Reflections on the loving kindness of the Triune God
Solomon made a mess of things. God loved him and gave him unique privileges. As David’s favored son Solomon was made the head of an eternal kingdom. He became God’s inaugural temple-builder—what his father sought but had been denied. God appeared to Solomon twice and gave him special gifts of wisdom and wealth. Yet Solomon …
Read More Solomon’s HeritageI heard recently that one of my former seminary students married a non-Christian. Despite my grimace-of-heart it’s no great surprise: such mismatches (in biblical terms) seem to be on the rise among evangelicals. And, in a separate moral commentary, premarital sexual activity by engaged believers is more and more common—and all but assumed in some …
Read More Textbooks about GodOn Saturday I was privileged to enjoy a delightful orchestra concert in Cardiff. Huw Gareth Williams was conducting the Highfields Symphony Orchestra. It was especially enjoyable because Huw (sounds like Hue) has been part of our Cor Deo fellowship for the past months so it was an investment of heart for me as a listener. …
Read More Conducting LifeBeauty and jealousy are oil and water words—they aren’t a good match—but in God they come together. God’s beauty is seen in his relational devotion—in his love. Even in our humanity we see beauty in the people who love us well. The wrinkles of a caring grandmother are winsome etchings of love to the eyes …
Read More Jealousy, beauty and GodSome Christians seem to bank on salvation as the spiritual equivalent of a catastrophic health insurance policy: good for the future disaster called death but hardly related to the small matters of life in the here and now. This, I suspect, is the fruit of an approach that drew many people to profess a Christian …
Read More How saved are we?Terry raised a question about prayer and, separately, Peter has been asked to speak on the same topic next weekend. So here is my own question: should I pray about writing a post on prayer, or should I just do it in response to Terry and as part of my ongoing conversation with Peter? Let …
Read More Praying affectively and effectivelyWhen we talk about Christian salvation does a belief in the Trinity really matter? Can’t we be saved just as readily if our view of God is less complicated. So why not dismiss the three-in-one confusion that comes with the Trinity and deal, instead, with an all-powerful monadic being? After all many would argue that …
Read More SalvationWe all rely on myths that offer rational and emotional support for our values, especially those values that are impossible to justify. I embrace a myth, for instance, that my little bit of walking in a day is enough to satisfy my need for healthy exercise. A recent contact with my doctor put that one …
Read More Myths & NobilityAs a lifelong single I see the marriages of my friends and family as a gift for learning more about life in Christ. Here is why. Marriage is not an end in itself but offers a picture of the ultimate marriage. Throughout the Bible God uses marriage to explain what it means to be united …
Read More Marriage and MinistryIn most relational settings we are free either to give or to take—to be consumers or to be resources. Whatever we do is a litmus of our standing with Christ—a conspicuous signal of real faith over against a mere profession. In Christ we regularly prefer giving over taking because our hearts have been reoriented by …
Read More Give or Take?