There a long and proud tradition of taking short passages from the Old Testament, getting your footing right and then wrenching them from their context, to make them mean something they were never intended to mean.

This seems to have undermined the confidence of some who, as a reaction against this, don’t feel as comfortable letting the Old Testament say what it says, without shooting through to the New Testament.

But though cultures change over time and distance, God is constant, and so I think as we read the Old Testament with care, we can draw much direct application from what it teaches us about who God is and how he operates.

The passage below is an example of an Old Testament passage which speaks across time and culture. It’s given through Isaiah into a particular context, granted, but because it’s about God’s character, it is universally applicable as a statement about how God deals with his people, how he cares for them, how he thinks about them.

Try this on:

“Because you are precious in My sight and honored, and I love you,
I will give human beings in your place,
and peoples in place of your life.
Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your descendants from the east,
and gather you from the west.
I will say to the north: Give them up!
and to the south: Do not hold them back!
Bring My sons from far away, and My daughters from the ends of the earth—everyone called by My name and created for My glory.
I have formed him; indeed, I have made him.”
Isaiah 43:4-7 (HCSB)

In all my years as a journalist, first working on large city dailies, then Christian magazines, a brief stint as an Episcopal Diocesan Managing Editor and now as an Internet Online news writer, whose website annually draws more than 4 million readers from 172 countries, I have never encountered such appalling spin, outrageous lies, pure mendacity and gay-baiting towards a group of godly men and women of orthodox faith as I encountered recently in Jerusalem by the secular press.

From VirtueOnline via the ACL.

Here’s the Riazat Butt article David is talking about. It really is terrible journalism.

PS I have been posting quite a lot on global Anglicanism lately and I’m sorry if that bores you. In terms of where I’m at with college and church, though, it’s pretty significant stuff. I’m sure it’ll die down. wink

I linked to this in Del.icio.us, but it’s too good not to blog about.

Try on How to Fold a Fitted Sheet or How to Fold a Broadsheet Newspaper.

From How to Fold Anything at Real Simple.

I’m glad this article begins with a simple, “No.”

It also includes these curious subheadings: “Forgive them, for they don’t know what they do” and “But I can force visitors to stay on my site, right?”

Again… no.

Final statement released. There’s going to be some changes ’round these parts.

Still writing, but done soon. Really enjoying it.

I’ll report on the sermons at a later stage.

My friend Mike and his wife are about to have a baby. This is exactly what it’s like.

I can never remember the order of the ‘minor’ prophets in the Old Testament. And looking a book of the Bible up using the contents page, whilst at theological college, is not the best look ; ).

Here’s a mnemonic I’m finding helpful as I preach through Jonah (and thus have a good reason to finally learn the order):

“How jaded are our juvenile minds, never having zeal, having zero motivation.”

Catchy, if a bit negative.

And here are the books in order, for practice:

Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi

If you haven’t already, download it and be part of the record making attempt.

Second largest Apple store in the world. Largest Genius Bar.

Photo tour.

The first, front page article in the June edition of the South Sydney Herald:

Anti-homophobia rally closes Gloria Jeans

Despite the Rudd Government promising to remove all forms of anti-gay discrimination, about 100 people turned up for the International Day Against Homophobia rally in Newtown on Friday May 16.

The rally started outside Gloria Jeans, in response to the company’s support for Mercy Ministries which separates female couples and promotes male control of female bodies. Rather than engage with their critics, Gloria Jeans shut for the night, and activists wondered if they could chase it out of Newtown like they did McDonald’s.

Who runs this newspaper? A second year Arts student?

Amateur night.

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Oooh. This could be really good. Michael has asked the question and I know lots of people with lots of opinions.

I love college. I’m having literally the best time of my life (thus far) at college, but I wish there was more room to sit around and work in groups, talking-like.

That’s got nothing to do with lectures.