On Wednesday, Feb 3, liturgical churches commemorate St. Ansgar, who in the 9th century was sent to evangelize Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Today, he is known as "The Apostle of the North." Here, Ansgar is depicted by the great 19th c painter Gustaf Olaf Cederstrom. Reading Notes for the Week The Tabernacle: This week’s passage … Continue reading 2016 Bible in a Year Challenge – week 6 (Jan 31-Feb 6)
Month: January 2016
Monthly Mini Reviews for January 2016
As we work our way through the 2016 52 book challenge, I’m going to try (once again) to offer monthly mini-reviews of the books I complete. Last year, I fizzled out on this part of the project in February - we’ll see how well I do this year. But first some observations about this year’s … Continue reading Monthly Mini Reviews for January 2016
2016 Bible in a Year Challenge – week 5
On Jan 27, Liturgical churches remember the great saint John Chrysostom, a great fourth century preacher, leader, and defender of the Christian faith. Chrysostom's sermons from his service in Antioch are still fresh and relevant for today, but he is most famed for his tenure as archbishop of Constantinople. During that office, Chrysostom preached against … Continue reading 2016 Bible in a Year Challenge – week 5
2016 Bible in a Year Challenge – week 4
On January 18, liturgical churches commemorate the confession of Peter's faith in Christ as the Messiah (see Matthew 16:13-20). Protestant churches look to the confession itself as a key element of Christian unity. The witness of the apostles is a foundation upon which the whole church is built, as it says in Ephesians 2: 19-22: … Continue reading 2016 Bible in a Year Challenge – week 4
2016 Bible in a Year Challenge – week 3
This Sunday, liturgical churches across the world commemorate the Baptism of Christ. This is a time to recognize Christ's humility and submission to the Father. The One who had no need to repent submitted to a penitent's ritual; the One who was perfectly clean humbled himself to receive a sinner's bath. As we go through this … Continue reading 2016 Bible in a Year Challenge – week 3
2016 Bible in a Year Challenge – week 2
This week, we enjoy the classic church holiday of Epiphany (January 6). Traditionally observed as the end of the 12 days of Christmas, Epiphany is a celebration of God's appearance with us in the person of Christ. Many traditions associate the Magi's visitation of the Holy Family (Matthew 2:1-12) with this holiday. However the Big Idea … Continue reading 2016 Bible in a Year Challenge – week 2
Take the 52 Book Challenge in 2016
Avid readers are curve-busters. I’m sure you’ve seen the anxiety laden news articles bemoaning the decline of American reading. Some pundits wail that “the average American reads only one book per year!” The data from the Pew Research center reveals a more complex picture and sets the average at about 12 per year. Yet, no matter … Continue reading Take the 52 Book Challenge in 2016
Horizons of the Possible 