A New Chapter

Co-missioners,

A new chapter in Thursday Theology launches next week.

Some months ago I pulled together an editorial support team comprising Steve Hitchcock, recently retired from Bread for the World; Bruce Modahl, retired pastor par excellence and current editor of Crossings’ quarterly newsletter; and Carol Braun, an online teacher of math and physics for an international assortment of superstar high school students—a wife and mother too, as she’d want quickly to add. All three of these have written for Thursday Theology within the past two or three years. Carol served for a time as a co-editor when Ed Schroeder called it quits at the end of 2011. She stepped away from this when the first of her children was born. No wonder.

I asked these three to help me expand the pool of Thursday Theology writers and reorganize our publication schedule. The aim was and is to bolster our mission of exploring the Gospel as God’s breathtaking response to the Law that both blesses and binds, and finally condemns us all. Time was when we sent out our posts with a tagline. “Thursday Theology: that the benefits of Christ be put to use.” This remains our goal even if these days we don’t say it in so many words week after week.

Anyway, the team went to work. They recruited fresh writers. They reminded others that their work is still very much wanted. They sought to ensure that old white guys aren’t the only ones you’ll hear from going forward. Not, as some might assert, that old white guys have nothing to say anymore that’s worth your attention. Though speaking as one of those OWG’s, I cheerfully acknowledge that I’ve long since lost interest in much the occupies the attention of people in their thirties. Nor can do I more than hazard a guess at the particular pains of being found in America in female form, or with a darker skin than the one I sport. It falls to others to speak of the benefits of Christ when such pains are yours. They’ll do a better job of it.

As of today we have six months’ worth of writers scheduled, a few of them recurring. We’d love to find that young black woman who operates theologically with the distinction between Law and Gospel. Any leads, anybody? Send them our way.

This said, the new schedule launches next week. Carol Braun will lead it off with a reflection on her daily work as a teacher of elite students. You won’t want to miss it.

Keep us in your prayers as we slog forward with this project. In fact we’ll take those prayers for granted and thank God for them—or better still, for you.

Peace and Joy,

Jerome (Jerry) Burce

Editor

P.S. For some theological meat to chew on this week, click on this link. It will take you to the final fifteen minutes of a lecture delivered at Wheaton College in 2010 by N.T. Wright. Now there’s an OWG if ever there was one. Worth listening to? My goodness, yes. Your heart will soar as he does a super-fast trot through the high points of Ephesians. Christ’s benefits indeed! (More on this some other time, methinks.) —JB