Jonah may not have been eaten alive in the Bible, but he has been in the children’s books. In the nineteen versions I examined for this essay, the horror of the story has been extracted and removed from sight, and with it an important theological and imaginative preparation for the gospel.

The longer I live as a Christian and serve as a pastor, the more impressed I am with the value of careful attention to Jesus’ teaching on prayer in the Sermon on the Mount, commonly known as The Lord’s Prayer. Many, if not most, Christians struggle with prayer. Two reasons come to mind. The first is that we live in a time when prayer is not strongly emphasized, in part because most of us do not have great troubles in life, at least outwardly so. The second reason is a perennial one, namely, the warfare between the flesh and the spirit. Prayer simply is difficult and it requires attention and effort. This is precisely why I find the Lord’s prayer to be so helpful.

I’m in Scotland for a few days, catching up with European news in today’s edition of The Times. The big splash news item, on several pages, is the case of Max Mosely, president of the FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) – that’s “Formula One” racing cars for the uninitiated.

Mosley (whose father was a renowned Fascist and professional Jew-hater) has been secretly filmed taking part in a sadomasochistic orgy with five prostitutes, he dressed as a Nazi and the women as Jewish slaves. I’ll spare the details. As of today, Mosley’s position as president of FIA is under scrutiny and The Times, along with other newspapers, has entered into the ethical analysis of his shenanigans.

Of the more interesting analysis of Mosley’s actions and fate, came in the Sports section of the paper. I have to confess that the number of times I have read the sports pages of any newspaper to be in single digits, but the moral pontifications of Simon Barnes, Sports columnist of the Year, and according to my son the best commentator on soccer (i.e. football) ever, to be both fascinating and alarmingly insightful of popular ethical prejudice.

As expected, there is a wide variety of internet comment on the WTS board's suspension of Old Testament Professor Peter Enns.  I would highlight Scott Clark's counsel to current students and the discussion taking place at Green Baggins.  Both of these, and most others, express sincere expressions of good will towards Pete Enns as a brother in Christ.  This I share and I will undertake in prayer for Pete, his family, and friends. 

Undoubtedly, this is not only a crossroads for Dr. Enns but I think it is something of a seminal event in our times.  The reason is that this really is not about the publishing of a single book, although those who publish controversial views obviously bring attention to themselves and the institution they represent.  The bigger issue has to do with a number of important questions, including the relationship of a seminary like WTS to the confessional churches it serves and to the academic profession of which it seeks to be a part. 

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus (Lk. 24:1-3). It’s a familiar tale that Christians like us insist is true on the most literal sense. But what’s the big deal? Would the bottom fall out of Christianity if the tomb actually contained the body of Jesus? The answer that Scripture gives is “Yes!” Everything about Christianity would fall apart if the tomb had not been empty.