If you are in Tucson and interested in discussing classic Christian texts, please join me this fall for a theological reading group at the Martha Cooper Public Library. We will be discussing the five orations in On God and Christ by Gregory of Nazianzus.
Gregory of Nazianzus, also known as Gregory the Theologian, was a pastor who was instrumental in defending the faith in the fourth-century and beyond. He may well be the most cited author in the Christian east, second only to the Bible. Gregory was also a prolific poet, having left us around 17,000 lines of poetry. His skill in theology and language are evident throughout his works.
You can learn more about Gregory this fall by exploring On God and Christ with us. Our meetings are free and open to the public at the Martha Cooper Public Library. If you can, please read the assigned text before each meeting so that you can participate in the discussion.
September 13, 2018 (6:30–8pm)
- Oration 27, “An Introductory Sermon Against the Eunomians”
- Oration 28, “On the Doctrine of God”
- Discussion Questions [Link]
October 11, 2018 (6:30–8pm)
- Oration 29, “On the Son”
- Oration 30, “On the Son”
November 1, 2018 (6:30–8pm) (Cancelled due to illness)
UPDATE: November 17, 2:00–3:30pm @ the Chelpka Home
- Oration 31, “On the Holy Spirit”
Note: Any similarities between our group and the reading groups of the Paideia Center of Reformed Theological Seminary are totally on purpose. In addition, I plan to attend the center’s conference in January and hope you will too. However, this group is unaffiliated with the Paideia Center.
My church has a new website! What do you think?
NewsGuard uses a set of criteria to tell you if a news organization is trustworthy. And they just made plugins available for Chrome and Microsoft Edge. I’m curious to see how this develops.
I’m working to improve my Hebrew over the next few months with help from Matthew Patton. Thankful for my brother and for MTIOPC. Now, let’s get some results!
Wow. A father and son record their scary drive through a wildfire.
📷 from my study. This honeycomb party-ball hangs over my desk. Someday, I might replace it with a plant or a used chandelier.
I finished The Writer’s Diet by Helen Sword. It is a brief guide to writing well. And it explains how to properly use the WritersDiet online test. Very helpful! Has anyone read her other books? 📚
⛪️ My a.m. sermon on Psalm 104; the first in a series on wisdom.
O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
Finished: Wisdom Christology by Daniel J. Elbert IV. He answers the question, “Why seek wisdom in Christ?” by introducing readers to six important passages of Scripture. If you’ve never thought about this subject before, this book is a good place to start. (25-page preview) 📚
dare, drill, cram, hide, ambush, sling, haunt, walk, grapple, trade, sing, purr, absorb, suffuse, contract, plow, approach, convert, uproot, defy, and cleave
21 Verbs You Can See
I like the new Indiepaper integration. Since “read later” articles can be accessed within one’s account, I wonder if they could be accessed within the app someday. Thanks @manton for all your hard work.
I finished Paul’s Theology of Preaching: The Apostle’s Challenge to the Art of Persuasion in Ancient Corinth by Duane Litfin. It’s a masterwork of biblical exegesis. He reveals a gospel-shaped rhetoric that is perfectly tailored for preaching. Loved it. 📚
Master, the scribes are getting restless.
Proverbs tells us that fools ignore the world God has made. They live their lives against the grain and then suffer for it. Wise people, on the other hand, reflect on the world, learn from it, and tend to succeed.
But you can’t reflect on something you haven’t observed. Wisdom starts with paying attention. You have to look around and spend time noticing things.
If that makes sense to you but you’re not sure what to look at, Gavin Pretor-Pinney, a U.K. graphic designer who founded the Cloud Appreciation Society, suggests in his TED talk that you look at—you guessed it—the clouds.
Most of us, he says, ignore the clouds until they block the sun. And then we notice them only as “annoying, frustrating obstructions,” before we “rush off and do some blue-sky thinking.”
That being said…
most people, when you stop to ask them, will admit to harboring a strange sort of fondness for clouds. It’s like a nostalgic fondness, and they make them think of their youth.
Who here can’t remember thinking of looking and finding shapes in the clouds when they were kids? You know, when you were masters of daydreaming.
It’s just that these days, us adults seem reluctant to allow ourselves the indulgence of just allowing our imaginations to drift along in the breeze. And I think that’s a pity. I think we should perhaps do a bit more of it.
I think we should be a bit more willing, perhaps, to look at the beautiful sight of the sunlight bursting out from behind the clouds. And go wait a minute - there’s two cats dancing the salsa, or seeing the big - the big, white, puffy one up there over the shopping center looks like the abominable snowman going to rob a bank.”
These were the clouds outside my study window tonight.
