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?
Theology & The Practice of Prayer
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?