Mike Wittmer

Category: Theology

  • untethered

    Nick Wallenda’s tightrope walk across Niagara Falls is an important illustration of faith, but not how you’d think. I caught the last few minutes of his historic walk on Friday night, and I wondered what was rolling behind him on the tightrope. Turns out it was a tether. In his post-event interview on ABC, a…

  • Paul Beals

    Yesterday I received the sad news that my missions professor from my time in seminary, Paul Beals, had passed into the presence of our Lord. He leaves behind his adoring wife, Vivian. I don’t know what word to use here, for “adoring” or “devoted” are far too weak to describe their marriage. You will be hard pressed…

  • what you win them with you may lose them with

    My friend Eric Strattan sent me this link. It is long, but it deftly explores the progression of contemporary Christian music and its effect on discipleship and the church. The money quote comes in the last paragraph: “Despite all the affected teenage rebellion, I continued to call myself a Christian into my early twenties. When I…

  • dying for the Word of the Lord

    I have refrained from using this blog to plug my new book, The Last Enemy, but I mention it now because it’s an important counterpoint to another new book on death. It’s simply called Death, and it’s written by Shelly Kagan, a Yale philosopher, and published by Yale University Press. Kagan excerpts his book in…

  • it gets better?

    So many people have commented so well on the gay marriage uproar last week that I don’t have much to add, but I wanted to say two things. 1. Questioning motives is often a smokescreen. Last week the left repeatedly said that conservatives are against gay marriage because we’re angry and afraid of what gay…

  • dangerous concessions

    I read this story in Todd Billings’ award winning book, Union with Christ, and thought there might be a devotional in it. I know I should post more than my latest drafts for Our Daily Journey, but it’s either this or give all my students incompletes for the semester.        In 1857 a few white members of…

  • the gospel according to Disney

    Reading Hauerwas inspired me to tackle an American idol. If you have any suggestions for improvement, I have time to make them before submitting to Our Daily Journey. read > Philippians 3:1-11 We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, though I could have confidence in my…

  • no app for that

    I’m aware that I risk sounding like a ranting curmudgeon, but I think this entry for Our Daily Journey says something that I need to hear. I’d be interested if anyone thinks it’s too harsh. The target audience for ODJ is a 30 year old who might live anywhere in the world.          When I was a…

  • the death of Charles Colson

    I wanted to write something about the life of Chuck Colson, but since those who knew him already have that covered, I thought I might say something about his death. Many will say that Colson’s death is his final victory, his graduation into glory, the highest achievement of his earthly life. Colson was a leading…

  • voluntarism vs. realism

    I’m prepping for tonight’s class on the nature of God, and one of the points we’ll be discussing is whether God has chosen to be what he is or whether what he is determines his choices. Philosophers call the first viewpoint “voluntarism,” because of its primacy on God’s will; and the second viewpoint realism, because…