This is a self-indulgently long story. The gist of it is that my wife, Rachel, was unexpectedly induced due to gestational hypertension at 37 weeks, right before we were supposed to head to Pennsylvania for her sister’s wedding. After a lengthy induction and labor, our beautiful daughter, Eva Joy Steele, was born at 5:46am on Friday, July 20, 2018. If that’s all you’d like to know, great! If you’d like to know more about what went down, keep reading. ...
Maybe you, like me, consider yourself quite the introvert. Maybe you, like me, have a difficult time walking the tightrope between feeling quickly overwhelmed by interpersonal relationships, on the one hand, and feeling incredibly lonely, on the other hand. Maybe you, like me, feel these problems acutely as a male (although I’m sure that females are having their own relational struggles as our culture increasingly pressures us all to be “alone together,” looking at our screens instead of looking each other in the eye). ...
Getting Things Done (“GTD” for short) is a widely popular personal productivity system invented and popularized by David Allen. However, as Nicole Dieker at Lifehacker pointed out in 2017, “You don’t hear a lot of people talk about the Getting Things Done productivity system anymore.” I think that’s a shame because it’s a very effective system. I first tried Getting Things Done after reading “What’s Best Next” by Matt Perman and then reading “Getting Things Done” by David Allen (in its newly revised 2015 edition) shortly thereafter. ...
I was recently privileged to see one of my favorite bands, The Oh Hellos, in concert at the House of Blues in downtown Chicago. I love all of The Oh Hellos’ music, but one song, in particular, has remained poignant to me ever since I first heard it. The song is called “The Truth is a Cave,” and I think it provides a beautiful picture of what I’m calling “the theological journey” – the stages one goes through in one’s knowledge of God. ...
Rachel and I just got back from our very first trip to the Southwest. The main reason for the trip was to visit some good friends of ours, the Smith family, in Phoenix, AZ. Here’s a picture of the group of us together after church at Living Faith Anglican Church in Tempe, AZ, where my friend Peter Smith is the rector. The trip was a blast. It was great to catch up with the Smiths and to see their new home and church in Arizona. ...
We’re Expecting! In case you haven’t heard the news, my wife Rachel and I are expecting our firstborn child this August! Rachel is currently 16 weeks along, and we won’t find out the gender of the baby (whom I am affectionately calling “Lump”) for another month. The last few months have been quite busy for us since we found out Rachel is pregnant. She works full-time as a Family Nurse Practitioner. I’m a full-time Ph.D. student. We’re both actively involved in our church. Etc. etc. However, the next few months also promise to be busy as well! I’ve got a dissertation proposal to defend. We’ll be traveling for our siblings’ high school graduation. (Lord-willing and baby-waiting) we’ll both be in my sister-in-law’s wedding this Summer (I’m the officiant). And then? Then Lump makes his or her appearance! ...
The following is an attempt to tell my testimony, the story of my Christian faith, in approximately 500 words. It was challenging to do, but also a helpful exercise! I challenge you to write out your own story in approximately 500 words. Testimony For as long as I can remember, I have known and followed Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. However, there has been a lingering problem in our relationship – on my end. Of course, this problem is called “sin.” But, I mean an even more specific problem: my struggle to know Jesus, and not merely to know about Jesus. ...
As I prepare for my final semester at Beeson Divinity School, it strikes me just how well I was prepared for my seminary education by my undergraduate professors at Cedarville University. All things considered, my time at CU exposed me to the riches of biblical and theological studies, and it left me hungry for more. College gave me a love for Christ’s gospel and Christ’s Church – which has only increased since I arrived at Beeson. ...
Do you know what the worst thing about death is? It’s not the dying itself – its the separation. That is, we don’t suffer the most from our own deaths (a one-time occurrence), but from suffering the deaths of others (repeatedly). Instead of living relationships, we are left with distant memories. A sad reality, to be sure. What if, however, we could use death to our own advantage? I’m convinced this is the truth behind Ecclesiastes 7:2 – ...
I’m scared. Are you? Specifically, as I wrote in my journal this very morning: I’m scared – I’m scared of wasting my life, I’m scared of not being worth anything outside of the classroom. Fear drives so many aspects of our lives – from how we dress, to how we raise our children, to how we elect our leaders. And, if we’re honest with ourselves, fear can play a large role in what/whom we worship. ...
Ah, the joys of summer reading. Here are a few of the books I’m currently diving into: Hoping to be able to read German with a dictionary by the end of the summer! Karl Barth’s theological bombshell. I’m trying the Slow-Carb Diet and kettlebell swings. ...
(This post is about my late uncle, Timothy Steele. It’s long, and I swear toward the end. Sorry.) “It is better to go to a funeral than a feast. For death is the destiny of every person, and the living should take this to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, because sober reflection is good for the heart.” (Ecclesiastes 7:2-3) Timothy Steele The juxtaposition is staggering. The funeral of the man I most associate with laughter and joy. It hurts. No Steele family gathering was complete without hearing his boisterous laugh, receiving one of his legendary bear hugs, and – if you were lucky – getting one heck of a sloppy kiss on the cheek. ...
I just received the news today that my student paper submission for the 2015 Southeast Regional Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society has been accepted! My theme lately has been to write on Karl Barth and the unity of the Church. At last year’s Regional ETS (hosted by my seminary, Beeson Divinity School), I presented an edited version of my undergraduate thesis: Reconciliation and the Lack Thereof: Atonement, Ecclesiology, and the Unity of God. Click the link if you’d like to read the PDF. Here’s the thesis: ...
For my 20th Century History & Doctrine course at Beeson Divinity School, I’m re-reading through Karl Barth’s Evangelical Theology: An Introduction. If you’re involved in the life and ministry of the Church in any respect, I strongly recommend that you buy and read this book! Here’s a particularly challenging portion from the chapter on “Wonder,” beginning on page 71. I wish the language were gender-inclusive, but Karl’s words still ring true: “After all, who am I to be a theologian? ...
You’ll notice that the previous post on Cedarville ends with a link to the Course Schedule: “Class Limited to Women” … I know, ludicrous. Especially considering Joy Fagan’s previous track record of making the first class, Scriptural Interpretation of Gender Issues (or SIGI), a truly excellent course by all accounts from former students, male and female. Equally ludicrous? The textbook choices! Are you ready for what CU students will be reading to form an even-handed perspective of what the Bible has to say on gender? Maybe some Miroslav Volf? “Junia is Not Alone” by Scot McKnight? NOPE. ...