Comments for This Classical Life

Comment on January Books by kristen

kristen — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:16:31 +0000

Note that even using a 10 point scale, I needed to use half increments for many of my books read. I don’t know what that says about me.

Comment on January Books by Keren

Keren — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:51:36 +0000

I like a rating system out of 10 (as opposed to Goodreads’ or Amazon’s 5-star rating system). Helpful sentence reviews. :)

Comment on A Plea & a Freebie by Keren

Keren — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:46:46 +0000

Beautiful (and so simple)! I’m going to pin it on Pinterest, too.

LOL to your comment. ;)

Comment on Odds & Ends X by kristen

kristen — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:00:07 +0000

I am half tempted to host a Catan night, now. ;) So intense!

Comment on Odds & Ends X by Stephanie

Stephanie — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:40:22 +0000

Oh my goodness gracious. I just read the Settlers stuff. Oh. My. Goodness. Gracious. Very entertaining.

Comment on January Books by kristen

kristen — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:34:23 +0000

For the record, I have not looked up so many words in a book that is less than 100 years old than I did reading Bonhoeffer. It got a little ridiculous.

Comment on January Books by leigh gilliland

leigh gilliland — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:41:11 +0000

Although I just had to look up the definition of “hagiography”, I do agree with your assessment:) For me, it was slow in the beginning, but I did get to a certain point where I couldn’t put it down. I like Metaxas, in general, and was also surprised at some of his zingers. Bonhoeffer’s life was fascinating, and I agree that the book is definitely worth reading.

I LOVE, LOVE ‘Creation Regained’ as well!!!

Comment on Did This Blog Peak in 2006? (and Other Insecure Questions) by Stephanie

Stephanie — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:05:12 +0000

I’m here and reading :) I especially love learning what you know about the church calendar and all the ideas you have about celebrating them. Keep on keeping on, my friend!

Comment on January Books by JT

JT — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:03:11 +0000

Have you considered reading fewer books? It should make the task of writing about each of them simpler…

Comment on Give Them Grace by kristen

kristen — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:15:49 +0000

I like this idea. We talk a lot about doing ministry “incarnationally” but I think people don’t apply the same principles to parenting. It’s interesting to me how much parenting is divorced from theology, particularly among people who integrate theology well in many other aspects of life.

Comment on A Plea & a Freebie by kristen

kristen — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:12:57 +0000

Cool. Thanks for letting me know, Haley!

I made one for lent a few days ago. Because I figure “who makes lent printables?” But then again, the demand for them is pretty low. :)

Comment on A Plea & a Freebie by Haley

Haley — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:53:43 +0000

I used your Advent printables and will use this one, too!

Comment on Give Them Grace by SB

SB — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:20:07 +0000

FWIW: I think the decisively different point between Xty and Judaism, the point that changes everything, if you will, is Jesus: the idea that G-d has a son whom he specifically dispatched to make an atoning sacrifice for the sins of (potentially the entire — depending on how Reformed you are) world. The sacrifices of G-d for men / humanity are clear in the OT, but their embodiment in a family relationship of this type to me and the necessary outcomes for human relationships are to me not so fully explored in Judaism as it has developed as a religion in the last two thousand years, which has focused more on the relationships between fellow humans and their ethics. (I am sure there are Jews who would disagree with me on this; this is just my opinion).

The implications of that decision for parenting — that a father should decide that G-d should become man, and then, in turn, sacrifice his most precious relationship for humanity — are largely unexplored in most discussions of Christian parenting that I have read, particularly recently. (I am also not a connoisseur of every parenting method written for the Christian.)

Comment on Give Them Grace by kristen

kristen — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:37:33 +0000

There really isn’t a book that I love that approaches parenting theologically from a covenantal perspective. There are a lot of good and useful books, but not one that frames things the way I would. It is interesting to me how many reformed-recommended parenting books are by baptists.

Comment on Give Them Grace by kristen

kristen — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:34:35 +0000

I agree with you about Judaism being mischaracterized as rules following. God did not suddenly change between the Hebrew Bible and New Testament. He’s the same God, merciful, loving and forgiving. He loves his people because they are his, not because they “earn” it. I think CHRISTIANS misconstrue scripture and make their children think of God as a cosmic scorekeeper concerned about rules.

As much as I agree that Christians inaccurately portray Judaism, Jesus’ message was a change. There’s a reason his hearers reacted to it strongly (for or against.) It’s interesting to read something like Pirkei Avot and see a lot of similar ideas (same time frame, etc.) But Jesus’s message of the kingdom of God being here now, and all of it’s implications, it’s different.

What we believe ought to change who we are. If we believe different things, it should make a different in how we chose to live. Of course, I also think that there is a great deal of “common grace” and practices that just make sense and people of every faith and experience can come to the same conclusions.

What bothers me most is people who don’t think about what they are doing and send a really mixed, contrary message to their children.