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September 29 No Romanticism in Sermon Preparation I was glad to read this on Justin Taylor's Blog: C. J. Mahaney: “”There is no romanticism in sermon preparation. I’m 56
years old and it’s still hard. I always get to a point in preparation
when I think, ‘This sermon stinks . . . and we are running out of
time!’” I might say it still seems romantic on Monday and Tuesday, but not Thursday through Sunday morning... Oops... I have a sermon that I should be working on ... not blogging... It's a good one ... but ask me again on Friday! :o Motherhood as a VocationWhite Flag in the Mommy Wars: The theology that many parents are missing by Mollie Ziegler Hemingway. Excerpt: How should Christians think about the Mommy Wars? Vocationally. You may have heard vocation
used as a synonym for occupation. But Martin Luther used it to talk
about every Christian's calling to particular offices through which God
works to care for his creation. We serve our neighbors as employees,
yes, but also as citizens, parishioners, and family members. Through
our web of relationships, we are the instruments by which God works in
the world. [...] Parenting is one of the most important vocations we can be given. Yes, the obligations of childrearing are difficult, but when the duties are fulfilled with the knowledge that we are doing the will of God, our reward is great. Luther wrote that fathers should not complain when they have to rock a baby, change his diaper, or care for the baby's mother, but instead should view each act as a holy blessing. September 28 R. Kent Hughes on a Clear Conscience"The
necessity of a clear conscience ..." It maybe totally hidden ... known only in your conscience, but ..."Conscious disobedience will kill our spiritual life. Obedience to Christ may appear to be legalistic by society's standards, but our conscience calls out. Some habit may be okay for others, but for you it is wrong because you conscious says so." "If your inner voice calls to you, heed it. Do no sin against your conscience. This is all so hard - especially today when conscience is dismissed as a mere safety device, collectively created to protect civility. But God's Word is clear - we must cultivate "a good conscience." "A good conscience" is the mother of a sound faith and there wherewithal to fight the good fight. This has been my experience. I can stand up to substantial pressure if my conscience is clear. But without a clear conscience, there is no power to endure or resist." (R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word, 1 Timothy, 53) John Calvin - "A bad conscience is the mother of all heresies" September 26 Collision Movie: Is Christianity Good for the World I am looking forward to the release of the DVD of the Douglas Wilson (Refomed pastor) and Christopher Hitchins (anti-theist) debate on "Collision: Is Christianity Good for the World?" Here is a 13 minute clip and another trailer from the movie. They do a great job of presenting a case in a patient, winsome, and understanding way, while still confronting the problems in the worldview. The movie looks well produced and interesting. You can see about 13 minutes of clips or so on YouTube below. September 23 Fun: Things Christians LikeJust found this blog: Stuff Christians Like. I will be following it in the future - fun and devotional at the same time. Here are some samples:
There is a book coming out too. Sounds good. September 16 Listen: A Charge for Christian RadioFrom Paul Butler, A Charge for Christian Radio: There are thousands of radio stations across the country today which play Christian music. A recent study looked at Christian Music Radio to determine what sets it apart from its mainstream counterpart. But the study didn’t look at the music itself, but what was said between the songs—and what they found may surprise you. Guests include Mark Seignious, Associate Professor of Electronic Media Communication at Northwestern College in St. Paul, MN and Ripley Smith, Professor of Communication at Bethel University, also in St. Paul. September 04 The One Article on Health Care in America Justin Taylor writes, Lots of people are saying that the best piece on health care is now
this 10,000+ word essay by David Goldhill entitled How American Health Care Killed My Father, published in the September 2009 issue of The Atlantic.
I don't know anything about Goldhill except that he is a Democrat and a
business executive. But the piece will definitely inform you and cause
much food for thought. [The endorsements of the article (all from conservatives) can be found on his blog entry, together with a summary of the 10,000+ word document.] I've read the loooong article and I thought it was very helpful. If we're going to know something about it, we have to be willing to work hard to understand it. For example, he distinguishes between health care and health insurance, which is pretty important. Anyway, everybody will find something helpful in here, and it is the kind of article that provides some common-ground understanding for discussion. 50 Most Interesting Church Buildings Bored Panda shows 50 different church architectures from around the world. And, I am guessing, each one wants to communicate some sort of architectural significance. HT: First Things September 03 Don't Get Eaten By the Bean Bag of Evil True and fun example of how we can be so comfortable making evil a fun and destructive plaything. HT: Life2Gether Blog September 02 Why Churchless Christianity Doesn't Work: Kevin DeYoung defends the institutional church.Goodbye to the TNIV The TNIV, the adjustment of the NIV to include gender-inclusive language, is going out of print. The efforts to be gender inclusive created all kinds of problems, more than just the loss of male and female pronouns. Here are some of the headlines: |
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