September 2011
1 post
I love this "bedtime prayer" by John Henry Newman
May the Lord support us all the day long, Till the shades lengthen and the evening comes and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then in his mercy may he give us a safe lodging and a holy rest, and peace at last.
October 2010
1 post
July 2010
1 post
“The old seminary professors used to speak about a necessary trait for pastoral...”
June 2010
5 posts
Michael Spencer - Soli Deo talk #4 - Pentecost
Michael Spencer - Soli Deo Talk #3
Michael Spencer - Soli Deo talk #2
I have found some of Michael Spencer’s Soli...
May 2010
4 posts
Wilberforce and goofing off – Ray Ortlund →
Wilberforce and goofing off
One evidence of a humble trust in God is the capacity, within the rhythm of life, to play as well as to work. William Wilberforce, for example, abolished the British slave trade against intense opposition. But when at home, he left the cause in God’s hands and lived a humane, sustainable existence with his family:
“No account of Wilberforce’s life can be complete...
WatchYour Journey Blog: Improve Your Preaching a 100% - Must See!
April 2010
1 post
March 2010
3 posts
What is Central?
Here’s a list (not mine) of “100 items that people disagree about in the churches of Christ.” Most of the items are akin to “arguing about the colour of the carpet”. A few examples:
37. use of symbols such as the cross
38. use of steeples and stained glass windows
39. use of the term Sunday School
40. passing of the collection baskets
41. eating in the church...
Daily Checklist (to-do-list)
I use a checklist (a standardized to-do-list) every work day. It can make some days boring and predictable but it does keep me more-or-less on task which is something I’ve had trouble with since childhood. Nothing makes a difference in my routines like those daily checklists.
My accountability partners get a copy of this form every week.
Here’s a sample day with an explanation of the...
February 2010
2 posts
“Why is the kettle boiling?
Answer # 1 - Because electricity flowing through...”
– From something I remember Gordon Hugenberger saying, alluding to C.S. Lewis, I think!
Sally Jenkins - Tebow's Super Bowl ad isn't... →
December 2009
3 posts
Dave Cooks the Turkey →
Snow - by Canadian poet Archibald Lampman
White are the far-off plains, and white The fading forests grow; The wind dies out along the height, And denser still the snow, A gathering weight on roof and tree, Falls down scarce audibly. The road before me smooths and fills Apace, and all about The fences dwindle, and the hills Are blotted slowly out; The naked trees loom spectrally Into the dim white sky. The meadows and...
November 2009
2 posts
“Peace be to you and grace from Him
Who freed us from our sin
Who loved us all,...”
– Pastoral Meanderings: E’en So Lord Jesus Quickly Come
Fasting for Advent
Advent is supposed to be a time of fasting, like Lent with snow. I don’t normally observe it as such. I normally observe it as the opposite of a fast - Let’s see how much Christmas Cake I can put away today!
I want this year to be different. My body, mind and spirit seem to be telling me that I could do with a wintry fast. So here’s what I have in mind.
TIMING: This is tricky....
October 2009
4 posts
Words, Words, Words – A Homily for Katherine and... →
Happy Birthday to Matthew Henry: Read the Bible... →
Mockingbird: Good News? Shut Up About It.... →
Biblical Horizons » Concerning Halloween →
July 2009
2 posts
To infinity and beyond: A sparkling survival story... →
June 2009
2 posts
May 2009
14 posts
Which Story is Stronger? →
Which Story is Stronger?
Dan Cruver:
Steve Brown interviewed Catherine Larson about her book As We Forgive: Stories of Reconciliation from Rwanda. It’s an excellent interview. I found the section at the 8:20 minute mark particularly challenging. Steve asked if she saw any implications from the Rwandan genocide for Americans. Catherine answer was sobering and very thought-provoking. Here’s one...
“I discovered that the Bible can shed a lot of light on commentaries. -Johnny...”
– The Boar’s Head Tavern
We have One!
The Dark Lord has nine. But we have One, mightier than they: the White Rider. He’s passed through the fire and the abyss, and they shall fear him. We will go where he leads. (JRR Tolkien - The Two Towers)
A Look at the Taizé Community « Kingdom People →
Idolatry →
“The central theological principle of the Bible [is] the rejection of idolatry.” Moshe Halbertal and Avishai Margalit, Idolatry, page 10.
Children of Atheists Abandoning Lack of Faith,... →
Defectors to faith mark a growing trend | The... →
According to the latest American research, parents with no religious affiliation are losing the battle to indoctrinate their children. A majority of those surveyed who grew up in atheist or agnostic households, or where there was no particular religious attachment, later chose to join a religion.
Seek the Peace of the City →
But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. Jeremiah 29:7 “That is not how Christians usually think about the city. Many Christians write the city off. At most, they try to establish their own fortresses within the city. But God does not tell his people to seek peace in the city; he...
60 Years in an Iron Lung at Ray Fowler .org →
Martha Mason passed away last week at the age of 71 after spending 60 years living inside an iron lung. Mason was paralyzed from the neck down due to a childhood case of polio and was one of about 30 Americans left who live full time in iron lungs. There are no documented cases of anyone living in an iron lung for as long as Mason. From the New York Times:
From her horizontal world — a...
The Scandal of Grace →
BY Jonathan Rogers
A while back I gave the keynote address at the 2009 induction ceremony of the Houston County (GA) Educators’ Hall of Fame. Here’s part of that speech…
I once had an ice cream cone with the school bully—a fifth-grader named Jay. I don’t remember how this came to pass exactly—maybe he and I just happened to be at the ice cream shop at the same time. But I remember that he and I...
Role Calling: 20 Minutes to Change Your Marriage →
20 Minutes to Change Your Marriage - by Mike Seaver
I was sitting through a seminar the other night and the speaker, Davis Carman, made a statement that has had me think a lot. He said that there is a crucial 20 minutes of a man’s day that can really bless his wife and change his marriage. He went on to explain that if a man would think through these specific times and ask his wife what...
Mockingbird: Is Miss California Good Enough To Be... →
The following quote appeared Wednesday on a tabloid website: ”Exclusive: Self-proclaimed bible thumper Miss California, Carrie Prejean, should start pointing the finger at herself for her own indiscretions. [We have] received exclusive images of the homophobic debutante that would clearly strip her of her Miss California crown. So much for being a good role model for the state of California...
Mockingbird: Happy Birthday Kierkegaard! →
April 2009
1 post
For Basker
Written by Richard (aka Daddy)
For as long as I can remember Evangeline has loved dogs. She would talk about dogs, draw dogs, read and make-up stories about dogs and take every possible opportunity to walk, play with, or pet a dog. So when we got our own house Elizabeth and I started thinking seriously about getting a dog for Evangeline and Owen. And for ourselves. It was the right time to take...
March 2009
1 post
It is not any longer possible…that we sit in some command center telling other people how to go forth. I’m speaking in particular to those of you who are clergy. You cannot preach about, encourage or motivate or mobilize people into mission unless you model what missional proximity looks like. You cannot sit in some ivory tower spending days and days preparing sermons which are seeking to...
February 2009
2 posts
Funny, but...
Yeah, there were some funny commercials on the Super Bowl last night. The guy making babes and cash appear and cops dissapear by biting into Doritos… and then getting run over by a bus when he ran out of chips. Funny! The snow globe thrown at the boss’ crotch. Funny! The “punch small animals” ad. Funny-ish!
But funny isn’t everything, is it? It took a remark from my...
January 2009
37 posts
“The foundation has been laid. The garden has been planted. The musical score is...”
– The Thinklings