What is it that makes a Christian wedding? It would be easy to answer such a question in a superficial way by simply appealing to forms and customs—as when a Christian minister presides or prays over the ceremony, or if it were to occur in a Christian church. Or perhaps we could say that it …
Saul Among the Prophets
INTRODUCTION:Although Saul continues his reign for some time after the incidents in this chapter, this chapter does mark the formal textual end of his reign. Call this definitive foreshadowing, as well as some sort of formal closure. Put another way, for Saul this is all over but the shouting. THE TEXT:“And Saul spake to Jonathan …
A Staggering Exchange
Jesus told the story of the shepherd who left the 99 in order to pursue the one sheep who had strayed. Throughout the church, pastors—who are shepherds—have had to carefully balance these tasks. When they miss the biblical balance in this, some act as through there is no such thing as straying. They don’t really …
A Good Pace
Careful study of the gospels shows us five distinctive characteristics of Christ’s table fellowship. First, He consistently sought out fellowship with outcasts. Secondly, those outcasts responded to Him with joy. Third, the religious establishment routinely grumbled about it. Fourth, the table fellowship was preceded by a call to radical discipleship. And fifth, such incidents frequently …
Resurgent Grace
A few months ago, Pastor Mark and I had a chance to visit about our upcoming conference, The Grace Agenda. You can also follow the Resurgence page to the conference page. Here is a short clip from our conversation.
Venting the Spleen
“The way Hitchens glibly pronounces the body full of vestigial leftovers is something that the continued development of medical science should have taught us to quit doing. Ignorance of function does not not mean there is no function. As my wise grandmother used to say, ‘Never celebrate vestigialness prematurely” (God Is, p. 42).
How Fumbling in the Dark Got Us the Eyeball
“In the long developmental journey from the first three light sensitive cells to the eye of the osprey, what percentage of that time was the eye closed for remodeling (and therefore possessed of that condition that scientific laymen call blindness)? And, during those periods of blindness, what evolutionary advantage was conferred such that remodeling continued …
And From the Pulpit
“A weak conscience is an over-scrupulous conscience. And although, even when mistaken, it is not to be violated, it does need to be educated” (Stott, Between Two Worlds, p. 194).
The Glory of Kings
I do think that a number of you all would be interested in this new book, a festschrift for Jim Jordan, just now available. Click here.
Vaudeville in the Natural Sciences
“I am afraid that Hitchens does not really respect his creationist adversaries. He is glad that the courts have protected Americans from ‘the inculcation of compulsory ‘creationist’ stupidity in the classroom’ . . . Now I understand a fierce uppercut, and I actually respect the ability to deliver one. But you really shouldn’t write things …