My poem of the week this week, is this bold hymn by Johann Michael Altenberg, 17th century German pastor. He wrote this hymn during the turbulent times of war which followed the Reformation, and they seem pertinent today. Be Not Dismayed, Thou Little Flock Be not dismayed, thou little flock, Although the foe’s fierce battle …
We were just minding our own business discussing How to Kill a Mockingbird this morning when biblical theology reached up and grabbed us! In school with my older boys, we’ve been reading and discussing Harper Lee’s classic novel. We have enjoyed so many humorous scenes, insights into a bygone era, and powerful portraits of humanity- …
OK. I like humor, and I think most people around me would say I can take a joke without being too uptight. But this video is way over the line. Sadly, I think this is yet another example of the results of loosing the moorings to any moral order in our culture. Welcome to the …
The recently published Fortress Commentary on the Bible: New Testament contains 22 pages of commentary, written by Deborah Krause, devoted to each of the Pastoral Epistles. With Fortress one expects a more critical direction from the commentary. The introduction to the whole volume makes this explicit with its endorsement of feminist, liberation and queer interpretation. …
It is commonplace today to state that the four Gospels are technically anonymous since the author is not named in the text. I have made this statement myself. Thus, the question of authorship is unclear. This statement from a recent commentary is typical: “The Gospel does not explicitly name its author, and so it is …
I saw this morning that Peter Hitchens’ book, The Rage Against God, is available on Kindle for $1.99 for a limited time. This is such a powerful, beautiful book on so many levels, and I fear many people have missed this book because they didn’t realize what it is. The marketers promoted it as a …
I’ve toyed with running the last few years, but the last several months I’ve gotten serious about it. I’ve started running with my 17 year old son on facing treadmills. We worked out a shared play list to listen to while we run- some old school Petra for me and some Lecrae for him. Of …
Frederick the Wise: Seen and Unseen Lives of Martin Luther’s Protector, Sam Wellman (Concordia Publishing House, 2015), pb., 315 pp As soon as I began seeing announcements about this book I was excited to read it. From my engagement with Luther, Frederick the Wise had become a very intriguing character to me. I was …
My poem of the week this week is a great call to perseverance, holding to faithfulness despite the immediate outcome. This, especially the last two stanzas, is a good word. OH IT IS HARD TO WORK FOR GOD Oh, it is hard to work for God, To rise and take His part Upon this battlefield …
I have long appreciated the wonderful hymn, “Holy, Holy, Holy.” It extols the majestic greatness of God in his utter holiness. Recently I was introduced to a new verse written for the hymn. I was singing this familiar hymn along with the congregation when all of a sudden, at the fourth verse, there were new …