“Preaching, especially prophetic preaching, demands a special charisma. It is not always easy to tell when preachers have this special grace. In time, however, we will know them by the fruit of their preaching” (Hughes Oliphant Old, The Reading and Preaching of Scripture, Vol. 1, p. 59).
No Splinters from These Poems
If you look over to the left under Main Categories, you will see a new category — wordriht, which is an Anglo Saxon word referring to the mot juste, not that they would put it like that. As Beowulf once said to Hrothmund, “N’est-ce pas?“ Anyhow, firm in the conviction that what this place needs …
Double Irony
“Because many have understood the magisterial Reformation’s phrase, sola Scriptura, in terms of the Anabaptist solo Scriptura, it is easy for modern Christians to think that a return to the original understanding of sola Scriptura is an abandonment of it. This is simply the result of historical and theological ignorance. It would be very esay …
The Whole Thing Entire
“One approaches the hearing of the Word of God not as one approaches the eating of nuts — cracking the shell, eating the meat of the nut, and throwing the shell away. Rather, one approaches the Word of God as one eats grapes — eating the whole thing, skin, pulp, and seeds” (Hughes Oliphant Old, …
The Third Amendment and TSA Porn Scanners
Many moderns are baffled by the Third Amendment to the Constitution, the one in which the quartering of troops in private homes is prohibited in times of peace, except by the consent of the owner. Quartering troops in time of war was allowed, but only as regulated by law. Some of the amendments in our …
Deception and War
INTRODUCTION:Here is yet another psalm from yet another time when David was in trouble. The inscription says that it was the incident in which Saul’s daughter, Michal, helped David to escape when Saul’s men were watching their house. THE TEXT:To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David; when Saul sent, and they watched the house …
Bones and Silicon
In this congregation, you have heard much about the grace of God. But when you hear much of anything, it is easy for that word to become a theological buzz word—the grace of God is just one of those Bible phrases, right? And since we all think we know what the Bible is about, we …
Table of Plenty
In the Old Testament, one of the things that we learn about meals is that they draw boundaries. They define the limit between who is in and who is out. This is the first, the rudimentary lesson. The New Testament does not set this lesson aside but rather builds on it. The New Testament does …
Theologies With Wiggle Room
Father, Your Word summons all nations everywhere to listen to the voice of Your faithful Son, Your faithful Servant. We confess that as a nation we have wanted to assume that the residual moral capital of former generations is good enough, and that we can somehow pretend to know the difference between right and wrong …
A Little Something Called Context
Howm’I supposed to defend the faith against these swamis of reason when they keep making me wheeze like they do? Sam Harris, aspiring scientist and indignation impresario, is promoting this project, in order to advance the sweet voice of reason. You can look at a really cool graphic they have put together here. The base …