Phil Steiger
One of the best books I read last year took me by surprise. I became aware that I had not actually read much by Martin Luther King Jr. Like most Americans I had heard snippets of his speeches and learned some about significant events in his life. Like a smaller set of people, I had... Continue Reading →
Jude vs. 17-19 "But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit." Jude is concerned that a church is being... Continue Reading →
This strikes me as bone-crushingly sad. The Atlantic ran a short piece and posted a short documentary on the death of philosopher, Herbert Fingarette. The article opens with what can be considered the bottom line: In his 1996 book about death, Herbert Fingarette argued that fearing one’s own demise was irrational. When you die, he... Continue Reading →
If you are not looking for it, you will miss the news that one of the West’s oldest Protestant denominations is on the verge of a schism. A council of Bishops in the United Methodist Church proposed a resolution that will be voted on later in 2020 aimed at separation. If the vote passes, which... Continue Reading →
The pulpit is a clarifying moment for me. The week is full of schedules, conflicts, personalities, requests, expectations, successes, failures, budgets, attendance records, politics…you get the idea. Preparing for standing behind the pulpit is a regular exercise of focusing everything through the lens of God’s Word and truth. But don’t get me wrong – I... Continue Reading →
We have come upon an enigma of a holiday. Thanksgiving sits between two billion-dollar industries – Halloween and Christmas. Halloween merchandise hits the shelves in September, and Christmas hits the shelves, well, about the same time. Sandwiched in between are the fall-colored leaves and cornucopias for Thanksgiving. But, by in large, retail stores treat it... Continue Reading →
I worry sometimes about the lack of intellectual and moral leadership from behind the pulpit. I’m not necessarily pining for days of former glory when sermons were published in the local newspaper; I worry for the present and our near future. The people in our pews live in a high-speed hyper-information age where ideas come... Continue Reading →
Chick-Fil-A made headlines recently for their decision to reevaluate their charitable giving, and to stop giving to groups that include the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Their sin? According to CNN, “Both organizations have taken controversial stands on homosexuality and same-sex marriage.” In fact, CNN’s headline is a glimpse into a predetermined... Continue Reading →
The columnist James Bartholomew claims to have coined the term, “virtue signalling.” He writes: To my astonishment and delight, the phrase ‘virtue signalling’ has become part of the English language. I coined the phrase in an article here in The Spectator (18 April [2015]) in which I described the way in which many people say... Continue Reading →
