Around the blogroll: What Disciples are blogging about this week

It’s been a long week with much to blog about. Not surprisingly, the California Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Proposition 8, which defines marriage as between one man and one woman, tops the list of blogged-about topics. While some argue that the church ought to get out of the civil marriage business, Bill McConnell wrote (actually last week) that it’s the state that ought to butt out.  Steve Kindle, of the Open Hearts, Affirming Pages blog, posted several items this week. And Danny Bradfield, over at Field of Dandelions, mentions it in this Pentecost-related post.

Photo: ptrktn (Creative Commons license)

In a tangentially related post, The Prophet Joel asks whether the “Open & Affirming” designation adopted by some LGBT-friendly churches puts politics before Christ. His post before that one is good Friday afternoon reading: Television Characters Who Are Seminary Drop-Outs.

We also began the week with Memorial Day, when we remember those who have lost their lives serving our country and protecting our freedoms. Charlie Cochran blogs about God and fireworks. And Pastor Bob Cornwall shares A Prayer for Memorial Day on his Ponderings on a Faith Journey blog.

I also missed a great post last week, from the Field of Dandelions blog: “Beer, Revisited.” I won’t try to explain. Just read it.

Shortest post of the week: found on the Ageing Xperience blog.

My favorite post this week comes from Keith McAlliley who writes the Blogging from Bridgeport blog. Keith calls us to really give some hard thought to what we mean, as Christians, when we talk (obsessively, sometimes) about the need for building “community” in our churches. Do we just want social time? A support group? Or is it about something else altogether? Read what he has to say, and share what you think with him.

Got a blog post you’d like us to feature next Friday? Don’t be shy. Email us: news AT disciplesworld DOT com. Have a great weekend.

The Church of C.R.A.P.

If you don’t know who Bill McConnell is yet, you need to. Bill is senior pastor of Legacy Christian Church in Harrison, Ohio — a new church formed from the merger of two congregations — one a Disciples of Christ church, and the other a non-denominational  Christian church. He’s the author of Renew Your Congregation: Healing the Sick, Raising the Dead (Chalice Press, 2007) — a great book on church transformation.

Best of all, Bill’s a guy who tells it like it is (which is one reason his book resonates with so many people). Case in point: his latest blog post, innocuously titled “Lives of Significance.” Here is an excerpt:

After almost forty years of serving in the church in North America I believe I have become somewhat of an expert on the subject of the church. I have been working in it, observing it, thinking about it, working to better it, studying it, writing about it, preaching to it, praying for it, attempting to lead it and loving it for the better part of four decades. I know the church. And I have come to the conclusion that CRAP is a great name for the church. Let me explain.

To read on, click here.