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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
This post is a follow up-to Dr. Bellini’s earlier post on prayer during the pandemic crisis. It is reproduced here with his permission. 1. TRUE REPENTANCE: I feel strongly in my spirit that this is a time to repent from works of the flesh (sin), and to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit. The world…
Dr. Joni Sancken is Associate Professor of Homiletics at United Theological Seminary. Her interests include theological approaches to preaching, women preachers, preaching about the cross and resurrection, and preaching in a context of trauma. She is a member of the Academy of Homiletics. Her most recent book is Words that Heal: Preaching Hope to Wounded…
It’s easy to appear righteous when things are going well. Difficult situations, however, have a way of revealing those parts of ourselves that we would prefer to keep hidden. These are stressful times, and stressful times are tempting times. How should Christians live in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic? I recently posted a prayer…
The following originally appeared on Facebook and is reproduced here in several different languages with the author’s permission. 1. PEACE- Pray against spirits of division, suspicion, anxiety, panic, and fear that grip our communities. 2. LEADERSHIP- Pray for wisdom, truth, direction, compassion, and strength for all leaders (political, medical, economic, ecclesial, etc) in authority. 3. PROTECTION-…