I want to begin this exhortation with two qualifications. The first is that I know you have heard this point from me before. But as Paul says in Philippians, to repeat the same things over again is not a trouble to me, and it is helpful to you. Secondly, this is a word to Americans—and …
And We Sing
One of the great blessings that accompanies coming to this Table every week is the blessing of being able to sing at this Table. One of the names for this meal comes from the Greek word for giving thanks—this is the Eucharist, a true sacrifice of praise. The 22nd Psalm says that God inhabits the …
Skewed Solidarities
This last Wednesday, I sent out the following tweet: Just so you know, husbands, angry men are terrible lovers. The day after, I sent out one for the ladies: Just so you know, wives, complaining a lot is like taking ugly pills. Both tweets got positive responses, but they also each got a peculiar and …
Sign of Authority
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) The Basket Case Chronicles #128 “For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels” (1 Cor. 11: 10). The last part of this verse is obscure to us, and has generated a good bit of discussion. …
Feeding the Cockroaches
“Feeding the cockroaches is not a good long-term strategy, even if they spend most of their time out of sight behind and under the cupboards. Keep short accounts, and time will have no chance to amplify your (initially small) sins” (For a Glory and a Covering, p. 133).
Earning Respect Through Being Opaque
[The minister must be] “a plain preacher, suiting his matter and style to the capacity of his audience (1 Cor. 14:19). Some ministers, like eagles, love to soar aloft in abstruse metaphysical notions, thinking they are most admired when they are least understood. They who preach in the clouds, instead of hitting their people’s conscience, …
Treacle, Dreck, and Schlock
As the fellow said, one of things we learn from history is that we don’t learn from history. And this was true on its own terms, back in the day when when history stayed more or less the same. How much more is it the case when we have seen a transformation of history in …
Death by Living Trailer
A Five Gallon Bucket of Lamesauce
In my previous post, I said that the great idol of modernity is the state. One perceptive reader on Facebook suggested that rather we should think of the great idol as being that of the individual self — freedom and liberty for me, me, me. I don’t know how to link to a Facebook thread, …
One of Those Walk-the-Children-Around-the-Pole-Ponies
I haven’t done any skylarking about global warming in a while, so let me have a bit of fun in my opening paragraph. Then, after that, I will sober up a bit, and move on to my more serious point, which I do, in fact, have. In 2007, serious scientists were predicting that the Arctic …