Spring Break
Today is the beginning of Spring Break for Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. This means that I don’t teach or attend seminars this week. Last Thursday, my father-in-law asked if we would like to join them in Myrtle Beach for the week. Of course, we said, “Yes!”
So, what’s happening on our first day of Spring Break? It snowed, and we’re wondering if we are going to the beach or not. Well, we’re going, but we’re not exactly sure when we’re leaving.
Anyway, for the next week – through Saturday – I don’t know how much internet access I will have in order to reply to comments. I’ve already written several blog posts which will be published each day. So, please continue to read and comment – discuss amongst yourselves – and I will respond to the comments when possible.
[UPDATE: We have not left home for the beach yet, but not because of the snow. When Margaret woke up this morning, she was not feeling well. Since her father just had heart surgery last January, we don’t want to expose him to a virus. We’re waiting until tomorrow to see how Margaret is feeling.]
Spring 2009 Semester
I think Spring 2009 is shaping up to be a very good semester for me. I’m taking one seminar (Biblical Theology) with Andreas Köstenberger and the second part of mentorship with Dave Black.
Yesterday, I attended the first session of the Biblical Theology seminar. Since this is my program of study, I was expecting this to be very interesting to me; but I think its going to be better and more than I expected. Hopefully, both of my seminar papers will end up being part of my dissertation. The first paper will focus on methodology, primarily the relationship between discourse analysis and biblical theology. The second paper will probably examine the concept of “encouragement” in the book of Hebrews.
In the first session, we discussed introductory topics concerning biblical theology. For example, we differentiated between systematic theology and biblical theology. Systematic theology primarily presents theology in today’s contemporary context, answering questions that are raised by society today. Biblical theology presents the theology of the text itself, focusing on categories found in the text and answering questions raised in that context.
Here are a couple of quotes from Dr. Köstenberger that tells me that this is going to be an interesting seminar:
1) (concerning “ordering” and “categorizing” themes in biblical theology) – Biblical theologians should choose “what most organically represents the corpus they are considering”.
2) (concerning understanding Scripture and determining “categories”) – “Keep re-reading it – over and over – and keep talking about it in community”.
I am also continuing the mentorship program with Dave Black. Last semester we had some very good discussions concerning the church. This semester, our discussions will primarily focus on preparing for my comprehensive exams at the end of this semester (which I would prefer not to think about at this time).
So, I think this is going to be a good semester for classes. This should be my final semester for PhD seminars. However, there are two summer seminars that I may decided to take because they will be helpful in my dissertation: Second Temple Literature and the Book of Hebrews.
I’m sure that if you read my blog during the next few months, you’ll read more about biblical theology than could possibly interest you. But, thank you for your patience. 🙂
Update on my father-in-law
Margaret’s father, Frank Hurst, is having quadruple bypass surgery Monday morning. (See my post “Please pray for my father-in-law” for details.) His surgery is scheduled for very early Monday morning, and should take 3 1/2 hours. We will probably not get to see him Monday – only Margaret’s mother will be able to see him then. We should be able to see him briefly on Tuesday.
The surgery will change only if he has any further heart pain. He has not had any pain, and, in fact, has been doing very well.
As you can imagine, he will have a very long recovery process. Margaret (and perhaps Miranda) will be staying with her parents for a few weeks to help out. I’ll be staying for a few more days until he seems to be recovering well.
Thank you for your prayers, and please continue to remember him and our family.
Please pray for my father-in-law
Margaret’s dad, Frank Hurst, started having chest pains yesterday morning and went to the local Emergency Room. They couldn’t find anything wrong, but they kept him overnight for observation and so a cardiologist could examine him this morning.
After talking with him, the cardiologist decided there was probably a slight blockage, and did a heart catheterization, expecting to put in a stint to correct the blockage. Instead, the cardiologist found a major blockage in one artery and lesser blockages in three more arteries. He could not correct these with a stint. The good news is that he could not find any heart damage at all!
So, my father-in-law is being transferred to another hospital about 45 minutes away. He will consult with a surgeon there and have heart bypass surgery probably next Monday or Tuesday. We would appreciate your prayers for him and for our family.
Thanksgiving Carols – Medley
A few years ago, our family and a friend were lamenting that fact that stores and radio stations were already playing Christmas music even though it was still weeks before Thanksgiving. But, then we realized that there really were no good Thanksgiving songs – at least, not like the foot-tapping Christmas songs. So, we wrote some Thanksgiving Carols of our own, to the tune of popular Christmas songs. I hope you enjoy these, and feel free to sing them with your family and friends around your Thanksgiving dinner.
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Here Comes Thanksgiving
(to the tune of Here Comes Santa Claus)
Here comes Thanksgiving
Here comes Thanksgiving
Long before Christmas Day
No jingle bells, no Christmas trees
No songs about a sleigh
We will eat and we will sleep
We’ll watch some football games
Cause it is almost Thanksgiving
And it’s long before Christmas Day
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Giblet Gravy
(to the tune of Jingle Bells)
Giblet gravy, giblet gravy
What is it anyway?
Pour some on my dressing, please,
Don’t let it run away.
Giblet gravy, giblet gravy
What is it anyway?
Oh, I don’t care, I’ll eat it up
Cause it’s Thanksgiving Day!
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Good Christian Men Eat Up
(to the tune of Good Christian Men Rejoice)
Good Christian men eat up
With fork and knife and cup
Give ye heed to what we say (gobble, gobble)
This is surely Thanksgiving Day
Macy’s floats and Pilgrim hats
You know Black Friday’s coming fast
Turkeys were made for this
Turkeys were made for this
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The First Thanksgiving
(to the tune of The First Noel)
The first Thanksgiving the pilgrims did eat
And invited the indians to their feast
They all had turkey and venison
But they did not watch football; there was no ESPN
Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving
Let’s all sing some carols for Thanksgiving.
εá½Ï‡Î±Ïιστῶ τῶ θεῶ – I thank God
Today is Thanksgiving. I try to be thankful every day. But, today I want to express my thanks to God publicly.
First, I thank God that he accepts me in Jesus Christ. I know that there is nothing in me that makes me deserving of his acceptance. Instead, he accepts me due to his grace. He provided the means for my acceptance – through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ – and he provided the Spirit to indwell me and help me through this life. What an awesome blessing!
Second, I thank God for my family. It seems that every day God is teaching me something through my family. I appreciate Margaret, my wife, especially the longer that we’re married. I’ve learned so much about serving and caring for others by watching her. Jeremy and Miranda (our children) also continually amaze me as they grow in Christ.
Next, I thank God for the church. This gratitude includes both those brothers and sisters with whom God has placed me to live our lives together. It also includes the larger body of believers around the world. I’m learning how important it is for brothers and sisters in Christ (regardless of their backgrounds, traditions, or beliefs) to maintain the unity of Christ and the fellowship of the Spirit in order to demonstrate the glory of God to others.
Also, I thank God for my readers. This blog would be nothing without my readers. I sincerely believe that the comments and interaction between my readers greatly increase the importance of this blog to me, and, I think, to others as well. If you read this, please know that I do not take you for granted. You are a gift from God to me and many other readers from around the world.
Finally, I thank God for continuing to transform my life. This time last year, I knew that God was working in my life, teaching me how to demonstrate his love to others, especially those outside of “church culture”. This year, demonstrating God’s love and grace is not just theory, but they are something that our family lives out every day. This is not something that we have done ourselves.
May God bless each of you today and throughout the coming year!
Thanksgiving Carols – Tommy the Turquoise Turkey
A few years ago, our family and a friend were lamenting that fact that stores and radio stations were already playing Christmas music even though it was still weeks before Thanksgiving. But, then we realized that there really were no good Thanksgiving songs – at least, not like the foot-tapping Christmas songs. So, we wrote some Thanksgiving Carols of our own, to the tune of popular Christmas songs. I hope you enjoy these, and feel free to sing them with your family and friends around your Thanksgiving dinner.
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Tommy the Turquoise Turkey
(to the tune of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer)
[optional intro]
You know cranberries and football and dressing piled high
Pilgrims and indians and pumpkin pie
But do you recall the best part of Thanksgiving of all
Tommy the Turquoise Turkey (turkey)
Had a very shiny tail (like a blue whale)
And if you ever saw it (saw it)
You would think it was so swell (that’s swell!)
All of the other turkeys (turkeys)
Use to peck and strut about (like a turkey)
When they stood next to Tommy (Tommy)
They made sure that he stood out (pick Tommy!)
Then one cold Thanksgiving eve
Farmer came to say (Yo Yo Yo)
“Tommy with your tail so bright
I need you this very night.”
Then all the family loved him (loved him)
As they gobbled Tommy down (gobble gobble)
Tommy the Turquoise Turkey (turkey)
You’re the yummiest bird around (yum yum)
You’re the yummiest bird around (yum yum)
Thanksgiving Carols – Something Smells
A few years ago, our family and a friend were lamenting that fact that stores and radio stations were already playing Christmas music even though it was still weeks before Thanksgiving. But, then we realized that there really were no good Thanksgiving songs – at least, not like the foot-tapping Christmas songs. So, we wrote some Thanksgiving Carols of our own, to the tune of popular Christmas songs. I hope you enjoy these, and feel free to sing them with your family and friends around your Thanksgiving dinner.
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Something Smells
(to the tune of Silver Bells)
Something Smells
Something Smells
Have you just burned all our dinner
Should I spray
The stink away
And have a take-out Thanksgiving Day
Cooking turkey, cooking dressing
Cooking dish after dish
In the air there’s the smell of Thanksgiving
Baking brownies, and a few pies
We’ll have all that you wish
But eventually everyone hears
Thanksgiving Carols – Silent Turkey
A few years ago, our family and a friend were lamenting that fact that stores and radio stations were already playing Christmas music even though it was still weeks before Thanksgiving. But, then we realized that there really were no good Thanksgiving songs – at least, not like the foot-tapping Christmas songs. So, we wrote some Thanksgiving Carols of our own, to the tune of popular Christmas songs. I hope you enjoy these, and feel free to sing them with your family and friends around your Thanksgiving dinner.
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Silent Turkey
(to the tune of Silent Night)
Silent turkey
Golden baked turkey
Give me some breast
Give me a thigh
Add some ‘taters
Pile ’em high
And a slice
Of pumpkin pie
I will loosen my belt
I will loosen my belt
BibleWorks 8 Has Launched!
I recently received this notice from BibleWorks:
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BibleWorks 8 Has Launched!
New tools and essential references offer unequaled exegetical capabilities for enriched research of the Biblical text.
BibleWorks has launched version 8 with a tremendous array of innovative tools, essential resources and interactive capabilities! Now users can have more Bible translations (190+), 35 original language texts and morphology databases, 29 lexical-grammatical references, plus a wealth of practical reference works, giving them tightly integrated databases with powerful morphology and analysis tools. (Click here for a full list of its contents.)
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Apparently, BibleWorks 8 will retail for $349. If you have BibleWorks 7, you can upgrade for $149.99. If you have BibleWorks 6, you can upgrade for $175.
I started using BibleWorks with version 5. I did not upgrade for version 6, then I upgraded for version 7. I will probably wait until version 8 before I update again. However, this may change as I read more about the new features in BibleWorks 8.
If you have never used BibleWorks, it is an excellent resource for working in the original languages of Scripture. Follow the link above for a full explanation.