Pastor as Interpreter of Scripture: Pastor, Chapter Five

Interpreting New Worlds
by Chad Holtz
I was reminded of a story while reading this chapter that I heard several years ago.  I do not remember who it is from but if I had to guess I’d say Karl Barth.  It goes like this…
Imagine yourself in a warehouse full of people, crates, antiques, and various odds and [...]

Reflections on Revelation: Chapters 17-18

Revelation 17
 
The Whore of Babylon 
 

The woman is called “Babylon” which is John’s name for Rome (14:8, 16:19).
Tim LaHaye identifies the “whore” as the Roman Catholic Church due to its use of tradition and rosaries.   
Painted as luxuriant, ostentatious, gaudy.  She is dressed in scarlet and purple, colors depicting high status and wealth.  She has extravagant [...]

Blessed From an Unlikely Source

Tonight was the opening worship service kicking off Holston’s Annual Conference in Lake Junaluska.  It was a Service of Remembrance where we name those clergy and clergy spouses who have died since last year’s conference.  It was a memorable service, full of Spirit, with outstanding singing, preaching and capped off with Holy Communion.   Yet, [...]

Reflections on Rev. 12 & 13

INTRO

Chapter 11 ends with the seventh trumpet.  The Kingdom has been established, God’s enemies are defeated, judgment has been pronounced and punishment dispensed and rewards given. But John is not ready to have the final curtain call.   The next few chapters unfold in a different way the struggle between God and evil.  
The specific [...]

Performing the Imago Dei

 
 

So God created humankind in his image,
 
in the image of God he created them;
   male and female he created them. 
- Genesis 1:27
This is Israel’s most nascent reflections on her beginnings.  It was out of nothing that the first male and female came into existence.  It was out of nothing that Israel became a people.  Both were [...]

David and Goliath: The Story They Didn’t Tell Us

Below is the address I will be giving to the senior class of Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Oxford, NC.
It’s an honor to be with all of you this afternoon.  Ever since I met Brian I have been looking forward to the opportunity to speak at one of your events and what a privilege it [...]

Revelation 6-9: Reflections

I owe the bulk of this material to a wonderful commentary by Mitchell Reddish simply titled, Revelation.  It is one of the best I have read to date and worth every penny.   It even comes with a CD-ROM with maps, pictures and the entire commentary in PDF format.    
The first few lessons have [...]

Universalism in Revelation?

The following is an essay I wrote in my Interpreters of Revelation class at Duke Divinity.  This was a tremendous class where I learned so much about a book that had long been shrouded in mystery for me.  It is still mysterious but I am no longer afraid to talk about it.  In fact, beginning [...]

Resurrection Challenge

If you observed a Holy Lent this year than you have had a time of sacrifice – a time where you have given something up as you walk with Jesus to the cross.   Easter comes and goes, freeing us from our rigorous sacrifice of Lent and many of us are grateful that it is [...]

How Is Scripture Authoritative?

 
Scripture and Authority
By Chad Holtz
 
All of us approach Scripture from a certain perspective, each differing from the other.  We all have our baggage.  Therefore, it is natural that we allow Scripture to make differing claims upon us.  When we say that Scripture has “authority” what do we mean by that?  How does that play [...]

Inclusive Emergent

I am presently part of a synchroread with a few blogges from Africa and all over who are reading “If Grace Is True: Why God Will Save Every Person.”   I just completed my contribution to that work (Chapter Two) and you can find it here:    Inclusive Emergent
Feel free to join the conversation.
grace and peace

A Blogging Sabbatical

As I start a new year I have decided to take a break from blogging (this includes interacting on debate-type forums with my good friends at CRN.info and elsewhere).    I have discovered something about myself that I think others knew before I caught on:  I can get fairly absorbed in this cyber-interaction.   There are others [...]

Why Evangelize?

Over HERE I have been engaged in a fascinating discussion about the universal aspect of Christ’s saving work. I confess that I appear to be in the minority for right now but I have hope that this will change
This comment was made in the course of the discussion:
If people who never hear are [...]

Another diddy from Willimon

Eventually I will end up having the entire book quoted on this blog Go buy Who Will Be Saved?
I like what Willimon says here:
I know that Paul wrote, “if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord…you will be saved,” (Rom. 10) words meant to reassure anxious believers (I suppose) [...]

A word from Willimon and Barth

Below is a snippet from one of my favorite books by Bishop Willimon, Who Will Be Saved?
Barth believed that salvation is not the removal of the threat of judgment but the accentuation and fulfillment of divine judgment. Salvation is to be face-to-face with the loving God whom we have so grievously wronged, which begins to [...]

New Blog Name and Design

Well, since I don’t live in Bullock anymore it seems sorta silly to talk about blooming from there
I chose this name because I think it captures what we are doing all the time – trying to navigate between Good Friday and Easter Sunday.   We most often find ourselves living in the wilderness or [...]

The Gender Card

I have to hand it to the Daily Show research team – they are relentless and don’t miss a beat.  This video highlights just how political politics really is while everyone tries to dress it up with something else.   Oh, and anytime Bill O’Rielly steps in it you can’t help but laugh.
Hmmm. I am having [...]

Prayer Request

Friday morning (tomorrow) Amy and I will be taking Maddox to the Children’s Hospital in Durham.  A few months ago at his dental appointment they discovered a few cavities as well as some other things going on with his teeth that they want to get fixed before they get out of hand.   Since the work [...]

My Nubian Princess

Amy has missed her calling.  She should have been an African-American hair dresser.  She spent the last hour doing Sophie’s hair and here she is.  Doesn’t she look beautiful?

The Leap

 
Driving home from the beach I was listening to some lectures and sermons on my Ipod (don’t we all?) and one by Donald Miller really spoke to me.  It is titled “The Gospel of Jesus: More Like Marriage, Less Like Formula” and can be downloaded for free at itunes. 
Donald shared that while teaching a class [...]