“She walked briskly up to them, her blouse bouncing provocatively, as much as to say in stereo that we dare you to do anything but look at our forehead” (Evangellyfish, p. 57).
Caution Is Not Accusation
“You can lock your doors at night without accusing every person who walks by of attempted thievery, and you can pull back when someone crosses your ‘friendly line’ without accusing them of ‘attempted adultery.’ Godly jealousy sets particular standards — for friendships, for get-togethers, for business lunches, for entertainment standards, for dress, and so on” …
Coming or Going?
“The incarnation meant that freedom came here, down to us, and it did not mean that freedom was offered to us somewhere far off, beyond the clouds. Because of the incarnation, Christians have been taught to pray for Christ’s kingdom to come, not for His kingdom to go” (5 Cities, p. 187).
Basic Capabilities
“The preacher needs the capacity for clear thinking, with strong feelings, and a vigorous imagination; also capacity for expression, and the power of forcible utterance” (Broadus, Preparation and Delivery of Sermons, p. 23).
With the Smell of Burnt Marshwiggle
A real reformer is not a member of a faction. Men have always tended to divide into opposing factions, whether it is Crips and Bloods or Guelphs and Ghibellines. But factional differences (while very real) don’t go down to the deep foundations. An ancient city is debating whether to defend the city with a powerful …
Wendell Berry’s Halcyon Bean Patch
Wendell Berry has come out in favor of Christians laying off their hateful opposition to homosexual marriage. You can read more about it here. A few immediate thoughts come to mind. First, I trust that this will cause many Christians who have looked to Berry for cultural insght to rethink things, and go back to …
Under the Law of Christ
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) The Basket Case Chronicles #100 “And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; to them …
Clothed in New Power
“A preacher . . . shall hold on to the old truths, and labor to clothe them with new interest and power” (Broadus, Preparation and Delivery of Sermons, p. 22).
Rainy Day Toddler
“Every high profile case, there she was with the truck, getting underfoot like a toddler on a rainy day” (Evangellyfish, p. 56).
No Telepathic Powers
“Godly jealousy should be insightful, not blind — insightful jealousy sees what no one else is seeing. But so do men with hallucinations — which is why godly jealousy remembers the rules of evidence. Being jealous does not grant us telepathic powers” (For a Glory and a Covering, p. 17).