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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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Reflections on Teaching Revelation
This past Sunday I completed teaching a four week series on Revelation for one of the Sunday School classes at Chumuckla Community Church. It’s always interesting to try to teach a short series on the book of Revelation. There is so much there, and so much background information is needed. It’s difficult to be effective….
The Scandal of Unprepared Pastors
In an article titled Why Do So Many Pastors Leave the Church? The Answer Will Shock You, one paragraph stood out to me: 90% feel they are inadequately trained to cope with the ministry demands and 90% of pastors said the ministry was completely different than what they thought it would be like before they…
On Prettying-Up the Bible (In Reply to @drbobcwcc and @RevKindle)
Does the Bible need some improvements, if not in content, at least in presentation? That’s one way to put the question addressed by Rev. Steve Kindle in a guest post on Dr. Bob Cornwall’s blog. I want to make some fairly picky comments on this post. As I do so, I want you to be…
Ice and Snow in Florida
I’ve experienced much worse (or better, if you like snow!) elsewhere, but this is a first in terms of winter storms here in Florida. I’m working inside until at least this afternoon when people should be done sliding around. It’s nice to have most of my work right in the house and the rest in…
Link: What Makes Someone a Bible Scholar
Rev. Jeremiah Gibbs provides an interesting answer. I tend to be more restrictive in my use of the term “scholar.” I use it to describe those who do research and writing that is read and used by other scholars. On that basis, I regard myself not as a scholar, though I would attempt to do…
#BibleGateway Blog on the Historical Adam
They publish some videos and summaries of views from the authors of the book Four Views on the Historical Adam (Counterpoints: Bible and Theology). The videos and summaries are interesting, as I suspect the book would be, though I haven’t read it. I suggest checking the videos. There is more variety in the views on…
Sleet!
Just stepped outside to encounter actual sleet. Yay Pensacola! You’ll probably need to click on the picture and see it full size. That’s how far one must go to see these things here in the sunny southland. This Canadian born lad was very excited to see such a thing way down here!
A Rant about Study Bibles
I dislike study Bibles. I almost said I hate them, but since I do tolerate some of them, that would be overstating the case. My problem with them is that they tend to blur the distinction between the text that we’re studying and the commentary made about it. I have managed to keep my annoyance…
Another What is a Liberal Christian
David F. Watson of United Theological Seminary (Dayton, OH), has written a post title What is a Liberal Christian? (HT: Methoblog). I’m not going to dissect his post, because much of what I would have said, he summarized already here: Part of the reason for the difficulty is that “liberal” has at least two meanings…
Better Have Something to Share
The following quote struck me in Bruce Epperly’s Adventurous Lectionary for the week: When we say, at our congregations, “come and see” to seekers, we better have something to share that will change lives, our own and others. Jesus’ words call us to examine our ministries. People are looking for meaning; they are looking for…
Quote: Theology Moving from the Classroom
This is another quote from my editing work: James is a theologian, but his theology moves from the classroom and the study to the street corner and the soup kitchen. James is a “practical theologian,” whose beliefs motivate his actions and whose actions transform his beliefs. Theological reflection and worship find their fulfillment in faithful…
From My Editing Work
Christianity involves following the path of Jesus in its embrace of the least of these, discovering God’s presence everywhere. — Bruce Epperly, Holistic Spirituality: Life Transforming Wisdom from the Letter of James (forthcoming)
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…