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What Is Biblical Literacy?
We complain about it, write about it, claim it’s important or even critical, design programs to create it, but what is it? I don’t mean that none of us know what we mean when we say “biblically literate” or “biblically illiterate,” but do we all mean the same thing? I don’t think we do, and…
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Fences: Mending or Rending
The following is a sermon I presented at the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Pensacola on September 11,2005 and originally posted here on September 13, 2005. I’m reposting it because when I went to look for it, I found that the original post had somehow been truncated, and also because there is a one word at a…
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Experiencing the (Baptism of the) Holy Spirit
This is a topic where I tend to make just about everyone uncomfortable. Long time readers may recall a previous discussion of speaking in tongues, and my own experience of it. Those who expect me to be intellectually oriented and rational are uncomfortable with mystical experiences, and many who are comfortable with the mystical experiences…
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Reading from the KJV
I chose to do my lectionary reading today from the KJV, and specifically from an edition of the C. I. Scofield study Bible. This is an interesting exercise for me, since I grew up on the KJV. In fact, it’s no harder for me to do my reading from the KJV than from a very…
Acts 2:45 – A Short and Simple Lesson in Gender Accuracy
This passage in the KJV reads: And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. [italics in original] Note that the italicized “men” is an indication from the KJV translators that this was an addition of a word not reflected in the Greek. But the adjective here,…
Judas Richardson?
James Carville thinks Bill Richardson is like Judas. He could be right, provided that you accept the notion that Hillary Clinton is entitled to the presidency, and that anyone who served with her or her husband has a duty to support her. I suspect instead that Carville isn’t too well acquainted with the story of…
Is Anything Biblical?
Over on Complegalitarian Wayne Leman asks whether either side of the complementarian/egalitarian debate should claim to be Biblical. Since I am openly egalitarian, perhaps I should try to answer the question “is egalitarianism Biblical?” instead. But the fact is that I’d rather question the term “Biblical,” as indeed some of the commenters to Wayne’s post…
Believing in Words and Symbols
In a previous post I discussed “true belief” and some of the comments have gotten quite interesting. I’ve considered promoting part of the exchange with commenter Lifewish to a post of its own. One commenter mentioned the issue of essentially believing the Nicene Creed as opposed to a more simple statement of belief in God,…
Happy Easter!
I’m waiting till it’s time to head off for our Easter service with my wife, so I thought I’d wish everyone a happy Easter. I don’t expect to post more today, though I’m going to follow an older church practice by talking about Easter through the Easter season. I’m going to call your attention to…
Bible Version Selection Tool XML
I have made this tool’s information available through an RSS (like) feed. For information on how to use this feed, see my post on my computer services blog.
Series on Women in Ministry
I found a series on women in ministry via my Blogrush widget (look right and down a bit). It’s quite good, in four parts, part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4. Check it out.
On Being a True Believer
I’ve been thinking of writing this ever since I read Joe Carter’s post Plagued by Certainty, but I haven’t really had the time. You see, while there are certainly many things regarding which I disagree with Joe Carter, I find a certain resonance with his claim of certainty in matters of faith. This certainty does…
What is a Level Playing Field?
According to the New York Times, Dr. Richard Dawkins “withered” when confronted with questions in the screening of expelled: Mr. Mathis said in an interview that he had confronted Dr. Dawkins in the question and answer period after the screening and that Dr. Dawkins withered. “These people who own the academic establishment and who have…
Expelled! Humor
This is simply too funny. Put down your coffee. Chew and swallow whatever food you may have put in your mouth. OK. Ready. Go read this post on Panda’s Thumb. [Don’t read on until you’ve read the linked post.] I’ve been amused at the way the producers have been promoting Expelled!, annoyed by the way…
NOTHING Ends on Friday
I want to recommend my wife’s encouraging Good Friday post NOTHING Ends on Friday. Sometimes we see holy week just as a commemoration of the past, but there are life lessons here as well.
Convincing Yourself of Falsehood
. . . or perhaps of less than complete truth. Some years ago when I was in the Air Force I had a roommate who was an excellent software engineer. At the time I was a serious hobbyist programmer, so occasionally we would work together on projects. I remember a case in which he had…
Updating my Bible Version Selection Tool
I have made two major changes to my Bible Version Selection Tool. The first is a new domain. It is now at MyBibleVersion.com. When I found that domain name available, I couldn’t resist paying the few dollars it cost to get it. Second, I’ve created a simplified version. The new page has drop down box…
Frank Schaeffer on Dr. Wright
Frank Schaeffer has produced some stir with his notes supporting Barack Obama, and now he has written something about the imbalance between the response to Dr. Wright’s comments and the response to those of his, Schaeffer’s, father. He says: When Senator Obama’s preacher thundered about racism and injustice Obama suffered smear-by-association. But when my late…
Christian Carnival #CCXVI
. . . has been posted at Crossroads.
Evidence that Demands a Kingdom
Thomas an excellent post on Everyday Liturgy, titled Evidence that Demands a Kingdom. This is part of a series, all of which have been good, but this one struck me most forcefully so far. Go, read it, and check out the links to the rest of the series.
Distress, Lies, and Christlikeness
I follow Dr. Steve Matheson’s blog Quintessence of Dust very closely, because as I have read what he posts I have found that he has a high level of integrity, and also provides an extremely high density of information in carefully chosen words. Recently he has been posting on the topic of just how one…
Obama Speech Transcript
It’s available here. This is for all you other people like me who prefer to read something that long.
Causes, Excuses, Reasons, and Justifications
I’m giving in to my tendency to write about broad principles rather than specific situations, though of course I’ll have to use a few specific situations as examples. I’ve heard this issue raised numerous times in numerous different situations. It can be stated this way: Does finding causes and reasons for an event or an…
John 18:1-4 – Getting Christological Perspective
If you’re acquainted with the synoptic gospels, in reading John 18:1-4 you may notice some substantial differences. What’s missing here is the time of tarrying and waiting, the prayer, any sort of agony or question about what Jesus was about to go through is gone. Verse 4 puts the different feel of the text into…
Holy Week Devotions
I’m sticking largely with the Good Friday lectionary this week for the devotionals I’m writing for my wife’s list. The first two are Watching and Waiting and Restoring Broken Things. They will continue each week day.
It Looks Like Obama is Going to Educate
Yesterday in my first post on RedBlueChristian.com, I referred to a conversation with my wife in which she suggested that Barack Obama has an exceptional opportunity to educate and help America grow. I just read an article on MSNBC.com talking about his proposed speech in Philadelphia on the topic. If he does this right, it…
Another Jeremiah
I recalled Micaiah before I thought of Jeremiah in this case, even though Dr. Jeremiah Wright shares the great prophet’s name. Micaiah is the prophet of who never prophesied anything good about Ahab (1 Kings 22). Jeremiah, on the other hand, was definitely an anti-patriot. Very little that he said was appreciated by the hierarchy…