Reading through a songbook I stumbled on the now dated chorus "Change My Heart Oh God", this started me thinking about other songs that mention metaphors of hardhearted, or heart of stone and our need for change to be like God. Then I started down the Twitter rabbit hole where I saw any number of... Continue Reading →
On Reading Scripture
Let's face it, the Bible can be a difficult book to read and understand, and we all need help capturing it's meaning. On the Book Shelf tab I have a list of resources that I have found helpful but a list is not always helpful. While reading commentaries is helpful, it is probably impractical to... Continue Reading →
Mind Your Manners
I remember Thanksgiving as a kid, like so many other families we would visit my grandparents. My grandfather would pray before the meal and his prayer would usually end, "keep us mindful of whose we are and whom we serve". He would then sit down and intentionally ask questions designed to stir the rest of... Continue Reading →
Text for the Week: Love Endures the Difficulties
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 When someone in your assembly has a legal case against another member, do they dare to take it to court to be judged by people who aren’t just, instead of by God’s people? 2 Or don’t you know that God’s people will judge the world? If the world is to be judged... Continue Reading →
The Need to Get to the Heart of the Matter
One of my favorite podcasts is Biologos' Language of God, I encourage anyone with an interest in sound theology or science to subscribe. On the most recent episode the guests discussed how the majority of people believe that science and religion are at odds in general but when questioned about specific science and theology questions... Continue Reading →
The New Fundamentalists
A century ago (May 21, 1922) Harry Emerson Fosdick preached a sermon entitled Shall the Fundamentalists Win. America and the American Church especially at the time was in the midst of significant cultural upheaval with a debate roaring between two factions, the Modernists (or Liberals) and the Fundamentalists. The Fundamentals a series of essays designed... Continue Reading →
Baptizing Political Beliefs
I saw recently Russell Moore wrote two pieces for Christianity Today on the relationship between evangelicalism and conservative politics, both are must reads (here & here). In these articles Moore provides evidence that the current wave of conservative faith-based is not in fact rooted in churches, but in those who have given up the much... Continue Reading →
Rejecting Scripture for the Spirit?
Twice in the last few weeks I have seen posts that pitted Scripture against the Holy Spirit. In both cases the statement was worded in such a way as to say that the individual was going to trust the moving of the Spirit over (and in one contrary to Scripture). These were posts I did... Continue Reading →
Focusing on the World
One thing I have been concerned about recently is the number of people who are talking about being unlike the world. I understand that scripture tells us to be separate from the world and to live lives that are different from those around us. There is a frequent refrain within the New Testament of being... Continue Reading →
Text for the Week: Love Does Not Burn with Envy
1 Corinthians 3:1-9 And so, brothers and sisters,a I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, for you are still of the... Continue Reading →