Author Archives: Richard Heyduck

Unknown's avatar

About Richard Heyduck

Pastor of Hardy Memorial Methodist Church, a Global Methodist Congregation. PhD Fuller Seminary MDiv Asbury Seminary BA Southwestern University

Overcoming Incommensurability

Posted on January 7, 2008 by Richard Heyduck

Christian Amondson has an interesting post on issues of incommensurability, i.e., how communication can happen across narratival boundaries. Here’s my comment: Do we want to say that the incommensurability between the Christian world/narrative is essentially different from the incommensurability that … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Evangelism, Theology | 4 Comments

Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations: Radical Hospitality

Posted on January 2, 2008 by Richard Heyduck

Radical Hospitality is the first of the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. That’s evangelism in plain Christianese. This is probably the new jargon I like the least. “Radical” is ok, but hospitality just seems weak in our current context. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Diversity, Evangelism, Five Practices, Ministry, United Methodism | 1 Comment

Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, 1

Posted on December 31, 2007 by Richard Heyduck

Robert Fritz says Creative Tension is produced by the gap between a strongly held vision and a willingness to tell the truth about the present. Like many pastors, I have a strong vision to reach people for Christ: to help … Continue reading →

Posted in church growth, Five Practices, Leadership, Ministry, United Methodism | 2 Comments

Following Jesus

Posted on December 20, 2007 by Richard Heyduck

One of the books I’ve read recently (on the recommendation of Steve) is The Practicing Congregation by Diana Butler Bass.  On p. 59 she says Zygmunt Bauman, a British theorist of postmodernism, claims that “one can think of postmodern life … Continue reading →

Posted in Spirituality | 1 Comment

A Rotten President

Posted on December 14, 2007 by Richard Heyduck

All the campaigning and punditry have led me to conclude that I’d make a rotten president. First, I’d make a rotten president because I’m indecisive. I find it too easy to see multiple points of view (on the same matter) … Continue reading →

Posted in Current events, Politics | Leave a comment

Christmas and Culture

Posted on December 10, 2007 by Richard Heyduck

Over the past several years we’ve heard of numerous attempts to edge Christ out of Christmas. Some places simply shift to Santa and Snow. More recently the push has been to do away with the word altogether, settling for Winter … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas, Consumerism, Culture, Current events | 3 Comments

Golden Compass

Posted on December 5, 2007 by Richard Heyduck

Many people are asking me about the new movie The Golden Compass. I haven’t seen the movie, only read the books. The main comments have been about the fact that the author of the books is an atheist determined to … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Current events, Golden Compass | 6 Comments

Easily Insulted?

Posted on November 28, 2007 by Richard Heyduck

Have you heard that Madalyn Murray O’Hair has petitioned the FCC to remove all Christian broadcasting from the airwaves? That rumor has been going around for over twenty years. It still comes around from time to time – even though … Continue reading →

Posted in Clash of Civilizations, Humor, Islam | 3 Comments

When the wrong people do the right thing

Posted on November 26, 2007 by Richard Heyduck

I just finished reading Paul Johnson’s A History of Christianity. Though I read the old edition, you can find it currently in print. I’d count it as a popular supplement to more scholarly works. In previous study I had seen … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Theology, War | 2 Comments

Back to the first millennium

Posted on November 24, 2007 by Richard Heyduck

Is it possible that legitimate Christian creativity in the area of worship ended a millennium ago? I don’t think so.

Posted in Worship | Leave a comment