Recently a very popular pastor came under public attack, lost numerous speaking invitations, and had his radio program canceled. What was his sin? He counseled a grandmother to attend her trans grandchild’s wedding. The pastor himself is extremely conservative on matters of marriage and sexuality, and his theological position on these issues has not changed. … More Fundamentalism’s Folly (Skye Jethani)
Let’s talk about hobbits and dwarves, wine barrels and baptism today, asking Paul’s question: “Into what were you baptized?” Like the Bilbo and the dwarves held captive by the Wood-elves, we need to be dunked into the barrel of baptism to rescue us from the bonds of the World, the Flesh and the Devil. … More Barrels Out of Bonds
Something is rotten in the vineyard. The owner will soon return, and will he cut us down, or give us time to heal this mess we’ve made? … More Rotten Fruit in God’s Vineyard
The Book of Jonah is a Sunday school favorite, yet hidden beneath its cartoon like drama lies a very scathing socio-religious warning—a warning aimed at the people who would claim to be on “God’s side.” … More Shipwrecked 2: Jonah and the Despised Other
Sometimes God calms the storm, but other times the ship goes down. We need to represent Christ in either case. … More Shipwrecked 1: Hymenaeus and Alexander
It is not the sins we are tempted to commit that ought to frighten us, but the acts of justice we are never inspired to attempt. … More More Than Sin-Avoidance (Skye Jethani)
This is a classic piece by N.T. Wright re-examining the meaning of some biblical texts in their Jewish context that have been hijacked by other interpretive schemes over the years. From Bible Review, August 2001, reprinted at NTWrightPage. Little did Paul know how his colorful metaphors for Jesus’ second coming would be misunderstood two millennia later. … More Farewell to the Rapture (N.T. Wright)
Join us as we continue our journey through 1 Peter verse by verse! Last post we explored 1:13-16 where Peter helps us set our hopes not on any earthly hope but on the salvation realities found in Christ. In a world driven about by knee-jerk emotionalism and untamed desires, we are called to be driven instead by minds … More Why Fear a God of Love? (1 Peter 1:17-19)
Jesus is the fullest revelation of God’s character. “If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father,” Jesus said. God looks like Jesus. If you want to know the character of God, look at Jesus. I reread Jonathan Edwards’ famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, recently. I simply read paragraph after paragraph, … More An Angry God?
A very “meaty” article today at Jesus Creed navigating the tough theological topics of God’s “election,” “salvation,” and “judgment” interacting with the views of Calvinism, Arminianism, Barth’s third way and a newer concept called “missional election.” Go check it out HERE. Here’s a snippet: We, the Church, have been elected for mission. But this emphatically does not mean … More Judgment, Salvation & “Missional Election”
The last time Pastor Piper offered his theological commentary on a local disaster (35W Interstate Bridge Collapse) it sparked a lengthy response from Pastor Greg Boyd. So, naturally, I have been waiting for Boyd to weigh in on Piper’s recent interpretation of the Minneapolis “Tornado Warning.” Here it is. Check out Boyd’s response HERE. Well, … More Greg Boyd Responds to Piper’s Tornado Warning
There is a lot of discussion over Pastor John Piper’s statement that God sent a tornado to Minneapolis yesterday to warn the ELCA leaders not to condone homosexuality. Read more about it HERE. This story has my head spinning and my theology challenged. I feel I need to come clean with my confusion because I … More God & Tornados: A Personal Confession
Jeremy L. Berg 