The Software section of this website has been somewhat neglected of late. It is intended to be a directory of software that I have written, or that I use and would like to recommend.
I've just discovered (a little late in the day), that Opera Mini 6 came out a couple of months back. So I've added an entry for it. A big improvement on the web browser that ships with most mobile phones or portable devices, and I highly recommend it!
Ed Clowney (paid link) makes a brilliant comment on 1 Peter 2:18-20. Peter is teaching slaves how to react when they are punished, or suffer, for no fault of their own. Indeed, they may be suffering because they have done something good. Clowney says this:
To quote the Beatles: "La, La, La, La... life goes on"
I thought I'd check if anything momentous has happened in the world? Anything I ought to celebrate, perhaps? Today's headlines are:
Meanwhile, in other stories: Grave robbers never found, Roman guard sacked for falling asleep on duty, Jesus seen alive, Death defeated, Harmony between God and people, There's hope for us all.
To quote John Stainer, himself (correctly) quoting Lamentations 3: "Is it nothing to you, all you that pass by?"
Happy Easter Everyone!
After a tip-off from Steve Jeffery, I really enjoyed reading Toby Sumpter's Good Friday sermon from last year.
It's entitled My Song is Love Unknown.
I tried to think how to sum it up to encourage you all to go and read it, but I can't. I simply commend it to you.
I think I've finally worked out what is going on in Ruth 4. I'll make a note here as a place where I can come and find this again when I need it. Do comment below if I've missed something.
There are 3 Old Testament laws in play here.
Leviticus 25:23-28 says that, because all the land is really God's, should someone sell part of their land to alleviate their poverty, the buyer cannot regard it as theirs absolutely. A relative of the person they bought it from must be allowed to redeem, or buy back, that land, and the price for that is to be calculated fairly.
Psalm 95:1-7c inverts the categories of creation and salvation. Roughly, the pattern of the Psalm goes like this:
- Come, let us shout joyfully to the Lord, the rock of our salvation (1-2)
- For, he is a great God who holds, owns and formed everything (3-5)
- Come, let us bow and kneel before our maker (6)
- For he is our God, and we are his people, under his care (7a-c)
I'm greatly heartened to read Richard Perkins' recent post: 5 ways to profit from a rubbish sermon.
(Mercifully,) a sermon can fall far, far short of what it should be, and people can still profit from it. That doesn't mean it's OK not to try, but for me just to settle for preaching badly. But isn't it good to know that preaching badly also doesn't mean it's OK for the hearer to have to settle for hearing nothing? In patnership, as the preacher unfolds the text as well as he can, the congregation can seek to hear the voice of God as clearly as they can. And then they will.
Go on, read it! He has some excellent suggestions.
I've finally finished reading William Still's fine The Work of the Pastor (paid link). Perhaps a better heading for this post would be the need for perspective. Anyway, here's a word for our own day:
(paid link)
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