N. T. Wright on Fox News

N. T. Wright appears on Fox News discussing his new book, Simply Jesus: A New Vision of Who He Was, What He Did, and Why He Matters. What is impressive to me about Dr. Wright’s discussion is that he presents an intelligent and rational view of Christ without compromising the spiritual truth of his identity. Also, he is able to articulate who Christ is without the traditional, religious terminology that much of the world has already dismissed.

Graduated Two Years Ago!

Thanks to Dave Black, who was my Ph.D. mentor,  for posting some excerpts from my dissertation, The Authority of Church Elders in the NT. I graduated around this time two years ago! I often think of how glad I am to be done; but I am even more glad I did it! The privilege of working with Dave Black was one of the highlights. I could say many positive things about his scholarship and how he challenged me academically, but the most profound influence he has had upon me is the love for Christ and his church the he and BeckyLynn have LIVED OUT! He posted our picture taken just after my Ph.D. oral exam in 2006. Dave is all the way on the left.

The Monster in the Hollows!

Psyched about getting a hold of Andrew Peterson’s recently released third installment of the Wingfeather Saga, The Monster in the Hollows. Andrew Peterson reflects on its release here. You can read my comments on the first book here.

Organizing Books

I enjoyed Dr. Bush’s (an old high school buddy of mine) reviews of LibraryThing.com and Goodreads.com. He tested these along with others and recommends LibraryThings as the best place to organize your books and Goodreads as a good place for book social networking. I have already started my accounts and look forward to using them.

Diligence

I found an old book in my Dad’s library, Watchman Nee’s The Normal Christian Worker. I know Mr. Nee is criticized a good bit, but he also has some great things to say. Here are some of his comments from a chapter on the quality of diligence:

“A person who regards everything as a burden cannot be a faithful servant of the Lord” (14).

“Every faithful servant of Christ buys up the moments, and when he is not outwardly engaged he is inwardly active, waiting on the Lord in real heart-exercise” (15).

John 4:35 – “The time to work is now, not some future date. ‘Lift up your eyes and look’ He said, indicating the kind of workman He needed—one who does not stand waiting for the work to come to him, but one who has eyes to see the work that is already waiting to be done. . . . Never put off till tomorrow what can be done today” (15-16).

“Diligence is primarily an inward matter and is not measured by outward busyness” (16).

“Oh, that we might awaken to the weightiness of our responsibility, the urgency of the need around us, and the fleeting nature of time! . . . Let us, as dying men, give ourselves with all our powers to the dying around us” (19).