So often, I say to my wonderful husband (David), “No one has ever done that for me before . . . ” And he looks at me with love mixed with mercy mixed with pity. He says something like, “No one has ever filled up your gas tank?” I remember my Daddy doing that a... Continue Reading

A number of our presidents were adulterers, including Bill Clinton, John F. Kennedy, Dwight Eisenhower, Warren Harding, Woodrow Wilson, James Garfield, Lyndon Johnson, and FDR. And of course we have had other presidents who were less than shining examples of morality, e.g. Richard Nixon, the liar whose “I am not a crook” speech is famous.... Continue Reading

Intractable lovers of self, we find honoring others too difficult—actually, impossible. So we cast about for a way out. Many have good reasons. An anguished young man once asked me, “How am I supposed to honor my father after what he’s done to my mother?” It was a good question. I knew what this father... Continue Reading

Or could it also be that the same sort of candor that Machen demanded of liberal Presbyterians has been in short supply among those Middle Westminster types who benefited from the institution’s reputation but failed to acknowledge it — even worse, disparaged it?   Looks like (and we’ve known this for some time) that Protestants... Continue Reading

“Since the meaning of the Bible is vitally important to our faith and life, we will here briefly define a few key terms that relate to the doctrine of Scripture.”   The doctrine of Scripture is foundational to the Christain faith. But there is more to say about Scripture than simply, “The Bible says it.... Continue Reading

When pastors begin ministry in a church, they are the newest people at their respective churches. Relationships are already established among the members. That is why I’ve heard from many church members that a pastor did not seem like “their pastor” until about five years passed.   “I wish I had stayed.” I’ve heard that... Continue Reading

“Praying people do not view prayer as a magic wand to wave over the world’s problems, but an act of humility that orients the heart and mind towards a more effective way to approach complex problems. It’s an admission of our individual limitations and an expression of hope that someone or something not bound by... Continue Reading

“Some people pursue personal, spiritual growth through fact acquisition, amassing large–even encyclopedic–amounts of knowledge, storing it in their functioning but dis-shelved mental filing system. The thought here is that adequate preparation will prompt decisive action as if large munitions could make up for the lack of a battle plan.”   You’d think Pavlov invented it,... Continue Reading

“The death and resurrection of Christ marked an eschatological event in advance of the end of all things. So, for the New Testament it is not as if the kingdom was offered only to be postponed. A postponed kingdom or eschatology is false according to Scripture.”   I want to start this little essay by... Continue Reading

“Think with me about how different Mary was from many in the Pro-Choice movement. Mary embraced God’s authority over her life. In her thinking it was normal and permissible for God to reorder events according to his plan. This reordering should be embraced even if it was different than her own.”   I was rereading... Continue Reading