How “He” became “She” This is the story of my conversion from the hierarchical view of the role of women in home and church to the egalitarian view. My seminary training landed me exegetically and theologically in the hierarchical camp. I use hierarchical, not complementarian because the nub of the issue is a functional hierarchy. While competing views of the crux interpretum (1 Timothy 2:12 in context) were acknowledged in seminary, a lot of attention was paid to the pronouns... Read more
Brian Zahnd, in a recent post, opens with some strong, attention-grabbing and profound claims: You cannot be Christian and support torture. I want to be utterly explicit on this point. There is no possibility of compromise. The support of torture is off the table for a Christian. I suppose you can be some version of a “patriot” and support the use of torture, but you cannot be any version of Christian and support torture. So choose one: A torture-endorsing patriot... Read more
The message of Christmas is the message of Impossible Odds. Advent is the time of waiting for Christmas, for the incarnation of God in Christ, for the long-awaited hope of God’s kingdom, and for peace and justice and love and wisdom. But our longing often enough misses the Impossible Odds of what God was doing. Take Joseph. Matthew’s Gospel, for the 1st Century Jew, tells the story of a righteous man (a zaddik), Joseph, who was known for three major requirements:... Read more
We need grace dispensers. We are called to be grace dispensers. Part two of Philip Yancey’s new book Vanishing Grace: What Ever Happened to the Good News? starts with a reflection on a remark by a friend. While discussing the growing antipathy toward Christians, a friend remarked to me, “There are three kinds of Christians that outsiders to the faith still respect: pilgrims, activists, and artists. The uncommitted will listen to them far sooner than to an evangelists or apologist.”... Read more
Since 1977 there has been a regular conversation among those who study the New Testament, especially those studying the theology of the apostle Paul. In 1977 E.P. Sanders published his magisterial Paul and Palestinian Judaism and unleashed forces at work (from G.F. Moore to K. Stendahl) to form what my own professor, James D.G. Dunn, called the “new perspective on Paul.” There were some extravagant claims at times but in the end the debate was about what “works of the Law”... Read more
In addition to the Books of the Year recommendations for books to stash under the Christmas Tree, I want to recommend another one for the kids in your life. To parents and grandparents, to aunts and uncles and — to others as well. Last Sunday at church a friend, a Christian grade school teacher, told us she was reading one or two pages a day of my daughter’s (and my) book, Sharing God’s Love: The Jesus Creed for Children, to her students.... Read more
Some of you may not know Ann Voskamp, some of you adore her. Years ago I made contact with Ann through my blog and I have watched her blog and then widespread acceptance of her book One Thousand Gifts and I am happy to commend her Christmas book from last year called The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas, a collection of Advent readings connected to the celebration of the Jesse Tree. From the back cover, we read... Read more
Alex Orlov: Go to the link to read explanations and a fuller report. Fortunately, there are several easy ways to boost your mood if you’re experiencing an energy dip this winter. Here are some of the best expert-backed strategies. 1. Soak up morning sunshine. 2. Maintain your routine. 3. Work it out. 4. Flip a switch. 5. Ditch the sugar. 6. Get outside. 7. Develop wintertime interests. 8. Practice relaxation. 9. Book a trip. Read more
The Hidden Sexism of Untold Stories Women are treated horribly in many American churches. I don’t believe this is because they are excluded from membership or made to sit on back rows or in the balconies of church sanctuaries as African-Americans were once made to do. They are horribly treated because their presence is largely dismissed. This, of course, is not the case in all churches, but it has been the case in the churches I grew up in. I... Read more
Spend Less on Tech, More on Wine (by Jeff Cook) A wedding at taco bell is clever but lacks some of the holy. I was baptized in a hot tub. I’m still bummed I didn’t wait for a more celebratory time and space. I am aware there isn’t a secular/sacred divide (“for the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it”). But as churches across our country spend countless dollars hiring speakers, purchasing the best tech, paying for upgrades to... Read more
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