M.J. Bishop – Medium

Published in The Message and the Way

·Mar 16

It’s Time to Go Deep

Chapter 6 — The Message and the Way There’s a saying in Alcoholics Anonymous. “It works if you work it, because you’re worth it.” Reading about the 12-step program is not very useful to an alcoholic. They would walk into a bar and think, “What was step one again? Something…

23 min read

It’s Time to Go Deep

23 min read

Published in Koinonia

·Aug 15, 2022

The Three Lords

A Gospel parable: a King, a kingdom, and our response — There once were three lords who each possessed a manor on the edge of a forbidden forest. All three had enjoyed peace for many years and profited from the fruitful soil and predictable weather. However, savages lived in the forbidden forest and the lords never knew when they might attack. …

8 min read

The Three Lords

8 min read

Published in The Message and the Way

·Aug 5, 2022

It’s Time to Go Small

Chapter 5 — The Message and the Way I met Benny Hinn once. You know, the flamboyant charismatic healer and televangelist from the 80’s that waved his white coat, sending people flying under the power of the Spirit. …

18 min read

It’s Time to Go Small

18 min read

Published in The Message and the Way

·Apr 26, 2022

The Base Unit of Church

Chapter 4 — The Message and the Way — base unit (noun): one of a set of fundamental units in a system of measurement that is based on a natural phenomenon or established standard and from which other units may be derived (Merriam-Webster) What is church? At first, that seems like a question that does not merit much reflection…

27 min read

The Base Unit of Church

27 min read

Published in The Message and the Way

·Mar 8, 2022

A Glossary for Church

Chapter 3 — The Message and the Way — Vizzini: INCONCEIVABLE! Inigo Montoya: You keep using that word, I don’t think you know what it means. (The Princess Bride, 20th Century Fox, 1987) It’s hard to accept that The Princess Bride is now a “classic”. There are also words we use in church that have become classics; their meaning…

6 min read

A Glossary for Church

6 min read

Published in The Message and the Way

·Feb 21, 2022

Rebuilding the Temple

Chapter 2 — The Message and the Way — Haggai is one of those books in the Old Testament that is easy to pass by. It’s short — two chapters — and doesn’t seem to pack the prophetic punch of an Isaiah, or Jeremiah, or even Malachi. …

14 min read

Rebuilding the Temple

14 min read

Published in The Message and the Way

·Updated Mar 16

Table of Contents

The Message and the Way — Introduction — A Movement of Ordinary Christians Finding lost balls and waking sleeping giants to contend for renewal and awaken a movement of ordinary Christians. Chapter 1 — The Empire Has No Clothes How do you follow Jesus in a culture where lies are celebrated as truth and the powers at…

2 min read

Table of Contents

2 min read

Published in The Message and the Way

·Jan 28, 2022

The Empire Has No Clothes

Chapter 1 — The Message and the Way — “But he hasn’t got anything on!” You’ve probably heard the famous folktale by Hans Christian Andersen, “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” In the story, two swindlers deceive the emperor into believing that they can weave material that is invisible to anyone who was unfit for their office or not very bright. The vain and insecure emperor decides…

14 min read

The Message and the Way

14 min read

Published in The Message and the Way

·Jan 28, 2022

A Movement of Ordinary Christians

Introduction — The Message and the Way — Remember what it was like when you first got excited about Jesus? God showed you the beauty of the Gospel. You experienced freedom and even felt his presence. You got so amped up! The Bible came alive. You prayed, and God listened! …

9 min read

The Message and the Way

9 min read

Published in Koinonia

·Aug 16, 2021

The Parable of the Good Atheist

Following Jesus, loving God, and loving others — One Sunday, Jesus visited the Community Church of Anywhere for their worship service. He sat in the back and when it was over, the crowd began to file out of the sanctuary. Some people began pointing and whispering. Who was the dirty Jewish-looking guy with sandals? Finally, a little girl…

9 min read

The Parable of the Good Atheist

9 min read

M.J. Bishop

M.J. Bishop

Writing on faithfulness to the Way of Jesus, becoming fully-formed humanity, and the table as metaphor and praxis of being church. Oh, and a good story or two.

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