Wells That Never Run Dry, by Mike Glenn When the woman at the well asked Jesus how He was going to draw water from the well without a his own jar, He told her if she knew to whom she was talking, she’d ask for water from Him. His water, He said, is like wells of water that never run dry. In a country known for its deserts, that’s a tall promise. In a world known to be desert of... Read more
The next proposition in The Lost World of the Flood by Tremper Longman III and John Walton puts it on the line. The flood was a real, devastating, event that lived in human memory in the ancient Near East. But it was a local flood not a global flood. The author, narrator, of Genesis intentionally portrays the flood as a global flood making rhetorical use of hyperbole to convey an inspired and essential theological message. The flood is used as... Read more
In Andrew Root’s Faith Formation in a Secular Age, Root sketches three kinds of Secular: Secular 1: Sacred versus Secular Planes Secular 2: Religious versus A-religious Spaces Secular 3: The Negating of Transcendence What happens to faith in Secular 2 and 3? Faith in Secular 2 is joining and participating in an organization, an institution, a church. Formation then becomes about attendance and participation. Secular 2 and 3 are not the same and faith and faith formation in each is different.... Read more
From Michael Gerson: In the name of survival, [Paul] Ryan has ignored and enabled the transformation of the GOP into an anti-immigrant party. This does not reflect his personal views. But it will be remembered as the hallmark of his time in office — the elevation of survival above solidarity. My tradition of evangelical Protestantism is, if anything, even worse. According to a recent Pew Research Center poll, white evangelical Protestants are the least likely group in America to affirm an American... Read more
Is the Christus victor model of redemption sufficient to explain all the redemption that is needed? Many over the years have asked this about the propitiatory model — will it lead to transformed lives? Or of justification — does it lead to a life of justice? (Tim Keller has often said so.) And now the apocalyptic theologians are asking if the Christus victor model is adequate for comprehending a Christian theory of salvation. We are looking at Philip Ziegler, Militant Grace:... Read more
I’ve been asked a dozen times or more, What’s new in the Blue Parakeet? This is a book about reading the Bible, about bad reading habits — like making the Bible into a Rorschach inkblot where we see what we are looking for — and good reading habits — like knowing the story of the Bible so we can see how God spoke in Moses’ day in Moses’ way and see how God spoke in Jesus’ day in Jesus’ way.... Read more
When do differences in detail cast doubt on the whole story? I’ve been reading through both The Lost World of Scripture by John Walton and Brent Sandy and The Lost World of the Flood by Tremper Longman and John Walton … fascinating and thought provoking books. Last week I posted the first book with a provocative title – The Word of God is Not a Book. I expected the post to raise some eyebrows and generate a reaction. I was... Read more
By Gerald McDermott In 2009 my photographer son and I walked across Galilee, staying with Jews some nights and Arabs other nights. We were doing a photo essay forChristianity Todayon what residents of the land of Jesus think about him today. More than a few times Arab Christians pulled us aside, whispered to us not to write their names, and told us the same thing: “The media would make you think that the Israeli government is our biggest enemy. But that’s... Read more
Almighty God, kindle, we pray, in every heart the true love of peace, and guide with your wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth, that in tranquillity your dominion may increase until the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Lord God Almighty, you have made all the peoples... Read more
In the USA we reserve the last Monday of the month of May to honor those who have perished in military service. Kris and I are both grateful no immediate members of our family died in military service. Three in our immediate family did serve and we honor them today as well: So, thanks to three of our family members: Ron Norman, an exceptional basketball player at the Univ of Iowa in the late 60s, served the USA Army in... Read more
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