Reflections on the loving kindness of the Triune God
My short-answer to the question in our title is a blunt and firm, “no!” Love cannot be trusted! Why the question? It was stirred by a recent conversation with a man I respect both for his devotion to Christ and for his rich theological heritage. He was gently but firmly warning me against the unstable …
Read More Can Love Be Trusted?In a world filled with more and more social networking on the internet we taste God’s creation design in a new way. We are made to be relational—that’s our starting point. It comes from God, who as the Triune One, exists in his eternal life of communion, with the Father and Son always exchanging a …
Read More NetworksThe Christian community needs better—stronger—leadership. By that I mean spiritual leadership—the sort of thing Paul had in mind in Ephesians 4 where he wrote of leaders who could bring others “to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”. Such leadership doesn’t look to basic management theory: Jesus wasn’t promoting …
Read More Strong LeadershipOne of my special moments in life came in Israel when I watched a young boy run after a man, calling out “Abba, Abba!” For the first time I had a tangible sense of what God offers us in Christ: an invitation to call him “Daddy!” The confidence and energy of that Israeli youngster spoke …
Read More Abba! Father!The 18th century American preacher and teacher Jonathan Edwards had a nose for nonsense: when he sniffed out misguided theology he was quick to challenge it. One example was his dismissal of the idea that self-love can ever be called “love” even when it’s applied to God (Works, 6.337). Let me cite a discussion of …
Read More Edwards on Triune LoveJesus was a popular figure in his day, especially among the hungry, the lame, the blind, the unclean, and the despairing. Enough so that among the privileged classes it was both a jealousy for their own standing and a fear of the unruly crowds that led them to crucify Jesus. Yet at one point—as reported …
Read More A Proper DietMy current airplane book is not my normal fare. The Big Short by Michael Lewis is an exposé of the American bond and mortgage industry of the last few years. The language of the book is coarse and some issues are opaque to someone like me who lives outside Manhattan, yet the story is compelling. …
Read More Morality & the MindI call them God’s theological sheriffs—believers who are alert to any hint of heresy in others. They seem to be self-appointed, but maybe it’s their special gifting. What I’m not sure about is where their gift comes from—whether it’s from God or elsewhere. For the balance of this entry please go to http://www.cordeo.org.uk/gods-posse
Read More God’s PosseThere are times when friendships that were very important to me suddenly evaporated without explanation. Ask as I might, or try as I would, no reasons were offered or voicemails or emails returned. Just silence. So painful! It’s something common to every age, of course. Think, for instance, of young school children who announce to …
Read More Disappointment and JoyIn many Christian circles we hear lots about the theme of glory as God’s ultimate goal for the creation. But by giving such prominence to glory, glory may be getting more glory than God. Every other week my blogs are posted on the Cor Deo website, so to see the rest of this entry please …
Read More Glorifying Glory