Pisteuomen - πιστευομεν - T. Michael W. Halcomb

The latest episode of Exege TV is up. It discusses having a healthy image of the Bible. It has also been added to the Exege TV page / tab above. Check it out.

I've noted on Pisteuomen a couple of times that this year I started officiating football (and soon to come, basketball). As an official, you're supposed to be as "in-the-know" as possible; you're supposed to know all of the rules, the ins-and-outs of the game, etc. Yet, while you're supposed to "know" everything, it goes without saying that you're going to learn things as well. Here are a few things I've learned from my first year of officiating: 1 . If coaches are professional and disciplined, the whole program is disicplined. If the coaches are professional and disciplined, the players, parents, program coordinators, etc. are also professional and disciplined. You can tell a difference, even, in the way players who have a professional and disciplined coach get in their stances and those who do not. It all comes back to the coach! 2 . Some parents take little league sports way too seriously. Now, I know they pay for jerseys, cleats, etc. and...

Reading through the book Islam Vs. Islamism recently, I came across this brief timeline which I found both fascinating and illuminating: * 622 The hijra, or migration of Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina; start of the Islamic calendar * 661–689 Civil wars lead to the split between Sunnis and Shiites * 744–750 `Abbasid revolution ends the first, Arab-dominated, Omayyad caliphate and establishes political equality among believers. Start of Islam’s Golden Age 1258 Mongols sack Baghdad—end of `Abbasid caliphate and of Golden Age * 1453 Ottoman Turks capture Constantinople; end of Byzantine Empire * 1492 Discovery of America breaks Middle Eastern monopoly of trade with Asia; fall of Granada ends Muslim hold over Spain 1683 Ottoman Turks fail to conquer the Habsburg capital Vienna; beginning of Ottoman decline * 1798 Napoleon Bonaparte’s Egyptian expedition breaks Mamluk power and opens the Middle East to Western influences * 1856–1857 Heyday of tanzimat reforms to modernize Otto...

Sir James McGrath tagged me with a meme a couple of days ago. Just getting around to it, here are six things you might find absolutely uninteresting to me: 1 . When I was in high school, I taught myself bass guitar. From there, I taught myself how to play regular guitar. In college, my best friend and I traveled the East Coast as an acoustic duo; it was fun. Now, I am a worship leader. 2 . I have close to 2,000 books. 3 . I referee basketball and football. 4 . I played soccer all the way from kindergarten through college. 5 . I am currently letting my hair grow out. 6 . I hate the smell and feel of newspaper. I guess I'm a meme killer but I'm not passing the buck on this go round (e.g. I'm not going to tag anyone else this time around). Maybe next time...

At the local Church where I am currently serving, I've been doing a bit of media work (e.g. helping revamp the website, making a kind of digitized brochure, developing slideshows, creating videos, etc.). The following is a short video I made as a "welcome" / "about" video; I think it's pretty cool. Any thoughts?

Watch the whole video! HT: Drew T.

Recently, I was privileged to have a fruitful conversation with Dr. James McGrath, associate professor of religion at Butler University (IN). Among other things, we talked about theology, hermeneutics, creation vs. evolution and some of his new books. Do take a few minutes to read the convo and then, head on over to James's sites and have a look around: Exploring Our Matrix , The Burial of Jesus (Companion Site for the Book). Thanks to Dr. McGrath for taking some time out of his busy schedule to chat! Enjoy the discussion. * * * * * Michael : James thanks for taking the time to stop by Pisteuomen and chat. If you would, tell the readers of Pisteuomen a little bit about yourself (e.g. your faith background, your vocation and some of your interests, etc.). James : Thanks for inviting me to do this. I think if I answer this first question in full, I'll fill all the space you have set aside for this. But I'll try to keep it brief. I grew up in the Catholic Church, but drifted ...

Below is the link to the free download of a new program I've created called "Bible Scholar". Hopefully, this will be the first module of many in this series. With this simple module, you can test your knowledge of the New Testament. I have also added this program to the "My Free Bible Resources" page / tab above. After you test yourself, let me know in the comments section below what your score was. Have fun. -TMWH

Then download my "Football Officiating Module" and find out. The program is set up like a flash card system that allows you to get a good grasp on or even memorize the signals. This is created for officials but is free for public use as well. (This module has also been added to the "Misc." page / tab above.) It is free for download and distribution by clicking the following link: Football Officiating Signals Module 1.0

The latest episode of Exege TV is up. It discusses how to find resources for studying the Bible. This has also been added to the Exege TV page / tab as well. Enjoy.

During a lunch conversation with my wife today, here's what was said: Wife : "Did you hear that hound dog barking last night?" Me : "Hound dog? How do you know that it was a hound dog?" Wife : "By the way it was hounding."

If so, I am your man. My prices are beyond fair and the quality is great. If you need examples of a blog, look no further than this one. If you need examples of interactive programs, check out some of the resources on my "Free Bible Resources" page. If you need examples of logos, email me and I'll send some to you. If you need any of these, contact me at: halc dot 40dp at mailcity dot com and we'll start working together. Blessings.

Here's a fascinating quote from Marva Dawn's book Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down , dwell on it for a few minutes (especially if you're a Church leader): "If we give people less of a Gospel, they see no reason to be Christian" (150).

Okay, if I haven't already said enough about the Kzoo bookstore and how I am just over-the-top impressed with it, I'll say something else. Not only is this the best priced bookstore ever, they also do this thing where if you're a city resident, you can fill out a card with what kind of books you're interested in and if they recieve any works of that nature, they'll hold them for you for a week and call you and let you know about them. I know of no other bookshops that do this (they may exist, I just don't know about them). Anyway, they called me this week and in addition to the Greek works I asked them to hold, I picked up 3 other books (the German ones and the Marva Dawn one) for a whopping $7. Incredible!!! Here they are: * H. Jannach - German for Reading Knowledge * G. Mathieu - Intro. to German Poetry * C. Morrison - New Testament Word Lists * B. Metzger - Lexical Aids for Students of NT Greek * S. Paine - Beginning Greek * M. Dawn - Reaching Out W...

For the last couple of days, I've noticed that when I am typing online (for instance, in the search box of Yahoo! or Google), in the middle or at the end of a word, the cursor would just move on its own. For example, if I were typing the sentence "Hello, my name is Michael" the cursor would jump and the sentence would end up looking like "Hello, my nachael is Mi". It's kind of hard to explain but the short of it is that the cursor simply jumps or moves when typing. There are a number of theories on how to fix this but in Vista, here's what I've found to work: 1 . Go to the "Start" menu 2 . Click "Control Panel" 3 . Select "Classic View" 4 . Click "Mouse" 5 . Select the "Device Settings" tab 6 . Click the "Reset Devices" button at the bottom 7 . Click "Apply" 8 . Click "Ok" Your problem should be fixed just like mine was. For more of my troubleshooting articles, see the fo...

So, I am not at all pleased with any of the four leading candidates for President and/or Vice President this time around. As usual, I'm not pleased with all of the attack ads and mudslinging either. It gets annoying fast! By the same token, I am not pleased with all of the stereotyping that is embedded in all of the politicking. I'm tired of hearing the comment: "Barack might be the first black president ever." Now, I know that ethnic relations need some work in this country but what in the world does skin color have to do with being a good president? (By the way, the same is true of his religion, e.g. the Muslim accusations; what does his religion have to do with being a good politican?) By the same token, I think it is just as absurd when people make statements like: "How can Palin be both a good mom and a good VP?" This not only comes from men but in fact, I've only heard women say it. That boggles my mind. Why is this sexism even tolerated? Still, m...

In the last few years there has been something of a revolution in biblical studies as scholars have become more inter-disciplinary. One growing and popular trend is to meld together biblical, medical and social-scientific studies. For instance, two books that I have read in the last year have attempted this feat (click HERE and HERE for more on those books). Some of the more noticeable aspects of this undertaking that I've noticed are as follows: 1 . There has been a purposeful move away from language of Jesus being a "curer" to Jesus being a "healer". In other words, many have argued that Jesus didn't cure people of physical ailments per se but rather, he healed them from psychiatric or somatoform disorders. (Again, click HERE and HERE for more on that). 2 . In line with the previous point, there has also been a purposeful move away from viewing Jesus' healings as if they were of supernatural origin to understanding them as though they were of human...

Oh body, I know I take you for granted I complain about you incessantly and I grow weary of your weariness I don't take care of you But I still expect so much from you I loathe your pains and I seek your pleasures I search for your comforts but I get tired of your problems When you ache I sleep When you suffer I whine When you need more of me I give up on you Oh body My hands My feet My mind When will I ever realize That you've not yet given up on me and When will I ever realize That I should not give up on you When will I realize That to ignore your cries is to ignore the cries of others When will I realize That to be part of the Body The Body of Christ Means to love you more than I love myself And means To build you up instead of beating you down When will I realize That baptism cancels out narcissism And that the many parts Make up this one beautiful body -TMWH (2008)

In addition to a couple of recent posts where I've mentioned books I'm currently reviewing for journals, here are a couple more, each of which deals with hermeneutics: 1) Henry A. Virkler's Hermeneutics: Principles and Processes of Interpretation , and 2) Daniel J. Treier's Introducing Theological Interpretation of Scripture: Recovering a Christian Practice . I'm looking forward to getting into these books and am wholly expecting to find some thought-provoking and challenging material. If you've read either of these, feel free to share some of your thoughts here.

A friend of mine sent me a link to a fascinating site yesterday. Perhaps this is old news to you but it was new to me. The site deals with "The Abraham Path" that is being recreated in the Mid-East. Here's a bit about the site. After you read this, check it out (click HERE ): "The Abraham Path is a route of cultural tourism that retraces the journey made by Abraham (Ibrahim) through the heart of the Middle East some four thousand years ago. Three and a half billion people — over half the human family — trace their history or faith back to Abraham, considered the father of monotheism. The Abraham Path honors this shared cultural heritage by linking together into a single itinerary of outstanding interest and beauty the ancient sites associated with Abraham and his family."

Here are a couple of books that I'm reviewing for journals right now: Sean Kealy's 3rd ed. of Mark's Gospel: A History of Its Interpretation and Brendan Byrne's A Costly Freedom: A Theological Interpretation of Mark's Gospel . The former author, Kealy, is one (if not "the") leading scholar on how the Gospel accounts have been interpreted throughout history. His first edition of this work covered Mark through the 19th century, his second through the 20th century and his new one through the 21st. The book by Byrne, which I am quite looking forward to reading is the third in a trilogy on the Gospels. Byrne's typical approach more theological than anything. Anyway, I'm looking forward to reading these books side-by-side and discovering the fruit they have to offer. Anyone read either of these works? If so, what are your thoughts?

Here's a fascinating 2.5 minute video on maritime archaeology in Caesarea. There's a nice little history lesson and some interesting photos and theories. Give it a watch: Diving in Caesarea . (HT: Bibleplaces.com )

I've started working through the Gospel of Mark in German. Other than the fact that my copy of "die Bibel" has a nice apocrypha, it also uses some archaic language here and there (e.g. "thee", "thou", etc.) which makes translating tricky sometimes. Anyway, as I was working through Mk. 1.1-3, I came across a couple of interesting word choices. In Mk. 1.2, the verb "steht", which means "to stand" is used which renders the sentence: "It began, like it stands in/on the prophet Isaiah." There's nothing incredible about this, I just found it to be a very interesting word choice. Typically, the phrase employed is "As it is written..." To say "...like it stands" seems to suggest a more permanent sense. Also, in the reest of that verse we find, "...er soll den Weg fur dich bahnen." This translates as "...he shall strike out a way for thee." Of course, this is referring to John the Baptiz...

I was going through some of my old school yearbooks recently and came across these pictures. One's from my preppy years and the other's from my hippy years. I was sure somethin' huh?

Here are the songs I've played since becoming a worship leader (some have been repeated). What's your favorite worship song? * Brian Doerksen: Come Now Is The Time To Worship * Chris Tomlin: Not To Us * Jeremy Riddle: Sweetly Broken * Ben Pasley: I Will Not Forget You * David Crowder: You Alone * Lamont Hiebert: Meet With Me * David Ruis: You're Worthy Of My Praise * Chris Tomlin: Holy Is The Lord * Shane Barnard: May The Few * Edward Perronet: All Hail The Pow'r Of Jesus' Name * Bebo Norman: Nothing Without You * Mac Powell: By His Wounds * Martin Smith: All Over The World * Darrell Evans: Trading My Sorrows * Chris Tomlin: Forever * Phil Wickham: Divine Romance * Matt Redman: You Never Let Go * Mac Byrd: God Of Wonders * Bebo Norman: I Will Lift My Eyes * Mark Hall: Who Am I * Marie Barnett: Breathe * Jeff Bourque: Change Me * Paul Baloche: Praise Adonai * Jeremy Camp: Right Here * Matt Redman: Blessed Be Your Name * Chris Tomlin: Your Gr...

One of the more annoying things about Windows Vista is the nagging "DEP" (data execution prevention) prompts. In a way they are good because they are just trying to alert you of a potential threat but in another way, they are terribly annoying and very frustrating. Many times DEP prompts kick-in after you've installed audio or video software/codecs. (See my previous post on that HERE .) For me, that has actually always been the case. So (in contrast to the previous post mentioned above), instead of totally turning off Windows DEP or always having it on, there is an "in-between" spot. This "spot", I have found, is the best to use when running Vista. Here's how to set your computer up this way: 1 . Go to "start" in the lower left corner of your screen 2 . Select "all programs" 3 . Select "accessories" 4 . Right-Click "Command Prompt" and select "Run as Administrator" 5 . On the black screen, type in ...

Check out this quote by Rabbi Brad Hirschfield (from an NPR Interview); it is quite profound! "Most creationists relate to evolutionists as if they have no soul, and most evolutionists relate to the creationists as if they have no brain. Since according to Jewish tradition we all possess both, this is where our discussion should begin—no small feat in a culture in which the absolute obliteration of the other side’s views is often the only basis for thinking that one’s own position is correct."

Along with my Hebrew, Aramaic & Greek alphabet modules, I have now created a German one. The program, rendered as an .swf / flash file is free to download and share. As a flash file, it is user-friendly and very interactive. Pronunciation of German letters can be both vizualized and heard in this module. In addition to posting about it here, I have added a permanent link on the "My Free Bible Resources" page of this site. Click on the "das alphabet" screenshot or icon below to download. Enjoy. My German Alphabet Module (Das Alphabet 1.0)

Below is a sermon I delivered recently titled "The Beginning". It is part 1 of a 2 part series calld "The Beginning & The End". In addition to this audio sermon, I will try to have its follow-up posted next week, after it is delivered. Enjoy.

Here's another fascinating snippet from Marcus Aurelius (a day late, I might add): "How quickly things disappear, bodies into the universe, memories of them in time" ( Meditations , II.12). Meditate on these things!

I found a couple of good deals at a Bargain Bookstore recently. Here are the two titles I picked up: (1) Sexism and God-Talk: Toward a Feminist Theology , (2) The Lost Gospel: The Quest for the Gospel of Judas Iscariot . Anybody ever read either of these? If so, what are some of your thoughts?

Let’s be honest already, biblical studies is the spice of life! That’s why I’ve spent a portion of the last month keeping tabs on biblically-oriented conversation that has taken place in the world and more particularly, in the blogosphere. Needless to say, a lot of ground has been covered many, many people. Below, for Biblioblogs Carnival XXXIII, you will find 31 days worth of links to thought-provoking posts. Over 150 different bloggers are mentioned (so, if you need to update your rss readers or blogrolls, now might be the time to do it) even though only 5 were nominated (as of 08.31.08, 8pm). Scattered throughout, you will find some familiar names as well as unfamiliar ones. I hope the less familiar ones will find a niche and a place in biblica/biblio-blogdom. Finally, after you’ve read and clicked through links, take note that next month’s carnival will be hosted by Doug Chaplin over at MetaCatholic . Enjoy the carnival and blessings to you and yours! -TMWH 08.01 – At the beginnin...