partsofspeaking

We sang a song this morning with these words, "Blessed be your name when the world's all as it should be .... " That got under my craw (where exactly is a craw?  sounds kind of nasty, on second thought). When the world's all as it should be for whom?  How self-absorbed can we get? It might be ok for me--a promotion at work, a good grade on a test, new grandchild, etc, etc.--but it could be, and probably is, horrible for lots of people in the world.  Let's get some perspective here, folks. Perhaps we could say, "God's in His Heaven, all's right with the world" but I don't know if that is a Biblical outlook.  Sounds kind of short sighted. Curmudgeonly thought #2:  Do we really need evangelo-tourism?  How much good do mission trips do? Curmudgeonly thought #3:  WII-FM - the most popular radio station in the world.  (and I'm not talking about the Playstation thing). Curmudgeonly thought #4:  Does anyone sit in church, hear the pr

Sunday Bible Study Lesson, Feb. 18 2 Kings 23:1-7, 10; 24-25; 26-27.   Even though Josiah was a good king, he couldn’t stop the wave of disobedience.   It was so deep within the leadership and people (sheeple). Why the exile?   Long-term disobedience to God’s clear law despite their history.   They had gotten so bad that they were having worship services to pagan gods in the Temple.   They were violent, neglecting the poor and orphans, as well as gross idolatry.   2 Kings tells the story.   There were three phases of the exile. 609 BC    .   The Assyrians were defeated by the new Babylonians (Chaldeans) and Judah became a vassal state under Babylon.   Babylon was fighting Egypt at this time for world power, and Judah was caught in the middle.   Josiah sided with Egypt and was killed in battle for it.   23:29.   In 24:1 we read of a rebellion; the first part of Daniel tells us this was when Daniel and friends ended up in Babylon in 605 bc.   This is when Greece and Ro

I am reading David Platt's book Radical and digesting its message.  To say I am enjoying it would be wrong, as it is not a book to enjoy.  It is a book to think about, primarily, to take seriously, but not to unquestioningly obey. His most powerful story is the example of the state Baptist paper that had two stories on on the front page.  "First Baptist of X builds $23 million facility" and "State Southern Baptists give $5,000 to feed starving in Sudan."  That says it all.  I don't know what state this is, but since he lives in Alabama . . . He calls us to question our assumptions (a phrase I keep hearing in my doctoral work and that has its value, but some things don't have to be questioned) about the equation of the American dream and the Christianity of the New Testament.  He is absolutely right, and I appreciate what he is writing.  I recommend the book. But how to obey?  Ah, there's the rub.  I feel strongly the need of the world for adeq

I have way too many FRIENDS on Facebook (term used ironically) and some of them are organizations or websites.  One of them is Tony Campolo's Red Letter Christians.  I occasionally go to that site when something on Facebook intrigues me. Such was the case with this headline, "Would Jesus bake a cake for a same-sex couple?"  The question infuriated me, not because of the reference to homosexuality but because of the assumption that Jesus' job is to bake wedding cakes, not run the universe. Red Letter Christians represents the left wing, Sojourners, social justice side of the evangelical community.  I appreciate their efforts to waken us to poverty and real need, but I think they are misguided, as much as I respect Campolo overall and know he is educated, a college prof, etc.  (That does not make him above questioning).  In calling themselves Red Letter Christians they are, I think, trying to find the real Jesus.  They don't like the Jesus of the traditional c

Because churches are so prevalent in the U.S., we take them for granted, and we take the ability to go whenever we choose for granted.  We think it is all about us anyway, so we find excuses easily to miss.  My attendance at church was a blessing this morning.  The choir sang a new arrangement of the beautiful song below O the deep, deep love of Jesus, Vast unmeasured, boundless, free! Rolling as a mighty ocean In its fullness over me! Underneath me, all around me, Is the current of Thy love Leading onward, leading homeward To thy glorious rest above! O the deep, deep love of Jesus, Spread His praise from shore to shore! How He loveth, ever loveth, Changeth never, nevermore! How He watches o'er His loved ones, Died to call them all His own How for them He intercedeth, Watcheth o'er them from the throne! O the deep, deep love of Jesus, 'Tis a heav'n of heav'ns to me And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee! The poetry of the