tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61902243562291565592024-03-18T05:17:15.832-04:00Under the Sunglennsunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663153768917258582noreply@blogger.comBlogger151125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190224356229156559.post-75410214437502536602016-08-06T13:45:00.002-04:002016-08-06T13:45:44.733-04:00New Blog SiteI will be doing more regular blogging from my ministry website, <a href="http://www.esquareinch.org/">www.esquareinch.org</a>. I will still post here for issues that are unrelated to my ministry work, but I expect I will be far more active there than here. Please follow me over there for my articles, Christian blogging, and new resources that will be coming online in the coming months. Today's blog post is <a href="http://www.esquareinch.com/?p=535" target="_blank">here</a>.glennsunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663153768917258582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190224356229156559.post-89264259727541417292016-07-27T11:23:00.002-04:002016-07-27T11:23:52.358-04:00On Settled Science: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
Just to clarify a few things:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
Catastrophic anthropogenic
global warming is <b><i>not</i> </b>settled
science. A significant number of climatologists question the supposed “consensus”
on this point. (The 97% number you hear is based on a 2009 survey in which the analysis
was based on 77 respondents, 75 of whom agreed with the two rather vague questions
asked in the survey.) Yet Democrats in <st1:state w:st="on">California</st1:state>
attempted to criminalize speaking out against the party line on climate change.
One wonders what Galileo would have to say about that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
The idea that people are born “gay”
is <b><i>not</i> </b>settled science. In fact, it
isn’t science at all. There is precisely zero evidence for it, whether in
genetic studies or twin studies. Similarly, the idea that sexual orientation is
immutable flies in the face of the many people whose orientation has changed.
It is demonstrably false empirically despite the political classes being wedded
to the idea.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
It <b><i>is</i> </b>settled science that one cannot transition from male to female
or female to male. With the exception of genetic or gestational anomalies,
those categories are fixed by biology and cannot be changed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
It <b><i>is</i> </b>settled science that human life begins at conception. At that
point a living, genetically distinct human organism comes into existence. It is
a human life at a very early stage of development. Separating the human being
from the person has no scientific basis; it is a matter of philosophy, law and
convenience. Abraham Lincoln suggested that the Civil War would continue, “… until every drop of blood drawn
with the lash, shall be repaid by another drawn with the sword….” What does
this mean in light of the 58 million human lives in the <st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place> that have been taken since Roe
v. Wade in the name of a philosophical idea?<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
Remind me again, which
political party is anti-science?</div>
glennsunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663153768917258582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190224356229156559.post-8912425258699014832016-05-02T20:21:00.001-04:002016-05-02T20:21:24.706-04:00Discovery Bible Study and Lectio DivinaThis pair of articles from the Worldview Journal (<a href="http://www.breakpoint.org/the-center/columns/indepth/23256-discovery-bible-study-and-lectio-divina-combining-old-and-new-approaches-to-scripture-part-1" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.breakpoint.org/the-center/columns/indepth/23279-discovery-bible-study-and-lectio-divina-combining-old-and-new-approaches-to-scripture-part-2" target="_blank">here</a>) are my first foray into a larger project dealing with developing a more systematic approach to discipleship. Discovery Bible Study is a relatively new approach to Scripture which focuses on obedience; <i>Lectio Divina</i> is a very ancient approach that involves internalizing Scripture to shape our inner lives and our hearts. Together, they are a powerful combination that helps us both to become what God calls us to be and to do what he tells us to do. The basic instructions for both approaches are in the articles; try them out and if you feel inspired, let me know how they work for you.glennsunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663153768917258582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190224356229156559.post-80875233137495725962016-04-29T17:23:00.001-04:002016-04-29T17:38:45.434-04:00Andre and Magda Trocme and the Village of Le-Chambon-sur-Lignon<a href="http://www.breakpoint.org/the-center/columns/changed/23298-andre-and-magda-trocme-and-the-village-of-le-chambon-sur-lignon" target="_blank">The latest article in the series Christians who Changed their World</a> is about a village in France during World War II. Led by its Huguenot pastor and his wife, this village and the surrounding area saved the lives of a number of Jews equal to their own population by hiding them from the Nazis and their Vichy collaborators and in some cases smuggling them to Switzerland. It's a great story, and if you haven't heard it yet, you'll want to read the article.glennsunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663153768917258582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190224356229156559.post-59907266046892659882016-02-18T21:42:00.000-05:002016-02-18T21:42:04.623-05:00In honor of Black History Month ...I've published two new articles in the series, Christians who Changed their World. The first is <a href="http://www.breakpoint.org/the-center/columns/changed/23224-josephine-margaret-bakhita-c1869-1947" target="_blank">Josephine Margaret Bakhita</a>, a woman enslaved as a girl in Sudan who eventually found freedom in a convent, and <a href="https://www.blogger.com/Latest%20article%20in%20the%20series%20Christians%20who%20Changed%20the%20World.%20This%20one%20is%20a%20bit%20different--I'm%20doing%20someone%20who%20is%20better%20known%20than%20most%20people%20I%20do,%20but%20not%20as%20well%20known%20as%20he%20should%20be.%20He%20is%20also%20one%20who%20is%20wrongly%20cited%20as%20an%20atheist.%20http://www.breakpoint.org/the-center/columns/changed/23242-frederick-douglass-c1818-1895" target="_blank">Frederick Douglass</a>, another former slave who became one of America's greatest public intellectuals. Douglass appears on lists of prominent atheists, but if you actually take the time to look at his career and read his own works, his Christian commitments come through loud and clear.glennsunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663153768917258582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190224356229156559.post-91901166380599907192015-12-14T09:50:00.000-05:002015-12-14T09:50:21.087-05:00The Story of "O Come, O Come, Emanuel" and the "O Antiphons"The story behind the hymn "O Come, O Come, Emanuel" stretches back at least to the 700s AD and perhaps back to around 500 AD or even earlier. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/My%20latest%20at%20the%20Colson%20Center.%20The%20story%20of%20the%20Advent%20hymn%20%22O%20Come,%20O%20Come,%20Emanuel%22%20and%20a%20seven%20day%20Advent%20devotional:%20http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/indepth/23188-advent-through-the-ages" target="_blank">This article</a> tells that story, including explaining the hidden acrostic in the original prayers, and provides a devotional for the seven days preceding Christmas.glennsunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663153768917258582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190224356229156559.post-77964220915721454612015-11-26T10:11:00.000-05:002015-11-26T10:11:08.393-05:00Now Thank We All Our GodToday is Thanksgiving in the United States. One popular hymn for this holiday is Martin Rinkart's "Now Thank We All Our God." We live in uncertain and dangerous times, and many people are worried about war, terrorism, and other problems facing us today. Rinkart's story and his hymn can help put this in perspective. Read about it <a href="http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/changed/23167-martin-rinkart-1586-1649" target="_blank">here</a>.glennsunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663153768917258582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190224356229156559.post-64724488248425435932015-11-12T17:11:00.000-05:002015-11-12T17:11:17.503-05:00Visual Arts and the Bible<a href="http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/call-response/23152-visual-arts-and-the-bible" target="_blank">My latest article</a> at the Colson Center deals with visual arts, aesthetics, and the Bible's attitude toward them. Christians often seem to avoid art while embracing kitsch and utilitarian architecture. Both modern art and Christians today have forgotten (or intentionally ignore) the importance of beauty. This article points out the Bible's focus on beauty as a reflection of God and an important element of worship.glennsunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663153768917258582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190224356229156559.post-48142635422653531942015-10-26T16:34:00.002-04:002015-10-26T16:34:58.078-04:00Katharina von BoraWith the 498th anniversary of the 95 Theses approaching, a piece on the Reformation seemed appropriate. For those of you who don't know her, I'd like to introduce you to <a href="http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/changed/23137-katharina-von-bora" target="_blank">Katharina von Bora</a>, a.k.a. Katie Luther, one of the most formidable women of the sixteenth century.glennsunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663153768917258582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190224356229156559.post-51092031699596979672015-10-12T17:30:00.000-04:002015-10-12T17:30:33.160-04:00Two New ArticlesI have two articles up on the Colson Center since my last update. The first is about <a href="http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/changed/23099-ho-feng-shan-1901-1997" target="_blank">Ho Feng Shan</a>, a Nationalist Chinese diplomat sometimes known as the Chinese Schindler. The second is an article surveying the place of <a href="http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/call-response/23118-music-and-the-bible" target="_blank">music in the Bible</a>. Enjoy!glennsunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663153768917258582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190224356229156559.post-17025440923441455022015-10-02T18:52:00.000-04:002015-10-03T16:05:45.351-04:00Kim Davis and the Pope<div class="MsoNormal">
The Pope met with Kim Davis, gave her a hug, and told her to
“Be strong.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Conservatives greeted this news with cheers, while there was
weeping and gnashing of teeth among Progressives.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then word came from the <st1:country-region w:st="on">Vatican</st1:country-region> that the meeting was not
what it seemed. “<span style="background: white;">The pope did not enter into the
details of the situation of Mrs. Davis and his meeting with her should not be
considered a form of support of her position in all of its particular and
complex aspects</span>.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">And immediately the
Progressives rejoiced, proclaimed Kim Davis a liar—some even said the Pope said
she was a liar--and said that Francis offered “no support” for her position.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">Let’s all just take a deep
breath and look at what was actually said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">First, no one called from the
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Vatican</st1:place></st1:country-region>
called Davis a liar, and the statement did not say there was no support for her
position; read it again: the meeting “…should not be considered a form of
support of her position <i>in all of its
particular and complex aspects</i>.” This is not the same as saying he doesn’t
support anything about what she did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">The question remains, did Kim
Davis lie?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">Let’s propose a scenario. For
the sake of argument, let’s suppose the Pope did not know who Kim Davis was (a
proposition I find questionable) and that he wouldn’t actually support her at
all. This seems unlikely given his public statement earlier that civil servants
retain their right of conscience, but for the sake of argument, let’s assume it
anyway.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">A member of the Papal Curia
arranges a secret meeting between Francis and Davis that could become a
propaganda victory for conservatives in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Vatican</st1:place></st1:country-region>. He brings <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Davis</st1:place></st1:city> in and only tells the Pope something to
the effect that she’s gotten into trouble for her religious views. The Pope
meets <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Davis</st1:place></st1:city>,
says encouraging things to her, and tells her to “Be strong”—words that fit the
situation and would not be unlikely in this scenario.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">What does Kim Davis know? She
knows what the Pope said about freedom of conscience and civil servants, and
that the Pope spoke encouraging words to her; she does not understand the
politics in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Vatican</st1:place></st1:country-region>
behind the power play, so she quite naturally interprets the events as support
for her, and describes it as such.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">Did she lie? No—she wasn’t
intentionally deceiving anyone, but she did misunderstand the situation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">Then the Pope finds out about
what happens. He doesn’t want to get involved in the situation, so he issues
the statement above and to distance himself from the event. The statement is
noncommittal because of internal <st1:place w:st="on">Vatican</st1:place>
politics or because he doesn’t want to insert himself into American politics,
but he’s hoping people will read between the lines.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">I don’t think this is a
completely accurate reconstruction of the situation, but it is at least
plausible and, given the premises, likely. But to the Progressives, the only possible
interpretation of Francis’s words is that he called Davis a liar—which objectively
he did not—and that he does not in any way support her. This push to demonize
her illustrates the irrational hatred of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Davis</st1:place></st1:city>
that seems to </span><span style="background-color: white;">characterize any Progressive discussion of her situation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">And Progressives accuse
Conservatives of engaging in witch hunts!</span><br />
<br />
A CORRECTION: The interview in which the Pope said that civil servants should have a right not to participate in same sex weddings occurred after his meeting with Davis.<br />
<br />
MORE INFORMATION: It turns out we do have an account of what happened with Kim Davis and how it happened by someone with direct knowledge of the situation. See <a href="https://stream.org/the-facts-about-popes-meeting-with-kim-davis/" target="_blank">this article</a>.glennsunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663153768917258582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190224356229156559.post-1806639638758404102015-09-08T16:26:00.002-04:002015-09-08T16:26:35.172-04:00Making Sense of the Surreal, Part 2Here is <a href="http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/indepth/23072-making-sense-of-the-surreal-the-worldview-of-american-politics-part-2" target="_blank">Part 2</a> of my article, "Making Sense of the Surreal: The Worldview of American Politics."glennsunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663153768917258582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190224356229156559.post-43480128504629986062015-08-31T20:43:00.001-04:002015-08-31T20:43:46.117-04:00Making Sense of the SurrealThe first part of a two part article on <a href="http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/indepth/23043-making-sense-of-the-surreal-the-worldview-of-american-politics-part-1" target="_blank">the worldview behind American politics</a> is up at the Colson Center. Part 2 should be out next Monday.glennsunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663153768917258582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190224356229156559.post-89249150821529493312015-07-30T14:33:00.002-04:002015-07-30T14:33:35.612-04:00Now What?In my <a href="http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/worldview/22999-now-what" target="_blank">latest article at the Worldview Journal</a>, I discuss the church's response to the SCOTUS decision imposing SSM across the country. I'm looking particularly at Rod Dreher's Benedict Option and what Marvin Olasky calls the Daniel Option.glennsunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663153768917258582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190224356229156559.post-86643771431576558172015-07-20T12:31:00.000-04:002015-07-20T12:36:52.644-04:00The Roots of the SCOTUS Decision on Same Sex MarriageThis article appeared both in the <a href="http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/call-response/22990-psalm-51-introduction-to-confession-and-restoration-our-need-to-be-confronted" target="_blank">Christian Worldview Journal</a> and in <a href="https://stream.org/roots-scotus-decision-sex-marriage/" target="_blank">The Stream</a>.glennsunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663153768917258582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190224356229156559.post-4334851919481184802015-06-22T15:40:00.000-04:002015-06-22T15:40:33.612-04:00A Whole Bunch of New ArticlesI haven't been keeping up with posting my new articles recently, so I'm going to put them all here. They complete the series "The Christian's Three Callings" and bring in a number of new articles from "Christians who Changed their World."<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/changed/22966-katherina-schuetz-zell-14978-1562" target="_blank">Katherina Schuetz Zell (1497/8-1562)</a><br style="font-family: Ubuntu, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.9950008392334px;" /><a href="http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/changed/22920-ching-ching-adam-eighth-century" target="_blank">Ching-Ching (Adam) (Eighth Century)</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/changed/22889-alopen-seventh-century" target="_blank">Alopen (Seventh Century)</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/changed/22848-martin-de-porres-1579-1639" target="_blank">Martin de Porres (1579-1639)</a><br style="font-family: Ubuntu, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.9950008392334px;" /><a href="http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/changed/22808-roque-gonzalez-de-santa-cruz-1576-1628" target="_blank">Roque Gonzalez de Santa Cruz (1576-1628)</a><br style="font-family: Ubuntu, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.9950008392334px;" /><a href="http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/changed/22783-christians-who-changed-their-world-hannah-more-1745-1833" target="_blank">Hannah More (1745-1833)</a><br style="font-family: Ubuntu, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.9950008392334px;" /><a href="http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/indepth/22627-the-believers-three-callings-part-1" target="_blank">The Believer’s Three Callings, Part 1</a><span style="font-family: Ubuntu, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.9950008392334px;">, </span><a href="http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/indepth/22659-the-believers-three-callings-part-2" target="_blank">Part 2</a><span style="font-family: Ubuntu, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.9950008392334px;">, </span><a href="http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/indepth/22701-the-believers-three-callings-part-3" target="_blank">Part 3</a><span style="font-family: Ubuntu, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.9950008392334px;">, </span><a href="http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/indepth/22750-the-believers-three-callings-part-4" target="_blank">Part 4</a></span>glennsunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663153768917258582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190224356229156559.post-19747875990020831542015-05-07T22:09:00.000-04:002015-05-07T22:09:35.576-04:00Reformation History Tour, May 23 to June 5, 2016I will be leading a Reformation History Tour next year. We'll be seeing 6 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and visiting four countries. I'll be teaching Reformation history and theology, and we'll have local guides in Prague, Wittenberg, Eisleben, Eisenach and the Wartburg Castle, .... For more information, check out <a href="http://www.esquareinch.com/?page_id=367" target="_blank">the page on my ministry website</a>. It's going to be a great trip!<div>
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2SYrtKo_N5AJGrnip06TDG9724__XYG1jWWW3juqrOr4boh1PNt8d_kjjBNBmLuhzKVzUXMgnzEOvRki6sYjzv5RvZXkpa2IsvRE-StoXq44r_cscEyLNIXFwDpfL2yubpm_UHvBgA/s1600/castle+church+wittenberg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2SYrtKo_N5AJGrnip06TDG9724__XYG1jWWW3juqrOr4boh1PNt8d_kjjBNBmLuhzKVzUXMgnzEOvRki6sYjzv5RvZXkpa2IsvRE-StoXq44r_cscEyLNIXFwDpfL2yubpm_UHvBgA/s1600/castle+church+wittenberg.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Castle Church, Wittenberg, where Luther nailed up the 95 Theses</div>
</div>
glennsunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663153768917258582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190224356229156559.post-53523753544271328522015-02-20T18:45:00.004-05:002015-02-20T18:45:59.369-05:00Upcoming Online Class on the CrusadesI will be teaching an online course on the causes and conduct of the Crusades starting in March. I am working out the final details of the course, and if you might be interested in taking it, I'd like your feedback. Please take my brief four question <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KVT9QJG" target="_blank">survey</a>. It will only take a couple of minutes and it will be an enormous help to me in my planning. Thanks!glennsunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663153768917258582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190224356229156559.post-75029687754828844022015-02-02T11:03:00.000-05:002015-02-02T11:03:24.212-05:00New Article: The Believer's Three Callings, Part 1My <a href="http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/indepth/22627-the-believers-three-callings-part-1" target="_blank">new article</a> is up at the Colson Center. It's part 1 of a series entitled "The Believer's Three Callings," dealing with the Great Commandment, the Great Commission, and the Cultural Mandate. The object is to give a more complete picture than we usually get of God's calling for Christians in this world.glennsunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663153768917258582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190224356229156559.post-38425199052662813432015-01-12T10:11:00.003-05:002015-01-12T10:11:57.552-05:00New article in the series "Christians who Changed their World"The first article on a Latin American Christian is up at the Colson Center. It is about Venezuelan physician <a href="http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/call-response/22592-jose-gregorio-hernandez-1864-1919" target="_blank">Jose Gregorio Hernandez</a>.glennsunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663153768917258582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190224356229156559.post-86439917955684281802015-01-01T12:40:00.000-05:002015-01-01T12:40:15.402-05:00On the Eighth Day of Christmas<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
Today is the eighth day of
Christmas. For those who don’t know, in western Christianity Christmas is a
twelve day feast, ending on January 5 (Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night”) just
prior to January 6, the Feast of Epiphany when we celebrate the arrival of the
Magi to worship Jesus and thus look ahead to the spread of the Gospel to all
the peoples of the earth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
It is very unlikely that Jesus
was actually born on December 25. That date was selected for reasons I explain <a href="http://glenn-sunshine.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-saturnalia-and-other-nonsense.html">here</a>.
But the date actually has serendipity about it because it makes January 1 the
eighth day of Christmas. Consider:</div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">On the eighth day after his birth, following the Law
of Moses, Jesus was circumcised.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">January is named after Janus, the Roman god with two
faces, one looking backwards to the past, the other forwards to the
future.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">So on the first day of the month that looks back to
the past and forward to the future, we celebrate Jesus’ circumcision,
looking back to the Old Testament even as we look forward to the
inauguration of the New Covenant through Jesus’ work.</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
This wasn’t the reason December
25 was selected as the Feast of the Nativity (a.k.a. Christmas), but there is
something appropriate about it. It also gives additional meaning to the start
of the New Year.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
And with that, I wish you all a
very happy and blessed New Year. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol;">amhn ercou kurie ihsou</span>. (Rev. 22:20b)</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<br /></div>
glennsunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663153768917258582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190224356229156559.post-24367802945825024882014-12-29T10:59:00.002-05:002014-12-29T10:59:55.425-05:00Christmas and Paganism<a href="http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/worldview/22549-christmas-and-paganism" target="_blank">My new article </a>at the Colson Center deals with a lot of the nonsense that gets thrown around by both atheists and well-meaning evangelicals and fundamentalists about the supposed pagan origins of Christmas and Christmas traditions.glennsunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663153768917258582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190224356229156559.post-69224504383128152222014-12-19T11:12:00.000-05:002014-12-19T11:12:22.757-05:00Last article in the series "The Gospel and the Law"<a href="http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/indepth/22522-the-gospel-and-the-law-part-4-the-ceremonial-law" target="_blank">This one</a> deals with the Ceremonial Law.glennsunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663153768917258582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190224356229156559.post-11061047964142195092014-12-01T09:59:00.000-05:002014-12-01T09:59:16.742-05:00The Gospel and the Law, Part 3: the Civil LawHere's the <a href="https://www.blogger.com/Next%20article%20on%20the%20Gospel%20and%20the%20Law,%20dealing%20with%20the%20Civil%20Law:%20http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/indepth/22499-the-gospel-and-the-law-part-3-the-civil-law" target="_blank">next article</a> in the series on the Gospel and the Law of Moses. This one focuses on the Civil Law.glennsunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663153768917258582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190224356229156559.post-24922985449180148592014-11-27T11:52:00.001-05:002014-11-27T11:52:35.536-05:00Thanksgiving ThoughtsToday is the Thanksgiving Day holiday in the United States. These days Thanksgivings seems to be more associated with
shopping and sales than actually giving thanks for the many blessings we have.
I’ll spare you a rant on that point, but I would like to talk a bit about
Thanksgiving, particularly through the lens of popular hymns associated with
the holiday. The first is “Now Thank We All Our God:”<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="background: white;">Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and
voices,</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Who
wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices;</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Who
from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">With
countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">O may
this bounteous God through all our life be near us,</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">With
ever joyful hearts and blessèd peace to cheer us;</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">And
keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">And
free us from all ills, in this world and the next!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">All
praise and thanks to God the Father now be given;</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">The
Son and Him Who reigns with Them in highest Heaven;</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">The
one eternal God, whom earth and Heaven adore;</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">For
thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.</span></i><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">The hymn was written by
Martin Rinkert, a Lutheran pastor, in the midst of the Thirty Years’ War. The
Thirty Years’ War is still remembered today as the most devastating war ever
fought on German soil, including World Wars I and II. Rinkert moved to the city
of <st1:city w:st="on">Eilenberg</st1:city> in <st1:place w:st="on">Saxony</st1:place>
at the beginning of the war. The city
was overcrowded with refugees. It was taken by armies three times during the
war, and also had multiple outbreaks of plague. In 1637, during a sever
outbreak of plague, Rinkert was left as the only pastor in the city. He
conducted up to 40 funerals a day, a total of 4,000 that year, including one
for his wife.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">In the midst of all of this
chaos, death, and devastation, Rinkert wrote a hymn of thanks to God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">Or take another popular
Thanksgiving Hymn, “We Gather Together:”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="background: ivory;">We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;</span><br />
<span style="background: ivory;">He
chastens and hastens His will to make known.</span><br />
<span style="background: ivory;">The
wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.</span><br />
<span style="background: ivory;">Sing
praises to His Name; He forgets not His own.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: ivory;">Beside
us to guide us, our God with us joining,</span><br />
<span style="background: ivory;">Ordaining,
maintaining His kingdom divine;</span><br />
<span style="background: ivory;">So
from the beginning the fight we were winning;</span><br />
<span style="background: ivory;">Thou,
Lord, were at our side, all glory be Thine!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: ivory;">We all
do extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant,</span><br />
<span style="background: ivory;">And
pray that Thou still our Defender will be.</span><br />
<span style="background: ivory;">Let
Thy congregation escape tribulation;</span><br />
<span style="background: ivory;">Thy
Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!</span></i><span style="background: ivory;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: ivory;">This hymn was written in 1597
by Adrianus Valerius in the middle of the Dutch Revolt against <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Spain</st1:place></st1:country-region>, where
the Dutch were fighting for their independence and the freedom to practice
their religion. It was a nasty, brutal war, the echoes of which can be heard in
the hymn. It was published in 1526, five years after the Dutch were drawn into
the Thirty Years’ War as a continuation of their struggle for independence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: ivory;">Our world today seems out of
control, with war, terrorism, rioting, economic uncertainty, Ebola, …. The list
is endless. And yet, in conditions worse than those we are facing, Rinkert and
Valerius wrote hymns of thanks and faith. How much more should we be expressing
our thanks to God for the unending blessings he has given us in this life and
his promises for the age to come.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
glennsunshinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663153768917258582noreply@blogger.com0