CNN, by Ruben Navarette, Jr. [Clarence Thomas, said:] The worst I have been treated was by northern liberal elites,” he said. “The absolute worst I have ever been treated, the worst things that have been done to me, the worst things that have been said about me, are by northern liberal elites, not by the people of Savannah, Georgia.” Only Thomas can speak to how he has been treated in his life, and who treated him worse. That is a... Read more
Ed Stetzer (at the link there is much more) One of the most common statements that I’ve seen is “Christians divorce at the same rate as non-Christians,” undoubtedly giving the world another opportunity to shout “Hypocrite!” This is controversial statement that is surely going to attract eyes and pageviews, but how accurate is it? Some sociologists are even reporting that religious conservatives divorce more than the rest of society. Furthermore, we’ve all heard that you have a 50% chance of getting divorced, because, you... Read more
There has been something of a stir around the internet and on the news the last week or two. It seems that a couple of archaeologists at Tel Aviv University published a paper suggesting that the earliest appearance of the domesticated camel in Israel an environs was ca. 930 BCE (pdf here) (BCE = before common era, essentially the same as BC). Off hand this seems fascinating, but not terribly surprising. Yet it raises issues with the interpretation of scripture.... Read more
So many today love to contrast Jesus (and therefore themselves) with “religion” and “religion” is always bad and institutional and ritualistic while Jesus (and probably Paul, too) was not … but that means those who do this will be surprised when they read chp 13 of Wright’s massive study of Paul. One of the more innovative, if not controversial, dimensions of N.T. Wright’s Paul and the Faithfulness of God, is that he contends Paul formed a “religion.” But he has to... Read more
Source Katy Perry is currently the highest-profile pastor’s kid (PK) that has walked away from her faith. In a recent interview, she said she is no longer a Christian and doesn’t believe in heaven, hell or “an old man sitting on a throne.” Perry represents a host of PKs who have struggled with their faith…. Here’s what pastors said they wish they had done better: Spent more time with their kids (42 percent) Been more understanding (8 percent) Given them more Bible teaching (5 percent) No... Read more
Josh Graves (far right, with Brandon Scott Thomas and Josh Ross) is the teaching minister for the Otter Creek Church of Christ in Nashville. He’s author of The Feast, Heaven on Earth, and Tearing Down the Walls. You can follow him on twitter (@joshgraves) or check out his blog: www.joshuagraves.com And I consider Josh a friend who brings theology into pastoral theology and the local church, or perhaps he brings the local church into theology and pastoral theology, in a way we need... Read more
Those of us who get to preach have probably taken some classes on preaching, and read some books, and some of us have attended preaching conferences where we can talk to other preachers and hone the art. I have preacher friends who go over one another’s sermons as a group and others who prepare sermons together. But it is probably fair to say that most of us could improve. But how? There is very little like those seminary preaching classes... Read more
Source (Ed Morrissey) On this one, I take the line that churches ought to be able to “opt out” of the legalizing of marriages and instead choose to “bless” marriages that already are formed by the State. How about you? Years ago, I advocated that the best way to protect the traditional definition of marriage was to get government out of the business of it. Many traditionalists objected to it, and there aregood arguments for conserving the tradition in law as the basis to... Read more
O God, the strength of all who put their trust in you: Mercifully accept our prayers; and because in our weakness we can do nothing good without you, give us the help of your grace, that in keeping your commandments we may please you both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Read more
Source: Pew It used to be more common for a husband to have more education than his wife in America. But now, for the first time since Pew Research has tracked this trend over the past 50 years, the share of couples in which the wife is the one “marrying down” educationally is higher than those in which the husband has more education. Among married women in 2012, 21% had spouses who were less educated than they were—a threefold increase... Read more
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