Chp 8 of the Song of Songs is a dialogue about love and this chp closes it off. As I have worked through this text I think the three-character interpretation does have merit — but it is not entirely clear. If you read chp 8 carefully it ends with clear reference to Solomon (v. 11), and it is not clear to me that he is the one being invited to the bed. |inline Read more
My St. Louis commenter has come back with another question: “What are areas of being a professor that are difficult – kind of the reality type things – non glorified real picture?” Good one. Here are a few thoughts, but on this one we need to hear from other professors: |inline Read more
My father played minor league baseball in the St. Louis Browns organization; Kris’ dad was a three-sport athlete at Iowa State. In fact, he was in the first class that got athletic scholarships at Iowa State. And those two set a trend that now goes on because our nephew, Eric Norman (Freeport, IL), son of Pete Norman, will go to University of Wisconsin Platteville to play baseball. |inline Read more
After suggesting that the shepherd lover and she have gotten behind the Fall into Paradise, back into the Garden of Eden as it were (in Song 7:10), the woman now invites the man into the Garden of delights: |inline Read more
Here is a (lightly edited and shortened) letter, posted with permission, from a young man (and his wife). Their questions are becoming more and more common in my letter box, and so I thought a brief response might be of value to all of us: |inline Read more
While doing a doctorate in England, Kris and I attended St. Peter’s Toton (near Beeston outside Nottingham) — a wonderful Anglican community of faith. John Corrie, the curate (whatever that means), and his wife Elisabeth — with two kids at the time (Benjamin and Caroline), were the leaders at St. Peter’s. I especially fell in love with the Book of Common Prayer, but never did know how the Anglicans with their “churchy” accents were able to sing from the Song... Read more
The shepherd lover, whom I am not convinced is Solomon but who is insteadn the woman’s husband/lover, has spoken — he has extolled the woman’s physically rapturous beauty. She now responds: |inline Read more
Almighty and merciful God, in your goodness keep us, we pray, from all things that may hurt us, that we, being ready both in mind and body, may accomplish with a free heart those things which belong to your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. †Read more
My summer speaking schedule is intentionally light — I need to keep the schedule free for my commentary on James and some lighter projects. I participated in a conversation on the Eric Hogue show — it is on his Video/Books page next to the review of Embracing Grace. |inline Read more
We’ve come to the 16th chp in Darryl Tippens, Pilgrim Heart. The topic: Suffering: The Fire that Purifies. Suffering, he observes with could be a little bit of a warning to those who need it, “is not a good to be sought… but it is often a significant catalyst in the maturation of the pilgrim heart.” How has suffering changed you? (Reminder: our next book will be Jonathan Wilson, Why Church Matters — two weeks from today. Buy it and... Read more
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