parables of a prodigal world

10. Never underestimate the principalities and powers; in fact, assume that you won't even see 'em coming. 9. God speaks to you in a manner that He speaks to no one else. 8. The last segment of my Christian journey was very unlike the segment before it, or the one before that. 7. The closer you get, the bloodier the battle. 6. The most dangerous times are those immediately after you sense that you've accomplished a task for which you were called by God. 5. Give me a couple of hours, and I'll put together a rather compelling argument for any moral position using nothing but Bible verses taken out of context. 4. Blogging has re-wired my brain to work in a noticeably different way...and not necessarily for the better. 3. There is a yet-unexpressed Grand Unification Theory of Theology, and it will be doctrinally comprised of roughly equal pieces of each and every denomination out there. 2. I tend to preach to the choir. That is usually a colossal waste of time. 1. I should ...

Here's the interview. "A dogma a hole." Now that's funny. Grace and Peace, Raffi

N.T. Wright will be Colbert's guest tonight on The Colbert Report , 11:30 ET / 10:30 CT. Should be...well... interesting . Should be a lot to talk about tomorrow. Grace and Peace, Raffi

Eugene Cho has another one of his trademark, soul-searching questions on his site to stir discussion. The question? However small or large, simple or complex, organic or organizational, local or global, how are you dreaming to change the world? Big question. Got me thinking. Cho's questions always do. Have you ever read or heard of The Sound of Thunder , a short story by Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 451 ? It's a story about a guy who goes back in time and accidentally steps on a prehistoric butterfly. When he returns to the present, he finds that English language spelling has been altered, and the guy who had just gotten elected president before he left has actually lost. I think the story is where the phrase "butterfly effect" comes from, but I'm not sure. And I'm also not sure about the scientific accuracy of the concept. But one thing of which I have become convinced of late, from Scripture, prayer, meditation and generally viewing the world, is thi...

Often times, those touted as "The Greatest __________ Of All Time" fail to live up to that title. Jordan faltered. Ali lost a fight or two. The Babe struck out. Nicklaus finished 2nd in 19 majors. Gretzky sometimes failed to deliver. This guy is simply unbelievable. I don't know about you, but I'll be glued to the T.V. this morning. Wouldn't want to miss any more magic. UPDATE: Expect anything different? UPDATE #2: Could not have expected this. As it turns out, Tiger won the Open with a torn ligament in his left knee and two stress fractures in his left leg . In retrospect, he is now officially legend.

N.T. Wright has recently written a piece on the subject of dropping the so-called "Third World Debt," an issue he considers the number one global ethical issue of our today, corresponding with the issue of slavery two centuries ago. He is right. Spread the word... On Dropping the Debt A Note on the Subject of Debt Relief, 12 May 2008 By the Bishop of Durham, Dr. N.T. Wright In some of my writings and sermons I have emphasized the importance of cancelling Third World debts. A great deal of work at quite a high level of economic and financial expertise has been done on this and I have tried to draw on the findings of this, as part of the ‘Jubilee’ movement. I have been reading, discussing and writing about this for over ten years now, and I am quite used to meeting ‘the usual objections’. Recently, following Surprised by Hope, one or two people have taken me to task quite strongly. I don’t have time for a full answer, but I hope this will be a start. The Caricature The picture ...