J.I. Packer: Strategies for Living

Knowing God by J.I. Packer was the first book of theology that I bought and read simply because I wanted to. It had not been assigned by any professor, and it was not related to anything that I was teaching at the time.  I wanted to read it because it sounded like an invitation to… Continue reading J.I. Packer: Strategies for Living

We Long to Belong

Ascend the stairs to the upper room. Crack open the door, and join Jesus and His disciples as they celebrate Passover together for the last time. Discover, with Bill Donahue, that da Vinci's masterpiece is only one way of looking at The Last Supper.  The Irresistible Community is a continuation of the life together which convened around that… Continue reading We Long to Belong

Managing Our Middle Moments

The beginning. The middle. The end. Every journey, every process has three stages.  Beginnings are exciting and full of promise.  Endings are satisfying and fulfilling.  The Miracle in the Middle by Charlotte Gambill addresses the murky middle, the time between two shores when people lose interest, become discouraged, or just drop out.  Charlotte's word of encouragement… Continue reading Managing Our Middle Moments

An Ocean of Theology in a Thimble

There is a way of speaking and writing that travels well, that finds its way into the small spaces of full days and busy brains so that truth, like a clinging burdock seed, gets caught and carried along for the ride.  Tony Reinke has portrayed this aspect of John Newton's theology in  Newton on the… Continue reading An Ocean of Theology in a Thimble

Finding the Way Forward

My faith unraveled at a Christian college. I know that’s not the way it’s supposed to happen, and I can remember wishing that a hostile, atheistic professor had bludgeoned me into my doubts with brilliantly irrefutable arguments. It would make for a much better story. Instead, the truth is I just got numb. The constant… Continue reading Finding the Way Forward