Jesus Creed
Here’s our grandson Aksel, listening to his dad telling him how to give the pitcher the sign for a curve ball. Read more
Here’s our grandson Aksel, listening to his dad telling him how to give the pitcher the sign for a curve ball. Read more
What is America like? Are we generous or are we the spoiled brat in the global village? How Christian are the Christians in politics? Third Way thinking addresses these issues, and Adam Hamilton’s book sketches ideas for us to think about when we think of America’s image in the world. See his book Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White: Thoughts on Religion, Morality, and Politics. We have 5% of the world’s population; we consume 22% of its... Read more
It is common in some circles to extol Darwin as one who makes it possible to be a fulfilled atheist and in others to vilify him as the servant of Satan who set out to destroy the faith. The truth, of course, is much more complicated. And many influences are at play both within Darwin and the development of his thinking, and within our culture, the development of the theory of evolution, and our view of the conflict between science... Read more
We turn now to Ephesians, a 3d letter of Paul’s from prison (accepting the Pauline authorship of the traditional letters). Eph uses “gospel” six times: 1:13; 2:17; 3:6, 8; 6:15, 19. We begin with … 11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of... Read more
I read this piece by Saul Singer in the Washington Post. I wonder if Obama’s silence is support for Israel, support for taking out Hamas, or an indicator that he’s not sure what to think about this international crisis. Any thoughts? By taking on Hamas, Israelis deserve the gratitude of decent people everywhere. More than that, by sending in troops to fight them on the ground, Israel is risking its precious soldiers to minimize Palestinian casualties. These soldiers risk becoming... Read more
Books that even breathe the air of conspiracy theories rarely attract my interest, but I have been gathering for some time a variety of facts about women in ministry that are both unknown to the average Christian and, in my judgment, have been covered up. So, when I saw the title of Gary Macy‘s The Hidden History of Women’s Ordination: Female Clergy in the Medieval West, I was both wary and interested. The book proves something very important and I... Read more
1. Green: baseball is played on a green field; hockey on white ice.2. Wrigley, Fenway, Yankee Stadium: name one interesting hockey place.3. Names: Babe Ruth, Pee Wee Reese, Ernie Banks vs. Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr.4. Scoring: single, double, triple, homer vs. “It’s a goal!”5. Teeth: baseball players have them.6. Season: summer vs. winter (and even when it’s not winter they have to freeze the place to have a game).7. Shrine: Cooperstown vs. ??? (is there such a place?)8.... Read more
Paul uses the word “gospel” one more time in Colossians (1:23) and once in Philiemon 13. Here is the context for Col 1:23: 21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation- 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held... Read more
Roland Burris has been good for Illinois, but he’s been sipping too much of Blago’s juices of late and took on DC today. Even as Senate leaders continued to challenge his appointment to the seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama, Roland W. Burris headed to Washington on Monday, setting the stage for a public showdown on Capitol Hill. In a news conference at Midway airport in Chicago before his scheduled 2:20 p.m. flight to Baltimore, a defiant Mr. Burris told... Read more
Adam Hamilton, in his book, Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White: Thoughts on Religion, Morality, and Politics, has a few chps on political or hot-button issues, including situation ethics, abortion, homosexuality and war. I don’t want to enter into the discussion of homosexuality or war at this time, in part because Adam’s book presents some addresses he gave at his church. So, I will skip ahead to his 21st chp to how he addresses the issue of... Read more
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