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Happy Thanksgiving to All
It has been sometime since I had a blog entry. I had three major presentations at the Evangelical Theological Society and the Society of Biblical Literature. Those preparations consumed my time the last month.
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Teaching Children through Grace
One of my favorite books on education and the Christian life is Donovan L. Graham’s insightful book Teaching Redemptively. This book has blessed me as both a school administrator as well as a Sunday school teacher. Graham’s premise can be summarized easily: If our students are to live by the gospel, they must experience it in their learning environment. But as you can see, putting that into action is easier said than done. First, we must decide just what we mean by this thing called grace? The New Bible Dictionary describes grace as God’s undeserved favor to sinners (Romans 3:10-12). Christians know that it is by grace through faith in…
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Let the Praises Begin…
The front page headlines November 23, 2011 from The Dallas Morning News read – “Thanksgiving means big crowds, big business – holiday headaches”; section E – “GIVE THANKS – for 26 last-minute tips to streamline the big meal.” Really? Is this all Thanksgiving is about?
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Plastic Flowers
I entered the room and quickly took in my surroundings. A large calendar on the wall surrounded by a few family photographs and a poster of Jesus, a small table, and a large mat woven with straw. Pots and pans in a corner pile were the most prominent items, providing a visual representation of the simplicity of life of the dwellers of this one-room concrete home. The husband motioned to me to wait while he searched for something inside a small, almost secret cubbyhole located within the wall. I could tell this particular spot housed important belongings, perhaps possessions of value. He dug out the item, whirled around with a…
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A Treasure that Transcends: A beautiful new Bible inspires lavish generosity in a time of scarcity
Artist Makoto Fujimura has followed his own advice (as reported by my co-author, Kelly Kullberg): “In the midst of fear. In the midst of material and emotional scarcity. In the midst of the world’s collapsing idols, Mako encourages the Church to draw on the Giver / Artist, and to let His creative Spirit spill over into a hurting world. Creating living art, out of love, in the form of kindnesses (whether friendship, food, hospitality, music, dance, painting, flower-arranging, whatever our gifts…). Spiritual, emotional and material generosity is surprising in an age of perceived scarcity; therefore, we, the Church, can rise to the occasion. We create art not as commodity, but as…
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The Phantom of the Ages
In the 2004 movie, the Phantom of the Opera, a young girl with a beautiful voice (Christine) finds herself being cared for by an acquaintance of her father’s after her father’s and mother’s death. Also, she had a childhood sweetheart (Raoul), and they both had enjoyed hearing stories told by her father before his death. One story was of an “Angel of Music” that her father promised to send to her upon his death to watch over her, protect her, and train her voice.
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Who Were/Are the Five Biggest Influences to Your Christian Life?
“Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you” (Hebrews 13:7, NASB). I will answer the question first by telling you some things about my childhood: My mom tells me that Dad began reading the Bible to me the day I came home from the hospital. I know all my years growing up, until the very day I moved out of the house a month before my marriage, Dad either read or recited a verse of the Bible to me every single day. That was Dad’s way of being obedient to the biblical injunction to “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds…. Teach…
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Holy Saturday (Part II)
Holy Saturday comes at different times, in different ways and even different lengths for each of us. Specifically we remember Holy Saturday as the day between the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the day of the unknown and a day of rest. Two things that do not naturally go hand in hand for people.
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Good News – Isaiah 66
Introduction Isaiah is one of the longer books of the OT and chapter 66 is its last chapter. Isaiah lived and prophesied during the last years of the Northern Kingdom (~740-722 BC) and on to about the end of that century. His name means Lord is Salvation. This is poignant since Isaiah’s overall message combines a warning against unbelief with some of the most beautiful word-pictures in scripture of Jesus (Yeshua) in his first coming as well as his glory. Isaiah 66 touches on all of these and more.
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Questions That Beg an Answer Concerning Our Young Church People~
This past week I had the privilege of being part of a discussion panel at a local Bible College. Thirty plus pastors and youth leaders converged on this small Ohio campus in an attempt to answer the following questions: