Monthly Archives: July 2008

More MacDonald on Witnessing

Posted on July 31, 2008 by jamesbradfordpate

In George MacDonald’s The Baron’s Apprenticeship, Pastor Thomas Wingfold gives Barbara advice on how to witness to her friend, Richard: “Now, Miss Wylder, don’t try to convince the young man of anything by argument. If you succeeded, it would do … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Books, Church, Life, Religion | 18 Comments

George MacDonald on Witnessing, Atonement

Posted on July 31, 2008 by jamesbradfordpate

I’m reading George MacDonald’s The Baron’s Apprenticeship (or There and Back, which was its original title). George MacDonald was a nineteenth century Scottish author, poet, and minister. He had a profound influence on J.R.R. Tolkein, Madeleine L’Engle, and C.S. Lewis. … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Books, Religion | 3 Comments

What’s Going On? 3

Posted on July 31, 2008 by jamesbradfordpate

I’m watching The Dead Zone right now–the series with Anthony Michael Hall and David Ogden Stiers. At 10:00, I’ll be watching a movie with Elisabeth Shue. Shue plays a woman who goes crazy after she has her first child. Not … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Movies, Religion, Television | Comments Off on What’s Going On? 3

My Picture of God: Above our Pettiness

Posted on July 29, 2008 by jamesbradfordpate

In How to Know God, Deepak Chopra discusses various stages of human interaction with the divine. In the first two stages, we see a reliance on God as a protector and provider. In the later stages, however, we see less … Continue reading →

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My Picture of God: Stages 1 and 2

Posted on July 29, 2008 by jamesbradfordpate

In my last post, The God Mirror, I talked about Deepak Chopra’s How to Know God. For Chopra, our picture of God reflects who we are and where we are at spiritually. Here, I want to discuss my image of … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Books, Job, Life, Religion | Comments Off on My Picture of God: Stages 1 and 2

The God Mirror

Posted on July 29, 2008 by jamesbradfordpate

I recently read Deepak Chopra’s How to Know God. To be honest, I didn’t understand a lot of it, and there were aspects that seemed a little too New Agey for my taste. You know those philosophers who say that … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Religion | Comments Off on The God Mirror

"Natural" in Romans 1:26-27

Posted on July 28, 2008 by jamesbradfordpate

In Another Addendum on GLBT Posts, Michael Westmoreland-White states the following: “In 1 Cor. 11:14, Paul asks rhetorically, ‘Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him. . .?’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Religion | 13 Comments

Homosexuality and Romans 1

Posted on July 28, 2008 by jamesbradfordpate

I’ve been reading some of Michael Westmoreland-White‘s posts on homosexuality and the church. Today, I want to interact with points that he makes on Romans 1:26-27, a key proof-text that conservatives cite against homosexuality. I will also allude to other … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Life, Religion | 5 Comments

Samson: Good or Bad?

Posted on July 27, 2008 by jamesbradfordpate

For my weekly quiet time, I studied Judges 14. In this chapter, Samson goes into a vineyard and encounters a ferocious lion, which he kills through the spirit of the LORD. When he returns to see the lion’s corpse, he … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Judges, Rabbinics, Religion, Weekly Quiet Time | 6 Comments

Manoah the Dunce

Posted on July 27, 2008 by jamesbradfordpate

In Judges 13, Samson’s father Manoah comes across as a complete dunce. His wife tells him that she saw a man of God who resembled an angel, and Manoah wants to feed him and find out his name. The angel … Continue reading →

Posted in Alcoholism, Bible, Judges, Life, Religion, Weekly Quiet Time | 4 Comments