An image from NASA Kris and I are in Katy, Texas, just outside Houston, this weekend. I’m speaking at First Methodist in Katy, and we’re looking forward to spending time with Marlin Fenn and the good folks at Katy. (Two weekends in a row on the road has limited my computer time, so I apologize for not having as many links today.) My favorite Olympic winner: the Flying Tomato. One of our readers (Ted) reviews another (Allan) about a book... Read more
MOVIE REVIEW: “To Save A Life” by Jeremy Berg www.jeremyberg.org This review is a for all youth workers out there! Every few months youth pastors get a promotional box in the mail luring them to jump on the bandwagon of the next big Christian movie, book, conference or concert. Marketing madness bombards you with free promotinal posters, t-shirts, devotionals, bookmarks, bumper stickers. Sadly, the Christian entertainment sub-culture often disappoints. I usually don’t bite. I’m the boring youth pastor who... Read more
Whether you look to the laws of Deuteronomy on caring for the poor and widows and orphans, or to the prophets criticizing the leaders for oppressing the marginalized, or to Jesus’ blessing of those who were otherwise overlooked and oppressed, or to James’ powerful statement that pure and uncontaminated religion is to care for widows and orphans, one message comes through clear: Those who follow Jesus are called to care for the oppressed, the marginalized, the overlooked, and the ignored.... Read more
Christine Sine’s Lenten Prayer: We have chosen to fast Not with ashes but with actions Not with sackcloth but in sharing Not in thoughts but in deeds We will give up our abundance To share our food with the hungry We will give up our comfort To provide homes for the destitute We will give up our fashions To see the naked clothed We will share where others hoard We will free where others oppress We will heal where others... Read more
Not too long ago we posted a series on what is now being called evangelical universalism, and if you recall it is a view that believes death results from sin, and that following death unbelievers experience hell. But the big issue here is the finality of death. Is death final? Is there a possibility that death is not final, or that hell as the second death could end? I don’t know if you know about this, but the Eastern Orthodox... Read more
J. Todd Billings, in The Word of God for the People of God: An Entryway to the Theological Interpretation of Scripture , is seeking to explain how to read the Bible according to a theological method. This approach is against what can be called primitivism, and I’m persuaded that most Bible scholars are primitivists and I’m also convinced many in the church like primitivist readings. So what is it? Here Billings quotes from Jamie Smith: “Primitivism retains the most minimal commitment to God’s... Read more
We’re skipping quickly through the journey narratives of Acts because our focus is on Paul’s missional work and missional theology, and traveling [Fair Havens to the right] … well it’s part of it because missional people travel. Paul gets an opportunity because he predicts disaster, and disaster comes; he gets more opportunity because of healing … he takes his chances. But this shipwreck story is a gem of a story and so I’ll post the whole thing today: Paul and... Read more
Stephen C. Meyer has published a (very long, but readable) book, Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design, outlining his argument in favor of intelligent design. We will wrap up this series today looking at Ch. 17 “But does it explain” and move on to new topics next week. In this chapter Meyer answers his critics – those who say claim among other things that ID is an argument from ignorance, and uses failed analogies. I... Read more
J. Todd Billings, in The Word of God for the People of God: An Entryway to the Theological Interpretation of Scripture , is seeking to explain the new “theological interpretation of Scripture.” This approach is heavy on “theology” and critical of the more pragmatic approaches — how does this passage speak of business practices. Here’s another major point Billings makes: “We start with faith in the triune God, a trust in Jesus Christ and the Spirit’s transforming power through Scripture. In reading Scripture,... Read more
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