Follow links below to Paul Dean's Crosswalk Blogs
Just Another Bum from the Neighborhood on Halloween
It's easy to start a fight between Christians; just talk about Halloween.
You Have to Know Why You Pray
We’ve all heard the story of the young wife who cut off both ends of the ham before cooking it. When her husband asked her why – she didn’t know; that’s the way her mom always did it.
I’m Giving up Lent for Lent
I had an E.F. Hutton moment when I walked into a deli in New Orleans and ordered a roast beef sandwich on Friday during Lent. As soon as I realized what the stares were all about I quickly changed my order out of respect. At the same time, having lived in New Orleans for a number of years, I was asked more than once why I didn’t observe Lent.
Who’s Libertarian: Secularists or Christians?
It’s shocking what’s shocking these days. Purity; honesty; things like that. But other things too; I read stuff from Lew Rockwell because the New Covenant vision for civil society is largely libertarian. Now there’s a shocking statement. What gives?
What about Churched Harry and Mary (and Discipleship)?
Let’s draw a picture of Churched Harry and Mary. They go to church and love the worship; they often have jubilant or overwhelmingly emotional experiences there; they meet in small groups and add their opinions to everyone else’s as they discuss the pastor’s sermon; they meet with accountability partners and bear their souls each week; and they give a little when they can.
5 Ways to Engage in Hospitality with Gospel Intentionality
The biblical doctrine of hospitality has rich theological moorings and implications; for that reason it’s often misunderstood
Why I Don’t Celebrate Abraham’s Lincoln’s Birthday
Let’s be clear: I hate slavery and racism because God hates slavery and racism. The bible is clear that all human beings are created in God’s image and have essential dignity. That’s why any Christian who is pro-life must also be anti-racism. Just as murder is an attack on God Himself so too is racism (Gen. 9:6). So why do I not celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s birthday?
A Dating Tip from Bob Marley - Sort of -
You have to appreciate it when an unbeliever says something rooted in truth particularly when it’s insightfully penetrating. I came across this quote from Reggae singer Bob Marley:
A Need to Change Pet Culture
It's a dog-eat-dog world out there but they say it could soon be a man-eat-dog world if we’re not careful. “In a piece that may not sit well with some pet owners, Erik Assadourian argues that pets are detrimental to the planet—and it's time to take action.
Don’t Fumble Your Surgery – Part 3 – Deal with Others
If we’re created to glorify God, then putting His reality and power on display in the midst of distress is where the rubber meets the road. When affliction is upon us, how do we keep it between the ditches? To change the metaphor, how do we keep from fumbling the opportunity God’s given us?
Don’t Fumble Your Surgery – Part 2 – Deal with Self
Earnest Byner will never forget the moment when he was about to score the tying touchdown in the 1987 AFC Championship Game and fumbled the ball instead. How can he? People like me bring it up from time to time (even though I have great admiration for his superlative football career). Not only that, the moment has been preserved for all time as it’s been dubbed famously, “The Fumble.”
Don’t Fumble Your Surgery – Part 1 – Deal with God
Life is tough; there’s no doubt about it. I’ve seen people handle adversity well and I’ve seen others fall to pieces. Some trials are tougher than others and we can’t judge people harshly not having walked in their shoes. At the same time, trials are opportunities to put the glory of God on display.
Stirring our Affections for Jesus in Worship
I’ve had more conversations about corporate worship than I care to remember; not because I don’t like talking about worship but because I’m out of step. We talk about style & flow, not to be confused with Hustle & Flow (which I didn’t see), though the key theme in both my conversation and the movie was the same: dissatisfaction and the search for something more.
Exemplary Church
Out in the West Texas town of El Paso it wouldn’t be hard to find a cowboy church. We have them in my neck of the woods too; I met a guy the other day who started one down the road. It made me think of our local biker church and other boutique churches popping up – though one doesn’t usually find cowboys, bikers, and boutique mentioned in the same sentence.
The Kerfuffle Shuffle: Thoughts on Reformed Hip Hop
I’ve tried not to weigh in on the recent kerfuffle over reformed hip-hop. It’s dangerous because no matter where you come down you’re going to be misunderstood and excoriated. For the record, I’ve tried not to use the word kerfuffle either. But since a lot of others have used it concerning this – well – you know.
Auburn Announcer Giving Credit Where Due
Auburn knocked off top-ranked Alabama on the last play of the 2013 Iron Bowl in a most unlikely fashion – and it was kind of a repeat.
Social Justice, The Circus, and Programming Away the Gospel
I’ve called our church to keep visiting orphans and widows, adopting children, and ministering in the prisons. I’ve encouraged them to keep doing mercy ministry and working for social justice. Of course, I don’t want the church as the church to set up a program of feeding the hungry or clothing the naked. What?
I Get Goosebumps Thinking of Government Transformation
In an ongoing and increasingly broad discussion concerning R2K vs. transformationalism, D.G. Hart posted an informative exchange involving J. Gresham Machen (arguably the leading theologian of the twentieth century) when he appeared before congress in 1926 to oppose the formation of the Federal Department of Education. The brief post is a must read for the content of Machen’s answers.
Should Pastors Speak to Politics?
We evangelicals have “been dazed and confused for so long it’s not true.” Well, it is true. Here’s a typical comment from a blog. . .
How to Kill a Snake
A question was asked in Sunday School regarding the reference to “heel” in Gen. 3:15: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." Why heel?
Walmart Socialistic Shopping Spree
Part of our problem is well-meaning but biblically uninformed Christians. Now we could say that in lots of areas but I’m talking about the Walmart Shopping Spree resulting from a computer glitch that temporarily erased the spending limits on EBT cards (food stamps).
Why We Can't Do Evangelism in the South
To say we have a big problem doing evangelism in the “Bible Belt” is an understatement. It’s also a problem of our own making.
Stephen Hawking -- Afraid of the Dark?
Atheists will say the most interesting things. Of course they are more than interesting; sometimes they affirm God’s reality without realizing it; at other times they may just open a window for us to see into their own souls.
Just Another Bum from the Neighborhood on Halloween
It's easy to start a fight between Christians; just talk about Halloween.
You Have to Know Why You Pray
We’ve all heard the story of the young wife who cut off both ends of the ham before cooking it. When her husband asked her why – she didn’t know; that’s the way her mom always did it.
I’m Giving up Lent for Lent
I had an E.F. Hutton moment when I walked into a deli in New Orleans and ordered a roast beef sandwich on Friday during Lent. As soon as I realized what the stares were all about I quickly changed my order out of respect. At the same time, having lived in New Orleans for a number of years, I was asked more than once why I didn’t observe Lent.
Who’s Libertarian: Secularists or Christians?
It’s shocking what’s shocking these days. Purity; honesty; things like that. But other things too; I read stuff from Lew Rockwell because the New Covenant vision for civil society is largely libertarian. Now there’s a shocking statement. What gives?
What about Churched Harry and Mary (and Discipleship)?
Let’s draw a picture of Churched Harry and Mary. They go to church and love the worship; they often have jubilant or overwhelmingly emotional experiences there; they meet in small groups and add their opinions to everyone else’s as they discuss the pastor’s sermon; they meet with accountability partners and bear their souls each week; and they give a little when they can.
5 Ways to Engage in Hospitality with Gospel Intentionality
The biblical doctrine of hospitality has rich theological moorings and implications; for that reason it’s often misunderstood
Why I Don’t Celebrate Abraham’s Lincoln’s Birthday
Let’s be clear: I hate slavery and racism because God hates slavery and racism. The bible is clear that all human beings are created in God’s image and have essential dignity. That’s why any Christian who is pro-life must also be anti-racism. Just as murder is an attack on God Himself so too is racism (Gen. 9:6). So why do I not celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s birthday?
A Dating Tip from Bob Marley - Sort of -
You have to appreciate it when an unbeliever says something rooted in truth particularly when it’s insightfully penetrating. I came across this quote from Reggae singer Bob Marley:
A Need to Change Pet Culture
It's a dog-eat-dog world out there but they say it could soon be a man-eat-dog world if we’re not careful. “In a piece that may not sit well with some pet owners, Erik Assadourian argues that pets are detrimental to the planet—and it's time to take action.
Don’t Fumble Your Surgery – Part 3 – Deal with Others
If we’re created to glorify God, then putting His reality and power on display in the midst of distress is where the rubber meets the road. When affliction is upon us, how do we keep it between the ditches? To change the metaphor, how do we keep from fumbling the opportunity God’s given us?
Don’t Fumble Your Surgery – Part 2 – Deal with Self
Earnest Byner will never forget the moment when he was about to score the tying touchdown in the 1987 AFC Championship Game and fumbled the ball instead. How can he? People like me bring it up from time to time (even though I have great admiration for his superlative football career). Not only that, the moment has been preserved for all time as it’s been dubbed famously, “The Fumble.”
Don’t Fumble Your Surgery – Part 1 – Deal with God
Life is tough; there’s no doubt about it. I’ve seen people handle adversity well and I’ve seen others fall to pieces. Some trials are tougher than others and we can’t judge people harshly not having walked in their shoes. At the same time, trials are opportunities to put the glory of God on display.
Stirring our Affections for Jesus in Worship
I’ve had more conversations about corporate worship than I care to remember; not because I don’t like talking about worship but because I’m out of step. We talk about style & flow, not to be confused with Hustle & Flow (which I didn’t see), though the key theme in both my conversation and the movie was the same: dissatisfaction and the search for something more.
Exemplary Church
Out in the West Texas town of El Paso it wouldn’t be hard to find a cowboy church. We have them in my neck of the woods too; I met a guy the other day who started one down the road. It made me think of our local biker church and other boutique churches popping up – though one doesn’t usually find cowboys, bikers, and boutique mentioned in the same sentence.
The Kerfuffle Shuffle: Thoughts on Reformed Hip Hop
I’ve tried not to weigh in on the recent kerfuffle over reformed hip-hop. It’s dangerous because no matter where you come down you’re going to be misunderstood and excoriated. For the record, I’ve tried not to use the word kerfuffle either. But since a lot of others have used it concerning this – well – you know.
Auburn Announcer Giving Credit Where Due
Auburn knocked off top-ranked Alabama on the last play of the 2013 Iron Bowl in a most unlikely fashion – and it was kind of a repeat.
Social Justice, The Circus, and Programming Away the Gospel
I’ve called our church to keep visiting orphans and widows, adopting children, and ministering in the prisons. I’ve encouraged them to keep doing mercy ministry and working for social justice. Of course, I don’t want the church as the church to set up a program of feeding the hungry or clothing the naked. What?
I Get Goosebumps Thinking of Government Transformation
In an ongoing and increasingly broad discussion concerning R2K vs. transformationalism, D.G. Hart posted an informative exchange involving J. Gresham Machen (arguably the leading theologian of the twentieth century) when he appeared before congress in 1926 to oppose the formation of the Federal Department of Education. The brief post is a must read for the content of Machen’s answers.
Should Pastors Speak to Politics?
We evangelicals have “been dazed and confused for so long it’s not true.” Well, it is true. Here’s a typical comment from a blog. . .
How to Kill a Snake
A question was asked in Sunday School regarding the reference to “heel” in Gen. 3:15: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." Why heel?
Walmart Socialistic Shopping Spree
Part of our problem is well-meaning but biblically uninformed Christians. Now we could say that in lots of areas but I’m talking about the Walmart Shopping Spree resulting from a computer glitch that temporarily erased the spending limits on EBT cards (food stamps).
Why We Can't Do Evangelism in the South
To say we have a big problem doing evangelism in the “Bible Belt” is an understatement. It’s also a problem of our own making.
Stephen Hawking -- Afraid of the Dark?
Atheists will say the most interesting things. Of course they are more than interesting; sometimes they affirm God’s reality without realizing it; at other times they may just open a window for us to see into their own souls.
