Gary Shogren's Blog
Part of my traditional New England upbringing was to learn to maintain boundaries between private issues, family matters, and public information. When I asked my parents what they were talking about, at times I heard, “Well, it doesn’t concern you.” Nothing gruff, like “it’s none of your business,” no “you wouldn’t understand.” Just, “if you needed to... Continue Reading →
A famous visiting preacher, the Rev. Johnson, is wrapping up his message on sacrificial love. He concludes with a story: In the church where I used to be the pastor, there was a boy named Jimmy, 10 years old. He was good-hearted and liked by everyone in the neighborhood. One day Jimmy saw the little... Continue Reading →
"When you're deciding which commentary to add to your library, what are the most important things to consider?" So asked Logos Bible Software on Facebook? To summarize my response: 1. Careful attention to the text, not an "agenda" (I see too many famous "exegetes" who merely reiterate what they already "know to be true"). I'm... Continue Reading →
I occasionally visit an English-language church in San José, attended by African-Caribbean believers. For me, their English is harder to understand than most Spanish. A few months ago, a lady behind me was leading us in prayer, and for a heart-stopping 15 seconds I thought she said that we Christians “live according to Fate.” What... Continue Reading →
I guess I came in late for this controversy: from 2008 there’s a YouTube clip of a famous preacher and his wife, responding to the question: “What are your thoughts on stay-at-home dads if the woman really wants to work?”[1] “Too many guys take too little responsibility” was part of the answer, one with which... Continue Reading →
In the first part of this blog, we saw how the shepherds heard the angels’ message, saw the Christ child and went out to proclaim what they had seen. We too should pass on the entire gospel message, not just parts of it. But there is a second application for the Christian, one that pushes... Continue Reading →
A friend writes asks about 1 Pet 2:24-25, where Peter alludes to Isa 53:4-6 – “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned... Continue Reading →
Burned into our memory is the fact that the shepherds saw the angels, went to Bethlehem and worshiped the baby Jesus. All the Nativity displays end that way, with the shepherds fixed in place. But in fact, Christmas day was the very beginning of the shepherds’ story, since they rushed right out and began to... Continue Reading →
The first time I listened to a music CD was in late 1986, at my friend Tim’s house. I’d been out of the country for some years, so I was probably the last of my circle of friends to actually hear one. Tim had a monster sound system, and he put on “In the Digital... Continue Reading →
At times long-lost Greek manuscripts pass by my desk. They add a bit of class to the place, to counter-balance the Oreo wrappers, orphaned keys, and cats who like to see if they can type out their names. I put on my special mittons and saw that this particular manuscript is from Luke 15. It... Continue Reading →
Open Our Eyes, Lord! 