Category Archives: Ecclesiology

Ministry as Job

Posted on July 10, 2012 by Richard Heyduck

Adults, unless independently wealthy, need a job in order to support themselves and their families. Even wealthy people likely need a job for the sake of their well-being. Jobs are tied up with issues of money, competition and progress. When … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecclesiology, Ministry, United Methodism | Leave a comment

Church as Laboratory

Posted on July 4, 2012 by Richard Heyduck

In their On the Moral Nature of the Universe, Nancey Murphy and George Ellis say, “The church is a laboratory for imagining and practicing new forms of social life.” What do they mean by this? Our first thought might be … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Ecclesiology, Ethics | Leave a comment

Change or Die

Posted on June 13, 2012 by Richard Heyduck

I’m picky when it comes to shoes. I want shoes that fit well and are comfortable all day. I want to spend as little time and money as I can when I acquire them. For now, I’ve settled on a … Continue reading →

Posted in church growth, Discipleship, Ecclesiology, United Methodism, Will Willimon | Leave a comment

A Baptism of Repentance

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Richard Heyduck

John the Baptist is described in the Gospels as preaching a “baptism of repentance.” In the descriptions of his ministry in the Gospels we see people coming to him, confessing their sins. Matthew tells us that when Jesus comes to … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Ecclesiology, Ministry, Theology | Leave a comment

Decline of Authoritarianism? Not where I look

Posted on March 31, 2012 by Richard Heyduck

Martin Thomas writes in The Guardian about the shift from authoritarian to a more horizontal and collaborative style in business. He sees this as a shift from a Platonic to an Aristotelian approach. It may be happening in business, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Current events, Ecclesiology, Education, Epistemology, United Methodism | Leave a comment

United Methodists, Catholics and Religious Liberty

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Richard Heyduck

Attacking Catholics has been all the rage for some, since they have responded to the government’s new insurance mandate as if it were infringing their freedom of religion. Some have been painted them as evil and misogynist. Others deny that … Continue reading →

Posted in Current events, Ecclesiology, United Methodism | 7 Comments

Try Harder

Posted on December 10, 2011 by Richard Heyduck

I looked at Martin Heidegger a few times over the years and never got much out of him. Most of what I found there seemed like gibberish. Then I found the podcast of Hubert Dreyfus on Heidegger I thought I’d … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Ecclesiology, Max Weber, Nihilism | 1 Comment

Church and Seminary

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Richard Heyduck

There’s a discussion about the  “Future of Seminary Education” going on at Patheos. One of the responses to a post by Fred Schmidt led me to make a comment. It ran a bit long, so I thought I’d post it … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Ecclesiology, Education, United Methodism | 2 Comments

Discipleship Teeth

Posted on September 15, 2011 by Richard Heyduck

From Gil Rendle’s newest book, Journey in the Wilderness: Part of the current challenge for leaders in our mainline churches is the dual task of not only knowing what to do but also knowing what not to do, what to … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, Ecclesiology, United Methodism | Leave a comment

“Here there be sinners”

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Richard Heyduck

One of the signs of a health church is the presence of sinners. Well, sure, people will say. Everyone is a sinner, so if there is anyone there, sinners will be there. No way around it. What’s the big deal? … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecclesiology, Sin | Leave a comment