Reading the Institutes

Princeton Theological Seminary has launched a cool project in 2009.  They have partnered with Westminster John Knox and made the McNeill/Battles translation of John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion available online.  You can visit the site or subscribe to the RSS feed and join with a community who has committed to read through the Institutes this year.  Considering that Calvin is a theological giant whose work has been very important in the history of Christian thought, the few minutes it takes each day to read through the entry is worth it.  Each entry is accompanied by audio, so if you don’t want to read, relax a few moments and listen.

I subscribed to the RSS feed late, so I’m having to read two or three entries a day in an effort to catch up.  I’m already encouraged by what I’ve read.  I’m taking on a research project right now, but on my reading list this year are other important thinkers whom I have too long neglected.  So far this year I’ve enjoyed reading more from John Wesley’s Sermons, have picked up books on church leadership, and have already enjoyed reading some selections from William J. Abraham.

Life is going pretty well right now.  I’m waiting to hear back from PhD programs and staying engaged with friends, family, and my church community.  I’ve been mentoring students who are part of our church youth group, and will likely be team teaching an adult discipleship class on serving God this coming spring.  I expect to have an article published in an upcoming edition of Collide Magazine on the church and live-streaming technology, and have been submitting some brief meditations to Devozine, a UMC devotional for youth.  I’m also headed to Israel in March, which will be fantastic.  On top of all this:

I’m going to be a dad.

That’s right.  Due date is in August.

God bless friends, hope all are well.