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 →
Contend for the Faith and Love People
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 →
An Atheist Philosopher Dies
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 →
Splitting over Same Sex Marriage
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 Clarifying for Me
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 →
Some Thoughts on Selling Chicken
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 →
Virtue Signaling
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 →
I have talked a lot about sex lately
I have been talking a lot about sex lately. Maybe a better way to put that is that I have been talking a lot about the ethics and dynamics of human sexuality lately. But when I tell folks I am going to talk about human sexuality they often think I’m going to give them “the... Continue Reading →
Our Complete Sexualization
#trending -All people of all ages have been sexualized by Western culture. Those in cahoots with the “sexual revolution” will disagree, but I would argue they don’t yet understand the consequences of their sexual ethic. There is no logical stopping point to the current sexual ethic. There is no taboo that is off-limits. The only... Continue Reading →
Trends I See
This series of posts are intended to be short thoughts on trends I see in the culture and church, both positive and negative. Given my cheery disposition, they will likely end up being mostly trending problems I see. These are not fully developed arguments, but the seeds of arguments. They are a placeholder for my... Continue Reading →