Video Tribute to Billy Abraham
For those of you who knew, loved, and/or admired Billy Abraham, here is a video tribute that was shown at the reception after his funeral:
Clean Water in the Slums of Nairobi
In October of this year I had the privilege of traveling to Nairobi, Kenya, with a small group from Springdale First UMC (Springdale, Arkansas) and Stillwater UMC (Dayton, Ohio). Our work was with the Huruma Tent of Prayer in Mathare, the third largest slum in Africa. The focus of the trip was the provision of…
A Western Dark Age?
I was very concerned reading an article on The Upheaval by N. S. Lyons called “There Is No Liberal West.” Lyons holds that no Western country is any longer committed to principles of liberalism. He summarizes these principles as follows: that individuals possess universal and inalienable natural rights; that “liberty of conscience is every man’s…
Modern Christians and “Two Ways” Theology
Justus Hunter and I just read through the Apostolic Fathers with our Doctor of Ministry students. While reading, I was struck with the prevalence of “two ways” theology in these writings. It is most plainly stated in the opening line of the Diadache: “There are two ways: one of life and one of death. And…
2 Clement on the Prosperity Gospel
2 Clement is one of the writings of the Apostolic Fathers. It was probably written sometime in the first half of the second century. It’s an early Christian sermon on the Christian moral life and the nature of the church. Toward the end of the work, the author takes a shot at what looks like…
Hello Again, and a Eulogy
I haven’t blogged on this site in over a year. That’s mainly because I’ve poured most of my public writing into Firebrand, and in all likelihood most of my more substantive pieces for public consumption will continue to appear there. My hope, though, is to post shorter pieces here from time to time. I recently…
The Pandemic in the Slums of Nairobi
Some time back I met a remarkable Christian leader named Davies Musigo. He is the pastor of the Huruma Tent of Prayer United Methodist Church in Nairobi, Kenya. Davies is a humble, dedicated leader who oversees many different ministries with very few resources. I’d encourage you to listen to the eye-opening interview we did with…
Recommended: The Marks of Scripture
Many Christians today simply have no functional doctrine of Scripture. We may affirm that Scripture is “inspired” or “the word of God,” but we don’t fill these terms up with very much content. Some Protestant traditions affirm biblical inerrancy. Roman Catholics have a well-developed set of doctrinal statements on Scripture. For many of us in…
Are Methodists Arminians?
I often hear that Methodists are Arminians, rather than Calvinists. This is true, but only in a limited sense. Wesley did publish the Arminian Magazine later in life, though he and Calvin had far more in common than we often acknowledge. His indebtedness to Arminius, moreover, was particularly related to notions of grace, free will,…
A New Study Bible From Baylor
Baylor University Press has just released the Baylor Annotated Study Bible, edited by W. H. Bellinger, Jr., and Todd D. Still. From the back cover: The Baylor Annotated Study Bible represents a monumental collaborative effort, bringing together nearly seventy biblical scholars–Baylor faculty, graduates, affiliates, and friends–to refresh our view of the sacred texts. A reliable…