September 25, 2023
October 1 | Application (“More to Restore”)
I was brought up in the Independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, but I have remained in this tribe by personal choice. . . . But there is still more to restore. . . .
Articles for tag: Christians Only
January 24, 2019
Orrin Root and ‘Sound the Battle Cry!’
I was thinking about Orrin Root the other day. He comes to mind quite often. Mr. Root was retired when I met him in 1998, but he still was writing The Lookout’s weekly Sunday school lesson commentary, as he had done since 1949. When Mr. Root died in 2003, he was several months ahead on his lesson writing. Oh, and he was 98. I always thought he wrote like a young man, only with much wisdom. Mr. Root came to work at Standard Publishing (former parent company of this magazine) in 1945, when he was 40 years old. He became
August 4, 2017
To Be Restored: “˜Not the Only Christians”
By Trevor DeVage Messy . . . that is part of what I love about the early church. It was full of messy and unlikely people who were chosen to usher in Christ”s message to the world. Open the book of Acts and you”ll notice that these church pioneers shared in all things, cared for one another, added to their number daily, broke bread regularly, and carried the message of hope continually. They were all ordinary and messy men and women just like you and me. And out of this mess, Christ reached the world with his message. I love
June 20, 2017
The Restoration Ideal Still Works
By Ben Merold The Missouri River””the “Big Muddy”””runs past the city of Omaha, Nebraska. If we wanted to get pure, unpolluted water from this river, we have two basic choices. We might, as Omaha has done, install a filter to remove the mud that has accumulated in the water during the river”s meandering path south and east. But that treats only a small portion of the water, and the great body of the river runs on as muddy as before. If, however, we go to the source, we would find pure water that comes fresh from the wellspring. Similarly, if
July 12, 2016
Your Story Is Not About You Alone
By Mark A. Taylor Like every great novel or memorable movie, your story has a cast of compelling characters. And no matter how much you may hear about telling or improving your story, it will never be about you alone. These other characters in your story set its plot even before you were born. Your parents and theirs, your siblings and your childhood have all colored and directed your story, probably in ways you don”t realize. This is why your counselor pokes and prods to know more about your family and your growing-up years. Your story is not about you
March 25, 2014
Just Enough Scaffolding
By Mark A. Taylor “We all seemed to be on the same page,” Bob Russell wrote me after last week”s Beyond the Standard BlogTalkRadio program. “Maybe that made for boring listening, but it makes for a stronger brotherhood!” His comment sowed a new thought for me. Should I be looking for opposing points of view among the guests who appear on these monthly programs? For this episode, could I have found Christian leaders to disagree with “We”re not the only Christians, but we are Christians only”? Maybe. At least one comment about CHRISTIAN STANDARD”s March issue, devoted to that centuries-old
March 17, 2014
A Phrase for Today?
By Paul Blowers Slogans are rare in the New Testament. One thinks of the Corinthians’ slogan, “All things are lawful,” which Paul carefully revised to “All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful” (1 Corinthians 10:23)1. It was a wise admonition on the apostle’s part and played a key role in his instructions to the Corinthian church. Stone-Campbell Christians of the 1800s loved their slogans too, and many of those slogans stuck around well into the 20th century. They provided public shorthand for the principles, ideals, and aspirations of the movement’s followers, though sometimes they could also be
March 13, 2014
The Christians Only Challenge
By Darrel Rowland Most of us love this old Restoration Movement slogan: “We are not the only Christians, but Christians only.” But Christian leaders from across the country contacted by CHRISTIAN STANDARD all wrestle with big-picture questions about what overarching principles flow from the adage. Most generally agree with Bob Russell, retired senior minister of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, about what to do when invited to attend or speak at an event outside the immediate fellowship. “I will go anywhere as long as I”m not restricted in what I can say or my presence doesn”t leave the impression
March 27, 2012
Considering the Question of “˜Them” and “˜Us” and “˜Ours”
By Mark A. Taylor The spirit of the day was one of inclusiveness. “Denominationalism is dead.” “Sectarianism is to be shunned.” “People today are more interested in Jesus than any human hierarchy or divisions.” Hear, hear for the plea to be “Christians only.” But this discussion was not just about whom to treat as Christians, but also about whom to include in one of “our” meetings. And here opinions were not as uniform. If the meeting is by and for “us,” some wondered, shouldn”t those credentialed by the meeting planners be from among “us”? Their question of “them” and “us”
March 5, 2008
Your Opinion About Our Unique Identity
By Mark A. Taylor How much do you care about staying connected with members of Christian churches and churches of Christ? What sense of identity do you have and want with them? What do you want to know about them and from them? How do you want to get this input, and how often? These are questions we ask in the important survey published this week in the print edition of our magazine. We”re praying that thousands of CHRISTIAN STANDARD readers will complete it. We eagerly seek to hear how you feel about being a part of this fellowship we
June 28, 2006
Can We Allow What We Do Not Advocate?
Mark A. Taylor reflects on fellowship amid disagreement—first in families, then in churches. He calls for humility and grace that covers belief and practice, urging Christians to pursue reconciliation without compromise.
December 4, 2005
My Journey in Ministry
Chip Fowler expected a traditional ministry path, but God opened a different door: Army chaplaincy. He reflects on calling, multidenominational ministry, and serving soldiers—from Fort Hamilton to Sarajevo and Iraq.
November 30, 2005
Two Christians Pursue Paths to Unity: “Christians, Anyway . . .”
Why do churches struggle to transcend culture? Rees Bryant reflects on “Christians only,” cultural baggage, and the humility of admitting God loves his imperfect people—Christians anyway.
