Homeward Bound

My pastor preached this Sunday on the parable of the talents (Luke 19:12-27). It has long been one of my favorite parables, and it is oh so very convicting! Throughout my life I have felt this weight on my shoulders, a responsibility to be faithful with the immensity of all I have been given: Life, breath, health, time. I have been born in the west, under conditions historically and globally affluent. My upbringing is particularly precious to me as I have been raised by two godly parents in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. They both taught and modeled to me what it means to love and serve the Lord Jesus Christ. I have been immersed in Christian teaching from day one, and truly few have what I have received. I have been given much and much will be required of me.   The parable of the talents, however, goes beyond visible externals and early childhood experiences. When Jesus mentions talents he is including all the resources the master has entrusted to his earthly servant...

Every Christmas my Puritan collection grows. It is a great time for acquiring new books to plumb the depths of the riches of theology and the Christian tradition. I just ordered a Louis Berkhof systematic theology to join the fray with the others on the shelf, and actually it may be time to add another Ikea bookshelf to my office while I am at it! Reading and thinking about the Word of God is one of the most fascinating things anyone can do. There is no bottom to the depth of what is contained in the Scriptures and it is exciting for me to jump into something so wonderfully over my head. Yet I have cause to remind myself from time to time what the point of it all is. The study of God and His Word is a most worthwhile experience, but it cannot be divorced from its ends. And its ends are not intellectual, entertaining, or self-advancing--but very spiritually practical. Some Negative Examples It is not surprising that the Bible has examples of many unbelievers who were fascinated in knowl...