Between the Trees

Last night a friend and I were discussing the way pastors present grace and law in their sermons. Complex discussions about the grace/law dichotomy aside, he said something that I’ve been thinking about ever since. He said that where he came from they wanted the pastor to talk about grace, but they also wanted to [...]

Since the passing of Proposition 8 in California and this poorly-researched article in Newsweek, the Christian blogosphere has been all a flutter about same-sex marriage.
Sadly, most of the discussion sounds a lot like a clanging gong. (Although that may still be giving many of the culture warriors too much credit.)
Which is why I was sooooo [...]

Sorry for the lack of posting in the past few days, Eric and I are both on break from class and, apparently, break from writing in general. I’m sure we’ll get back to posting soon but for now I think we’re both enjoying the time off.
If you want an easy way to keep up with [...]

“When people in the church talk about authority they are very often talking about controlling people or situations. They want to make sure that everything is regulated properly, that the church does not go off the rails doctrinally or ethically, that correct ideas and practices are upheld and transmitted to the next generation. ‘Authority’ is [...]

Before we discuss a good definition of evangelism, I’d like to offer a story about the difference between what we make of the gospel and what it truly is.
There was once a rather misguided young man. One day, he decided that the attractive young woman he had been dating was, indeed, his soul mate. By [...]

“Preachers should take heed likewise that they hide not their meaning in dark speeches, speaking in the clouds. Truth fears nothing so much as concealment, and desires nothing so much as clearly to be laid open to the view of all. When it is most unadorned, it is most lovely and powerful. Our blessed Saviour, [...]

I had a conversation the other evening with a friend about the whole phenomenon of postmodernism. One of the things he notes was a discussion he had with a philosophy professor who argued that the real point of tension between Christianity and postmodernism was not about epistemology (how we know things and what truth is), [...]

Lately I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about ideas related to sabbath, rest, efficiency, and a health way of life. I’ve been trying to think specifically about what it looks like to live in a rhythm that agrees with the natural created order ordained by God and how that affects my choices on a [...]

The whole thing is worth reading but this one in particular is brilliant:
“Evangelicalism would be better if it would admit and address its authority issue. Evangelicalism consists, to a large extent, of groups and individuals waving Bibles and shouting verses at one another. Evangelicals use terms like “Biblical Christianity” as if they could actually produce [...]

Once John Piper was listening to a well-known Christian speaker talking about issues related to post-modern culture and the many problems inherent in a post-Christian culture that is ultimately relativistic and has no basis for law or morality. They’ve essentially sat on a branch, and then cut the branch free from the tree to which [...]