It's not Christian to hate, is it?

What's the limit Christians are permitted? Dislike? Extreme dislike? Disgust?

I'm not "hating on" a person, unless the fact that Dell is incorporated means that Dell Inc is a person. In that case, may I hate Dell, Inc?

Let's step back in time...Read more

My doctoral supervisor, Robert Wilken, is fond of calling the Bible "a carried book."  It never just sits there in a vacuum, he says, it is always handed to you by someone.  And as they hand it to you, some claim, some context, some tradition, is handed down along with it.  Of course, Prof. Wilken is talking about grand claims in historical theology.  But the universal is also particular--the grand claims also play out in our lives.  I like the image, and it made me think of all of those people who have handed the Bible down to me over the years.  All the pastors, all the Young Life and FOCUS leaders, all the Bible study leaders, friends and relatives, who have at one point or another handed me a bit of Scripture, some little fragment of light from the Word of God, and said, Here, I think this applies.

This morning, the Scriptures were handed to me by a student at Darden School of Business here at the University of Virginia.  Apparently it's the greatest business school in the world (that's what I hear from the students anyway).  I support the Christian Fellowship there, and we had an early morning Bible Study.  So much of the Christian life is about learning to read the Bible right where we are.  Read the Bible in the hospital.  Read the Bible in the living room.  Read the Bible in Darden.  He carried in a little bit of Nehemiah, and we all read it.  He handed it to us and said, here, I think this applies.

Darden students are busy people.  I think it's how they prepare them for the pace of American business.  They've learned to cram a lot into their day.  And the most important thing to cram in is just a few minutes of Scripture to remind them of the far country to which they belong, the Kingdom of God, and to remind them of the language that is spoken there. Read more

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Tim Fary in a video describing what it was like to be a chaplain serving our men and women in uniform in Iraq.

Amy Julia Becker has worked with FOCUS (Fellowship of Christians in Universities and Schools), a terrific ministry to youth primarily on the East Coast, is a wife (Peter) and now a mom of two children, and a writer.

Amy Julia published this article about her first child, Penny, in First Things.

"Babies Perfect and Imperfect"  (click here)

Some PCA folks have created a new blog called PCA Conversations.

I love the irenic spirit articulated in their "About" link. These are thoughtful folks, hoping for charitable discourse about important topics in the PCA and broader church.

Excerpt from their "About" verbiage:Read more

In an attempt to take my cue from both Thanksgiving season and Hebrews 11 – where the author lists people of faith of whom “the world was not worthy” – I’d like to offer a list of modern day, prominent Christians I’m personally grateful for.

First, a few disclaimers: This list obviously isn’t exhaustive. It shouldn’t be taken as a wholesale endorsement of everything these people have said and done. Also, I’ve stuck with relatively well-known Christians for the obvious reason of wanting to have some broader appeal than listing friends and family you’ve likely never heard of. Most importantly, I wish I could list brothers and sisters who suffer for the faith in Sudan, North Korea, and other closed countries. These are people who make it through days I can’t imagine by looking forward to the “city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” I deeply admire these Christians, but I don’t know their names.

Without further ado, here are some contemporary, prominent Christians I’m personally grateful for.

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Tommy Parker lived on the streets of Charlottesville for 18 years. You could always count on seeing him on the corner by the university, asking for change from students walking briskly by. He was in his early sixties, but hard drinking and homelessness seemed to have worn another ten years into his face. Married in his twenties, he was long since estranged from his wife and daughter. About five years ago, a car hit Tommy at night and broke both his legs. Last spring he was hit again, and walked with a painful limp after. For a man as beaten and broken as Tommy, he had a surprising joy, always thanking “Jesus and God” he was alive.

Tommy died of a heart attack early morning October 27. He lived in a fallen world, a world that God is at work restoring and making new. While God's redemptive work in this world is visible, it is not complete, and not all the broken pieces get fixed, as evidenced by Tommy’s body and mind.

And yet, Tommy’s passing was not purely tragic. The Sunday before his death, he attended the morning service at St. Thomas’ church, received Communion and prayed with the pastor. The same brother who took Tommy to church gave him money for a hotel room. After nearly two decades of sleeping in doorways and on benches, Tommy died under a roof in a king-sized bed.
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October 2002 was an anxious time for me and all living in the Washington, D. C. area. For three weeks, two men went on a seemingly random killing spree that left ten people dead and three injured.  Many Washingtonians feared to be outside long enough to refuel their cars. I prayed for safety during just about every walk to and from the Metro and breathed a sigh of relief when I entered the station or arrived at my destination. And, believe me – you don’t realize how many white, nondescript vans there are roaming around until police authorities tell you to watch for them to avoid being shot. Once the snipers were arrested, most of us left our state of heightened vigilance and returned to taking our physical safety for granted as we went about our lives.

The sniper attacks often come to mind as I reflect on my attitudes toward sin. Scripture repeatedly admonishes us to be vigilant against sin and evil. But usually I don’t give it the attention it deserves as I go about my day. I certainly don’t often heed Paul’s advice in Ephesians 6:11-12 to “put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”Read more

Have you ever been a part of a campaign, a part of a cause? Perhaps some of you helped get out the vote for Election Day '08. Perhaps others of you have raised funds for the The Komen Foundation or a group helping the people of Darfur. Some friends of mine are in the business of campaigning against the rise of human slavery in the world and in the process of working this past weekend tangibly represented the Body of Christ in Chicago. This group set out to distribute 1,000 flyers and build awareness; and, as a result, the Church was displayed for the city to see. It is important to note that in all this social activism, addressing the deeper spiritual needs of both faraway victims and those passing on the street was at the heart of this Christian mission.

November can be cold in the Windy City, and human trafficking and slavery can be far removed from people's minds on a Saturday. However, this group of graduate students descended on Michigan Avenue and began to engage pedestrians. They fanned out in all directions …Read more