For a gardener, like myself, March is an in-between month. The dried, gray-brown stalks on the oak leaf hydrangea, left over from last autumn, stand at attention, like a proud, old war veteran in his outdated, ill-fitting military uniform. And like a Continue Reading
March 1, 2013
The Wordsmith Journal Magazine Interview
The following interview was conducted by veteran journalist Mary Nichelson of TheWordsmithJournalMagazine.com and appears at http://www.thewordsmithjournalmagazine.com/interviews.html. Quoting from the site: "Mary supports publishers by interviewing Continue Reading
September 3, 2012
A Prayer for the Unity of the Tribes of the Church
they said, "O Lord, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that today there should be one tribe lacking in Israel?" (Judges 21:3 ESV) Oh Father, as the tribe of Benjamin in Judges 20 and 21, turned against Thee and Thy People and the blood Continue Reading
August 11, 2012
On the Matter of Preaching from Difficult Texts: A Letter to our Students (with attention to 2 Corinthians 5:21)
My Dearest Students in the Pastoral Ministry: I write to you about a matter which will occupy your life as much as any other—the matter of preaching from a difficult passage. Indeed, after Continue Reading
August 5, 2012
“Come Apart for a While”—Vacation Greetings and a Prayer for My Colleagues
I will always think about a certain time in my life when I read this Scripture: "And he said to them, 'Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.' For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat" (Mark 6:31 ESV). I Continue Reading
April 9, 2012 1 Comment
I Will Not Let Go of Easter
I will not let go of Easter. More properly, I affirm that the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is not something that I will celebrate and remember on one day of the year. In the Reformed faith, that is in the Protestant faith of Martin Luther and John Calvin Continue Reading
March 28, 2012
A Letter to a Friend in Ministry on Development
I recently received a letter from a friend with a request on thoughts about development. I sought to answer his questions and, in the process, think about our students and what they will face in expectations for stewardship in ministry. I share this with Continue Reading
Statism and the Road to Serfdom: A Biblical-Theological Reflection on the Supreme Court Decision on the HealthCare Law
Ideas have consequences—and unintended consequences. The Supreme Court decision about the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Acts ("Obama-Care") is one such case. It's merits, deficiencies, nuances and implications will be debated between legal Continue Reading