Another Genesis Post
August 16, 2010
This one a little bit less gorgeous than the one put out by the Lutherans, but worth it for:
“No way!”
“Yah-way!”
Radical Living in the New York Times
August 7, 2010
Hey, everyone – our sisters and brothers at Radical Living got a nice little write up in the NYT. Check it out!
APARTMENT hunters always have a wish list of things that will help them call a new place home — doormen, laundry rooms, southern exposures.
But for some people, faith guides real estate choices. Instead of bay windows and an in-house gym, their must-have may be a kosher kitchen, a short walk to church, room to roll out a prayer mat or like-minded roommates.
Community mattered to Jason Storbakken, 33, and his wife, Vonetta, 36, who wanted to share their lives with other followers of Christ, and not just for an hour on Sunday morning. So the couple started Radical Living, a Christian collective, in 2007 in a Brooklyn brownstone they bought in 2001 for $180,000, first rehabbing it to the tune of $80,000. To find members, they began “targeted marketing,” Mr. Storbakken said, advertising for roommates on Christian Web sites.
Genesis told in sand
August 5, 2010
Augsburg Fortress is releasing a new Bible Study plan, and they’re accompanied by videos like this one:
I found it surprisingly beautiful and for more interesting than what I’m used to seeing in Sunday School curricula. Way to go, Lutherans.
Maundy Thursday / April Fool’s
April 1, 2010
Isaac Everett: I’m trying to think of ways to combine Maundy Thursday with April Fool’s Day.
Eric Thompson: “And Peter said to him, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!’” ought to about cover it.
Rare: Thursday Transmission
September 21, 2009
I know we don’t usually have Transmission on Thursdays, but we’ve been invited to lead worship for the World Student Christian Federation this Thursday. Since there are five Wednesdays this month and our next service won’t be until October 7, we decided to do it!
So please stop by this Thursday at 7pm, when we’ll blend the ancient practice of labyrinth walking with the modern practice of sidewalk chalk graffiti. Food will be had by all, obviously.
If you want to attend, please send an email and we’ll get you specific directions.
Psalm 1 – Alan Cooper
September 18, 2009
Dr. Alan Cooper introduces the entire book of psalms. Then he concludes the entire book of psalms. No really. Dr. Cooper is the Elaine Ravich Professor of Jewish Studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary and Professor of Bible at Union Theological Seminary.
[audio:epp001.mp3]
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Hey, Transmissioners~
This week we’ll be joining up with our brothers and sisters at Radical Living, a very cool intentional living community in bed-stuy for food, worship, and fellowship.¬† Our worship will focus on transitions, callings, and mid-career crises of faith.¬† The folks at Radical Living are very cool, and seeing what they’re up to will be well worth your time.
We’ll meet at 7pm at 622 Marcy Avenue, Brooklyn, NY. The closest stop on the subway is probably Myrtle-Willoughby on the G train. For those of us who live in Upper Manhattan and other far-flung places, make sure to leave enough time to get there.
Finally, out of consideration for our hosts, please send me a note if you intend to come so I can give them an accurate headcount.
See you then!
Samir Selmanovic, Founder and Christian co-leader of Faith House Manhattan, an interfaith community in New York City, ends the whole debate on faith vs works. Samir is the author of It’s Really All About God: Reflections of a Muslim Atheist Jewish Christian
[audio:epp019.mp3]
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Worship and Mission in Emergent Churches
September 8, 2009
Andrew Wooding has a post up suggesting that “worship-shaped churches” tend to be bad at mission.¬† His description of “worship-shaped” pretty much nails Transmission on the head, and his analysis and critique seem pretty damning.
We’ve talked about mission a fair amount about during our planning meetings and retreats, but we have yet to produce an engaging, long-term missional focus.¬† This is something I hope we can talk about with Radical Living next Thursday, since they live and breathe mission the way we live and breathe worship.
What are your thoughts?
Prayer, Prophecy, Scripture
September 5, 2009
A few conservative bloggers and podcasters recently critiqued my podcast and book for not giving enough recognition to the Psalm’s role as prophecy; apparently the fact that I don’t immediately look for Jesus in the Psalms means I’m not interpreting them correctly.¬† The thing is, I’m not entirely convinced that the Book of Psalms does prophesy Jesus, or that they were originally meant to be prophecy at all.
This has gotten me thinking about the nature of the texts contained in the Bible. The question of whether the Bible is the “inerrant Word of God” is such a hangup issue for so many churches – it’s used as a litmus test to determine whether a believer is a “true Christian” or whether a teacher is a “false Prophet.” When the final version of the Torah was put together (probably shortly after the Babylonian Exile), did the redactors suspect it’d be used as scripture? Well, yeah, they probably did. When Paul wrote his letter to Philemon, did he suspect that it’d be read in churches thousands of years later and declared “the Word of the Lord, thanks be to God?” No, he probably didn’t.
In Jewish copies of the Bible, the books are clearly separated between Scripture (Torah), Prophecy (Nevi’im), and Writings (Ketuvim). In Christianity, the lines between the three are much, much more ambiguous, whether we’re talking about the Psalms or the writings of Paul. Since I’m much more familiar with the Psalms, I’ll focus on them.