Yesterday’s post provided a smattering of evidence, and drew some good response (especially from Dennis Martin and Jim Martin — no relations!) that anticipates where we have to go in this series, but the evidence is clear: there was an early and widespread belief in Mary’s perpetual virginity. Not only that she conceived as a virgin but that she remained a virgin after the birth of Jesus. There are three historic views in this issue, and I wish today to... Read more
More often than we may realize, the argument Paul had with others was about how to read the Bible best. Where to start?, was a major question. It sure seems to me that Paul faced many who thought the Bible was to be read through the eyes of Moses, that is, through the eyes of the Torah as the completion and fulfillment of God’s fullness of revelation. So, Genesis 1:1–Exodus 19 was the preliminary background for the major stuff at... Read more
I write out of ignorance, but The Emmaus Community may well be the best singing emerging church in the world. How do I know? I don’t except to say this: if singing gets better than this it would be world-known! Kris and I drove down to Chicago Heights Sunday morning, got to Emmaus plenty early, and were treated to wonderful hospitality and a morning of engaging worship and fellowship. |inline Read more
Now before you click to the next blog, give this question some thought. The traditional viewpoint of the Roman Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox is that Mary was a virgin when she conceived (called the virginal conception) and, after her marriage with Joseph, remained a virgin. Who says so? Have you ever considered this roll call of those who thought Mary remained a virgin? |inline Read more
John Frye’s excellent, Jesus the Pastor, raises two major issues, the value and role of seminary education and the meaning of “pastoring.” Here’s the question John provoked for me: If you could make one change in a seminary education, what would it be? |inline Read more
“Where, then, is boasting?” N.T. Wright is forthright in this section of his commentary on the value of letting Paul be Paul (to use an expression from Jimmy Dunn). In particular, here are the things Wright thinks Paul denies: that boasting has anything to do with the normal human boast about self-righteousness; that the “Law” is a general moral code humans use to establish themselves before God; that “boasting” is the legalist’s claim with God of their worthiness. Instead, Wright... Read more
From the BCP as printed this week in Phyillis Tickle, The Divine Hours. We need to pray more for the Church. Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace each of us may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Read more
Somehow, Kris always manages to take a picture when I’m reading. The first is an early morning shot from our villa high up into the hills of Comogli and the second in Santa Margherita. I was reading Jaroslav Pelikan’s Mary through the Centuries. |inline Read more
I’ve changed the name from our weekly “Blogs of the Week” to “Weekly Meanderings” because we don’t restrict the post to blogs. After a week off while we were away, we start up again. Enjoy. Along with a change in name for this, I’ve overdone it by having too many links this week. Well, I missed reading blogs for a week and had some catching up to do. I’m wondering what everyone does about the blogroll. Every now and then... Read more
I will be looking at John Frye’s 2000 book Jesus the Pastor: Leading Others in the Character and Power of Christ for a while. John challenges pastors in this book to look to Jesus, not just to pastoral theories and strategies for building bigger and better churches. John’s writing style is poetic and potent, and I hope if you haven’t read this book that you’ll get a copy. |inline Read more
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