This post will summarize Eugene Peterson’s Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places, chp. 1 pp. 85-108. This is a short section, but it is better than biting off too big of a chunk that extends to nearly 50 pages and ends with great reflections on Sabbath and Wonder (next week). Whether you’ve read the book or not, we welcome your interactions. This section deals with the second grounding text when it comes to Christ playing in Creation. The first one... Read more
Christmas meant justice for a poor woman (Luke 1:46-50) When Mary hears the words of Elizabeth, when she hears that Elizabeth’s little baby leaped in her womb at the very sound of Mary’s voice, when she hears Elizabeth’s blessing on her – when these various strands come into play, Mary suddenly bursts into song. |inline Read more
After I posted yesterday on a parabolic comparison between the way the SBC treated Johnny Cash (and now backs down some) and now treats Brian McLaren, Russell Moore writes this column: |inline Read more
The man in black is physically gone, but his legacy remains: the image of a man dressed in black, that deep talking-singing voice, that one string that sustains the beat, and the story of a man who learned the hard way with a face to show it. Let me suggest in this post that Johnny Cash is a parable of a serious issue. |inline Read more
Christmas meant role reversal for Mary and Elizabeth (1:39-45). Mary comes from a hamlet; Elizabeth is from a hill town in Judah, where her husband, a priest, had a house so he could manage his way to the Temple when on duty. The hamlet woman greets the Temple woman (1:40). Entirely appropriate for Mary to greet Elizabeth. |inline Read more
Tom Wright’s newest book, The Last Word: Beyond the Bible Wars to a New Understanding of the Authority of Scripture, arrived on my desk at just the right time. I posted last week on the authority of Scripture, and asked whether or not “authority” is the best term for our relationship to Scripture. If we love God, is our relationship to God’s Word one of submission to his authority or is it more like an identity-formation? I suggested the latter;... Read more
Tom Wright’s newest book, The Last Word: Beyond the Bible Wars to a New Understanding of the Authority of Scripture, arrived on my desk at just the right time. I posted last week on the authority of Scripture, and asked whether or not “authority” is the best term for our relationship to Scripture. If we love God, is our relationship to God’s Word one of submission to his authority or is it more like an identity-formation? I suggested the latter;... Read more
This week, as we prepare for Advent 3, we will look at Mary and Elizabeth. Christmas for them meant the favor of God (1:23-25, 26-38) Elizabeth, an old woman, is barren — a sign of the lack of God’s blessing. Her barrenness was an opportunity for God to step in with a miracle of provision so that God’s work could move to the next step. Her disgrace is removed. |inline Read more
In 1984, when teaching a course in Greek exegesis, a student asked me if I had a computer. I said, “I couldn’t afford one.” (At the time, I was finishing my dissertation on an IBM Selectric, with three elements — English, Greek, Hebrew.) He responded, “No, Scot, you can’t afford not to have one.” Nothing short of a stunning comment. |inline Read more
In 1984, when teaching a course in Greek exegesis, a student asked me if I had a computer. I said, “I couldn’t afford one.” (At the time, I was finishing my dissertation on an IBM Selectric, with three elements — English, Greek, Hebrew.) He responded, “No, Scot, you can’t afford not to have one.” Nothing short of a stunning comment. |inline Read more
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