Reflections on the loving kindness of the Triune God
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble—James 4:6. The context for James’ words were affective, located in God’s jealous longing for the spirit he made to dwell in us. Humility, James was saying, is at the heart of a proper relationship with God and it opens the door to a much deeper …
Read More HumilityToo many Christians, I’m afraid, have the disaffected God of the Greek philosophers in mind when they pray or when they plan their day. The Greek versions of God are all about power—about having control over everything—rather than about his forming and sustaining relationships with a treasured creation. The full post has been published in the …
Read More A Passionate GodSome—maybe most—of the dear people in a class at church today were startled when I said, “I don’t believe in a free will.” Yet many readers, especially former students, may smile or yawn: “Not again!” Why? Because each year in Patristic Theology I would explain Augustine’s view of the will in his debate with Pelagius. …
Read More I Believe in FreedomI read a troubling newspaper article on the internet today. It was one of the “most read” items and it spoke of a Christian writer who recently announced her departure from the church. The report included a summary of what disturbed her and what, for many of us, is tragically obvious: “But judging by the …
Read More Called to Christ’s LikenessI’m very pleased to share a guest entry by my good friend, Steve Mitchell. Once again Steve stirs our minds and hearts, this time by asking how we should adapt to our changing times. Please read and reflect on his thoughtful and important counterpoint to some current strategies. Rick Warren recently offered a strategy for …
Read More On Attention Spans & Our Affections