I skipped my first Valentine’s Day as a husband. I sort of made that decision on my own: “We’re poor,” “busy,” and “it’s not even a real holiday.” How perfectly sensible those words seemed at the time. We’ll celebrate our 20th anniversary this year! Let’s just say I learned a valuable lesson that first year. […]
A few months ago, I wrote about Quality Time and Quantity Time. Too often, Quality Time is a fiction we imagine that we can produce on-demand when we run out of Quantity Time. That is, Quality Time is fictional in the sense that we think we can create it with Minimal Time: “I am going […]
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 This verse came to my mind as I was reflecting on our recent board meeting. God’s work and grace upon Bethlehem College and Seminary is […]
The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. But with an overflowing flood he will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness. (Nahum 1:7–8) When I was visiting the British Museum in London last September, I was reminded […]
In a sermon the late John Webster preached in July of 2001 as one of the pastors of Christ Church, in Oxford, UK, he took as his text Paul’s injunction to the church at Galatia, Galatians 6:1–3: Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of […]
Has it ever surprised you that Christians incorporate ancient Hebrew words into their singing and praying? Amen and hallelujah occur in the Old Testament so it makes sense that Christians use them in worship. But what about the Aramaic word maranatha — “Our Lord, come!” — in 1 Corinthians 16:22? Aramaic was the common language […]
I’ve stood on the corner of 7th Street and 13th Avenue many times, waiting to cross the road from my office to Bethlehem’s main building. I like to call it ‘sanctification corner’ since I sometimes stare for several minutes at the glowing red hand across the street and hear the command “WAIT” repeat over and […]
“And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.” Genesis 1:5b Did you ever wonder why Genesis 1:5 mentions evening before morning? For years, as a young Christian, I wondered, “Since it is describing the first day, why doesn’t it say there was morning and there was evening? The day starts with morning, […]
Christianity is ultimately the story of one Grand Miracle. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Almighty God, the Eternal and Unchanging One, entering the world of change and turning, and taking on human nature for us and our salvation. It is the story of descent and re-ascent, of the highest descending to the […]
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, in either its original literary form or its various movie adaptations, has been one of the most beloved stories of Christmas since its initial publication in 1843. However, if someone were unfamiliar Dickens’ famous tale, a description of it might seem more like a Halloween story. A Christmas story about […]