Site News (08/31/08 - 21 Comments)
In the past months the server that hosts this site has been dragging a little bit. It has gone down a few times and has begin consuming too many resources. And so I've decided to move to a new server with a host that is dedicated to supporting Movabletype, the software that runs behind the scenes here. While I was going through all the trouble of moving to the new server, I decided to rebuild...
The Catalyst Box (08/30/08 - 13 Comments)
I don't know what the Catalyst Conference is and I don't know how they know who I am. A few days ago I went to my post office box and found there are a rather large package. I do not receive a lot of large boxes at the post office--it is usually either books or mysterious letters from conspiracy theorists who just *have* to let me know who is taking over the world and why...
Prophecy Today (08/29/08 - 66 Comments)
“This book deals with a question that no twenty-first-century Christian can afford to ignore: does God-given prophecy continue in today’s church, or doesn’t it? And, if it does, can those who announce such prophecies sometimes get things wrong?” So says Stuart Olyott in his Foreword to Prophecy Today. In this brief book, Jim Thompson lays out his argument against contemporary prophecy. He does so in three chapters, presenting a logical argument that is both simple...
Reading Classics - The Religious Affections (VI) (08/28/08 - 24 Comments)
This morning brings us to our seventh reading in Jonathan Edwards’ The Religious Affections. This week we looked to the second sign of authentic affections. Summary We continue to progress through the twelve signs of truly gracious and holy affections. So far we’ve seen: They are from a divine influence. Their object is the excellence of divine things. Discussion After being maybe a little bit confused or disappointed with last week’s reading, I found that...
The Incident of the Fish (08/27/08 - 13 Comments)
As I read my way through the works of David McCullough, I have come to Brave Companions, a book that offers “Portraits in History”—brief glimpses of people and incidents that helped make America what she is today. One of the chapters deals with “The American Adventure of Louis Agassiz.” Agassiz was a French zoologist and geologist who settled in the United States in the mid nineteenth century. He began a distinguished career as a professor...
Book Review - So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore (08/26/08 - 18 Comments)
Jake Colsen is the author of So You Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore. Jake Colsen does not exist. Rather, he is a pseudonym for the combined work of Dave Coleman and Wayne Jacobsen. You may recognize Wayne Jacobsen as one of the founders of Windblown Media, the company that published a little book called The Shack—a little book that has gone on to sell well over a million copies. As The Shack has...
Everything to Nothing (08/25/08 - 7 Comments)
We, as human beings, love underdog stories. Yesterday I watched a couple of episodes of Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided, a six-part series that aired as part of the “American Experience” program. As with any bio of Lincoln, it contrasts his early years with those of his wife. Where Mary Todd was raised in a huge home filled with servants and slaves, Abraham Lincoln was raised in a one-room cabin far from civilization;...
A Prayer for Grace in Trials (08/24/08 - 6 Comments)
I had a bit of a rough week--or at least a rough end to the week. I was struggling with a strange infection through the week and by Friday and Saturday was pretty well laid out, unable even to stand up a lot of the time (since the pain was far worse standing than lying flat on my back). Thankfully it seems that I'm on the mend. While I was lying around I thought of...
F.L.E.S.H. (08/23/08 - 12 Comments)
Have you ever noticed that when someone says, “Don’t look at that!” you immediately look at it? I remember as a kid I used to delight in finding something gross and rotten and disgusting and showing it off to my friends, seeing who would flinch first as we dug around with sticks inside some rotten carcass. Perhaps I was a disturbed child but I don’t think my experiences were unusual. After all, there are any...
Book Review - Lessons from the Road (08/22/08 - 4 Comments)
I still remember buying my first Third Day album. It was their self-titled debut album and I purchased a cassette copy of the original 9-song version released by Gray Dot Records. It was a bit rougher and, in my mind, a little bit better than the subsequent major-label re-release a year later. I loved the combination of Mac Powell’s voice with the southern rock and occasional bluesy melodies. I remained quite a fan of Third...
Reading Classics - The Religious Affections (V) (08/21/08 - 15 Comments)
This morning brings us to our sixth reading in Jonathan Edwards’ The Religious Affections. This week we had a rather long reading of the first sign of authentic affections—the first chapter where we really get to the heart of the book. Summary This week’s reading dealt with the first authentic affection. Here is what Edwards sought to prove: “Affections that are truly spiritual and gracious do arise from those influences and operations on the heart...
Who Do You Love More? (08/20/08 - 79 Comments)
I made my children cry. A short time ago my son and daughter came to me and Abby, representing both of them, I suppose, asked the kind of question little girls ask. It was a question they must have been thinking, or perhaps arguing, about. “Daddy, who do you love more, Mommy or us?” I thought for just a moment and told them the truth. They cried. The fact is, I love their mother more...
Book Review - Pollution and the Death of Man (08/19/08 - 7 Comments)
In the past weeks I have spent some time wrestling with issues related to the environment and creation care. I have been seeking distinctly Christian wisdom on this issue, seeking to learn how we, as Christians, are to understand this world and our role in its care and protection. Last week I turned to Francis Schaeffer’s Pollution and the Death of Man hoping and even expecting that it would answer some of my deepest questions....
The Highest Aim (08/18/08 - 26 Comments)
The Westminister Shorter Catechism asks the question, “What is the chief end of man?” Many of us know the answer. “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” While this is not a phrase drawn directly from Scripture, the wisdom behind it surely is. The Bible tells us with great clarity that man was created primarily to bring glory to God. Thus the chief end, the overwhelming purpose, of Christians and...
Music Miscellania (08/17/08 - 10 Comments)
Every now and again I bring news of a few of the albums that have crossed by desk (or my copy of iTunes) in the past few weeks. Today I bring news of three notable albums. Evangel Rapper Evangel has just released a new album titled Expository Journey. At the web site for Lamp Mode Recordings, the label that released the album, you'll find this: "Many of you know him as a founding member of...
What Next? (08/16/08 - 5 Comments)
Recently I’ve been reading Media Unlimited, a book I stumbled upon while searching Amazon one day. It is written by Todd Gitlin, a professor of sociology and journalism at Columbia University. The book deals with the sticky subject of “how the torrent of images and sounds overwhelms our lives.” Through a couple of [long!] chapters, I’ve already been given much to think about. This brief excerpt of the book caught my attention. It deals with...
Out of the Park (08/15/08 - 20 Comments)
On Wednesday evening I was coaching first base when, from behind me, I overheard a chat between two of the parents from other team. “That first baseman was so nice. He would tell our guys, ‘Nice hit!’ even though he is on the other team. What a nice boy!” With just a bit of pride I smiled, knowing they weren’t talking about just any first baseman; they were talking about my boy. It was a...
Reading Classics - The Religious Affections (IV) (08/14/08 - 14 Comments)
This morning brings us to our fifth reading in Jonathan Edwards’ The Religious Affections. This week’s reading was a very short one—just a few pages. I know that several of you took the opportunity to catch up with last week’s lengthy reading. So hopefully by now we are all on the same page! Summary In the Introduction to the book’s third part, Edwards asks the reader to keep three things in mind as he describes...
Tomorrow, Today, Yesterday (08/13/08 - 9 Comments)
Last Saturday Aileen and I watched as some friends of ours were married. First was a beautiful ceremony at a historic Baptist church in the heart of the city and this was followed by a lengthy, enjoyable reception at a nearby reception hall. We enjoyed ourselves a lot and rejoice with our friends, praying for God’s blessing on their new marriage. As I was sitting in the church and as I sat at the reception,...
Serve God, Save the Planet (08/12/08 - 21 Comments)
Though I’ve gone on record as a skeptic of global warming and of the catastrophic man-made climate change that is so much in the news today, this certainly does not indicate that I care nothing for the environment. If anything, the reading I’ve done on the subject of global warming, while failing to convince me that CO2 emissions are wrecking the world, has reinforced in my mind the importance of caring for the planet God...
Joy Comes with the Morning (08/11/08 - 6 Comments)
A few years ago I went to Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, a Desiring God National Conference, and subsequently read the book drawn from those conference messages. I can’t deny that the speech given by Joni Eareckson Tada was not my favorite, at least in the live setting. Maybe it was her style of delivery or maybe it was just that the session came at the end of a long day but, while I...
The Family (08/10/08 - 1 Comments)
As you know, I often post favorite Puritan prayers on Sundays. Here is one entitled "The Family." It is drawn from The Valley of Vision. I think any Christian family member can pray this prayer with sincerity! O Sovereign Lord, Thou art the Creator-Father of all men, for thou hast made and dost support them; Thou art the special Father of those who know, love and honour thee, who find thy yoke easy, and thy...
A Wedding Day (08/09/08 - 2 Comments)
Yesterday Aileen and I celebrated our tenth anniversary; today we have the privilege of enjoying the wedding of some good friends. We are thrilled for them and are looking forward to spending the day with them and with their friends and family. I thought about weddings this morning and was reminded of my cousin’s wedding I went to last year. It was a beautiful, classy, simple wedding. While the service was great from beginning to...
Memoirs - Wedding Day (08/08/98) (08/08/08 - 12 Comments)
This seemed a good day to post another brief memoir. Today, 08/08/08, marks the tenth anniversary of the day this happened. It is going to be a scorcher. It is barely 10 in the morning and already the sun is hot. And this church, with no air conditioning, was never our “Plan A.” We had hoped to be married in a church just around the corner, a more modern church and one with modern amenities...
Reading Classics - The Religious Affections (III) (08/07/08 - 21 Comments)
This morning brings us to our fourth reading in Jonathan Edwards’ The Religious Affections. You can click here to read more about this effort. If you have not been reading with us and would like to participate, this is as good a time as any to join in. Next week we’ll begin the real meat of the book and what has come before, though important, shouldn’t hinder your enjoyment of the rest of it. Summary...
Open Mind, Closed Bible (08/06/08 - 96 Comments)
Almost eight months after my review of The Shack I continue to get daily emails about it. This is proof, I suppose, of the book’s continued success. I do not know if the novel’s popularity has peaked yet but can see that it is still at the top of its category on many of the bestseller lists. The emails I receive typically fit into one of two categories: the “thanks for the review” category or...
The Cost of Entertainment (08/05/08 - 8 Comments)
Why we watch so much television today is a question that will have many and multi-faceted answers. But in his book Media Unlimited, Todd Giltin offers solid statistical evidence for at least one of the answers. Here is a small table outlining the cost for a general laborer to enjoy the entertainment of that day, given as a proportion of his daily wage. 18th century (theater)More than a full day’s wage Early 19th century (theater)1/3...
Gum, Geckos and God - A Blog Tour (08/05/08 - 1 Comments)
Jim Spiegel is on a blog tour to promote his book Gum, Geckos and God (He is also author of The Benefits of Providence, a book I highly recommend). He asked if I’d like to participate in the tour and I thought that would be a great idea. So here are a couple of questions combining themes of both books. In several of your other publications you defend a high view of divine providence. In...
A Restless Evil (08/04/08 - 6 Comments)
It is a holiday in most parts of Canada today. It is known as the “Civic Holiday” throughout the nation and may have other names assigned locally (such as “Simcoe Day” in Toronto). It is one of those holidays that seems to have been created mostly just for the joy of having a summer day away from the office. We’re not complaining. We’ve decided to make this a quiet day and we have no plans...
King for a Week - Take Your Vitamin Z (08/03/08 - 7 Comments)
It was been far too long since I’ve had a new King for a Week around here. King for a Week is turning into King for a Month or more. Somehow it just seems to skip my mind. But today, because of the insistence of some friends and their reminders that I really do need to update this feature, I’m nominating a new King for a Week. If you’re new to these parts you should...
Catechetical Instruction (08/02/08 - 33 Comments)
A newcomer to the Reformed faith sent me an email. He wrote, “I am beginning to learn that the protestant world has catechisms. Do you recommend their reading and study? If yes, which one?” I thought I’d answer this today, relying in large part on an article I wrote a few years ago. Catechisms were an important part of my life when I was a child. I grew up in a Reformed tradition that placed...
Friday Miscellania (08/01/08 - 33 Comments)
Today I want to point to just a couple of items that have been waiting in my Bookmarks folder. Boring Sermons At a recent post on her blog, Deb Burton says this: “Your child thinks Sunday morning sermons are boring. The pastor is just another talking head, like all those grown-up shows with political pundits. His body language shows it. You think the pastor is right on the money - he’s biblical, he’s topical, and...
