Brian Russell of Real Meal MinistriesMy name is Brian Russell. I live in Oviedo, Florida (just NE of Orlando). I serve as an Associate Professor of Biblical Studies on Asbury Theological Seminary’s Florida campus. I am an Old Testament specialist. Most importantly, I am a devoted follower of Jesus who seeks to live by faith, be known by love, and to serve as a source of hope for others.
I am married to Jackie, and we have two children. All of us live an active missional lifestyle.
Why do you blog?
I blog in order to present my thinking and writing to a larger audience. I consider my blog to be an extension of my ministry of teaching at Asbury Theological Seminary. Additionally, blogging helps me to practice the discipline of writing and allows me to receive feedback on my ideas. My productivity as a writer has increased considerably since I began blogging earlier this year.
What has been your best blogging experience?
My best blogging experience was totally unexpected. Blogging guru Hugh Hewitt (http://www.hughhewitt.com/) linked to one of my posts back in June. This increased my traffic and readership five-fold. From this, I learned the potential for a blog to reach a wide and diverse audience outside of my circle of friends and students.
What would be your main advice to a novice blogger?
Find your own voice. Post consistently. Write clearly.
If you could only read three blogs a day, what would they be?
Alex McManus’ “Into the Mystic” www.alexmcmanus.org
Ken Schenck’s “Schenck Thoughts” kenschenck.blogspot.com
Keith Drury’s “Weekly Writing” www.drurywriting.com/keith/
Who are your spiritual heroes?
Huldrych Zwingli, John Calvin, John Wesley, and Orange Scott.
What are you reading at the moment?
John Goldingay Old Testament Theology Volume One: Israel’s Gospel (Intervarsity Press, 2003)
What is your favorite hymn and why?
My favorite is “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.” I find the words to be a profound invitation to a full commitment to Jesus Christ. “Love so amazing so divine, demands my life, my soul, my all.” Wow.
I also enjoy this hymn with the new chorus written by Chris Tomlin, J.D. Walt, and Jesse Reeves: “O the wonderful cross, the wonderful cross; bids me come and die so that I can truly live…”
Can you name a major moral, political, or intellectual issue on which you've ever changed your mind?
I have changed my mind on the death penalty. I used to be a pro-death penalty advocate. I am now opposed to it in practice. I don’t think that it is applied justly in our society.
What philosophical thesis do you think is most important to combat?
I am not particularly interested in fighting any philosophical thesis. I am committed however to shaping the future through the recovery of a biblical ethos of holiness, mission, and community among followers of Jesus Christ.
If you could affect one major change in the governing of your country, what would it be?
Reduction of the size of the Federal government.
If you could affect one major policy change in the United Methodist Church, what would it be?
1) I would eliminate the guaranteed appointment of Elders.
2) I would eliminate appointments made on the basis of salary level previously attained.
Appointments should be based solely on giftedness and competence. Local Churches, no matter what size, deserve Christ-formed, spirit led, mission oriented leaders. We need to free up the Bishops’ councils to focus solely on placing the right people in the right places at the right times.
What would be your most important piece of advice about life?
Do not neglect the practice of the spiritual disciplines and be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
What, if anything, do you worry about?
I worry about the growing militancy of radical Islam and the real potential for a broader conflict in the Middle East. My prayer is that God will raise up a generation of Christ followers, who will engage Islam (and all peoples), not with violence, but with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Can we in the Wesleyan-Methodist movement recapture a vision of a truly missional Church and be part of the solution?
If you were to relive your life to this point, is there anything that you'd do differently?
I would have become fluent in Spanish. Spanish is an essential language for ministry in the 21st century in the United States.
Where would you most like to live (other than where you do now)?
Los Angeles. Southern California has almost perfect weather, and it is the epicenter of culture.
What do you like doing in your spare time?
Playing games with my children.
Dating my wife.
Hanging out with friends to dream and plan Kingdom advancing initiatives!
What is your most treasured possession?
The NIV Study Bible that I received for Christmas during my Junior year in High School. It has remained my personal English bible for almost twenty years. In many ways, it contains the map of my walk as a follower of Jesus.
What talent would you most like to have?
I would like to be a better singer than I am. I love music, but my own vocal range is very limited.
If you could have any three guests, past or present, to dinner, who would they be?
Bob Dylan
Dale Earnhardt, Sr.
William F. Buckley, Jr.
7 comments:
Editorial note: as you can see from the photo, the 'mafioso' look is currently in vogue at Asbury/Orlando.
Is anyone else annoyed by a Methodist picking Ulrich Zwingali as a hero?
Please elaborate, Methotaku.
Zwingali perpetuated a monsterous error, in that he believed that Christ was not present in the Sacrement of Holy Communion.
His dry, symbolic view is one that John Wesley and our Articles explicitly reject.
Whit (aka "the methotaku"),
I did not base my "spiritual heroes" on sacramental theology. All four figures listed were reformers (two from the 16th century, one from the 18th, and one from the 19th) committed to allowing Scripture to critique and reform the church of their day.
Zwingli was part of the Swiss reformation. I have always loved his story. He took over the parish of Zurich and began preaching verse by verse through the Bible. If I recall, he began with Matthew 1:1. This was radical stuff in the 16th century. His Church "reformed" on the basis of his proclamation of the word.
What if our churches in the 21st century attentively listed to the Scriptures and rigorously submitted to beging shaped by them?
Thanks for the conversation.
If someone wants to promote holiness, then is the best method to advocate disobedience?
If obedience is imperfect, is that the grounds for jettisoning attempts at obedience?
If the death penalty is imperfectly applied, then do we tell God, "We will not obey any more"?
Or does not the path of holiness rather lie in obeying as best we can? Does not the hard work of refining obedience lead to greater holiness than the easy path of quitting obedience in disobeying the commanded death penalty?
Hey Brian - Sorry to misuse your blog. I'm told you're here at Origins/Ethos. So am I. Haven't found you yet, but will hang out near the Bethel stand during breaks. It's the last day. I'm wearing black pants, a white t-shirt and a green shirt over that. Hope to run into you.
Thorsten
Post a Comment