Be Strong

Dr. Doug Hardy
Professor of Spiritual Formation
Director, Doctor of Ministry Degree Program

Boston is a special place for me. I was born and attended college just outside the city. I took my first teaching job at that same college—Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, MA—and earned my Ph.D. degree at Boston University. My son lives in the city. My two sisters live in the Boston area and many dear friends and colleagues call the Boston area home. So when bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Patriot’s Day, it hit close to home.

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The Case of Ota Benga

Dr. David Wesley
Associate Professor of Intercultural Studies Director of 365M

It is hard to imagine that the Bronx Zoo would place a human being on display along with animals, but that is precisely what happened to a man by the name of Ota Benga.

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Do This in Remembrance

Dr. Judi Schwanz
Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling

For many people, Memorial Day doesn’t fall on the last weekend in May – it comes on April 19th each year.

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Translating the Sacred Texts

Dr. Roger L. Hahn
Professor of New Testament
Dean of the Faculty

The mission of God is too urgent not to translate the Bible again and again. But I am grateful for the faithful work of Hebrew and Greek scholars who ensure that our translations are also faithful.

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The Spiritual Discipline of Parenting

Dr. Tim Crutcher
Affiliate Professor in Theology/Church History, NTS
Associate Professor of Theology/Church History, Southern Nazarene University

I do think we benefit greatly from taking time away from the ordinary and focusing on God with the tools He has given us for connecting our lives with His. However, I have found in my own life that the single greatest tool God has used for shaping my spiritual life has been something exceedingly ordinary.

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Must theological education embrace social media?

See Dr. Blevins’ personal blog for his thoughts on this topic:

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Les Miserables, Forgiveness and Transformation

Dr. Andy Johnson
Professor of New Testament

The gospel certainly is about forgiveness but forgiveness without transformation is not gospel. Without the shattering of one’s old world and the (usually slow and painstaking) embrace of the new world that lavish grace brings with it, forgiveness isn’t “good news” at all.

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From Contempt to Honor

Dr. Joseph Coleson
Professor of Old Testament
Director, Master of Arts (Theological Studies) Degree Program

I’ve been a professor of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament for a while now, so when we begin to approach the Advent season, my thoughts naturally turn to several well-known Old Testament passages.

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Why You Should Preach Without a Pulpit

Dr. Steve Estep
Senior Pastor, Clarksville Grace Church of the Nazarene (Clarksville, TN)
NTS Adjunct Professor of Preaching

Oak. Walnut. Plexiglass. Large and imposing. Ornate. Small and simple. They come in all shapes and sizes… pulpits. While I do believe there are some excellent communicative reasons for getting rid of the pulpit, that is not exactly what this blog is about.

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Welcoming the Stranger

Dr. Bill Selvidge
Director, Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies Degree

I must admit that I was not your average onlooker at the district workshop “Welcoming the Stranger.” Workshops at district gatherings are good opportunities to learn practical ways to carry out ministry. However, one never knows how many people might actually show up. There was seating for about 30 people but it ended up as a standing room only event.

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How does Scripture function?

Dr. Dean G. Blevins
Director, Master of Arts in Christian Formation and Discipleship Degree

I am looking forward participating in the Youth Theology panel discussions at the National Youth Workers Convention in San Diego and Dallas. The panels, sponsored by Immerse Journal, are designed to engage youth ministers theologically, encouraging a deeper reflection over the role of theology in the practice of ministry. One of the panels will address the role of scripture.

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Reflections at the Intersection of Mission and Spiritual Formation

Dr. Doug Hardy
Professor of Spiritual Formation; Director, Doctor of Ministry Degree Program

As an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene I regularly participate with clergy colleagues and lay leaders at District and General Church gatherings. These gatherings, among other things, focus on the mission and purpose of the church with implications for the proper attitudes and behaviors of those of us who lead and influence others. Sermons are preached, goals set, admonitions given, models held up for emulation.

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An African Story of Lent

Dr. David Wesley
Associate Professor of Intercultural Studies; Director of 365M

I am (was) in Africa during most of the season of Lent-somehow this seems fitting and unfitting at the same time. It is unfitting because the landscape as well as the people around me are beautiful. I am not suffering, I am able to stay in a comfortable place, and I am getting to do exciting research. It is fitting, not because I am having to give up things (other than my family) in order to be here. It is fitting, however, because I have been able to witness a very Christian tradition of bearing another’s burden.

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Memorial Day & Pentecost: The Spirit & the Cross

Dr. Dean G. Blevins
Director, Master of Arts in Christian Formation and Discipleship Degree

One of the privileges of being at NTS is to eavesdrop on so many “social media” conversations that involve a large number of former and current students. Recent reflections revolved around the conundrum here in the United States of Pentecost and Memorial Day falling on the same weekend. I am always impressed at the explicit Christian considerations of this moment.

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