I get chided often enough about not saying anything about where I’m speaking that I thought I’d post our Fall schedule: Today we fly to Philly and I’ll be speaking in Havre de Grace at Grace Reformed Episcopal tomorrow and Sunday AM. I’ll be at George Fox Sept 29. October 2-3 Winding Waters Brethren Church Elkhart, IN October 12-13 Kairos Brentwood Baptist Nashville, TN October 22-23 NAPCE Cincinnati, OH Nov 6 LCBC Manheim, PA SBL IBS lecture on King James... Read more
Francis Collins, famous for the Human Genome Project and now director of the National Institute of Health, before a Veritas Forum: I hope to give you some things to think about, things that have led me from being an atheist to becoming a believer and a follower of Jesus. I will also explain why I see no conflict between that perspective and that of being a scientist who is rigorous in my views of data, but who also sees that... Read more
For a few years I have occasionally pondered devoting research and writing time to a project on the spiritual disciplines for a local church. Nearly every study on spiritual disciplines I've seen are devoted 100% to individuals doing things along -- praying, solitude, contemplation, fasting, etc.. While some of these can be done with others, the discipline itself is done by an individual. What are the "church" spiritual disciplines? James Bryan Smith's newest book, in my estimation, is the best book I've seen on this topic: The Good and Beautiful Community: Following the Spirit, Extending Grace, Demonstrating Love (The Apprentice Series). I want to drill down a little more to focus on this issue: We need to think more -- together -- on the "spiritual disciplines" a church is to do and a church is to grow into and to which a church wants to hold itself accountable. What are those disciplines? Which ones stand out at the top in your list? Say, the top three for you? Read more
Do you need to step out to do something new? Do you sense a call from God to venture into something outside the box? Do you need to take a jump of faith? I just finished a book by pastor -- and now church leader/administrator -- Efrem Smith called Jump: Into a Life of Further and Higher, and I want to urge those who are wondering if they need to take the next step to take up and read this book. Efrem Smith was until very recently the pastor of Sanctuary Covenant in Minneapolis but is now the superintendent of the Evangelical Covenant church in the Pacific Southwest. This book is a wonderful combination of: Read more
A common question raised any time the question of creation and evolution comes up is the impact of this discussion on our understanding of scripture. After all, if we can’t take Genesis 1 literally why take any other part of the Bible literally? This is one of the four common questions Tim Keller reports from his 35 years of pastoral experience, it is a question I've gotten in church and one we have come up against on this blog. While this question is not specifically mentioned in Dr. Mohler's reasoning in his recent speech, Why Does the Universe Look so Old?, is based significantly on the veracity of scripture as the Word of God. Clearly our understanding of the Bible as the Word of God is an important question, one we must think through carefully. I think we believe in the Bible as the Word of God because we believe in God and his work in the World. When we make the Bible the foundation we have it backwards. This means that we need to look to scripture itself to understand what it means for scripture to be the Word of God. We cannot impose criteria from the outside. Read more
The newest Barna study asked Americans about what concerned them most and what they would like our national leaders to focus on. The national survey among 1,000 randomly chosen adults found that more than 40 different national issues were listed by a significant number of people as matters that they consider to be the most important for the nation’s leaders to address. Those issues related to dimensions such as strengthening the nation’s economy, environmental protection, morality, health care, national security,... Read more
I want to dabble in a topic outside my expertise, and I do so to generate a conversation. The topic is this: natural theology is the belief that nature is the "theater of the glory of God" and that means nature reflects God. Well, yes, and much there is that evokes our admiration, our wonder, and our praise. Our trip this summer to Northern Ireland gave us opportunity to skirt along the coast to see things we have never seen, and nothing quite like Giant's Causeway. It was like standing atop ages long ago. Yes, much there is that evokes the sense that creation is the theater of God's glory. But, yet, that same created order is filled with decay and death. It's how it works. Which now pushes natural theology and the very belief that creation is the theater of God's glory into new corners. Read more
During Glenn Beck's August 28 rally at the Lincoln Memorial he introduced a group of 240 pastors, priests, rabbis, and imams that he calls the "Black Robe Brigade." (Despite the promotion of this group as ecumenical, I think most of them were Protestant evangelicals). The group is named after the so-called "Black Regiment," a term employed by eighteenth-century Tories and Anglicans to describe dissenting clergy who supported the American Revolution and took part in the rebellion against England. Peter Oliver, one of the first Tory historians of the American Revolution, devoted several pages to the Black Regiment in his 1781 work The Origin & Progress of the American Rebellion. Beck got the idea for the "Black Robe Brigade" from David Barton, a political activist who has become very effective at a practice that might be called "political indoctrination by historical example." Beck has received help in mobilizing his brigade from an all-star cast of evangelical leaders that includes James Dobson, John Hagee, Richard Land, Jerry Falwell Jr., and James Robison. Beck wants all pastors who care about their country to join him in the fight to reclaim the religious and moral roots of the United States. When I first heard about Beck's "Black Robe Brigade" I knew it would only be a matter of time before local pastors would be faced with pressure to join the cause. Read more
OK, a friend wrote not all that long ago and told me he had recently purchased a book by a well-known author. It was a commentary. The publication date was 2010 and it said “First edition.” Only problem is this: it was originally published more than a decade earlier but was re-issued in a new series and now, since it was a new series, it was “first edition” … well, hogwash on that. It was really a re-publication, and surely... Read more
George Herbert, from “The Reprisal” Yet by confession will I come Into the conquest. Though I can do nought Against thee, in thee will I overcome The man, who once against thee fought. Read more
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