I swallowed nervously knowing what my next question would produce. We were studying Luke’s version of the Beatitudes. I asked the question. “What does this mean?” Then he looked at his disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.” (Luke 6:20) One of the wealthier businessmen in the class answered, “That means poor in spirit.” “Does it?” I asked. “But verse 24 would mean something other than what it says.” But woe to... Read more
Protestants do not have a clear idea of holy obedience. We leave that submission to authority to our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters. But we do expect some sense of mutual obedience within our ranks. Progressive protestants have recently discussed the idea of Holy Disobedience. Liberationists define this as a deliberate act of breaking oppressive rules for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Our examples of Holy Disobedience are in the Apostles arguing they should obey God rather than human... Read more
A WCA-affiliated colleague recently described alcoholism as a sin. Addiction is not a sin. Abusing drugs and alcohol may be classified as sins because the actions are symptoms of spiritual emptiness. I was building up resentment over this and other things that he said when I ran across What If The Apostle Paul Was An Alcoholic on The Addict Pastor. Christ Rollman considers Paul’s proverbial thorn in the flesh was something over which the Apostle had no choice. The post reminded me of... Read more
Every year, Waldenbooks held “Banned Book Week.” After the fiasco in McMinn and Williamson counties in Tennessee, I recall these times. We featured several titles and displayed them under a sign that said, “Read These Books While You Can.” It is good marketing as well as good public relations. The company provided answers to potential questions or protests from customers. We never used them. Banned Book Surprises The interesting aspect about book bans is the surprises people get. One person... Read more
Imperial ambitions are the disease of nations. Empire arises from the desire to protect and provide the good for a people, city, or state. Ancient Israel faced one after another and survived. Now we see Russia ready to renew imperial ambitions just after the United States lost face in Afghanistan. Israel’s experience is the witness of the utter futility of empires. Imperial Lineage The Hebrew Scriptures remind us that God is greater than the gods of empires. The last plague... Read more
We call them illustrations. Other people might say, “Preacher stories.” Many times they are outright lies. I wonder if this is the reason white evangelicals went along with Trump’s lies. Pulpit stories are meant to engage the audience. We prefer a good story to direct instruction. But too often the stories pastors and teachers tell cross the line into dishonesty and deception. When that happens, honest and discerning people simply walk away and do not look back. I try to... Read more
Christians being bad is a common theme for bloggers. A few public examples come to mind. I may get to them another time. The good news for bloggers is there are always more examples out there just waiting to be exposed. The bad news is that news is always bad. Today, I do not wish to consider particular cases. I want to talk about doctrines Progressive Christians tend to avoid. The doctrines of the Fall and Sin. Being and Behavior... Read more
Everyone who reads the Bible finds hard texts in it. They are texts that upset our notions of the nature of God and morality. Can a moral God condone what some of the righteous do? One text in particular is difficult for me. I have wrestled with the sense of it for two decades. And I find no good way of dealing with the implications. The hard text for me is Genesis 9:24-27. The Hard Heart of Noah The story... Read more
I know arguing with certain people only gives me indigestion. I am getting better about avoiding such gastric upsetting contests. It still sometimes happens. Obstinate people cause problems. But they are not usually major problems. Liars cause major problems. Many people fall into agreeing with liars because they don’t understand the issues at hand. It is difficult to tell the two apart. Living With Sociopaths Liars never intend to educate people. Screwtape expresses his disgust at the assumptions of “younger... Read more
This final installment in this series will sound harsh to some. But forgiveness is not real until truth is acknowledged. The first truth is that schism is couched in the language of orthodoxy when it is merely selfish ambition. The second truth is moral evil appears good to selfish people. The third truth is the desire is to cause harm. And now there is another truth we must recognize. Christ is Proclaimed “Some proclaim Christ from envy and rivalry, but... Read more
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