I cannot grow plants.
It's true that I'm not very good at gardening, or even at caring for house plants. But that's not what I mean. Even if I do remember to water them, put them in the right place, prune them, leave them alone when they need it - I can't make them grow. I cannot turn my care of the plant into cellulose and chlorophyll.
Which is also one of the most humbling, frustrating and relieving aspects of pastoral ministry.
I've known Sam Allberry for about 15 years now. I've long appreciated his clarity as a teacher, preacher and writer. I now admire his courage and honesty as well.
Sam has a new book coming out shortly, entitled "Is God Anti-Gay?" That's a good question. Many people assume that the answer is no, by which they mean that God has no objections to someone fully embracing a gay lifestyle. Alternatively, once one says God does have objections to this, you are saying that God is anti-gay.
Sam sets out to steer the reader through this particular minefield. It is his deep conviction that a gay lifestyle and identity is not something that God is content for a person to embrace. And yet Sam also wants to affirm, equally passionately, that this does not make God anti-gay. The Christian gospel is good news, and it is good news for everyone - including those who experience same-sex attraction. Sam has had to think these things through from the perspective of his first-hand experience.
Sometimes, during our evening services, there is plenty of time for discussion. Recently, we were having a session looking at the name of God, and I was asked a question. I answered it as best I could, but I've been thinking about it some more since. I think I could have done a little better. In case this is helpful, I'll put it here.
The question was whether we could call God our creator, redeemer and sanctifier.
I feel prompted to post part of Psalm 2 this morning
1 Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.”
I've just taken delivery of the commentary on 1-3 John (paid link) by Colin Kruse, published in the Pillar series by IVP.
Smalley (paid link), commenting on 1 John 2:3, is very helpful on the place of obedience in the Christian life.
Genesis 2:18 describes God making Eve as a "helper" (עֵזֶר) for Adam.
This particular word occurs 19 times in the Old Testament, and it pays to notice carefully what it does and does not mean elsewhere.
What was the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and why was it a sin to eat its fruit?
Bruce Waltke is very helpful, on page 86 of his Genesis commentary (paid link):
One of the values of having a blog, is it gives me somewhere to put notes that will almost certainly not make it into the next sermon, but may interest some people. "If you're interested, for further reading,..."
Here's Bruce Waltke (paid link) on Genesis 2:
Some of you are thinking "that's obvious!".
Recent comments