Deus Misereatur

Justification: God's Plan & Paul's Vision by N.T. Wright My rating: 5 of 5 stars Around a decade back, while working on my doctorate, I attended a public discussion between N.T. Wright and Richard Gaffin. During one of the breaks I approached Bishop Wright to ask him to sign my copy of his commentary on Romans. He asked the reason for my coming to the event and I explained that I needed an elective course and had convinced my director to allow me to craft a self-directed class on “N.T. Wright’s doctrine of Justification”. He chuckled and said, “There’s not much mystery about it.” A few years after that meeting, in 2009, he published “Justification: God’s Plan & Paul’s Vision” which has been recently repackaged with a new introduction penned by Wright. This book shows “that there’s not much mystery about it.” The material of the 2016 “Justification” is exactly the same as the 2009 edition, even down to the pagination. As Wright asserted then he affirms now, “Any preac...

The Wildcat of Braeton by Claire M. Banschbach My rating: 5 of 5 stars Friendship that lasts to the end of one’s life is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain in the light of the high mobility of the nomadic 21st Century. And yet friendship – true, lasting friendship – is one of the gaping holes in our societal chests. It is a large theme fleshed out in Tolkien’s works like “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” and it is a major tone vibrating through Claire M. Banscbach’s “The Wildcat of Braeton”. This 447 page paperback written for fantasy-fiction lovers young and old, wraps up the story that began in “The Rise of Aredor,” bringing the saga to an end. Many of the cast of characters in “The Wildcat of Braeton” are old acquaintances met in the earlier volume, along with several newer ones. The first half of the story follows Corin’s friend, Aiden, who was still in the service of Lord Rishdah of Calorin, but has now completed his time in Rishdah’s Phoenix Guard. He return...

Sunday morning: From Psalm 16 Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” This, Lord, your whole Church – along with this congregation; St. Elijah Orthodox Church; Alethia Temple; Calvary Christian Center; Cathedral of Praise; Christian Faith Fellowship; and Christ’s Legacy Church – declares with gladness and boldness. Continue to be your peoples’ refuge and preserver; strengthen your Church in godliness and graciousness; keep her ever in the faith once for all delivered to the saints; stop the mouths of heretics who attempt to demoralize her; fortify the faithful leaders who work hard to build her up in sound doctrine; and empower her with the new life of Christ risen from the dead! As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names ...