Cedarville, Let there be Light. (pt. 2)

Read Part One Further Questions, All Relating to the University Statement on Dr. Pahl’s Dismissal: If Dr. Pahl’s book, The Beginning and the End, was controversial enough to lead to his dismissal, why was the book allowed to be used as a textbook last school year? Shouldn’t we trust the Bible professors’ judgment in their selection of the book as a text? If we should, then was it worth firing Dr....

September 21, 2012 · 2 min · joshuapsteele

Cedarville, Let there be Light. (pt. 1)

The Statement: “Dr. Michael Pahl has been relieved of his teaching duties because he is unable to concur fully with each and every position of Cedarville University’s doctrinal statement. This decision was made following a review by the University administration and trustees prompted by Dr. Pahl’s recent book, The Beginning and the End: Rereading Genesis’s Stories and Revelation’s Visions. Dr. Pahl’s orthodoxy and commitment to the gospel are not in question, nor is his commitment to Scripture’s inspiration, authority and infallibility....

September 20, 2012 · 3 min · joshuapsteele

Sacrificing Scripture on the Altars of Our Own Agendas

Undoubtedly the title of this blog post could be taken in hundreds of different directions. However, given recent developments close to home, and the Answers in Genesis conference coming to Cedarville University on Sept. 23-24, I’d like to get people thinking about Ken Ham, his organization’s agenda, and how Scripture might very well be getting abused for the sake of Young Earth Creationism. I say this as someone who used to be a zealous defender of everything that Answers in Genesis stands for....

September 19, 2012 · 3 min · joshuapsteele

My Unforgettable Cedarville Experience

(The following is an expanded version of the speech I gave at this year’s CU Scholar Dessert Reception.) The first thing I ever decided about Cedarville University was that I would not, under any circumstances, attend. Since my administrator’s son, Drew Flamm, worked in admissions at CU, I had been inundated since before I could remember with calls to become a yellow-jacket, and out of sheer stubbornness of heart, I refused....

September 12, 2012 · 4 min · joshuapsteele

Wedding Vows: My Personal Take on the Traditional Version

The Traditional Wedding Vows In case you didn’t know, the “traditional” wedding vows – in English, at least – are found in the Book of Common Prayer. In the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, the marriage vows read as follows: I M. take thee N. to my wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worſe, for richer for poorer, in ſickneſs and in health, to love and to cheriſh, till death us do part, according to God’s holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth....

August 14, 2012 · 2 min · joshuapsteele

Unity?

The more I study the New Testament, I become more convinced that the unity of the Church is of utmost importance to God. What bothers me is that this has never been taught to me before. All of the things I’ve learned (specifically in my studies on Philippians, Galatians, and now Romans) about the importance of unity for the sake of the Gospel mission and the Kingdom of God have come as somewhat of a shock....

April 19, 2012 · 4 min · joshuapsteele

My High School Graduation Valedictorian Speech was a Poem

My Valedictorian Address, a Poem The following is my valedictorian speech, delivered at my high school graduation in 2009. As you’ll see below, the majority of the speech was an original poem. Sure, I’m tempted to be a bit embarrassed by the poem today, but I’m also proud that I went for it. Let me know what you think! GRADUATION! Such a mix of emotions comes with this simple word…...

June 6, 2009 · 4 min · joshuapsteele

From a Grateful Son: A Mother's Day Poem

The following is an original Mother’s Day poem of mine, that I wrote for my mom (the best mom ever, of course) back in 2009. It’s called “From a Grateful Son,” and I hope that you enjoy it. From a Grateful Son – A Poem for My Mother Thank you, Mom, for having me that day so long ago. Thank you, then, for holding me and now for letting go....

May 10, 2009 · 2 min · joshuapsteele