Sam Storms sermon

Sam Storms, pastor of Bridgeway Church, delivered an excellent sermon describing six blessings bound up in the person and work of Jesus. The text for the sermon is Isaiah 9.6-7. Storms's rumination on the mystery and awe of the incarnation is stunning.

Listen here.

David Wells on Preaching in Postmodern World

Trinity Evangelical Seminary's Henry Center recently hosted David Wells to deliver a lecture, "How, then, Should We Preach to the (Postmodern) World?"

Watch the video here.

Listen to the audio here.

HT: Owen Strachan

Linus on Christmas

CT on Newsweek cover story

There is a good Christianity Today editorial responding to Newsweek's cover story on gay marriage. The editorial ends this way:

And so ironically, even before the first word of Miller's religious case for gay marriage has been read, Meacham has conceded that it is not a case at all, but a simple assertion. And while they both claim they are arguing against exclusiveness and for inclusivity, they have managed to exclude from this crucial national conversation a significant proportion of the American population who happen to believe there is a strong biblical case for traditional marriage.

The one thing we biblical conservatives will never do, however, is exclude people like Meacham and Miller from any conversation that matters to us. So, we invite them to sit down with us, or someone from our world, to have a biblical, intellectually rich conversation about marriage—if they really are interested in being serious about this crucial topic.

Read it in its entirety here.

For a more thorough critique, see Robert Gagnon's response.

HT: Between Two Worlds

On Gov. Blagojevich's arrest

Robin Dembroff has a good post explaining how Governor Blagojevich's recent arrest underscores our perennial enslavement to slavery.

old school hoopster

The NY times has a fun little story about 73 year old college basketball player, Ken Mink.

"Lost and Saved on Television"

Writing in the Catholic periodical First Things, Ross Douthat is encouraged by the spiritual overtones that lace a good amount of television programming. Douthat acknowledges that at one time religion was a key contender in the battle to keep the airwaves and television free of bawdiness. That battle, Douthat admits, has been lost largely because of "Technological change" that proliferated mediums and outlets making it more difficult to regulate the content of programs. Yet Douthat encourages any that are battle-weary because "there are opportunities in defeat as well as victory, and places where new life can spring up amidst the ruins". Citing the spiritual and moral overtones of American shows like Battlestar Galactica, Lost, and The Sopranos, Douthat sees it as advantageous for Christians to engage in this "riotous marketplace".

Read the article here.

On Food

Last week Bill Moyers interviewed Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma. I found the interview fascinating. Pollan explains the role of food in issues related to the environment, energy, and national security. For Pollan, it is all about food.

Watch the interview here.