Strength to Strength welcomes Dean Taylor for another episode on the Radical Reformation.

In this episode of Strength to Strength, Dean Taylor revisits the Radical Reformation through the lens of the sacraments—Baptism and Communion—and challenges many of our modern assumptions about them. Too often, he argues, the early Anabaptists are dismissed as anti-sacramental. In reality, their vision was profoundly sacramental—rooted in a realized Incarnational real presence that placed Christ Himself, not stopping with mere ceremony or institution.

Drawing from both the Early Church and the Radical Reformers, Dean explores how this Incarnational presence was meant to be embodied in a people who looked like Jesus—not ending in dogmatic definitions or legalistic systems, but in the lived result of putting the teachings of Jesus into embodied practice on the earth. When that living presence fades, he warns, Christianity drifts into abstraction—devout in language, but detached from life. Such a faith, he argues, remains at least partly Gnostic until the real presence of Christ is manifested in a tangible way within the body. History bears witness to the tragic outcome: a faith adorned with piety yet emptied of compassion, capable of sanctifying violence and uniting church and state in complete contradistinction to the teachings of Christ.

Dean does not claim the Anabaptists had the last word on sacramental theology. He acknowledges that each Christian tradition contributes valuable insights and encourages believers to learn from one another outside of sectarian lines. Yet he contends that the divisions of the Reformation often obscured something vital: a living theology of the Incarnation.

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

https://strengthtostrength.org/sacred-roots-the-anabaptists-the-sacraments-and-the-words-of-jesus/

November 1, 2025

Strength to Strength Sisters welcomed Crystal Johnson and Alyssa Wray to help us rediscover the vital role of sisters in the Christian community.

What are the roles and responsibilities of sisters in Christian community? Because women in many of our churches are not preaching at the Sunday gathering and are not in main leadership roles, it may feel as if their contributions are not as valuable or even necessary. But, is this truly the case? Women in the New Testament and throughout history have served vital roles in the Christian community. Alyssa and Crystal, two women living in community together, will be exploring some of the ways women can serve their churches and communities through activities like hospitality, prayer, discipleship, and acts of service which are all rooted in Christ’s own life of service here on earth.

https://strengthtostrength.org/the-sisters-role-in-intentional-church-life/

October 25, 2025

Strength to Strength hosts periodic Talks to spotlight Kingdom initiatives that can be an inspiration to others in the greater community of Jesus’ followers.

Strength to Strength welcomed four brothers to share about initiatives that they are involved in.

The unsung heroes of Jesus’ kingdom are the faithful disciples who serve their Lord without fanfare or applause.

Whether you are a warrior in secret prayer, a widow who casts in the last two mites, or a worker advancing the bleeding edge of the kingdom, you can rest assured that deeds of service do not escape the eye of our benevolent King.

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

“Where your talents and the needs of the world cross, there lies your vocation.”

-Aristotle

https://strengthtostrength.org/walk-the-talk-8/