Every semester, I get an electronic syllabus for each class.  A Word table contains all the assignments for the course.  A few years ago, I could just copy that into Excel and import the spreadsheet into Outlook’s to-do list.

Excel and iCal, however, weren’t made in the same factory and I’m not aware of an easy cut-and-paste way to get an Excel sheet into iCal.  I did some research and came across an AppleScript that claimed to make that conversion for me.  Unfortunately, it was custom-built for a soccer schedule and needed some fixing.  So I adjusted the script, optimized it for my assignment schedule, worked through several bugs with Excel’s time/date format and bundled up an easy little application.

In a nutshell, the app will read the first three columns of your open Excel worksheet: column 1 as date, column 2 as start time and column 3 as event title.  It will then open iCal, allow you to choose the calendar and import all the assignments to that calendar.

You can download the app, script and instructions here.

Last night, I bowled.  Despite bowling poorly and narrowly escaping asphyxiation from nearby smokers, I had an enjoyable evening.  At one point, a conversation turned to the remarkably universal practice of waving, shouting or wiggling oneself at a just-released bowling ball in the attempt to make it move where you want it.  A friend confessed to me that as a child she would actually pray for the bowling ball as it rolled down the lane.  Is that a good prayer to pray?

I suggested that that was a fine prayer to pray.  After all, God delights in hearing his children bring concerns to him – even ‘inconsequential’ ones.  When we pray, we express our trust, and that pleases the Lord!

Further, God is sovereign and his rule over the world includes bowling pins.  Sound silly?  Perhaps, but not nearly as silly as the idea of a God who ignores his children because “bowling is silly.”  [Another thought came to me as I thought further on this: bowling pins matter to God because we react to bowling pins, and our reactions matter to God.]

This morning I read the story of Abraham’s prayer for Sodom and Gomorrah in Gen. 18.22-33.  If you come to that passage with a “real Christianity means always praying precisely the words of Scripture in perfect conformity with God’s will and in complete submission to God” perspective, you might be disappointed with the way Abraham prays.

God openly tells him about Sodom’s coming destruction, but Abraham doesn’t bow and say how wonderful and mighty God’s justice is.  He actually asks God not to do that judgment, but to “do right” instead.  And if that “contradiction of God’s Word” isn’t enough, Abraham goes on to bargain with God through five more rounds of “what if” and “please don’t.”  Abraham doesn’t pray like a seminarian or a powerful pulpiteer might.  He just keeps begging God’s mercy.

And God is pleased.

There is no strict comparison of Abraham’s prayer with “an exclusive emphasis on spiritual needs in the Pauline prayers” or any condemnation of his almost-badgering petition.  The prayer is simple – too simple by today’s standards – but it is a prayer that God answers.  God patiently listens while his chosen servant Abraham pleads for mercy on his foolish nephew.  And when Abraham makes his final request, God says, “Yes.”

Theological precision in prayer is commendable.  Studying the prayers of the Bible and sincerely repeating their words and thoughts to God is helpful.  But there is no substitute for humbly bowing before God and persistently pleading for his mercy.  The simplicity of a child’s trust is what delights God’s heart when we pray!

Andy Nasellli posted an excellent resource today.  The Gospel Coalition has made available a page with literally hundreds of Don Carson mp3 and m4v lectures and sermons.  I have listened to Carson repeatedly and benefitted immensely from his clear and engaging teaching.  The new Carson resource page will surely be a wealth of profitable material!

Last Saturday, I benefitted from watching the live eschatology web-conference hosted by The Midwest Center for Theological Studies.  Sam Waldron, Kim Riddlebarger, Richard Gaffin, and Vern Poythress discussed the doctrine of the end times from an amillennial perspective with particular emphasis given to the place of the nation Israel in God’s future plan for human history.

I’ve learned my theology almost exclusively from dispensationalists (mostly progressive ones) and I enjoyed the opportunity to hear the eschatology of covenant theologians straight from the source.  I took notes during the conference and hope they can be of some use to my readers.  If you’re interested in a recording, rumor has it that MCTS will have the conference available as a download or on DVD shortly.

Not too many months after beginning my Facebook account, I conclusively decided that well over 90% of the third-party applications were utterly worthless.  So I deleted them like crazy and consistently turn down requests.  I removed several apps that were mundane and harmless, but absolutely worthless.

Today, I read about a Facebook app that’s not merely worthless – it’s downright mean!  WhopperSacrifice.com is offering free burgers – the only catch?  Install their Facebook app and start removing your friends.  For every 10 friends you delete, you get a free Whopper.

What is the point?  What are they trying to do (other than get a few laughs, some cheap advertising and a little more business)?  I find it unsettling that people are so cavalier about dropping ‘friends’ for some free meat.  Perhaps it testifies to the shallowness of our culture.  Either people are so shallow that they’ll actually sacrifice friends for Whoppers, or people have so many shallow casual Facebook connections that dropped ‘friends’ never get noticed.

Moviegoers were recently shocked to see the Joker force Gotham City’s citizens to sacrifice one another for the sake of hospitals or for their own lives.  But take away the real death and throw in lettuce, tomato and a pickle slice or two – it’s just a joke now.  Are we starting to imitate what we’ve seen on the silver screen?

Of course, I could be taking this thing far too seriously.  I mean, hey, I’ve been meaning to clean up my friend list anyway and, after all, who doesn’t like free food?  This isn’t really another mark of America’s widespread selfish superficiality, is it?  All I have to say is this: if you used to be on my friend list, I’m sorry but don’t take it so personally – I was hungry.

The story of the receding floodwaters in Genesis 8 hangs its suspense on the question of when the dry land becomes dry enough.  As Noah sends a raven and a dove, the tension heightens and the reader with fresh eyes wonders, “Will the ground ever be dry enough to live on?”  In the NET Bible, the climax is written this way: “He waited seven more days and then sent out the dove again from the ark. When the dove returned to him in the evening, there was a freshly plucked olive leaf in its beak!” (Gen. 8.10-11).  The sentence ends in a way that is (unfortunately) uncommon in English Bibles: with an exclamation point!

Hebrew and Greek don’t have exclamation points.  Maybe that’s why “literal” English translations don’t either (with rare exceptions like Rom. 6.2 and I Sam. 10.24).  I think that’s a shame.

We lament the fact that we find it difficult to read our Bibles on a regular basis – especially with an engaged mind and delighted heart!  We yearn for freshness, joy and excitement as we turn the pages of God’s Word.  Why, then, do our translations neglect one of the most exciting punctuation marks available?

It’s not that the Bible is a dull book of lifeless stories about ancient dead people.  Hardly!  It is full of stories that are suspenseful, characters that are real and messages that are life-changing.  I think that using a bit of exciting punctuation once in a while would help us see the surprise and joy and power of the Bible’s truths!

I’ve read about Noah’s ark dozens of times.  But last night, when my eyes ran across that unexpected exclamation point, the story arrested me and I shared the surprise and joy that Noah felt when he saw that olive branch in the dove’s beak – when God protects his people and meets their needs, that’s something worth an exclamation!

For some other articles about punctuation in Bible translation, see Bill Mounce’s helpful posts at Zondervan:

• Dashes
• Quotation marks
• Semicolons

I recently completed a brief outline of an OT theology of prayer.  It also provided my outline for a recent Sunday School message I was able to teach at KMBC last Sunday.  It was a conviction and encouragement to me as I taught it and I hope it will be to you as well.

Download the audio file.
Download the notes.

This post continues the previous one by describing the characters in II Sam. 15.13-19.8.  No story would be worth reading without characters to move the plot along; this narrative has quite a variety of them!

The protagonist of the story is David.  His flight is the first action, the tension focuses on his return to the throne, the resolution focuses on his response to the situation.  David is a round character.  He shows a wide spectrum of emotion: fear, confidence and grief.  He is real to us, genuine to the reader because he is believable.  We see ourselves in him and sympathize with him.

The antagonist is Absalom.  He opposes David, taking his throne, forcing him to flee and threatening a civil war.  We see a drastic removal of the mask that Absalom wears.  He begins with suavity and arrogance as he fleeces the people and steals the throne (II Sam. 15.1-6).  In the middle, we see his true character: uncertainty and insecurity as he sits and struggles through contrasting warroom counsel (II Sam. 17.1, 5).  He ends up following the advice that appeals to his pride, fear and weakness – even though it comes from a man who was loyal to David only hours earlier.  The unmasking ends with Absalom’s panicked fear and helplessness as he hangs by his hair until he is killed (II Sam. 18.9, 14).

The second main movement of the story focuses on five people that cross paths with David as he flees.  The first three of them show differing types of loyalty.  The first character is Ittai the Gittite.  David recommends that he leave and be safe.  Ittai insists, however, that he accompany David and help defend him (II Sam. 15.21).  Second, we encounter Abiathar, leading Zadok and the priests who were loyal to David and offering to bring the ark with David.  David wisely refuses (knowing that the ark is not a talisman) and sends them back to their positions, enjoining them to keep him informed.  The third loyal character is Hushai.  He appears as a direct answer to prayer (II Sam. 15.31, 34).  His loyalty to David actually motivates him to take the most dangerous position: infiltration of Absalom’s inner circle.  It is Hushai’s advice to Absalom that saves David’s life (II Sam. 17.14).

David then meets two characters who are not loyal.  Ziba lies and betrays his master Mephibosheth.  He demonstrates greed, deceit and selfishness (II Sam. 16.1-4).  Following this meeting, David happens across Shimei – a bitter man who openly curses David.  David’s response to Christlike: instead of cursing back or even permitting retribution by his men, David submits the situation to God (II Sam. 16.9-12).  These two men act as foils to David: in contrast to their deceit, greed and bitterness, David shows generosity, peace and forgiveness.

Two other characters play minor roles in this story.  Ahithophel is Absalom’s loyal adviser.  His accurate advice is ignored and in response (perhaps because he knew what would happen as Absalom followed Hushai’s advice) he commits suicide (II Sam. 16.23; 17.23).  Joab is the other notable character – he murders Absalom.  His coldness serves as a foil to David’s tenderness and grief (II Sam. 19.1-8).

As quickly becomes apparent, the people in this story provide a wide variety of characteristics, actions and qualities that instruct us in godliness.  A little time and attention to the characters brings the story to life, letting us picture the action and setting the message more deeply in our hearts!