What’s the reason for this subject? We are still living in the 15th century, and it has not everywhere been observed. And we are celebrating a church anniversary and we are a church of the Reformation. I am not so much telling the story as drawing out lessons, but some of the story must be told. Luther was born in 1483, son of a miner. Luther’s home was a good but cold one. There was pride in the brilliant and... Read more
A sermon given at Bowburn 1984 A great event. No doubt we all know what we mean. But is it rightly stated? Let me be clear. Many timely and important have been and will be said. I do not question still less contradict them, but a series of puzzles such as this mus provoke questions. And this I am doing. Not on my own account, I start from two texts. Col. 2.14f.– the charge which stood against us with its... Read more
My doctor father at the end of the 1970s was C.K. Barrett, at the time the most highly regarded Methodist NT scholar in the world. Here he is in 2013 next to a lecture theater in the new building at Durham University. His daughter Penelope gave me all his sermon notes which I got published in four volumes, 3 with Cascade under the title Luminescence, and one with Abingdon Press. What also came with them was a small notebook in... Read more
It’s a rarity when I movie gets a do over, but Dune is one such movie. Perhaps you know the original film with Sting and Patrick Stewart from 1984, but it was a one off without sequels, whereas this version from the hands of Denis Villeneuve is not finished, even after two huge episodes, but then the original novels by Frank Herbert in 1964-66 were a series as well. Herbert, who died in the 80s, I think would approve of... Read more
Disclaimer: This horse would never make it in Kentucky where Chris Stapleton and country music reign supreme in and outside of barns…. https://www.cnn.com/videos/entertainment/2024/02/13/headbanging-horse-moos-cprog-orig-bdk.cnn Read more
Rastafarianism is a very odd religion. It’s most important distinctive is the weird belief that Emperor Haile Selassie was the second coming of Jesus. Otherwise however it is most based on the Bible, and especially the OT themes of exodus, redemption, with a dash of Jesus’ pacifism from the Sermon on the Mount. But of course what stands out is the reggae music itself, and also Bob’s work for peace in his war torn country of Jamaica after colonial rule... Read more
A couple of Sundays ago, 60 minutes did an expose on the spreading scourge of gambling, and in particular, gambling on sports. Let me be clear that networks like ESPN, the NFL channel, and others are increasingly promoting sports gambling through sites like Fan Duel or Draft Kings, and many others. And the number one segment of the population that are responding to the clarion call to gamble are young men from the ages of 17 to 34. Overwhelmingly so,... Read more
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