Jeremy Jernigan Posts

irenic

14 Apr , 2011 No Comments

One of the things that I love about reading is the new words that I’m exposed to. I’m often reading books from people with much greater vocabularies than my own. The great thing about reading digital books is that learning the definition of a new word is effortless and super convenient.

As a result, I’m going to start blogging some of these words as I learn them. These will be short little posts so that those of you who are interested can quickly learn a new word. They will be words that are useful to me and that I hope to incorporate into my ongoing vocabulary. I’ll also share what book I read the word in. Hopefully it adds a nice little mix into my normal content.

My first word is “irenic.”

noun: A part of Christian theology concerned with reconciling different denominations and sects

adjective: Aiming or aimed at peace

Source: Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders

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Avoiding the Need for God

13 Apr , 2011 No Comments

“Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David but had departed from Saul.” 1 Samuel 18:12

We fear things beyond our control. The recession, job security, the future of our kids, etc. We also have a natural fear of submitting to God. Because God doesn’t always deliver like I think He should.

I remember a few years ago we prayed for 600 baptisms to happen in one year at Central. We had never reached anything remotely close to that number in a year. In fact, that was why we were praying for such a big change. It was an audacious (borderline humorous) prayer to actually pray. But we did. And the crazy thing was that we saw more than 1000 people baptized at Central that year.

Riding that wave of momentum I then launched a specific ministry goal that I had my team begin praying for. It was equally bold but I was excited to see God do it. I even made magnets as reminders for us to put on our refrigerator doors.

It never happened.

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The Myth of Certainty

07 Apr , 2011 No Comments

I recently finished Daniel Taylor’s book The Myth of Certainty. It was by far the best book I’ve read thus far in 2011 (I would have given it a 5 except that it is a bit of a tricky read at times).

It was given to me by a fellow “reflective Christian” (read: Christian doubter) and it resonates deep within how I process my faith and the world around me. Taylor addresses a question that is core to the heart of many critical thinkers who have chosen to follow Christ.

“How can I honestly commit myself to God and His purposes in the day to day reality of human life without denying the complexity, uncertainty, and diversity that my experiences and reflection suggest to me?”

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Leaving More Than a Building

05 Apr , 2011 No Comments

Relevant Magazine recently posted a great article from Micah Smith. In it she talks about the downside of when a person decides to bail on a particular church community. Sadly, we see this often today and this is a great perspective to consider.

Here is one of my favorite quotes from it: (more…)

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CAP Dinner

04 Apr , 2011 No Comments

My wife and I were invited to attend a dinner for the Center for Arizona Policy (CAP) this weekend. They tackle politics from the point of view of faith and the family. Regardless of whether you agree with everything that they’ve done it is impressive to see the commitment with which they exert themselves in a pretty overwhelming arena. If you want to get engaged with your faith in the realm of politics I’d encourage you to check them out.

The governor passed a bill into law (while we were there) that makes it mandatory for mothers desiring an abortion to see an ultrasound first. Very cool to be a part of. We also got to hear Dr. James Dobson speak.

It was also hilarious to get our name tags and see that Michelle has apparently entered into the pastor profession with me. I know she is a go-getter but this one surprised even me!

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Certainty vs Charisma

31 Mar , 2011 No Comments

[blackbirdpie id=”https://twitter.com/scottmcclellan/status/53145211957805056″]

This tweet absolutely nails it when it comes to the two dominant camps of theology today. The problem is, there’s a problem with both.

I think those people who are firmly in the certainty camp fail to acknowledge the inherent uncertainty of following Jesus. If we could know everything with certainty we’d be equal to God Himself.

I think those people who are firmly in the charisma camp fail to acknowledge the holes in their arguments. If they say it compelling enough and enough people agree, it still doesn’t mean it is inherently truth.

The truth is probably somewhere in between.

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