Preaching Liberty to the Colonists
Three overarching patterns emerge from Byrd’s study that should trouble Christian readers. First, the influence of political ideology and historical circumstance in shaping the colonists’ interpretation of Scripture is striking. Traced to its roots, the colonists’ conviction that civil liberty is a God-given right owed more to the Enlightenment than to orthodox Christian teaching, and yet the belief strongly informed how colonists understood the Word of God. Reading the Scripture through the lens of republican ideology, they discovered “a patriotic Bible” perfect for promoting “patriotic zeal.”
Second, the readiness with which Christian advocates of independence sanctified violence is disturbing. “Colonial preachers did not shy away from biblical violence,” Byrd finds. “They embraced it, almost celebrated it, even in its most graphic forms.”
Third, and most ominously, the evidence suggests that the way patriotic ministers portrayed the military conflict with Britain morphed rapidly from merely a “just war”—a war originated for a morally defensible cause and fought according to moral criteria—into a “sacred” or “holy war”—a struggle “executed with divine vengeance upon the minions of Satan.” Patriotism and Christianity had become inseparable, almost indistinguishable.
Children’s Church, the Entertainment Culture, and the Story of God
My hesitation regarding “children’s church” are three-fold: 1) What does it teach our kids about the essence of the church’s corporate worship, vis-à-vis entertainment; 2) What does it communicate about our commitment to corporate worship; and, 3) What impact does it have on preparing our children for corporate worship? I think these hesitations offer grounds for reflection on children’s church.
Beautiful Churches Make Holy Churches
The cathedrals of the past are beautiful and, for the sake of art and history, ought to be preserved for generations to come. Inside their walls we feel a quiet reverence because the creative beauty of such places reflects the glory of the Creator God. But what grace that as new covenant Christians, the only sanctuary needed in order to worship is the sanctuary that God Himself creates in the hearts of His people.
If gender is just an attitude of mind, then when it comes to athletics, let human beings compete on a level — nay, on the same — playing field. Of course, it might just be that gender is actually a little more than an attitude of mind — but there I go again, committing a hate crime.
Say It All Together Now: The ‘Proof of Heaven’ Author Made Everything Up
Of course, it’s not irrelevant. Alexander has brown M&Ms scattered all throughout his story. Any open-minded reader must therefore be skeptical about the bigger picture of his “visit to Heaven” and the message he brings back from there. If he’s willing to fabricate the details, isn’t it at least possible that he’s making up the major points, too?
It might be a wonderful message. It might make for a great story. But it might not be true.
Stop Apologizing for Caring What You Do
The cocktail party question, “What do you do?” may arise from superficial motivations, but the question isn’t bad. Let’s ask ourselves the question on a regular basis. What do we do with the gifts God’s given us? What do we do in our little corner of this fallen world to join in God’s plan for its redemption? How do we pray for help in our work? How do we seek to understand the lessons God is trying to teach us? If work is this crucial a part of God’s design for us, we need to learn all we can about God’s perspective on it.
Don’t Just Flee Sin … Run Towards Golgotha
No, it means that even though external factors condition, deceive and make it easier for us to fall into sin, we cannot blame those factors. It means that even though we may avoid temptations, we cannot avoid ourselves. It means that even though we do our best to dwell on whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, whatever is excellent or praiseworthy… all this is dung if we are not FIRST looking towards HIM WHO IS ALL THESE THINGS.
8 Strategies for Coping with Grief
The process of grief is far more messy, individual, and non-linear than you might think.
What is Your Batting Practice? – Watch; Learn; Practice; Rehearse – Steps in Developing Expertise
So, again, here are the steps…
Somebody shows you how to do it…
then
You do it until you learn it
then
A good observer/coach watches you, and “helps you improve with some small, and occasionally some big, ‘tweaks’”
then
You practice and drill over and over and over and over and over again
then
You actually do it
Scientists Trace Heat Wave To Massive Star At Center Of Solar System
“Our measurements indicate the massive amount of energy this thing gives off is able to travel 93 million miles and reach our planet in as little as eight and a half minutes,” said Professor Mitch Kivens, an astronomer at the California Institute of Technology. “While we can’t see them, we’re fairly certain these infrared rays strike Earth’s surface, become trapped by the atmosphere, and just heat everything up like a great big oven.”