The following statements should not be controversial, but they sadly are. What would you add to this list? Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. January 6th, 2021, was an insurrection. Congress, not the President (and much less the President’s unelected adviser), holds the power of the purse. The Judicial branch, and not the Executive branch, interprets the law and the Constitution. No one, not even the President, is above the law. ...
“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” has long been one of my favorite hymns. This Advent, I’ve decided to write some additional verses. They emphasize God’s heart for the poor and the powerless. If you read the Bible looking for these themes, they show up almost everywhere. However, in particular, I’ve drawn from Leviticus 25, Psalm 113, Isaiah 58, Amos 5, Luke 1, and Luke 14. O come, Defender of the weak, Teach us their welfare first to seek. May widow, orphan, refugee Find rest within Thy jubilee! ...
In God’s economy, the most important people are not the billionaire, the business owner, or even the blue-collar worker. Instead, in God’s economy, the most important people are the widow, the orphan, and the immigrant. Which is to say, the poor and the powerless. I’ve previously gone into depth on what the book of Proverbs has to say about poverty and wealth, as well as how Christians should think about wealth. Here are some more biblical passages relevant to the topic. All quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV): ...
You Can’t Follow Jesus and Hate Immigrants You can’t follow Jesus and hate immigrants. Of course, this does NOT settle every question of immigration policy! But, if you’re a follower of Jesus, consider your overall posture toward immigrants. If you call yourself a Christian, I want you to think about this seriously. What comes into your head and your heart when you think of immigrants and refugees? Fear? Anger? Disgust? ...
The relationship between Church and State, particularly the intersection of Christianity and politics, has been on my mind since I first started paying attention during the lead-up to the 2008 USA presidential election. Back then, I was just a high school student, but these themes have stuck with me ever since. (For those curious, here’s a quick timeline: In 2012, I was studying biblical studies in college. By 2016, I was a seminarian, and in 2020, I was working on my Ph.D. in theology. Now, in 2024, I’m a software engineer! Yet political theology continues to weigh on my mind.) ...
(The following prayers come from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer.) Prayers for the Sick For a Sick Person O Father of mercies and God of all comfort, our only help in time of need: We humbly beseech thee to behold, visit, and relieve thy sick servant N. for whom our prayers are desired. Look upon him with the eyes of thy mercy; comfort him with a sense of thy goodness; preserve him from the temptations of the enemy; and give him patience under his affliction. In thy good time, restore him to health, and enable him to lead the residue of his life in thy fear, and to thy glory; and grant that finally he may dwell with thee in life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ...
The following are some of my opinions, held with varying levels of intensity, about church/churches. Note: These are geared toward Christian churches in the USA. Some would obviously also apply to churches elsewhere. But I haven’t nuanced this entire list for all global church contexts. Many churches in the USA are too “busy.” They are trying to do too many different things and should instead refocus on the church’s proper priorities (Word and Sacraments). ...
1 Peter 4:17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; if it begins with us, what will be the end for those who do not obey the gospel of God? Isaiah 58:1–14 Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God. ...
TL;DR: If you’re serious about biblical and theological studies, you should invest in Logos 10 Bible Software. Do so via my exclusive partner offer for Logos 10 here! If I could go back in time and chat with Joshua Steele when he was a Bible & Spanish major in college, there are a few things I’d tell my younger self: Quit laughing at How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler and READ the thing. Baba ghanoush is superior to hummus. Study computer science sooner rather than later. Bite the bullet and INVEST IN A LOGOS BIBLE SOFTWARE LIBRARY. Don’t get me wrong. I love physical books as much as anyone, and I own quite a few (hundred)! ...
Help me out. I’m looking for the best, clearest, and most charitable explanations of the following three things: the biblical and theological reasons for caring about social justice and systemic racism, the unfair ways in which some have used accusations of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Cultural Marxism to sideline legitimate Christian concerns about social justice and systemic racism, and the legitimate Christian critiques of CRT and Marxism. Now, I know that there are plenty of resources out there that address each of the three items above! ...
The following is a “collect” prayer that I composed for Juneteenth in 2020. What’s a “collect” prayer? The short form of prayer, constructed (with many varieties of detail) from (1) an invocation, (2) a petition, and (3) a pleading of Christ’s name or an ascription of glory to God; and one of the most characteristic items in the W[estern] liturgy. Source: The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church For more on Juneteenth, see “The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth” (National Museum of African American History and Culture). ...
There are PLENTY of resource recommendations out there for those interested in learning more about racism and anti-racism (just Google “best X (books, movies, podcasts, etc.) on racism,” “antiracist reading list,” etc.). However, I’m worried that, especially for people who are not used to working their way through lengthy reading lists, getting so many recommendations at once will lead to nothing due to the paradox of choice. I’d much rather recommend a single book that someone will actually read than 100 books they won’t! ...
I commend the entire interview series that Ed Stetzer recently did with Esau McCaulley. Among many highlights, I appreciate McCaulley’s following answer to the question of negotiating the differences between protests and riots. Again, read the whole interview and series, but here’s a key section related to concern about rioting and lawlessness: [Ed Stetzer] We both agree: Protests are good. Riots are not. Unpack that for us from your context. Esau: There is a cycle of what happens. There’s a racial incident. African Americans protest. Some of those protests from people inside and outside the community turn violent. People say, “Hey, look at this. Why aren’t the Christians who are speaking out against the racial injustice equally strong speaking about the riots?” ...
Certainly, the Bible has much to say about individual sin and redemption. But (1) focusing on “systemic” issues doesn’t need to negate a focus on “individual” issues. In fact, a focus on “systemic racism” actually exerts a lot of pressure to evaluate people individually, and not on the basis of their race—as long as we keep in mind how those supposedly individual evaluations are often subtly (and nefariously) shaped by systemic issues. ...
The “Occasional Prayers” section of the Book of Common Prayer is a goldmine, particularly when the going gets tough. The following prayers come from the Anglican Church in North America’s 2019 Book of Common Prayer. You can view the text of the 2019 BCP here. And you can download a Word document containing all of the Occasional Prayers here. 58. FOR A PERSON IN TROUBLE OR BEREAVEMENT O merciful Father, you have taught us in your holy Word that you do not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men: Look with pity on the sorrows of your servant N. Remember him, O Lord, in mercy; nourish his soul with patience; comfort him with a sense of your goodness; lift up your countenance upon him; and give him peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ...