God’s Posse

I call them God’s theological sheriffs—believers who are alert to any hint of heresy in others.  They seem to be self-appointed, but maybe it’s their special gifting.  What I’m not sure about is where their gift comes from—whether it’s from God or elsewhere. I ask that honestly because even when they’re prosecuting others on the …

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Glorifying Glory

In many Christian circles we hear lots about the theme of glory as God’s ultimate goal for the creation.  But by giving such prominence to glory, glory may be getting more glory than God. Here’s what I mean.  If God’s glory is seen to be a sort of spiritual commodity he wants or needs for …

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Enjoying the Spirit

What about the Spirit?  What should we make of his place in the Trinity, and in our lives?  Our response to that question, whatever it is, will say much about how we live out our faith.  With that in mind let me mention, very briefly, some common points of view, then offer my own.  And …

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Love as Syrup or as Steel?

As we speak of God’s love what comes to mind for us?  Is it a dose of sugar, syrup and all things sweet?  Or is it rough, tough and as strong as steel? I hope the question and the comparison seems absurd!  Love, and God’s love in particular, is a relational reality that invites more …

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Getting Repentance Right

We’ve all seen occasional comics of a robed and bearded street preacher with a placard sign that reads, “Repent, the end is near!”  Usually there’s a punchline of some sort that makes the prophet of doom seem silly.  Yet, as with most caricatures, there’s a kernel of truth in the mix.  And, I suspect, there’s …

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A Passionate God

Too many Christians, I’m afraid, have the disaffected God of the Greek philosophers in mind when they pray or plan their day.  The Greek versions of God are mainly about power—about having control over everything—rather than about his forming and sustaining relationships with a treasured creation. But let’s be clear from the outset that I don’t know many Christians who …

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Called to Christ’s Likeness

I read a troubling newspaper article on the internet today.  It was one of the “most read” items and it spoke of a Christian writer who recently announced her departure from the church.  The report included a summary of what disturbed her and what, for many of us, is tragically obvious: “But judging by the …

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Speaking of the Trinity

Lewis Ayres in Nicaea and its Legacy offers a helpful summary of the “pro-Nicene” theology of fourth century church leaders.  The Council of Nicaea (in 325) set out an acceptable manner for speaking of God’s oneness while still affirming his eternal distinctions as Father, Son, and Spirit.  Yet the debate over how best to speak …

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Finding Community

Michael Allen Gillespie in The Theological Origins of Modernity explored the contribution of Francesco Petrarch—a monumental 14th century figure—in The Solitary Life: “At the heart of this [Petrarch’s] claim [that a public life is incompatible with virtue] is his conviction that social life is dominated by the opinions and values of the multitude, who are …

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Chalmers’ Sermon

(The Cor Deo blog is going live, and we want to make sure there is some content ready to interact with already on the site . . . here is a post from earlier this year on SpreadingGoodness.org . . .) What is the role of the heart in directing our conduct?  This question invites ongoing reflection. …

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