Receiving Personal Gifts What does it mean to give a personal gift? Well, we know what it means to give an impersonal gift. It’s the annual iTunes gift card from the step-uncle you only see on Christmas Eve. Or, it’s the “Jack likes books, let’s get him a book” that started in junior high and seemed like such a good idea that it hasn’t changed. We can be grateful, but we can also be philosophical....
So many of us are lonely. Modern Western culture — Christian and not — has all but lost its rich heritage of friendship. Below is my first try at writing out an idea I call “Covenantal Friendship.” I wrote this piece to get out of an assignment for a seminary counseling course. I’d treasure your feedback. What’s Wrong? In a 2011 address to the Biola University student body, Dr. Matt Jenson argued, “The Church is...
“Because of you,” spoke the old friend of God, trembling, holding back heavy tears as he looked out over a sea of remorseless faces, “Because of you,” he spoke, perhaps with frank shock and bewildered grief, “Because of you the LORD became angry with me.” (Deut. 1:27) . Moses These words are among the first of the last sermon of the humblest man of his time: Moses. His text, biblical history to date. His congregation,...
The theology behind the Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper, or Communion has been debated throughout church history. However, the continued practice of it shows that it is an essential part of the church’s life. In my experience, Communion has always been about reflecting on Christ’s sacrifice and repenting for sins. Growing up, it was always at a special and solemn service where people would usually take time during worship to confess any sins that they needed...
Both Nietzsche and the collective Christian witness proclaim messages of the redemption of humanity from its current state. But just as their worldviews are different, so are their messages of redemption. In fact, the two worldviews are so different that one’s message of redemption is incompatible with the other’s framework. In a world that has been influenced both by Nietzsche and Christianity, it’s important to sift through the differences. Although Nietzsche and Christianity understand redemption...
On my first day at Biola, Sean Hansen taught me how to serve underclassmen by serving me. Working with a good team, Sean gave my class the wonderful gift of a week-long freshman orientation. Instantly wanting to follow him, I interviewed and started working with his campus ministry within the month. Over the course of the next year, he took me to In-N-Out with his friends, helped me apply for his old job, and played...
The Spirit prays for us. We do not know what to pray, nor necessarily to pray for that which we do not know what to pray for. Neither did we know how to pray, nor even how to pray for what we do not know to pray for, but our Lord has taught us. He did not merely teach us how to pray, but he has trained us in his own Spirit. It is the...
Last week, I had a week-long intensive course where I learned about the teaching and learning process. While trying to take in so much information about all the different philosophies and methodologies of teaching, I also heard from people at various colleges, universities, and churches that are already actively in teaching positions from across the country and some from other countries like Canada and Columbia. It was a privilege to be able to glean insights...
In recent years, authenticity has become both an ideal and a polemic. Social media users have labored to capture the mundane in beautiful ways. However, social media users have also distorted and feigned authenticity by staging the mundane. Filters and iconic captions have been used to present a particular style of life that is filled with explorations into nature, scenic mountaintop picnics, urban renewal (and gentrification), and lots and lots of coffee. However, most people...
“Lex orandi, lex credendi.” Or so goes the ancient Christian maxim, loosely translated, “As we worship, so we believe.” If the songs we sing shape the way we think, we should be very thoughtful about the way our churches are led in worship. Songs are short, memorable, and have the capacity to pack in a lot of ideas. Arius, the brilliant 5th century heretic, popularized his ideas with catchy songs and hymns. Marketing teams have...
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