Snippet: Not Christian Enough

snip·pet | ˈsnipit | noun a small piece or brief extract.

Tom Holland, a celebrated historian (and atheist), in an interview with John Dickson:

“Essentially, Christianity defines the moral assumptions, by and large, of those who criticize it.'“

Tom Holland is not a Christian but he’s an “apologist” for the positive role of Christianity throughout history.

He points out that criticisms of Christianity that offer the Crusades or the Inquisition as examples are actually based on Christian values shaped by a Savior who was crucified, dying like a slave and declaring that all humanity is of equal value before God.

In a sense, I would add, the real critique is that Christians aren’t Christian enough. But if Christianity isn’t true, it could be valid to say that the only problem with the Crusades and the Inquisition is that they failed.

The interview can be heard on episode 45 of the “Undeceptions with John Dickson” podcast.

Photo by Nik Shuliahin on Unsplash

Snippet: Infinite Games

snip·pet | ˈsnipit | noun a small piece or brief extract.

Mike Cosper in an interview, talking about the “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” podcast:

“What does an approach to ministry that’s generational look like?”

He’s talking about healthier metrics for measuring “success” in the church. Too often it’s greater numbers and continuous momentum (yes, numbers are people and that can’t be lost on us). But with numbers and momentum, many comprises are often made and leadership character is de-valued for the sake of results, like what happened at Mars Hill in Seattle.

I’m reading The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek. He makes a very strong case for businesses to think generationally, although that’s not the language he uses.

Without the context of the book it might sound weird, but he argues that businesses need to stop trying to beat the market or forecasts or even their primary competitors. They need to think and function in a way that keeps them in business for generations to come. He also argues that this will usually result in really good numbers, but the mindset will be completely different.

How much more true is this for churches!

Short-term, finite thinking and practices actually undermine generational approaches.

You can hear this interview with Cosper on episode #903 of the Theology in the Raw podcast. The interviewer, Preston Sprinkle, asks Cosper about some of the critiques of the series which hit #3 overall on Apple Podcasts recently.

Photo by Brian McGowan on Unsplash