“My view of Christianity is such … that I think no man can consistently profess it without throwing the whole weight of his being against this monstrous system of injustice that lies at the foundation of all our society; and if need be, by sacrificing himself in the battle.” These words in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin are quite orthodox even though the character who utters them is not a Christian. Rather, Augustine St. Clare he is an unbeliever and a slave-owner in the antebellum South who is critical of his culture and yet disappointingly not willing to stand against it. He continues, “I mean I could not be a Christian otherwise, though I have certainly had intercourse with a great many enlightened and Christian people who did no such thing; and I confess that the apathy of religious people on this subject, their want of perception of wrongs that filled me with horror, have engendered in me more skepticism than any other thing.” (321-22)Read more

For the first time in my life I found myself underemployed and the part-time and freelancing gigs I did have couldn't pay much and were inconsistent in hours. I had just graduated with two master's degrees from seminary and was at a loss for what to do next. On top of all of that, I was still single, my personal belongings were in storage, and I was renting a room from a family from my church. This is how I found myself on my thirtieth birthday.
 
Rewind a few years and I certainly wouldn't have envisioned all of that for my thirtieth birthday. I started what seemed to be a promising federal career at the age of 21, was surrounded with friends, actively involved in a vibrant church, and upon entry into seminary, did not seem too far away from marrying my best friend.Read more

 
 
This week, John Piper did the almost unthinkable. He confessed a growing sense of pride in his soul, and with his elders’ blessing, decided to take an extended leave of absence from his public ministry, as explained in a letter to his congregation. I’m deeply impressed that he decided to take a huge step back out of the spotlight before any egregious transgressions happened. It seems that too many of us don’t make such drastic steps until we hit rock bottom and have no other choice but to address our sins and addictions. The problem seems to be exacerbated with leaders and celebrities of all sorts – pastors, politicians, athletes, business executives, recording artists, and so forth.  Whether their fame and power make them feel exempt, invincible, or irreplaceable, an admission of such shortcomings often seems utterly out of the question.Read more

“How do I feel this good sober?” is a persistent question in Pink’s pop hit, “Sober.” I’m drawn to the brutal honesty in this song that portrays a woman struggling with addiction. She goes from feeling “safe up high, nothing can touch me” to lamenting her continued dependence on her substance of choice to feel good.  Over the past few months, I’ve listened to this song over and over, drawn to the truth and cutting beauty of its words. It reminds me of the frightening power of my own sin and addictions.  We all have them. For some it is drugs or alcohol. For others sex or pornography. But for others perhaps it’s building the perfect career. Or having the perfect family and home.  However our idols manifest themselves, they promise us everything yet in the end leave us with nothing.Read more

In the dimly light room, a man still sweating from his long bike ride said, “Hi, my name is David, and I am an alcoholic.” The others responded with “Hi David.” We continued around the circle in the same manner until it was my turn, when I said, “Hi. My name is Amy, and I’m visiting tonight.” In their friendly, if not curious manner, the group responded with their staple, “Hi, Amy.”

For the next hour, I quietly sat in amazement as I witnessed the most broken and honest group of people I’ve ever encountered share their fears, failures, and measured triumphs with each other. They grew strength from their common struggle with alcohol. Eliciting a mixture of tears and laughter, story after story revealed a daily fight with temptation, the tragedy of broken relationships and unfulfilled dreams, and yet a hope for a brighter tomorrow. Read more

Julie is the daughter of a picture-perfect Christian couple. Her father is an elder and a successful businessman and her mother is a devoted stay-at- home mom and Sunday school teacher. Julie was surrounded by love, security, and godly nurture throughout her childhood and her time at a well-respected Christian college. In the early days of her first job, she met Mark. His was a childhood much different from hers. His father struggled with alcoholism and eventually left his mother to raise three children alone on a high school education and little support. Mark didn’t go to church much growing up and rebelled quite a bit in high school. However, at his secular college he accepted Christ through a campus ministry and has sought thereafter to live a life pleasing to the Lord. Julie was immediately attracted to Mark’s humor and passion for Christ and he adored her giftedness, faithfulness to God and clear sense of purpose in life. The two began dating seriously but encountered much resistance from Julie’s parents, who were afraid of what his difficult background could mean for his relationship with their daughter. They urged her to reconsider her feelings toward him.

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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

It took a few hours to get home, but once I made it back safely, all I wanted to do was to stay in my safe apartment for refuge.  For the rest of the day, I alternated from talking on the phone to anyone from close relatives and distant friends to sitting in stunned silence. I spent hours flipping channels between horrifying news coverage and feel good movies in an attempt to escape it all. It was September 11, 2001. I had seen the smoke rising from the Pentagon on my way home from the federal government complex at which I worked. The smoke was the first real indication that the events on the surreal day were truly happening.

Like the rest of the nation, I had no idea what to expect next. My father telephoned to say that he thought I should stay away from federal buildings for the next few days. That sounded like a good idea to me! I wanted to stay right where I was in my cozy apartment in Alexandria, VA instead of making the trek back into work. But my boss had other plans. Along with most of us, I’m sure, I watched the President’s address to the nation that night. Among other things, he ordered his government back to work on September 12.  This was no time for retreat, he argued. It was time to get back to our lives so the terrorists wouldn’t win in scaring us into inaction.Read more

Lately I have been pouring over quite a gem, The Collected Works of John M. Frame, Volume 1: Theology, available on CD-ROM or DVD-ROM. As an RTS/ Orlando alum, I had the distinct privilege of being taught by Dr. John Frame, and I certainly cannot imagine going through seminary without his considerable contribution to my formation. Dr. Frame is one of the most brilliant Reformed theologians of our day, and also one of the most gracious men I know. So when I heard about this software, I knew I must get it!

Dr. Frame defines theology as the application of Scripture to life. One cannot walk away from Frame’s writing and teaching without a much clearer grasp of how to do precisely that. Frame’s wisdom, graciousness, insight, clarity and winsomeness will leave you hungry for more. And you’ll have plenty to feast on here. Included in Volume 1 are the full versions of several of Frame’s books on theology, including The Doctrine of God, The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God, Salvation Belongs to the Lord, and No Other God: A Response to Open Theism in addition to many of his shorter works on theology and audio files for 70 hours of lectures on various theological topics. Read more