The dead are not dead insofar as we are bound together in the communion of saints, living and dead, and therefore our conversation cannot be limited to those who now live. Stanley Hauerwas and William H. Willimon[1] Robert Tracy McKenzie[2] begins Chapter 1 of The First Thanksgiving: What the Real Story Tells Us About Loving God and Learning from History (InterVarsity Press, 2013) with a sampling of the classroom answers he receives to the question, "What makes a good history book?" As I continue to read … [Read more...] about The First Thanksgiving: What Makes Good History?
Thanksgiving
Science in Review — November 2013
As you watch this video of an abandoned ant hill that was preserved with concrete and excavated, take a moment to marvel at the wonder that is the ant. They are the most numerous animal on Earth, and may represent as much as 25% of the animal biomass on the planet. There are ant species thriving in all but the most remote habitats. In addition to feats of engineering (of which this hill is not even an extreme example), their complex societies engage in agriculture, education, and warfare. Now, consider the classic … [Read more...] about Science in Review — November 2013
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
What Are You Thankful For? The Spiritual Discipline of Gratitude
All this month, my Facebook feed has been filled with friends participating in 30 Days of Thanksgiving, posting each day about something for which they are thankful —their family, their friends, the goodness of God's provision, etc. The regular practice of gratitude is an important guard against cynicism and self-righteousness and something that I endorse. Even so, it was hard for me not to laugh at the Facebook post of a friend, who recently left a PhD program in Second Temple Judaism and is currently struggling to … [Read more...] about What Are You Thankful For? The Spiritual Discipline of Gratitude
Praise and Thanksgiving
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V0TpO5M5qA Please join me in "hitting the brakes," receiving/practicing hospitality, sitting, eating, and giving praise/thanksgiving to the Lord our God.* … [Read more...] about Praise and Thanksgiving