Lent is halfway through, we've set our clocks ahead, and Peeps are on the store shelves. It must be nearly spring, and so soon young men's fancies will lightly turn to thoughts of life. New life will be everywhere: blooming flowers, baby birds, buzzing cicadas. We know where this life comes from. But where did the first life come from? That remains a mystery, yet one which many young folks of all sorts seek to unravel. One group in Scotland has gone so far as to build their own "Chemputer" to help, and its first results … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Ask Your Parents Where Life Comes From
Lenten Humility: Recognizing Our Circumstantial Vulnerability
We are delighted that Bobby Gross, author of Living the Christian Year and who has contributed previous series during Lent and Advent, has agreed to write a new series of Lenten reflections on the theme of humility. Circumstantial vulnerability? Well, that’s a rather banal truism. We all know that “stuff” happens. Except, many of us generally don’t think bad stuff will happen to us, at least not anytime soon. Which is arguably good. I don’t think we should go around with excessive fear or gnawing … [Read more...] about Lenten Humility: Recognizing Our Circumstantial Vulnerability
Lenten Humility: Admitting our Moral Culpability
We are delighted that Bobby Gross, author of Living the Christian Year and who has contributed previous series during Lent and Advent, has agreed to write a new series of Lenten reflections on the theme of humility. In this series of Lenten reflections on the virtue of humility, we add to last week’s rehearsal of our human mortality a fresh recognition of our moral inadequacy (to put it mildly). In this pairing, we align with Psalm 90, which dramatizes these as fundamental marks of the human condition. Immediately … [Read more...] about Lenten Humility: Admitting our Moral Culpability
Lenten Humility: Remembering our Creaturely Mortality
We are delighted that Bobby Gross, author of Living the Christian Year and who has contributed previous series during Lent and Advent, has agreed to write a new series of Lenten reflections on the theme of humility. My long-time friend and spiritual mentor turned 87 yesterday (we enjoyed a delicious dinner together at Outback!). I get why his mortality weighs on his mind. I am a year shy of seventy and thinking a lot about my upcoming retirement with, not surprisingly, a growing awareness of my finitude. … [Read more...] about Lenten Humility: Remembering our Creaturely Mortality
A Case Study in Witness: Ruth in 21C
We appreciate Rick Mattson sharing this excerpt from Witness In The Academy: a guide for graduate students, faculty, and those who minister with them. Rick will be joining ESN in a live conversation about our witness in the academy Thursday February 29 at 8 pm ET. We'd love for you to join us by signing up at tinyurl.com/ESNWitness. As a speaker and trainer for InterVarsity’s Graduate Faculty Ministries (GFM), I find myself frequently on airplanes as I travel to campuses around the country. One afternoon on a flight … [Read more...] about A Case Study in Witness: Ruth in 21C