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Category Archives: Reflections
Bring Out the Champagne! The Party Has Just Begun!
Easter is gone, right? Actually Easter has just begun! The Easter Season lasts for 50 days. It is glorified in the PENT-ecost season. According to the Christian Calendar, Easter lasts until May 19th (Pentecost Sunday). But didn’t we spend ourselves … Continue reading
Posted in Apologetics, Beer/Wine/Tobacco, History, Home, Hospitality, Humility, Humor, Lent, Links, Liturgy, Lordship, Random Thoughts, Reflections, Religious Art, Resurrection
Tagged Champagne, children, Christ, Christ is risen! he is risen indeed! Halleluiah!, Covenant, Covenant of Grace, death, Depression, Doubts, Empty Tomb, Encouragement, Glory, hope, Identity, Resurrection, Victory, Wealth
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Maundy Thursday Meditation
Maundy Thursday comes from the Latin Mandatum. The word comes from Jesus’ command on the Last Supper to love one another just as He loved them (Lk. 24). The message of love is very much central to the Gospel message. Evangelicals are all too … Continue reading
Posted in Maundy Thursday, Preaching, Quotes, Random Thoughts, Reflections, Service/Ministry
Tagged church, community, Lord's Supper, love, mandatum, Maundy Thursday, new commandment, new creation, Resurrection, Supper, theme, tomb
2 Comments
We Need New Ears and Eyes
I began my day reading through Jim Jordan’s magnum opus, Through New Eyes. Jim is a dear friend and we have worked together for three years (09-11). I have literally read and listened to hundreds of articles, sermons, & lessons. If Jim … Continue reading
Posted in James Jordan, Psalms, Quotes, Random Thoughts, Reflections, Reformed Theology, Theological Thoughts
Tagged Bible, Body, books, church, communion, Culture, eschatology, faith, God, Hermeneutics, James B. Jordan, Jesus, love, Narrative, politics, psalms, Scriptures, Through New Eyes
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Preaching and the Prodigal Son
I often sit at my desk on Monday morning after a tiring and refreshing Sunday, and say to myself “Here I go again!” I just finished preaching and leading a liturgical service the day before, fellowshiped in the afternoon, and on … Continue reading
Posted in Lent, Luke, Preaching, Random Thoughts, Reflections
Tagged Calf, celebration, Elder Brother, Exodus, Father, Fatted Calf, Feast, First, Food, Israel, joy, Last, Lent, Luke, Luke 15, N.T. Wright, Preaching, Prodigal Son, ring, Son
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Why Most Christians Should Use Facebook!
It is likely that you are a Facebook user. In fact, over one billion people are on Facebook. And of course, it is likely that you are reading this article because a friend linked to it on their Facebook page. … Continue reading
Posted in Lent, Links, Pictures, Politics, Prayers, Quotes, Random Thoughts, Reflections, Tolle Lege, Update
Tagged audio, Christians, Facebook, FB, friends, Like, love, Media, photos, pictures, Search, status, Technology, Unlike, Update, use, using facebook, using media
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Should Reformed People Read N.T. Wright?
It doesn’t happen quite often, but once in a while when I recommend a book or a quote by N.T. Wright on facebook, I will receive a question that goes something like this: “Do you approve of N.T. Wright? Do … Continue reading
Posted in Christian Living, N.T. Wright, Random Thoughts, Reflections, Reformed Theology, Theological Thoughts
Tagged church, Jesus, John Piper, Justification, Kevin Vanhoozer, N.T. Wright, New Perspective, NTW, Old Perspective, Paul, politics, Providence Church, Reformation, Reformed, religion, Resurrection, Should we read N.T. Wright, spirituality, Theology, Trinity, unity, Wisdom, Wright said
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Herod the Fox, Jesus the Hen, and the Exodus: Lectionary, Luke 13:31-35
In these few verses in St. Luke, the writer plays on the animal vocabulary to describe two opposing groups. In the process it also echoes the exodus motif. In this text, Herod is described as a fox. A fox is … Continue reading
Jesus and Temptation: A Meditation on the First Sunday of Lent
As we embark in this Lenten Journey, we follow the footsteps of our Lord from His entrance into the wilderness and His entrance into death for three days. Luke 4 offers an extraordinary glimpse into the temptations Jesus endured in … Continue reading
Posted in Lent, Reflections, Typology/Symbolism/Biblical Parallels
Tagged Desert, Devil, Garden, Jesus, Lent, Lent Devotional, Lenten quotes, Luke 4, meditation, Temptation, Wilderness
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Better Than I Imagined…
I told someone recently that the pastorate is harder than I expected, but more rewarding than I imagined. As I continue to grow in wisdom I find myself more confident in counseling and exercising my daily pastoral duties. It is … Continue reading
Posted in Random Thoughts, Reflections
2 Comments
You are a Sinful Wretch!
This is what sonship proponents and some extreme Calvinists have declared to their congregations again and again. But is this a true biblical teaching in light of the redemption of Christ? My old seminary friend, Jake Belder, has done a … Continue reading
Liturgical Strategy
The worship of the Church accomplishes work in the world. Battles are won or lost as a result of how our churches worship God. Too often we act as though our differences over liturgy were simply differences over decoration, instead … Continue reading
Posted in Politics, Preaching, Quotes, Reflections, Reformed Theology, Word/Sacrament
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First Sunday in Lent: Psalm 25, David’s Distress and Deliverance
People of God, this is the first Sunday in Lent. And as we enter into this season we will take a look at Psalm 25. In fact, if you plan on meditating on a biblical book this Lenten Season, I … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections, Psalms, Prayers, Puritans, Preaching, Sermons/Lent, Scriptures/Sola Scriptura
2 Comments
Election and Mission
I think it was N.T. Wright who once said that conversion is never separated from calling. In the same manner, election is never separated from mission.
Posted in Reflections
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The Story of the Bible
The Bible is about maturation. The story of Scriptures is the story of growing up into maturity. It begins in infancy in the garden and it ends with a mature man in a new world. The story of redemption is … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections
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Festal Laughter
Peter Leithart quotes sections of Mikhail Bakhtin’s Dialogic Imagination and Rabelais and his World. In his discussion of laughter in the Medieval Ages, Bakhtin talks about how laughter invaded certain celebrations in the Church Year. In particular, he references the … Continue reading
Catholics and Romans 13
In a recent conversation with a Lutheran pastor here in Milton, Florida we discussed the nature of the Roman Catholic revelations of abuse in the church,which has been going on for decades. In my mind, the issue boils down to … Continue reading
The Trinity and Feasting
The problem with ascetic traditions or traditions that highly exalt solitary contemplation as a way of life is that it is inherently Unitarian. On the other hand, Trinitarian theology calls for celebration and feasting in community as a way of … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections, Trinity
4 Comments
Carl Trueman on “Should we respond when criticized on the blogosphere?”
Justin Taylor–who I am in the habit of visiting at least once a day–posted this interesting quote from Carl Trueman about responding to critiques on the blogosphere. Now Trueman and I would probably not drink beer in the same pub, … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections
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Government and Hubris
David Brook’s Op-Ed piece in the New York Times is quite insightful. He argues that “humans are overconfident creatures.” They tend to assume that they are smarter than they really are. But it seems that this human overconfidence has been … Continue reading
Posted in Politics, Reflections
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American Idolatry; Brief Reflection
I am one of those old fashioned evangelicals who believes God judges nations because of their iniquities (Amos 3:2). I also believe America is ripe for disaster. Why will we be punished? Because we have no sense of God’s judgment. … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections
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What’s with the Blog?
This blog has been in existence for over five years. I probably average 120 hits a day. In the world of blogs, this is just average. As I look back to my early posts there is a progression of thought. … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections
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Reflections on Water
I am quite fond of water. I grew up in a coastal city in Northeastern Brazil. The beaches were extraordinary. They were filled with poetry. Once you have seen Brazilian beaches it is not hard to imagine composing The Girl … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections
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Laughter as an Art
I have long been fond of laughter. If you have met me you know that I do not fear laughing. When things are funny, laughter is the necessary response. G.K. Chesterton criticizes those who do not know the art of … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections, Theological Thoughts
2 Comments
Acceptable worship…
Meyers makes an excellent observation in his discussion of worship as experience. Modern gatherings on the Lord’s Day (none dare call it that anymore) have become nothing more than “religious sentimentalism” (The Lord’s Service, p.28). Parishioners enter the sanctuary (none … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections
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The Gospel for the Community of Saints
The Sabbath worship is generally understood by many to be an evangelistic service. However, the central object of worship is God himself. Since unbelievers are incapable of seeing the majesty of God, the worship is not framed around the unbeliever’s … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections
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Jacob and Christ
Jacob humbled himself and served Laban so that he could have his bride. Christ humbled himself and served his Father unto death, so that He would receive His bride, the Church.
Posted in Genesis, Reflections, Theological Thoughts
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Our Allegiance…
Derek Webb said it best in his album Mockingbird : my first allegiance is not to a flag, a country, or a man my first allegiance is not to democracy or blood it’s to a king & a kingdom The … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections
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Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday to Professor John Frame who continues to be–after seminary–a refreshing and insightful voice in my thinking about the church and theology. And a happy birthday to my dear friend Pastor Frank Cavalli, who has been an example of … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections, Update
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Waltke’s Old Testament Theology
Waltke’s Old Testament Theology is a masterful treatment of Biblical History. His high view of special revelation, his rich understanding of the Semitic languages, and his interaction with vast scholarship in the Old Testament field makes this Biblical Theology particularly … Continue reading
Lead Us Not Into Temptation, But Deliver Us From Evil
Satan’s gifts are easy to master. They come with first grade instruction manuals. They are made to be mastered quickly and enjoyed rapidly (sex, drugs, alcohol; various temptations). God’s gifts are a little harder to master. They demand self-control and … Continue reading →