Romans 9 Theodicy is perhaps the number one intellectual reason given why people will not accept the One True God. Theodicy, which comes from Greek for “God” and “justice,” is a term coined by the philosopher Leibniz (who concluded that in spite of the evil in it, this is “the best of all possible worlds”) and is usually used to mean an attempt to justify the goodness of God in a world of evil, or the so-called problem of evil.... Read more
Romans 8:28-39 This God is a strange person, unlike any human we’ve ever met. It’s not just that He’s God and the Maker of the Universe and Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omnitemporal, and Omniscient – those are scary and strange enough. It’s also that He’s so perfect and simple. All that He Is, is also what He does. He is Love, and so He loves. He is Holy, and so He does holy. I have been privileged above others in the degree... Read more
Romans 8:18-27 The saying goes that there are only two things certain in this life: death and taxes. If you’re a baseball fan it used to be certain that the Red Sox would not win another World Series. And if you’re a Cubs fan like I am, then it still seems pretty certain that the Cubs will not win another World Series. But there are at least 2 other inescapable facts of life that Paul addresses in the 8th chapter... Read more
Give Us This Day is a unique daily devotional commentary for the entire New Testament based on the ancient method called lectio divina. Lectio divina, or “divine reading,” is the method used by the early church and countless Christians through the centuries to read the Scriptures to form and transform the soul more than merely to inform the mind. Rather than writing a short devotional about a particular verse from a passage, Give Us This Day deals in depth with entire passages and their... Read more
Romans 8:1-17 Imagine that your house is a single cell that measures 6 X 8 feet. In your house, you have a bed, table, chair, locker, a few shelves, lights and a window. You have access to a community bathroom located at the end of the hallway. Every day at 7:00 am, 11:30 am, 5:00 pm and 9:30 pm. you must stand and show yourself in your cell to be counted before the Keepers of the Law. You may not... Read more
Post-Anglican Anglicanism – Part I In my recent posts, I’ve been going through the main periods of Anglican history since the Reformation. Here’s the way I’ve divided things up: Act I. 1533-1867 – Erastian Reformed Catholicism Act II. 1867-1960s – Colonial Relationships; 4 Spiritualities ActIII. 1960s-1998 (or 2003) – the Anglican Communion Act IV. 1998 (or 2003) – present – Post-Anglican (or Postmodern) Anglicanism I’ll conclude this historical overview with a discussion of what I’m calling Post-Anglican (or Postmodern) Anglicanism,... Read more
Romans 7:14-25 I used to want to be a psychologist, or at least a cognitive scientist. I’m interested in the bizarre diversity present within human beings, especially the more bizarre aspects of who we are. There was a time when I wanted to study dreams and how vivid various people’s were, and when I was in college I wanted to invent a machine that would record dreams and play them back. I suppose this is why God, in his sense... Read more
Romans 7:1-13 “Wilt thou have this Woman to thy wedded wife, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honour, and keep her in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?” “I do,” says the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. “Wilt thou have this Man to thy wedded husband, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate... Read more
Romans 6 Changes of identity fascinate us human beings. It’s one of the reasons Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and multiple personality disorders (Three Faces of Eve; Sybil) intrigue us. People like Michael Jackson, Madonna, and David Bowie are particularly notable examples of the chameleon-like nature of modern identity. You’re all familiar with the gender and identity confusion that our culture is slouching towards, and now we also hear of the hybridization of human identity and computers or animals. But... Read more
Romans 5 Ughh! I can’t believe I have to write a devotional on Romans 5. Actually, that should be: “Sweet! I get to write a devotional on Romans 5!” except for one eensy-weensy problem, and that it that there is just too much fruit to pick. Shall I stuff myself on the citrus variety, the lemons, limes, orange, and – or should I go exotic and delight in papayas, mangoes, and star fruit (or “carambola”)? Maybe later, I’ll digest Romans... Read more
Give Us This Day
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In