I was having a conversation with two “deconstructed Christians.” Almost everything they had formerly confessed to believe on the great issues of human history (life, death, the afterlife, God, Christ, Christianity, purpose, meaning) they look on as unscientific or unhistorical, and therefore disrespect and disdain it now. On the flip side, almost everything that they … More “I Don’t Trust Big Things”
Read Psalm 35 The ESV editors provide a very simple title/description of this psalm, “Great is the Lord.” Unfortunately, the title might work for a dozen other psalms. So I read it again and I began to take notes to better understand the central themes of the psalm. (There are no better interpretive tools then … More (Psalm 35) The Poor Mean Little to the Rich
I have two objectives with this post. To be biblical To not be overly complicated. What are the best descriptors of someone who walks with God? It would be hard to do better than the description of Job given three times in the early chapters of the book of Job. Let’s try them on. “There … More Four Descriptors of the Man or Woman of God
For about two decades, I have been using the book of Psalms as the scaffold for my prayer life. It is a simple plan. I simply look at the calendar, today its January 1. I open my Bible, turn to Psalm 1 and use it to give me the language for whatever I am praying … More Why You Should Pray the Psalms
Christmas was on the horizon. For seven months, Bonhoeffer had been leading the soon to be outlawed preachers seminary at Finkenwalde. He was pioneering a seminary that in many ways was the pattern of the seminary I attended in California. A community of scholars living as closely together as they could, and studying together for … More Bonhoeffer on the Gospel at Christmas Time
Bonhoeffer on the greatness of Mary’s advent song. “This song of Mary’s is the oldest Advent hymn. It is the most passionate, most vehement, one might almost say, most revolutionary Advent hymn ever sung. It is not the gentle, sweet, dreamy Mary that we so often see portrayed in pictures, but the passionate, powerful, proud, … More Bonhoeffer’s Take on “Christmas Mary”
This evening was the special Christmas song service at our local church. We were filled with visitors, mostly young families and college age, which is also the makeup of our church. We are, in many ways, a perfect example of the oft-observed sociological principle that most churches tend to reflect the age of the pastor … More Singing Latin and Weeping for Joy
I’m doing a year end clean-out of old files and documents as a result of a friends challenge at an early-morning breakfast, to take some of all my teaching over the years and make it available in some kind of on-going video / youtube training. Not sure I am going to do it yet, but … More A Rocket Scientist Speaks About God
The platitudes of wisdom are like a hot knife of hate in an ill-timed moment. “Timing is everything.” Certainly, that is part of what Solomon means in the second line of his couplet in Ecclesiastes 3:7: “A time to be silent and a time to speak.” Job’s friends are stunned into silence by the magnitude … More The Harrowing Withering of Suffering and Loss
Most people are familiar with the story of Job. A godly-man, blessed by God with wealth and children and status in the community. Here is a brief survey of his character: Job’s Compassion 4:3 Admonished many Strengthened weak hands4:4 Helped the tottering to stand strengthened feeble knees16:5 His words solaced … More What Job Needed from His Friends
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