My latest interview:
THE CITY…IN SCRIPTURE
2 Replies
Category Archives: Cities
HOW TO SEE NEW YORK CITY
I’ve been to New York City many times, but never seen it like this:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/a-birds-eye-view-of-bloombergs-new-york/
PARIS
May God make Himself known as the author of the true and abiding “City of Light.”
BALTIMORE
A sound bite culture is hardly equipped to ferret out truth from error, especially when it comes to complex issues with a long history.
Lord have mercy! By your grace may we all be willing to do the hard and difficult work of addressing our country’s most vexing issues.
HOPE FOR DETROIT
Growing up in Phoenix we took an annual trip to Detroit, usually by train. Many wonderful memories that I will always cherish.
Detroit, as you undoubtedly know, is a city that is dying, or as some would say, dead already.
One kind woman begs to differ. Watch her story:
HT: Andy Crouch
WHY CITIES MATTER
Confession time, but before I do a few words…
I love the emphasis of getting Christians to consider the importance of living out the gospel in the city. I love big cities. I have spent much time in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and Boston. Overseas I have enjoyed Paris, London, Belgrade, Vienna, Zagreb, Venice, and Salzburg. Growing up, I spent many happy days in Detroit.
My confession of sorts is that I also love rural America. In fact, I have been privileged these past three years to serve as an interim pastor at a terrific, rural church.
The push toward planting churches in cities is a wonderful thing indeed, but I wonder if it is now getting too much attention. All this made me both excited and somewhat reluctant to read Why Cities Matter? by Stephen Um and Justin Buzzard. Would this “big city” pastor duo be imbalanced in their love for the city, or would they help me navigate this issue more intelligently? To my delight, I found the latter.
Why Cities Matter? is not a long read at about 150 pages (not including the notes which are worth reading!) It is more than I expected: solid research mixed with accessibility, engaging writing style, and lots of stuff to stew over. I recommend it highly.
As somewhat of a “book cover snob,” let my add my kudos on the design. It is simple, elegant, and creative. Well done Mr. or Mrs. Graphic Designer!