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Don McKim
Don McKim is editor of 'These Days,' 'Joining the Feast,' and 'Being Reformed: Faith Seeking Understanding.' Don is a Presbyterian minister who has been a seminary theology professor and a seminary academic dean. He is the editor or author of over thirty books, including the 'Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms,' 'Presbyterian Questions, Presbyterian Answers.' and' A Down and Dirty Guide to Theology.'
Recent Activity
Forsaken
A Gathering Voices Post by Don McKim When Holy Week comes, our hearts are full with the memories of the last days of Jesus. The events lead to the cross on Good Friday. Holy Week puts before us the suffering Jesus experienced, before and upon the cross. Theologically, the cross... Continue reading
Posted Mar 25, 2013 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Silence
A Gathering Voices Post by Don McKim I was recently asked to write a short piece on “Silence.” My focus was on the Reformed heritage and I did this simply by looking at some comments from John Calvin. These do not exhaust what the Reformed tradition might have to say... Continue reading
Posted Mar 11, 2013 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Eating and Drinking with Jesus
A Gathering Voices Post by Don McKim When I was in seminary, my theology professor was Dr. Arthur Cochrane. Dr. Cochrane was a Presbyterian from Canada who served our Presbyterian denominations for decades as a theology professor at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. He was... Continue reading
Posted Feb 25, 2013 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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The Trinitarian Shape of Life
A Gathering Voices Post by Don McKim Our Christian lives can seem routine, one thing after another. Things keep us busy so we may not take time to reflect on the gift of life in Jesus Christ which God has given us. I recently found helpful reflections on our lives... Continue reading
Posted Feb 11, 2013 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Grace in Winter
A Gathering Voices post by Don McKim Those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere are used to the winter months: December, January and February. For many, this means cold temperatures, snow, and inclement weather that can make life challenging. Yet even if we do not experience the brutal... Continue reading
Posted Jan 28, 2013 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Impassable Places
A Gathering Voices Post by Don McKim When Paul was imprisoned in Jerusalem (Acts 23), we find what has been called “one of the most tantalizing incidents in Acts, for all who are interested in Paul’s private life and family relationships.”[1] “The son of Paul’s sister” heard about an ambush... Continue reading
Posted Jan 14, 2013 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Overcoming Fear
A Gathering Voices Post by Don McKim Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) was the famous theologian and martyr who was murdered for his participation in the plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. His life is fascinating and shows a brilliant mind devoted to service of the church. Bonhoeffer wrote technical works on theology... Continue reading
Posted Dec 31, 2012 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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The Divine Pattern
A Gathering Voices Post by Don McKim We all interpret the Bible. We hear the preacher say, “The Bible says…” but we realize there needs to be a next step. We read “what the Bible says,” then we try to understand meaning. We try to perceive what the biblical text... Continue reading
Posted Dec 17, 2012 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Warts and All
A Gathering Voices Post by Don McKim We’ve heard the expression “warts and all.” It is to indicate that the whole of a thing is presented and that the less attractive parts are not omitted. Traditionally, this phrase is said to originate from a portrait of Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector... Continue reading
Posted Dec 3, 2012 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Leaning on the Promises
A Gathering Voices Post by Don McKim In the midst of the siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians (588 B.C.E.), the prophet Jeremiah spoke words of comfort and hope for the future. Imprisoned for his message, his words have echoed through the centuries as words of hope for God’s people,... Continue reading
Posted Nov 19, 2012 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Be Cast on Christ
A Gathering Voices Post by Don McKim The cares of life are always with us. They afflict us. They can take over our thoughts and hearts. These cares are important because they orient how we feel and what we do. But we also speak of care in a positive sense.... Continue reading
Posted Nov 5, 2012 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Jesus Shall Reign
A Gathering Voices post by Don McKim We learned recently that the statement, “American is a Protestant Christian Nation” is no longer true.[1] According to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, the Protestant majority—a hallmark of U.S. demographics since the beginning of the Republic—has now dipped to 48%... Continue reading
Posted Oct 22, 2012 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Working and Waiting
A Gathering Voices post by Don McKim It’s always hard to wait. We know that all too well. Whether it is for a “big day,” or in a line at the supermarket, or waiting for a traffic signal to change, we strain forward—eager for what we want and anticipate to... Continue reading
Posted Oct 8, 2012 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Call on Me
A Gathering Voices post by Don McKim The book of Psalms is one of the most beloved books in the Bible. We all have our favorite Psalms, passages that speak to us in deep and meaningful ways. John Calvin called the book of Psalms “the anatomy of all parts of... Continue reading
Posted Sep 24, 2012 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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The Patient Continuance of Well Doing
A Gathering Voices Post by Don McKim In July 1883, the Rev. James Denney (1856-1917) began his work as a pastor for a mission congregation of the Free Church of Scotland. The Hill Street, Gallowgate church in Glasgow was one of the Free Church’s congregational missions through which the church... Continue reading
Posted Sep 10, 2012 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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The Name of Mercy
A Gathering Voices Post by Don McKim A while ago, I wrote on “Mercie” here (http://blog.thethoughtfulchristian.com/2012/02/mercie.html), focusing on the seventeenth-century English theologian John Downame (1571-1652). God’s “mercie” is sure, since mercy is one of the attributes of God, expressing God’s nature and being. To take this one step further, we... Continue reading
Posted Aug 27, 2012 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Trust and Entrust
A Gathering Voices Post by Don McKim I often think about what is the essence of Christian faith. That’s a wide question and one can “slice the pie” in many ways. Some months ago, I wrote here about “Grace and Gratitude” (http://blog.thethoughtfulchristian.com/2011/12/grace-and-gratitude.html), the “heartbeat” of Christian faith, with the rhythm... Continue reading
Posted Aug 13, 2012 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Feeding the Flock
A Gathering Voices Post by Don McKim One of the joys of a theological library is that while it is helpful when one is working on a sustained project or theological question, it is also possible to browse. We browse over books and also within books. Like the Bible itself,... Continue reading
Posted Jul 30, 2012 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Before It's Too Late
A Gathering Voices Post by Don McKim I was writing a devotion recently and using the text from the story of Mary’s anointing of Jesus at a dinner party: “Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair” (John... Continue reading
Posted Jul 16, 2012 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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An Unbreakable Unity
A "Gathering Voices" Post by Don McKim The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is meeting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania this week. The “Steel City” is in the heartland of Presbyterianism and is home to Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, which traces its roots back to Service Seminary, founded in 1794. Pittsburgh... Continue reading
Posted Jul 2, 2012 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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The God of Justice
A Gathering Voices post by Don McKim I was reading Psalm 146, a great Psalm praising God for who God is and for the help God gives. The Psalm advises against putting one’s trust in “princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help” (146:3). These will fail; and when... Continue reading
Posted Jun 18, 2012 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Our Bounden Duty: The Care of the Poor
A Gathering Voices Post by Don McKim I dipped further into President Edwards. Jonathan, that is. After reading his piece on “Christian Knowledge” (see previous blog post: http://blog.thethoughtfulchristian.com/2012/05/our-daily-business.html), I found it was followed in this edition of his Works with “Christian Charity: Or, the Duty of Charity to the Poor,... Continue reading
Posted Jun 4, 2012 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Our Daily Business
A Gathering Voices Post by Don McKim I don’t spend too much time with President Edwards. Jonathan, that is. Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), known most widely for the high school English textbook selection of his sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” But Edwards was a towering theological figure,... Continue reading
Posted May 21, 2012 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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Getting Ready for Ascension Day
A Gathering Voices Post by Don McKim I’ve always been a theological fan of the Ascension. This key concept is passed over briefly in the Apostles’ Creed in just four words: “He ascended into heaven” (three, in Latin: ascendit ad coelos). It marks the transition between the earthly life of... Continue reading
Posted May 7, 2012 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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A Cup of Cold Water
A Gathering Voices post by Don McKim We’re used to thinking of huge solutions to massive problems. No day passes but what we don’t think of the world’s problems, great as they are. We hear of all the difficulties our country faces and we wish for some big “magic wand”... Continue reading
Posted Apr 23, 2012 at Gathering Voices: Faithful Conversations from The Thoughtful Christian
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