Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, echoing Psalm 23, uttered a prophetic word about the Messianic calling: “to guide our feet into the path of peace” (Luke 1: 79 NIV). Divine guidance may mean replacing an old path with a new one. Consider how this applies to discernment. We often, and rightly, view discernment as [...]

While cleaning up my library I found a lecture by George H. Williams, “Friends of God and the Prophets” (Harvard Divinity Bulletin, 1965). Professor Williams tutored me in church history one semester, 1952, in Boston. Some the insights of this Anabaptist historian and Harvard Professor shaped my holistic formulations in “New Call to Holiness” and [...]

Do you recall an old idiom, “Don’t steal my thunder”? It protests one person carelessly or maliciously misappropriating another’s idea, invention, or particular social role. Curious about its origin, I did a bit of research and here’s what I found. Two hundred years ago dramatist John Dennis devised a way to simulate a thunderclap for [...]

Given current challenges to Christian faith within our North American culture, covertly through assorted media-enhanced idolatries and overtly by bold literary attacks from atheists, we may reasonably anticipate more persons within our church communities becoming assailed by doubts. Obviously church leaders should be prepared to cope in a loving spirit and with a cogent Christian [...]