May 9, 2008
Filed under: Biblical Studies — Scot McKnight @ 12:20 am
Today I would like to talk about the Prodigal Son study from the The Parables of Jesus in the Deeper Connections series. After an introduction from the Gentile city of Susita, on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, the scene switches to Ben Witherington III (Asbury) sitting in a boat in Gloucester Harbor, north of Boston—where the movie The Perfect Storm was filmed. Fishermen left this harbor on their ships, and many never returned. Witherington talks about how the women and children would sit in “widow’s watches” on the tops of their homes, looking out to sea, wishing, longing, hoping for their husband’s return.
Filed under: Pastoring and Preaching — Scot McKnight @ 12:20 am
If you could begin all over again, what one thing would you have focused on more? Or, put differently, what wisdom would you give to a new pastor if you were asked this question: What should I focus on? Here’s a reflection by Bob Smallman, pastor at Bible Presbyterian Church way up in northern Wisconsin where, if you’re not looking, you can get bitten by a muskie.
May 8, 2008
Filed under: Miscellaneous — Scot McKnight @ 12:31 am
I’ll try to post a little about what we did Monday and Tuesday in South Africa. We are staying at an absolutely lovely home west of Rustenburg — a lovely garden that looks up into the hills and mountains. We get up early, spend some time in the sun and fresh air and look into the hills. Great way to begin our day. Our hosts, Nic and Magriet, outstrip the meaning of the word “hospitable” and Pastor Attie and Renate have taken care of us like royalty … I could go on … oh, the flowers are amazing.
Filed under: Theology — Scot McKnight @ 12:30 am
This series is by RJS as Scot and Kris enjoy South Africa

Chapter 2 of Tim Keller’s book The Reason for Godbroaches the problem of pain. Given the pain and suffering in the world – either God is not good or God does not exist. This argument has many variations but there is an underlying thread of continuity. Certainly there is a great deal of pain and suffering in our world, not to mention out right evil – from a tsunami that wipes out a quarter of a million people in a day, a disease that takes the life of a child or young parent, or a drunk driver who kills a family in an instant, to intentional and premeditated exploitation, abuse, and murder.

We cry out - If God is great and transcendent – why hasn’t he stopped evil and suffering?

May 7, 2008
Filed under: Biblical Studies — Scot McKnight @ 12:20 am
In the introductions to each of the Deeper Connections 18 Bible studies—shot in various locations in Israel—one can see the hills from which Jesus taught the Sermon on the Mount, see the desert in which he found refuge from the crowds in order to pray, ride on a boat on the Sea of Galilee, walk the crowded marketplaces of Jerusalem, and pray at the Western Wall.
Filed under: Pastoring and Preaching — Scot McKnight @ 12:20 am
Cindy Nicholson, Asst. Pastor, Vineyard Christian Church of Evanston; Cindy is also on task forces and committees at the national level of the Vineyard; she responds to our pastor’s wisdom question:

If you could begin all over again, what one thing would you have focused on more?

May 6, 2008
Filed under: Miscellaneous — Scot McKnight @ 12:35 am
We arrived in Johannesburg after a 14 hour flight — safe and sound. I don’t know how I managed to do it, but I was awake long enough to see the first sight of Africa — Ghana area — and then slept until we got to Namibia’s coast … so it was fun to see Africa for the first time.
Filed under: Biblical Studies — Scot McKnight @ 12:20 am
As a former doctoral student of Scot’s, I’ve been asked to write about a new DVD Bible study series that I edited called Deeper Connectionsfor the next five days. There are three DVDs (and participant’s guides) in the series: The Parables of Jesus, The Miracles of Jesus and The Prayers of Jesus. Its aim is to help busy pastors, Sunday school teachers, and small group leaders by providing visually exciting and interesting Bible teaching.
May 5, 2008
Filed under: Theology — Scot McKnight @ 12:30 am
This series is by RJS (so blame me not Scot)

With this post we start our series looking at Timothy Keller’s new book The Reason for Godand using this book as a resource to grapple with the questions and issues confronting Christian belief in our educated and skeptical age. Timothy Keller was educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. For the last two decades he has ministered in Manhattan to reach an educated and largely unchurched urban population. The church he founded, Redeemer Presbyterian, currently sees an average attendance of ca. 5000 and has given rise to a dozen or so daughter congregations in the immediate metropolitan area.

Filed under: Pastoring and Preaching — Scot McKnight @ 12:20 am
Today I begin a series devoted to Pastor’s wisdom, and our question we asked of seasoned pastors was this: If you knew then what you know now, what would you have focused on? Or, in light of what you now know, what would you advise young pastors to focus on? Our first post is from Kent Anderson, pastor of a Covenant church in Naperville Illinois.
May 4, 2008
Filed under: Prayer and Formation — Scot McKnight @ 12:10 am

O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

May 3, 2008
Filed under: Weekly Meanderings — Scot McKnight @ 12:10 am
We’re sensing we are a long way from our home, but “TK” is there remodeling our kitchen. So, hello to TK. Speaking of far away distances … this is some 450 light years from here…

450-lt-yrs-away.jpg

May 2, 2008
Filed under: Embracing Grace — Scot McKnight @ 12:30 am
Julie Bogart, a regular reader and commenter on this blog, has a story about forgiveness worth reading at her site. You can interact there or even here. Here’s how it begins:
Filed under: Pastoring and Preaching — Scot McKnight @ 12:20 am

Starting Monday, and while Kris and I are in South Africa, we will begin a series I’ve called Pastor’s Wisdom. I asked a series of seasoned pastors this question: If you could start all over again, knowing what you know now, what would you focus on? Or, if you gave a young pastor some advice, what would you tell him or her to focus on? Yes, we will have both men and women respond to this series, and I can tell you — Kris and I were blessed just reading the responses. I’m sure you will agree. (I asked them to keep it 250 words if possible. Not all did; preacher’s license.) The series will be a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday series. Our Friday is for Friends series will be suspended while we are away.

We have a crew working on our home, and we’ll check up on the blog and even post if we can.

Filed under: Jesus Creed — Scot McKnight @ 12:10 am
We come to the end of our series. We are flying today to South Africa where I will be preaching a series of sermons on the themes of Pentecost. (Our home will be looked after by TK and our daughter, Laura.) Pentecost, I believe, empowers us to transcend our human inabilities and to transform our human abilities. One central element in the Spirit’s empowerment is to create a community where the Jesus Creed sets up shop and calls the shots. But, there’s an issue here that lingers over all these discussions. We fail. That, too, is involved in the Jesus Creed. I call it Jesus Creed grace.