James tells us that the one who can control his tongue can control anything (Jas. 3:2). He says in the same verse that we all offend in many ways. The clear implication is that none of us have full control of our speech-for if we did, we would not be offending in “many things” the …
An Unnecessary Sabbath?
In our previous discussion, we noted that the fourth commandment has been controversial for Christians over the years. These controversies have not been manufactured out of whole cloth; an exegetical basis exists for the questions which arise around observance of the fourth commandment. There are two basic assumptions we must decide between first. One very …
Holding Science Loosely
GRACE & PEACE “At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) Growing Dominion, Part 24 The findings of science (and research) should be held by us gratefully, and loosely. In other words, as has been discussed already, we should be profoundly thankful for all the blessings we have received. These blessings …
Pride and Prejudice
Inspired by Peter Leithart’s new (and very fine) book, Miniatures and Morals, I recently began reading through Jane Austen. I had read a few of them many years ago, and am not quite sure which ones. So this time I started with Sense and Sensibility, which was fun, and then on to Pride and Prejudice, …
Mother Love
Once two women were quarreling, and I am afraid that their quarrel was loud enough to be heard by others at the restaurant where they were having lunch. As it happens, there was a wise woman who attended the same church they did who happened to overhear. Deciding that since they had made the affair …
Bush as False Teacher
After my post yesterday on the Bush/Kerry thing, here are just a couple of follow-up comments. The first is to note Bush’s qualified support for same-sex civil unions. He now says that such a decision should be up to the states. But anyone who does not see this as a wedge issue is just kidding …
Bush and Kerry
So I hear there is an election in a few days. If you all can bear with some amateur punditry, I think that Bush is going to take it, walking away. Such a result would be satisfactory in some respects, but extremely threatening in others. I am not going to vote for the president, and, …
Evangelism, Liturgy, and Culture War
What is evangelism? Evangelism is the process, designed by God, in which the old humanity in Adam is supplanted by the new humanity in Christ. This does not conflict with our more familiar (and narrow) definition of of evangelism, but it most certainly goes far beyond it. “For the promise, that he should be the …
Forensic Electrical Theory
Once there was a little toddler who had just learned to turn on the lights. He was very pleased whenever he had an opportunity to do so, and so his parents took to asking him to perform this valuable service whenever possible. One evening, this family had a bachelor over to dinner, and as it …
Backs to the Future
In order to look back at the past, we have to (metaphorically) turn our backs on the future. This means, among other things, that the future can sneak up on us. Our study of history can mean that we give way to an optical illusion — we think we are standing on a fixed promontory, …