I never tire of listening to Gordon Lightfoot’s song The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. I’m hooked from the first strum of the Asus2 chord to the ninth time the haunting guitar riff is played as the song fades out. The lyrics contain striking lines like this metaphor: that big ship and true was a bone to be chewed when the gales of November came early. But for me as a believer in Jesus and a student of the Bible, the most significant part of the song is the question Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours? In this post I explore how the wind destroyed the Fizgerald, as well as how the Bible speaks of wind and storms as a challenge to faith in God.
A Traveler’s Guide Through Suffering and Joy
Christian books on suffering tend to be either theoretical/intellectual or personal/experiential. They either add boredom to your pain or lather you up with empty platitudes. Not so this Traveler’s Guide by Dr. Karen Thomas Olsen. Karen dares to tell us that we can be changed by theology that feeds and leads. Imagine this, our lives can be changed if we take sound biblical doctrine to heart and live by it! Truth transforms!
I recently learned about Dr. Olsen’s book from a mutual friend (thanks Mary!). It turns out Karen and I both spent time at Grace Theological Seminary years ago, but we were like the proverbial two ships in the night. I’m grateful for this opportunity to connect with Karen, and for a copy of her book.
Clarks Summit University One Year Later
What’s been happening with Clarks Summit University since the school’s abrupt closure a year ago? There’s news about the campus and the former employees and students. Have we learned anything that might prevent similar debacles in the future? We’ll summarize the situation and conclude with thoughts on the future of Christian higher education.
Remembering John MacArthur, who “spoke to us the Word of God.”
Dr. John MacArthur passed into the presence of his Lord at the age of 86 on July 14. Tributes to MacArthur and summaries of what God did through him are everywhere online. Sadly, there are also a lot of scab-pickers who use his death as an opportunity to generate clicks by dredging up past controversies. I won’t engage either of those approaches. I’d simply like to share a few things about him that need to be remembered and, yes, . . . imitated.
Dr. Brent Sandy wants us to Hear the Word of the LORD!
What would following Jesus be like without a Bible to read? That’s how it was for most believers in the early days of the church. It’s called oral culture, and Dr. Brent Sandy’s latest book shows us why it matters, and how we can implement orality in churches today.
Pastoral Concern Letter Sent to Cornerstone University
In this post we discuss the delivery of the letter of pastoral concern by USPS to the CU Board of Trustees. We talk about who signed the letter and why others didn’t. We also reflect briefly on the unpleasant yet necessary role we have played in this unsavory drama.