That's the title of an excellent article by Gene Veith on the doctrine of vocation. From the introduction: Whereas the doctrine of justification has wide currency, the doctrine of vocation has been all but forgotten. The word vocation can still be heard sometimes, but the concept is generally misunderstood or incompletely understood. The doctrine of vocation is not "occupationalism," a particular focus upon one's job. The term means "calling," but it does not have to do with God's voice summoning you to do a great work for him. It does not mean serving God by evangelizing on the job. Nor … [Read more...] about Our Calling and God’s Glory
Inside Tullian Tchividjian’s Early Struggle at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church
Drew Dyck has a great interview with Tullian Tchividjian about his difficult first year at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. I am thankful to God for this brother, who has blessed me in many ways through his speaking and writing. As Dyck reports: Tchividjian's church plant, New City, merged with the larger Coral Ridge, but the honeymoon was short-lived. Seven months later a group of church members, headed by Kennedy's daughter, circulated a petition calling for his removal. On September 20, 2009, Tchividjian survived a vote to remove him from leadership. An excerpt from the interview: Some … [Read more...] about Inside Tullian Tchividjian’s Early Struggle at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church
Ministering to the Depressed
David Murray, author of Christians Get Depressed Too (Reformation Heritage Books, 2010): David P. Murray is Professor of Old Testament and Practical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. HT: Justin Taylor … [Read more...] about Ministering to the Depressed
Freeman Hrabowski: Promoting Excellence in Math and Science
60 minutes had a great profile tonight of Freeman Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Hrabowski is churning out a large number of excellent math, science, and engineering students. I appreciated his emphasis on high expectations, realistic optimism, hard work, and cooperation over competition. He's right: telling college students "look to your left, look to your right, one of you won't make it" can become a self-fulfilling prophecy, as those lacking confidence conclude they'll fail. The opposite danger is to suggest success comes easily, a perspective which … [Read more...] about Freeman Hrabowski: Promoting Excellence in Math and Science
From Billy Graham to Sarah Palin
Christopher Benson reviews Darryl Hart's book From Billy Graham to Sarah Palin in Books and Culture. An excerpt: Focusing on the evangelical intelligentsia rather than the rank-and-file, he considers "the reasons that representative born-again Protestant academics and pastors give for political participation, their understanding of the good society, or the value of the American polity." The literary evidence that Hart marshals is impressive. He takes us through the writings of young progressives in the 1970s (Richard Pierard, David Moberg, Mark Hatfield, Richard Mouw), historical revisionists … [Read more...] about From Billy Graham to Sarah Palin
Piper on the Racial Sins of Our Fathers
Collin Hansen interviews John Piper on the racial sins of the church, today and over the last generation or two. Piper is the author of Bloodlines, a compelling account of how the gospel obliterates ethnocentricism as we come to see ourselves as a global people of God, called out from every nation into one new humanity. I'm about 100 pages into it so far and am finding it to be excellent, especially the chapter on personal responsibility and systemic intervention, the two perspectives used to explain (and propose solutions for) the disparities along racial lines that persist in our … [Read more...] about Piper on the Racial Sins of Our Fathers