23
Mar
2023
Free and Informed Choices
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Each spring I teach a section in a third-year pastoral course aimed at helping aspiring pastors deal with change and conflict in churches. I have been doing it for years, but the escalating level of tension in our culture that is seeping into churches and ministries has given me an even greater sense of urgency... Read More
20
Mar
2023
Reviewing Bonhoeffer’s Seminary Vision
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I have not engaged substantially in the study of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Most of the celebrity that Bonhoeffer has earned is in the spheres of ethics, piety, and courage (and he rightly merits our admiration on those counts); still, I have been concerned that unqualified celebration of these traits might unwittingly commend as well his theology,... Read More
8
Mar
2023
Assumptions Affect Interactions
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Please allow me to share three anecdotes before making some comments about how our assumptions can affect our interactions. All come from the early 1990s when I was working on a DMin at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS). How Long Did It Take…? One day, during the lunch break of a day-long class, another student... Read More
1
Mar
2023
Learning from History, not Reacting to It
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It’s commonly said that hindsight is 20/20, but that simply isn’t the case. In fairness, most people use it not to claim that their interpretation of past events is perfect, but only that it is easier to see things more clearly after the fact. I agree with that. We should, though, be reflective in our... Read More
27
Feb
2023
The Evangelistic Power of Biblical Marriage
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In 1 Peter 2:11–12, Peter argues that believers should live “good lives among the pagans” with the goal that unbelievers would see the believers’ “good deeds and glorify God.” From 2:13–3:7, Peter lays out the various ways this can be accomplished: by citizens submitting to governing authorities (2:13–17), by slaves being submissive to their masters... Read More
17
Feb
2023
What Should We Make of the Events at Asbury?
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Evaluating the credibility of historical revivals is not a new exercise in the history of the Church. We are made aware that the multiplied “awakenings” of early American history are not all of a sort, and that some proved more credible than others. Iain Murray’s Revival and Revivalism is a particularly fine examination of these. Better known... Read More
13
Feb
2023
He Not Only Gets Us, but Is Better Than Us and Can Save and Transform Us
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You may have seen an advertisement recently with striking black and white photographs, thought-provoking statements, and the phrase “He Gets Us. All of Us.” During the Super Bowl, $20 million was spent to air two commercials, one saying Jesus wants us to be childlike, and the other saying “Jesus loved the people we hate.” These... Read More
9
Feb
2023
The Grumbling Israelites and Us
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If you are trying to read through the Bible this year there is a good chance you have recently finished the book of Exodus, are in the middle of it now, or will soon be starting it (depending on what kind of plan you use). When you read through the account of God’s redeeming the... Read More
1
Feb
2023
Kruger’s “Bully Pulpit”: A Review
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It is not often that I endorse a book I did not enjoy reading. Nevertheless, I heartily endorse Bully Pulpit, a book about the abusive tactics of some church leaders and the spiritual devastation left in their wake. Michael Kruger, a theologian best known for his work on the biblical canon, here ventures into the... Read More
23
Jan
2023
A Conversation among the Checkmarks
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This will not be a long post. I am simply commenting on how the blue check marks (“important” Twitter users) think.[1] Notice the screenshot below. A few comments: [1] Recently the check marks changed and have become a subscription model for Twitter. These men, however, had the check mark when it was a badge of... Read More