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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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BibleGateway Blogger Grid #BGBG2
I’ve made a change in how I link Bible verses on this blog. This applies mostly to the Participatory Bible Study blog posts which I merged with this one at the beginning of the year. For some time I had used the RefTagger plugin from Logos Bible Software. Recently, however, I was invited to join…
The Potential Arrogance of Critiquing Bible Translations
When I wrote yesterday about the HCSB introduction and its use of the label “optimal equivalence” I fully intended to write another post complaining about that introduction. And I will mention the other issue briefly in this post. But something else was drawn to my attention in the meantime. Let me lay a foundation. Some…
Optimal Equivalence and the HCSB
It has been some time since I complained about something in a Bible translation, so here goes! In this case it’s not the translation itself, but rather the description of the translation in the introduction. I used the HCSB in church today, and I noticed something interesting about the way the name of God is…
Merging Blogs
I’ve been involved in various varieties of online activities since the mid-1980s when I established the Wind Dragon Inn, a bulletin board connected with FidoNet. Over time my internet presence has gotten pretty complicated with a variety of domain names, three main blogs and a couple of smaller ones. You may have arrived here via…
Yet Again on the (Supposed) Persecution of American Christians
Jonathan Merritt writes a well-titled article: In the Middle East, not in America, Christians are Actually Persecuted (HT: Dave Black Online via The Jesus Paradigm). My tolerance for referring to the comfortable life Christians lead in this country was destroyed before I even knew such a thing was possible. At a very young age I…
A Testimony on Loss, Grief, Hope, and Joy
I want to call attention to Dave Black’s blog. I’ve posted some extracts over at The Jesus Paradigm, the support site for one of Dave’s books I publish. Dave’s site doesn’t provide an option to link to specific posts. It is very much like an online journal. I can’t link to every specific item that…
On Interpreting Hebrews 6:1-8
David Allen has an excellent series of posts on this passage (HT: David Alan Black), which I think is the key to the entire book. I am, of course, especially impressed with the fact that much of what he says is compatible with the way I believe the passage should be interpreted! Agree or disagree,…
USAF Band and Chorus Flash Mob
As a USAF veteran …
A Temperate Comment on the Mark Driscoll Controversy
I like the tone of this article by Andy Crouch in Christianity Today. I’m concerned about the concentration of Christian thinking, preaching, teaching, and writing in the hands of Christian celebrities. I think Crouch makes some good points. As a Christian publisher myself (Energion Publications), I don’t intend to comment on the details of this…
Step-by-Step Exegesis
Thomas Hudgins provides 10 steps for biblical exegesis. I’m particularly pleased to see structural and rhetorical analysis on the list.
Psalm 122: On Praying for Both Israelis and Palestinians
Bruce Epperly, in his comments on the scriptures for the first Sunday in Advent at Process & Faith, has a note about praying for Jerusalem. The call for this is made in the Psalm for this first Sunday in Advent, 122. Bruce notes: “I was glad when they said unto me let us go unto…
Book Extract: Discerning Interpretations
Many teachers and preachers speak with great authority and then say, “This is not me speaking. I’m only telling you what the Bible says.” But that assertion is always dangerous. When we apply the Bible to any particular situation we are interpreting. This is another case when one’s words can seem very pious, but actually…
Excellent Links on Pentecost + 25 – Cycle C
Let me start with Energion author Bruce Epperly, who blogs at The Adventurous Lectionary. I always find his perspective on these texts interesting and challenging. Overall, he describes this lectionary as dealing with the authority of prophets and world spiritual leaders. We can experience inner authority by aligning ourselves with God?s vision of the future,…
How to Die – How to Live
I learned from my wife, a 12 year veteran as a hospice nurse, that it’s important to think and talk about end of life care and dying. We tend to avoid it, especially when we’re younger. First, it’s because death seems so far away. Surely we have 50, 60, or 70 years, at least, to…
Review: A Bat in the Belfry
This was the first book I’ve read by Sarah Graves. I must confess that initially I came close to abandoning the book. The first couple of chapters plodded along, and there were too many people introduced for my taste. But I persevered, and it was worth it. As the book moves forward the many personal…
On Partisan Criticism and Excuses
When President Obama was elected in 2008, I commented to Jody that I would now have to listen to over-the-top complaints from a completely different group of friends than I had over the previous eight years. I’m no apologist for George W. Bush. I just don’t think he was as bad as so many of…
A Bible and Book Burning
Pastor Marc Grizzard of (oh the irony!) Amazing Grace Baptist Church (I’d link, but the web page at the only link I have is suspended) is planning a book burning. He believes the KJV is the only true Word of God for English speaking people, so he’s going to burn copies of all those “perversions.”…
Of Fog and Decisions
My friend and Energion author Greg May writes about navigating in the fog today on Greg’s Waterin’ Hole. The post brought back a memory from the 60s, traveling with my family in Chiapas, Mexico, way off the main roads. We were in the mountains on a gravel road, with a cliff on either side, and…
God Gives and He Takes Away
My wife wrote her devotional today from the lectionary texts (After Pentecost 23C). I note that the post number is 6000, and though I know that number isn’t actually the number of posts (revisions run the number up), that’s still a lot of devotionals! The conclusion: God truly pours out in great extravagance upon His…
Two Old Testament Books (or Preach More from the Old Testament)
My company is offering special prices on all our books related to the Old Testament. I decided to blog a bit about the books we’re offering. So if you don’t want to hear about books that are for sale, this one isn’t for you. On the other hand, I promise to be wordy, tell stories,…
Of Truth and Giant Spiders
Anyone who looks at the blog header, or my Henry’s Web icon at the right, will know I like spiders. When I was younger (as in pre-teens and early teens), I read books about them and collected a few. That started while we were living in north Georgia, and continued in Guyana, South America, where…
Dialects
Next time I have the opportunity to teach Greek, I’m going to ask the students to watch this video, not because I need them to know about English dialects, but because it’s helpful to know how dialects change and are formed (HT: Dave Black Online). http://youtu.be/dzdP-zcXgeM One of my more interesting experiences with phonetics came…
Attitude Adjustment and Prayer
From Dr. Bob Cornwall on the gospel lesson for Pentecost 23C, Luke18:9-14: In light of all that has been happening of late, it might be difficult for some to be sympathetic to the plight of the tax collector. He and his cronies in the government should beg for mercy! Read the whole post!
Value of Long and Short Term Missions
Eddie Arthur comments with a link and provides some valuable advice. I grew up with my parents on long term missions, and have been on a number of short term missions myself, and this resonates.