I have been very slowly reading through The Evolution of Adam by Peter Enns. I am nowhere near the end, not even up to the meat of his topic, which I understand is to involve an examination of Pauline soteriology, how sin and its consequences entered into humanity via the sin of our one proto-elder, and that we are saved from sin and its consequences through the action and sacrifice of Jesus. I understand that Ennis intends to look at this teaching in light of current thought about evolution, with an expected absence of a unique common “Adam,” and also of current academic thinking about the nature of the Old Testament scriptures. The topic interests me greatly. Continue reading
Category Archives: ALL
“The Evolution of Adam” byPeter Enns: some early thoughts
Filed under ALL, Bible, Book Reviews, Christianity, Theology
The Wedding in Cana, Water into Wine: The Gospel According to John, Chapter 2
(This is written as an early Lenten exploration, as described in an earlier post – I encourage you to comment!)
The Wedding at Cana
1 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples.3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Continue reading
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Write a Commentary for Lent
I have begun a new project, one that is so far above me that it embarrasses be to mention it. I would not, except I have found that when I don’t confess my plan, I am likely to shrink back. When I don’t make my thoughts public, I am free to make them sloppy. So I am writing my own commentary on “The Gospel According to John”
Continue reading
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Is the Bible the “Word of God” or is it a human book?
I had a thought last week during a Bible study class on Deuteronomy. The leader of the group is a thoroughly “Bible-Believing” Christian. He is highly educated, with advanced degrees in Biblical scholarship, and is thus immersed in current academic understandings of the authorship of the ancient texts of the Hebrew scriptures.
This presented a challenge, and something of a threat, to some members of the group, who understood the Torah as being of Mosaic authorship, and any move away from that as a move away from Divine inspiration.
Now, I have no dog in that fight. But the ideas expressed had a familiar ring to them. Continue reading
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Singing in Harmony: an objection to Deitrich Bonhoeffer (or what I learned from the music ministry of Church of the Redeemer)
“ ‘Sing and make melody in your heart to the Lord’ (Eph. 5:19). …
‘Because it is bound wholly to the Word, the singing of the congregation, especially of the family congregation, is essentially singing in unison. Here words and music combine in a unique way. The soaring tone of unison singing finds its sole and essential support in the words that are sung and therefore does not need the musical support of other voices. …
‘Unison singing, difficult as it is, is less of a musical than a spiritual matter. Only where everybody in the group is disposed to an attitude of worship and discipleship can unison singing, even though it may lack much musically, give us the joy which is peculiar to it alone.’ ”
from Life Together, The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
It is only with the greatest trepidation that I would dare to dissent from such a saint as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, but this section of “Life Together” has bothered me since I first read it over thirty years ago. The ideas have nagged at me as I have seen changes in congregational singing between parishes, and even in the way congregational music is published. My renewed time and extended visitation among the folk of Houston’s Church of the Redeemer (Episcopal) has both confirmed and solidified my objections. It is time I gave them voice. Continue reading
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A review of “This is My Story, This is My Song” by Betty Pulkingham
Many people who will read this will already know who Betty Pulkingham is. Her first husband, the Rev. Graham Pulkingham was a founding visionary in the Renewal movement in the Episcopal Church, and very important Rector of Houston’s Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in the 1960’s and 1970’s.
In her own right, Mrs. Pulkingham is one of the most important contributors of the music from that period and beyond. This description is totally inadequate, but if I used all the space this format will allow, I would still fall short.
Probably the best short summary of Betty’s true importance came to me from a local Methodist pastor, who voiced to me his private and very serious opinion that in years to come, Betty Pulkinghman will be honored, for her musical gift to the church, as of equal importance with Charles Wesley.
I have just finished reading Betty Pulkingham’s new book,
“This is My Story, this is My Song: A Life Journy”
What a beautiful, grace-filled little book!
Continue reading
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Thoughts on Marriage (or, “An Exercise in Hubris”)
A friend of mine wrote a brief blog post on a subject I have been ruminating on for a few years, the purpose of marriage. His post compels me to write. I dare not say this is exactly in opposition to him, for he writes with several advantages over me:
- First of all, he has actually been successful, while I am twice married and twice divorced. The fact that both of my marriages and divorces were to and from the same woman may tell for or against me; I will leave that alone.
- He is demonstrably smarter than I am.
- He is a priest (Anglican/Episcopalian, hence #1 above) and has actually studied more than a little on these subjects. Mine was Psychology and Computer Technology, and much longer ago
- His post is full of biblical references,which he uses accurately.
- And most difficult for me, he is right.
Facing all these issues, how could I possibly resist the urge to stick in my own oar?
Filed under ALL, Christianity, Church, Marriage, Theology, Uncategorized
Yesterday, at the Church of the Redeemer
Yesterday, I went back to Redeemer.
God! What a statement! I had some idea of what I wanted
to say, why I wanted to write; but I had not formed any words in my head until
my fingers hit the keyboard. This is what came out, unannounced, a total
surprise to me. I have often spoken of writing as letting my pen speak to me,
and I am bowled over by what it has said. Continue reading
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A premature thought on “Divinity of Doubt”
Well, I’m about to do that which should (almost) never be done- I’m going to issue an opinion on a book I have never read. That book is Vincent Bugliosi’s “Divinity of Doubt.” Continue reading
Filed under ALL, Christianity, Heaven and hell, Theology
A Poem of Restoration and Thanksgiving
As I continue to process the story of The Church of the Redeemer, Episcopal (Houston), I remembered a bit of a poem another person with a past at Redeemer had posted. I wish I could remember who, that person has earned my gratitude!
I finally found it. It nearly perfectly captures my emotions, particularly in what I understand as God’s redemption of that period of my life, particularly the final stanza.
I have reposted it here.
Filed under ALL, Christianity, Church
Random Musings 