An Anniversary of Sorts (2005 Edition) (10/31/05 - 0 Comments)
Two years ago, on October 31, 2003, I sat myself down and had a good chat with me. Challies Dot Com was a poorly-designed, silly little site that primarily contained photographs of my family. I had recently added a blog to the site and was enjoying being a blogger but realized that I had become terribly lax. Like most bloggers I had begun with a flurry of posts but had soon tired of putting forth...
Book Review - Twelve Extraordinary Women (10/30/05 - 0 Comments)
Twelve Ordinary Men, John MacArthur's book on the apostles, was a surprise hit. After the book stayed on the bestseller lists for over a year, Thomas Nelson suggested publishing a second volume, this one dealing with some of the best-known women of the Bible. MacArthur accepted the challenge and drew up a long list of possible subjects. "I admit that I chose the twelve women featured here by a completely unscientific process: I weighed their...
New Site Design (10/29/05 - 0 Comments)
The long-awaited new design is now live. While I am sure to hear a lot of complaints about removing the old design, I feel that this design will serve us all better. Here are a few of the new features unique to this design: Comment Equality - There is now equality between the comments in the Sideblog, Community blog and main blog. It is no longer a case of "All comments are equal but some...
Upgrade Underway (10/29/05 - 0 Comments)
1:59 PM - I am currently upgrading the site. Please bear with me as I make these changes. I will update as I make progress here...
3:57 PM - We're getting there. Another hour or so and I should have most of this done. So far commenters appear to be 1 Pro and 1 Con.
Friday Frivolity (10/28/05 - 0 Comments)
First off I would like to warn everyone that the site may be a little unpredictable over the weekend. I am hoping to upgrade to a whole new design. This design is such a radical departure from the current one that it will take a massive amount of work to make the change. So bear with me through the inevitable missing graphics, broken links and so on. I trust it will all be back to normal by Sunday.
Have you seen this Pumpkin-based computer? I suppose this is what happens when college students are not given enough homework.
DVD Review - Untold Stories of Columbine (10/28/05 - 0 Comments)
There are a few events or occasions in every generation where time seems to stop. Those old enough to remember J.F.K's assassination tend to not only remember the news reports, but remember where they were and who they were with when they heard about his death. Many people still remember how they felt when they heard that the space shuttle Challenger was destroyed just seconds after lift-off, or more recently, when they began to hear news reports about planes plowing into the World Trade Center in New York City. Another tragedy that stopped a nation, and really an entire continent, was the shootings in Columbine High School on April 20, 1999.
1000 Registered Users (10/27/05 - 0 Comments)
My friend Bill has been on the lookout for the 1000th registered user of the forums here at Challies Dot Com. Just a few minutes ago he let me know that we have reached that lofty goal. A user registered as N_student replied with a comment about book suggestions for college students. He indicated his appreciation for the list and said that of those books I suggested, "some i have already read, and some are going on my list. " To celebrate the 1000th visitor I think it only appropriate that I treat him to one of those that are on his list. So if he replies to this post (thus showing that he isn't just a one-time reader and one-time poster), I'll buy him any one of the titles on my list that he added to his.
The rest of you get nothing. Actually, maybe I'll...no, forget it. You get nothing.
College Reading (via OneTrueGodBlog) (10/27/05 - 0 Comments)
OneTrueGodBlog is, at least in theory, a great idea. The format is simple and unique. Hugh Hewitt asks a weekly question and encourages a panel of prominent Christian bloggers to post a response. Unfortunately there are often few responses given.
Last week Hewitt asked the following question: "Please recommend the five books you would have a Christian college student read who was interested in deepening his or her faith but who also had all the time constraints and background education of most college kids today. (In other words, no Summa Theologica or Institutes.)"
Gas Station Conversation (10/26/05 - 0 Comments)
I left the house this morning at 9:20 to attend to two small jobs. Neither was supposed to take more than a few minutes. Yet somehow it is now four hours later and I have just gotten home. The work took a little bit longer than expected and I got called into various meetings. So here it is at 1:30 which is far too late in the day for me to write anything encouraging or even interesting. Instead I thought I would relay a discussion I had this morning.
I just lied. I am going to relay a discussion I had this morning and seamlessly blend it with a discussion I had with the same person just a few days ago. I consider this artistic license and since prose is a form of art I am entitled to use it. The story requires less explanation this way. So just bear with me.
Book Review - Humility: True Greatness (10/25/05 - 0 Comments)
There is a certain irony in the pursuit of humility. We see a glimpse of that in the title of this book, Humility: True Greatness. Humility is true greatness. The pursuit of humility and the pursuit of greatness are one and the same, provided that we seek greatness as defined by the Creator. I have never met C.J. Mahaney (though hope to some day), but from all accounts he is well-qualified to write a book on such a difficult subject. And this is a difficult topic. After all, how can a person write a book on humility without sounding like he feels he is most qualified? The truth is he can, provided he uses the Scripture as the foundation for his teaching. And that is exactly what Mahaney does.
The Metaphysics and Phenomenology of Divine Action (10/25/05 - 0 Comments)
Over the past few days I have been reading The Benefits of Providence, a newly-published book written by James Spiegel. It is a deeply challenging book that is filled with weighty subject matter. It has given me a lot to think about and meditate upon. I look forward to attempting to summarize this book in a meaningful in an upcoming review. I am sure it will be quite a challenge.
The book is, of course, an examination of divine providence with corresponding application to the life of the believer. It is far more than "mere theology," but is filled with useful application. Today I would like to discuss one small section of the book. In the second chapter the author compares and contrasts two views of providence, the high and the low.
Acting Out Death (10/24/05 - 0 Comments)
I was about eighteen years old the first time I saw a dead person. Just a few days earlier my grandmother had unexpectedly suffered a massive heart attack and had died nearly instantly. The family was given the opportunity to say "goodbye" to her before the funeral. We were ushered into a room in the funeral home, and there, across the room, she lay in an elegant coffin. I took a deep breath and walked over to where she lay.
Grammy didn't look a whole lot different than she had when she was alive. She lay peacefully and could almost have been asleep. Almost.
Early Church Worship (10/23/05 - 0 Comments)
In my reading of early church history this past week I came upon a passage from Justin's First Apology in which he describes the worship of the early church.
"And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen...
Saturday Ramblings (and Various Requests for Help) (10/22/05 - 0 Comments)
Here is another one of these rambling articles that allows me to cover a wide range of territory in one fell swoop.
Incidentally, the phrase "one fell swoop" seems to have originated with Shakespeare in his play Macbeth. Macduff, having just heard of the murder of his family, says:
All my pretty ones?
Did you say all? O hell-kite! All?
What, all my pretty chickens and their dam
At one fell swoop?
The word "fell" refers to ferocity or evil. So in one evil swoop his family was wiped out as if a kite (a bird of prey) fell upon a group of chickens.
But I digress.
The Pearcey Report (10/21/05 - 0 Comments)
I just received the following press release from my friend Rick Pearcey.
Today marks the official launch of The Pearcey Report, a website of news, comment, information, and worldview. It can be viewed online at www.pearceyreport.com.
J. Richard Pearcey is editor and publisher of the report. Rick has worked as a journalist, writer, and editor in the Washington, D.C., area since the late 1980s.
Pornified: How Pornography is Transforming Our Lives, Our Relationships, and Our Families (10/21/05 - 0 Comments)
"Throughout the book, I have recorded and reported speech in the words of the individuals interviewed. I have chosen to use the individuals' slang, graphic descriptions, and vulgar language because they accurately reflect the way in which people think about and discuss pornography. The use of sexually explicit and crude language is part of the story of how pornography is changing our lives; to avoid such language in Pornified would give less than a full picture." Indeed, the language and examples used in Pornified are sometimes shocking, even for a person like myself who is not easily startled. Author Pamela Paul, in what is really an extension to an article she wrote for Time Magazine, seeks to show in this book that pornography is transforming the way we live our lives. Her approach is not academic or sociological, but rather journalistic. The book is bound together by scores of interviews with pornography users and sometimes their families as well as well as a poll conducted by Harris Interactive and sponsored by Pornified. The language can be harsh and the descriptions graphic.
Unity Through Theology (10/20/05 - 0 Comments)
My morning reading today took me to the fourth chapter of Ephesians. This is a chapter that deals primarily with the topic of unity within the body of Christ. Through the first three chapters of the book Paul has been laying the theological framework for the life of good works he describes in the final three chapters. The first topic he discusses in this regard is unity. He encourages believers to live together in humility and patience, bearing with one another and maintaining the unity of the Spirit. The word "one" appears seven times in only three verses, emphasizing the oneness the Lord expects of us. Having discussed the importance of unity, Paul goes on to show how this unity will be built and maintained.
Book Review - 2000 Years of Christ's Power (10/19/05 - 0 Comments)
I could draw up quite a list of reasons why Christians need to study and understand the history of the church. We should study the history of the church so we can understand the development of doctrine and realize that a doctrine like the Trinity was not simply understood by a brief reading of Scripture, but was a doctrine forged in the fire of counsels, battles and excommunications. We should study the history of the church because, as the old adage states, those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it. But I think the most important reason to study church history is to see and appreciate the mighty acts of God in preserving His people through the past two millenia of strife and persecution.
Rants, Raves and Photographs (10/19/05 - 0 Comments)
I am exceptionally busy today (again). I have, quite literally, ten or twelve different web design projects underway. One of them is particularly massive and has a deadline of October 31, so the rest of the month is likely to be just as busy. So rather than try to focus my mind on one topic for any length of time this morning, I though I'd post about a variety of things that have been bouncing around my brain.
Halloween and Homeschooling: Yesterday's inevitable discussion on Halloween has generated some interesting discussion on this site and others. On question in the comments section caught my attention.
The Inevitable Halloween Discussion (10/18/05 - 0 Comments)
When Doug McHone and I were chatting (something we did an awful lot of) at the Desiring God Conference, he swore that he would not discuss Halloween this year. I made no such promise to him, and today would like to discuss it, even if only briefly. In my further defense, I believe this is the first time I will have written about this subject. I discuss this topic primarily because my wife and I struggle with it, to some extent, every year. Our children are understandly eager to trick-or-treat and, like many Christians, we are both attracted to and repulsed by the idea.
DVD Review - The Scottish Covenanters (10/17/05 - 0 Comments)
One of my most vivid memories of the year my family spent in Scotland happened soon after we moved there. We were progressively touring the town of Edinburgh and had already visited The Royal Mile, Edinburgh Castle, the home of John Knox and many of the other prominent locations. Eventually we made our way to Greyfriars, the church where many of the Scottish Covenanters were buried after being killed (and often first being mericlessly tortured) for their faith. We were astonished and not a little upset to find that the main attraction of the cemetary at Greyfriars is not the graves of those who were martyred, but a monument to a little terrier who sat faithfully at his master's grave for many years after his death.
December 30, 2005: Petra Appreciation Day (10/17/05 - 0 Comments)
As you may have heard, and definitely have heard if you read this site with any consistency, the band Petra has decided to retire. "After 33 years of music and ministry, Christian rock pioneer PETRA will come to a close. December 2005 will mark the end to a ministry that has boldly and consistently proclaimed the gospel in the United States and abroad. The decision to retire the band was mutual by all members.
Lunch with Abanes (10/16/05 - 0 Comments)
As you may know, Richard Abanes was in town on Friday on a whirlwind promotional tour for his new book, Harry Potter, Narnia, And The Lord Of The Rings. The book, which I have not read, is a comparison and examination of the magic (and magick) in the Harry Potter, Narnia and Lord of the Rings series of books. I caught a few minutes of Abanes' interview on the local Christian television station and quite agreed with his conclusions about the difference between the magic used by Rowling and that used by Lewis and Tolkien. But perhaps I'll discuss that another day.
Petra Means Rock (10/15/05 - 0 Comments)
Last night Aileen and I left our children in the care of my in-laws and we travelled across Toronto, braving rush-hour traffic through the heart of the city, to see Petra play their final Toronto show. They have played Toronto five times and I saw them four of those times. In fact, I was the one who promoted their last show some seven years ago. As you may know, Petra is currently in the midst of their Farewell Tour, so this could well be the last time we see them play.
Sweet Sixteen (10/14/05 - 0 Comments)
Just a couple of days ago World Magazine reported that the Duggar family of Arkansas has celebrated the birth of their sixteenth child, Johannah Faith. The Duggars have become somewhat famous for their procreative abilities and it seems that they make an appearance in the national newspapers each time a new child is born. Jim Bob Duggar, a former state representative who sells real estate and has had an unsuccessful bed for election to the U.S. Senate. He intends to run again in the next election.
Friday Frivolity (10/14/05 - 0 Comments)
I had a humbling moment yesterday. I received in the mail an unexpected gift of a new book written by one of my very favorite authors. I opened the cover and saw that he had taken the time to sign it to me. I was quite thrilled. My wife was napping at the time (she's pregnant, you remember, and seems to need an hour-long nap in the afternoon) so I couldn't show it to her right away, but as soon as she woke up I took it in to her. She opened the cover, read the inscription and said, "Who's Tom?"
Book Review - Growing Up Christian (10/13/05 - 0 Comments)
Growing up Christian is not as easy a task as one might think. There are dangers and temptations unique to growing up within a Christian family and within the church and sadly these difficulties are often downplayed or misunderstood by those who have been converted later in life. Growing Up Christian seeks examine these issues, which, as a person who grew up in a Christian home (ie a "church kid"), are near and dear to my heart. The book is targetted primarily at church kids, though their parents would do well to read the book with them. The author, Karl Graustein, is a church kid himself and is now a principal at a Christian school, so is intimately aware of the issues at stake.
Book Review - War and Grace (10/13/05 - 0 Comments)
I have an avid interest in the Second World War. I am of the generation whose grandfathers fought in the war and I have always been proud of the contributions made by members of my family. My maternal grandfather, Lawrence Belford, wished to fly bombers but was not permitted because of poor eyesight. Still, he served the Royal Canadian Air Force as a member of the ground crew, loading bombs into Lancaster bombers. He would often recount his memories of the war and at one point I even conducted an interview with him. My grandmother's brother, Harold, was a Spitfire pilot who lost his life in a mission over the Mediterranean. My paternal grandfather, George Challies, whom I never met, was a Lieutenant Colonel and I am unsure of his contribution, though I believe he commanded an artillery training centre in Quebec. When I was in college I majored in history (my minor was in euchre) and took every possible course that centered around the war years. While I have since turned to other interests I continue to have a fascination with the war and read about it as often as I am able.
Oh, How Long Till I Become Holy? (10/12/05 - 0 Comments)
In the past several days I have found myself turning time and again to a particular song, a song that has been in my collection for many years and which I have always enjoyed. Sung by a short-lived band named "Doulos," the title of the song is simply, "Again." The song seems to capture something that has been precious to me recently.
The Shallowness of Evangelicalism (10/11/05 - 0 Comments)
It was just about two years ago that I came to a rather disappointing realization. After much reflection and soul-searching I came to realize that much of what I believed as a Christian was mere cliche. I wrote about this last year and said "I believe it is important that we investigate words we frequently use that may no longer evoke interest or any genuine meaning because they have been so overused. As the original meaning of the word "trite," a synonym for "cliche" indicates, they have become frayed and worn out by constant use...
Reflections on the Desiring God Conference (10/10/05 - 0 Comments)
I returned safely from Minneapolis last night. The journey home was quick and uneventful. While I had a wonderful time at the conference, I am always glad to return to the comforts of home and family. Today is Thanksgiving Day (yes, we celebrate it on a Monday unlike our American neighbors who prefer Thursday) so I intend to spend the day with my family. But first I thought I'd provide a few topical reflections on my weekend at the Desiring God National Conference.
Desiring God Conference - Final Session (10/09/05 - 0 Comments)
Today's message is "Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, Part 2" by John Piper. The purpose of this message to to magnify Christ in His suffering and in that process to venture what is the ultimate biblical explanation for suffering. Further, we will do it in a way that would free us from the paralyzing effects of discouragement, self-pity, fear and greed, but rather to be free to spend ourselves whether able or disabled, to...
Desiring God Conference - Session Seven (10/08/05 - 0 Comments)
At lunch time today Doug and I had lunch with Adam (aka Ochuk) who lives nearby. It was great to eat with him (and witness Adam eating his first-ever Big Mac). Ochuk is every bit as well-read and intelligent as one would assume from reading his web site. At dinner we ate with Jack, a new friend, who is a reader of this site. Jack shared with us about his wife, whom he recently lost...
Desiring God Conference - Session Six (10/08/05 - 0 Comments)
Today's fourth session, featuring Steve Saint, is entitled "Sovereignty, Suffering and the Work of Missions." Steve is the son of a missionary who was killed by natives in Ecuador some forty years ago. His father was part of the missionary group of which the better-known Jim Elliot was also a member. Steve has since become a missionary and worked among the very people who killed his father, even embracing as a close friend one of...
Desiring God Conference - Session Five (10/08/05 - 0 Comments)
The third session of the day features David Powlison who will be speaking on "Christ's Grace and Your Sufferings." David is editor of the "Journal of Biblical Counselling." He wants to put us to work by asking the following question: in your life, what is the single most significant experience of suffering that you have gone through? It could be the most painful or intense. It could be only short in duration, but which never...
Desiring God Conference - Session Four (10/08/05 - 0 Comments)
The second session of the day will be led by Mark Talbot who will be speaking on "'All the Good That is Ours in Christ:' Seeing God's Gracious Hand in the Hurts Others Do Us." A fact you may not know is that Mark broke his back when he was seventeen years old and walks even today only with great difficulty and while leaning heavily upon a cane. How God's will relates to our will...
Desiring God Conference - Session Three (10/08/05 - 0 Comments)
After a sleep which was far too short (Doug likes to talk), we wandered downtown Minneapolis for a while before finally finding a place to eat breakfast. Having done that, we returned to the convention center and I was privileged to meet readers Jack,Boyd, Dave, Andrew and Marc as well as John Piper who let us know that he appreciates our efforts in blogging the conference. Day two began with another powerful time of worship....
Desiring God Conference - Session Two (10/07/05 - 0 Comments)
Just an update for anyone who is attending the conference and looking for Doug or myself. We're the guys with the laptops (but you already knew that). We're sitting by the sound table in the back of the auditorium. Whenever there is a break we'll be out in the lobby uploading our stories. Drop by and make your presence known! The final session of the opening day features John Piper and Justin Taylor sitting in...
Desiring God Conference - Session One (10/07/05 - 0 Comments)
As you know, I was asked to live-blog the Desiring God National Conference. This evening, Saturday and Sunday morning I will bring to you updates from this conference. You can also check coffeeswirls.com as Doug is blogging right beside me. I apologize in advance for spelling errors, grammatical errors, and the like. Because of the pace of the sessions I will have little opportunity, at least initially, to proof-read my entries. So here we are....
It's a Long Way to Minnesota, It's a Long, Long Way To Go... (10/07/05 - 0 Comments)
By the time you read this I should be well on my way to Minneapolis. It is amazing how three hours worth of flying can consume an entire day. It will take about an hour to get to the airport and of course I have to be at the airport at least two hours in advance so I can clear security and customs. I then have a three-hour layover in Milwaukee before I finally board...
Friday Frivolity (10/07/05 - 0 Comments)
I have a question of ethics that I'm sure is unique to our technologically-advanced age. It concerns one of the greatest inventions of the twentieth century and one that has been updated for the twenty-first. I am talking about, of course, Tupperware (which I use as a generic term for reusable storage containers). Now it used to be that if a neighbour were to bring you a gift (like authentic Cajun Gumbo Soup, for example)...
Where is God in the Storm? (10/06/05 - 0 Comments)
I cut my teeth on this site by discussing controversial topics. Of course when I began I really had little idea that these topics were controversial. I just began to write about The Purpose Driven Life, The Passion of the Christ and authors like John Eldredge without realizing that anyone other than myself really cared about them. I have now fallen into the somewhat difficult predicament of being expected to discuss ongoing updates to these stories. Of course I rarely mind doing so because I do find this topics interesting. Thus I am going to make a few comments on the appearance of Ashley Smith and Rick Warren on the Larry King Show last night. Incidentally, the transcript is available here.
The Beauty of Grace (10/05/05 - 0 Comments)
Yesterday, listening to the radio, I heard the song "Be My Escape" by RelientK. While I have heard the song many times in the past, there was one particular line that caught my attention this time around. The song is quite biblical as these things go and is something of a cry for redemption. I'll provide a brief excerpt:
I’m giving up on doing this alone now
Cause I’ve failed and I’m ready to be shown how
He’s told me the way and I’m trying to get there
And this life sentence that I’m serving
I admit that I’m every bit deserving
But the beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair
The Extraordinary Value of Women (10/04/05 - 0 Comments)
No system of religion exalts women higher than biblical Christianity. That is quite a claim, I realize, but one I feel can be easily proven by examining Scripture. A few days ago a person sent a question to the Reformed Baptist mailing list. He recounted that he is teaching eighth graders and one young lady asked about Adam and Eve. This girl noted that after Adam named all of the animals and saw how they were paired, he realized that there was no counterpart to him. And so God created Eve as a helper to Adam. It seems, suggested the girl, that God created Eve only to serve as a partner to Adam in allowing him to procreate. It is almost as if women were an afterthought in God's mind. So why didn't God create man and woman together as He had done with the animals? Why did He introduce Eve in such a way that she seems primarily to serve her man?
Repentance and Evangelicalism (10/03/05 - 0 Comments)
The concept of repentance seems to be in full-fledged retreat in today's church. Evangelical Christians love to stress decisions, worship, faith and growth, but seem to leave out one rather critical aspect of the Christian faith. We need not look far to find people who confess Christ, yet continue to live in ways that would call their confession into question. More than simply committing sins, so many are living truly sinful lifestyles. One has legitimate grounds to wonder if they have show genuine repentance before God.
DVD Review - Yeshua/Jesus (10/02/05 - 0 Comments)
In recent decades there has been a great deal of interest, among Christians, in searching out and understanding Jesus' Jewish roots. Some have undertaken such a study with noble goals of seeking to more fully understand Jesus' life and teachings by grasping the religious and historical framework in which he lived. Others have undertaken this study with the less-noble goal of trying to prove that Jesus was little more than a confused rabbi who led people astray. I have seen some people who have become so intruiged with the Jewish customs and celebrations that they have re-introduced many of these into their unique brand of Christianity, celebrating Lord's Supper and baptism along with any of the Jewish feasts and holidays.
DVD Review - Footsteps of Goliath (10/01/05 - 0 Comments)
The story of David and Goliath is one of the most popular in the Bible. My children constantly ask to hear the story of the young shepherd boy going out to fight the giant on behalf of his nation. I often ask them if this story is real or merely pretend. They always answer dutifully, "It's real!" But most children are not so sure. And most adults are even less sure.
