Moderate Christian Blog Roundup #2

OK, this is getting regular, which I know is contrary to my personality, but here comes another roundup of the http://www.moderatechristian.com”>Moderate Christian Blog Aggregator. I’m seeing a lot of good posts on the blogs covered by the aggregator and would like to help see them get some more attention, so here goes. Note that the order in which I list these is random except that I round up my own other blogs last. I do not include any blogs with no posts since my last roundup.

Bruce Alderman writes about the stories of the birth of Jesus in Matthew and Luke. These are excellent entries. I’d really love to see more of this type of writing applying scholarship to scripture in a way that the general public can understand. The entries are Christmas According to Matthew and Christmas According to Luke.

Kievas Fargo reminds us of what Jesus could have done as opposed to what he actually did in O Holy Night. Aren’t you glad Jesus chose the way he did?

Allan tells us that we can receive the greatest Christmas gift right now in The Greatest Gift of All is Jesus.

Kara at Everyday Liturgy writes about the importance of traditions in developing our Christian life in Traditions.

Peter Kirk writes about two women teachers/preachers and wonders how complementarians deal with the good fruit of their labors. I wonder the same thing. Good approach!

Tom Sims tells us that suddenly it’s Christmas and says:

In fact, the preparation that God requires is not that which we provide at all. The naked truth is that God has prepared our hearts for Christmas. It is always now that we may welcome the Son of God into our hearts afresh. It is always in our darkness that the light is welcome. And it is always our own unawareness and self-reliance that humbugizes us. Suddenly it is Christmas and we are ready. Glory to God!

I just had to quote that!

Gavin at Hit the Back Button to Move Forward moves us toward New Year’s Day with a devotional that challenges us to become revolutionaries.

At monastic mumblings, the topic is the days of Christmas. Entries thus far are: 1st Day of Christmas (Christmas blessing), 2nd Day of Christmas, 3rd Day of Christmas – Feast of St. John the Apostle, and 4th Day of Christmas – Slaughter of the Innocents.

From my wife’s devotional list, Jody’s Devotionals, the entry is one I wrote for her, talking about the down side of becoming a baby in first century Palestine and suggest that we need to empty ourselves.

Donny Prater says it’s time for New Year’s resolutions and suggests that a good resolution would be to Just Say No!.

It’s Donny Pauling’s 33rd birthday.

The Pen of the Wayfarer tells about a life surrendered to Jesus in My Life or His Life and challenges us to surrender.

As for my own blogs, on the Jevlir Caravansary I have posted a new short story about Daniel, written in the tradition of apocryphal Daniel stories. On the Participatory Bible Study Blog I wrote about avoiding major errors in Bible study in Bible Study, Community, and Agendas. I contributed Getting Things in Focus to Pacesetters Bible School News Blog, challenging us to find the right focus and bring things into line with that focus in our personal and our church lives.