Of course, one of the qualifications for an elder, according to the apostle Paul, is that he not be a “striker” or “brawler.” So for those who are a bit squeamish about taverns to begin with, let alone preachers fighting in them, whether metaphorical or not, let me change the image while retaining all the …
Brain Snakes
The New Testament talks a lot about the truth, knowing the truth, holding to the truth, believing the truth. The assumption throughout is that there is a correspondence between what the faithful believer holds to be the case, and what actually is the case. This is in contrast to those who hold to delusions, in …
Commodify the Revolution
One of the things I will be doing in this Devil in a Blue Dress thread will be to assemble quotations from a stack of books I have read on the matters surrounding pop culture. I thought I would share them with you as I gather them, although with minimal comment. The comment will come …
Nicer Than God
“Before we can answer this question rightly, we have to ask it rightly. This is one of those situations where even to ask the question–“How do we tell the right time for satire and the right time for tenderness?”–answers those who want to say that there is never a time for polemical speech. But of …
Several Boxes
Thanksgivng, year of our Lord 2005 I live in part of the country that has four seasons, and we have now entered into the foggy and rainy portion. What a glorious thing fog is! We are fast approaching the time when this fog will freeze to the trees, and we will have our hoarfrost, and …
Too Generous
Those who don’t see the problem coming are not usually prevailed upon to see the problem even after it has arrived. Those who do not see the problems with the emerging church will usually defend the problems even after they emerged. A “generous orthodoxy” ought not to mean giving that orthodoxy away. But here is …
Lord of the Beans
I have sometimes lamented our contemporary loss of any sense of antiquity, grandeur, or nobility. I have argued that the trivialization of Bible stories in things like Veggie Tales represents a far greater tone deafness to the story as God told it than any gain it represents in knowledge of broad plot outlines, or in …
And Lo
“I have sometimes thought about writing an article advocating the courtship model found in the book of Ruth — work hard in the field at harvest, have enough to drink to make the heart merry and sleep sweet, go to sleep on the threshing floor, and wake up in the middle of the night to …
Audio Reading of Post
More On the Stars and Bars
At last, some specifics. A traditional Irish band named Potatohead submitted a letter to the editor in this evening’s Daily News that helps us identify the source of at least one of the Confederate battle flag stories. But before getting into this, let us just say that this band (every time I heard them) played …
Fencing to Feed
In Luke 22, we are told that Satan entered into Judas before the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh. By this, we should be reminded of what an unimpressive spiritual event the institution of the Lord’s Supper appeared to be. Judas the traitor was there, and this meant that Satan was also there. Peter was …