Monthly Archives: January 2015

A Problem of Communication

Posted on January 29, 2015 by Richard Heyduck

One of the books I’m reading now is Francis Spufford’s Unapologetic. At the beginning of the second chapter, leading into a discussion of the much-misunderstood word “sin,” Spufford says: “One of the major obstacles to communicating what belief feels like is that … Continue reading →

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Scot McKnight’s The Kingdom Conspiracy

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Richard Heyduck

In his latest book, The Kingdom Conspiracy, Scot McKnight cuts across the grain of both recent scholarship and contemporary ministry practice. Biblical and theological scholarship for some time now has insisted that kingdom and church are two different things, generally … Continue reading →

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“We’re Being Overrun by ______!”

Posted on January 23, 2015 by Richard Heyduck

As we deal with widely televised acts of terrorism (which usually pale in significance and scope to those that aren’t televised), we hear that western civilization is being overrun with barbarians. The current “barbarian horde” is mostly composed of Muslims. … Continue reading →

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The American Dream?

Posted on January 23, 2015 by Richard Heyduck

 What has America come to that we are dreaming about counter tops? If we had an epidemic of defective counter tops, I might understand this phenomenon. Say, for example, that faulty or sub-standard counter tops were causing 3.4 deaths per … Continue reading →

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What’s the Price?

Posted on January 19, 2015 by Richard Heyduck

Theologian Roger Olson turns to a non-theological subject, the way prices are computed in contemporary markets. He observes, For example, many city newspapers are basing subscription rates on: length of time a subscription has been steady, zip code and income … Continue reading →

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Bringing People to Jesus, but Unintentionally

Posted on January 16, 2015 by Richard Heyduck

John 8 has a story about the teachers of the law and Pharisees bringing to Jesus a woman “caught in the very act of adultery.” According to John (or, considering that this story was likely not part of John’s original … Continue reading →

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What Kind of Preaching Do We Need?

Posted on January 10, 2015 by Richard Heyduck

I’ve read/heard many admonitions over the years to keep sermons practical. People are having trouble in their marriages, in raising their kids, in dealing with work: they need wisdom. Now this is doubtless true. In a relativistic age ruled by … Continue reading →

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Students Are Our Customers!

Posted on January 10, 2015 by Richard Heyduck

If you work in higher education, perhaps you’ve heard someone in administration say that: “Students are our customers!” Since I don’t see education as a commodity, I’m disinclined to interpret it through the lens of a business metaphor. I also … Continue reading →

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Free Community College!

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Richard Heyduck

Why is there such a thing as COST? Why isn’t everything just free? Cost is a way of showing the relative value of things. When we see that one thing costs more than another, we can take it as an … Continue reading →

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Covenant Renewal in the Wesleyan Tradition, 3

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Richard Heyduck

The next part of the covenant goes like this: Leader: Be satisfied that Christ shall give you your place and work. People: Lord, make me what you will. I put myself fully into your hands: Put me to doing, put … Continue reading →

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