Holiness Reeducation

Thanks to Scot McKnight for highlighting this great video from Dr. Ben Witherington III on the role of women. If I only had 7 minutes to talk to someone on the subject, I hope it would sound a lot like this. I would also love to be able to do it in a British accent [...]

A People of the Cross and the Tomb Some of us believe in the power of the crucifixion without believing in the power of the resurrection. Oh most of us wouldn’t say that. Nor have I read any doctrinal statements that support that belief. The way we live our lives, however, shows this to be [...]

What does the culture and church in Europe have to teach us about the North American church? That is one of the primary questions that I went into our European expedition asking. It is a question I have been pondering for some time. When we began to talk to people about this trip, I kept [...]

And then he told them a parable. He said, “The Kingdom of God is like a group of poor and oppressed people who are ruled by a vindictive government. They are forced to labor for the prosperity of others and to live by the rules of those who have conquered them. They are forced to [...]

How about a church teaching about persecution by “fake” kidnapping their youth group at gunpoint. How is that for an experiential illustration. Check out this story over at Out of Ur. Wow, just wow. Are you trying to develop a more hospitable, seeker-friendly atmosphere in your church? Here’s the first step: Don’t kidnap people at [...]

I awoke this morning at about 3:30 AM with a raging caffeine headache. I guess that makes sense since my body thought it was 10:30 and I hadn’t given it any yet. So while the family is sleeping I am up enjoying a mocha and rambling about Europe. I have offered some theological reflections already [...]

Our time in Rome thus far has been marked by two distinctive images for me. Their contrast is staggering and worthy of contemplation. The first image is from our visit yesterday to the Vatican. It was my first time in St. Peter’s Basilca and I was awed by the experience. The beauty of St. Peter’s [...]

Well we made it to Rome. Honestly I have been waiting to come to Rome since I was about 12. I have always wanted to visit a city whose history and culture I studied for many years, especially in all of those years of Latin. But, I am not particularly excited this evening. None of [...]

Well, it is Sunday night and we are spending our last hours in Portugal. The weekend has been a nice respite from the frantic pace of travel of the first week. Staying in Kyle and Jamie’s warm and welcoming home immediately relaxed the whole group. Spending time with their three beautiful adopted girls, Bruna, Nadia, [...]

It is Friday afternoon (I think) and we are on a plane flying to Portugal for the weekend. I love saying that as if this is the sort of thing that is normal for us on a weekend. “Hey honey should we go to Portugal this weekend or head on to Barcelona?” Everyday we wake [...]