I saw an insightful cartoon a number of years back. Somebody was done up flamboyantly — I forget how, whatever was outré the year of the cartoon — and walked past a mother with her children at the mall. The mother, ever mindful of good manners, corrected her children earnestly. “Children, don’t stare.” “But, mom …
Not Counting the Barnacles
Okay, I am a Protestant. I get that. This is why I believe there are many things wrong with the papacy, and that is not even counting the barnacles. But hope springs eternal, and every time a new pope is selected, a lot of people — including Protestants who should know better — start yearning …
Nun of That
“We might think of these widows as Protestant nuns. As best as I can make out, the early church enrolled widows (of a certain character) who were over the age of sixty, and the church expected ministerial service from them. If they departed from this service into idleness, it was a disgrace. If they married …
To Curvet and Simper in the Pulpit
The sodomy challenge — and all related sexuality challenges — present us with a glorious opportunity. It is a glorious opportunity that the Spirit has cleverly disguised as a real hazard to our future comfort and well-being. For the gospel is a troublemaker. Let me explain that first and then come back to the sodomy …
Please Pass This One Around . . .
You old Kansas fans might recognize the voice.
Simply Beowulf
Well, I have to admit that I am kind of whipped up about our pending release of Beowulf. This was a project I was kind of chipping away on in the background, and then the need for a usable version for the new Logos Press curriculum arose. So I got things in gear, and finished …
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).
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 …