boston commoner.

welcome home

So, I got a comment on my blog this …weekend, I believe it was…from a Pastor Greg Linscott, now an administrator over at sharperiron.org. Mind you, it was only this weekend that I’d heard of sharperiron.org, but the name “Linscott” rang a bell. I’ve seen his comments recently over on Pastor Bixby’s blog in conjunction with the fundamentalism discussions. Not that I go around memorizing the blog comments of perfect strangers, or anything, but you tend to get familiar… Anyway, Pastor Linscott not only made me aware of the sharperiron discussion boards, but let me know he sends his regards to my pastor here in Boston (he’d seen our new church website); turns out Pastor Bill was an old prof of Pastor Linscott back at Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary. Small world. In fact, Pastor Bill seems to know all sorts of people whose names have been popping up in the blogosphere lately. Such as…”Gunpowder” Bauder? Pastor Bill sat next to him in class back when HE was a student. “I knew he’d written that article before anyone told me it was his,” said Pastor Bill during a recent Friday night Bible study for which we’d chosen to discuss the rather ubiquitous-in-certain-circles “Fundamentalism Worth Saving” article. Don’t worry, folks, Pastor likes “Ol’ Gunpowder” a lot. It’s just interesting, that’s all. Especially the previously-unknown epithet ;o) Thanks for revealing that, Pastor. I’m sure Gunpowder thanks you, too. I hope someone from Central stumbles upon this blog… You never know… (more…)

In posting the following, I am not trying to make any enemies. But something doesn’t sit well. In fact, it’s making me sick… (more…)

Yet another addition to the sidebar: Melita Matzko’s Boston Photos.

We call it a phlog.

Melita takes fabulous photographs, and as you’ve already noticed, I’ve made good use of several of them (see sidebar pic, for one). She updates regularly–enjoy!

Several bloggers have highlighted this article by Dr. Kevin Bauder of Central Theological Seminary and encouraged you to read it. Now I am doing the same. It took me, afterall, at least three different encouragements to finally make the time to read it, and I’m so glad I did. As I read through it, I said, “I must quote this paragraph on the blog; no, wait, this one. No, this one here!” In the end, I would have to quote just about the whole article in order to highlight every sparkling gem of honesty and exhortation found therein. Certain paragraphs made me want to stand up and applaude, loudly, right here in the office. Dr. Bauder addresses with all tact, humility, honesty, and sobriety the reasons for the widespread disillusionment with fundamentalism as it actually stands today, and then anchors his posited basis for refocussing its center on the idea behind fundamentalism–and idea that in many circles and amongst many well-meaning but unfocussed people, has been lost. Read it. I think you’ll be surprised, encouraged and challenged.

In honor of this pinkest and fluffiest of all Hallmark holidays (gag), I’m posting a link to a sermon devoted to the idea of being “in love.” You’ll find it helpful. Click here if you’re interested. *I do, afterall, owe the title of this post to its author.

Now, a disclaimer: I don’t think there is anything wrong in being in love, per se. It can be painful. Agonizing, even! But as most of us know, that’s not always a bad thing. Especially when you’re in love with the right person (read: a person who loves Christ more than he loves you, and is therefore committed to loving you completely, and who is in love with you to top it all off). Now, that’s special. And, frankly, if marriage be on any of my far-off horizons, I can personally say that I serioulsy hope to be deeply in love–at least most of the time–with whomever the Lord puts in my life. Because that would be fun. I think.

But I do agree with the speaker when he says that a biblical marriage is not based on being in love, nor is the the first step of knowing whom to marry being in love. Feeling is far too fickle a thing on which to base such a mammoth committment!

Now, if you ARE in love today, I can’t help but being happy for you. In it’s proper place and boundaries, such feelings comprise one of God’s very special gifts to be enjoyed by His creation.

Happy Love Day!