I've been really enjoying The Lord of Psalm 23 by David Gibson. It's a series of sermons Gibson preached on Psalm 23 which explore how Jesus Christ is our Shepherd, Companion, and Host. As a Shepherd, Christ provides for and leads His people. As a Companion, Christ is with us in our trials, our sufferings, and the valley of the shadow of death. As our Host, He invites us, and welcomes us, and "prepares us a table in the presence of our enemies." Here's a beautiful poem Gibson quotes in his book: The Lord my shepherd rules my lifeand gives me all I need;He leads me by refreshing … [Read more...] about Beautiful Poem on Psalm 23
Practical Ministry
Zechariah, Mary, and Trust
For those of us following the Christmas story, we see an amazing pair of dialogues in Luke 1. Zechariah and Mary are each visited by the angel Gabriel. Each is told of a miraculous birth to occur. One will be John the Baptist, the other Jesus Christ. Each asks what sounds like a similar question. But Zechariah receives a rebuke and Mary sings a Magnificat. What's the difference? Z's question stems from a posture of distrust and Mary's from a posture of trust. There's a world of difference between How shall I know this? (Zechariah) and How will this be? (Mary). One says "I don't believe … [Read more...] about Zechariah, Mary, and Trust
Live Not By Lies
Dreher's thesis in Live Not By Lies is that Western society, and America in particular, is sliding towards a soft totalitarianism. A totalitarian state is "one that aspires to nothing less than defining and controlling reality." Soft totalitarianism appeals to pleasure and comfort more than threats of pain and punishment. It's more Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and less George Orwell's 1984. This soft totalitarianism, argues Dreher, will be supported by a nexus of big business (Fortune 500 companies and others), big tech - social media, and consumer habit data collection mechanisms in … [Read more...] about Live Not By Lies
Isaac Newton on Intelligent Design
"But though these bodies may indeed persevere in their orbits by the mere laws of gravity, yet they could by no means have at first deriv'd the regular position of the orbits themselves from those laws...This most beautiful System of the Sun, Planets and Comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful being." Isaac Newton, General Scholium from the Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy (1729) More in this great lecture: https://youtu.be/64WpGhpjkHg … [Read more...] about Isaac Newton on Intelligent Design
Interview with Tommy McGregor (The Transmission)
Tommy McGregor works with The Transmission, a ministry geared at helping parents and students with the transition to life after high school. It was a pleasure to speak with him this morning about how students can prepare to thrive at college. The Skype interview was part of a Senior Summit project that The Transmission will be releasing in a few weeks. Update: The Senior Summit, an online video summit about the transition to the challenges of college life, is now available as a free resource. … [Read more...] about Interview with Tommy McGregor (The Transmission)
Must all Graduates Wander Aimlessly in Their Twenties?
Until recently, a bachelor’s degree was a sure ticket to social mobility and a promising career. But today’s graduates face unprecedented headwinds in the form of declining wages, ballooning student debt, and greater competition for fewer jobs. That’s the case journalist Jeff Selingo makes in an insightful new book, There is Life After College (HarperCollins). “The plight of today’s young adults,” writes Selingo, “is a result of a longer-term shift in the global workforce that is having an outsized impact on people in their twenties who have little work experience.” Selingo presents his … [Read more...] about Must all Graduates Wander Aimlessly in Their Twenties?