Is it perhaps a providential accident that today is Martin Luther King Jr Day, the man who decades ago dreamed of the day that will happen tomorrow? My favorite collection of Martin Luther Kings wriitngs is A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. . Here is his famous “I Have a Dream” speech… and this speech by Martin raises a question for me: Which of the themes or lines in this speech do... Read more
This post is by Mary Veeneman, professor of theology at North Park University. In the speech he gave the night before he was assassinated, Martin Luther King, Jr. said these words: “Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now, because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not... Read more
Bill Hybels is committed to racial reconcilation. Not only are we seeing this commitment in the rise of the so-called minority population at Willow (up to 20%), but we are seeing it in his annual dedication of Martin Luther King Jr weekend to a service about racial reconciliation. This weekend Richard Allen Farmer, a pastor, preacher, and professor in Dallas, addressed us about “Fluences”: the capacity to use “affluence” for “influence” but that influence is only complete when it turns... Read more
Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ¹s glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Read more
My favorite blog-photographer is Steve McCoy, a pastor in our area. I hope you visit his photography stream. Great stuff and I picked this one for a winter scene. I’m hoping the road of this winter is coming to an end sometime soon. Enough already. As you look down this wintry road toward Lent, I suggest that you take a good look at Christine Sine’s Lenten guide — and I, too, will have something to announce about Lent shortly. Stephen... Read more
What will you be doing during the Inauguration of our next President, Barack Obama? Here’s a link to WP’s Inauguration Central. Read more
We need to string together a few texts from Paul’s letter to the Philippians. 2: 22 But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 4:2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel,... Read more
Recently at Out of Ur blog I posted something about “maestro” Bible readers and I received a letter from a “Red Letter Christian.” Here is a clipped paragraph: I understand completely when you say that when Jesus is made Maestro it “leads to violence against Paul and Peter and James and Hebrews etc..” So maybe “maestro” is not the best term to use for how “Red Letter Christians” view the importance of Jesus in the Bible. I definitely do not... Read more
I recently read Andy Crouch’s new book Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling, a winding book on culture and how Christians can be cultivators of culture. Andy’s favorite letter is “C” — and he’s got more C’s in this book than any book I’ve seen. But, he’s not being cute. The C’s are genuine and they make the book more useful. But I have to put my big impression of this book up front: this book has too many ideas and... Read more
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