some thoughts

In honor of what happened 488 years ago today, I thought the following information was rather pertinent:
For his visit to Cologne Ratzinger revived a practice that led to the Reformation indulgence. He granted “complete indulgence” to all pilgrims at the World Youth Day on the condition of confession of their sin, renunciation of all sins, […]

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Today we covered the clear but incomprehensible Doctrine of the Tri-une Nature of God. Calling to mind the topics of Scriptural Authority (i.e., that our reason is subject to revelation, not vice versa) and the Incomprehensibility of God (Deut. 29:29, etc.), we acknowledged with Paul–at the outset–that this is a “great mystery” (1 Tim. 3:16).
As […]

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We started our class today by reading/praying Exodus 33:12-23 together, praying that God would show us his glory and all his goodness as we ascend his holy hill to fix our eyes upon his beauty.
The specific subjects today, conitinuing in The Doctrine of God (The Being of God), were his unshared (”incommunicable”) and shared (”communicable”) […]

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BATTER my heart, three person’d God; for, you
As yet but knocke, breathe, shine, and seeke to mend;
That I may rise, and stand, o’erthrow mee, ‘and bend
Your force, to breake, blowe, burn and make me new.
I, like an usurpt towne, to’another due,
Labour to’admit you, but Oh, to no end,
Reason your viceroy in mee, mee should defend,
But […]

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I’ve just listened to an uncommonly powerful message by Steve Saint (son of Nate Saint, martyred in 1956 with Jim Elliot, et al.).
I can’t put my reaction into words…if you have the time this weekend, set aside an hour and watch God speak to your heart through this “God-follower.”
“He’s got the whole world in […]

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Mt. Katahdin, along with the rest of the beautiful state of Maine, is absolutely stunning during autumn (photo by Craig Robinson). Katahdin heads the 2,175-mile Appalachian Trail, which runs all the way down to Springer Mountain in northern Georgia (history). I’ve hiked Katahdin a couple of times, but not the Appalachian Trail…yet. (I used to […]

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Today we continued exploring the Doctrine of God, with a particular emphasis on the Names and Images that God has employed to communicate his being and character to us.
We started by reviewing last week’s talks centering on God’s Absolute Personality, his covenant Lordship, the Creator/creature distinction, and his transcendence and immanence.
We discussed the Old Testament […]

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How I’ll be spending my evenings this weekend: Carl R. Trueman on John Owen. Dr. Trueman is Professor of Historical Theology and Church History at Westminster Theological Seminary in Glenside, PA. A 5 part series covering:

John Owen the Man
John Owen and the Practice of Theology
John Owen on God
John Owen on Christ
John Owen on the Holy […]

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Awhile back I’d shared the idea that all of creation serves to reveal God. Today I’m struck by how God does this within the context of the family. (All of the following must be understood, of course, as the ideal–as an “ought” rather than an “is.”) Here’s what I mean:
A child’s parents function as a […]

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Vatican Museum Stairs, originally uploaded by arongahagan.

Adam Booth, a fraternity brother of mine from back in the day, was kind enough to forward me a weekly photo update of his world tour a while back. […]

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