Read Isaiah 61; Acts 2; 1 Corinthians 12; 1 John 2:27 While I was in seminary and a little while after, I was working as a young adults pastor, with added responsibilities in teaching Christian education classes. I also helped … Continue reading
Read: 1 Kings 19:1-18; Jeremiah 20:7-18; Acts 16:11-34; Ephesians 5:15-20 When I was in college, I experienced a roller coaster in my relationship with God. I went to a Christian school in the Chicago area because I felt God leading me … Continue reading
Read: Isaiah 61; Psalm 104; 1 Thessalonians 1 One of the big questions in pneumatology and Christian history is the direction of God’s work. Where does God’s help come from? Where do we see the emanating presence of God’s activity? Where … Continue reading
One of the big questions in in thinking about the Holy Spirit and Christian history is the direction of God’s work. Where does God’s help come from? Where do we see the emanating presence of God’s activity? Where do we … Continue reading
A little more than two thousand years ago a baby was born. We throw parties in his honor. We give gifts. We feast. We sing. We make merry, yearning for that spirit of his birthday to infuse our souls; if … Continue reading
I begin each week of my online courses with a reflection on the theme of the week. It is a devotional beginning, a way of getting the students to think about the topic in light of Scripture, often more pastoral … Continue reading
Here’s a bit from the conclusion of my newly completed (but not yet finished) book. Main writing is done, but there are a lot of assorted tasks to do before it’s ready for printing. For now, though, I celebrate the … Continue reading
What does the community that corresponds to the triune God and lives in him look like? We find the classic text for this in Acts 4:32-37: “The company of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no … Continue reading
“The Spirit… is no redundant third, no hypostatized afterthought, no cooing ‘feminine’ adjunct to an established male household. Rather, experientially speaking, the Spirit is primary, just as Pentecost is primary for the Church; and leaving non-cluttered space for the Spirit … Continue reading
Pursuing holiness without regard to the work and approach of the Holy Spirit leads to either legalism or abandoning the effort altogether. Indeed, this is a big reason why I pursued the field of theology. I had trouble with holiness … Continue reading
