Part of what it means to be “Christian” is to accept the pattern Jesus sets as the defining paradigm of our lives and churches. In the language of the New Testament, that defining paradigm is called “the gospel.” Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received [...]
Archive for the ‘Pattern’ Category
A Pattern to Lean On (III)
Monday, July 5th, 2010 | No CommentsThe real question is not whether we should shape our faith-lives by patterns but, instead, which patterns are truly worthy to shape a life and a movement. All religious movements dip into the reservoir of paradigm and most choose one or two patterns by which to define themselves. Because we are finite creatures, we rarely [...]
A Pattern to Lean On (II)
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010 | No CommentsPattern: A model or original used as an archetype; a person or thing considered worthy of imitation; a plan, diagram, or model to be followed. Like gold dust flashing in a miner’s pan, “patterns” are the commonalities left at the bottom of existence after the dross of individuality is washed away. “Here is what we [...]
A Pattern to Lean On (I)
Friday, June 25th, 2010 | No CommentsYou are not unique. Sorry to disappoint or offend you with such a blunt statement. (Perhaps it helps to know I’m not unique either.) Oh, we might have unique fingerprints or voice patterns. My DNA may be particular to me, marking me uniquely. There may even be flashes of uniqueness in our personalities and gifts. [...]
