From Justin Lathrop @ Catalyst: I understand the insecurity that comes with being an introvert and a leader. The assumption that extroverts make better leaders hasn’t just permeated our culture, it’s also made its way into my mind, and over the years I’ve often worried I didn’t have what it took to be a leader because of my quietness or my desire to spend time alone. Just look around at the people we most often trust to take leadership roles, and you’ll see... Read more
Several years ago I read an article in Science that led to a post on the idea of knowing – and the reliability or unreliability of intuition. The questions raised in that post are worth looking at again. None of us can know everything in every subject. We all trust intuition, common sense, and authorities. But authorities cannot say just anything. We tend to trust authorities when they put together a story that makes sense, matches at some level with... Read more
From CT: But just as well, we should never say, “Oh, we don’t bother with those things because they are just Old Testament rules.” There are principled reasons why Christians not only need but also should not observe certain Old Testament laws simply as written. And regarding two kinds of law, the New Testament itself provides those reasons. The sacrificial laws: The New Testament makes it clear that the religious system of temple, altar, animal sacrifices, priesthood, and the Day of Atonement has been... Read more
What did you do in pre-air conditioning days to cool off? Air-conditioning has reversed the polarity of summer: it has us fleeing inside during hot weather, while we used to flee outside, which might have been more fun, and was certainly more social. Arthur Miller’s “Before Air-Conditioning,” from June 22, 1998—probably the definitive New Yorker essay on this subject—describes the way New Yorkers would flock together out-of-doors. During his childhood, Miller writes, in the twenties, “There were still elevated trains … along... Read more
The Whore of Babylon *The following post is adapted from Preston Sprinkle’s forthcoming book: Fight: A Christian Case for Non-Violence (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2013). Preston’s book is due to release on August 1. As I was writing the chapter on Revelation for my book Fight, I flipped on the news and was oppressed by the horror: a young man named Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and gunned down twenty-six people, including twenty children. The Newtown massacre... Read more
This is a reputable source with reliable conclusions, so pastors and Christian leaders need to give this Economic Values Report report a good solid read and keep it in mind. A sociologist friend gives this study a thumbs up for integrity: On general theological orientation, we get this, though I’d like to see the specific questions asked to distinguish “moderate” from “liberal” or “conservative”. Regardless, a spectrum is evident: (more…) Read more
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All together now … Duck, Duck, Duck, Gray Duck. I prefer this to pin the tail on the donkey. In this game someone is in the middle, someone is it, and we get to chase each other around in circles, having fun together. Last Thursday Scot put up a clip, Strong Words, Certainly Fair, from Peter Enns that explored the question of Adam and Eve and ended with a plea for conversation: “It is time for evangelicalism to sit down... Read more
I remember reading Genesis 6 the first time — way back in high school — and thinking “what in the world is this about?” Here is Genesis 6:1-4, and you should notice that the NRSV has “Nephilim” — untranslated Hebrew: When people began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that they were fair; and they took wives for themselves of all that they chose. Then the LORD... Read more
God our Creator, who knows each of us by name and loves us from all eternity: we give you thanks for new life and human love. Bless William and Catherine as they welcome their son into the world. Give them patience and wisdom to cherish and love him as he grows. Surround the family with the light of hope and the warmth of your love today and always; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Source: C of E Read more
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