paul and the Faithfulness of God" HT @peteennslarryhurtado.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/wright…

@fitchest I enjoyed the Wingfeather saga books @AndrewPeterson with my 9 year old a couple years ago. His music is also great.

RT @between2worlds: Simon Gathercole reviews NT Wright's "Paul & the Faithfulness of God" is.gd/2mSi0j // Helpful.

Lady: "We have a lot of ticks in our area." My son Jonah (7): "We have a lot of lunatics in our area."

Public Service Announcement: My Duke Ph.D. friends are passing this around: "Academia and the people without jobs"medium.com/@publicanthro/…

"Growing church with dynamic leadership leaves wake of destruction" stories remind us theology and character matter.crosscut.com/2014/07/16/rel…

We have @tygrigg on the blog today with "How I Learned to Stop Worrying About the Billy Graham Rule and Love Like… wp.me/p2en6s-13j

Heard this today-a pastors job-"hatch, match, patch, dispatch." In other words, baptism, weddings, counseling, funerals. Hilarious.

Our obit for James MacGregor Burns, presidential historian and leadership scholar: washingtonpost.com/politics/james…

So @DukeLibraries now has at least some ebooks Duke students can "read online." 2014 books by @dstephenlong, @alisteremcgrath, @ayjay. Wow.

Whoa. RT @nwarikoo: In Catholic Church in U.S., adult baptisms dropped 51% since 2000. Child baptisms dropped 22%. nineteensixty-four.blogspot.com/2014/07/checku…

Alan Jacobs (@ayjay) responds to Peter Conn’s call (@chronicle) to de-accredit religious colleges. text-patterns.thenewatlantis.com/2014/07/an-aca… @tnajournal

Bad results, low graduation rate, little accountability: 'too big to fail' in higher education, @kevincarey1: nyti.ms/1ygfrUQ

Amazon, a Friendly Giant as Long as It’s Fed - nyti.ms/1mz6IcI@DavidStreitfeld goes long publishing throwdown.

In beautiful, thriving places, there is always construction going on.  @DukeDivinity pic.twitter.com/efg2l64kvD

Listened to audiobooks of classics: Moby Dick, The Odyssey, The Prince, The Art of War. Enjoyed most: Odysseus's wild adventures.

I loved Bishop (2012) by @WillimonTweets about what he thinks United Methodist bishops should do. Humor & urgency. Practical & theological.

Louis Zamperini of 'Unbroken' has died at 97. If you haven't read Unbroken, read this weekend chicagotribune.com/entertainment/…pic.twitter.com/RqTwQSUB4E

 

Jun 2014 92 TWEETS

Enjoyed "Book of Common Prayer: A Biography" by @ayjay. Engaging rich history. I admit Schadenfreude seeing BCP's rep of stability debunked.

David Taylor @wdavidotaylor prof of Theology and Culture, Brehm Texas - Worship, Theology, and the Arts @fullerseminary has joined Twitter.

On the way to prayer meeting, I passed by a guy who had been beaten and robbed. Help me raise awareness. 

More reflection from @ayjay on why he still thinks there is a time to close the laptops in the classroom. text-patterns.thenewatlantis.com/2014/06/laptop…

@CSCleve I also had students read chapter 9 "Creating Positive Crosscultural Interactions" of your Disunity in Christ for that course.

@CSCleve The Northouse text is the basic textbook used by McCloskey, Irving, and I in the Intro to Leadership courses at Bethel Seminary.

@CSCleve Northouse: "culture and leadership strongest body of findings is in Culture, Leadership, and Organizations."books.google.com/books?id=MIKDJ…

@CWtheology I would say Hunsinger saying Barth's is "soft supersessionism" is about right. Cf. Busch, Covenantwwwuser.gwdg.de/~ebusch/welcom…

@postbarthian Barth was pressed to say something nice to Brunner as Brunner lay dying. McGrath, Brunner, p. 223. books.google.com/books?id=ewUbA…

BREAKING NEWS:  pastors can now marry same-sex couples in states where it is legal. 

"He is at his best when he is plagiarizing." The endorsement no author wants!

Mark Lau Branson also recommends to me: Everett M. Rogers, Diffusion of Innovations. 5th ed., 2003. as an alternative to strategic planning.

Mark Lau Branson recommends to me on leadership: Heifetz, Leadership without Easy Answers (1994) and Parks, Leadership Can Be Taught (2005).

Fitch says he when quoting John Howard Yoder he always now gives disclaimer (RYFC), which means "Recognizing Yoder's Flawed Character."

At @missioalliance event, @fitchest argued GOCN (mostly mainline) & missional pragmatists both need Yoder's "Theology of Mission" IVP, 2014.

@postbarthian “Barth and Brunner represent fundamentally different ways of doing theology." John W. Hart, Karl Barth vs. Emil Brunner, 218.

Craig Van Gelder @CraigVanG at @missioalliance eventmissioalliance.org/event/the-othe… summarized his "The Missional Church in Perspective" book.

@postbarthian Except Barth had no love for Brunner

@cagedbread I would go with the book on the topic, not the throwaway remark.

"she would remain the theologian's lover" books.google.com/books?id=hWfCA… "one must be careful not to think one can know."books.google.com/books?id=vIzEA…

@CWtheology What did she say about Barth's ecclesiology?

@CWtheology What did Charry argue in her paper?

Leadership Journal has taken down the post "From Youth Minister to Felon." Their apology here: bit.ly/1uKEJJ5

Justin Bieber baptized by Hillsong NYC pastor. That is all.m.nydailynews.com/entertainment/…

.@publicroad reviews the tremors and trends at this year's Southern Baptist Convention meeting: thebea.st/SUpijI

@cagedbread @sheddenm Spofford corrects me that he is nonfiction author, not journalist. Oops. P.S. Love the book. unapologetic-book.tumblr.com/post/885563355…

Tom Nelson and @ahc urging pastors and campus ministers to have curiosity about the jobs and studies of their people. 

Very odd report from SWBTS in the "Book of Reports."wadeburleson.org/2014/06/the-od… Do we not comprehend, or do we not care? Which is worse? 

Better Qs for potential pastors: When have you begun a new ministry? Tell us about a failure leading? @WillimonTweets books.google.com/books?id=QHeAM…

"All church leadership... is best rationalized on utility rather than puffed-up theological warrant." @WillimonTweets books.google.com/books?id=QHeAM…

To ensure decline "select people who follow instructions [and] keep information sharing to a minimum" @WillimonTweetsbooks.google.com/books?id=QHeAM…

Here's my review of Marsh's Bonhoeffer bio over @TGC. Spoiler alert: I liked the book: thegospelcoalition.org/article/strang…

Review of @christilling's edited book on the work of Douglas Campbellandygoodliff.typepad.com/my_weblog/2014…

@TylerWS Hear, hear, to ecumenical humility and evangelistic paedo-baptists and discipling believers-baptists.

Article: Baptist leader ok w preschool baptisms if family is committed to discipling kid. Which is, um, paedobaptism.christianitytoday.com/ct/2014/june-w…

@fairlyspiritual @missioalliance Yeah. I shouldn't have tweeted that as I think N. is off there. For Paul, witness to outsiders is central.

@andygoodliff I probably shouldn't have tweeted it because I think Newbigin is wrong here. Witness is Paul's driving motivation.

@andygoodliff Yeah. Sorry for confusion there. Newbigin refers to both Acts and Paul in that essay.

Being with the Southern Baptists has @AndyStanley unusually fired up tonight.

The 2nd edition of Gordon Fee's commentary on 1 Corinthians is being released Sep 30th. eerdmans.com/Products/7136/… @eerdmansbooks

Acts 1:8 ἔσεσθέ μου μάρτυρες is "predictive future" or "may be imperatival future." Daniel Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, p. 568.

"To use the simplest and biblical formulation: 'Ye shall be witnesses unto me' (Ac. 1:8)." Karl Barth, CD IV/3.2, 797.

"It is with a task, and to fulfil this task, that the community is sent into the world and exists for it." Karl Barth, CD IV/3.2, 795.

Acts 1:8 "the disciples must accomplish their task of being witnesses to Jesus." I. Howard Marshall, Acts, Tyndale NT Commentaries, p. 60.

"'You shall be my witnesses.' It is a promise – not a command." Newbigin.newbigin.net/assets/pdf/78c… /I think N. is overstating this a bit.

"I cannot find in any of Paul’s letters a single word which lays on the churches the ‘task’ of evangelism." Newbigin.newbigin.net/assets/pdf/78c…

@cagedbread @sheddenm Rowan Williams is dense, nuanced, archbishop. Francis Spufford is popular, provocative, journalist.

@cagedbread @sheddenm I think of Lost Icons as the apologetics work of Rowan Wiliams. Tokens of Trust is catechesis.

@sheddenm Agreed but apples and oranges.

Our recent review of Nicholas Healy's HAUERWAS: A (Very) Critical Intro --erb.kingdomnow.org/nicholas-healy…  @DailyHauerwas

New post: Now Online: Charles Taylor Firth Lectures 2014 bit.ly/1no1Ndy

Organizational Dynamics syllabus and Prezi presentations by@SusanLMaros are impressive. library.fuller.edu/registrar/sche…prezi.com/user/SusanLMar…

Good man, beloved mentor, legendary pedagogue, Doug Green is being "retired" from Westminster Seminary. wts.edu/stayinformed/v… Alas.

"The task of leaders is to... animate all... to engage [in]... coordinate [and] test... charismatic activities." @MiroslavVolf, After, 230.

Here is the church *building*, here is the steeple, open the doors, and see all the *church.*

"The members do not stand over against the church as an institution; their actions and relations are the institution." @MiroslavVolf 241.

"Zizioulas's ecclesiology can get along quite well without... the majority... who belong to a given local church." @MiroslavVolf After, 116.

"Where 2 or 3 are gathered in Christ's name, not only is Christ present among them, but a Christian church is there as well." @MiroslavVolf

"I will join this long tradition by taking Matt 18:20 as the foundation...for determining what the church is." @MiroslavVolf After Our, 136.

Rule of thumb: If it is too long to be a tweet, it shouldn't go on a PowerPoint slide.

@johnstonmonte "the church is not a single subject, but rather a communion of interdependent subjects." @MiroslavVolf, After Our Liken, 224.

At @FamStudies @DouthatNYT weighs in on family structure, pop culture, the media, marriage promotion, and more. family-studies.org/ross-douthat-o…

Review of Simon Chan, Grassroots Asian Theology bit.ly/1hjDvSj

Please pray for @SeattlePacific in the midst of the tragic shooting on our campus blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2014/06/…

Enjoyed Great by Choice (2011) by Jim Collins and @MortenTHansen. I appreciate Collins again attempting to root insights beyond anecdotal.

"If someone has heard of your work, ascribe this to your interlocutor’s erudition" & other good conference tips:davidlincicum.com/2014/05/28/som…

Video: @james_ka_smith on Postliberalism and Lindbeck’s THE NATURE OF DOCTRINE bit.ly/Stang5

"Dietrich would tell his brother Karl-Friedrich that Germany needed an ACLU of its own." Is subtext Marsh's Bonhoeffer vs. @ericmetaxas's?

Mission agency books: Mission Drift @peterkgreer @ChrisHorst, Leading from the Sandbox @TJ_Addington, Leading Across Cultures@JPlueddemann.

@johnstonmonte Maybe u are being too hard on yourself. Ecumenism has to do with appreciating other members of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12).

@johnstonmonte Body of Christ is Individual (one) and group of individuals (many). It is not good... to be alone (Gen 2:18).

@johnstonmonte I don't have a handle on that. Do you see that in Sanctorum Communio or Life Together?

Hat Tip to Charles Marsh for amusing treatment of the quote in Strange Glory books.google.com/books?id=hWfCA…

Feel free to substitute your own locale for Spain. This needs to be put with a photo of Bonhoeffer in tennis gear.

"In any case I now do have serious questions whether Barth could have written in Spain" - Bonhoeffer books.google.com/books?id=900Ph… / A great line.

Tips for professors just joining Twitter: recommend articles/books you have found interesting. Facebook is personal, Twitter professional.

Steps for professors joining Twitter: create handle with your name, fill out profile, look at who others are "following" and follow some.

I'm suggesting professors join Twitter to: see what people they admire are reading, publicize their articles/books, and share resources.

Marquette theologian @dstephenlong has joined Twitter. "Saving Karl Barth: Hans Urs von Balthasar's Preoccupation" is my book of the summer.

 

May 2014 109 TWEETS

@travisegreene She's starting at Bethel this fall.

A map of Mars Hill's "non-compete" zones in Washington Statepic.twitter.com/KtnBUZtewu

@chronicle @noahtoly My summary of this: Good lecturing or teaching is not a monologue or a speech but rather interactive and dialogical.

There is also now an audiobook of Strange Glory: A Life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (19 hours and 41 minutes) amazon.com/Strange-Glory-…

@AndyRowell Most Excited About: Framing Paul by Campbell, Contesting Catholicty by Freeman & Reading Backwards by Hays. All @DukeDivinity!

Most excited about: Saving Karl Barth: Balthasar's Preoccupation by D. Stephen Long and Strange Glory: A Life of Bonhoeffer by Charles Marsh

Clear, generous, concise analysis by New Testament scholar Larry Hurtado of Bart Ehrman's How Jesus Became God.larryhurtado.wordpress.com/2014/05/29/how…

Good discussion between @ayjay & @DouthatNYT on how Christians should engage if cultural battle seems lost. Thread:twitter.com/DouthatNYT/sta…

"The only problem with Futureville is that it is too sane and too wise." --@jwilson1812 on new book by @skye_jethanibooksandculture.com/podcast/

Feud between Dave Ramsey and former employees hits the Daily Beastthebea.st/1kpaSmD

Bonhoeffer and Technopoly ift.tt/RF6WST 

I'm excited to announce that I have accepted the position of professor of spiritual theology at Talbot, Biola Uni @biolau @talbotnews

As the youngest, newest faculty member at a seminary, I am sometimes like the fabled youth pastor who held a pool party in the baptistry.

You're Doing Twitter Wrong: bit.ly/1hyjXVl

Church pastored by @RevKevDeYoung petitions to leave Reformed Church in America, join Presbyterian Church in Americathegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindey…

Just war and pacifism--rightly understood--are not so far apart. Both want stuff done through forceful nonviolent means.

"You cannot teach non-violence to a man who cannot kill." - Gandhibooks.google.com/books?id=tquxD…

"Pacifist Christians should encourage nonpacifist Christians who hold to a just war theory to take it seriously"Yoder books.google.com/books?id=1r3v2…

Finished listening to Moby-Dick. Some spellbinding storytelling along with many detailed asides about whaling. All of it witty and cheeky.

@j_andersen I have had Logos since 1999 so it was a different scene. I only use it for Greek and Hebrew reading and searching.

@j_andersen Most Mac biblical scholars use Accordance but Logos has most titles and more popular. I use Logos. Read:christianitytoday.com/ct/2014/march/…

"I took my appointments calendar and wrote in 2-hour meetings with 'FD.'" -- Eugene Peterson on Dostoevsky as mentor. books.google.com/books?id=ZZ7kp…

At @BethelSeminary commencement, @leithanderson stressed not quitting but instead investing talents for the long term (Matt 25:19).

The problem is not that the poor don't get laws--they don't get law enforcement. @garyhaugen in @CTmagazine Jan 2014christianitytoday.com/ct/2014/januar…

North Heights Lutheran Church (Arden Hills and Roseville, MN) Removes 3DM (April 2014) nhlc.org/3dm

This morning heard my favorite speaker in eleven years of attending@BethelU commencements: alum Deb Haarsma, president of@BioLogosOrg.

Jerry Walls responds to Piper's Calvinism: ow.ly/x4o1E

@AndyRowell and Alan Padgett and Bruce Ware

Wayne Grudem, @JohnPiper, Millard Erickson, Tom Schreiner,@greg_boyd, LeRon Shults, Amos Young all once taught at@BethelSeminary @BethelU

Witherington, Carson, and Frame on Meaning of Inerrancy (Gupta)wp.me/p2Rhc-1sE

Video: Hays, Sumney, and Thompson Respond to Wright’s Paul Book (Gupta) wp.me/p2Rhc-1r1

Video: Who is Christ for us Today?: Bonhoeffer's Final Questions - from biographer Charles Marsh - Jan 2013. veritas.org/talks/who-chri…

Robert Gundry: N.T. Wright argues for pacifism, theocracy, divine right and repudiates democracy and just war theory. patheos.com/blogs/euangeli…

Methodist historian @kevinwatson moving to Candler School of Theology at Emory: vitalpiety.com/2014/05/22/per…

Is Piketty All Wrong? nyti.ms/S2fdRg

If students blow the word limit, then they are telling me: "You can speed read this." I think that's what I think when I do it.

Fuller is honored to welcome @DrAmosYong as the newly appointed director of our Center for Missiological Research! bit.ly/1p10uUu

I used to mix up @MichaelHyatt and @ThomRainer - Nashville, leadership, publishing, etc.

Of all the tasks of the church, witness is the one ring to rule them all. Barth IV/3.2, 797 + Tolkien. / @jakeeyler reminded me I said this.

I like the weekly 1 page reflections: to force consistent reading, fuel class discussion, & have less stressful poorly-prepared long papers.

What you get in my Christian ministry courses: Bible, Barth, Bonhoeffer, Newbigin, @Pontifex, sociology, church stories, Twitter, and HBR.

I still think of insights from Advice for New Faculty Members by Robert Boice that I read when I taught at Taylor University from 2005-2007.

I used lots of PowerPoint. I found it faster & more flexible than lecture notes + handouts and better for students than no outline/guide.

Last class tonight of 1st year at @BethelSeminary. 7 courses X 14 lectures = 98 lectures. Lots of Thomas Groome's Shared Christian Praxis.

@jbaylor105 I say a bit about doing doctoral work at:andyrowell.net/andy_rowell/20… and a smattering about parenting atandyrowell.net/kids/

A number of Twin Cities mission and evangelism theological gatherings in June and July andyrowell.net/andy_rowell/20…

"Yoder hinted that ...bodily intimacy ...was based in his ... vision of a radically nonconformist church." archive.bethelks.edu/ml/issue/vol-6…Accurate.

"during softball games [Yoder] ... preferred playing outfield, so he could read a book while waiting for a fly ball." archive.bethelks.edu/ml/issue/vol-6…

See articles "On Teaching John Howard Yoder," Mennonite Life, May 2014.archive.bethelks.edu/ml/issue/vol-6…

@tedolsen This has been a helpful counterpoint for me as I rail against silos. Thanks, Ted.

David Harvey's critique of Picketty's Capital bookdavidharvey.org/2014/05/aftert…

The "good" student vs. pursuing life's wisdom: ow.ly/x8w5Efb.me/1qKhfGzPh

Did you catch the second part of my conversation with @GordonPres, Michael Lindsay, about leadership & ambition?cardus.ca/comment/articl…

As one is a professor longer, it is hard to imagine becoming more energetic, optimistically helpful, and conscientious in one's grading.

I find myself writing longer comments for online/hybrid student papers than traditional because I have less time to clarify things in class.

I know I should ideally turn all of this into published articles / books but is that realistic? And won't it be outdated? Is this new era?

Pouring so much into teaching, I wonder about posting on the blog PowerPoints and nuggets of advice given to students while grading.

trigger warnings and trust ift.tt/1oPKp3Y 

@james_ka_smith @byronborger It doesn't sound like he's read the book. My Philistine meter is going off.

A gentle, friendly request for Baptist writers to stop conflating their issues w/issues in American Evangelicalism. dranthonybradley.com/a-gentle-frien…

@fitchest It seems to me this is a fight between Reformed @TGC and Lutheran @PastorTullian theology--see Pauline studies for parallels.

Ministry is piling manure (βάλω κόπρια) on the seemingly dead that it might grow (Lk 13:8). -Willimon willwillimon.wordpress.com/2013/12/09/the…@WillimonTweets

@sniequist And if you vacuum broccoli, you will need to get rid of that vacuum.

@FaithTheology The downloadable OneClickDigital audiobook from my library is read by Frank Muller. Will have to see if I can get Hootkins.

@joshmrowley I listed 20 other ones in my previous couple tweets that I think better represent those most influential on evangelicals.

@JasonGoroncy In my last two tweets, I give you a different list of 20 which I think represent influence on evangelicalism in the US.

20 living American influential evangelicals: Plantinga, Carson, Dobson, Coleman, McLaren, Keller, A. Stanley, Crabb, Sanneh, Yancey. (11-20)

20 living American influential evangelicals: B. Graham, Sider, Perkins, Foster, Peterson, Hybels, Piper, Guder, Fee, Vanhoozer. (1-10)

We're still working on restoring services - no ETA just yet but we'll update when we have that info. 

@joshmrowley The list is from a Southern Baptist in Nashville. I tweeted it because I have referred to it in class re: perceived influence.

I love @edstetzer's rants against bad survey research. Today's on youth groups driving teens to apostasy is great.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2014…

Enjoying audiobook Moby-Dick so now want Moby-Dick in Pictures, Marvel Illustrated, & Pop-Up Book. H/T @FaithTheology faith-theology.com/search/label/M…

Top 50 Leadership and Management Experts bit.ly/1oIj1lA

20 of the Most Influential Evangelicals in America (Mar 31, 2014) by@ThomRainer thomrainer.com/2014/03/31/twe… List has oddities as comments note.

"An individual who has no geniality... had better be an undertaker." Spurgeon books.google.com/books?id=HfP1o… via Sandy Millarhtb.org.uk/media/managing…

Today kicks off  - read the front matter to the end of page 5 in III/1 today. It pairs well with coffee.

a quick announcement about me, and I hope you don’t mind if I **SIT DOWN** first shar.es/VHrlT via @ShareThis

Ironically, I've never felt respected after any sentence beginning with "With all due respect..."

Biographer of Franklin, Einstein, and Jobs, @WalterIsaacson says science needs the humanities and vice-versa. neh.gov/about/awards/j…

Anybody else interested can join us. Starting the Barth Vol. III reading group 5/19. 5 pages a day, Sunday off.  @cabematthews

Just finished my last @BethelSeminary online class. After 6 yrs, thought I'd be ecstatic, but truth is I'm a little sad. Been a great ride!

On Charles Marsh's new bio of Bonhoeffer: The Strange Glory of a Fully Human Life shar.es/SAEM9 @bonhoefferdaily

Excellent take on the Q conference from John Murdock:firstthings.com/web-exclusives…

@ayjay I value Arthur Holmes's influence on Wheaton College (leadership) more than what it takes to rise to be president of Wheaton College.

@ayjay Being a "good conversationalist" may help you social climb in American elite circles but that does not mean you accomplish things.

@ayjay So @GordonPres reports how people have climbed to the top of US orgs in last 30 years. If they help groups achieve, = "leaders."

@ayjay If a leader "influences a group... to achieve a common goal," leadership ≠ positional power (Northouse, p. 5). books.google.com/books?id=MIKDJ…

I listened to audiobook Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris (2002) from library. It left lasting impression of Roosevelt's infectious energy.

A senior leader needs "liberal arts curiosity." - D. Michael Lindsay@GordonPres Great interview with @james_ka_smithcardus.ca/comment/articl…

People think men are disorganized, bad at communicating, and yet magically good at leadership: vox.com/2014/5/7/56911…pic.twitter.com/g64fBbwChV

Competent women are getting bypassed by overconfident men. Watch:bit.ly/1lUJooy pic.twitter.com/NFdqzKANr7

RT @DukeDivinity Convocation & Pastors' School Oct.13-14, featuring Hauerwas, Willimon, and James Davison Hunter bit.ly/1uADrB6

Watching @edstetzer @LeeStrobel @MarkMittelberg talk about Spiritual Discovery Groups--similar to Alpha. bit.ly/WatchExchange 

On @BozT & @netgrace_org investigating sexual abuse in Christian organizations - by @kathrynajoyce -@theprospect prospect.org/article/next-c…

Confirmed: philosophers--like most rational readers!--prefer footnotes to endnotes > leiterreports.typepad.com/blog/2014/05/f…

@ahc @larsleafblad I'll have to hear how you two met!

@jrgordon13 Hauerwas was normal i.e. great. Mohler was mostly respectful--blustered but seemed to know better than to attempt to argue.

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October 20, 2014

Comments on praying the Psalms

Here is a compilation of comments I made on students' papers for "Leading Congregational Worship" at Bethel Seminary. I had students read and journal through 5 Psalms a day for 30 days and also read Eugene Peterson's Answering God. They were to write of their experience. 

 

On comforting and disturbing feelings of praying the Psalms:

Yes, there is a comfort food comfort in the regular paraphrasing of the Psalms (e.g. Psalm 23) but the imprecatory (or at least "angry" petitionary) Psalms remind us that some hermeneutics (interpretation) takes place as we pray them in our setting (as opposed to being shepherd/king/Jewish congregation).

On the difference between prayer and worship; and the difference between personal and corporate

Yes, very interesting to reflect on how prayer (personal and corporate) and worship (personal and corporate) are related. On the one hand, I think it is helpful to think about worship of idols as a way of defining worship. There is a devotion in formal religious practice to erecting and sacrificing to a statue. And there is also the poisoning corruption of one's lifestyle by orienting oneself around that false god so we see child sacrifice (2 Ki 17:31)--doing as what seems right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25). 

We then deduce that worship of the Triune God has to do with formal ritual allegiance to God both: personal in one's closet in prayer (Matt 6:6); and corporate in gathering with others (Heb 10:25). But also this worship entails actions of mercy and justice in keeping with the character of God (Isa 58:6). Prayer seems therefore to be a subcategory of worship. Worship seems to be the broader concept. Prayer is an action that is taken which fosters and indicates right worship (with one's life). 

I have no problem at all with your probing this. Is it better to say "prayer" or "worship" is what is occurring in the Psalms? I am happy to say it is personal or individual prayer or expressions of worship (there is much use of the personal pronoun "I") or also to say that it is both practically best for it to be corporate prayer or expression of worship (because people get tired trying to prayer or worship by themselves) and also because historically the Psalms were used in corporate prayer or worship. 

On Eugene Peterson's regulative liturgical PCUSA Presybterian worship services vs. his encouragement of wildly expressive personal journaling prayer

On further reflection, perhaps you are taking issue with Peterson prescribing a rather formal liturgical structure for corporate worship (such as what we see in Cherry's book: Gathering, Word, Response, Sending) and you are saying that this applies to corporate formal worship but not personal informal prayer. You might be on to something in that Peterson as a Presbyterian (PCUSA) pastor would have quite a narrow view of proper corporate formal worship that you would not accept, and I would be on your side on this argument. I think you probably are right that Peterson should apply the scattered, random, living, dynamic, "fragmentary . . . wet and wild" (107) reality he describes in the Psalms to corporate formal liturgical worship. Peterson tends to see the personal journaling or personal prayer that way but not formal worship. Good. Yes, I think you are right about that. Interesting. However, Peterson did originally start paraphrasing Psalms (which became The Message) in order to help his congregation to pray. But did he also incorporate this authentic "wet and wild" approach to Sunday morning worship? Perhaps not. Again, I think both the corporate liturgical "worship" gathering should be formational and expressive and I think one's personal prayer life should also be formational and expressive.    

I also hear you perhaps wondering if the Reformed tradition, which Peterson is part of, has made prayer stale by insisting that the Psalms should be our language for prayer. They have ruled out casual, passionate, free prayer and insisted that prayer be constrained by using the words of the Psalms. We did not talk about this in class, nor was it in the reading but there is indeed some of the Reformed tradition that insists on "regulative" worship that if it is not in the Bible, we don't say it. It can be expressive but only using biblical words and forms. In its strict practice, regulative worship does not allow improvised prayer but only written ones based on biblical prayers. I agree with your sensing and rejecting this. I don't think Peterson agrees with that or promotes it but you may smell it in his tradition. 

Again, I would only say in his defense that without formation by Scripture, prayer and worship can drift into shallowness and American norms and self-centeredness. And furthermore, I hear Peterson promoting rather raw prayer (and perhaps also worship) in the spirit of the Psalms. 

On emotions:

 Yes, how do we express the depths of our pain and anger together as we long for the day when light and salvation shall break through--even though it is now but rays?

I appreciate you pressing hesed beyond the intellectual toward its rushing wild fullness. 

On exercise: 

There is indeed a kind of physical wrestling with God (Gen 32:25). Are we perhaps in training through the ups and downs (reps) of the Psalms? Do we not stretch and strengthen our muscles? 

On anger to God: 

Yes, we can be disturbed and angry in our expression to God. Apparently, God is a God who is able to receive our most desperate confusions and cries. I think of Rom 8:23 and 26--that we can "groan." I also think of the kind of things that the disciples said to Jesus--rarely were they neat and tidy. Usually, they were concerned and troubled and confused by Jesus and they told him so. There are moments when Jesus seems impatient with them (Did you not know? Jesus says to his parents in Luke 2:49; Why are you so afraid? Matt 8:26). Is that God's character with us? Exasperation? This is worth pondering. Again, we see God saying something like "Oh just shut up" (Job 38-39). Does God get angry at our slowness to learn? God is not a pansy. God will not be mocked. God won't be treated as an afterthought. God is not a dimwitted Santa Claus who always brings gifts regardless of whether the person is evil. 

But God seems to respond well to challenge and wrestling matches with human beings (Gen 32:28). Sincere frustration, disappointment, confusion: this the Father will not disdain, giving him a stone or a snake (Matt 7:9-10). 

It seems to me that getting in touch with our baser, more honest emotions and feelings and expressing them to God may also give us more sympathy and empathy with those wounded people on the road who express their pain. Or maybe this is a way of stretching to touch our story to the Story (as you say)? I am thinking here of the stretching of Michelangelo's "Creation of Adam."

On the questions in the Psalms:

Do you think it is ok to ask questions to God? Indeed it is! Perhaps this is another reason as well to pray them in community--so we can sharpen one another and pursue our questions together. 

On the Reformed "answering speech" 

I also think it is fine for you to push back on Peterson's account of: "answering speech" (a Reformed emphasis on God's initiative). Any reading of the Psalms does not give an indication that the Psalms are rigidly waiting on God for Him to speak first. Perhaps it is when we unburden ourselves to Him that He answers! James 4:8 "Come near to God and he will come near to you."

On "the end of prayer is praise" 

Surely that phrase is a stretch from what Peterson says about expressive honest speech in the rest of Answering God. It may be that eventually our groans become prayer and praise by the Spirit (Rom 8:26) but we are still groaning and waiting for the redemption (Rom 8:23) that shall come! So we don't live in Psalm 150--we are more often in the other ones!  

On discipline and legalism vs. poetry and play

I don't want to encourage discipline in a legalist but maybe you need expressive poetry and music like the Psalms to jar and upset your logical mind. Or perhaps you would be better off putting the Psalms aside and cooing and playing with children and others and reveling in the beauty and joy there as an expression of authentic emotion and expression which is God's gift as a foretaste of the goodness which he has designed us for and will one day complete.

On themes in the Psalms:

Good synthesis of themes from the Psalms in your summative paper. Yes: fear, trust, and boldness: learning from God, clinging to God's goodness, and crying out for him. Wow, thanks, help (Anne Lamott). 

On fear in the Psalms:

People could theologically get distracted regarding fear. Should we fear God? Are we to cower before him? Is he an abuser? But you are right that this is situated in the Psalms with obvious freedom to express and to be ourselves and to ask for help and to snuggle down and enjoy him and rest in him. I especially think of fear of the Lord in the context of Proverbs--which is a practical book rather than an existential angst sort of book. Fear of the Lord has to do with not acting like an idiot powered by your glands and appetites; but rather healthy, wise living that leads to life. 

On the book of Revelation's relation to Psalms:

In both Revelation and the Psalms, the big picture is a great struggle between God and evil. Revelation expresses in a vivid way the structures which are oppressive and dehumanizing--"the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Eph 6:12), as well as people fueled by "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" (1 John 2:16). Like the strong language of the Psalms, the book of Revelation paints strong pictures. This latter type of art--apocalyptic genre--depicts the bureaucratic bland world more vividly and actually more accurately. Some of the evil actors prayed against in the Psalms and depicted in Revelation are oppressive and evil but "our struggle is not against flesh and blood" (Eph 6:12)--these people are caught up in forces and ideas beyond themselves so that they think they are doing right often! I think most worship idols (like money and themselves) and thus are confused, lost, and hungry--and thus fall victim to being addicted, apathetic, abusive--that is sin. I wonder if you would like Eugene Peterson's Reversed Thunder on the book of Revelation.

On Psalms and science:

In Psalms and in science (like physics) there is a longing for harmony and truth. These find wholeness in Jesus Christ--they "hold together" (Col 1:17). 

On paraphrasing the Psalms:

Yes, I think you are right that reading Psalms in different translations or paraphrasing them can be helpful. Indeed, you are right that knowing some of the biblical languages helps us to see that translations are designed to make the text comprehensible (as well as accurate) so there is a pastoral place for paraphrase for ourselves and others. At least we are in touch with the Scriptures when we are doing this rather than untethered entirely!

On using the Psalms for expression and formation:

Yes, journaling and singing the Psalms for deep feeling; yet also letting them form us about who God is.

I suppose for leading worship, I would only say what we have emphasized in class that it will be good for them to be formed or shaped or educated by the Scriptures (including prayers and the Psalms) so we are not just emoting; but also it is indeed good to follow the lead of the Psalms which are raw and emotional in their petition, thanksgiving, and praise (1 Chron 16:4).

 

Posted at 11:58 PM in Psalms | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

October 10, 2014

Converge Worldwide PowerPoint - Oct 10, 2014

Here are my slides from today's presentation. 

Download Theological Issues of the Day - Converge Worldwide - 2014-10-10

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May 23, 2014

Reflection on communication mediums and Tweets - Oct 3, 2013 to May 22, 2014

I sometimes blog but I mostly post resources on Twitter these days. I could probably expand each tweet into a blog post with my comments about why I thought it was interesting but usually I do not have much to say about it and moreover I am pouring my energy into academic writing and the classroom, where I have amble opportunity to expand, connect, and analyze. Plus, I am not sure if people are reading blogs as much as they used to (post-Google Reader). I used to use Google Reader and now use Feedly RSS readers like I use Twitter now. I would scan through the titles of posts to see what was worth checking out. Now, I scan through the tweets of those I follow.

The odd thing about every publishing medium is that you are not sure it is making a difference. Should you put your energy into books, academic articles, blog posts, or tweets? People used to talk about publishing books and getting very little feedback after that mountain of work. Of course, that has changed a bit since instant reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, and blogs. But are books the best way to get an audience? Will people actually finish your book? Is it not better to write something shorter and freely accessible on the net that people will actually read? But if you publish blogs or tweets, will anyone read them? Of course, there are sophisticated tracking systems now but even if you know what the numbers are, you still do not necessarily know whether what you are writing is sinking in.

Or maybe the old-fashioned way is best. In the pulpit or classroom, you can see the people you are communicating with. Plus, there is some chastening there of the one-way / monological thinking. There are people who are full-time conference speakers and popular writers but I sometimes wonder whether their content is being filtered through a group of critics (classroom or congregation) that eventually leads to more quality material. People come up to the preacher after a sermon and criticisms trickle in through nooks and crannies. Students ask questions in class and you read their papers. But in the pulpit and classroom, the material you have prepared does not have a chance to reach a larger audience. You can post your manuscripts online or podcast your sermons but usually people prefer reading or listening to something that has been vigorously edited or highly produced. Given the frequency of sermons and classroom lectures, it is hard to spend time editing or producing them for a broader audience. As for me, I plan on continuing to publish in a variety of mediums (academic journal articles, books, blog posts, and tweets) and that I love having a day job that allows me to communicate face to face as well.

When I think about who I admire, it is sometimes people like Andy Crouch, Alan Jacobs, John Wilson, and Scot McKnight who participate in Twitter or blogs and thus consume voraciously what is going on and understand the culture well. Yet they also write cohesive work like books and they have day-jobs which force them to interact with people and get real things done. Their theological and biblical reflections then are more interesting and applicable because they are seasoned with contemporary examples and dilemmas and their ability to connect with a broad audience is superb. I wonder if Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Lesslie Newbigin, and Stanley Hauerwas would all have been into social media if they had born in a different era because of their accessibility and openness to popular writing despite pressure against it.

On the other hand, I admire the people who do no social media and are instead producers of quality books and articles. While they may not be the most accessible communicators because they are spend much of their time doing research, their work has high quality because of their focus and discipline. I think here of Karl Barth, Eugene Peterson, and Richard Hays.

I don't know of anyone else who posts their tweets on their blog but for me it has a few benefits.

(1) For myself, it is fast and easy to access my past tweets when I am writing, preparing for class, or even during class--to find that quote or article.

(2) It is a way of making Twitter tweets have a longer usefulness to others. Twitter's design tends to bury old tweets so that you cannot search nor is it convenient to read back through old tweets. Google scans the tweets on my blog. It is certainly possible for someone to search through my Twitter category on my blog and see all of the references I have made to Barth, Newbigin, Bonhoeffer, audiobook, etc.

(3) People who do not have a Twitter account can also access them easily.

 

  • Tweets and replies

Of all the tasks of the church, witness is the one ring to rule them all. Barth IV/3.2, 797 + Tolkien. / @jakeeyler reminded me I said this.

I like the weekly 1 page reflections: to force consistent reading, fuel class discussion, & have less stressful poorly-prepared long papers.

What you get in my Christian ministry courses: Bible, Barth, Bonhoeffer, Newbigin, @Pontifex, sociology, church stories, Twitter, and HBR.

I still think of insights from Advice for New Faculty Members by Robert Boice that I read when I taught at Taylor University from 2005-2007.

I used lots of PowerPoint. I found it faster & more flexible than lecture notes + handouts and better for students than no outline/guide.

Last class tonight of 1st year at @BethelSeminary. 7 courses X 14 lectures = 98 lectures. Lots of Thomas Groome's Shared Christian Praxis.

@jbaylor105 I say a bit about doing doctoral work at: http://www.andyrowell.net/andy_rowell/2009/03/advice-about-duke-thd-and-phd-programs-in-theology.html … and a smattering about parenting at http://www.andyrowell.net/kids/ 

A number of Twin Cities mission and evangelism theological gatherings in June and July http://www.andyrowell.net/andy_rowell/2014/05/twin-cities-mission-and-evangelism-theological-gatherings-in-june-and-july.html …

"Yoder hinted that ...bodily intimacy ...was based in his ... vision of a radically nonconformist church." http://archive.bethelks.edu/ml/issue/vol-68/article/teaching-john-howard-yoder-author-disciple-and-sin/ … Accurate.

"during softball games [Yoder] ... preferred playing outfield, so he could read a book while waiting for a fly ball." http://archive.bethelks.edu/ml/issue/vol-68/article/teaching-john-howard-yoder-author-disciple-and-sin/ …

See articles "On Teaching John Howard Yoder," Mennonite Life, May 2014. http://archive.bethelks.edu/ml/issue/vol-68/ …

@tedolsen This has been a helpful counterpoint for me as I rail against silos. Thanks, Ted.

David Harvey's critique of Picketty's Capital book http://davidharvey.org/2014/05/afterthoughts-pikettys-capital/ …

The "good" student vs. pursuing life's wisdom: http://ow.ly/x8w5E  http://fb.me/1qKhfGzPh 

Did you catch the second part of my conversation with @GordonPres, Michael Lindsay, about leadership & ambition?http://www.cardus.ca/comment/article/4204/ambition-influence-and-entrepreneurship/ …

As one is a professor longer, it is hard to imagine becoming more energetic, optimistically helpful, and conscientious in one's grading.

I find myself writing longer comments for online/hybrid student papers than traditional because I have less time to clarify things in class.

I know I should ideally turn all of this into published articles / books but is that realistic? And won't it be outdated? Is this new era?

Pouring so much into teaching, I wonder about posting on the blog PowerPoints and nuggets of advice given to students while grading.

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trigger warnings and trust http://ift.tt/1oPKp3Y  #textpatterns

@james_ka_smith @byronborger It doesn't sound like he's read the book. My Philistine meter is going off.

A gentle, friendly request for Baptist writers to stop conflating their issues w/issues in American Evangelicalism. http://www.dranthonybradley.com/a-gentle-friendly-request-for-southern-baptist-writers/ …

@fitchest It seems to me this is a fight between Reformed @TGC and Lutheran @PastorTullian theology--see Pauline studies for parallels.

Ministry is piling manure (βάλω κόπρια) on the seemingly dead that it might grow (Lk 13:8). -Willimon http://willwillimon.wordpress.com/2013/12/09/the-messiness-of-ministry/ … @WillimonTweets

@sniequist And if you vacuum broccoli, you will need to get rid of that vacuum.

@FaithTheology The downloadable OneClickDigital audiobook from my library is read by Frank Muller. Will have to see if I can get Hootkins.

@joshmrowley I listed 20 other ones in my previous couple tweets that I think better represent those most influential on evangelicals.

@JasonGoroncy In my last two tweets, I give you a different list of 20 which I think represent influence on evangelicalism in the US.

20 living American influential evangelicals: Plantinga, Carson, Dobson, Coleman, McLaren, Keller, A. Stanley, Crabb, Sanneh, Yancey. (11-20)

20 living American influential evangelicals: B. Graham, Sider, Perkins, Foster, Peterson, Hybels, Piper, Guder, Fee, Vanhoozer. (1-10)

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We're still working on restoring services - no ETA just yet but we'll update when we have that info. #typepadstatus

@joshmrowley The list is from a Southern Baptist in Nashville. I tweeted it because I have referred to it in class re: perceived influence.

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I love @edstetzer's rants against bad survey research. Today's on youth groups driving teens to apostasy is great. http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2014/may/are-youth-groups-bad.html …

Enjoying audiobook Moby-Dick so now want Moby-Dick in Pictures, Marvel Illustrated, & Pop-Up Book. H/T @FaithTheology http://www.faith-theology.com/search/label/Melville …

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Top 50 Leadership and Management Experts http://bit.ly/1oIj1lA 

20 of the Most Influential Evangelicals in America (Mar 31, 2014) by @ThomRainer http://thomrainer.com/2014/03/31/twenty-influential-evangelicals-america/ … List has oddities as comments note.

"An individual who has no geniality... had better be an undertaker." Spurgeon http://books.google.com/books?id=HfP1ox6GidMC&q=%22better+be+an+undertaker%22#v=snippet&q=%22better%20be%20an%20undertaker%22&f=false … via Sandy Millar http://www.htb.org.uk/media/managing-effective-change …

Today kicks off #KBCDIII - read the front matter to the end of page 5 in III/1 today. It pairs well with coffee.

a quick announcement about me, and I hope you don’t mind if I **SIT DOWN** first http://shar.es/VHrlT  via @sharethis

Ironically, I've never felt respected after any sentence beginning with "With all due respect..."

Biographer of Franklin, Einstein, and Jobs, @WalterIsaacson says science needs the humanities and vice-versa. http://www.neh.gov/about/awards/jefferson-lecture/walter-isaacson-lecture …

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Anybody else interested can join us. Starting the Barth Vol. III reading group 5/19. 5 pages a day, Sunday off. #KBCDIII @cabematthews

Just finished my last @BethelSeminary online class. After 6 yrs, thought I'd be ecstatic, but truth is I'm a little sad. Been a great ride!

Frozen is a metaphor for Academia http://www.phdcomics.com/comics.php?f=1705 … pic.twitter.com/m4YPJa9tWA

 
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On Charles Marsh's new bio of Bonhoeffer: The Strange Glory of a Fully Human Life http://shar.es/SAEM9  @bonhoefferdaily

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Excellent take on the Q conference from John Murdock: http://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2014/05/a-crash-course-in-q …

@ayjay I value Arthur Holmes's influence on Wheaton College (leadership) more than what it takes to rise to be president of Wheaton College.

@ayjay Being a "good conversationalist" may help you social climb in American elite circles but that does not mean you accomplish things.

@ayjay So @GordonPres reports how people have climbed to the top of US orgs in last 30 years. If they help groups achieve, = "leaders."

@ayjay If a leader "influences a group... to achieve a common goal," leadership ≠ positional power (Northouse, p. 5). http://books.google.com/books?id=MIKDJx2YHSIC&lpg=PA5&vq=%22Leadership%20is%20a%20process%20whereby%20an%20individual%22&pg=PA5#v=onepage&q&f=false …

I listened to audiobook Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris (2002) from library. It left lasting impression of Roosevelt's infectious energy.

A senior leader needs "liberal arts curiosity." - D. Michael Lindsay @GordonPres Great interview with @james_ka_smith http://www.cardus.ca/comment/article/4203/the-hidden-curriculum-of-leadership/ …

Corporate Time Equivalents: http://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/corporate-time-equivalents … pic.twitter.com/lZqgSGy2CW

 

People think men are disorganized, bad at communicating, and yet magically good at leadership: http://www.vox.com/2014/5/7/5691132/americans-think-young-women-are-better-workers-than-men … pic.twitter.com/g64fBbwChV

 
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@danielsilliman @VeggieTales Telford Work, "Veggie Ethics," Theology Today, 2000. http://www.westmont.edu/~work/articles/veggie.html …

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Competent women are getting bypassed by overconfident men. Watch: http://bit.ly/1lUJooy  pic.twitter.com/NFdqzKANr7

 
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RT @DukeDivinity Convocation & Pastors' School Oct.13-14, featuring Hauerwas, Willimon, and James Davison Hunter http://bit.ly/1uADrB6 

Watching @edstetzer @LeeStrobel @MarkMittelberg talk about Spiritual Discovery Groups--similar to Alpha. http://bit.ly/WatchExchange  #TheExchange

On @BozT & @netgrace_org investigating sexual abuse in Christian organizations - by @kathrynajoyce -@theprospect http://prospect.org/article/next-christian-sex-abuse-scandal …

Confirmed: philosophers--like most rational readers!--prefer footnotes to endnotes > http://leiterreports.typepad.com/blog/2014/05/footnotes-by-a-landslide.html …

@ahc @larsleafblad I'll have to hear how you two met!

@jrgordon13 Hauerwas was normal i.e. great. Mohler was mostly respectful--blustered but seemed to know better than to attempt to argue.

Good interview by @albertmohler with Stanley Hauerwas. http://www.albertmohler.com/2014/04/28/nearing-the-end-a-conversation-with-theologian-stanley-hauerwas/ …

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We celebrate the life of Glen Stassen. Read about the incomparable legacy he leaves us: http://bit.ly/1ixMfTK 

On Barth and evangelicalism/pietism - A New Barth Book is On the Way http://shar.es/TRMlP  via @sharethis

My Op/Ed in today's TIME: http://time.com/70923/what-americans-dont-know-about-the-central-african-republic/ …

The numbers do not support the claim of millennials leaving the church: http://ow.ly/vGbS1 

Twin Cities pastor @PeterHaas1 of @substancemn pragmatically responds to specialization and comparison in preaching. http://www.peterhaas.org/?p=1315 

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Dante's Path to Paradise—a marvelous piece by @roddreher in the @WSJ http://on.wsj.com/1gGPmEe 

Very good review by @byronborger of Who's Afraid of Relativism? by @james_ka_smith http://www.heartsandmindsbooks.com/booknotes/one_of_two_new_james_ka_smith/ … #Wittgenstein #Lindbeck

This by @DavidDark is going viral. Spread the word about his good writing, shown off here re: Colbert/Letterman http://bit.ly/1hTnIsY 

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Excellent review at @commentmag from @jgsphd of Charles Marsh's new biography: A Real Bonhoeffer for the Real World http://bit.ly/1itiQcN 

@michaelfrost6 "Thy kingdom come... surpasses... all other possibilities of human revolt against disorder" Barth, Christian Life, 261. 1960

Students' superb integrative work confirms assigning books by theologians, biblical scholars, and social scientists in ministry courses.

The central criticism of Hauerwas: does it stick? http://ow.ly/vL4Bi  http://fb.me/21EmMFgnj 

I enjoyed the library downloadable audiobook of The Presidents Club by @nancygibbs & Michael Duffy (2012)--great tales of power & character.

The Ideal Length Of Everything Online, According to Research: http://bit.ly/1dYYfgD  pic.twitter.com/fgAwW2cF5j

 

I noticed the Association for Theological Schools (ATS) 2013-2014 data table is now available: http://www.ats.edu/resources/institutional-data/annual-data-tables …

Congrats to Dr. David Taylor, one of our favorite arts pastor/theologian! http://artspastor.blogspot.com/2014/04/next-stop-fuller-theological-seminary.html …

New from Robert Moses (ThD Duke): Practices of Power: Revisiting the Principalities and Powers in the Pauline Letters http://store.fortresspress.com/store/product/19301/Practices-of-Power-Revisiting-the-Principalities-and-Powers-in-the-Pauline-Letters …

My friend David Taylor is taking a position at @fullerseminary http://artspastor.blogspot.com/2014/04/next-stop-fuller-theological-seminary.html …

Increasing enrollment in theological education: nondenom; students in 20s & over 50; African Americans, Hispanics. http://www.intrust.org/Portals/39/docs/IT413wheeler.pdf …

Grading papers is just as fun as Twitter--reading quickly, making quick judgments, learning a little--right? #selftalk #gradesduetoday

Lake Valentine from @BethelSeminary Yes, people sled on that hill and ice skate out there in winter and canoe in sum. pic.twitter.com/29k4rNfuev

 

The view from my office @BethelSeminary - 6 in of snow last night but it will be 56F Sunday. pic.twitter.com/g0aESbjvGc

 

The best thing about pregnant women is the free Wifi pic.twitter.com/DozRPXnulg

 
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@bradley_wright Done.

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Douglas Campbell on Paul’s Letters and His New Book “Framing Paul” http://shar.es/ByYaz  via @sharethis

@edstetzer mentions @WilcoxNMP @bradley_wright @ShauntiFeldhahn at @BethelSeminary @BethelU about bad stats but recommends assessment.

"Even Though I Hear He Is a Wonderful Guy . . . " (Excerpt from Nicholas Healy's Hauerwas: A (Very) Critical… http://wp.me/p1cJiv-2Cm 

Ta-Nehisi Coates Being Awesome Again http://bit.ly/OcIdU2 

New job at IVP: Academic Editorial Asst. Check it out along with 3 other full-time openings. And spread the word! http://ivpr.es/ivpjobs 

Beginning long trek back to be in Minneapolis at Bethel: http://is.gd/LkinJC  and Acts 29: http://ow.ly/v1ck9  // Hope you can join us!

Hauerwas Ph.D. grads Michael J. Baxter and William T. Cavanaugh of DePaul defend their radical Roman Catholicism. http://americamagazine.org/content/all-things/reply-view-abroad-massimo-faggioli …

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April cover story of @CTmagazine on N.T. Wright by @Jasonbyassee http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2014/april/surprised-by-n-t-wright.html …

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Jesus is God's selfie. (via @craigmosgrove)

@thebigboid @WilcoxNMP @DouthatNYT I commented at the NYTimes page http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/30/opinion/sunday/douthat-the-christian-penumbra.html?comments#permid=11450358 … that majority Christian position is not theocracy.

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Exercise is no excuse for unhealthy choices. Via @WSJ http://tom.cr/1jIy0xA  pic.twitter.com/VL3Sdknkr0

 

A little bit of religion can be a very bad thing says @DouthatNYT http://nyti.ms/1rQfAMs 

It's official! I'm filling Curtiss DeYoung's soon-to-be-vacated position as Prof of Reconciliation Studies at @BethelU. #BigShoes #honored

Regarding "fit concerns," @BillHybels suggests giving bad attitude 30 days and low performance 3 months (Lead. Summit, Aug 2011).

Heading to #Sabbath, a profound piece by @BrigidSchulte on the inner compulsions of our busyness http://wapo.st/1nZucd6  #Itsaboutourinterior

Pope Francis goes to confession and you can watch. Never seen anything like this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKHKmEtpWao&feature=youtu.be …

 
 

Traveler and church interpreter extraordinaire @edstetzer - @BethelU @BethelSeminary Thurs, April 3rd. Recommended! http://www.bethel.edu/church-relations/events/seminars/edstetzer …

Astonishing. Not ONE. MT @MichaelPeppard CBS Poll: Not a single Catholic said Francis's leadership has hurt church. http://tinyurl.com/lyc4kyy 

"seminaries either haven’t seen or have resisted need for new courses and training in areas of practical theology" http://www.faithandleadership.com/features/articles/disruption-and-leadership-development-mainline-protestantism …

@hankcoates Theology and practice. Maybe will require last chapter of Bosch. Maybe Sanneh's book. Maybe essay by Walls for history.

I'm teaching "Global Mission of the Church" in the fall and books are due April 11th. Textbook suggestions?

I'm teaching "Leading Congregational Worship" in the fall and books are due April 11th. Textbook suggestions?

“Teaching is a distraction and a burden, but it’s also an incredible stimulus.” —Marilynne Robinson http://tpr.ly/Ns6tLI 

@DavidDark Favorite can also mean: "Congratulations! Way to go!"

@DavidDark I may favorite something witty with the meaning, "That made me smile." But it is too "inside joke" to retweet to my followers.

@cwdaniels We made switch a month ago from basic phones to smart phone with RW. We're happy. Christians are involved: http://bandwidth.com/people/team-members/henry-kaestner …

From Dr. Doug Campbell's office door at Duke Divinity. Happy Friday! pic.twitter.com/AsI3EqEZt1

 

Secrets of the Vatican (Feb 25), a @frontlinepbs documentary, describes the institutional mess Pope Francis faces. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/secrets-of-the-vatican/ …

Year 2 brings high expectations for change for #PopeFrancis. Here are 5 takes on where reform should start: http://ow.ly/uxZyS 

Steven Greydanus delivers a great review of NOAH: http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/sdg-reviews-noah …

"Wright’s discussion [of Paul] can be seen as a classic 'great man' treatment of a historical figure." @LarryWHurtado http://larryhurtado.wordpress.com/2014/03/18/paul-and-the-faithfulness-of-god-2nd-posting/ …

Hurtado on Wright’s reading of Paul http://wp.me/p1Q8N-Cd 

The decline of the mainline? The Alban Institute, an important institution for church leaders, is closing its doors. http://www.religionnews.com/2014/03/19/alban-institute-resource-mainline-institutions-shut-doors/ …

Having read Barefoot Church, I bet good character of @brandonhatmaker @JenHatmaker will come through on reality tv. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2014/march/jen-hatmaker-brings-her-super-christian-family-onto-reality.html?paging=off …

@michaelbd @ayjay GSS says very few cradle Protestants become Catholics, far more cradle Catholics go Protestant pic.twitter.com/3o5xKurP7v

 

I "right click" on links in Twitter and "Open Link in New Tab" but that should be the default.

Best book cover of the year so far. Kudos, @eerdmansbooks & @ericaustinlee pic.twitter.com/YJr5O7u21U

 

Gifted for Leadership: On Taking the New Guy to Lunch http://www.giftedforleadership.com/2014/03/on_taking_the_new_guy_to_lunch.html …

@jakeeyler You can read one. Then get busy.

Really excellent advice on applying for academic jobs. http://shar.es/RyrH7  via @mikehigton

Mark Driscoll’s Citation Errors At A Glance http://nblo.gs/U0DI1 

Cent Ch (256f), @timkellernyc treats missional streams (Van Gelder/Zscheile): evangelistic, incarnational, contextual, reciprocal/communal.

In Center Church ch. 16 @timkellernyc describes four models of the church: Transformationist, Relevance, Counterculturalist, Two Kingdoms.

@joeldemott I have posted my syllabi from this year, which will give you an idea: http://www.andyrowell.net/andy_rowell/2014/03/syllabi-from-interim-and-spring-semester-at-bethel-seminary.html …

7 features of church for the city from @timkellernyc Google Books link to Center Church list of the 7 (p. 173): http://books.google.com/books?id=dixCoxSj_j4C&lpg=PP1&dq=center%20church%20keller&pg=PT318#v=onepage&q=%22exhibit%20seven%20vital%20features%22&f=false …

12 of 24 hours in to Center Church by @timkellernyc fav parts are: 7 features of urban min 172-179, ch. 16 "models", and ch. 19 "missional."

My courses next Interim/Spring @BethelSeminary: Discipleship in Community, Missional Outreach & Evangelism, Intro to Transf Lead, Elective.

My courses this fall @BethelSeminary: Global Mission of the Church, Leading Congregational Worship, and Org Leadership & Church Government.

The No-Fail Secret to Writing a Dissertation http://bit.ly/1fJVsbb 

@ScribesTrained Of course FB, LinkedIn, Twitter and blog of job-seeker have current info and photo that convey professionalism.

@ScribesTrained I think people on the market should be natural and not start something new just for the job search. But Twitter is fun!

@ScribesTrained Some people use FB and Twitter interchangeably but my FB friends and fam want funny kid quotes and fam pics not Barth.

@ScribesTrained I think the people who follow me are other academics or intellectually-interested pastors. I share about fam on Facebook.

@ScribesTrained I would recommend generally being positive and resisting mentioning things that annoy you. Criticism will reach the person.

@ScribesTrained I direct people to resources related to my field: books, articles online, and videos. Things that edify--that help people.

My pal @Eat2Gather shares my love for the table. Great list of what to bring people you love when things fall apart: http://bit.ly/1d11D4O 

@ayjay Yes, probably. But it has a high degree verisimilitude to what Barth said and with translation from the German, it is conceivable.

@ayjay The prayer "thy kingdom come" "surpasses . . . all other possibilities of human revolt against disorder." Barth, Christian Life, 261.

@ayjay It is not in the Karl Barth Digital Library but see §78 in Christian Life on "Thy kingdom come" as "revolt against disorder" (205f.).

Amazon Raising Annual Prime Membership Fee to $99 http://nyti.ms/1iEFIs2 

Playing God by @ahc is outstanding. Contemporary, classic, biblical, theologically-nuanced, beautiful, edifying. My students loved it too.

I thoroughly enjoyed Deep & Wide by @AndyStanley (Audiobook of 8 hours is great). Self-deprecating, concise, interesting, rich.

John Ortberg's church pulls out of the PCUSA for ECO: http://ow.ly/unMBZ  http://fb.me/1lIbI1xVP 

It seems that @PastorMark took a page from the marketing playbook of @RickWarren for his marriage book. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/tonyjones/2014/03/06/how-mark-driscoll-gamed-the-publishing-game/ …

We remember @DukeDivinity professor Allen Verhey, who died peacefully in his home last week http://bit.ly/NsR7gp  pic.twitter.com/mB58Dc0nJy

 

I have posted my syllabi from interim and spring semester at Bethel Seminary in a new blog post: http://www.andyrowell.net/andy_rowell/2014/03/syllabi-from-interim-and-spring-semester-at-bethel-seminary.html …

Distinguished scholar, beloved friend, colleague and teacher Allen Verhey died today at 68. http://bit.ly/1elNgvY  pic.twitter.com/Y8arOjHkHE

 

I listened to the audiobook The Generals by Tom Ricks (2012) for the 2nd time. First time I have ever done that. Superb book on leadership.

Anecdotal input may be stimulating but should be filtered through rigorous social science and Tradition. - Dilbert http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/1993-02-10/ …

Totally agree with @pankisseskafka that school rankings should factor in % of adjuncts. Only way to make them care http://www.slate.com/articles/life/education/2014/01/adjuncts_in_american_universities_u_s_news_should_penalize_colleges_for.html …

 RETWEETED BY ANDY ROWELL

Hey, I'm all about respecting your pastor but this is creepy and cultish. http://bit.ly/LjHmQ3 

@JonRCoutts It shouldn't be.

Tom Ricks interview about his book The Generals (Nov 2012, 1 hr). http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/309339-1&buy … Leaders need accountability & critical thinking.

I enjoyed the audiobook David and Goliath by Malcolm @Gladwell See also his "How I rediscovered faith" @RELEVANT http://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/books/how-i-rediscovered-faith …

If you really need to know about wealth addiction on Wall Street, may I suggest reading this in lieu of 'Wolf'? http://nyti.ms/19Di7np 

Joseph L. Mangina says "the correlation among postliberalism, ecumenism, & non-supersessionism is strong" http://www.livingchurch.org/hanging-chalcedon …

Of New Atheists and Noble Lies: http://douthat.blogs.nytimes.com/?p=19381 

The one theology book all atheists really should read http://www.theguardian.com/news/oliver-burkeman-s-blog/2014/jan/14/the-theology-book-atheists-should-read …

A glimpse into our dinner table conversations...Here's @mallelis and @johnortberg talking about predestination: http://the-toast.net/2014/01/08/gabbin-god-predestination-andor-free-will/ …

A conjunction not to be missed: Betty Smartt Carter on Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In: http://ow.ly/so3Pa 

On pg 393, Gates says this about Obama, "I was offended by his suspicion that any of us would ever write about such sensitive matters" hmmm

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Finished 36th CD of Team of Rivals @DorisKGoodwin Lincoln's character, Seward's friendship, Stanton's focus, Chase's ugliness. Will miss it.

Good thoughts here from @ScotMcKnight: New Year Resolution: Conversation http://buff.ly/1dpvC9j 

This is why I'm grateful that @DouthatNYT is in the pages of the NY Times: http://nyti.ms/1cY6eaq , winsomely bearing witness. Our Belloc.

Love my Twitter feed. Wit, insight, links to good stuff.

Publisher: John Howard Yoder's books will now get sexual abuse disclaimer: @CTmagazine reports: http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2013/december/publisher-john-howard-yoder-books-abuse-women-mennonite.html …

RT @BostonReview: For all you writers: @TheAtlantic compiled a list of the best writing advice of 2013 http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/12/how-to-write-a-year-in-advice-from-franzen-king-hosseini-and-more/282445/ …

Sports Illustrated journo: I came to a conclusion: The story of Jesus Christ really is the greatest story ever told. http://www.poynter.org/how-tos/highlighting-excellent-journalism-in-all-its-forms/233431/how-sports-illustrated-reporter-captured-the-athlete-in-the-book-of-tebow/ …

The incredible story of how a reporter (@billy_baker) helped an at-risk teenager get into Yale http://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanhatesthis/the-incredible-story-of-how-a-reporter-helped-an-at-risk-tee … via @ryanpbroderick

Must read. Amen! RT @rachelheldevans: @ScotMcKnight raises some great questions here: "Platform and Publishing" http://buff.ly/18RTyR4 

I honestly think that last vacation did David Brooks a world of good: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/17/opinion/brooks-the-thought-leader.html …

4 aspects of a professor's life: "Job, Career, Vocation, Life" by Charles Mathewes of UVa http://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2013/12/13/professors-must-take-advantage-nature-their-work-life-essay …

My reflections on #Mandela memorial on Christianity Today @CTmagazine. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2013/december-web-only/why-christians-should-care-about-nelson-mandela.html …

Had a chance to see Mandela (PG-13) (which comes out Dec 25) last night.Worth seeing. Also loved Peter Storey on M: https://divinity.duke.edu/news-media/news/mandela …

Seven Thoughts on Pastors Writing Books http://ow.ly/rnY1r 

GOCN is Gospel in Our Culture Network - inspired by Newbigin, produced The Missional Church, Darrell Guder, George Hunsberger, @jfranke etc.

I'm presenting: "'Missional' Ecclesiology of 1 Cor 14" with Richard Hays responding at GOCN forum on Missional Hermeneutics. 4-6:30 pm Sat.

I'm glad to get together with people at Society of Biblical Literature / American Academy of Religion this weekend in Baltimore.

Watch video from the #dukediv Nov. 1 event honoring Hauerwas on the occasion of his retirement: http://bit.ly/1a9q3ul  @DailyHauerwas

Must not publicize poor theological tweets by famous pastors . . . Must not publicize poor theological tweets by famous pastors . . . .

.@pegobry defends Spufford's Unapologetic (sort of): http://pegobry.tumblr.com/post/66961050499/its-a-bit-like-attempting-to-paint-over-a-barn-red …

Four elements of my writing life: http://ow.ly/qGQuJ  http://fb.me/O5l61d9J 

Just donated to @WorldVision to respond to devastating typhoon #Haiyan in Philippines. Been supporting WV for decades! #trusted #effective

Living a Happy Life based on "Triumphs of Experience: The Men of the Harvard Grant Study" by George Vaillant (2012). http://www.feelguide.com/2013/04/29/75-years-in-th-making-harvard-just-released-its-epic-study-on-what-men-require-to-live-a-happy-life/ …

Jax has loose tooth-fall on bike. He said, "The tooth fairy brings you $30,000." I said, "Here's a hammer, Hon. I'm going to close my eyes."

PW's reviews director has issued a ban of the words "compelling," "unique," and "poignant" http://pwne.ws/1af85pt 

Highlights of Colin Woodard's American Nations: A History of the 11 Rival Regional Cultures of North America (2012) http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2013/11/08/which-of-the-11-american-nations-do-you-live-in/ …

Tomorrow heading to @RedeemerCFW http://humanizingwork.org/  in NYC with @gratefultodead Breakouts w/ @michaelluo & @DanSiedell ! #humanizingwork

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What digital tools do you use for ministry? Here are 11 of my favorites: http://bit.ly/HC4597 

Our own @BethanyJenkins interviewing our own @amandageisinger on her Emmy, illustrations & journey to faith: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2013/11/01/5-questions-with-an-emmy-winning-illustrator/ … via @TGC

Diptych of the wonderful Rev. Dr. Sam Wells and Dr. Stanley Hauerwas on Stanley's tribute day… http://instagram.com/p/gL6y7UPUGE/ 

Bonhoeffer and the conspiracy, the new theory: http://ow.ly/qohif  http://fb.me/248nOHgEF 

For my students contemplating pursuing a PhD: ProfB @AntheaButler is dispensing some excellent advice via her tweets today. Check them out!

 RETWEETED BY ANDY ROWELL

@DWBarno76 discusses new "Building Better Generals" report with @BreakingDefense http://bit.ly/1aPavsi 

Building Better Generals - Tom Ricks author of The Generals summarizes the new @CNASdc report. http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/10/29/how_we_can_make_better_generals#.UnHLfzYO9hA.twitter … @ForeignPolicy

13 Things I Learned About Church History From ‘The Story of Christianity, Vol. 2’ by Justo L. Gonzalez http://buff.ly/1clcJCr 

@austinjwalker (1) Live in a house similar to congregrants'. (2) Be transparent about church and personal finances. (3) Study the Bible.

Pastor D. Wilson says ministers who voted Obama shld resign. @JonathanMerritt says maybe he should go 1st. http://buff.ly/1clnFjn  via @RNS

Elevation pastor Steven Furtick says huge house he is building is a 'gift from God' http://huff.to/1dmkdGq 

@DanSiedell Looking forward to "Excursion" to Gagosian Gallery http://humanizingwork.org/midday-excursions/ … at the Redeemer Center for Faith & Work conference!

The first step to completing the Great Commission: "Do Nothing." http://wp.me/pYxiW-2kv 

Commuting’s Hidden Cost http://nyti.ms/1gU7Vd6 

Review: Bonhoeffer's Theological Formation: Berlin, Barth, & Protestant Theology @oupacademic http://wp.me/p1NBk8-zo 

Paul, supersessionism, NT Wright: http://ow.ly/pPntT  http://fb.me/30nnfDYad 

#Mennonite Church USA group addressing sexual abuse by the late theologian John Howard Yoder has set 5 goals http://ow.ly/pA4r2 

Mark Oppenheimer on John Howard Yoder some background http://wp.me/pBxZE-1qz  #Mennonite #Anabaptist #JohnHowardYoder

New book: "Preaching in Hitler’s Shadow: Sermons of Resistance in the Third Reich" http://eerdword.wordpress.com/2013/10/02/review-of-dean-g-strouds-preaching-in-hitlers-shadow-by-bob-gaudet/ … @eerdmansbooks MT @ClayKnick

"Seminary was one of the most fulfilling times of my life." @chrishennessey @BethelSeminary http://chrishennessey.wordpress.com/2013/10/01/reflection-on-my-time-in-seminary/ …

My interview with Malcolm @Gladwell on his return to faith while writing his new book “David and Goliath” http://shar.es/EWE62  @RNS

Farmer @JoelSalatin spoke during "Wholeness: A Conference on Food, Farming, and the Life of Faith." @DukeDivinity http://youtu.be/w-WYq-WXV_Y 

 
 

The Trouble with Malcolm Gladwell: revised & updated version of my piece about why his writing matters, now in @Slate http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2013/10/malcolm_gladwell_critique_david_and_goliath_misrepresents_the_science.html …

On Gladwell's books: "the main flaw is a lack of logic and proper evidence in the argumentation." @cfchabris http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2013/10/malcolm_gladwell_critique_david_and_goliath_misrepresents_the_science.single.html …

"The question is whether Gladwell is accurately conveying the science ... whether he is getting the big ideas right." http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2013/10/malcolm_gladwell_critique_david_and_goliath_misrepresents_the_science.single.html …

"Gladwell too often presents as proven laws what are just intriguing possibilities and musings about human behavior." http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304713704579093090254007968.html …

Thinking of doing a PhD in philosophy? Be aware of this: since 2000 only 39% of grads got TT jobs: http://m.chronicle.com/article/Former-Graduate-Student/142219/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en …

Will Willimon with @lillianfdaniel in @ChristianCent Being a pastor is like being a novelist without all the alcohol. http://www.christiancentury.org/reviews/2013-09/flawed-and-fallen-folk …

@tmorgan815 In my experience, evangelicals are not distinguished by their high view of Scripture but by thinking the good news is good news.

@dane_womack Even at high school, the brain damage evidence is strong: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/football-high/attention-players-parents-coaches/ …

Why I am not letting my boys play football and why we have stopped watching it. It is sad because I love football. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nfl/news/20131002/league-of-denial-excerpt/#all …

@fitchest @james_ka_smith @lkoturner @jwilson1812 @ayjay VG's thesis: Though increasingly common, the megachurch may not be the future.

 RETWEETED BY ANDY ROWELL

"With a Spartan rigour which never ceased to amaze his landlord-grocer, Nietzsche would get up every..." http://tmblr.co/ZA1xbywlzAox 

 RETWEETED BY ANDY ROWELL

@pegobry You might be interested in the reading lists for the Great Texts program here at Baylor: http://www.baylor.edu/great_texts/index.php?id=6529 …

Ready for Your Doctorate? Check out the Doctorate in Missional Effectiveness @BethelSeminary! http://conta.cc/1f0IGnw 

Stanley Hauerwas on retirement: I plan to "do what I have always done. I will get up, read a book and write." http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2013/09/17/3850299.htm …

Why Andy Crouch's (@ahc) Playing God is important for young pastors like myself—my review @TGC: http://j.mp/19mAQ5o 

For fellow screen readers: I'm enjoying Book of Common Prayer Daily Office readings in the New Living Translation. http://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/bcp-daily-office/today?version=NLT …

@jrgordon13 @j_andersen My 2¢: given few prof positions, it is good a PhD is serving pastors & (2) pastors should be upfront if they use it.

@j_andersen @fitchest Wow. I had no idea. Wow.

@fitchest @AndyRowell Notable that some of the bigger names using Docent to cut time: http://bit.ly/16mbrXi 

7 tips for sharing your faith @jasonclark http://jasonclark.ws/post/62050206948/7-tips-for-sharing-your-faith … / I listened to the sermon. Excellent stuff.

"I used to not believe in lectures" (but I do now) A Manifesto for Active Learning http://shar.es/KUsb3  via @chronicle

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May 22, 2014

Twin Cities mission and evangelism theological gatherings in June and July

In addition to the Festival of Homiletics happening right now, there are lot of things happening in the Minneapolis / St. Paul, Minnesota area this summer. 
 

Note the June 12th Redeeming Work event put on by Leadership Journal with Andy Crouch, Skye Jethani, Tom Nelson, and Kara Powell, and Bethel Seminary grads Michael Binder and Joel Johnson at Sara and Troy Groves's Art House North. 

All five of the following gatherings are intentionally held together so that people can attend more than just the single gathering. This year they are being held in the Twin Cities at University of Northwestern (which is only a mile from Bethel University).
  1. Missio Alliance event with Craig Van Gelder and David Fitch. (June 19 afternoon).
  2. Association of Professors of Mission (June 19 evening and June 20 morning).
  3. Academy for Evangelism in Theological Education (June 19 evening and 20 morning). 
  4. I think also the Foundation for Evangelism United Methodist Professors of Evangelism also meet often before AETE.
  5. American Society of Missiology (June 20 afternoon through 22)

Note also the Inner City Ministry of Cru "Creating Options Together Conference" with John Perkins and others July 22-25, 2014 conference at Bethel University. 

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March 01, 2014

Syllabi from interim and spring semester at Bethel Seminary

In the past, I have benefitted greatly from schools and professors that have posted their syllabi online either institutionally or on their professor websites. See for example: Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary's (Hamilton Campus) syllabi and Fuller Theological Seminary's current and archived syllabi. So I wanted to post mine in case they would be helpful to anyone. Of course, I have the normal feelings of inadequacy that these courses still need a lot of work and certainly have holes and blindspots! (May I also mention that these syllabi get constantly revised! And that today the syllabus has been largely replaced by an elaborate Moodle website with readings, assignments, optional resources, etc. so these syllabi, though lengthy, may still have gaps such as missing page numbers.) But my feelings of reluctance are overcome by my desire to be a helpful resource; I'm one part offering my services to the rest of the body! A secondary benefit may be letting folks know of the good stuff happening at Bethel Seminary! And a terciary reason to post this is some explanation of why I have not been blogging or tweeting much! That's what 65 lectures between Jan 3 and May 22 will do to you! 

So, here they are: 

  1. Missional Outreach and Evangelism - January Interim - Fully Online - 1.5 credits  Download 00 Syllabus ML507 Rowell 2014-01-04
  2. Discipleship in Community - Spring (odd format of half semester class spread out through full semester Feb 1-May 31) - Fully Online - 1.5 credits.  Download 00 Syllabus ML506DI Rowell 2014-03-01
  3. Discipleship in Community - Spring (first 1/2 of semester) - Traditional Format - Thursday evenings 7-10 pm - 1.5 credits  Download 00 Syllabus ML506 Rowell 2014-02-27
  4. Missional Outreach and Evangelism - Spring (second 1/2 of semester) - Traditional Format - Thursday evenings 7-10 pm - 1.5 credits (Syllabus not yet finalized)
  5. Introduction to Transformational Leadership - Spring - Traditional Format - Thursday mornings from 9 am-12 pm - 3 credits  Download 00 Syllabus ML523 Rowell 2014-02-26
  6. Senior Integrative Seminar in Ministry Leadership - Spring - Hybrid Format - Significant online component but 3 full days of intensive classroom time on campus mid-semester - 3 credits  Download 00 Syllabus ML780 Rowell 2014-02-23
  7. Contemporary Models of the Church - Spring - Fully Online - 3.0 credits and 1.5 credit students  Download 00 Syllabus ML714 Rowell 2014-03-24

 

Explanation of my load of courses:

I am having a great time but it is busy! 

My annual load is 21 credits or 7 3-credit courses per year. This semester I am teaching 6 courses (technically 4.5 courses) which adds up to 13.5 credits so it has been busy! 

This fall the powers-that-be intended to be kind to me--having me only teach 1 3-credit course and 2 1.5 credit courses (Introduction to Transformational Leadership; Missional Outreach and Evangelism; Discipleship in Community) which added up to 6 credits. Missional Outreach and Evangelism, and Discipleship in Community are sibling 1/2 courses of 1.5 credits each--i.e. together they make up a full course. I taught those two sibling courses in the traditional delivery format while the Introduction to Transformational Leadership course was taught in a hybrid format: significant online components but also 3 8-hour days of an intensive classroom experience on campus halfway through the semester. That was a nice reasonable load because they were all new preps for me. 

I also taught one intensive fully online course for 1.5 credits during the January Interim term (Missional Outreach and Evangelism).

But this semester the piper came calling and the big load arrived: Contemporary Models of the Church; Senior Integrative Seminar in Ministry Leadership; Discipleship in Community (traditional delivery and fully online sections), Introduction to Transformational Leadership, and Missional Outreach and Evangelism. Happily only those first two out of the six courses are new preps. I'm going to write another blog post about all I have learned about teaching online. In short, I am requiring weekly 1-page assignments so that students don't fall behind; I am grading them to keep the quality high; I am grading student comments or replies when I require them; using Adobe Connect to have online sessions where I present a PowerPoint and lead webcam, audio, and typed chat discussions, and recording those sessions so students who miss them can watch them and write a one-page response to them; and having optional Google Hangouts sessions where we chat over webcams.  

Finally, yes, I still need to turn in my dissertation to my committee and defend it. I'm doing that this summer! I'm ABD (All But Dissertation finished) in the Th.D. (Doctor of Theology) program at Duke Divinity School. I'm trying close my eyes and resist tantalizing writing assignments, conference presentation proposals, and speaking engagements so that I do this good Bethel Seminary teaching and finish the dissertation and see my family! I have to pay $2500 to Duke every semester for continuation tuition fees so that is even more incentive to finish.

Warm greetings to any readers out there.

Andy  

 

Andrew D. Rowell
Instructor of Ministry Leadership
Bethel Seminary
Th.D. Candidate (ABD) - Duke Divinity School
Mail Service Center box #7006
3949 Bethel Dr
Saint Paul, MN 55112
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndyRowell

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October 03, 2013

My tweets from March 22, 2013 to October 3, 2013 on the pope, organizational leadership, teaching, and theology

For quite a while now I have been mostly tweeting instead of blogging. I often have a resource that I have found useful or interesting that I want to share with others. I can do that in a sentence. I sometimes do think that I could comment further about each link and thus keep blogging but I suppose at this point, I am not wanting to take the time to do that. Perhaps my functional philosophy is that my longer reflections are saved for my students at Bethel Seminary and books and articles I am writing. But of course many of you are not on Twitter and just checking out my blog so you get pretty little from me. So I like every few months to post my tweets so that my blog readers can scan through them and see things they may have missed. See below the latest batch. They are in descending order from most recent to March 27th. That's 190 days and there are 251 tweets so about 1.3 per day. I end up drawing on a lot on these resources for illustrations and examples as I teach courses at Bethel Seminary. I may occasionally link to something not particularly pleasant but generally I am trying to highlight things that are praiseworthy under the philosophy that I am recommending or collating good content--like an editor might. There is so much bad stuff out there, highlight the good. Furthermore, I do not like having arguments on Twitter so merely saying "I found this interesting"-- I do not get too many people angry about that. Sorry for my picture below so many times: the photo does help you see the difference between my tweets and those of others that I "retweeted." Blessings to all. If you are in Minneapolis-St. Paul, come by and see us at Bethel Seminary.

Andy 

 

Tweets

  1. "The church has two purposes: worship and mission." Scott Sunquist, Understanding Christian Mission, @BakerAcademic http://blog.bakeracademic.com/tag/scott-sunquist/ …

  2. @AJDTS @between2worlds Yes, I have read those. I like Newbigin's autobiography. Biographies are great for getting theology through story.

  3. .@mattjenson lists 10 books @tgc on ecclesiology that you probably haven't read but probably should: http://bit.ly/1aiIaMD 

      Retweeted by Andy Rowell
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  4. New Release: BONHOEFFER THE ASSASSIN?http://bit.ly/16GkOmW 

      Retweeted by Andy Rowell
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  5. "Excommunicating elders at a megachurch is messy business" http://bit.ly/1bDjy4O 

      Retweeted by Andy Rowell
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  6. Justin Taylor has gotten recommendations for biographies: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/category/biographies/ … @between2worlds / I noted: Nietzsche, Simone Weil, Kuyper.

  8. "Trends Among Growing Churches: Some Reflections on the Fastest Growing and Largest U.S. Churches" @edstetzer http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2013/september/sacrifice-is-trending.html …

  12. I think this is the FB page I posted today. http://bit.ly/16VHcC4 

      Retweeted by Andy Rowell
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  13. Sobering autobiographical piece from Brandy Daniels on rape culture and the theological academy http://wp.me/pYE7g-2et  via @WomeninTheology

      Retweeted by Andy Rowell
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  14. @joecarter @spulliam I hear @drmoore but many distinguish proselytism from evangelism & P. was talking with a non-Christian. See my tweets.

  16. Newbigin: "Evangelism" is not "proselytism": "the attempt to enlarge itself by manipulating those unable to resist." http://newbigin.net/assets/pdf/87po.pdf …

  17. Newbigin: "Proselytism" is "drawing people into conformity." "Evangelism" is "freedom of the Holy Spirit... doing a new thing." Signs, p.82.

  18. I would rather define the task of the church: as witnessing to Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8)--which helps shape "meeting the needs of people."

  19. I worry a bit about this from @Pontifex : "the purpose of our mission: to identify the needs of the people and try to meet them as we can."

  20. When @Pontifex says "Proselytism is nonsense" he may be defining p. as "making people in my image"--so perhaps still commends "evangelism."

  22. .@roddreher says: I’m still not going back to the Catholic Church, & Pope Francis only confirms my decision to leave http://ti.me/14UmlCo 

      Retweeted by Andy Rowell
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  25. Don't be that dude: Handy tips for the male academic http://wp.me/p32YqZ-74 

      Retweeted by Andy Rowell
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  26. Is it normal for Word for Mac 2011 to take almost 20 seconds to load on a brand new MacBook Pro (after a restart)?

  27. I tried for a month to get EndNote X6 (bibliography software) to work on my new MacBook Pro until I learned EndNote X7 is out--it works!

  28. I was not impressed with the volume on my new MacBook Pro but I recommend the Boom app for $5.99 as a fix. http://www.globaldelight.com/boom/ 

  29. Our 5-year-old's excuse for being unable to find her pajamas: "I have little eyes!"

      Retweeted by Andy Rowell
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  30. Reminded that his uncle & I played fball on Wheaton’s field, Ben asked, “Should we be able to find your fossilized footprints from long ago?

      Retweeted by Andy Rowell
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  31. "People who love to eat are always the best people." --Julia Child

      Retweeted by Andy Rowell
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  32. The Legacy of Hans W. Frei – Conference Announcement: Folks, I’ve recently been notified of a conference to be... http://bit.ly/162VGnY 

      Retweeted by Andy Rowell
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  33. @jr_briggs Looking forward to hearing Garber here at @BethelSeminary October 10. http://www.bethel.edu/events/mission-work/ … but means I miss TU 15 yr homecoming

  34. Thanks to smart IVP colleagues, I've now discovered Trello. Killer organized. Your overdue manuscript is in my sights. . . . Yes, yours!

      Retweeted by Andy Rowell
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  36. Openings on SBL Student Advisory Board: If you’re a student member of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL)... http://bit.ly/18aFOPJ 

      Retweeted by Andy Rowell
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  37. Minister-turned-atheist Teresa MacBain loses Harvard job after inflating resume http://shar.es/K4qr6  by @kjwinston11 @RNS

      Retweeted by Andy Rowell
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  38. Wrote awhile. It went like this: scribble scribble lurch despair scribble scribble sigh herky jerk herky scrawl; and I thank God. A miracle

      Retweeted by Andy Rowell
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  39. RT @skye_jethani "When ministry conferences left us empty, we hit the road." http://buff.ly/18vY0SX  / Also good for seminary classroom.

  40. Some good insights and one-liners in Hauerwas' "How to write a theological sentence" http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2013/09/26/3856546.htm … via @abcreligion

      Retweeted by Andy Rowell
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  44. NYT correction: Although her résumé says Teresa MacBain earned an MDiv degree from Duke, she received no degree. http://bit.ly/1eN0dPU .

      Retweeted by Andy Rowell
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  48. When Taylor Swift started, I decided I should apologize to all the old people who had visited our church. #loud #IgetItNow

      Retweeted by Andy Rowell
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  49. Fellow soccer parent: "We took our kids to the Paralympic Games, now when they see someone in a wheelchair they say, 'There's an athlete!'"

  50. Enjoyed 8/26/2013 @booksandculture podcast by @jwilson1812 on Eugene Peterson's new book of poetry. Beautifully done. http://www.booksandculture.com/podcast/ 

  51. At http://whchurch.org/  9/8/2013, @JessInProcess described how teaching of @greg_boyd on suffering helped her process tragedy.

  52. Enjoyed 2 sermons by @johnortberg -- on love: "The Table" 5/19/2013 and on marriage: "Closeness and Love" 6/19/2013. http://mppc.org 

  53. After reading the whole interview with @Pontifex I'm very encouraged by his theological & leadership instincts. http://americamagazine.org/pope-interview 

  54. "The risk in seeking God in all things is the willingness to explain too much ... We will find only a god that fits our preconception."

  55. "I think the cases should be investigated by the local bishops’ conferences...These cases, in fact, are much better dealt with locally."

  56. "Proclamation in a missionary style focuses on the essentials, on the necessary things: this is also what fascinates and attracts more."

  57. "church as a hospital after battle:It is useless to ask a seriously injured person if he has high cholesterol! You have to heal his wounds."

  58. "the ancient Catholic churches and the young ones is similar to the relationship between young and elderly people in a society." @Pontifex

  59. "negative behavior in ministers of the church: ‘Here’s an unfruitful bachelor’ or ‘Here’s a spinster.’ They are neither fathers nor mothers"

  60. "We must not reduce the bosom of the universal church to a nest protecting our mediocrity. The church is Mother; the church is fruitful."

  61. "When the dialogue among the people & the bishops and the pope goes down this road and is genuine, then it is assisted by the Holy Spirit."

  62. “The image of the church I like is that of the holy, faithful people of God." @Pontifex / Bingo.

  63. "They asked questions and we opened the floor for discussion. This greatly helped me to make better decisions." @Pontifex

  64. "It was my authoritarian way of making decisions that created problems... Over time I learned many things." @Pontifex http://americamagazine.org/pope-interview 

  65. Was reminded of Stanley Hauerwas's similar comments on leadership and power from 2009 http://youtu.be/nEHQwhSpm0A  by new book Playing God by @ahc

  66. *binges on Netflix* "Just doing some cultural exegesis."

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  67. After surprise resignation, president says: "Regent has been an institution with a pretty volatile past" http://ht.ly/p2Age  @ctmagazine

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  68. Growth of Evangelicalism & Orthodox Judaism can be attributed primarily to high fertility & high rates of retention, not conversions.

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  71. Now they all want to be church planters which means "I could be a great pastor if I got to hand-pick my congregation" http://bit.ly/18bK2FF 

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  72. RT @greg_thornbury "Radically and basically, all sin is simply ingratitude." Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics IV/1, p. 41.

  74. Can a theologian ever really retire? Theologian Stanley Hauerwas reflects on why the work of theology must go on: http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2013/09/17/3850299.htm …

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  75. The Perils of Doing a Ph.D.: Be Forewarned http://www.reclaimingthemission.com/?p=4046 

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  76. What’s the value of a PhD? http://goo.gl/fb/dlPCg 

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  77. "Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal." Peter Northouse, Leadership, p.5

  78. #PlayingGod hasn't arrived at the Site That Shall Not Be Named, but it IS at Hearts & Minds—use BOOKNOTES for 20% off http://bit.ly/18TY26P 

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  79. The opening chapters of #PlayingGod are online for free . . . http://bit.ly/18QS46N 

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  80. Really sorry to hear this: "Two Colorado Springs ministries laying off a total of 60 employees." http://bit.ly/14MBtPa 

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  81. Lectured on Why leadership?: Bonhoeffer - visible church, Barth - living & constant, Hybels - stakes, Buckingham - managers. @BethelSeminary

  82. Taught today on "Why discipleship?": Dallas Willard on kingdom, Karl Barth on confusion, Malcolm Gladwell on 10,000 hours. @BethelSeminary

  83. Wonderful news: We reached our goal for @booksandculture : Thank you! Here's a letter from @HaroldSmithCT http://ow.ly/oHMY1 

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  84. Visited Woodland Hills Church last Sunday and heard @greg_boyd give this tremendous sermon "Living in Communication." http://whchurch.org/blog/8416/living-in-communication …

  85. On the problem with white Legos and the architectural philosophy that bore them http://ow.ly/oxfEW 

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  87. Twitter, I wish I could quit you. 10 things I've learned about Twitter: http://bit.ly/17KkKSl 

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  88. W/writing, the bad news is you HAVE to put in the time--major fly in the ointment. But if you do this, you & the work will get a draft done.

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  89. Great lineup here: Christianity21 http://buff.ly/1566fWN 

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  90. An Invitation from Matt Chandler - http://eepurl.com/EQZAP 

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  92. Books & Culture may shut down if literary magazine doesn't meet fundraising goal by Monday http://bit.ly/17ESs9T 

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  93. @matthauger @booksandculture I don't know. As you know, all publications (Washington Post, Newsweek, etc.) are in trouble.

  94. @matthauger @booksandculture Matt, I don't know the backstory except that this was just announced Sept 4th.

  96. Every professor of any discipline who is a Christian should be appalled that Books & Culture is facing extinction. http://www.booksandculture.com/donate/ 

  97. Books & Culture--the most thoughtful Christian magazine--will cease to exist if it does not raise $90K by Monday! http://www.booksandculture.com/donate/ 

  98. People, PLEASE support Books & Culture magazine: http://ow.ly/oyxn3 

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  99. The Nov/Dec issue of @booksandculture will be the last unless we raise $110,000 in the next 3 days: http://ow.ly/oyxn3 

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  100. My favorite mag in seminary @booksandculture will cease publication if we don't raise $110K by Monday. http://booksandculture.com/donate/ 

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  101. Would you prayerfully consider partnering with us on Books & Culture? More details here: http://www.christianitytoday.org/partner/booksandculture/ …

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  102. Pledge a 2014 donation to @booksandculture. They need to raise $110,000 by Monday to continue operating. http://www.booksandculture.com/donate/ 

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  103. The evangelical and publishing worlds will be significantly worse off if @booksandculture has to close up shop. Go: http://www.booksandculture.com/donate 

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  104. .@booksandculture combines excellent writing and capacious thinking. Losing it would be tragic. Donate now. http://buff.ly/14we1Fz  #fb

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  105. So, academic institutions also have cultural dynamics to navigate: graduate school feedback in US vs. Europe http://kieranhealy.org/blog/archives/2013/08/16/academic-feedback/ …

  106. Rich post from my colleague @BethelSeminary NT prof Jeannine Brown on Christians and politics in the NT and today. http://www.respectfulconversation.net/ae-conversation/2013/9/1/context-context-context.html …

  107. @greg_boyd Thanks for talking with Amy and I today. I emailed Kevin Callaghan about getting together sometime to talk discipleship.

  108. The Golden Rule says in everything you do—which means also in evangelism—do unto others as you would wish them to do unto you @MiroslavVolf

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  109. @missioalliance @Matthew__Warren @scottkentjones Enjoyed the presentation. I'm finishing dissertation on Barth's ecclesiology. Well done!

  112. Laura Ortberg Turner @lkoturner is doing a good job tweeting and blogging the Willowcreek Global Leadership Summit. #wcagls

  113. John Updike’s Advice to Young Writers: ‘Reserve an Hour a Day’. And don't bitch about the crass publishing world. http://cultr.me/12DNipK 

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  116. @jess_h_b @revthb Yes, the church's task is witness (Acts 1:8) today and so must point well to Jesus not just hope 17th century rites speak.

  118. Trying to attract emerging adults? "Change carefully; change wisely." Terrific piece by Andrea Palpant Dilley. http://bit.ly/193hOk7 

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  120. I don't know of anything that will help us find emotional health faster than being vulnerable with safe people.

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  122. @jess_h_b He makes a good case that simple carbohydrates (without fiber)--flour, sugar, etc. are pretty bad. Do as I say not as I do.

  123. Listened to audiobook Why We Get Fat by @garytaubes Says carbohydrates make us fat (not eating too many calories or sedentary lifestyle).

  124. .@FaithTheology I wrote a short blog on how students can engage w/ primary sources minus the intimidation factor. http://wp.me/p1Usla-n8 

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  125. On books written for students: a polemic http://bit.ly/13W384b 

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  127. If only 1 practice? Scripture memorization. Passages such as Mt 5-7, Jn 14-17, 1 Cor 13, and Col 3. Dallas Willard, Great Omission, 58, 126.

  128. Dallas Willard repeated this often: "Grace is not opposed to effort, but it is opposed to earning." The Great Omission, pp. 61, 133, 166.

  129. "People will not recall 99% of what we say. But they will never forget the kind of persons we are." Dallas Willard, Great Omission, 124.

  130. After Dinesh D'Souza, Union's @greg_thornbury announced as the new president of The King's College, Christian college in New York City.

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  131. @jr_briggs How about that. I worked through that book (slowly!) while a pastor--"appointments with G.B." Yes, my memory of it: dense & rich.

  132. "The work of the pastor is much more about leadership & much less about management than the typical business person." http://www.faithandleadership.com/blog/07-01-2013/the-church-can-teach-corporate-america-about-inspiration …

  133. "In the Duke provost's view, the health of the institution required that the faculty have a 5% annual turnover." http://www.faithandleadership.com/blog/06-17-2013/new-people-are-critical-for-institutional-renewal …

  135. "I read the bulletins from the first year of my predecessor’s ministry. I saw most of my 'new' ideas." @DaveOdomDuke http://www.faithandleadership.com/blog/06-26-2013/every-new-ministry-built-foundation …

  137. Superb piece by Tish Harrison Warren (April 2013) on Courage in the Ordinary: "ordinary life vs. radical Xian life." http://thewell.intervarsity.org/blog/courage-ordinary …

  138. "The idea that you might do something radically brilliant—that assumption is very empowering." Marilynne Robinson http://www.vice.com/read/a-teacher-and-her-student-000571-v20n6 …

  139. @jasonbhood I think that next tweet is all I have got for a review: https://twitter.com/AndyRowell/status/354703266958946304 … I also liked @jmeacham last evaluative chapter.

  140. The best of Jefferson was his belief in people/democracy vs. monarchy but his manipulative use of power (including slavery) is nauseating.

  141. Finished listening to Thomas Jefferson by @jmeacham Successful book in giving me sense of TJ but I can't say I admire TJ after it.

  142. @missioalliance Barth's answer: Jesus Christ. We don't "discover the revelation of God in our midst" lest we misconstrue Hitler as from God.

  143. For those who asked (based on my earlier tweets): 5 reasons I connect w/ random strangers (or churches) via Twitter: http://is.gd/37wPMs 

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  145. My take on "Lean In" after finally reading it: great advice for working the system, not for changing the system.

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  146. @foliovision Thanks for the input. I will consider that.

  147. My wife Amy, "So who are some of daddy's friends?" 5-year-old son Jacob, "Well, there's Dave Miller and Bonhoeffer."

  148. “A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.” —E.B. White http://tpr.ly/r82bdP 

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  149. Thomas Jefferson agreed with Ben Franklin's aim "never to contradict anybody" to their face. (@jmeacham p.308) / Probably applies to Twitter

  150. Exciting new reason to move to Minneapolis—it now anchors the lowest-unemployment major metro area in America: http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2013/07/03/you_should_move_to_minneapolis_lowest_unemployment_big_city_in_america.html …

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  151. A disturbing 50 percent of doctoral students leave graduate school without finishing: http://chroni.cl/162Yxc1 

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  153. We are now faced with the end of American Protestantism - and not a moment too soon, writes Stanley Hauerwas http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2013/07/02/3794561.htm …

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  154. Thinking about getting arrested at #moralmonday? Check out my piece @TheAtlantic for how it may go down: