Relevancy22: Contemporary Process Christianity: Post-Evangelic Topics and Theology

Quotes & Sayings

We, and creation itself, actualize the possibilities of the God who sustains the world, towards becoming in the world in a fuller, more deeper way. - R.E. Slater

There is urgency in coming to see the world as a web of interrelated processes of which we are integral parts, so that all of our choices and actions have [consequential effects upon] the world around us. - Process Metaphysician Alfred North Whitehead

Kurt Gödel's Incompleteness Theorem says (i) all closed systems are unprovable within themselves and, that (ii) all open systems are rightly understood as incomplete. - R.E. Slater

The most true thing about you is what God has said to you in Christ, "You are My Beloved." - Tripp Fuller

The God among us is the God who refuses to be God without us, so great is God's Love. - Tripp Fuller

According to some Christian outlooks we were made for another world. Perhaps, rather, we were made for this world to recreate, reclaim, redeem, and renew unto God's future aspiration by the power of His Spirit. - R.E. Slater

Our eschatological ethos is to love. To stand with those who are oppressed. To stand against those who are oppressing. It is that simple. Love is our only calling and Christian Hope. - R.E. Slater

Secularization theory has been massively falsified. We don't live in an age of secularity. We live in an age of explosive, pervasive religiosity... an age of religious pluralism. - Peter L. Berger

Exploring the edge of life and faith in a post-everything world. - Todd Littleton

I don't need another reason to believe, your love is all around for me to see. – Anon

Thou art our need; and in giving us more of thyself thou givest us all. - Khalil Gibran, Prayer XXIII

Be careful what you pretend to be. You become what you pretend to be. - Kurt Vonnegut

Religious beliefs, far from being primary, are often shaped and adjusted by our social goals. - Jim Forest

We become who we are by what we believe and can justify. - R.E. Slater

People, even more than things, need to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone. – Anon

Certainly, God's love has made fools of us all. - R.E. Slater

An apocalyptic Christian faith doesn't wait for Jesus to come, but for Jesus to become in our midst. - R.E. Slater

Christian belief in God begins with the cross and resurrection of Jesus, not with rational apologetics. - Eberhard Jüngel, Jürgen Moltmann

Our knowledge of God is through the 'I-Thou' encounter, not in finding God at the end of a syllogism or argument. There is a grave danger in any Christian treatment of God as an object. The God of Jesus Christ and Scripture is irreducibly subject and never made as an object, a force, a power, or a principle that can be manipulated. - Emil Brunner

“Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh” means "I will be that who I have yet to become." - God (Ex 3.14) or, conversely, “I AM who I AM Becoming.”

Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy. - Thomas Merton

The church is God's world-changing social experiment of bringing unlikes and differents to the Eucharist/Communion table to share life with one another as a new kind of family. When this happens, we show to the world what love, justice, peace, reconciliation, and life together is designed by God to be. The church is God's show-and-tell for the world to see how God wants us to live as a blended, global, polypluralistic family united with one will, by one Lord, and baptized by one Spirit. – Anon

The cross that is planted at the heart of the history of the world cannot be uprooted. - Jacques Ellul

The Unity in whose loving presence the universe unfolds is inside each person as a call to welcome the stranger, protect animals and the earth, respect the dignity of each person, think new thoughts, and help bring about ecological civilizations. - John Cobb & Farhan A. Shah

If you board the wrong train it is of no use running along the corridors of the train in the other direction. - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

God's justice is restorative rather than punitive; His discipline is merciful rather than punishing; His power is made perfect in weakness; and His grace is sufficient for all. – Anon

Our little [biblical] systems have their day; they have their day and cease to be. They are but broken lights of Thee, and Thou, O God art more than they. - Alfred Lord Tennyson

We can’t control God; God is uncontrollable. God can’t control us; God’s love is uncontrolling! - Thomas Jay Oord

Life in perspective but always in process... as we are relational beings in process to one another, so life events are in process in relation to each event... as God is to Self, is to world, is to us... like Father, like sons and daughters, like events... life in process yet always in perspective. - R.E. Slater

To promote societal transition to sustainable ways of living and a global society founded on a shared ethical framework which includes respect and care for the community of life, ecological integrity, universal human rights, respect for diversity, economic justice, democracy, and a culture of peace. - The Earth Charter Mission Statement

Christian humanism is the belief that human freedom, individual conscience, and unencumbered rational inquiry are compatible with the practice of Christianity or even intrinsic in its doctrine. It represents a philosophical union of Christian faith and classical humanist principles. - Scott Postma

It is never wise to have a self-appointed religious institution determine a nation's moral code. The opportunities for moral compromise and failure are high; the moral codes and creeds assuredly racist, discriminatory, or subjectively and religiously defined; and the pronouncement of inhumanitarian political objectives quite predictable. - R.E. Slater

God's love must both center and define the Christian faith and all religious or human faiths seeking human and ecological balance in worlds of subtraction, harm, tragedy, and evil. - R.E. Slater

In Whitehead’s process ontology, we can think of the experiential ground of reality as an eternal pulse whereby what is objectively public in one moment becomes subjectively prehended in the next, and whereby the subject that emerges from its feelings then perishes into public expression as an object (or “superject”) aiming for novelty. There is a rhythm of Being between object and subject, not an ontological division. This rhythm powers the creative growth of the universe from one occasion of experience to the next. This is the Whiteheadian mantra: “The many become one and are increased by one.” - Matthew Segall

Without Love there is no Truth. And True Truth is always Loving. There is no dichotomy between these terms but only seamless integration. This is the premier centering focus of a Processual Theology of Love. - R.E. Slater

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Note: Generally I do not respond to commentary. I may read the comments but wish to reserve my time to write (or write from the comments I read). Instead, I'd like to see our community help one another and in the helping encourage and exhort each of us towards Christian love in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. - re slater

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Shane Hipps - Collections of Past Teachings from Mars Hill Church

Several years ago Shane Hipps was the adjunct preacher at Mars Hill and during that time preached from the pulpit and around the country. Below is a collection of his sermons which I think should not be hidden away but made open to those thirsty for God and His Word.

On this blog page you will find many of Shane's sermons. By clicking on the pictures below you will be taken to his website for further instructions for that particular topic. By clicking the "teaching" label on the top or bottom menu bars you may go to the full collection of his sermons. Many of Shane's sermons are free (the ones without pictures) but some (with pictures) will require a small donation. Enjoy.

R.E. Slater
February 8, 2014

Shane's Website - http://shanehipps.com/category/teaching/sermons/

Where in the World is Shane Hipps? - Life After Mars Hill

The One Before the Zero

Daniel 6

08/19/2012
A Contest of Champions

1 Samuel 17

08/05/2012
Stay in the Boat

Genesis 6-8

07/01/2012
Broken Chains

Acts 16:25-40

06/17/2012
Falling Together

Acts 16:16-24

06/10/2012
Pass the Peace

Acts 15

05/15/2012
More Gardeners

Acts 15

05/06/2012
From Tomb to Womb

04/08/2012
Nothing is Wasted

Ruth 4:11-22

04/01/2012
8 Mile and the Shadow

03/04/2012
The Fire Inside

Daniel 3

02/26/2012
Drop By Drop

Acts 12

02/05/2012
A Vision

Acts 10 & 11

01/15/2012
A New Day

Acts 9

01/01/2012
The Cry of Christmas

Luke 2:1-7

12/25/2011
Accepting the Gift

Acts 8:26-40

12/11/2011
Thin Ice and the Spear

Acts 7

11/29/2011
Anonymous Feet

Acts 4:5-20

10/30/2011
Return to the Bubble Maker

Acts 3:17-21

10/23/2011
Miracles and Maple Trees

Acts 3:1-10

10/16/2011
Look to the East

Acts 1:21

09/18/2011
Real Simple

1 John 5:13-21

09/04/2011
Love Makes it Easy

1 John 5:1-5

08/21/2011
The Dune is Heavy

1 John 4:7-10

08/07/2011
Knowing is the Flame

1 John 3:18-24

07/24/2011
The Seed

1 John 3:4-10

07/10/2011
Beyond Belief

1 John 2:18-25

06/19/2011
The Art of Abiding

1 John 2:15-17

06/12/2011
Spoiling the Illusion

1 John 1:5-10

05/08/2011
Beneath the Waves

1 John 1:1-4

05/01/2011
Resurrection

04/24/2011
Fool’s Gold

Revelation 3:4-22

04/10/2011
Lighting the Wick

Revelation 2:8-11

03/20/2011
Before the Bowl Breaks

Ecclesiastes 12:1-7

03/06/2011
Puppies & Prostitutes

Ecclesiastes 9:4-10

02/06/2011
Your Destiny

Ecclesiastes 7:1-2

01/23/2011
The Eternal Now

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

01/16/2011
The Hidden Announcement

Luke 2:1-20

12/26/2010
Overwhelming Joy

2 Corinthians 8:1-4

12/12/2010
The Humble Kingdom

Matthew 13:51-52

11/21/2010
Returning to the Field

Matthew 22:1-14

11/07/2010
The Alarm Clock

Matthew 13:44

10/31/2010
Within You

Matthew 13:31-35

10/17/2010
Living Dirt

Ezekiel 34:1-14

10/03/2010
Lantern

Ezekiel 34:25-31

09/12/2010
Clay Hearts

Ezekiel 11:14-19

09/05/2010
Outside the Boat

Matthew 14:22-27

08/15/2010
Touching the Stove

1 John 4:18

08/08/2010
A Scorpion and the Egg

Luke 11:1-13

07/25/2010
The Deeper Desire

07/18/2010
Wiffle Guitar

06/27/2010
The Bud Before the Blossom

06/13/2010
Uncaging the Lion

06/06/2010
The One Constant Thing

05/30/2010
Plane and Pine Together

05/16/2010
From the Belly

John 7:37-38

04/18/2010
Stay Thirsty

John 4:1-26

04/11/2010
Troubling Love

Jonah 4:1-4

03/21/2010
When God Repents

Jonah 3:1-10

03/14/2010
God in Ninevah

Jonah 1:1-3

02/21/2010
A Farewell

1 Corinthians 3:4-11

02/14/2010
What is Eternal Life?

John 17:1-5

01/31/2010
Binding the World

John 16:32-33

01/24/2010
Calling

01/17/2010
The Infinite Friendship

John 15:12-15

01/03/2010
Growing Joy

John 15:1-11

12/20/2009
Relationship Not Religion

John 14:6

12/13/2009
Wet Feet

John 13:1-10

11/29/2009
Hate Your Soul

John 12:25

11/22/2009
Lots of Life

John 10:10

11/15/2009
Sheep on the Move

John 10:1-10

11/01/2009
Beyond the Map

John 9:24

10/25/2009
Mud and Meaning

John 9:1-7

10/11/2009
A Story of Calling

10/04/2009
Creative Mud

John 9:1-7

09/13/2009
Set Free

John 8:1-11

09/06/2009
Between the Dirt

John 8:1-11

08/16/2009
Still Thirsty

John 7:37-38

08/09/2009
A Gentle Stillness

07/12/2009
Dining with the Groom

07/05/2009
Red Bull

John 6:53

06/21/2009
Off Menu

John 6:22-66

06/07/2009
Do You Want It?

John 5:1-10

05/31/2009
The Right Tool

John 4:31-34

05/24/2009
Dignity

John 4:4-9

05/10/2009
Beyond Boundaries

John 4:20-24

05/03/2009
Thirsty

John 4:1-26

04/26/2009
Ecstasy

04/12/2009
Dead Man Riding

Mark 11:1-10

04/05/2009
Free Spirit

John 3:1-8

03/15/2009
Born Above

John 3:1-8

03/08/2009
Stolen Trademark

John 2:1-11

03/01/2009
We Don’t Need Roads

John 2:1-11

02/22/2009
Jesus Economics

John 2:1-11

02/08/2009
Come and See

John 1:45

02/01/2009
What Do You Want?

John 1:35

01/18/2009
Community, Part Two

01/11/2009
Community, Part One

01/04/2009
Christmas Tangerines

Luke 1:46-56

12/21/2008
Princess of Peace

Luke 1:39-45

12/14/2008
Flowers Fade

Isaiah 40:6-7

12/07/2008
God’s Skin

John 1:14

11/23/2008
Pregnant Dad

John 1:12, 18

11/02/2008
Weak Shadows

John 1:5

10/26/2008
Enlightenment

John 1:6-9

10/19/2008
Wind in the Sails

John 1:1-5

10/05/2008
Bound Free

Matthew 18:18

09/28/2008
490

Matthew 18:21-22

09/14/2008
Against You

Matthew 18:15-20

09/07/2008
Corrective Lenses

Revelation 22:1-2

08/17/2008
Get Rich Quick

2 Corinthians 9:6-7

08/10/2008
A Disappointing Idol

2 Samuel 11

07/13/2008
Stop Depriving Us

1 Samuel 24

07/06/2008
Cat’s Don’t Bark

1 Samuel 18

06/29/2008
The Magic Eye

1 Samuel 17:51-58

06/22/2008
Glimmer of God

1 Samuel 17:42-47

06/08/2008
Cunning Hero

1 Samuel 17:23-29

06/01/2008
Goliath on Immigration

1 Samuel 17

05/25/2008
Spirit of Envy

1 Samuel 16:15-23

05/18/2008
The Ordinary Origin

1 Samuel 16:10-11

04/27/2008
Lookin’ Good David

1 Samuel 16:11-12

04/20/2008
Involution

1 Samuel 16:7

04/13/2008
In Defense of Mud Wrestling

1 Samuel 16:1-13

04/06/2008
Spirituality of the Cell Phone

03/30/2008
God Incognito

John 20:1-18

03/23/2008
Of

Romans 8:5-6

03/09/2008
Shedding the Swaddle

John 9:1-7

03/02/2008
Why Us?

Exodus 17:1-7

02/24/2008
A Sleepless God

Psalm 121

02/17/2008
Rising

Matthew 13:31-33

01/20/2008
A Beautiful Smolder

Isaiah 42:1-4

01/13/2008
River of Awe

Isaiah 60:1-6

01/06/2008
With

Matthew 1:18-25

12/23/2007
Jesus’ Resume

Matthew 11:2-11

12/16/2007
Impending Dawn

Romans 13:11-14

12/02/2007
Rekindling the Gift

2 Timothy 1:4-7

11/25/2007
Kissing the Dust

Lamentations 3

11/18/2007
Deserted Places

Mark 1:35

10/28/2007
Save the Doves

Mark 11:15-18

10/07/2007
The Future of Community

09/25/2007
Natives and Immigrants

09/16/2007
Another Adolescence

2 Kings 5:15-19

09/09/2007
Naaman Remixed

2 Kings 5:1-14

09/02/2007
Rejected from Hogwarts

2 Kings 5:1-14

08/19/2007
The Importance of Tube Socks

2 Kings 6:1-7

08/12/2007
Don’t Call Me Baldy

2 Kings 2:19-25

08/05/2007
Boat House Jump

1 Kings 19:19-21

07/15/2007
White Noise

1 Kings 19:10-18

07/01/2007
Stone Baked Bread

1 Kings 19:1-9

06/24/2007
Soft Drink gods

1 Kings 18:20-39

06/17/2007
Dizzy in Right Field

1 Kings 17:6-16

06/10/2007
Melted Ice Cream

Mark 10:13-16

05/27/2007
A Beautiful Reflection

2 Corinthians 8:7

05/06/2007
Curing Affluenza

Leviticus 27:30

04/29/2007
Questioning Faith

Genesis 18:20-33

04/15/2007
God’s Womb

John 21:10-14

04/08/2007
Conflicted

Luke 19

04/01/2007
Forgotten

Isaiah 43:16-19

03/25/2007
Settled

Isaiah 55:1-7

03/11/2007
Distracted

Luke 4:1-4

02/25/2007
Urban God

Revelation 21:20-22

02/18/2007
Reverse Rapture

Revelation 21:1-5

02/04/2007
Woe

Revelation 16:1-9

01/21/2007
The New Exodus

Revelation 8:13

01/14/2007
Nike Worship

Revelation 12:7-11

01/07/2007
A Kingdom Kicking

Luke 1:38-45

12/24/2006
God Soap

Malachi 3:1-4

12/10/2006
Nearing Redemption

Luke 21:25-28

12/03/2006
Blessed Are the Guilt-Ridden

Colossians 3:15-17

11/26/2006
Blood Bath

Revelation 7:9-17

11/12/2006
Changing lenses

Revelation 6:1-7

11/05/2006
Pleasant Poverty

Revelation 3:14-22

10/22/2006
Revisiting the Rapture

Revelation 1:1-3

10/15/2006
Imagining Our Future

10/08/2006
The Alternative Community

Colossians 3:12-17

09/17/2006
Double Edged Cross

Colossians 2:6-15

09/10/2006
Paul’s Plagiarism

Colossians 1:15-20

09/03/2006
Gospel Politics

Colossians 1:3-6

08/27/2006
Ego Eimi

John 6:14-21

07/30/2006
The Headless Harbinger

Mark 6:14-29

07/16/2006
Open Heart Conflict

2 Corinthians 6:1-13

06/25/2006
The Return of the King

Isaiah 6:1-13

06/11/2006
The Gasp of Skeletons

Ezekiel 37

06/04/2006
Clash of the Titans

Gen 1:1-5

05/28/2006
Undeserving Enemies

Acts 3

05/21/2006
The Grace of Giving

2 Corinthians 8:7

04/30/2006
Go with the Grain

John 12:20-25

04/16/2006
A Forgetful God

Jeremiah 31:31-34

04/02/2006
Jesus the Serpent

John 3:14-18

03/26/2006
Following a Fool

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

03/19/2006
Driven into Wilderness

Mark 1:9-13

03/05/2006
The Keystone Congregation

Exodus 25

02/19/2006
Body Worship

Romans 12:1

02/12/2006
Secret Cents

Matthew 6:19-21

02/05/2006
Time Warped

Psalm 46:10

01/22/2006
Generous Spirit

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

01/15/2006
Third-Way Faith

01/08/2006
Press Pause

Isaiah 40:3-5

12/04/2005
God Unexpected

Isaiah 64:1-9

11/27/2005
The Sacred Rhythm

Psalm 22

11/20/2005
The Spirituality of Justice

Psalm 5

11/05/2005
Healing the Sick

James 5:13-16

10/30/2005
Submitting to God

James 4:7-10

10/30/2005
The Cry of the Soul

Psalm 88

09/11/2005
Between Despair and Hope

Deuteronomy 31:7-8

08/28/2005

What are Biblical Geneologies and What Do They Do?

what are biblical genealogies and what do they do?

(guest series by Denis Lamoureux)

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/peterenns/2014/02/what-are-biblical-genealogies-and-what-do-they-do-guest-series-by-denis-lamoureux/

by Peter Enns

February 4, 2014

Comments

Today we begin a 6-part audio-slide series by Denis Lamoureux on the always gripping, never boring, live-changing topic of all those “begats” in the Bible, a.k.a., biblical genealogies.

Stop rolling your eyes.

Actually, in my experience, genealogies–what they are and how they function in the Bible–is about as commonly misunderstood as any biblical genre.

As Lamoureux puts it, “Most Christians assume that genealogies in the Bible are merely lists of related family members quite similar to genealogies today. However, in the ancient world the primary purpose of a genealogy was to offer an important message about the community or nation.

In this series of episodes we will look at various genealogies in Scripture, and then come to a conclusion regarding why Adam appears in the biblical genealogies found in Genesis 5, 1 Chronicles, and Luke 3.”

The series is as follows. To view part 1, click "Introduction" below and so forth.

Introduction (9 mins)
Genealogies of Jesus in Matthew 1 & Luke 3 (10 mins)
Sumerian Kings List (9 mins)
Hebrew Patriarchs in Genesis 5 & 11 (11 mins)
Adam & the Biblical Genealogies (22 mins)
Conclusion (9 mins)

Lamoureux holds three earned doctoral degrees (dentistry, theology, and biology) and is associate professor of science and religion at St. Joseph’s College in the University of Alberta (full bio here). He is the author of I Love Jesus & I Accept Evolution (see first of the audio slide series on this book here) which is a great introduction to his view of origins called “evolutionary creation.”

~ click to enlarge where needed ~