microblog
I’m planning to preach a series of sermons on the subject of wisdom. To prepare, I’m reading and thinking a lot about the book of the Bible called Proverbs. What else would you suggest?
“Like any other life-sustaining resource, language can be depleted, polluted, contaminated, eroded, and filled with artificial stimulants…. it needs the protection of those who recognize its value and commit themselves to good stewardship.”
—Marilyn Chandler McEntyre
My son and I looked up what family the badger is in. It’s in the mustelid family, which includes weasels, ferrets, and wolervines. They are characterized by having short legs and a long body.
Our lab mix and dachshund had themselves a real good time cornering this guy tonight. Thankfully, we were able to stop it before anyone got hurt.
📚 Life in the Trinity and The Trinity and the Covenant of Redemption are two books that need to fall in love and have lots of babies.
📚 Finished reading: Life in the Trinity: An Introduction to Theology with the Help of the Church Fathers by Donald Fairbairn.
Finished Reading: From Topic to Thesis: A Guide to Theological Research by Michael Kibbe. It’s a well-written guide that helped fix a few friction points I’ve experienced in my own research method. 📚
Some of the young adults at Covenant are challenging themselves to memorize Jonah 2. Way to go! I think I’ll join you and post a video link after I get it down.
Ever thought deeply about the story of Jonah? It’s a simple story, but its simplicity has a way of clarifying life—our priorities, our choices, our relationship with God. Here is the sermon I preached yesterday on the final chapter of the book.
Lampham’s: Where Writers Work
On meditation:
There is as much difference between a truth remembered, and a truth meditated on, as between a cordial in a glass, and a cordial drunk drown.
— Thomas Watson, meditator, metaphor-lover, Puritan
I finished Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations today and I’m trying to take his advice: “To read attentively—not just to be satisfied with ‘just getting the gist of it.’ And not to fall for every smooth talker.” 📚
Dance classes have started again for the Chelpkas and all five kids are involved now. They love it so much and work hard. I’m very proud of them.
The reading spree continues! 📚 Today I finished On the Apostolic Preaching by Irenaeus and Gregory of Nazianzus by Brian Matz.
I picked up Irenaeus’s book hoping to learn something about preaching in the early church. What I got was a reminder that the Bible has an “integrity and purity” manifest in its unified message about the Son of God. Preachers who want to expound that message and preach Christ with confidence need to be competent in the various connections the Old and New Testaments make with each other. Also called Proof of Apostolic Preaching, it’s a nice little handbook on biblical theology from the late second-century.
Gregory of Nazianzus was a pastor-theologian in early fourth-century. I read Matz’s book as a part of a larger project to become familiar with the church father designated by the Council of Chalcedon as Gregory the Theologian. Expect to hear more about Gregory in the coming months.
In other ancient news, I’m almost done with Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations and have a lot to say about it. Not sure where, when, or if to say it, but there’s a lot of food for thought anyway. For that, I’m thankful.
Over the weekend I finished Eugene Peterson’s memoir, The Pastor. I highly recommend it. 📚 At one point, his son points out (as a compliment) that he only preaches one sermon. That might be said of his books too: there is only one. And as a memoir, his is particularly good. After I have more time to think, I look forward to sharing about it and offer some critique as well.
On being anxious :
Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow—only today of its strength.
— Charles Spurgeon, 19th century English preacher
I finished Saving Eutychus: How to Preach God’s Word and Keep People Awake today. By Gary Miller and Phil Campell, it’s a breezy read with lots of practical advice on how to preach more clearly. It helped me. Recommended.
Singing this at church tomorrow:
What thou, my Lord, has suffered was all for sinners’ gain:
Mine, mine was the transgression, but thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ‘Tis I deserve thy place;
Look on me with thy favor, vouchsafe to me thy grace.
What language shall I borrrow to thank thee, dearest Friend,
For this, thy dying sorrow, thy pity without end?
O make me thine forever; and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to thee.
By Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153)
The number of people in 2015 that watched a Bob Ross marathon: 5.6 million.