The correlation between this post and the interview I posted earlier is entirely coincidental. This is another brief excerpt from Why We’re Not Emergent and one that I’m posting primarily because it made me laugh. My father, a hard-working landscaper, has often wondered aloud why Christians are so apologetic when it comes to artists. Why…
I am a little bit late to the party with this book. Released in hardcover in 2001 and paperback in 2002, John Adams is regarded as one of David McCullough’s greatest achievements. This is no little praise for a man who had previously won a Pulitzer prize (for his biography of Harry Truman)—a reward he…
Monday December 17, 2007 Christmas ProcrastinatorsIf you’re a Christmas procrastinator, you may want to keep in mind that today is the last day to qualify for Amazon’s free shipping. I’m almost ashamed to admit that I did nearly all of my Christmas shopping at Amazon this year! Mohammed and JackThe Telegraph reports that this year…
An interview with the editors of the Reformed Expository Commentary series. There have been a few times in the past few months that I’ve mentioned the Reformed Expository Commentary Series. This is a growing series of commentaries written from a distinctly Reformed perspective and targeted at both pastors and laypersons. Having used these commentaries for…
Don’t be scared away by the title. After all, commentaries are not only for pastors. So read on! I do not have an extensive collection of commentaries (though, for a guy who has only preached once, I’m doing alright, thanks primarily to my father trimming down his library). But of the volumes I do have,…
Monday July 9, 2007 Humor: Alex Chediak made my day with this. ChurchMerch: ChurchMerch goes to a new, even more revolting extreme. Music: I found this video really interesting. The speaker, Evelyn Glennie, is a very talented deaf percussionist and she explains how to listen to music with your whole body. Books: CT recently had…
Just a couple of things I’ve wanted to mention but haven’t fit anywhere else… Music: – A couple of weeks ago I received Asleep in a Storm, the latest album from Sovereign Grace Ministries. “Produced by Jeremy White, a member of Grace Church (San Diego, CA), the CD features a fresh take on nine previously…
Buying commentaries is often a difficult proposition. There are so many available and yet so few that are really solid. A good commentary is an invaluable aid in leading the reader to the cross; a poor commentary tends to lead anywhere but. With commentary prices being what they are, it hurts to purchase one only…
Thursday December 14, 2006 Prayer: A reader made me aware of this organization that looks like a worthwhile time investment for any Christian woman. Christmas: Still don’t know what to get that special someone for Christmas? I guarantee you can find something here. You know, like the world’s largest underpants. Music: As I mentioned previously,…
Tomorrow is Remembrance Day here in Canada, the day we remember veterans and those who sacrificed their lives to protect our nation. My son’s school is honoring this day today in the way many schools do: they are inviting veterans to the school and will hold an assembly. I hope my son looks in awe…
As Baptists go, I consider myself quite charitable when it comes to beliefs on baptism. I suppose this is due to my Presbyterian background and my ongoing struggles with fully committing myself to either infant or believer’s baptism. I have studied the arguments made by both camps and see beauty and biblical support in both.…
I have a good selection of systematic theologies on my bookshelf. They range from the very readable to the almost hopelessly complex. Some of the authors are clearly very knowledgeable but have not been blessed with the ability to easily communicate that wealth of knowledge. Others are great communicators but, unfortunately, do not have as…
My wife has a bad habit of forgetting what she has requested for her birthday and Christmas. We celebrated her birthday just a few weeks ago and, upon opening a study guide for the book of Ephesians she looked a little bit surprised. I had to remind her that she had asked for just such…
It was only through the providence of God that Sinclair Ferguson’s new book Faithful God came to be. The chapters of the book were originally written as a series of messages delivered at the conference of the Evangelical Movement of Wales in Aberystwyth in August 1996. But the spoken word and the written word are…
There are few subjects more debated and more hotly debated in the church today than whether or not the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit continue to this day. We have recently seen a great deal of discussion about this issue in the blogosphere. It is an issue which leaves many believers confused, unsure as…
I grew up in a comfortable little Christian subculture. I have gone to church just about every Sunday since I was born, I attended Christian schools all the way through high school and have sat through countless Catechism and Sunday school classes. I can’t count the number of times I had to sit through sermons…
I think the Supertones may be gunning for the record for the greatest amount of turnover of any band in Christian music. * Of the seven originals I believe only two are left. Several replacements have also come and gone. However, with singer/songwriter Mojo (Matt Morginsky) still firmly at the helm, their sound and general…
Just for kicks, here are some links to fully legal MP3s. Grassroots Music has a huge selection of legal downloads from some major releases (By The Tree, Tree 63, Derek Webb, Carolyn Arends, etc). Third Day has 3 bootlegs you can download. Jason McGibbon (a good friend of mine) has the song I Am Broken…
The New York Times reported this week that Christian music is “disproportionately popular” in the online filesharing services. For example, last month almost 350,000 people downloaded songs by Relient K and over 2 million people are offering Switchfoot songs. This is Gospel Music Association week in Nashville and apparently “high on the agenda [of the…
Two completely unrelated events gave me the inspiration for this article. The first was an awards show that I did not watch and the second was a drive home from a rather dull meeting. The American Music Awards were presented this week and for just the third year, one was presented in the category of…