by Peter James | Feb 21, 2024 | Prayers for the Children
Jim Jarvis was homeless, living on the streets of east London. He was all of ten years old, an orphan whose mother likely died in a cholera outbreak. Jim attended the Ragged School for poor children. Its founder, Thomas John Barnardo (1845-1905), had been studying...
by Peter James | Feb 20, 2024 | Johann Hamann
I’m intrigued by the innumerable ways people come to saving faith in Christ. For some, conversion is dramatic and decisive. For others, it is gradual and progressive. Philosopher Johann Hamann (1730-1788) had elements of both gradual and sudden conversion to...
by Peter James | Feb 19, 2024 | Dietrich Bonhoeffer
I have written of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1907-1945) before. Twice, actually. I can’t help myself. There are at least two good reasons to return to his prayers. First, there is an abundance of prayers written by Dietrich during his two-year imprisonment in Germany...
by Peter James | Feb 18, 2024 | Felix Neff
Insecure leaders can kill an organization. They view competent people as competitors rather than partners in the mission. Insecure pastors are deadly also. Their high need to control and to receive endless validation cripples a church. This is particularly...
by Peter James | Feb 17, 2024 | Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Elizabeth was forty, still living with her father and siblings in Ireland. She suffered from a chronic lung disease and spent most of her time in bed, writing poetry. Her prospects for marriage were bleak, I’d say. She received a letter which began, “I...
