“In other words, The Holy Spirit produces uppity speech” (Willimon, Proclamation and Theology, p. 27).
As Futile as That
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) The Basket Case Chronicles #178 “Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: …
Obstacles to Financing the Kingdom
The goal here is not to get into household finances, but rather the financing of the work of the kingdom of God. This relates to household finances at some point, obviously, but the purpose here is to address finances at the kingdom level. The amount of material on this subject in the Bible is simply …
And Which People are Usually Unwilling to Hear
“Prophets are those who have unusual gifts for discernment into the purposes of God and who are unusually bold in bringing those purposes to speech” (Willimon, Proclamation and Theology, p. 22)
11 Theses on the Meaning of Scriptural Authority
1. Our starting point for all discussions of biblical authority should begin with an affirmation of the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. More needs to said on this subject than was said there, but not less. Fruitful discussion can take place only among those who can honestly sign that statement. With those who cannot sign …
Surveying the Text: Psalms
Introduction: It would be difficult to overstate the impact and influence of the Book of Psalms on the history of Israel, and on the subsequent history of the Christian church. As Luther once said, the Psalms are a “Bible in miniature,” and the way the Psalms are given to us, they are as constructive as …
The Politics of Sodomy II: Not Whether, But Which
Introduction: In many respects, we are like a man who lives in a house that is increasingly cluttered and trashed. When the day finally arrives when it becomes obvious that he must do something, it is equally obvious at the same time, that he has no idea what to do, or where to start. He …
Eating and Drinking Their Forgiveness
One of our great responsibilities in the Lord’s Supper is to look around. By this I mean looking around metaphorically and looking around actually. We would encourage you not to stare at the bread and the wine, and we would encourage you not to curl up into a little ball of pious thoughts. Look around. …
Fundraising and Faith
Another aspect of funding a church building is the important element of faith. We often feel like we are supposed to trust God for “spiritual” things, like our salvation, but that when it comes to finances we have to learn how to be “realistic.” Unfortunately, being realistic often means adopting worldly techniques that could just …
What a Herald Does
“Without hearing that Word, preaching has nothing to say. Otherwise preaching is but a blasphemous attempt to speak in the place of God rather than to speak for God” (Willimon, Proclamation and Theology, p. 21).