Archive of entries posted by Ray
N T Wright’s Urgent Plea for the Psalms
“This book is a personal plea. The psalms, which make up the great hymnbook at the heart of the Bible, have been the daily lifeblood of Christians, and of course the Jewish people, from the earliest times. Yet in many Christian circles today, the Psalms are simply not used. And in many places where they …
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Richard Hays’ Critique of the Common English Bible Translation
There seems to be a growing discussion amongst Bible scholars about the shortcomings of Bible translations which try too hard to sound contemporary (See for example Bob Gundry’s critique of Tom Wright’s NT translation from 2 years ago). This week I came across this essay: Richard Hays, “Lost in Translation: A Reflection on Romans in …
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“Somber Doesn’t Sell”: Our Lack of Lament
I just came across this great quote on the lack of laments in most Christian worship settings. Except for denominations committed to singing every psalm in chant, paraphrase, or hymn, contemporary hymnists and hymnals prefer to celebrate God as creator and thank God as liberator rather than to lament to the God who listens. … …
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“I Asked the Lord That I Might Grow”
This hymn by John Newton has ministered to me significantly recently so I pass it along. I asked the Lord that I might grow In faith, and love, and every grace; Might more of His salvation know, And seek, more earnestly, His face. ’Twas He who taught me thus to pray, And He, I trust, …
The Purpose of Biblical Exposition
In his recent volume, Philippians, Colossians, in the Reformation Commentary on Scripture series, Graham Tomlin opens by noting the “remarkable difference in tone and approach,” indeed a different “set of interests” between commentaries of the Reformation era and those of our day. To illustrate this difference he cites from the preface to a commentary on …
The Psalms as Christian Lament: A Historical Commentary
Bruce Waltke, James Houston, and Erika Moore The Psalms as Christian Lament: A Historical Commentary (Eerdmans) One of the way we demonstrate our lack of immersion in the Psalms is our lack of familiarity with lament, our lack of practice in doing it well and in being comfortable with others lamenting. This book is …
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“I’m trusting Daddy”
Today I’ve run some errands with my younger two children (Abigail, 8 yrs old & Timothy, 6 yrs old). Everybody else is gone for the day so it’s just the three of us (which means frozen yogurt for lunch, tree climbing, playing tag and who knows what else). As we left one stop which is …
A Prayer from Pascal on Contentment
I have been rebuked and helped recently by this prayer from Pascal. Forgive us Oh Lord, for we do not rest satisfied with the present. We anticipate the future as too slow in coming, as if in order to hasten its course; or we recall the past, to stop its too rapid flight. So …
The Battle of Life
My poem of the week this week is “The Battle of Life,” by Elizabeth Prentiss. It is a good reminder to me of the call to press on beyond my comforts in obedience to the work the Lord calls me to. It is so easy to shift to pursuing my comfort rather than seeking first …