Pipe Organs, Miracles, Conflict Entrepreneurs, and TrailLife USA
EDITOR’S NOTE: “Signs and Wonders” is a column that shares thoughts on news items that either do not rise to the level of a news story for MinistryWatch or are slightly (perhaps even significantly) outside of our normal charity and philanthropy “beat.” My goal is to be punchy, opinionated, and slightly off-brand. If that is not for you, no hard feelings. But if it is…read on.
World’s Oldest Pipe Organ. According to the Associated Press, “After 800 years of silence, a pipe organ that researchers say is the oldest in the Christian world roared back to life Tuesday, its ancient sound echoing through a monastery in Jerusalem’s Old City.”
I’ve been fascinated with pipe organs for years, in part because they are marvels of engineering, and the sounds they produce are beautiful and often magnificent. But another reason I have been interested in them is this: pipe organs are responsible for one of the first “worship wars” in the church. As I wrote in A Lover’s Quarrel With The Evangelical Church, the adoption of the pipe organ by the church came very slowly, in part because some objected to its overpowering sound. “Some versions of the pipe organ have existed since the third century BC, but it was not until the thirteenth century that it came into common use, first in cathedrals. That’s 1600 years from invention to adoption.”
What Is A Miracle? In my career as a Christian journalist, I get asked regularly to write about miracles. I almost always say “no.” That situation came up recently when Christian musician Forest Frank claimed he was miraculously healed of a back injury. We did not write about that story here at MinistryWatch, in part because it’s not really “in our lane,” so to speak. However, it was in the lane of Kelsey Kramer McGinnis, who covers Christian music for Christianity Today. You can read that story here. But after you read that story, I recommend that you check out her explanation of why journalists are ill-equipped to write about so-called “miracles.” And, I should add, why readers should not expect them to. I will say, for my own part, that I believe in miracles. I do not a “cessationist,” someone who believes the age of miracles has ended. But I have also seen grifters and other unscrupulous religious entrepreneurs claim to experience miracles as part of their opportunistic self-marketing. My advice: be open to the Holy Spirit, but understand that there are other spirts out there, too.
By the way, McGinnis explores these ideas more fully in her Substack. I recommend this article, too. You can find it here.
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Conflict Entrepreneurs. I’ve been using the phrase “conflict entrepreneur” for a while now, and I’ve had Amanda Ripley – the writer who popularized the term — on our podcast. So, I was gratified to see this short, sharp explanation of the phrase. I recommend this short video by CBS reporter and anchor John Dickerson. To see my complete interview with Amanda Ripley, click here.
TrailLife USA. I’m typing this from Camp Aiken, the national headquarters of TrailLife USA, near Greenville, S.C. TrailLife’s CEO Mark Hancock brings together a small group of ministry leaders here a few times a year for fellowship, accountability, leadership development, and problem-solving. I’ve been a part of this group for several years, and I have found my involvement nourishing and fruitful. A key reason for the success of the group is Mark Hancock himself, who is a gifted leader and a skilled facilitator. Another reason I like these meetings is simply to get caught up with what’s going on at TrailLife USA, which has been one of the great ministry success stories of the past decade. Mark told me that membership has now topped 70,000 men and boys, with more than 1400 units in all 50 states. For more information about TrailLife, click here. If you are a ministry leader and would be interested in participating in our retreats, please email me and I’ll put you in touch with Mark. My email is [email protected]
