This and That

When I write a post, I often get off on rabbit trails, pull back and then take my scraps and throw them into an ‘ideas’ folder on my computer. I know my posts haven’t always stayed on subject, but they’d be a lot worse if I didn’t take out big chunks for future reference.

Besides this, there are a lot of things that I would love to post on, but I just don’t have the time. Blogging was supposed to be good therapy. I write to get things off my mind, but I find that one thing leads to another and I end up with more things on my mind.

I need to unload a few thoughts in point form in order to get my mind back. I still have to finish my sermon for tomorrow and a mind is a good thing to have when doing sermon preparation:

• Together for the Gospel or Shepherd’s Conference? Both are far away (and therefore expensive), so plan C might be ‘Edson.’ LA is cheaper, but the speaker lineup in Louisville is even more appealing to me than the extraordinary cast that will be in LA (no John Piper or CJ Mahaney in LA). Thanks for the comment, Dan. You’re the one responsible for this new conundrum (I’m still leaning to Louisville, if possible, partly because I’d like to get caught up with Dr. Steve Wellum at SBTS, my theology professor when I was at ACTS.


• Wolves in Sheep’s clothing vs. Sheep in Wolf’s clothing (this phrase lit off an interesting discussion regarding plurals, possessives and apostrophes in our living room – I think I have it straight now). I have been thinking about a follow-up to my Tabletalk cover and brief commentary that I posted a few days ago, but I haven’t managed it so far. Appropriate and inappropriate compromise for the Christian is a huge topic. Let me just say that we ought to be sheep in sheep’s clothing and leave it at that for now (thanks for the comment, Patti).


• Cessation vs. Continuationism. These will be new terms for some, I’m sure, so I’ll have to define them . . . someday. For now, let me just say that they relate to spiritual gifts, particularly the controversial ones. Every Reformed leaning blogger will be commenting on Tim Challies’ most helpful posts on this topic, and I’m no exception. Challies is always a must-read, and this is a series that I am going to recommend to several people – some of whom don’t know a blog from a dog. Tim has wisely and humbly asked Sam Waldron and Wayne Grudem for interviews on this hot topic. I’m going to weigh in on the issue of spiritual gifts next week, Lord willing, after I read Tim’s interview with Wayne Grudem, which is still to come.


• Our church has been going through a major issue this year and we just had a meeting regarding the continuation of church discipline for an individual. This is still way too close to home for my church and everyone involved, so I’ll leave that alone. What I do want to post on, arising from this situation, is the question of the Bible’s silence on many matters in particular discipline situations and what this means for the church. This year has been a workout for my ecclesiology (doctrine of the church) from a very practical standpoint. I would like to post some thoughts on this very practical theological issue.

Okay, I think that’s it for now. I’ll try to intersperse a little humor and a few pictures with the serious stuff, so I’ll hope you’ll stay tuned.