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Seminary Retrospective
I recently noted that I’ve been back in Michigan for five years, which hardly seems possible. But it only just hit me that I first started seminary over 10 years ago. 10 years! I guess that’s part of the bargain you strike when you spend five years in grad school. Anniversaries like this sneak up on you quickly. 10 years ago right now my first year was already in the rearview mirror and I was diving into summer courses. I didn’t want to take a break. I don’t remember wanting to get ahead, but I distinctly remember wanting more. It’s hard at this point not to dwell on everything that’s…
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Five Years in GR
It’s hard to believe it, but this weekend marks 5 years since we moved from the Southwest to West Michigan. Since we lived in Dallas for 6 years, it’s hard to believe that we’ve been gone almost as long as we were there. It was such a formative part of my life, and by contrast our time here in Grand Rapids has been something of a blur. I want to reflect on that today and in the process catch you up on our lives. Our first five years in Dallas saw us living in two homes, attending two churches, but ultimately living in the consistent and structured pull of seminary…
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Not for His Sake Alone
One of the better known stories of the Old Testament is the time God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. It plays an important role not just in Christianity, but in Judaism and Islam. It’s also a prime subject of study for philosophers, such as when Kierkegaard used it as an example of an existential leap into the darkness. I’ve heard many talks and sermons on it, and inevitably the question comes up: why? Why would a loving God ask a faithful man to do such an awful thing? The other gods of the time demanded child sacrifices; this God was supposed to be different! How could He command…
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ETS 2018 in Review
Thanksgiving is almost upon us…which means it’s time for my annual review of the ETS conference. This year’s Evangelical Theological Society annual meeting was held in Denver, Colorado. After spending 6 years in downtown Dallas and visiting 8 other conference sites, including Baltimore, Chicago, and New Orleans, it turns out there were more panhandlers in Denver than anywhere. But the city was fairly nice, public transportation was very helpful, and the weather gorgeous for mid-November. The Rockies were only visible to me on the train ride in and out of town, but overall it was a nice venue. The theme for the meeting was the Holy Spirit. While I only…
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A Poem
I used to write song lyrics all the time, but I never wrote much poetry. I enjoyed it when I did, but writing songs was usually more interesting to me. However, sometimes the poetry comes out instead. As it did with this piece I wrote after hearing about a friend’s death. I stumble across it every few years and I thought this time I should share it in her memory. 1/29/2010 I recall the cushy chairIn attic spaceYou first in placeSmall cadreDark corners I recall the old manDancing zydecoBefore MenanderYou joined unbiddenBefore us all I recall the yellow lightYou, Bret, DavidASL, IPAFamiliar and foreignBoth dancing in your eyes I remember…