Not that I want to see them, or encourage others to see them, but allow just a few brief comments on the Kill Bill movies. The extreme violence they contain are sometimes defended as being too cartoonish or ritualistic to be taken seriously, and so we can go and just enjoy the “over the top” …
Deuteronomy or Democracy?
A recent book that insightfully discusses the defining mythos of America is The Myth of the American Superhero [John Shelton Lawrence and Robert Jewett, Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2002] The authors discuss manifold expressions of that myth, from The Virginian, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show and the Lone Ranger, to Spiderman, Jaws, Batman, Star Trek, and …
Curve Ball
Once there was a young man who decided that he understood what he had been taught, and not only this, he decided that he understood it far better than his teachers did. His teachers were of course very concerned about him. This is something that all young students go through, but sometimes a student is …
A Parked Car
A young man, recently graduated from college, was sitting on the sofa in his parents’ living room. He was somewhat discouraged. His plans for work had fallen through, and he was not sure what he should do. To be perfectly honest, his planning had not been all that thorough, and it had not taken much …
A Stubborn Little Girl
There was once a father who was very kind to His little daughter. But she was introspective, and tended to condemn herself for anything, and did not really think her father’s kindness to her was warranted. One morning her father gave her a beautiful gift — a wonderful doll. She thanked him profusely, and told …
Off to Spokane
I am off to Spokane to do a conference with Steve Schlissel there, so I will be away from my computer for a day or so. I am therefore posting a few things a little ahead. I’ll tell Steve you said hi.
Drumhead Justice
Just two quick comments about the abuse of prisoners by Americans in Iraq. The first thing that such appalling behavior shows is that the people doing it were simultaneously wicked and idiotic. “Here, let’s do something that will outrage everyone in the world, were it to become known, and — I know! — let’s take …
Empty Wombs and Empty Schools
As it is now conducted in the United States, Christian education is being offered an opportunity that is simultaneously glorious and grim. It is glorious because God has blessed us with fruitful families, and He has given us a heart to return to covenantal faithfulness in how we bring up our children. More and more …
Hard and Hollow
Once there was a family on a picnic, and they were interrupted by a fierce hailstorm. The father told everyone to run for the car, and so there they sat, watching the hailstones as they rained down upon all their things, sitting out in an open place in the meadow. Fortunately, the car was under …
Sermon Outlines
I finally got some sermon outlines posted, off to the left. Sorry about the delay. The current series is in the book of Galatians, which is just one message from being complete.