A Clayton's Post

It seems silly that Google can't figure out that our website should be the first hit on a search for us, but I'll do my bit to help them.

What I share in common with Obama

"This is not how I expected to wake up this morning," he said. "After I received the news Malia walked in and said, 'Daddy, you won the Nobel Peace Prize, and it is Bo’s birthday.'

"And then Sasha added, 'Plus, we have a three-day weekend coming up'. It's good to have kids to keep things in perspective."

Bo is their one-year-old dog. Our Quack is one this month. And our kids regularly puncture our vanity ;-)

The Assurance of Saving

Yes, saving. As opposed to salvation. Because, apparently, they are opposed.

I spent US$1.98 the other day buying some music from Sovereign Grace Ministries' resource page, and used my credit card. A$2.55, in case you're wondering.

The next time I went to use my card, the bank had put a block on it because of this suspicious transaction! It tickled my irony bone...they were unsure about a transaction with a group that are big on assurance...they wanted to save me money in case somebody unscrupulous was behind that purchase from SOV GRACE RESOURCES...

Giggle.

But seriously - that's the world's take on assurance, right there. It's measured in dollar signs.

I'm sorry, world, but are you kidding?

The press tells us that Madonna is now going out with a guy called Jesus. And she's old enough to be his mother.

OK, Freudians, where do you want to start with that one?!

Just when it looked like there was a new post on this blog...

Looks like I now have to work on two blogs...so to save duplication, you might want to go here for some thoughts on the ethics of eschatology-shaped evangelism.

Of Pilgrimage

By way of 1) filling the yawning void that is this dustblog and 2) informing whoever possibly might be reading it, it's probably time to mention that we're moving in a couple of months, to Shoalhaven Heads. I'll be looking after the Anglican Church there...which I believe is the only church there, to save anyone getting confused. It's a branch church for Gerringong parish, still on the small side, in a town of 3000 or so.

By way of adding some useful thought content to an otherwise purely informative post, here's an idea from an essay I'm writing (or at least, should be writing) at the moment on The Pilgrim's Progress.

Very early in the book, Christian is shown a portrait of what's usually perceived as the ideal pastor - full of God's word, pleading with men to follow God, focused more on the world to come than the trappings of this one. J. I. Packer says so, and he knows more about the Puritans than me.

What's caught my eye, though, is what happens next in the story: in short, Christian receives assurance of salvation, and instantly starts pastoring those he meets. It appears to be a deliberate attempt by Bunyan to show the 'average believer' has a pastoral ministry. It's an idea that seems to have been missed by the scholars, and it's always fun to find something that the great ones have missed!

Scooping!

Not the usual use of the term, but I just had to get this one posted before other notables got hold of it...

The British Library announced that Sinaiticus would be put online, progressively, starting tomorrow.

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