"But like when you're doing a jigsaw, you don't need every piece of the puzzle to see the big picture. All you need is enough important parts that stand out and fit together." -- Alex McLellan. A Jigsaw Guide to Making Sense of the World. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2013, 19. In his new release, McLellan argues, "The ordinary jigsaw puzzle serves as a guide to making sense of the world" (19). What do you think about this idea/image? In the coming weeks I'll share several excerpts from this new … [Read more...] about A Jigsaw Guide to Making Sense of the World
Quotes
A grateful heart
Thou has given so much to me Give one thing more – a grateful heart; Not thankful when it pleases me, As if Thy blessings had spare days; But such a heart, whose pulse may be Thy praise -- George Herbert May it be so for each of us as we celebrate Christ the King and prepare to enter Advent!PS. If you have not already done such, I encourage you to take time to reflect upon: What Are You Thankful For? The Spiritual Discipline of Gratitude (Mike Hickerson. ESN Blog. 11/20/2012). Living the Christian Year … [Read more...] about A grateful heart
5th Petition of the Lord’s Prayer: Lost Dynamic Punch in our day?
Thus, it should come as no surprise to find a consistent patristic emphasis on forgiveness as well (especially in times of persecution, when the Church had to grapple with the issue of forgiveness for those who lapsed momentarily from the faith). What is not so easy to grasp is the profound sense of connection that someone like Origen (especially) is able to see between forgiveness and prayer. Naming sin as such is not popular these days, and political correctness has shifted our concerns from matters of sin and … [Read more...] about 5th Petition of the Lord’s Prayer: Lost Dynamic Punch in our day?
C.S. Lewis’ humility in reflecting upon the Psalms
This is not a work of scholarship. I am no Hebraist, no higher critic, no ancient historian, no archaeologist. I write for the unlearned about things in which I am unlearned myself. If an excuse is needed (and perhaps it is) for writing such a book, my excuse would be something like this. It often happens that two schoolboys can solve difficulties in their work for one another better than the master can. When you took the problem to a master, as we all remember, he was very likely to explain what you understood already, … [Read more...] about C.S. Lewis’ humility in reflecting upon the Psalms
What is the greatest challenge facing the church today?
[T]he greatest challenge facing the church of Jesus Christ today, and therefore every local congregation, is motivating the people of God to engage in sincere, honest, fervent prayer. . . . we must not only pray. We must also reflect on the nature and the working of prayer. As we do so, we discover that ultimately all prayer is a cry for the kingdom. When we come to comprehend this basic truth regarding prayer, we are better equipped to become effective pray-ers for the sake of the kingdom of God. -- Stanley J. … [Read more...] about What is the greatest challenge facing the church today?