The Ancient World Has Some Advice for the Internet Age

“The heart of the righteous studies how to answer,
But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.”

I kind of think Facebook should pin this at the top of every page, just as a friendly reminder.

Update (November 13th, 2017):

Also apropos:

“He who has knowledge spares his words,
And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.

“Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace;
When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.”

Sermon Notes: Judging the Church for Christians’ Bad Behavior

The readings at church this morning were Jeremiah 1:4-10, Psalm 71:1-6, 1 Corinthians 13, and Luke 4:21-30.  The sermon focused on 1 Corinthians 13.  A few notes from the sermon:

• “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”

• The hardest people to evangelize to are those who have been hurt by the church.  (It also may get harder as time goes on, as the wound festers and becomes even worse in the remembering.)  We have the power, through our actions, to drive people away from the church and God.  That’s terrifying.

A Few of My Favorite Bible Passages

A friend recently asked about my favorite Bible passage.

Of course the whole book is non-optional!  I recommend reading all of it, and reading any part of it in the context of the rest of it (and in the context of Christianity as practiced by the church across times and places).  So without meaning to disparage any parts not mentioned, here are a few of my favorite passages:

“And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.”
Ecclesiastes 12:12

Relationship with God

You have perhaps heard Christians say that Christianity is not just some list of rules; it’s a personal relationship with the living God.  That’s true, and very important, but it’s not necessarily intuitive (especially to newcomers or outsiders) what that means; so I thought I’d put together a brief outline to make it a little more concrete.

This isn’t an exhaustive list, and I’m not saying this is the only or best possible way to organize it.  There’s a lot of overlap among these categories, and no doubt there are things I’m forgetting.  I would be interested to hear any feedback or additions you might have.

1 — God’s Character

The Bible and the Cult of Diversity

Reading through Proverbs, I was struck by these two similar verses, Proverbs 20:10 and 23:

Diverse weights and diverse measures,
They are both alike, an abomination to the Lord.

and

Diverse weights are an abomination to the Lord,
And dishonest scales are not good.

Wise Words

Proverbs 17:27-28:

He who has knowledge spares his words,
And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.

Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace;
When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.

A Modern Saint Paul

Paul (also known as Saul) was a Jewish leader who persecuted early Christians, arresting and imprisoning them and apparently even ordering their deaths.  He was, perhaps, the worst of sinners; yet God called him, and changed his heart, and Paul became one of the great evangelists of the early church (and wrote several of the books of the New Testament).  It’s a remarkable story of grace and redemption, and an assurance that no one is beyond the power of God’s forgiveness and salvation through Christ.