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By Dale, on September 2nd, 2010
I’m looking forward to the profundity of the questions Thomas will ask as he and his mind develop and grow. Children often surprise us.
Having said that, their questions remind us of what it was like to not have thought further about a question. Take a question like ‘Who made God?’ This is one of the questions dealt with in the new book, ‘Who Made God? And Other Tricky Questions‘, by missiologist, linguist, and former Carey Baptist principal Brian Smith.
Because kids need to be shown how to identify what is assumed in a question (and an answer to it), any semantic issues involved, and learn to (if necessary) reformulate or rephrase it, think past initial, incomplete answers and get to subsequent less incomplete answers.
By Dale, on September 2nd, 2010
quick reflections:
It’s easy to paint Islam as a) inherently evil/violent or b) docile/dormant and harmless – it’s hard to patiently assess what Islam is actually like.
It’s easy to tell a woman considering abortion a) that she’s a murderer or b) that whatever choice she makes is the right choice – it’s hard to journey patiently, lovingly, understandingly, etc-ingly, with not only . . . → Read More: easy hard
By Dale, on August 24th, 2010
((SAUL, FALLEN ON HIS SWORD))
One of those cursed Philistine arrows found its way into my side, and as I felt the searing heat, I knew that not only this battle was over, but also the life of this king was over. I would not give them have the satisfaction of finishing me off! They would find me having already fallen on my own sword.
It would only be a matter of seconds before my enemies would reach me, but how eternal those seconds would seem! More than long enough to remember my life. Continue reading narrative sermon
By Dale, on August 17th, 2010
So… I’m trying hard to be sensitive to people’s feelings, but how many blocks does this proposed mosque have to be away from ground zero before it doesn’t . . . → Read More: distance
By Dale, on August 16th, 2010
theological musing:
I just picked up an other-than-standard-size light bulb for new place. It reminded me of working for a lumber/hardware store in which I had to order, merchandise, and sell (among various other things) lighting supplies. It’s all bulbs and fixtures when it comes to lighting, really.
But then there’s another way to do lighting. Focus, redirect, or otherwise use natural light (i.e. sky-lights).
This (I don’t remember how exactly) got me thinking about different ways of thinking about Christian Spirituality. Continue reading lit up
By Dale, on August 16th, 2010
Saw this morning on TV1 Breakfast – not much (anything? maybe this??) about it on the net yet…
But according to TVNZ, “maths teacher Philip Lloyd, an Auckland man who has made a maths-changing discovery to do with parabolas.” (though the date of the above forum post is 2003, and the name is TJ Evert!!?? hmmm…)
Anyway, the discovery is cool – whether . . . → Read More: phantom parabolas
By Dale, on August 16th, 2010
We played ‘mafia’ at youth group Saturday. I don’t think I’ve ever been the sheriff.
Speaking of sheriffs, Di and I drove past ‘The Shoe Sheriff‘ in Newmarket, Auckland, today. It’s a long-standing shoe repair place. I used to work in the Newmarket area, and I still remember when the big, bad, black hole of a shopping company, two-double-seven was expanding across . . . → Read More: shoe sheriff
By Dale, on August 14th, 2010
I’ve the privilege of preaching the last passage in Luke (24:13-53) this Sunday night. Wow. What a passage! Just for the hey of it, here’s a painting by Caravaggio called ‘The Incredulity of Thomas’, based on this and the other parallel gospel passages. What a painting!
Note Jesus' hand guiding Thomas' . . . → Read More: end of luke
By Dale, on August 14th, 2010
In the midst of a blogging hiatus, here are some observations about Paul’s purpose in writing Romans (a.k.a. a bit I cut out of my recent essay!).
he wants them to understand their common need for salvation (chapters 1-3).
he wants them to grasp their common access to this salvation through Abrahamic faith (chapters 4-5).
he wants them to know their common dependence on . . . → Read More: romans authorial intent
By Dale, on August 5th, 2010
At a science/faith conference last year (sponsored by TANSA and hosted by Northcote Baptist Church), NZ physicist and Christian Jeff Tallon comparatively defines physics and faith as follows:
Physics: understanding through enquiry the world about us (which we transcend) using the language of mathematics; it involves theory (concepts & equations) and application.
Faith: understanding through enquiry the world about us (which transcends us) . . . → Read More: science and theology
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threshing floor