I’ve commented recently on the need to surround ourselves with beauty. This involves ingesting good material. It also involves not reading superficial and silly material. Turning a page, we find, makes all the difference. This is a challenging exchange, I must say. Bethany and I subscribe to World magazine. This means that when I pick up World, I automatically laud myself for reading a thoughtful magazine instead of a trashy rag. However, if I’m honest, I de-laud myself for skipping... Read more

I’ve been under the weather recently, but I’ve recovered. My convalescence allowed me to ruminate a bit on a recent development in my life: the need to sell the only car I’ve ever owned. This will be a difficult parting, I can tell. Not in a theological sense. I know the answers when it comes to the theology of selling my car. Our life is not our own, and we are not the sum of our possessions. We won’t take... Read more

It’s Friday, and I have some musical recommendations for you. Kevin, thanks for your comment–I will be quite happy to post some book recommendations on beauty in the very near future, and will email you as soon as I can. I strongly recommend the following two Christian songer-songwriters. First, Andrew Osenga. He writes great songs about the complex character of Christian life in a fallen world. I’ve recommended him before, but I want to recommend him again, simply because his... Read more

Good comments and questions from the last post–thanks to all who gave such thoughtful responses. Here are a few humble responses. To Ryan Hill’s question about cultural engagement, I think part of Christian maturity is indeed understanding the culture. To do this, we have to engage it in some form. There is no easy answer to guide us in our cultural interaction. We each have to know ourselves and our sins and then let this knowledge shape the way we... Read more

I would encourage all Christians to get ahold of Ken Myers’s book All God’s Children and Blue Suede Shoes. Myers makes the argument that much of pop culture is shallow and that Christians ought to largely detach themselves from pop culture and instead listen to classical and folk music. These latter two musical types are both anchored in tradition and carry within themselves objective standards of beauty. This as opposed to pop music, the merits of which are found in... Read more

Kind of a quirky title, eh? Well, I’m trying to get at an idea that I’ll develop over the next few days. It’s probably a familiar one, but I think it warrants continued contemplation. It is this: as Christians, those who appreciate the goodness of God in this world, we need to seek out beautiful things in order that we ourselves would become more beautiful. I’m not talking about cosmetics or haircuts or ab exercises. I’m talking about beauty as... Read more

Responses to recent questions (all from Paul Cable): On preachers not believing the power of the Word Absolutely, Paul. I think you’re right on when you write that preachers don’t believe in the power of the Word to change the hearts of men. It is surprising that this is so, because if there is one teaching in the Word of God regarding preaching, it is that the Word of God is incomparably powerful and ideally suited to the transformation of... Read more

After several days of thicker content, one is ready for a good story. Here’s a great one I found in William Bennett’s The Book of Morals. The story is true. It’s set in a small village in Vietnam during the time of the Vietnam War. The doctors are missionary doctors. I’ve edited it, but it’s still powerful. The doctor spoke some pidgin Vietnamese, and the nurse a smattering of high school French. Using that combination, together with much impromptu sign... Read more

I think much of the problem behind contemporary preaching is that we often try to do everything but simply preach the text. We entertain, offer therapy, and pile on an extra serving of sentimentalism for good effect. The resulting mix is a casserole that, like the one dish noone will touch at the church potluck, lacks savor and nourishment alike. We need to forget about comedy, forget about amusing ourselves, forget about trying to feel good, and to simply preach... Read more

To put it quickly: I’m not a big fan of it. A little is okay occasionally. But delivering the Word is a fundamentally solemn task. We need a whole bunch of counter-cultural preachers who do not read Easy Tips For Public Speaking Excellence or some such drivel. That’s not an actual title, but I’m sure there are tons of books out there that lots of pastors read in an effort to “communicate effectively.” How about “preaching truthfully?” Or try this... Read more