O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Read more

I became melancholic when I read the opening words of the postscript to John Stott’s newest (and last) book: “As I lay down my pen for the last time… at the age of eighty-eight…” (136). This from his “Farewell!” to The Radical Disciple: Some Neglected Aspects of Our Calling . This book is his last.  I have to admit I can’t remember one I didn’t like and each has influenced me in different ways. His expositions as well as his... Read more

Church names are getting more and more creative, and one has to wonder when the trend will reverse and we’ll go back to “The Church in Colosse.” Anyway, this from Out of Ur blog and I clipped the top thirteen … it goes to over 100 creative names. [By the way, one denomination gave itself a creative name so it’s not just local churches.] What do you think of this trend? Any experience with it? But I’ve got another question:... Read more

The trend is on the rise: more and more are taking seminary courses online. What do you think? Is this the best?  A sketch of some big ideas: “At seminaries, online ministry degree programs are tapping into a storehouse of pent-up demand. Those who once dismissed the possibility of full-time ministry can pursue dreams without making drastic changes and piling up a crushing loan debt. Students avoid the expense of moving on or near campus–or of commuting daily for three... Read more

Arizona has passed a bill that hopes to tighten up immigration offenses and protect the citizens of Arizona.  What do you think? We’d love to hear from the folks in Arizona. Here’s a clip from CNN.com, followed by Jim Wallis’ statement:   Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed a state bill Friday that requires police to determine whether a person is in the United States legally, which critics say will foster racial profiling and discrimination but supporters say will crack down... Read more

MOVIE REVIEW: Jesus Walked the “Green Mile” (1999) by Jeremy Berg www.jeremyberg.org And now for a throwback movie you maybe never thought of as a good Easter time tale with powerful echoes of the passion of Christ and the message of redemption.   It’s already been 11 years since the release of The Green Mile (1999). The Stephen King film stars Tom Hanks as a Death Row guard and the massively large and mysteriously gifted prisoner named John Coffey played by Michael Clark... Read more

For some reason we weren’t getting channel 53, CLTV (Chicagoland TV), about two weeks ago. Which is fine except the Cubs broadcast some of their games on CLTV. The odd thing is that we used to get CLTV and then — whoosh — the channel disappeared. I gave good ol’ Comcast a little call to inquire about our situation. I was told that CLTV was on something they called “digital” but not on something called “analog.” (I know these are... Read more

One of my kind students bought me a bag of Breakfast Blend from Serranos coffee — from Colorado Springs. It’s a mixture of darker beans and lighter beans and is a good morning blend. Smooth enough for my tastes. Fulsome taste. I need to set the grinder down a bit to get a slower espresso shot, but it’s still got good taste. Who’s a fan of Serranos out there in Colorado Springs? Read more

James Davison Hunter, in his new book, (To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World ), examines the Christian Left, and he opens with a quotable line: After observing the the Christian Right is shaped by the Mythic Order and Decline Story, the progressives have a different one: “progressives have always been animated by the myth of equality and community and therefore see history as an ongoing struggle to realize these ideals”... Read more