I haven’t exactly been keeping up with my blogging lately, mostly due to trying to write my ordination paper. I’ve especially fallen behind on writing notes about several books I’ve already read. So, my plan is to cram in a lot of blogging in the next week or two before 2015 is upon us. Hopefully I can at least catch up with posting reviews and notes on the rest of the books I’ve read this year…we’ll see!
POST CATEGORY : Notes in the Margins
Reconsidering Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage
As stated previously, as I go through my ordination process I’m doing more study on several doctrinal areas and how some of those relate to current issues. One of those areas is what I believe the Bible says about marriage, divorce, and remarriage. I consider this topic as of the utmost importance, since it is so foundational to society as well as the fact that issues surrounding marriage make up the bulk of pastoral counseling and cases of church discipline. I’ve reassessed my position through much research, prayer, and contemplation and actually modified my position in two meaningful ways regarding divorce and remarriage. Continue reading
The Burden and Blessing of Pursuing Ordination
I’m currently in the process of seeking ordination in the Evangelical Free Church of America. Actually, in one sense, I’ve been in this process since 2006. The EFCA has a two-tier ministerial credentialing process that requires those seeking Ordination to first be “Licensed” for ministry. Continue reading
Something Better Than Justice
At risk of stealing thunder from a future sermon, I’m going to post something about 1 Corinthians 6:1-11 (mostly because I don’t plan on preaching anything from 1 Corinthians anytime soon).
Anyway, a while back I was meeting with a couple of guys to work with them on how to better study and interpret the Bible. And for a “practice” text, one of them suggested that we work through the first part of 1 Corinthians 6. Honestly, I love to study the Bible…but I was not sure how applicable studying this chapter would be to us and our goal of learning to interpret the Scriptures well. I thought something that had a little more “relevance” to us might be better. But I agreed to 1 Corinthians 6 as the passage for the next meeting’s discussion.