Reflections on the loving kindness of the Triune God
It was thirty years ago today that my father went home. We often use the word “home” as a euphemism for dying. And that’s part of what I mean. Dad had a massive heart attack that day and was gone—all we had left was his body. The triune God had his soul. It’s the latter …
Read More Enjoying HomeIn my current Bible read-through I’m noticing the Biblical theme of repentance. It’s not that I’m looking for the thread. Instead it seems to be looking for me! So join me, please, in a very brief and unsystematic reflection on repentance in the Bible. As context let me say that themes like repentance start to …
Read More Repent!God has a soft spot. It’s not a weakness—as if he’s less than divine at this point—but a quality in his Triune relations that allows us to connect with him in uniquely tender terms. Here’s the secret. Say, “Thank you, Lord”—everywhere and all the time! Make it a steady part of your walk, your talk, …
Read More God’s Soft SpotWhat does it mean to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength? In Matt Jenson’s book, The Gravity of Sin he traces, among other things, how Martin Luther portrayed sin as a centripetal force in the soul. It drags all of life back to self. So that everything—including vocation, religion, and God’s …
Read More Enjoying God’s GiftsWhat role does God have in shaping our daily decisions? A key feature of this question is our view of his involvement and disposition. Does he care about our choices? And, if he does, do we care that he cares? We should! And here are Bible texts worth chewing on if and when we ask …
Read More Looking for DirectionWelcome to All Saints Eve, 2017—now reduced to the weirdly twisted event of Halloween. Halloween aside, many of us know this day marks the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther posting his Ninety-five Theses in Wittenberg, Germany. I’d love to be in Germany but having missed my chance let me at least offer a reflection in …
Read More Luther in 1517[Note: my apologies for the many copies of the last post many of you received—it felt like a reprise of Disney’s “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” in Fantasia! We think we’ve solved the problem … but only this post will reassure us!] Don’t look for this topic—God’s humility—in any systematic theology. You won’t find it! Certainly not …
Read More God’s Humility[A technical note: the subscription feed for Spreading Goodness failed and needed to be replaced. In the changeover this post wasn’t sent to most subscribers and needs to be re-sent. But some of you will have seen it already – sorry for any inconvenience!] I’m returning to the ministry of the Spirit in this post—a …
Read More Reflecting on the SpiritI’m returning to the ministry of the Spirit in this post—a favored topic of recent months. The immediate stir this time was a recent invitation to speak on the Trinity. The preparation took me back into Jonathan Edward’s “Treatise on Grace” which is really a discussion of the Spirit. But let me start with the …
Read More Reflecting on the SpiritTime measures things. An ordinary conversation, for instance, is usually trivial. A brief exchange with a friend may fade in minutes. After 500 minutes it’s at best a faint recall. And it’s certainly gone after 500 days. Unless, of course, it’s something like a marriage proposal or a new job offer. But a request to …
Read More Luther’s 500th