Spirituality a la James Townsend

Ink Church is an oddity, at best. It’s called a “church.” Yet, the group that meets under the name at Books-A-Million every Thursday is the very antithesis of the kind of unified thought one would expect to find at a typical “church.” I see (as much as one who does not claim too much of a belief in the prophetic or supernatural can claim to “see”) pretty good things in store for Ink Church, although I constantly wonder these days what my place in such a group, whose central claims and focuses are the teachings and life of Jesus, is. I’m not much interested in Jesus, these days. But I still show up. And the folks there insist that this is okay. So I’m taking them at their word.

Why is it always a crack house?

by Marcus Gibbs writing for Culture Versus Christian   Why is it assumed from some groups that missing a Sunday morning will automatically send your child to a crack house? Maybe they go to college, get a job, and simply don’t believe the way their parents believe. Maybe we expect the worst out of people. [...]

Community in Church

 by Ashley Cobb I’ve been in church my whole life, but the first community I feel a part of is the small groups of The Edge and Ink Church, and I can’t help but think that this is what Christ really intended for us as the ‘church’. Living together, journeying together, helping and loving each other. [...]

Creed of Negatives: Exclusion

This is the 3rd installment in the series: A Creed of Negatives Creed of Negatives: Exclusion by James Townsend 4. I don’t believe that Christianity is the only right religion, and I don’t believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven, or God, or what have you. I think that one of the most enjoyable things [...]

Resurrecting Community

I once heard it said about prayer: Be careful for that which you pray. God always answers prayer, but rarely in the manner you prefer. Examples of this are: When you pray for patience, God provides you with the opportunity for you to be patient. When you pray for healing, God provides you with the [...]

Mourning on Bad Friday

So on this Bad Friday, may we be present in the places we are. May we embrace the pain in our lives. May we recognize and name the losses we’ve endured, but never properly dealt with. May we grieve them, lament them, and even mourn them. And then may we surrender them to God and allow a grace that covers all and a peace that surpasses all, envelop us and keep us.