1. First off, a timely rejoinder to our many social-media-is-making-us-lonely posts from Paul Miller on The Verge, entitled “I’m Still Here: Back Online After A Year Without Internet”. As the title suggests, Miller unplugged for a solid year, partly as an assignment to try to discover how technology, and the Internet in particular, had affected […]
Paul Tillich on the Easy Yoke Made Heavy
A quick zinger from Paul Tillich in 1963, characterizing the “new” (and yet strangely familiar) challenges for the Church in practice, specifically its inveterate tendency towards decay to legalism: The moral ‘yoke’ that Jesus wished to make easy has only been made heavier, and the message of grace has largely been lost, despite the numerous […]
The Law and Gospel (of Lent) according to Chocolat
Much like the nation of Greece, the season of Lent is characterized by “austerity measures.” And while such devotion can be beautiful, Lenten observance can also border on piety for piety’s sake, or what we might call works righteousness. Please do not misunderstand me: I enjoy and value the season. Who of us wouldn’t benefit […]
Another Week Ends: Horton on Legalism, Atheist AAs, Oprah, Irene Relief, Star Wars, Beach Boys, John Luther & Teenage Wastelands
1. Hopefully you got a chance to read our recent e-newslettter. We made a number of announcements about upcoming events and projects, including our next Spring Conference in NYC, which will happen from April 19-21, 2012, and at which none other than Michael Horton has agreed to be our keynote speaker! Needless to say, we […]
Henry Cloud on Legalism Vs. AA
“It is interesting to compare a legalistic church with a good AA [Alcoholics Anonymous] group. In the church, it is culturally unacceptable to have problems; that is called being sinful. In the AA group, it is culturally unacceptable to be perfect; that is called denial. In one setting people look better but get worse, and in the other, they look worse but get better.”
