What I think. What I know. What I think I know.
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random political thoughts
Everyone I know—Christian or not—is absolutely horrified by the night club shooting in Orlando. Besides one preacher in California who of course made the news, all people stand with all victims of gun violence. But some tweets and blogposts have implied it’s a struggle for Christians to love those who were tragically killed. There is…
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church confessions part 2
Here is part two of ten things to look for in your church’s confession. If you want an example that illustrates most of what I’m talking about, check out the confession of Cornerstone University or Calvary Church. 6. Does it set appropriate boundaries? One of the benefits of revising your church confession is that it…
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Church Confessions
For the past year my students have evaluated their churches’ doctrinal statements, and I have learned valuable insights that might help pastors and boards improve their church’s confession of faith. Such statements are increasingly important, but they are not always treated as such, even in churches that value sound doctrine. Here are ten questions for…
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hard and soft
This morning I told my children about the government’s instructions concerning school locker and bathrooms. My junior high daughter said, “That’s dumb.” I agreed, but wondered how to begin to explain why to a culture that is quickly losing the categories of male and female. Here is my initial attempt. Life requires opposites to get…
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boycotts
The main point of my last post was that our disintegrating culture is going to need scapegoats. This has happened before. At the end of the second century Tertullian said the Romans blamed Christians for “every public disaster.” “If the Tiber rises as high as the city walls, if the Nile does not send its…
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on Target
I understand the righteous anger that prompts Christians to join a public boycott of Target for saying men and women can use each other’s restrooms, but I think this move hurts us both in perception and reality. 1. Perception. As our culture steams toward what may be its tipping point, let’s remember that sin doesn’t…
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parchments
The late Verlyn Verbrugge’s book, Paul & Money, contains an intriguing discussion of how much money Paul would have needed to write his epistles (p. 100-2). I had never considered this question, and I turned Verlyn’s thoughts into an essay for Our Daily Journey. I commend it and Verlyn’s interesting book to you. “When you…
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Sermon Fails to Trend
Last week I submitted this entry for the new evangelical satirical website, The Babylon Bee. I haven’t heard back, so I post it here for your enjoyment, conviction, and/or critique, if you’re that kind of person. Rev. Geoff Cummings of Waters Edge Lutheran has been placed on administrative leave one month after his much anticipated…
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How to Talk to Terrorists
Sunday night at church I met a man who is a former missionary in Muslim countries and is now living in Grand Rapids. He teaches math at our community college and remains in contact with his indigenous brothers and sisters in Iraq, Syria, and Mali. He said several of his Christian friends have been killed…
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transgender thoughts
Some thoughts about last night’s 60 Minutes segment on Schuyler Bailar, a transgender swimmer at Harvard. 1. The episode contained none of 60 Minutes’ usual pushback. There were no alternate voices. No one wondering whether Schuyler had made a mistake. Instead, the segment praised Schuyler for sacrificing victories with the women’s team for back of…
Mike Wittmer 