Reflections on the loving kindness of the Triune God
The lady was angry. “You don’t tell me what I’m expected to do! All you do is talk about God!” It was an awkward moment. I had preached that morning with heartfelt commitment to the Christ-centered focus the text offered. And beforehand I had prayed for God’s gracious presence to be among us touching hearts. …
Read More The Lonely SpiritThis entry repeats the leading entry on our Cor Deo site. If you would like to respond please click to go to that site: thanks! Cor Deo The 17th century Puritan preacher, Richard Sibbes, was brilliant in his exposure of the human condition: “Oh! We should dismount from the tower of our conceited excellency. The …
Read More Our ConceitHow do caterpillars turn into butterflies or tadpoles turn into frogs? The term we use for the change is metamorphosis. With that in mind I was intrigued years ago by a study I did on Christ’s transformation on the Mount of Transfiguration. I found that the underlying Greek word for the transfiguration comes from the …
Read More ChangedThis post has been written for the Cor Deo website (to go there, click here ). Please offer any remarks on that site. Thanks! Sitting in a busy coffee shop in downtown Chippenham as lots of ordinary folks stroll by I’m reminded of a movie title, “Ordinary People”. It was an ironic title because the …
Read More Ordinary PeoplePaul started his letter to the Corinthians with a stark appeal: stop elevating people and pay attention to Christ! Who were the competitors to Christ among Corinthian Christians? None other than Paul and, with him, Apollos and Peter. Let’s review this cluster of Christ’s Corinthian competitors. Paul founded the church in Corinth so he had …
Read More ApollosThis post “belongs” to a shared Cor Deo site. Any responses are welcomed on that site, please. To go there, click here What do we think about in our free moments? What delights us? And what worries us? I’m not asking about the immediate thoughts and concerns stirred by our latest circumstances but the deeper, …
Read More Maslow’s MistakeImagine being perfect. Think about a life without hurting or being hurt. Of not disappointing others. Of making choices that are always good and wise. Of pleasing God and neighbors. What would it be like to care for others with a complete and ongoing integrity? To trust and to be trusted without any hesitation? We …
Read More PerfectionLet me raise a question about Christian missions. How robust is the growth of Christianity today? Better yet, how did Christianity grow in the first century; and how does our present growth compare with early church expansion? I don’t have specific data but allow me to generalize from what I see, hear, and read in …
Read More On a MissionThink about how our vision of God shapes the way we live. If our God is an activist he fills our lives with activities. Alternatively a token God is a backstop for difficult moments in life but he, she, they, or it—the best term for God isn’t a matter of consensus so I’ll stay with …
Read More Creating GodThis entry is also published on the Cor Deo site. Please post any comments on that site. Thanks! What if every Christian loved God above all else; and, with that, loved his neighbor as himself? Would friendships be stronger? Marriages sweeter? Families healthier? Churches more winsome and dynamic? Businesses staffed with Christian employees more productive? …
Read More What if?