January 2012
1 post
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“A leading man in the Confessing Church recently said to me: ‘We have no...”
– Dieterich Bonhoeffer
December 2011
1 post
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November 2011
2 posts
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Book Review: The King Jesus Gospel
One of the things I love about the holidays is a little extra time to read. I’ve been really enjoying that this season, as I’m now posting my second review in three days, this time moving from the world of fiction to Christian Ministry/Theology with Scot McKnight’s The King Jesus Gospel: The Original Good News Revisited.
I’ll cut right to the chase: Over on GoodReads, I...
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Book Review: The Litigators
I just finished John Grisham’s latest offering, The Litigators. I’ve read every book Grisham has written, and I am a big fan of his. While I have generally felt that his writing has been tailing off a bit in quality, I still love most everything he’s written. And I loved this book. I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Grisham is masterful at developing characters the reader grows to...
September 2011
3 posts
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“When we can hardly find any instances of our favorite theological category in...”
– @scotmcknight, “The King Jesus Gospel”
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"I Smell Cookies"
Occasionally, after Kari and I put the boys to bed and all is quiet in our home, we’ll preheat the oven to 375 degrees and enjoy one of our favorite treats, chocolate chip cookies. In fact, we like chocolate chip cookies so much that we had those for dessert at our wedding instead of wedding cake.
A couple weeks ago, having just removed our cookies from the oven in all their piping hot...
July 2011
2 posts
2 tags
“What the gospel does is show us that Jesus’ life from a purely earthly...”
– Lesslie Newbigin
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NYC 2011: Ways I Know I'm the Old Guy
So, during my recent trip to NYC2011 as a sponsor with the North Central Ohio District NYI, I began a list of ways I knew I was the old guy. This list was apparently met with delight by many, especially those who work or have worked in youth ministry. So, back by popular demand, here’s the complete list of Ways I Know I’m the Old Guy!
I’m way more excited about Francis Chan than...
May 2011
8 posts
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A Hypothetical Scenario
Let us discuss a hypothetical scenario:
There are two baseball teams. They shall be called “Team A” and “Team B.” Here are some events that have taken place between the two teams in the last year or so:
During a ruckus, a player from Team B uses his steel spikes to kick two players from Team A. One of these players has his back bloodied and torn up. The other, who was...
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Bonhoeffer: Chapter 14
This chapter details the start of Bonhoeffer’s ministry to two congregations in London. It is noted that, even though his services were sparsely attended, Bonhoeffer prepared as if he were “preaching to thousands.” It would serve us all well to do our jobs this way!
In this chapter, Metaxas also speaks of Bonhoeffer’s close relationship with two individuals: George Bell...
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Bonhoeffer: Chapter 13
In the fall of 1933, Bonhoeffer and several others set about writing The Bethel Confession, hoping it would become a document the German Christians would have to answer to. The idea was to state precisely what it was a true follower of Christ should believe, and then have the German Christians either sign off or deny it. Of course, the Aryan Paragraph (which excluded Jews from being able to serve...
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Book Review: The Extra 2%
Worst-to-first. It’s an age-old cliché that is seldom achieved, but when it is, everyone wants to know the details. How did you do it?
Jonah Keri presents an adequate description of perhaps the most unlikely of such events, the sudden and unexpected rise of the Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays in the brutal American League East. The very concept is so far-fetched, catching and passing the filthy-rich New...
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Bonhoeffer: Chapter 12
In 1933 in Germany, the church struggle began in earnest. Hitler was pushing for Ludwig Muller to become Reich Bishop, the person to head up the united church he was proposing for the country. Instead, the bishops of the church, having no respect and in fact great disdain for Muller, elected the well-loved Friedrich von Bodelschwingh. Muller hooted and hollered about Bodelschwingh’s...
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Bonhoeffer: Chapter 11
The eleventh chapter, which covered Nazi theology, was a great reminder of what a gifted writer Eric Metaxas is. Bonhoeffer’s name isn’t even mentioned until the last page of the chapter, but Metaxas still keeps you rapt with his attention to detail and fantastic writing style. Here is a sentence that particularly jumped off the page:
Chamberlain…is another baffling character...
April 2011
5 posts
Bonhoeffer: Chapter 10
Soon after the Nazis came to power, their racist propaganda began taking hold. During the first year after Hitler’s election, Jews were prohibited from serving in the government, pastoring a German church, participating in the world of journalism, and enjoying any cultural activities, including the arts, theater, literature, and film, among other things.
Bonhoeffer quickly wrote an essay on...
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WatchI’m not a Mets fan. Not at all. But this made me a David Wright fan. We need more of this in all sports.
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Bonhoeffer: Chapter 9
This chapter covers 1933, the fateful year in which Adolf Hitler was elected Chancellor of Germany. Hitler and his cronies swiftly and fearlessly put their plan in place within weeks of being elected: First proclaiming that his politics were God’s politics; then having the Reichstag burnt to the ground; and then having the checks and balances abolished so he could have absolute power. After...
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WatchPretty cool story about Albert Pujols from 60 Minutes this week
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Bonhoeffer: Chapter 8
The eighth chapter chronicles Bonhoeffer’s return to Berlin and his time there as a lecturer. Formative events occurred during this season, including Bonhoeffer’s introduction to Karl Barth, who would become a friend. Bonhoeffer also wrote prophetically during this time that he felt [the Germans] were standing at a tremendous turning point in world history,” that something was...
March 2011
9 posts
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Bonhoeffer: Chapter 6 (Or, "Holy Flatulence")
In the middle of reading this chapter, I laughed so hard I cried. And then I tried to read the part that was making me laugh to someone else, and I laughed even harder and tried even more. Metaxas briefly explores some rather hilarious writing that Martin Luther did later in his life, writing that was rather harsh when speaking of the Pope. I’ll let this serve as a spoiler, and you can read...
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Nan (1924-2011)
Today the woman I’ve known all my life as “Nan” breathed in and then breathed out. For the last time. She had just turned 87.
Nan’s health has been failing for years. There have probably been 10 times we thought she was going to go, and she rallied every time. Except this time.
Since I moved away from Ashland in 1996, I mostly remember a healthy and vibrant Nan, the lady...
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Bonhoeffer: Chapter 5
Again, if you’re wondering why all these posts on this book, you can read about why I’m doing it here. Please feel free to chime into the discussion on this biography of this fascinating and inspiring individual.
Dietrich spent 1928 in Barcelona, Spain, as vicar (assistant pastor) to a German congregation there. In the summer, when many of the Germans left Barcelona to return to...
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Bonhoeffer: Chapter 4
When Bonhoeffer’s trip to Rome was complete, he returned to Berlin to resume his studies. After seven more semesters of study (nine total), he earned his doctorate. His doctorate! He was 21 years old.
This chapter is like reading the Who’s Who of Theologians from the early 20th century. Bonhoeffer’s studies at Berlin were influenced to some degree by Friedrich Schleiermacher,...
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Bonhoeffer: Chapter 3
In the third chapter of Bonhoeffer, Metaxas details Dietrich’s first trip to Rome, which he took at age 18 with his brother, Klaus.
What immediately struck me in reading this chapter was how exceptionally brilliant Bonhoeffer was. At age 18 he treasured the art he witnessed in Rome with journal entries chock full of first-class nomenclature, even noting Michelangelo’s work and its...
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Bonhoeffer: Chapter 2
The second chapter of Metaxas’ Bonhoeffer is decidedly shorter than the first, so this post won’t be quite as lengthy. In case you’re curious why I’m writing about this book, read this.
This chapter details Dietrich’s first semester of study at Tubingen, as well as his two-week training as a solider in the Black Reichswehr, a covertly-built army of university...
February 2011
3 posts
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Bonhoeffer: Chapter 1
So, my friend Andy and I decided to read a book together and discuss it on our blogs. The book we chose is Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas. We’re each going to try to post after reading each chapter, and we’d both like to invite any of you who would like to participate in the conversation to do so at either of our blogs (His can be found here).
I met Dietrich...
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The Pujols Post
In about 20 hours, my favorite baseball team will hold a press conference, during which they will announce that they and the game’s best player, Albert Pujols, were unable to reach agreement on a contract extension. 2011 will become a season then full of distractions for said team and player, even though the deadline that is noon Wednesday is supposed to be in place in order to avoid said...
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Book Review: The Last Boy
I recently finished up Jane Leavy’s Mickey Mantle biography, The Last Boy. When I was on page 11, I tweeted that it was already a must-read for any baseball fan. I guess I’d say I backed off that stance a little as the book wore on, but a big part of that may be that I listened to it on Audible.com, and the readers were not impressive. I mean, they were bad.
But, the book itself was...
August 2010
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Are We Winning?
Sadly for all us Cardinal fans, the answer to this question right now is, decidedly, “No.” Still, Will Leitch’s book by the same title gave me a lot of laughs and brought back a lot of great memories from growing up a Cardinal fan. In “Are We Winning: Fathers and Sons in the New Golden Age of Baseball,” Leitch details a...
July 2010
2 posts
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“Pressing my hands against my eyes is not praying, and reading about [God’s]...”
– Henri Nouwen
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Team
A few minutes after the Cleveland Cavaliers’ season ended in 2010, LeBron James said he would take some time with his “team” to make some decisions about the offseason which lay ahead.
Only he didn’t mean the Cavaliers.
In a decidedly team sport, one in which David Stern has worked his tail off to ensure the egomaniac marketable superstar is exalted above the concept of a...
June 2010
2 posts
2 tags
“Without the singleminded attentiveness of prayer we will rarely hear anything...”
– Westerhoff and Eusden
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“If you preach the Gospel in all aspects with the exception of the issues which...”
– Martin Luther
May 2010
1 post
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April 2010
1 post
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Poll
March 2010
1 post
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“You’ll never know who you can trust until you trust them.”
– Andy Stanley
January 2010
1 post
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“Reconciliation…is more than deliverance from guilt. It is a calling to...”
– John De Gruchy
December 2009
1 post
2 tags
“Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You...”
– Brian Dyson
November 2009
2 posts
3 tags
This is one of the songs I wrote about in the last...
3 tags
The Music of my Heritage
Over the last decade, I’ve taken a lot of grief from a lot of friends for being such a big fan of the Gaither Vocal Band. While I recognize that, at times, the lyrics from the GVB leave some theology to be desired, the harmonies and vocal talents are what I love. (Don’t get me wrong…more often than not I think the lyrics are great, too.)
In September I traveled to Ashland,...
October 2009
1 post
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Three Upcoming Blog Posts
I’ve had three blog posts percolating over the last few weeks because of different happenings in my life. If I tell you (all two of you) that they’re coming, I’m much more likely to actually post them. Watch soon for:
The Music of my Heritage
The Wizard of Oz
A Sports Pessimist No More
September 2009
1 post
1 tag
“For a group to take collective action, it must have some shared vision strong...”
– Clay Shirky, Here Comes Everybody
August 2009
2 posts
2 tags
The Dyslexic Atheist: There is no doG
I came across this very interesting link yesterday from my twacquaintance @ProdigalJohn, who authors the fun site Stuff Christians Like. In a nutshell, the folks over at Eternal Earth-Bound Pets, for a cool $110, will be sure the pets of Jesus-followers are rescued in case of rapture! How about that?! Atheistic animal lovers will save your pets after Jesus comes back! I guess this answers the...
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Comparative Book Review | Chat Style
I've just finished reading two very different books on a very similar topic. The books were Selena Roberts' "A-Rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez" and "American Icon: The Fall of Roger Clemens and the Rise of Steroids in America's Pastime," written by the Daily News' investigative team of Thompson, Vinton, O'Keeffe, and Red. In lieu of a traditional book review, here's a conversation I overheard between the two books on my nightstand.
A-Rod: Hey, Icon. So...your subject is a great pitcher, and mine is a great hitter.
Icon: Uh, yeah. I guess.
A-Rod: Did you know I'm a svelte 272 pages, and I cover the entire life of Alex Rodriguez?
Icon: Really? That's great.
A-Rod: You look a little...um...beefy.
Icon: Well, I'm 464 pages. And I don't cover Clemens' whole life...just ten years or so.
A-Rod: Ten years took 464 pages?? You must have tons of pictures. I only have a few pages of pictures.
Icon: Actually, A-Rod, I don't have any pictures.
A-Rod: What? Well, how could your authors have written that many pages about only ten years?
Icon: Well, they did meticulous research. They conducted thousands of hours of interviews and did award-winning investigative reporting. I'm pretty proud of it, actually. My pages aren't full of opinion or conjecture. Just facts, really.
A-Rod: Oh, I'm full of facts, too. I mean, occasionally my author may have talked about what Rodriguez was thinking when she couldn't have possibly known. And her personal dislike of Rodriguez probably sneaked into my pages a little more often than it should have, but, you know, it's okay.
Icon: Sure. Whatever.
A-Rod: I only have a few grammatical and spelling errors, you know. Like 15 or 18. My author can't spell "Nomar Garciaparra." And, for some reason she thinks "playoffs" should be hyphenated. (I think she writes for a prominent sports magazine or something, so I can't figure this one out.)
Icon: Well, I don't know about all that, but I have a couple mistakes, too. Exactly a couple.
A-Rod: Two mistakes? That's it?
Icon: Yeah.
A-Rod: Well, I'm due back at the library tomorrow. What about you?
Icon: Oh, I'm not from the library. That dude who was reading us bought me on Amazon.
A-Rod: Really? Weird, huh? Wonder why he bought you but only checked me out at the library.
Icon: I don't know, A-Rod. I don't know.