Category Archives: Culture commentary

Vocation, Skye and Willi

Posted on August 4, 2012 by PaulVK

In the same podcast on the end of Christian retail Phil, Skye and Christian discuss vocation. After listening to the podcast I read Eugene Peterson’s memoir chapter on Willi Ossa. Willi was the church janitor where Peterson was working as … Continue reading →

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The End of Christian Retail

Posted on August 3, 2012 by PaulVK

This week on my new favorite podcast, the Phil Vischer Podcast, they had an interesting discussion on the end of Christian retail. The part in question is the first 12 minutes of podcast #10. Skye Jethani made the point via … Continue reading →

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The Speed of the Internet vs. the Speed of Wisdom

Posted on July 27, 2012 by PaulVK

Last week the blog buzz was over Jared and Doug Wilson’s statements about sex and women.  This week things are churning over Chick-fil-a. There are of course dozens of other “trending topics” on Twitter and all other media channels. The news … Continue reading →

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How Love, not Crowd Sourced Bullying, Saves the World

Posted on July 27, 2012 by PaulVK

The quest to save the world is a competitive sport. There are hundreds of visions, factions and groups that vie for power. What they have in common are not their envisioned ends, but their means. They are all using power … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture commentary, On the way to Sunday's sermon | Leave a comment

Other things the Internet Dust-up over Jared and Doug Wilson Can Teach Us

Posted on July 20, 2012 by PaulVK

While I was busy with other things there was a dust-up on the web over men, women, sex, 50 shades of grey, speech, power, etc. Quite the blow up. I’ll post some links and comments. The Gospel Coalition post that … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture commentary, Daily Links and Notes | 7 Comments

Further Comments on the Ten Commandment Order of Penalty

Posted on July 14, 2012 by PaulVK

Fun and helpful comments from David Snapper on CRC Voices. I started this because I’m doing the HC and was up to the seventh commandment. I remembered Neal Plantinga’s admonition “when you talk about the seventh commandment don’t forget to … Continue reading →

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Messy Middle postings on cultural awareness

Posted on July 3, 2012 by PaulVK

I don’t remember where I first found her blog (probably through Rachel Held Evan’s blog), but it’s a good one. She’s a Christian expat living in China. I’m always interested in gospel and culture issues (given my own experience in … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture commentary, Daily Links and Notes | 1 Comment

Lydia is to Paul with Women, as Cornelius was to Peter with Gentiles

Posted on June 15, 2012 by PaulVK

Egalitarian FAIL As an egalitarian society we like to assert that we have no pecking orders, but none of us believe it. We know that in any community or context, there are pecking orders. There are people with power and … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture commentary, On the way to Sunday's sermon, Understanding the Bible | Tagged | 2 Comments

Ruth and the Women-in-Church-Office fight

Posted on June 11, 2012 by PaulVK

I posted this as a comment on Rachel Held Evan’s blog. Even though I have long believed in and practiced women’s equality in ministry I am regularly frustrated by the implicit assertions of how power is used between us in … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture commentary, Understanding the Bible | 4 Comments

“Family is Everything” from Breaking Bad

Posted on June 8, 2012 by PaulVK

There are few idolatries like the family idolatry. This idolatry is nearly unquestioned in the evangelical church. What is one if its most prominent ministries named: “Focus on the ______?” Christian have rebranded morality as “_________ values”? Idolatries make promises … Continue reading →

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