Three #QNashville speakers address the need for unity. Christena Cleveland speaks to dissolving the division between “us” and “them”. Then Republican governor of Tennessee Bill Haslam and Democrat mayor of Nashville Karl Dean discuss how they work together across party lines to get things done.
Continue readingQ2014: Sheryl Eberly and Good Manners
Sheryl Eberly bemoans the loss of basic civility in our current culture. After exploring the roots and nature of good manners, she makes a plea to cultivate civility again.
Continue readingQ2014: Andy Crouch & Religious Freedom
Andy Crouch unpacks the concept of Religious Freedom as a justice issue and measurement of how well a society promotes religious flourishing.
Continue readingDon’t Mess with My Wife!
Today, my wife Amanda turns 29.
We’ve been married for a little over 4 1/2 years, and in that time, I’ve come to appreciate something very important about her:
Amanda is tough. Very tough.
We joined a boxing gym at the beginning of the year. Amanda goes 5 days most week – according to the staff she’s one of the most dedicated members. They say she’s also got great form and can hit hard.
In other words, Amanda can probably beat you up.
Of course, she never would. She’s way too nice for that. But she is very tough. The only time she might punch you is if you try to keep her from lifting furniture when she’s helping friends move or suggest she isn’t tough enough for a certain task.
I’ve been at Q 2014 this week in Nashville, and particularly during Shaunna Niequist’s excellent talk today, I couldn’t help but think over and over about Amanda. She’s a strong woman who won’t let someone else tell her what she can’t do. The only limits she allows are the ones she puts on herself.
Amanda isn’t afraid to lead. She’s not afraid to stand up for people who can’t stand up for themselves.
Amanda is tough. And that’s only one of the many reasons I love her and am grateful for her!
Why do you love Amanda? Wish her a happy birthday!
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Find out how to get my 40-Daily Devotional sent to your email FREE every day during Lent.
Continue readingIf Genesis isn’t Literal, is the Bible Reliable?
If Christians don’t read Genesis 1-11 as literal, scientific or historical documents, does this undermine the reliability of the Bible? Far from it. Learning to read according to the right genre is key to understanding what the Bible has to say to us today.
Continue readingKen Ham vs. Bill Nye the Science Guy
Bill Nye the Science Guy doesn’t think Creationism is appropriate for children. Ken Ham begs to differ. They debate the merits of Creationism as a valid form of scientific inquiry. My take on the event.
Continue reading3 Reasons Your Church Should Feature Multiple Speakers
Churches should hear from several preachers on a regular basis. Here are 3 reasons why.
Continue readingWhy Do We Pray In Jesus Name, Amen?
I grew up in church, so I learned that when you end a prayer, you say, “In Jesus’ name, Amen.” It didn’t matter what we were praying for – health, security, God’s presence, others’ prosperity, traveling mercies and hedges of protection* – at the end of the prayer, you had to say “in Jesus’ name, Amen.”
No one ever explicitly taught me I had to end my prayer with “in Jesus’ name, Amen” – that’s not a week in Prayer 101 or anything. I learned it by listening to everyone pray. My parents, my Sunday School teachers, all the pastors. When I visited my grandparents’ churches, everyone did it there, too.
It didn’t occur to me until I was much older to wonder why we end our prayers with “In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
The straightforward answer is that Jesus tells us to. In John 14, he says,
You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it! – John 14:13-14 (NLT)
Ending our prayers with “in Jesus’ name” is our way of taking Jesus’ words seriously: we want to ask in his name. But that still begs the question:
What did Jesus mean when he told us to pray in his name?
The language comes to us from the ancient preliterate world, where official transactions were conducted verbally. In a world without legal documents, a person’s reputation was social capital. This reputation was referred to as a person’s name. Wealthy and powerful persons – particularly kings – who conducted trade and made treaties through functionaries, sent those servants to speak “in their name”.
To speak “in the name” of the king meant that the messengers words should be considered the very words of the king himself.
To pray “in Jesus’ name” means to pray the way Jesus, our king, would pray.
That understanding should radically reshape our approach to prayer. As we approach prayer, we should consider not only our own needs and desires, but also whether those desires are aligned with Jesus’ way.
Mark Roberts describes what this looks like over at Patheos:
If we are to pray in Jesus’ name, then this means our prayers should reflect Jesus’ own values and purposes. Our prayers should be imbued with the kingdom agenda of Jesus.
How often do my prayers reflect Jesus’ agenda? Not nearly as often as they reflect my own. Stopping to consider if my prayers really are “in Jesus’ name” is a helpful exercise. (And of course if we want to know how Jesus would pray, he told us!)
But what about “Amen”? Why stick that on the end?
“Amen” is a Greek word that means “truth”. To say “Amen” is to say “That’s true.” or “I agree.” It’s meant to be something said in response to a prayer, by those listening. A way to say, “I agree with that prayer.”
Over the past several years, I’ve made a habit out of not ending my public prayers with “Amen”. The lack of the traditional ending creates a slightly awkward space that encourages those listening to respond.
YOUR TURN: Do you pray “in Jesus’ name”? Does this understanding of those words change the nature of your prayers?
What Would the Lord’s Prayer Sound Like Today?
What would the Lord’s Prayer sound like if Jesus taught us today?
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