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Is There a Doctor in the House? (Book Review)
There are few decisions I regret more than the desire to be “normal” again. After seminary, I dove right into a year of doctoral studies before realizing I needed a break. The break was glorious. I read all kinds of things, worked through personal issues, thought great thoughts, did “practical” things. And all the while, I was driven by this need to keep going, one that had been instilled at Dallas. And then a few years later, with a full-time job, a growing family, a mortgage, and some heartbreak in ministry, I wanted out. I wanted the book monkey off my back. I wanted to be “free.” I decided to…
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Respectability
Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side.And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Matthew 8:18-20 (ESV) For most of church history, it was easy to draw connections between Scripture and the best learning of the day. But as the scientific revolution picked up steam, it began to generate more and more conflicts with traditional Christian teaching about the world and the way that…
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Writing on the Way
Today I’m writing on my smartphone. Normally I only use my phone for notes, and especially voice memos, but I haven’t been posting enough and the phone is always with me, so it’s time to learn something new. I’m writing on the way to learning to be a better parent. I saw an interview the other day which really got me thinking about how I parent. The video was about agency, not parenting per se, but it helped me to see a missing piece. Still working out what it means, but the new direction has been a breath of fresh air. I’m writing on the way to theological community. One…
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Addressing Anger
Preface Preaching is about proclaiming what God said, and it expects the hearer to respond. In order to keep God’s words and intentions at the forefront, when I preach I always choose a passage to unpack rather than a topic to survey. However, on this occasion, when the pastor encouraged me to ask God what I should preach on, instead of a passage, I was drawn to the topic of anger. After extensive biblical research, I concluded that the passage that most directly addressed this subject was found in Matthew 5:17–30. However, I still used quite a few other passages to unpack what Jesus was saying, so it still felt…
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Zechariah’s Story of Grace
Preface Preaching is one of my favorite forms of teaching. I love meditating on a passage and trying to discern the best way to communicate what God has said. I think there is something unique about preaching on a Sunday morning: the whole congregation gathered to sit under the Word together. I don’t see it as an optional activity—even though it may look different in different cultures and circumstances. When we listen to the Bible as a church family, we are united and refreshed. Typically, I don’t share my sermons. I make them available for those who are interested, but I normally don’t draw attention to them. This is for…