I in Them and You in Me

A conversation about the Lord’s Supper and Christian unity should begin with John 13-17, which is John’s account of the Passover meal just before Jesus’ arrest, and the feast where he instituted the Lord’s Supper. Of particular interest is his prayer following the meal, where Jesus twice prays that those the Father gave to him …

A Second Response to Matt Whitman

I recently posted this essay not long after watching Matt Whitman’s video about Christian unity. I posted it when I did in order to capture the rawness of these sorts of discussions. If I would have waited another couple of days, I would have toned everything down, but in doing so, I suspect I also …

It’s for the Birds

Last week Brenda, after doing some outside chores in the dark, said she heard owls hooting back and forth at each other. Her response was, “They must be pairing up for mating, since this is the season.” Given the bitter cold and wind, I was skeptical. But she’s been trained in these things, so I …

The Unbearable Weight of Private Opinion

This is an out-of-schedule essay that interrupts what I’ve been writing about. But I am an unabashed Matt Whitman fanboy, and his most recent video deserves a thoughtful response. He’s the host of the Ten Minute Bible Hour (TMBH) podcast and TMBH YouTube channel (two completely separate endeavors), and he cohosts, the No Dumb Questions …

The Presentation of the Lord at the Temple

At the time of Jesus’ birth, the Jewish priesthood and the temple bureaucracy were utterly corrupt. Many thought the heart of the corruption had been destroyed with the destruction of the Hasmonean dynasty in 37 BC, but as it turned out the Roman puppet dynasty of the Herodians was every bit as bad, and eventually …