Gary Shogren's Blog
Warm greetings from San José, Costa Rica! I am Karen Shogren, a professor in the certificate program of ESEPA Seminary here. Next week we are beginning an entirely new program called Certificate with an Emphasis in the Prevention and Intervention of Sexual Violence. This topic has been in the news recently, in many countries around... Continue Reading →
This is the homily I gave at the wedding of our daughter Vikky to Chris, on June 29, 2019 John 2 says that “There was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding.” In John’s gospel, Jesus’ first miracle... Continue Reading →
To download the entire file click here: SHOGREN_ILE conference 2018, Lost Your Life No Problem Christ has it in Safekeeping Mark 10:28 – Peter said to him, “We have left everything to follow you!” Note: This series was given to students at the Spanish Language Institute in San José, Costa Rica. Most of them were learning... Continue Reading →
When I first saw the title of the epic novel Cien Años de Soledad by Gabriel García Márquez, and got that it meant “one hundred years of solitude,” my heart leapt in anticipation. But 500 pages later, I finally grasped that the protagonists of the story didn’t get their promised seclusion; the title seems to... Continue Reading →
“We can’t interpret the Bible according to our own personal taste! Or twist it to conform with today’s culture! Or invent our own meaning!” Most of us evangelicals would say Amen. And we all could list Those People Out There who rewrite the Bible to fit their own ideas of truth. And then we go... Continue Reading →
Elisabeth Elliot was a spokesperson for a definite view of gender. Her book Let Me Be a Woman (1976) was a traditionalist – some would say “complementarian” – blueprint for women in the home: assertive women are missing out on God’s plan and divine joy, and they should not seek to be equal to men, beyond the fact... Continue Reading →
“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” (Prov. 31:10 KJV) Is it ever safe – or sane? – for a man to meddle in a passage beloved by Christian women? Am I grabbing hold of a live wire? For I hear a lot of sisters referring to Proverbs 31:10-31... Continue Reading →
(please feel free to use this for a sermon on Mother’s Day, adding in stories of mothers you know) Let’s take a stroll past the Mother’s Day card rack: For Mother For Mother, Sentimental For Mother, Loving For Mother, Humorous (that category is potentially hazardous) For Mother, Respectful (these seem to be very carefully worded)... Continue Reading →
These posts are based on my commentary on 1-2 Thessalonians, available from Zondervan Publishing. 1 Corinthians and Thessalonians: My New Commentaries now available! The review of my commentary in the international Review of Biblical Literature: http://www.bookreviews.org/pdf/8733_9615.pdf What books have I used to write a commentary on 1-2 Thessalonians? [Studies in 1 Thessalonians] What Would a Mother... Continue Reading →
These posts are adaptations of my commentary on 1 Corinthians, based on my own study of the critical Greek text, the early church fathers and the best of contemporary scholarship. It is available in Spanish from http://www.clie.es, in English from Amazon and from Logos. Why you’ve never heard of the Second Corinthian Church [Studies in... Continue Reading →
Open Our Eyes, Lord! 