Psalm 7:1-17 End the evil of those who are wicked, and defend the righteous. For you look deep within the mind and heart, O righteous God. Psalm 7:9 My friend Tom was born with defective kidneys. Thus, on a fairly regular basis, he has to go in for a kidney test. The doctors want to see if his kidneys are functioning well enough for Tom to continue on without invasive medical treatment. So far, so good. But, when it’s time... Read more
Is digital technology warping your brain? Maybe so. Or at least it is changing your brain. In a recent article in the New York Times, “Your Brain on E-Books and Smartphone Apps,” Nick Bilton confesses that his brain is being shaped by his frequent use of electronic media for reading. Here’s how his confession begins: Last week, my brain played a cruel trick on me. While waiting for my flight to take off, I was reading The New Yorker, the... Read more
According to Livability.com, Boerne, Texas is the fourth best small town in America in which to live. That’s where I live. (Well, technically, I live just outside of town, but who’s counting.) Boerne is ranked behind: 1. Papillion, Nebraska. (Never heard of it. How about you?) 2. Golden, Colorado. (Right new to the Rocky Mountains. Can’t argue with that.) 3. Brattleboro, Vermont. (Unbelievably beautiful area, especially in October.) I’m in agreement with Livability.com, for the most part. Their introduction is... Read more
A friend of mine is writing an article on managers who “micromanage.” I will like to her article when it’s written. Anyway, she asked me if I had any thoughts about this. I did, and sent her a list of ten musings on managers who micromanage. My list is not in any order. Just my thoughts as they occurred to me. I going to share this list here. Perhaps you’ll have some comments, corrections, additions, and other contributions. I’m curious... Read more
Duke Divinity School’s Faith & Leadership website regularly features fascinating, thought-provoking articles and interviews related to some aspect of leadership. Recently, Faith & Leadership published an interview with the Rev. Keith Anderson, a Lutheran pastor and co-author of Click 2 Save: The Digital Ministry Bible (with Elizabeth Drescher). I found Anderson’s comments on “digital ministry” to be worth considering, and also worth sharing with you. I recommend the whole interview, which can be found here. I’ve highlighted the sentences I... Read more
My friend, Paul Soupiset, put up this delightful video from last weekend’s retreat at Laity Lodge. Thanks, Paul, for sharing this with us. Read more
Last Friday, I began suggesting several answers to the question: Why is the supposed marriage of Jesus such a big deal these days? So far, I’ve offered three options: 1. The Marriage of Jesus is a Big Deal Because of The Da Vinci Code 2. The Marriage of Jesus is a Big Deal Because It Appears to Undermine Orthodox Christianity 3. The Marriage of Jesus is a Big Deal Because It Appears to Raise the Status of Women Today, I’ll... Read more
Psalm 3:1-8 But you, O LORD, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high. Psalm 3:3 What is your glory? What is it that you value most in life? What is the thing about you that people are most likely to praise? Again I ask: What is your glory? Or, in light of Psalm 3:3, it might be better to ask: Who is your glory? In Psalm 3:3, David acknowledges that God... Read more
A few days ago, a scholar at the Tenth International Congress of Coptic Studies in Rome announced the discovery of a tiny fragment of a manuscript, which, if authentic, comes from the fourth century A.D. This kind of academic presentation wouldn’t even make the back page of American newspapers, let alone the headlines, except for one small detail: the fragment involves a speaker named “Jesus” who mentions “my wife.” All of a sudden, an extraordinarily obscure academic presentation makes headlines... Read more
Yesterday, I began commenting on the new revelation from Karen King: a small fragment that may come from a fourth-century document that includes a character named “Jesus” who says “my wife.” Of course, this revelation has excited the media, which stirs up business with such catchy headlines as “A Faded Piece of Papyrus Refers to Jesus’ Wife.” The way this reads, you might think the fragment refers to the actual wife of the actual Jesus of Nazareth. Now that will... Read more
Mark D. Roberts
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