Introducing the Bible! Now with Less!
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“Unlike most Bibles printed since Gutenberg, Greene’s version has one column, wide margins, a large typeface, and no notes or chapter marks.” CT
7 signs we may be worshipping our family
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“If we aren’t careful, instead of encouraging worshipping families, we become family worshippers.” 7 signs
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Sanctification, Heidelberg, and the "third use of the law"
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“The HC gives serious and careful attention to the requirements of God’s law as a guide for the Christian life.” Ref21
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Baylor Study: Church teaching impacts job satisfaction
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“[W]hen one frequently attends a church that emphasizes faith-work integration, job satisfaction increases.” CT
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If Adam Smith Ran a Christian School
Adam Smith is acclaimed by historians as being the “father of modern economics.” His 1776 treatise, The Wealth of Nations, is still published and widely read, and its influence seems hardly diminished over time. Its ponderings have bolstered generations of subsequent economic thought. Margaret Thatcher was reportedly such a devotee that she would regularly carry a copy of Nations in her ever-present handbag.
Among Smith’s lasting contributions to microeconomics is the concept of “economies of scale.” Theorizing about the characteristics of free-markets, he coined the enduring idiom “the invisible hand.” What can those who lead 21st century Christian schools possibly learn from an 18th century economist? My belief is “Plenty!”
A tale of two schools
Trinity Christian School sits at the crest of a gentle hill in a largely residential suburb. Founded in the mid-1960s, Trinity moved from the inner-city to its present location slightly more than a decade ago, after the members of its sponsoring church voted to rebuild on more acreage. Its current facility—a wing of the new church complex—is spacious and well-equipped. Nevertheless, the decentralized new location likely hastened declining enrollment. Students once numbered over 600; today there are about 200. The school’s budget is now stretched tight, with revenues scarcely meeting essential expenses. Raising tuition to increase revenue doesn’t seem feasible; the administration fears that doing so would force some current families to leave. Although there is no imminent crisis, church elders have privately discussed the possibility of closing the school should its financial situation worsen.
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Buying Babies: The Rise of Surrogacy In The U.S.
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“U.S. surrogate births have jumped 250 percent in eight years … . The U.S. is one of only a handful of countries – like India – that allow for paid surrogacy.” Buying Babies
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God and the "Gay Christian"? A Biblical Response - Chapter 2
God and the Gay Christian addresses the morality of homosexual conduct, specifically within “committed, monogamous same-sex relationships” (41). In the introduction and first chapter, most of Vines’ energy went into framing the debate as a matter of personal suffering (i.e., here’s what happened to me and is happening to homosexual Christians everywhere) and as a matter of progress (i.e., the church should improve its understanding of homosexual morality just as it has improved its understanding of other matters in Scripture).
Chapter 2 continues Vines’ efforts to frame the debate in these terms. (Kindle location numbers appear here rather than page numbers.)
The importance of progress
The section “New Information, New Viewpoints” sets the stage for the chapter by recounting Galileo Galilei’s famous 17th century conflict with the Roman Catholic church. To Vines, it’s a classic example of a traditional interpretation of Scripture that Christians, with the aid of science, eventually discovered to be in error.
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Is It Ever Okay for Christians to Use Vulgar Language?
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“The plain and undeniable fact is: The Bible at times uses vulgar and offensive language. In fact, there isn’t a single literal translation of Ezekiel 16 on the market.” CPost
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