I wrote this for the class blog, but thought it worth reposting here. Every spring we take the Presidential Leadership Academy on a trip to some location to consider the leadership challenges facing that community. This year we took a different approach. We are visiting key sites of the Civil […]
Christianity
I just received the digital offprint, available here. This was a germ of an idea in a paper I submitted for an independent research class with Dr. Barry Strauss in my senior year at Cornell way back in 1991. (Yes, I had multiple senior years.) This article is part of […]
Some Christians believe God rewards the faithful. So why did I get Stage 4 cancer? A powerful piece by Kate Bowler of Duke Divinity. She has literally written the book on the prosperity gospel and was recently diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. She notes the irony of her having written a […]
I am reading various sources as I work on my book, “Beautiful and Terrible Things: A Biblical Theology of Suffering and Grace.” I came across a lecture at a PCA church on suffering that included this argument. The Christian way to be ill is always to give glory to God and […]
This is my most recent idea for the title of a work coming out of my recent writings and talks on suffering. (See the page A Biblical Theology of Suffering for those links.) The quote comes from Frederick Buechner and is oft cited. I have used it for years in […]
No one. This is from “Existential Comics,” always a good read, and reminded me of Lamentations. I recall coming across those who argued that the biblical author(s) critiquing/challenging God about the justice of allowing Jerusalem to be destroyed was an example of the erosion of faith. It always occurred to […]
I was invited to preach at an all-campus service at the beginning of the semester. It was amazing to see the big auditorium in the student union completely filled. It was wonderful. It was incredibly encouraging. As I mention at the beginning of the sermon, I believe a preacher should be […]
Compline has always been to me the most gentle and consoling of the offices. I can never, however, escape the knowledge that, as they prepared to take him on the helicopter, I prayed with Mack our simple nightly prayer. “Now we lay you down to sleep and pray the Lord […]
We visited the Aachener Dom, the Aachen Cathedral, built by Charlemagne and his final resting place. We also went to the Schatzkammer, the treasure house. It held many beautiful and a few weird things. Below are three images from a large altar piece card out of wood. The proportions are […]