Deus Misereatur

  A delightful work. Filled with very believable stories about a country veterinarian in Scotland. The people feel real, the relationships feel real, the animals feel real, the odd situations upon odd situations feels real. I loved it. It's set in the years leading up to Word War II, when veterinary medicine (and the medical world, for that matter) lacked many of the antibiotics, inoculations, and treatments we now take for granted. Therefore, in these stories is the human struggle with disease, folk-medicine, ignorance, tradition, and the like. It's a beautiful set of tales that show human compassion, frustration, self-control, and problem-solving. For my fellow ministers and elders in Christ's church, there's something very useful in these stories. Yes, there is lots of sermon and Bible teaching illustration fodder, but there's more. You may recall how Eugene Peterson enlisted Wendell Berry to describe pastoral ministry. I'm drafting Harriot for the same. This...

  Some may wonder about my reading choices. Therefore, I thought it good to briefly lay out my defense for reading broadly, and reading charitably. But first, a personal story, that's very abbreviated. Not long after I became a Christian, while stationed in Turkey, I became affiliated with a Christian sect. That particular faction followed the line of thinking mapped out by Thomas and Alexander Campbell and the Restoration Movement of the early 19th Century. It later became known as the Stone-Campbell Movement. In that particular group, there was a ton of internal policing of information and reading material. Normally, your were encouraged to read only what was written by "Our Guys". This meant, "Our Guys" of our particular part of the Restoration Movement. The Stone-Campbell Movement has splintered and fractured into so many little slivers that the realm of "Our Guys" was very narrow. And you were only encouraged to read "Those Others" if yo...

  Briefly, James K.A. Smith's "On the Road with Saint Augustine" takes the reader on a journey with Augustine, but also Camus, Heidegger, and a few others. In fact, the table of contents is graphed out like a map with waypoints, where each chapter is a waypoint. The trek takes us through the concept of being on the road, along with other topics such as sex, ambition, mothers, friendship, justice, fathers and more. Through the book's travelogue, one learns more about the author. How he specialized in Augustine for his PhD studies, even attending an Augustinian academy, Villanova University in Pennsylvania. Other details surface, such as his physical travels through Europe, visiting shrines and important locations. And more intimate details come forth about his family of origin and family by marriage. But one also learns more about Augustine, much of which will be familiar to readers of the Confessions . While nuances are brought out that add more color, shading, and de...

  Presently, you can obtain free copies The Ailbe Bookstore . Nicely done. The Psalms speak of Jesus (Luke 24:44) and the editor makes is more explicit. Metered (and paraphrased) to fit very popular tunes (for the most part), each Psalm selection is ideal, especially in my personal devotional time. I'm sure there are places where one might quibble. One of mine is Psalm 8 vv.5-6, where the masculine and Messianic aspect is turned into the corporate, just like in the gender-neutral NRSV. I'm sure the editor did this based on our personal and corporate union with Christ, whereas the NRSV had other motives. But it loosens the connection between Psalm 8 and Hebrews 2:5-9. But, it's just a quibble. I'm enjoying "The Ailbe Psalter" and am grateful that it was offered to all free of charge (other than shipping costs). I handed out copies to all my elders.

  With all of those who conquered the beast and its image, and with our brothers and sisters world over, we lift our hearts with the song of Moses and the Lamb: “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed” (Revelation 15:3b-4). O Lord God the Almighty, whose deeds are great and amazing: you have not only called to yourself men, women, girls and boys from every tribe, tongue, and town, but you have been faithful and called us into the fellowship of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Corinthians 1:9). We pray for all of your people on every continent, our own congregation, Faith Bible Church, Fellowship Bible, Grace Bible, and Trinity Bible Church. Bring us all to happily submit ourselves to your Scriptures as the final rule of faith and life, not just in our pu...