Archive for February, 2010
« Previous EntriesSunday Inspiration from The High Calling
Sunday, February 28th, 2010Seek the Lord
READ Psalm 105:1-45
Search for the LORD and for his strength;
continually seek him.
Psalm 105:4
Psalm 105 calls God’s people to give him thanks and praise in response to his “wonders” (105:5). The bulk of the Psalm highlights God’s special work with the Israelites, beginning with the covenant with Abraham and focusing on the exodus […]
Live Blogging Lent: Fasting from Fast? (Section 2)
Friday, February 26th, 2010Part 4 of series: Live Blogging Lent
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Yesterday I began a Lenten review of the book Faster by James Gleick. Today I want to respond a bit more to the book, adding an apt illustration from my own life.
The basic thesis of Faster, prodigiously illustrated, is that just […]
Live Blogging Lent: Fasting from Fast?
Thursday, February 25th, 2010Part 3 of series: Live Blogging Lent
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I recently finished reading a book by James Gleick, Faster: The Acceleration of Just About Everything. Published in 2000, Faster argues that our lives are running after faster speeds in more ways than we usually realize. Though many of the illustrations […]
Live Blogging Lent: Lent is Odd
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010Part 2 of series: Live Blogging Lent
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Lent is odd.
There are several reasons for this. One has to do with the length of Lent. If you were to ask people how long Lent is, you’d probably hear “forty days.” This period of time is usually connected to Jesus’ […]
Eight Trends That Will Shape the Future of Global Missions
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010I want to alert you to an excellent article on the Leadership Network Advance website. It’s called “Eight Trends That Will Shape the Future of Global Missions.” The author, Eric Swanson, is one of the leaders of the Network. He interviewed fifty leaders of large churches with world-mission outreach, asking them about what they were […]
Live Blogging Lent: Introduction
Monday, February 22nd, 2010Part 1 of series: Live Blogging Lent
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I expect that most of my readers are familiar with live blogging. It is, as one would expect from the name, a version of blogging, or putting up one’s “log” on the “web.” Live blogging involves putting up posts in the […]
Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling
Sunday, February 21st, 2010The Lord Remembers We Are Only Dust
READ Psalm 103:1-22
The LORD is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust.
Psalm 103:13-14
Last Wednesday was Ash Wednesday, a day for Christians to focus on our mortality and broken humanity. Those who […]
Lenten Inspiration from The High Calling
Thursday, February 18th, 2010Return to the Lord
READ Joel 2:1-32
That is why the LORD says,
“Turn to me now, while there is time.
Give me your hearts.
Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
Don’t tear your clothing in your grief,
but tear your hearts instead.”
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is merciful and compassionate,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
He […]
Ash Wednesday Inspiration from The High Calling
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010Ash Wednesday
READ Genesis 3:1-24
“By the sweat of your brow
will you have food to eat
until you return to the ground
from which you were made.
For you were made from dust,
and to dust you will return.”
Genesis 3:19
Today is Ash Wednesday, a day many Christians set aside as a special day. It is a day to remember our […]
Could Mardi Gras Be for Christians?
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!” (Nehemiah 8:10)
Today is Mardi Gras. Many of […]
Book Review: Connected, by Nicholas A. Christakis and James H. Fowler (Part 2)
Monday, February 15th, 2010In Friday’s post I began reviewing an intriguing new book: Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives, by Nicholas A. Christakis and James H. Fowler. Today I want to finish my review, first by putting up some quotations from the book and then by adding a few comments […]
Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling
Sunday, February 14th, 2010A Life of Integrity at Home
READ Psalm 101:1-8
I will be careful to live a blameless life—
when will you come to help me?
I will lead a life of integrity
in my own home.
Psalm 101:2
In Psalm 101, David pledges to live an exemplary life. He will praise the Lord, not only with his songs, but with his […]
Book Review: Connected, by Nicholas A. Christakis and James H. Fowler
Friday, February 12th, 2010I recently finished a fascinating book: Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives. It was written by two top scholars, Nicholas A. Christakis and James H. Fowler. Christakis is a medical doctor and sociologist who teaches at Harvard. Fowler is a political scientist who teaches at the University […]
Kathy Hastings and the By/For Project
Thursday, February 11th, 2010One of the unusual features of Laity Lodge is our interest in and excitement for the arts. At the Laity Lodge retreat center we have The Cody Center, an art gallery that doubles as a concert hall. The Cody Center includes two art studios in which retreat participants can do art and not just look […]
Proof That Even Brilliant Professors Can Lack Common Sense?!?
Tuesday, February 9th, 2010Last week I visited one of the leading universities in the United States. It is especially famous for its outstanding research faculty. Academic brilliance flourishes in this place.
I was meeting with a member of that faculty, and spent a few hours in his office. On his floor were a couple dozen colleagues in his field. […]
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