INTRODUCTION:Having discussed some of the gifts of the body, Paul moves on to exhort the Roman Christians in how the parts of the body should function together. What does it look like when the saints are being knit together in love, as they ought to be? What does the Spirit do? In Paul, one of …
Don’t Bring That to the Table
We have been considering the Lord’s odd choice of table companions. First the religious fussers are upset with Him. “Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them” (Luke 15:1). But Jesus is not in …
See What Happens
We gather here as a result of the gospel, and we gather as a means of proclaiming the gospel. The ordained evangelist proclaims the gospel to those outside, and the informal evangelist shares the faith with others as it comes up. But all of us together are evangelical Christians, and we are all to be …
The Sin of Evangelistic Lethargy
Our Father and God, You have established Your Church as a royal priesthood in this world, and so we intercede for the nations of men now, confessing on their behalf so that the grace of Your forgiveness will soon be extended to them all.
Phood Pharisaism
Those who have been following these posts on food have often seen me qualify and set boundaries to what I have been saying. Such qualifications are necessary and good, and so here comes another one. Put this one in the categories of two different prepositions — at and for. Who are these posts aimed at, …
Like a Scolded Cat
All systems of thought have terms of praise and blame. In the world of the new food, a central term of praise is the word natural. It is only natural, therefore, that we take a look at it. A particular food is described as “natural,” or perhaps even “all-natural.” We all know enough to know …
As the Bottle Afterwards
“Drunkenness is of course as empty as the bottle afterwards . . . Whether this better-living-through-chemistry approach comes through liquid, smoke, needle, or straw, the result is always a vacuum. A fool will always find various ways to dig his way down, but when he gets there he is always at the bottom of a …
Splashed Around in the Village Pond for a Bit
In an earlier post, I wrote about American exceptionalism with something less than enthusiasm. But this kind of point, however simple it is at the center, still needs to be nuanced around the edges. Some of this is a summary of what I have written elsewhere, so bear with me and here goes anyway. American …
Is Magic in Literature Okay?
Here is a discussion that is probably relevant to your family reading times. Ask Doug – Magic in Literature from Daniel Foucachon on Vimeo.
For Tomorrow We Die
“The line of reasoning commended itself to the apostle Paul. If Christ did not rise from the dead, then the most sensible thing to do is eat and drink and have as good a time as a meaningless bit of protoplasm can have” (Joy at the End of the Tether, p. 25).