I heard a television pundit say something the other night that was very insightful. I know, remarkable, but there it is. He said, anticipating the event of an Obama election, that the ensuing political struggles would all be conducted between the two forty-yard lines. I think this is exactly right. On the one hand it …
Pinched Faces, Dehydrated Hearts, and Sticky Fingers
On Friday, a student asked me a good question at our weekly disputatio, a question concerning the Trinity in the world of giving and generosity. Does the free market, where each person is watching out for number one, undercut the work of the Trinity in our lives, as He works to make us overflow in …
Last Chapter Posted, But Don”t Forget . . .
. . . that there is still an epilogue coming next week. Click on the link or cover to get to Chad Blinks a Couple Times.
Subatomic Golden Calves
We have said many times that the structure of a covenant renewal worship service is built around the pattern set by the sacrifices of the Old Testament. Our corporate confession of sin corresponds to the guilt offering, fulfilled in the death of Jesus. Our psalm singing and listening to Scripture read, and hearing the sermon, …
Little Foxes
One of the ways we lose our grip on the truth is by allowing it to become commonplace in our minds and hearts, in our families, and in our circles. We take it for granted. The truth remains the truth, of course, but we often live in such a clichéd way that our grip on …
Feeding or Eating
In the gospel of Mark, when John the Baptist’s head is served up on a dinner plate (Mk. 14:11), this is juxtaposed with the scene in which Jesus feeds the five thousand (Mk. 14:20). So the contrast is clear — the choice is between feeding God’s people or devouring them. This, as I take it, …
With All the Cherries
Here is a story I have been aware of for a while, but it appears to be heating up. Unless something breaks on this soon, it appears we may be headed for another Supreme Court decided presidential election (SCDPE 3.0). Roll out should be soon. The long and short of it is that Obama’s campaign …
Bar Stool Economics
A friend sent me this little thing making the Internet rounds. Thought I would pass it on. Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this: The first …
God Uses Both Hands
Today a friend pointed me to a lecture that William Cavanaugh gave in Australia on Torture and Eucharist. I have read a couple of Cavanaugh’s books, but not that one, so I listened to the lecture with interest. As with the books of his that I have read, there was much there that when placed …
Waiting for our Medals
I am guessing that I was about seven years old, living on Cherry Grove in Annapolis. For those familiar with the area, our house was on the right side of the street as you drive away from Germantown Elementary, the scene of my memorable bike wreck, the one which is another story for another time. …