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Sorrow Like My Sorrow – Lamentations 1:12
Can we really understand the suffering of another person or they ours?
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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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Stephen S.J. Hill on Our Much Loved Identity
It is very difficult to get me to watch any video. Yes, that’s true, even though I create videos and do online interviews on multiple subjects. It’s not my medium of choice. Getting me to watch an hour extends into the impossible. But I watched this one … I recommend that everyone, but especially those…
Link: Revelation, We Have a Problem
Scot McKnight discusses the problem with the popular understanding of Revelation. I recall guest teaching a Sunday School class on Revelation from the study guide I wrote (currently not available as I revise it). The major question from the class was when I was going to talk about the seven-year tribulation and whether I was…
By the Wife of Uriah
Today as I walked I was listening to the Bible and starting the book of Matthew. Now Matthew, to the annoyance of many, starts with a genealogy. Are you one of those people who skip genealogies? Here’s what hit me today. In Matthew 1:6b I heard this “And David was the father of Solomon by…
The Wrath of the Lamb
Sometimes the process of preparing to teach Sunday School takes interesting turns, at least for me. I’m currently teaching from the Sermon on the Mount, and I was thinking about the transition from the beatitudes to the discussion of fulfilling the law. Sometimes we get so used to the way Scripture passages read that we…
So Why Not Change?
Sojourners has an article titled SEVEN LIES ABOUT CHRISTIANITY — WHICH CHRISTIANS BELIEVE. There’s a great deal here that I resonate with, especially in the seventh point: The problem with romanticizing Christianity is that we turn our faith into a product, using various selling points to make it look more attractive. Sojo.net But what I’m…
Jumping the Christmas Gap
Most of the time I’m suggesting that people lighten up when they get too deep into theology, so today, when people are lightening up, I want to talk a bit of theology. This day represents the core of my Christian faith in so many ways. When I get into discussions about what is essential in…
Habitually Going to Church?
You will find more infographics at Statista Interesting! It used to be said that if the habit is established while they’re young, they won’t lose it later. I don’t know how true that might have been, but it doesn’t appear to work in this chart.
Advent Series at Energion
I’m sure all my readers know I own Energion Publications, and function as the CEO, now that we have a separate editor. This Advent I’m putting a quote from a different book each day of Advent. Here is a list with a couple of notes. There are many more to come, but this will give…
Allan Bevere on the Problem of Evil
My latest interview on theodicy, or the problem of evil, is with Dr. Allan R. Bevere. Allan is a retired United Methodist pastor and has a PhD in New Testament from the University of Durham (UK). You can find detailed information on this interview series, along with links to previous interviews here.
Questioning Omnipotence
Thus far I have interviewed three people regarding theodicy, or looked at from another direction, the problem of evil. You can follow the link for current interviews. Tomorrow, I will be interviewing Dr. Allan R. Bevere, retired United Methodist pastor for the fourth interview in the series. I have commitments for several more interviews. One…
Theodicy Interview with Bruce Epperly
The second in my series of interviews on theodicy is now available. Dr. Bruce Epperly discussed this with me for around an hour. You can see the video below. (The first interview can be found here.) The purpose of this series is to showcase a variety of views on theodicy and even ways of expressing…
A Robust Theodicy?
As I conduct interviews on theodicy with various authors, I’d like to suggest this: We need a theodicy (and in fact a full theology) that is as comfortable in Job as in Deuteronomy. This would be the expression of a faith that isn’t forgotten in good times or repudiated in bad. Here again is the…
Theodicy Interview Series
Yesterday I interviewed Dr. Robert LaRochelle as the first in a series of interviews on theodicy. You can find more information on this series on the page titled, shockingly, Theodicy Interview Series, which also includes the questions that will be asked of each interviewee for this series.
Church Titles, Anyone?
I have frequently observed that if we were to understand the way authority works in the Kingdom of God, we would have less arguments about who gets what title. Maybe we’d drop as many titles as possible. Dave Black comments on this, and quotes Markus Barth today. I think he has a point.
Link: On the Participles of Hebrews 6:4-6
Via Dave Black, I found this post, which outlines the participles of this passage well. I have expressed my view on this passage previously, and it takes the participles into account and aligns with one of the positions suggested.
Why Digitize Manuscripts
An extremely brief rundown from the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts. I really appreciate the work of this group, though I rarely need to consult a manuscript directly, and then usually only to ooh and aah over some feature mentioned by an expert. But all the tools I use benefit from making…
Are the Pillars Choking Your Church?
I wrote this essay some time ago. I’m strongly in favor of caring for our long-term church members, those who keep the church going through thick and thin, and have been doing so for a long time. But as a member of the long-enduring group, I advocate every effort being made for the next generation,…
Book: The Byzantine Text-Type & New Testament Textual Criticism
In my business role as president of Energion Publications, I’ve just cleared the proofs for the release of the book The Byzantine Text-Type & New Testament Textual Criticism by Dr. Harry Sturz. This is a reproduction of the original book, released in 1984 and is produced under license from HarperCollins Christian Books. Note: This discussion…
Being with One Who Grieves
From my Twitter feed: When you sit with a griever, your work is to be with them where they are, not drag them out where you are more comfortable. — Diane Langberg, PhD (@DianeLangberg) April 28, 2022 Truly excellent advice!
Believing Impossible Things
In Alice in Wonderland, the queen says that sometimes she has believed six impossible things before breakfast. A fair number of years ago, someone told me that in response to points of my Christian faith. The aim was most likely to shock or offend me. How did I respond? I don’t recall what I said….
Using Greek from the Pulpit
David Alan Black, Greek professor and author of a number of books on languages, suggests you don’t use Greek from the pulpit. Speak emancipating truth in a way that all can understand, and we will thank you for it. Dave Black Online I agree, and add the fact that in most cases when I’ve heard…
A God Without Wrath
… a God without wrath does not plan to do much liberating. Indeed, that God’s anger is kindled when harm is done to the least among us not only gives us hope that earthly injustices don’t have the last word but also insight into God’s compassionate nature. Deanna Thompson, Deuteronomy (Belief: a Theological Cimmentary on…
Kierkegaard on Heresies
“The established church is far more dangerous to Christianity than any heresy or schism. We play at Christianity. We use all the orthodox Christian terminology — but everything, everything withour character …. There is something frightful in the fact that the most dangerous thing of all, playing at Christianity, is never included in the list…
Review: Grace & Truth Study Bible
This review is of a Bible I received as a #BibleGatewayPartner. When I set out to review a Bible, I find it difficult to determine precisely what I should discuss. There is the translation it is based on, the nature and extent of the notes, the theological positions that drive those notes, and elements of…