Mack

John Piper’s Warped & Harmful Teaching on Suffering   Recently updated!

 in Christianity / Faith / Grace / Grief / Lamentations / Mack / Suffering  tagged Creation / Genesis / John Piper / Predestination / Suffering and Grace by

A few caveats to begin. Although I have known of John Piper for years, I am just now coming to read his teachings on suffering and the sovereignty of God. The book by that name is graciously made available for free download on his “Desiring God” site and is worth reading; there are multiple authors with thought-provoking comments. It was published in 2006. Finally, I know that he and the other contributors are motivated by […]

Permission to Lament   Recently updated!

 in Bible / Christianity / Death / Faith / Grief / Lamentations / Mack  tagged Grief / Lament / Mack / Suffering and Grace by

Shortly after Mack died our good friend and colleague Gary Knoppers gave me Nicholas Wolterstorff’s Lament for a Son. Gary included a brief note, offering his condolences and sharing that NW had been one of his “main profs” at Calvin and that Eric, the son who had died in a tragic accident, had been his friend and housemate. Gary died shortly before Christmas, taken far too early by cancer, but leaving an incredible legacy of […]

Why did the Son of God Suffer?

 in Christianity / Death / Faith / Grief / Lamentations / Mack / Suffering  tagged Death / Mack / Suffering / Suffering and Grace by

“The Son of God suffered unto the death, not that men might not suffer, but that their sufferings might be like His.” George MacDonald, Unspoken Sermons. First Series. As cited in CS Lewis, The Problem of Pain, (New York: Macmillan, 1947), p. vi. Cited by CS Lewis in the frontispiece of The Problem of Pain. I am not sure what I make of the statement. Humanity had already been suffering for millennia by the time Jesus came, so is GM saying that by coming Jesus took […]

“Not sorrowing as those without hope…”

 in Grief / Mack by

Grant, O Lord, to all who are bereaved the spirit of faith and courage, that they may have strength to meet the days to come with steadfastness and patience; not sorrowing as those without hope, but in thankful remembrance of your great goodness, and in the joyful expectation of eternal life with those they love. And this we ask in the Name of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.  Book of Common Prayer, p. 505.   

Talking About Death

 in Bible / Christianity / Death / Grief / Lamentations / Mack / New Testament  tagged Grief / Mack / Resurrection / Suffering and Grace by

Specifically, how do we talk about it when someone has died? This article was posted on Facebook by my friend Fr. Jody Howard. “People don’t pass away” by Peter W. Marty on Christian Century. The site has apparently been recycling this story periodically since it was published in 2017. It is well meaning. I passed on the chocolate dessert tray in the restaurant last night, tempting as it was. I dread passing through the TSA screening lines at […]

Remembering the beginning of the Mack Clinic

 in Mack / PSU / Soccer  tagged Clinic / Mack / MackBrady.com / Soccer by

Over on MackBrady.com I have started a history on the clinic created in memory of our son Mack. New Year’s Eve was the 6th anniversary of Mack’s death (his Jahrzeit) and Sunday will be the 7th Annual Memorial Mack Brady Soccer Clinic. From the very beginning the Penn State Men’s Soccer program has been incredible in making this clinic possible. I hardly remember any details from those days after Mack died. The world continued to […]

Remembering the Unknown 2

 in Christianity / Death / Faith / Family / Grace / Grief / Lamentations / Life / Mack  tagged Grief / Mack / New Year / Resurrection / Suffering and Grace by

“It makes me a bit worried about what the next year will bring,” I said. “What does?” asked Elizabeth. “The fact that things are going so well.” It was Christmas Eve 2012 and we were finishing wrapping presents and a glass of port. I was reflecting on the fact that there had been three major areas of concern in the last few months that had been weighing on my mind and now, just before Christmas, […]

Holiday Grieving 1

 in Christianity / Grace / Grief / Lamentations / Life / Mack  tagged Christmas / Grief / Holiday / Lament / Mack / Suffering and Grace by

I do not remember when Grandad was first showing signs of illness, I was only a kid, after all. In fact, I hardly remember any of the dates from that time. Looking back, I realize how hard it all was on the family, the anxiety and tension that was palpable in relationships yet the source of which was a mystery to a boy just emerging into his teen years. I do remember that it was […]

Cars, Coffee, Theology – Verse 4

 in Bible / Christianity / Death / Faith / Grace / Grief / Lamentations / Mack / Suffering / Theodicy / Theology  tagged Mack / Suffering and Grace / YouTube by

What a fun honor! Jonathan Pennington of Southern Seminary invited me to be a guest on his new YouTube show “Cars, Coffee, Theology.” What a treat! You won’t be surprised that we talked about suffering and grace.   

To every thing there is a season.

“Where we find grace to help in time of need.”

 in Christianity / Death / Grief / Lamentations / Life / Mack / Sermon / TEC  tagged Death / Grief / Job / Lament / Life / Sermon / Suffering and Grace by

Proper 23 (28) (October 14, 2018) First reading and Psalm Job 23:1-9, 16-17 Psalm 22:1-15 Second reading Hebrews 4:12-16 Gospel Mark 10:17-31 “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” I love comedy. Not sit-coms like Friends or Brooklyn 99, I enjoy those very much, but what I really love are stand-up comics, the British panel quiz shows, and topical humor like NPR’s Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me. The latter is celebrating their […]