I’ve now been blogging for a year! I’m very grateful to you, dear readers, for your interest. The numbers stun me: Well over 10,000 page views Visitors from 72 countries Most from the USA of course but hundreds from New Zealand Canada the United Kingdom Germany Finland How I wish I could know how you […]
Thy Representative Democracy Come?
When Jesus teaches us to pray for the future, his picture can sound a bit authoritarian: “Your kingdom come!” we are to pray. No matter how strongly we believe in enlightened, tolerant, participative government, when it comes to God we are in a monarchy. So what are we asking when we pray “Your kingdom come!”? […]
What Was That Name Again?
If there is one word in Scripture that I wish English translations could do a better job for it would be in the very first petition of the Lord’s Prayer. “Hallowed be your name.” Nobody says “hallowed” in ordinary conversation — so day after day, week after week, a whole lot of Christians pray for […]
And Where Does JESUS Want Your Community to Go?
From the response to Monday’s post one thing is clear: I’m not the only one who cares about community and mission. It seems like a bit of a flash point, actually, whether people see community life leading to mission or as something that stands on its own. I want to explain why I’m on this topic: Jesus cares […]
Who You Talkin’ To?
“Why did Christ command us to call God ‘Father’?” That’s question 120 of the Heidelberg Catechism, the first in a series of ten on the phrases of the Lord’s Prayer. They asked the question 450 years ago, but it is still a good one — and timely now for reasons the authors never would have […]