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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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Christian Carnival #CCLXXIII Posted
… at The Limitless.
Finding a Church Through a Blog
The Internet Monk is providing a post for exchanging ideas about church congregations. Though I wonder about a church search done via blog comments, I’ve already commented on the post indicating that if that’s where people are searching, perhaps that’s where you have to help. I’ll be interested in seeing which traditions are represented in…
Fear and Response (Easter 2B)
Scriptures: Acts 4:32-35; Psalm 133; (John 20:19-31) There are two major responses to fear in a group. One is to gather together and seek mutual support. The other is to scatter, with each individual seeking his own safety. One can see this in action in military history. Many military leaders have recognized the importance of…
Value of Short Term Missions
When I first led mission teams to eastern Europe, I told the folks we were there to support that my team would be a colossal waste of money unless the team learned more than they taught. I know a Dentist who leads mission teams–more than 20 of them to Central America as I write. He…
Reality, Perception, and TEA
One of the great experiences of my life was meeting a Calvinist evangelist. His name is John Blanchard, and I only “met” him in a fairly large group, but it was clear that he was genuinely an evangelist and genuinely a Calvinist. He was asked during a question and answer session just how he reconciled…
Expectations follow Encounter
I haven’t been posting on Leviticus for some time because I have been busy preparing books for publication. All that paying work sure does interfere with one’s hobbies! Today I encountered this quotation in my continuing effort to read through Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy alongside the Cornerstone Biblical Commentary on those books. … It is…
Book: Odd Girl Out
In this continuation of the Quadrail series, Timothy Zahn is in his normal fun and action form as he keeps Frank Compton and Bayta in a great deal of trouble. We learn new things about the ongoing war against the group-mind Modhri, and also about the Chahwyn who are Compton’s employers. Once one gets past…
Stuck on Silent Saturday?
OK, it’s Easter Sunday morning, and I can join the chorus: He is risen! But I know from experience that there are Christians out there who are stuck on silent Saturday or Good Friday. For them, Christianity is all–and only–about the cross. Jesus died, they died in Jesus. They had no hope. Jesus is their…
Atonement: The Error Adrian Warnock and Giles Fraser Share
Adrian says it wouldn’t be Easter “without a row about the atonement” and he has promptly located one in a Guardian article by Giles Fraser, in which Fraser says: Thinking about the celebration of Holy Week in my new adopted cathedral brings home to me quite how important it is for Christians to insist upon…
Of Making Many Books
… there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. — Ecclesiastes 12:12 (ASV) I think that will be my new theme text. With four books in process with release dates varying from this coming week to July, and a very small staff with most work done by contract, I have…
When the Climax Isn’t (Palms and Passion, Cycle B)
This week I did some reading on the lectionary, and even led a discussion on Wednesday, but due to work on some new book releases I never had time to write. There is one theme that came to mind when I was looking at the two liturgies–palms and passion. In teaching Bible study I like…
I Hope He is Right
Gaegan Goddard’s Political Wire reports that John McCain thinks he will be the last candidate to accept federal matching funds. One of the best savings, though small, we could make at the federal level would be to end public financing and also end all of the regulations on fundraising except for transparency.
Broken Covenant Restored (Lent 5B/Jer. 31:31-34)
In a previous post I mentioned that one problem we have with understanding forgiveness is that we tend to make excuses and to blame others rather than feel guilt on our own account. Everything is OK, and we’re “not too bad.” We also lose the impact of some of the richest texts about salvtion, because…
The Problem with Being OK (Lent 5B)
Let me apologize for my failure to write this week. I was busy with book releases, and had little time to write. I did read and think, however! One of the great problems for Christianity in the world tdoay is our general feeling of being OK. Forgiveness is hard in a world where we find…
Embracing the Mysteriousness of God
First, let me put away another mystery, though I doubt anyone was wondering that much. I’ve been working on a couple of new book releases and the resulting schedule kept me from blogging most of the week. No mystery there! The word “mystery” is rather popular today, but only in the sense of something to…
Ken Ham Strikes a Blow for Integrity – NOT
Read more at Exploring our Matrix.
NCIS Acoustic Accuracy
… or not. Since I’m a fan of NCIS, I couldn’t resist linking to this post on The Austringer. I definitely didn’t know any of that stuff!
Tell Your Story
I talk about this quite a bit (here, for example), but I don’t think it can be emphasized enough. It’s very difficult to get people to listen to your theology, your theories about how God works. It’s much easier to get them to listen–and understand–when they hear your story. Psalm 107 from this week’s lectionary…
Liberal illiberalism: Olbermann on Banks and News Outlets
Keith Olbermann, regularly angry about many things, is angry about the bank bonuses. (I blogged some about this here.) His answer? Break up the banks. Regulate the financial industries, to within an inch of their existences. Roll back corporate legal protections. Make liable the officers of corporations, for their debts, and for their deeds. Resurrect…
Charter School Blocked
I’d like to get some more information on this story about a charter school that would target high school dropouts. I know we’re all fighting over money right now, but it seems like this is a good place for innovation. It’s always possible that there really is a problem with the way the money will…
Is it a Homeschooling Case?
By “it” I refer to the the case of Vanessa Mills v. Thomas Mills in Wake County, North Carolina. Timothy Sandefur has written on this, and we also have a short response from Doug on Stones Cry Out. Under a large number of conditions I might agree with Doug, but on reading this ruling, I…
John 3 and the Jesus Message (Lent 4B/John 3:14-21
Darrel Bock (430-433) combines John 3:1-21 into one section, titled “What Do the Signs Show? Jesus and Nicodemus”. John’s next account is of an evening visit by a leader of Judaism. Here, outside the tensions of a public confrontation, in the quiet of table talk, the two eras meet, one old and the other emerging….
Christian Carnival CCLXVIII Posted
… at Crossroads. You can check out the carnival archive here, and consider getting involved by submitting posts and hosting.
A Note on Types and Antitypes
If you aren’t acquainted with the concept of types and antitypes, you will find it much more difficult to see a connection between the lectionary passages and to build sermons that connect the overall story of the gospel. I’m just providing a brief note here, because I saw a good working definition in the Orthodox…