W.W. Jay-Z? – Writing for Christianity Today, Russell Moore suggests “how Christian hip-hop could call the American church back to the gospel–and hip-hop back to its roots.” A Week of Groceries – I always enjoy photo collections like this one. Here is a week of groceries from different families around the world. How Introverted Pastors…
I’ve made it no secret that I enjoy Christian rap music (and I’m not above poking fun at myself, as I did with The Middle-Aged White Guy’s Guide to Christian Rap). Near the forefront of the Christian rap or holy hip-hop movement is Trip Lee. His new album, The Good Life, releases today and last…
Unemployment – The Guardian has an interesting (and revealing) article about the true picture of U.S. unemployment. “US unemployment data is set to show the jobless rate steady at 9.1% – but a broader analysis puts the true rate at 16.5%.” The Passion of Gaga – “Lady Gaga is not just a stage name; it’s…
Here is something worth meditating on for those who are in pastoral ministry. In his contribution to the book Reforming Pastoral Ministry, Art Azurdia shares some of the temptations that are particularly strong in the ministry of the gospel. To be sure, the minister of the Gospel is vulnerable to trials and temptations distinct to…
Resisting Consumeristic Temptations: How’s that for a snooty title for an article? But the article itself is not so snooty. I’ve been reading John Temple’s little book Family Money Matters and found a handy list of ways to resist the temptations of living in our high-pressure world of advertising and consumerism. It seemed worth sharing.…
I pay little attention to the statistics software that runs in the background on this site. Every time someone visits, every time someone looks at a page, that software makes a little notation and at the end of the day I can look and see how many people browsed the blog. I don’t look all…
Here is a new/old hymn that you may not be familiar with. It was recently introduced at church and has quickly become one of my favorites. Written by Horatius Bonar, it was recorded last year by Sandra McCracken on her album In Feast or Fallow. God forbid that I should glory,Save in the Redeemer’s cross.Counting…
Back in November I encouraged you to Enjoy Messiah This Christmas and I know that quite a lot of you did–you took in a performance of Handel’s Messiah. I’d love to hear about your experience. Where did you go and what was it like? Give me a brief report! Let me tell you about the…
A few weeks ago I blogged a short series that told of how I came to know the Lord and, from there, how I became Reformed. Part of my background is being raised by Christian parents. A little while ago my mother wrote out her testimony and shared it with the family and it struck…
This morning I let you know about a new book that provides background and commentary for Handel’s Messiah. And now I want to encourage you to take in a performance of Messiah this Christmas season. And just to get you started, I’ve done some of the work, at least for those of you who live…
I always feel like a bit of a poser when I say this, but I absolutely love Handel’s Messiah. Though I appreciate small amounts of classical music (to use the term in a broad sense) I am largely a rock ‘n’ roll type. Yet there is something about Messiah that grips me. I find myself…
It’s Tuesday, and Tuesdays are a strangely busy day for me. So without further ado, let’s get to today’s A La Carte links: T4G via Hip Hop – I don’t know that anyone could have predicted the Calvinist resurgence we’ve seen in recent years. And even if someone could have predicted it, I don’t know…
Daniel Doriani’s commentary on James is one of the relatively few commentaries I’ve read cover-to-cover. It’s one I enjoyed a lot. In his discussion of the final portion of James 5, I found an interesting story that I thought I’d share with you. As I read it, I though of my continuationist (charismatic) friends. It…
Yesterday was the closest I’ve come to not being allowed into the US of A. The trouble I have is that the rules keep changing, and when I attempt to find out what the new rules are, I am regarded with suspicion as if I’m trying to game the system. So I try to come…
My children are going to French Immersion school, which means that they spend half a day learning in English and half a day learning in French. Generally we are really glad to have them learning a second language. Where I don’t like it so much is where they are now starting to realize that the…
Mercy on the Baseball Diamond – Irish Calvinist has some good things to say about the Jim Joyce/Armando Galarraga situation. “Every once in awhile a news story comes along that really helps us to understand how we as a culture think. These are stories that blend in a bunch of social themes which represent our…
Classic Petra – I’m not sure what to do with this information. “The latest band to join the ranks of the re-united is the original line-up of the classic rock band, Petra! That’s right, before John Schlitt was the band’s signature frontman, diehard fans will remember that Greg X. Volz was the band’s original singer.…
I love the book of Proverbs and often feel bewilderment when I think of how few Christians, and Christian parents in particular, rely on the wisdom it contains–knowledge that is at once deep and wide. Proverbs is, in so many ways, a manual for raising wise, discerning, godly children. Why then don’t we turn to…
William Wallace Was a MonsterIt took fifteen years, but Mel Gibson has finally admitted that his portrayal of William Wallace in Braveheart was pretty much a complete rewriting of history. But even now he still gets Wallace wrong. T4G EarlybirdTomorrow is the last day to qualify for the early registration rates for T4G. As of…
That the Bible advocates and even commands the enforcement of the death penalty seems almost like it should be beyond controversy. The dignity God gives to humans, created as they are in his image, demands the utmost penalty for those who would recklessly and deliberately destroy life. Yet controversy abounds with many of those who…