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Christian Living

Martin Luther Sought Reform and Unity

The Church Opposed Martin Luther and Eventually Excommunicated Him Longing for unity, Martin Luther didn’t want to see the church divided. But when reconciliation didn’t happen and he was excommunicated, he had no choice but to form a new church practice aligned with what the Bible taught and apart from the Church he loved. A […]

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Christian Living

As Jesus’s Followers We Are to Live in Perfect Unity

We Glorify God and Serve as the Most Effective Witness When We Get Along I write a lot about the importance of Christian unity. This is because Jesus prayed that we would be one, and I embrace his request and vision as imperative. If we profess to following Jesus, we need to all get along. […]

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Christian Living

Love God and Love Others: A Call to Christian Unity

Shun Division, Disunity, and Denominations in the Name of Jesus Just as church member status divides the church body into two groups, so does our doctrine. Instead of obeying Jesus’s instruction to love God and love others, we make a lengthy list of what we should do and shouldn’t do. We judge others according to […]

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Visiting Churches

Church #60: A Missed Opportunity 

I meet a woman at a writers conference. In addition to being an author, she is also a pastor. She’s launching a new church in an underserved downtown urban area. The Vision Her dream is a church for people of all ages, races, and backgrounds—a colorful mosaic of folks who seek to grow together in […]

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Christian Living

Missional Through Community

Follow Jesus’s Example to Live in Community and Be Missional I often talk about the importance of being in a spiritual community. Though this community can happen anywhere, when it comes to church, forming meaningful spiritual connections is more important than the music or message of the Sunday service. Another critical element of our faith […]

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Visiting Churches

A Caring Community

Discussing Church 22 This church meets in a newer, contemporary building. It’s most inviting. Consider these four discussion questions about Church #22: 1. Many people introduce themselves. Their genuine interest, without being pushy, refreshes me. They ask our names, which they repeat with care. When they share theirs, they pause, giving us time to hear […]

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Visiting Churches

Enhance Community: Sharing a Meal Matters

Discussing Church 9 Today, we’ll go to a United Methodist church, our first visit to a widely recognized denomination. They know how to enhance community by sharing a meal. Consider these four discussion questions about Church #9: 1. Their services are traditional. I wonder if I should dress up, but their website doesn’t say. Though […]

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Visiting Churches

Reflecting on Church #15: Moving Towards Unity and Acceptance

Let’s Strive to Get Along With our journey of visiting fifty-two churches over, I can reflect more on the complete experience. Today, I’ll add to my thoughts about Church #15. This United Methodist Church is an outlier congregation, quite unlike the others from their denomination that we have visited. Though we enjoyed them all, this […]

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Visiting Churches

Reflecting on Church #9: A Potluck Builds Community

With our journey of visiting fifty-two churches over, I can reflect more on the complete experience. Today, I’ll add to my thoughts about Church #9. In a word, the potluck at this church was epic. Between the delicious food and making connections, it remains a significant memory of our journey. Sharing a meal helps build […]

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Christian Living

Two Key Advantages of Community

We Benefit When We Share Our Joys and Burdens with Others When God created us in his image, he put within us a desire for community. Just as God lives in community with himself—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—he wants us to be in community with him. He wants a relationship with us. He pursues us. […]