Yesterday I was browsing through Christmas poems, and I came across this gem. If you aren’t familiar with George MacDonald—the late 19th century Scottish pastor/novelist/poet—you really should get to know him. (If you’ve read the Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis, MacDonald is actually Lewis’ guide through heaven.) In the midst Read more…
There the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14) “She will give birth to a son and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their Read more…
Dustin Kensrue is one of my favorite artists. Formerly the lead singer of a band called Thrice, he’s actually now the worship director at Mars Hill Church in Seattle. He’s only released a couple of albums as a solo artist, but he has a new album coming out in a Read more…
Debate has begun raging over government restriction of firearms. I don’t watch the news very much (any more) but every few days I’ll hear someone talk about guns—often about the President and his developing policies. I’m not an “expert” on the U.S. constitution, on states’ rights, on gun statistics or Read more…
The Apologist’s Evening Prayer by C.S. Lewis From all my lame defeats and oh! much more From all the victories that I seemed to score; From cleverness shot forth on Thy behalf At which, while angels weep, the audience laugh; From all my proofs of Thy divinity, Thou, who wouldst Read more…
I’ve been growing in my appreciation of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s life, courage, thinking and servant’s heart. I recently came across a scholar who thinks that this poem—written by Bonhoeffer in a Nazi prison camp—summarizes much of his theology in poetic form. All go to God in their distress, Seek help and Read more…
This is well worth your time, and I think it’s a pretty accessible introduction to a lot of N.T. Wright’s thoughts on the gospels and the Gospel.
An appendix that I created for future versions of the book.
Hopefully it will help keep track of those sometimes overwhelming Old Testament books.
Good News for Anxious Christians by Phillip Cary Don’t judge a book by its cover. I almost never gave this book a chance because it reminded me of silly and superficial “Christian” self-help books. What convinced me that I should give it a chance was the author—a professor by the name Read more…
The above video of poet Taylor Mali provides a bit of social commentary on an interesting social phenomenon: Certainty has become somewhat unhip. Perhaps this is a symptom of one generation’s subtle rejection of a particular kind of dogmatism that they saw growing up. Perhaps it’s a sign of a Read more…
The “application” of a sermon has become essential for many Christians. And rightfully so in many ways. There’s definitely a problem when a speaker drones on about confusing doctrine that seems only important for a game of Trivial Pursuit. If that’s the situation, “application” becomes a cantine of life-giving water Read more…
We do not want merely to see beauty, though, God knows, even that is bounty enough. We want something else which can hardly be put into words — to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to Read more…
“The modern world is not evil; in some ways the modern world is far too good. It is full of wild and wasted virtues. “When a religious scheme is shattered (as Christianity was shattered at the Reformation), it is not merely the vices that are let loose. The vices are, Read more…