Here is a question from a reader… Scot (and the Jesus Creed Blog), What happens to our view of hell if we shift our understanding of “heaven” to the “new heavens and new earth” to the transformed earth? There’s been a stream of recent work re-picturing heaven, not as some postmortem location with harps and clouds, but as the sphere of God’s reign that will eventually engulf all of creation. The picture is of course captured in the last two... Read more
When it comes to pastoral theology, and to the local church kind of spiritual leadership, I look to others. Perhaps every denomination has its own favorite pastor-mentors, but a wise mentor and pastor who transcends denominations is Lynn Anderson. His two books on pastoral theology can only get the title if the pastor is wise and loving. The titles? They Smell Like Sheep: Spiritual Leadership for the 21st Century and They Smell Like Sheep, Volume 2: Leading with the Heart... Read more
We get asked about books often, and it is not always easy to know where to begin. I once was asked about books on spiritual formation, and I just couldn’t keep it to one and before long I had mentioned about twenty classical books that have influenced the church when it comes to spirituality. My questioner wasn’t happy with me. What she wanted was one book that introduces us to the history of Christian thinking about spiritual formation. That book... Read more
Faith in Jesus Christ implicates a person in his way of life. Here is a sketch, a caricature that delves at the same time in the depths of the ordinary: James 2:2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man,... Read more
We discussed the creation narratives in Genesis 1-3 in a series of posts earlier this year. The questions on the proper interpretation of Genesis don’t stop with Genesis 3 however, and I received an e-mail last week with the following question: My question regards the age of people and the Biblical account. Is there any scientific evidence one way or another to promote or refute Methuselah being 969 years old? If evolution was the way God brought us about, is... Read more
I find Donatism to be one of the most unknown and yet most pervasive of heresies at work in the church today, and yet we need to be careful once again. Why? In dismissing Donatism we may fall into a pitiable mistake. The editor of this book, Ben Quash (professor and canon theologian at Coventry Cathedral), deals with Donatism in the 8th chp of: Heresies and How to Avoid Them: Why It Matters What Christians Believe . What is Donatism?... Read more
At Messiah College last week I was asked three different times this question: “How do you manage to get all the teaching, speaking and writing done?” OK, I’ve talked about this before, but I’d like to have a conversation about this again. Tell us, what works for you? First, our schedule now fits the pattern of our life now. It has not always been this way. Once a scholar-friend said to me when Lukas was about 12, “If you didn’t... Read more
We enter into a self-contained new section of James (James 2:1-13). This passage prompts James to to speak of the relationship of faith and works, and that section (2:14-26) is James’ most cited passage in the history of theological debates. Luther and Calvin both wrestled James to the ground to make sure he wasn’t saying anything out of line when it came to grace. I bring this up because it is often forgotten what led James to that famous passage.... Read more
Some days a pastor’s spouse is given privileged access to the faith of God’s people. I take seriously the mystery of walking among God’s people. One Easter, during the commotion of people entering and leaving the church, picking up their children, chatting with their acquaintances, etc., I greeted and met the eyes of someone. I could tell she wanted to tell me something. She didn’t wait for the normal pleasantries of saying hello. She walked up to me and said, “I... Read more
Last week I was invited to Messiah College to speak to the 1st Year students at chapel time, and I was asked to do deal with The Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others . While there is only so much room for flexibility in talking about the Jesus Creed, I try to take a different tack every time I speak on it. So, this time I explored the significance of the Jesus Creed for our “image” of spiritual formation. I... Read more
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