Hi! I’m David Lantz.  I’m so glad you decided to drop in. I’ve created this BLOG as a means of sharing about my writing projects, and hopefully engaging you in a conversation about the culture, faith and politics.  Wise Jargon Publishing provides a portal to a small network of other websites I’ve created for my various writing projects. 

This BLOG is about exchanging ideas. Not just my ideas, but many ideas. I will seek out people to post guest articles under the categories I’ve set up. I’ll also look for (and invite you the reader to suggest) posts on other sites that we can share and comment on here.  In fact, if you would like to “try out” for that on this BLOG, I’m especially looking for people to contribute to the “Making a Difference” section of this BLOG.  Email me if you like at dlantz @  wisejargon.com.

Having said this, let me lay out for you what I have in mind for the various pages of this BLOG:

Brotherhood of the Scroll

In 2000, I self-published my novel, The Brotherhood of the Scroll.  The novel begins in 605 BC, when the Prophet Jeremiah prophesied that Jerusalem would be carried into Babylonian captivity for 70 years. In that same year, Babylon defeated Egypt at the Battle of Carchemish, Nebuchadnezzar became King of Babylon, and within a year, carried the first of three groups of Jews into exile. Among that first group of exiles was a teenager named Daniel. Along with another future prophet of Judah, Ezekiel, these two teenagers would have known, and quite possibly been disciples of, a middle-aged Jeremiah.  Using the novel to introduce people to the Old Testament in the Bible, it also appeals to those who enjoy a spy novel with multiple subplots. The only difference between the geopolitical competition between the United States and the Soviet Union of the Twentieth Century and the struggles between Babylon and Egypt circa 600 BC is technology. Take that away, and the human elements of spies, war, international plots, and romance remain.  I use the historical fact of a canal Egypt was building near where the Suez Canal is today to create an international political crisis.  I even use an ancient Hebrew “secret code” known as Athbash for the spy, Troas, to send secret messages with.

I’ve decided to start publishing it here as a Blog.  So, twice each week, I’ll unwind the novel as a serial publication.  Be sure to subscribe to the RSS feed, “Wise Jargon Notes” so you’ll know whenever the latest episode is out.  And, if you can’t wait, feel free to order the novel as an ebook, or even check out the study guide you can use for a group Bible study.

In 2009, I hope to publish the sequel, The Sword of Scroll.  Stay tuned for more on that!

Economics Matters

I teach economics for several schools, and one of the things I’ve become convinced of is that there is a crying need for a better understanding of the principles of economics and how they are applied. A key starting point is to understand how one’s “world view” impacts how one approaches economics. Do you adopt the 18th and 19th century mindset of “rugged individualism”; the 1990s concept of “it takes a village” or the emerging “the world owes me a living” approach to life that seems to be gaining ground? Here’s where I’ll attempt to do my part and open a discussion on the importance of the Free Enterprise System of economics.

My Ditherings

Back in 2002, a friend named Tim Thomas asked me what I thought I’d like to be doing related to ministry five years from then.  My response was to be doing something related to ministry online, sharing my thoughts about God’s word, and having an outlet for my creative juices. 
In that time, I’ve launched several websites.  Up until launching this one in July of 2007, my main focus has been one I created to promote my novel, The Brotherhood of the Scroll.  Using that site, I write a monthly newsletter I call “Conversations with the Culture” where I use a popular movie and create a devotional to go with it.  I create the newsletter in Front Page, and then, using Microsoft Outlook, copy and paste the web page into the body of the email and send it to about 400 subscribers. 

Through this page, I hope to share some of the things I’m thinking about relating to online ministry, some sites I’ve found I think you’ll find of interest, and share new articles I write.  Five years ago, I couldn’t have told you exactly what the vision God had given me was going to look like.  But, here I am.  I hope you’ll enjoy the weekly posts on this page.

Make a Difference

I am the father of three “twenty something’s”. Every once in a while, I get to hang out with their friends, and so I’ve seen first hand how God is guiding them in the things they do. I’m convinced that God is raising up a new generation of young people who are in the process of forming their individual and identities. And so, this is a place for them to write about how God is leading them to make a difference – be it in the life of just one other person, or in a group setting. I’m excited to see what God is leading them to say!