High Place Worship and the Doctrine of Vocation

It's interesting that in some Protestant circles, particularly the Reformed who are rightly concerned to argue for the Scriptural regulation of worship then at the same time identify their secular work as worship. Their secular work is an offering (as it were), it magnifies God and advances the Kingdom.

Mandela, the West, Cold War Africa and Geopolitics

Undoubtedly Nelson Mandela will soon be departing this life and there will be considerable commentary reflecting on his life. In fact teams of reporters have been more or less camped out in South Africa for the past several years, expecting his death at anytime. This will be a massive story and internationally may even surpass the coverage of Margaret Thatcher's recent death.

Covenant Contrast: The Weakness of the Mosaic System Apart From Christ

Redemptive-Historical Structures, Deuteronomy, Distinguishing the Old and New Testaments

Recently I was particularly blessed while reading Deuteronomy with my children. We've been spending a lot of time trying to work out how the Old and New Testament relate to one another. How can God command the Israelites to massacre the people of Og and Sihon and yet those actions are not immoral nor would we call it genocide as it would be called today? They've certainly learned about the Nazis and yet how is this different?

The Veneration of Militarism and the Ethics of Patriotism

Recently we were at my niece's high school graduation. The valedictorian was absent because she had already joined the United States Air Force. She is training to be a Linguist and as I recall the entry windows to that field are very limited. If you miss the window, you may have to wait a year or more to enter the programme again.

Considering D-Day and the American Narrative Regarding the Victory in Europe.

In no way do I mean to diminish the difficulties experienced by the Allied forces who stormed the beaches of Normandy, but every year I am struck by the mythologizing of history.

When the Western front opened in June of 1944 it led to some pretty huge battles, massive casualties and incredible stories.

And yet in the United States a narrative is perpetuated that is simply not true. The Anglo-American forces did not defeat Nazi Germany. They helped, but in June of 1944 they were already more or less defeated.

Establishment Priorities and the Public Interest

In the wake of the September 2001 attacks the Patriot Act was passed and in a hurry. Bush was riding on the wave of the attacks, capitalizing on the fears of the public. A subservient congress largely acquiesced and though I believe the US Constitution has long been essentially dead... the passage of this act was the proverbial nail in the coffin.

Facebook and a new website

Every day I encounter articles, podcasts and other materials I want to share but I've also wanted to avoid any extra clutter on this website. It's already a bit overwhelming to newcomers. I want this website to be devoted to the now hundreds of longer articles and essays and I've decided to set up a companion website where I can post links with short commentary.