Archive for January, 2010
« Previous EntriesSunday Inspiration from The High Calling
Sunday, January 31st, 2010Above All Gods
READ Psalm 97:1-12
For you, O LORD, are supreme over all the earth;
you are exalted far above all gods.
Psalm 97:9
In 1977, as the praise and worship wave was just beginning to crash on the beaches of the American church, Pete Sanchez, Jr., took Psalm 97:9 in the King James version and wrote a […]
An Unexpected Agreement on Church and Politics
Friday, January 29th, 2010I’ve just finished reading a fine article in Christianity Today: “Carl Henry Was Right” by Richard J. Mouw. In this article is discovered that my views on the role of the church in partisan politics are largely the same as those of Carl Henry and Richard Mouw. That doesn’t mean we’re right, of course. But […]
The Way of Jesus: When Good Confronts Evil
Thursday, January 28th, 2010Last Sunday I preached at Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas. A couple of days ago I blogged about this fine church.
Today I’m putting up the text of my sermon. The biblical passage and title were given to me. (This makes it a whole lot easier for a guest preacher!) So, with no further […]
Work and Works in Galatians
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010It’s seems a bit ironic to look for a theology of work in Galatians when the book is so negative on the saving value of works. Yet we must not think that just because Paul rejected the efficacy of works to justify us with God, therefore he thought poorly of work, in the sense of […]
A Fine Church in Austin
Tuesday, January 26th, 2010This past weekend I preached at Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas. The first thing that strikes one about that church is the striking view from the parking lot.
Whether by day . . .
or in the dimming light of evening . . .
the Texas Hill Country never looked better than from the church parking […]
Reintroducing the Theology of Work Project
Monday, January 25th, 2010Several months ago I introduced the Theology of Work Project. The context for this introduction was my having been invited to participate in one of their projects. As a building block in the formulation of a definitive statement of the theology of work, the TOWP is preparing an in-depth biblical commentary that discusses every part […]
Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling
Sunday, January 24th, 2010The Soul of Worship
READ Psalm 95:1-11
Come, let us worship and bow down.
Let us kneel before the LORD our maker,
for he is our God.
We are the people he watches over,
the flock under his care.
Psalm 95:6-7
Psalm 95 gives us one of the fullest and clearest pictures of worship in all of Scripture. The psalm begins with […]
Something to think about . . . .
Friday, January 22nd, 2010I read an AP story this morning by Ted Anthony: “Quake Relief: The culture of now v. the real world.” Anthony’s point is that there is a gap between people’s expectations for how quickly help shold come to the Haitian people and reality. Our ability to use technology to make instant contributions to the Haiti […]
On Snacking and Parenting
Thursday, January 21st, 2010I read a provocative piece in the New York Times today, “Snack Time Never Ends,” by Jennifer Steinhauer. Her basic observation (and gripe) has to do with the omnipresence of snacks for children. Here are a some excerpts:
Not a month goes by without someone somewhere asking me to serve up some snack for an event […]
An Interesting Idea . . . What Do I Think?
Wednesday, January 20th, 2010Yesterday I introduced Gospel Forth, a new website that’s devoted to raising money for Christian causes. It does so by having advertisers contribute money each time you visit a page on which their ad appears. So Gospel Forth promises to raise money for mission without requiring you to make any financial commitment or sacrifice. All […]
An Interesting Idea . . . What Do You Think?
Tuesday, January 19th, 2010I recently became aware of the Gospel Forth website. The stated purpose of this website is to raise money for Christian causes, without financial benefit to the website’s owner. This is the claim on the website.
I do realize, of course, that people can be dishonest, even Christians who seem to be doing God’s work with […]
Remembering MLK
Monday, January 18th, 2010Over the years I’ve adopted certain traditions for my blog. For example, early in December you can count of some Advent-related blogging, and after my summer vacation I put up some of my best pictures. Last year I began a new tradition that I expect to keep, at least for the forseeable future. On the […]
Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling
Sunday, January 17th, 2010Mightier Than the Waves
READ Psalm 93:1-5
But mightier than the violent raging of the seas,
mightier than the breakers on the shore—
the LORD above is mightier than these!
Psalm 93:4
When I lived in Southern California, I occasionally enjoyed body surfing at the beach. It was a thrill to get out in the surf, to swim as fast […]
A Silly Sign?
Friday, January 15th, 2010As I drive around on Texas highways, I keep seeing a sign that makes me raise my eyebrows with incredulity. It reads:
OBSERVE WARNING SIGNS
STATE LAW
Now I’m all in favor of observing warning signs. But I have to wonder about the sense of this particular sign. Does it accomplish anything whatsover?
Those of us who do, in […]
Inspiration from The High Calling
Thursday, January 14th, 2010The Jesus Prayer
READ Mark 10:46-52
When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Mark 10:47
As Jesus and his disciples journeyed near Jericho, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was about to pass his way. So he began to shout, “Jesus, Son […]
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