Comments for "What's happening here?" at http://pres-outlook.com , comment 1 to 3 out of 3 comments http://pres-outlook.com Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:44:00 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://pres-outlook.com/opinion/guest-commentary/7147.html#comment-3923 Dear Mr. Hughes, How I appreciate your regard for those churches that express a 'fervent and unabashed belief' in Jesus, and as you note, many of them are non-denominational. But in order to thank God for such things, do we have to bash those on a different track? Does the right hand give out praise for Jesus and some congregations and the left hand throw bricks at others? To suggest that 'liberal or post-evangelical' congregations are merely rising from 'dead to the mere comatose' is far from generous, far from accurate. Who's looking in the carnival mirror? Recent developments at Willow Creek (the megachurch granddaddy) are a telling reminder to everyone: success cannot be measured in numbers, but only in maturity of servanthood. I've been a student of Willow Creek and have attended their conferences for more than ten years; I thank God for them, but they well-know, as we all do, that we're all in this together, and we help one another. We all have needs that can be met only by the gifts of others; God does this to both humble us and help us maintain the unity of Christ. No one has to be wrong for anyone to be right. Generosity, kindness and encouragement toward fellow disciples have to be the bywords of those who follow Christ. Bitterness and denunciation have no place in the fellowship of the Cross. We can challenge one another, we can vigorously disagree, but we cannot and must not break the fellowship of Christ. Oh, to embrace the humility of a Thomas Merton who said when confronted with enormous doctrinal differences, 'This is beyond me at the moment.' There is only reality that can transcend the reality of our differences -- a foot-washing kind of love given to us by our LORD who shed his robes of authority and donned the towel of a servant. Blessings and Hope in Jesus... - Tom Eggebeen Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:00:00 +0100 http://pres-outlook.com/opinion/guest-commentary/7147.html#comment-3870 Seems to me that the most rapidly growing and energetic churches in the world, today, are those which express a fervent and unabashed belief that Jesus is our risen Lord and Savior. Oh, and most of them are non-denominational and enthusiastic in their evangelism. A few 'liberal or post-evangelical' congregations may be rising from the dead to the mere comatose; but like the PC(USA), most of them continue to spiral like waste down the drain. I suggest the author look at the world, perhaps in awe, not at the carnival mirror in false hope. - Robert Hughes Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:00:00 +0100 http://pres-outlook.com/opinion/guest-commentary/7147.html#comment-3865 I, too, believe that something is happening out there as well. What Butler-Bass writes about in her book is happening in Presbyterian congregations, too. Unfortunately, much of what gets publicized about the PC (USA) is our conflict driven nature. Are we on the verge of another Reformation? Perhaps. But there is one thing I feel deeply in my soul: God is not quite finished with this part of his church. For despite the predictions wrought by our Presbyterian pundits from the left and the right, Jesus is still in charge of this church and for that, we all can be thankful. - fred heuser Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:00:00 +0100