tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post5379838625558103010..comments2023-11-05T00:58:55.352-07:00Comments on A Peculiar Prophet: What If Wesley Was Right?William H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-4935999760709725732007-11-04T23:17:00.000-08:002007-11-04T23:17:00.000-08:00I appreciate the message. I also wanted to let yo...I appreciate the message. I also wanted to let you know I quoted from your comment about Finney. I welcome your review and comment on my writing <A HREF="http://www.morethancake.org/2007/11/church-in-crisis-part-6.html" REL="nofollow">POSTED HERE</A> in part 6 of my Finney series.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00772168718321735432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-57424660233839466432007-09-10T20:11:00.000-07:002007-09-10T20:11:00.000-07:00Bishop Will:I've read a lot of what you've written...Bishop Will:<BR/><BR/>I've read a lot of what you've written and preached, and even argued with you to your face over some of it. But this is by far your best. <BR/><BR/>The bishopric hasn't ruined you after all. [grin]<BR/><BR/>Sky+Sky McCrackenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13971591289953416023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-56342728119488413222007-09-10T09:20:00.000-07:002007-09-10T09:20:00.000-07:00Keith,Thank you for such a generous response to my...Keith,<BR/>Thank you for such a generous response to my Wesley speech. Your work sounds interesting, much needed in our church. I really like what Len Sweet does, though he is probably more interested in the "culture" part of our theology/culture mix than I. I find that Methodism has so thoroughly enmeshed itself in the culture that we're hardly saying anything the culture is not. Keep me posted on your work as it progresses. We need fresh, deep thinking in our church!William H. Willimonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-49383008758507607212007-09-09T16:14:00.000-07:002007-09-09T16:14:00.000-07:00Bishop Willimon, Thank you for that well-articulat...Bishop Willimon, <BR/>Thank you for that well-articulated statement. I agree wholeheartedly. I am a UM pastor in East Texas and starting a D.Min. with Len Sweet at George Fox. Your observations line up well with my project. I will certainly add your paper to my research. If you have any further suggestions I would appreciate them. My project overview is below...<BR/><BR/>Leadership in Emerging Culture<BR/><BR/>Area of Interest<BR/><BR/>I would like to study missional paradigms for the Church in an emerging post-Christian culture. As a pastoral church leader, I have a great appreciation for the entire history of the Church universal, and the many ways God has moved and changed the course of Christ’s Church to engage a variety of cultures so that His mission would be accomplished. I would like:<BR/>1. to review attributes of the early Methodist movement and Wesleyan distinctives and explore how if applied creatively today, might benefit the current institutional Western church in moving from a maintenance mode to becoming mission focused once again, and<BR/>2. to explore what other contemporary church leaders are suggesting and doing in light of the general decline of the Western institutional church.<BR/><BR/>Rationale <BR/><BR/>There is an obvious cultural and generational disconnect between the current institutional Western Church and many younger adults (age 40 and below). Overall, the current state of the church is much more focused on maintaining its current institutions and programs than reaching new generations of people with the good news of Jesus today. What will it take for the 21st century Church to move from an internally focused maintenance mentality to a healthy, vital, missional approach? <BR/><BR/>Structure and organization is necessary to carry out the work of God, but unless adapted and adjusted regularly, consumes the focus and resources of a group of well-intentioned people. John Wesley and early Methodists re-imagined how faithful followers of Jesus should live back in their day in response to the institutionalization of the Anglican Church. This has happened many other times in the history of the Church. There are several church leaders today engaging in conversation regarding post-modern thought and emerging culture and exploring how the church must re-invent itself to offer an authentic witness for Jesus in today’s world.Keith Tilleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00289825566642656613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-30796182440570301552007-09-04T09:56:00.000-07:002007-09-04T09:56:00.000-07:00Dear Bishop Willimon,Many thanks for this excellen...Dear Bishop Willimon,<BR/><BR/>Many thanks for this excellent challenge! <BR/><BR/>Tom McCall<BR/>Trinity Evangelical Divinity SchoolAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-9538219970433416112007-08-31T07:57:00.000-07:002007-08-31T07:57:00.000-07:00I guess I didn't realize blogs got edited. That's ...I guess I didn't realize blogs got edited. That's weird.<BR/><BR/>What I wanted to know was more about the question of believing a powerful god can heal things like addiction and violence.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-23698606701131613822007-08-30T19:09:00.000-07:002007-08-30T19:09:00.000-07:00I'm not a Methodist. I don't know anything about ...I'm not a Methodist. I don't know anything about Wesley. But this makes me want to know a lot more about him, in hopes that would help me with the real question-- how do I live like that? To live assaulted by the living God. What else is there? And how I run from it. Who am I to live wired in to the God "who presently, directly speaks, creates, intrudes, convicts, enlightens, demands, commands, passionately loves, continually transforms?" It's too much. It's entirely too much. <BR/><BR/>Who are we that we have been offered life like this?<BR/><BR/>Thank you for this. <BR/><BR/>- JoannaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-15760254956810139812007-08-30T12:02:00.000-07:002007-08-30T12:02:00.000-07:00Discussions are always appreciated and some questi...Discussions are always appreciated and some questions will be answered. What question did you want to have answered?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-17017093597273069592007-08-30T08:07:00.000-07:002007-08-30T08:07:00.000-07:00I was here yesterday and interested in several com...I was here yesterday and interested in several comments that raised questions about the post. I hoped to see dialogue on the issues raised. <BR/><BR/>What happened to those comments? Are questions not allowed on this blog?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-68473627485943282622007-08-22T11:20:00.000-07:002007-08-22T11:20:00.000-07:00Thank you, Bishop. Good stuff.Thank you, Bishop. Good stuff.Keith H. McIlwainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14661248415435540954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-14800739922288548652007-08-22T05:33:00.000-07:002007-08-22T05:33:00.000-07:00WOW!You have articulated in the clearest voice wha...WOW!You have articulated in the clearest voice what I have been concerned about for quite sometime.The rightness of Wesley's theology still amazes me!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-75451059694520245762007-08-21T21:01:00.000-07:002007-08-21T21:01:00.000-07:00Amen, Bishop.Thank you for this timely reminder wh...Amen, Bishop.<BR/><BR/>Thank you for this timely reminder what I (and the church of which I am a part) am called to be about in the Reign of God. Your words have challenged me to live up to the promises I have made as a disciple of Jesus Christ, to be an effective witness to the power of Christ's resurrection.Psalmisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12844681463669483309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-17115302132585310192007-08-21T18:41:00.000-07:002007-08-21T18:41:00.000-07:00WOW! What a message!WOW! What a message!Dorcas (aka SingingOwl)https://www.blogger.com/profile/15626748280614018533noreply@blogger.com