“What I Really Wanted Was a Dad,” said Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson said, “No one knows the truth.  No one know who I truly am.”

Many rumors swell around Michael Jackson.  Some sought to show he was a freak, others portrayed him as a normal, hurting, misunderstood man.  The press exploited him, people worshiped him.  But maybe Michael Jackson is simply an extreme case of the effects of a “fatherless” childhood.  Of course there is no way to prove this, but the signs seem to point in that direction.

In fact, Michael Jackson did have a father.  Al Jackson.  But from what MJ (Michael Jackson) said, he was absent, he was pushy, and he caused him to miss his childhood.  This is frightening truth.  A father who is there can be as destructive as an absent father.  One of the most telling things MJ said was this.

“I come before you not as an icon of pop,” he said, “but as a representative of a generation that no longer knows what it is to be children. What I really wanted was a dad. I wanted a father who showed me love, and my father never did that. He seemed intent on making us a commercial success. But what I really wanted was a dad.”

HT: Zach Nielsen

This makes Neverland make sense.  This makes the covering up of his children make sense.  This makes Peter Pan make sense.  Martin Bashir in an interview asked MJ why he identified with Peter Pan.  MJ responded by saying:

Peter Pan represents something special in my heart: youth, childhood, never growing up, flying, magic.  Everything that children dream about.  To me I have never grown out of that.  I am Peter Pan.  Adults have let me down.

Michael Jackson said if you want to understand him, all you had to do was listen to his Childhood lyrics.  Here they are.

Have you seen my Childhood?
I’m searching for the world that I come from
‘Cause I’ve been looking around
In the lost and found of my heart…
No one understands me
They view it as such strange eccentricities…
‘Cause I keep kidding around
Like a child, but pardon me…

People say I’m not okay
‘Cause I love such elementary things…
It’s been my fate to compensate,
for the ChildhoodI’ve never known…

Have you seen my Childhood?
I’m searching for that wonder in my youth
Like pirates and adventurous dreams,
Of conquest and kings on the throne…

Before you judge me, try hard to love me,
Look within your heart then ask,
Have you seen my Childhood?
People say I’m strange that way
‘Cause I love such elementary things,
It’s been my fate to compensate,
For the Childhood I’ve never known…

Have you seen my Childhood?
I’m searching for that wonder in my youth
Like fantastical stories to share
The dreams I would dare, watch me fly…

Before you judge me, try hard to love me.
The painful youth I’ve had

Have you seen my Childhood….

Should Christian ministers officiate unbelievers’ weddings?

Russell Moore answers HERE.

HT: Brian Mahon

Pastor Dad (2)

Chapter Two is called The Fruitful Vine.  Driscoll’s aim in the chapter is to show that being a godly father means being called to father children who have fruitful lives.  To do this a man must leave his father and mother, cleave to his wife, and begin to have children.  In our culture this is not as easy as it sounds.  Driscoll says:

In our godless world, the entire process is inverted and has subsequently caused much trouble. Young men continue to live at home, freeloading off their parents as boys who can shave, while they have sex with girlfriends that they one day may shack up with, and use birth control to prevent pregnancy or abortion to murder their own child because fools see children as a burden and not a blessing.

Driscoll continues by recommending marrying a wife that you can see as both a wife and a mother/discipler of your children.

As a young man, I wanted to have children and be a father who was the sole economic provider so that my wife could stay home with the children. So what was I seeking? A wife who wanted to be the mother of a lot of children and be happily married to a husband who appreciated her staying home to raise children while he worked outside the home to pay the bills. But to marry someone who agrees with him, a man must first know what the Bible says he should seek in a wife so that he is clear about what type of woman he’s looking for, because some women are a crown upon a man’s head, while others are rottenness in his bones (Prov. 12:4). A foolish man chooses a woman without considering his life and legacy with her fifty years later.

Songs/Hymns (5)

I just finished listening to the new Getty’s album Awaken the Dawn.  Here is my prediction.  In about 3 months many churches will be singing these 3 songs.

Come People of the Risen King:

Come, people of the Risen King,

Who delight to bring Him praise;

Come all and tune your hearts to sing

To the Morning Star of grace.

From the shifting shadows of the earth

We will lift our eyes to Him,

Where steady arms of mercy reach

To gather children in.

REFRAIN

Rejoice, Rejoice! Let every tongue rejoice!

One heart, one voice; O Church of Christ, rejoice!

Come, those whose joy is morning sun,

And those weeping through the night;

Come, those who tell of battles won,

And those struggling in the fight.

For His perfect love will never change,

And His mercies never cease,

But follow us through all our days

With the certain hope of peace.

Come, young and old from every land -

Men and women of the faith;

Come, those with full or empty hands -

Find the riches of His grace.

Over all the world, His people sing -

Shore to shore we hear them call

The Truth that cries through every age:

“Our God is all in all”!

——————————————————————–

Every Promise of Your Word:

From the breaking of the dawn to the setting of the sun,

I will stand on ev’ry promise of Your Word.

Words of power, strong to save, that will never pass away,

I will stand on ev’ry promise of Your Word.

For Your covenant is sure,

And on this I am secure—

I can stand on ev’ry promise of Your Word.

When I stumble and I sin, condemnation pressing in,

I will stand on ev’ry promise of Your Word.

You are faithful to forgive that in freedom I might live,

So I stand on ev’ry promise of Your Word.

Guilt to innocence restored,

You remember sins no more—

So I’ll stand on ev’ry promise of Your Word.

When I’m faced with anguished choice, I will listen for Your voice,

And I’ll stand on ev’ry promise of Your Word.

Through this dark and troubled land

You will guide me with Your hand

As I stand on ev’ry promise of Your Word.

And You’ve promised to complete

Ev’ry work begun in me—

So I’ll stand on ev’ry promise of Your Word.

——————————————————————-

When Trials Come:

When trials come no longer fear

For in the pain our God draws near

To fire a faith worth more than gold

And there His faithfulness is told

And there His faithfulness is told

Within the night I know Your peace

The breath of God brings strength to me

And new each morning mercy flows

As treasures of the darkness grow

As treasures of the darkness grow

I turn to Wisdom not my own

For every battle You have known

My confidence will rest in You

Your love endures Your ways are good

Your love endures Your ways are good

When I am weary with the cost

I see the triumph of the cross

So in it’s shadow I shall run

Till You complete the work begun

Till You complete the work begun

One day all things will be made new

I’ll see the hope You called me to

And in your kingdom paved with gold

I’ll praise your faithfulness of old

I’ll praise your faithfulness of old

Read full lyrics HERE.

Jordan & Kobe

“We’re never seeing another Jordan, just like we’re never seeing another Brando or Lennon. It’s just not happening. They might compare statistically and stylistically, but Jordan could command a room of 10 people or 20,000 and get the exact same reaction: Every set of eyes trained on him for as long as he was there. His personality, his charisma, his aura, his passion … indescribable. Like nothing I have ever seen. Nobody remembers this now because he hasn’t played in awhile, but Jordan was always the coolest guy in the room. Without fail. He was like Doctor J. crossed with Sinatra. Remember those dopey ads when somebody said, “My broker is E.F. Hutton,” and everyone else in the room froze? That was what happened to an arena when Jordan walked in. You would freeze, and you would hear screams, and then it would be a sea of lightbulbs. And everyone was saying the same thing, “I get to say I watched Michael Jordan.”
Kobe always wanted people to feel that way about him. He shaved his head, made music videos, jumped cars for viral videos, changed his number, stole MJ’s fist pump, created that creepy face where he stuck his bottom two teeth out … none of it worked. He will never command a room like Jordan did. Sorry.”

–Bill Simmons

HT:  Blake White

Matthew Perryman Jones

Matt and Eric Wilson, some friends of mine who are musicians in Nashville (check out Eric Wilson and The Empty Hearts) introduced me to Matthew Perryman Jones.  He is a singer-songwriter out of Nashville.  He has two albums out (Throwing Punches in the Dark and Swallow the Sea).

Songs/Hymns (4)

Another one from CHBC.

Lo He Comes with Clouds Descending:

Lo! He comes with clouds descending,
Once for favored sinners slain;
Thousand thousand saints attending,
Swell the triumph of His train:
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
God appears on earth to reign.

Every eye shall now behold Him
Robed in dreadful majesty;
Those who set at naught and sold Him,
Pierced and nailed Him to the tree,
Deeply wailing, deeply wailing,
Shall the true Messiah see.

Every island, sea, and mountain,
Heav’n and earth, shall flee away;
All who hate Him must, confounded,
Hear the trump proclaim the day:
Come to judgment! Come to judgment!
Come to judgment! Come away!

Now redemption, long expected,
See in solemn pomp appear;
All His saints, by man rejected,
Now shall meet Him in the air:
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
See the day of God appear!

Answer Thine own bride and Spirit,
Hasten, Lord, the general doom!
The new Heav’n and earth t’inherit,
Take Thy pining exiles home:
All creation, all creation,
Travails! groans! and bids Thee come!

The dear tokens of His passion
Still His dazzling body bears;
Cause of endless exultation
To His ransomed worshippers;
With what rapture, with what rapture
Gaze we on those glorious scars!

Yea, Amen! let all adore Thee,
High on Thine eternal throne;
Savior, take the power and glory,
Claim the kingdom for Thine own;
O come quickly! O come quickly!
Everlasting God, come down!

Pastor Dad (1)

I had a little extra time before VBS this evening so I started to read Mark Driscoll’s Pastor Dad.  It is a small book he has based off one of his sermons.  Here is a summary and some thoughts on the first chapter.

Chapter 1:  Worshiping the God of Our Fathers

Driscoll begins by saying that the ultimate goal of a Dad “must be that our children would grow to love and worship our God…To pursue that goal, we must worship that God first. I must worship the one true God as my Father, by repenting of my sin and coming to him by faith for grace to love him, as an example and pattern for my sons and, God willing, grandsons. As I daily commit myself to his ways and being his son, I am being instructed on how to care for my children and lead them to worship God with me.”

First, a Dad is to delight in his children (Prov. 3:11-12) but also to discipline them (delighting comes first).  Second, Dads are to protect their children (Prov. 14:26).  Third, Dad’s are to grow up (1 Cor. 13:11).  Driscoll says, “It is imperative that Christian fathers repent of their childish ways (i.e., laziness, lust, whining, drunkenness, juvenile antics, neglecting family in the pursuit of hobbies, foolish spending, and so on) because their sins impinge upon the lives of their children and grandchildren.” Fifth, Dads are to be wise and not look only at the present but to the future (Prov 17:6).  Driscoll rightly emphasizes the legacy that all Christians will leave, especially Dad’s upon their children.  I remember hearing him say in a sermon, “the choices you are making today are affecting generations to come.” Many times in Scripture it speaks of us worshipping the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob.  Jonathan Edwards prayed each day for five generations of his offspring in hopes of being a patriarch like Abraham.  This is how he closes the chapter:

Therefore, if a man is going to be a good father, he needs to start by living in such a way that his children will celebrate his life and respect him as a respectable man. Likewise, his grandchildren will later follow suit, and generations will speak well of him long after he has passed. In this way, a father begins to reflect, even in a fallen or limited degree, God who is his Father. For example, one of the highest compliments anyone has ever paid me came from my daughter Ashley, who at the age of four told me, “I’m very lucky to have two daddies. You are my daddy and God is my daddy.” When she said that, I was struck by the incredible privilege of sharing the very honorable title of “father” with God in the mind of my little girl. When God shares his name with us, it is a sacred matter that we must take very seriously.

Amazing Flip Shot

Songs/Hymns (3)

This is a song that I will always associate with Immanuel.

(P.S. All these songs sound better when (1) they are sang congregationally. (2) without the fake sounding drums. (3) without song spasms at the end (4) when Ben Brainard is leading them.)

Revelation Song:

Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain
Holy, holy is He
Sing a new song to Him Who sits on Heaven’s mercy seat

(Repeat)

CHORUS

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty
Who was and is and is to come
With all creation I sing praise to the King of kings
You are my everything, and I will adore You

VERSE 3

Clothed in rainbows of living color
Flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder
Blessing and honor, strength and glory and power be
To You, the only wise King
CHORUS

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty
Who was and is and is to come
With all creation I sing praise to the King of kings
You are my everything, and I will adore You

VERSE 4
Filled with wonder, awestruck wonder
At the mention of Your Name
Jesus, Your Name is power, breath and living water, such a marvelous mys- tery

CHORUS

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty
Who was and is and is to come
With all creation I sing praise to the King of kings
You are my everything, and I will adore You

(Repeat)

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty
Who was and is and is to come
With all creation I sing praise to the King of kings
You are my everything, and I will adore You

Songs/Hymns (2)

I am going to continue to post some songs that I want to remember to have in my hymn arsenal.  Here is one we sang at Immanuel Baptist Church yesterday for the first time.  Thanks to Ben Brainard for always introducing us to new biblical, singable, congregational songs!

SING TO JESUS: Fernando Ortega

Come and see, look on this mystery
The Lord of the Universe, nailed to a tree
Christ our God, spilling His Holy blood
Bowing in anguish, His sacred head

Sing to Jesus, Lord of our shame
Lord of our sinful hearts.
He is our great Redeemer.
Sing to Jesus, Honor His name.
Sing of His faithfulness, pouring His life out unto death

Come you weary and He will give you rest
Come you who mourn, lay on His breast
Christ who died, risen in Paradise
Giver of mercy, Giver of Life

Sing to Jesus His is the throne
Now and forever,
He is the King of Heaven.
Sing to Jesus, we are His own.
Now and forever sing for the love our God has shown.

Sing to Jesus, Lord of our shame
Lord of our sinful hearts.
He is our great Redeemer.
Sing to Jesus, Honor His name.

Sing to Jesus His is the throne
Now and forever,
He is the King of Heaven.
Sing to Jesus, we are His own.
Now and forever sing for the love our God has shown.

Like Father, I Pray Like Son

(I posted this on my Dad’s birthday this year.  I thought it was appropriate to post it again on Father’s Day.)

Some of you know Tom Schreiner as a friend, some know him as a theologian, others as a pastor.  But I know him as a father.

It is his birthday today, and I want you to know the man who goes home and immediately puts windbreaker pants on.  I want you to know the man who endlessly works, yet endlessly has time for his family.  I want you to know the man behind the books, behind the lectern, behind the pulpit. I want you to know him because I pray that someday I will be half the man he is.

Os Guinness wrote, “If asked what is the deepest relationship imaginable, many people would say it is between lovers, or between husbands and wives. The case can be made, however, that from a Christian perspective, no relationship is more mysterious and more wonderful, yet sometimes more troubling, than that of fathers and sons.”

I imagine when you are a father no one (besides your wife) knows you better than your kids.  Your kids see behind the closed doors.  Paul says in Philippians 3:17 , “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.”

Paul wants us to look to those who walk in accord with the Scriptures.  Paul must think that watching, monitoring, inspecting, examining someone’s life shapes us.  He believes that our sight affects our faith.  What we look at changes us.  We know this is true for we all “…beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed…” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

I want to encourage imitation of my Dad by telling three stories.  I could praise him for his knowledge of Greek, or his numerous books, or his pastoral heart, or his hospitality, but I want to focus on things that few people know.  I want to focus on the things that happened after he came home from work.  The things that are done at home, these things make men who they are.

1. Family Devotion

The game started at 7:30.  But I heard my Dad calling for everyone to pile in the car.  It was only 6:15.  I mumbled something about having to leave so early.  My Dad looked at me and said, “I don’t like to miss warm ups.” John my younger brother was in his Senior year at Christian Academy of Louisville playing Varsity Basketball.  My Dad did not miss a game.  And for that matter he never missed one of mine, or my older brothers.  He is on the same streak for my sister who is currently running track and cross-country.

2.  Humility

My Dad is interviewed a lot in front of crowds.  Many want to know what he is like.  One time someone in the crowd stood up and asked him, “Tell us one unique thing about yourself?” He laughed and said, “I am a remarkably ordinary man.”

3.  Loving Wisdom

Knowing that he has written a couple of books that are over 700 pages some of you might think that I mean, “He loves wisdom.”  But what I mean is that he uses his knowledge in a loving way and communicates it to help others trust in Jesus.  Here is one example from his life.

Our dog Scamper was a beagle poodle mix.  My only and youngest sister Anna loved Scamper.  She would dress him up and take pictures of him.  When she hugged him she would curl her lips inside her mouth with all her might to let her emotion out physically.  Anna told that when she was home alone she would read the Bible to Scamper in order that he would be saved.  Anna had such a deep love for Scamper and trust in my Dad that she would continually ask him whether Scamper would be in Heaven.  Here was my Dad’s response.  Full of wisdom and care for Anna, as she was truly concerned about Scamper’s eternal destiny.  He would say:

“Anna, heaven is the happiest place you can ever imagine.  If you cannot be happy without Scamper in heaven then he will be there.  But no matter what you will be happy.”

There are many more stories I could tell.  By the grace of God my Dad is a remarkable man.  I pray that just by living with him that some of him would rub off on me.  I pray that I would be like my Father.

A Must See Movie That No One is Talking About

When Young at Heart came out I was skeptical.  Some of my friends yanked me to the movie theater, and I was pleased they did.  It is a fun movie, with tons of laughs, and some emotional moments.  It is a documentary about a group of senior citizens going on a music tour.  Watch the trailer below and some videos from the movie (if you are going to see it skip the videos).

Spoiler Alert:  This clip will sort of spoil the climax for you.  So don’t watch it if you plan on renting it.

Songs/Hymns

I have been a member of 3 different churches in the past 2 years.  With every church there are songs that remind me of my time there.  Here are some of my favorite songs from Capitol Hill Baptist Church that I have not heard anywhere else.  They are both about us longing for our eternal home.

There Is a Happy Land (the lyrics may look trite but it is a beautiful song)

There is a happy land, far far away;

Where saints in glory stand, bright, bright as day.

Oh, how they sweetly sing, “Worthy is our Savior King”

Loud let his praises ring, praise, praise for aye.

Bright in that happy land, beams every eye.

Kept by a Father’s hand, Love cannot die.

Oh, then to glory run, Be a crown and kingdom won,

And bright above the sun, reign, reign for aye.

Come to that happy land. Come, come away.

Why will you doubting stand? Why still delay?

Oh, we shall happy be when from sin and sorrow free,

Lord, we shall dwell with thee, Blest, blest for aye.

(Words: Andrew Young; Music: Leonard Breedlove)

Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal

Hark, I hear the harps eternal

Ringing on the farther shore,

As I near those swollen waters

With their deep and solemn roar.

Hallelujah, hallelujah,

Hallelujah, praise the lamb!

Hallelujah, hallelujah,

Glory to the great I AM!

And my soul, though stained with sorrow,

Fading as the light of day,

Passes swiftly o’er those waters,

To the city far away.

Hallelujah, hallelujah,

Hallelujah, praise the lamb!

Hallelujah, hallelujah,

Glory to the great I AM!

Souls have crossed before me, saintly,

To that land of perfect rest;

And I hear them singing faintly

In the mansions of the blest.

Hallelujah, hallelujah,

Hallelujah, praise the lamb!

Hallelujah, hallelujah,

Glory to the great I AM!

(Words: Traditional music after Alice Parker)

Southern News Blog

Southern Seminary has a new news blog.  Here is an interview with Greg Wills.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Greg Wills is the author of a recently released history of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary titled, “Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1859-2009” (Oxford). Wills is professor of church history and director of the Center for the Study of the Southern Baptist Convention at Southern.

Question: What did you learn that surprised you while writing this book?

Greg Wills: I was surprised at just how critically important James P. Boyce’s leadership role was in establishing the seminary and saving it from imminent demise over and over again. I knew that he had a central role. I just didn’t know how remarkable his leadership was. Without his vision and determination, the seminary would not have existed and would not have survived if it had been established. I was also surprised by just how important the seminary has been to the Southern Baptist Convention. I knew that it was important, but I came away convinced that it had a deeper, more wide-reaching influence than I expected to find. I am convinced that one of the basic reasons that our denomination remained as conservative as it did was that Boyce and the other SBC leaders who established the school established it for the preservation of orthodoxy and erected a standard of sound biblical teaching which became a cornerstone against which subsequent theological developments were measured. And then when Boyce led the faculty and Southern Baptists generally to reject the emerging liberalism, he established a precedent for preserving orthodoxy whose influence endures to this day. Third, I was surprised by how quickly this faculty moved in a liberal direction beginning during World War II. The post-World War II era was one of dramatic change and I didn’t expect just how dramatic and rapid that change would be.

Q: How long did it take you to research and write this book? And how did the project impact your life?

GW: The trustees asked me to write this book in April 2005. I was able to begin working on it in October 2005, and I submitted the manuscripts in December 2008. The research phase required me to be away a lot. I was probably away at research libraries for three to four months during that first year. Gathering the materials was quite difficult. I went through approximately a million pages of relevant record. I tried to be in the office between 6 and 6:30 each morning when I was in the writing phase. I would work until 5 then try to spend time with my family until 8 or 9 o’clock. Then I did additional reading on nights and weekends.

Q: What have been the biggest failures of the seminary?

GW: The seminary failed to maintain orthodoxy. It failed to maintain the soundness of the faculty in the 20th century. It began slowly, but once liberalism was introduced, given the cultural factors in America, it was going to spread unless vigilance was applied in a new and effective way. And that was not done until 1990.

Q: What are the greatest successes in the seminary’s history?

GW: The conservative takeover is just as profoundly important as the establishment of the school in the first generation. Both were magnificent achievements of God’s mercy upon Southern Baptists.

Q: Who are Southern Seminary’s most significant heroes?

GW: Boyce has to be at the top of the list. Quite possibly, R. Albert Mohler Jr. needs to be second if we’re going to rank them. The founding faculty are all heroes. They struggled and suffered heroically for the survival of the seminary. I say in the book that was a heroic age, and I don’t mean it metaphorically. John R. Sampey led the seminary through the Great Depression in heroic ways. Ellis A. Fuller struggled heroically against the emerging liberalism but tragically failed. Duke K. McCall heroically opposed a faculty rebellion.

Q: What do you want your readers to gain from this book?

GW: One thing I hope they’ll appreciate is the critical importance of theological education to a denomination and conjointly the critical importance of the soundness of theological seminaries. I certainly hope they will recognize the heroic character of the founding faculty’s labors and sacrifices and identify with them in such a way that they will be similarly ambitious for Kingdom work and Kingdom institutions.

Q: What does the book offer for the evangelical world outside of Southern Seminary? Is its audience primarily Southern Baptists or does it have broader significance?

GW: It does have primary significance for Southern Baptists. But it has clear broader significance. For as long as evangelical Christianity exists in modern conditions—especially the prevailing acceptance of Darwinism—liberalism will be parasitic on evangelicalism. A good bit of Southern’s history is the history of the advance of liberalism and the battle against that advance by the orthodox. There are a hundred lessons to learn from Southern’s history with regard to how liberalism advances.
Of course, the story has relevance also just for understanding both Southern Baptists and American religion throughout the past 150 years.

Wesley on Scripture

“Here then I am, far from the busy ways of men. I sit down alone: Only God is here. In his presence I open, I read his book; for this end, to find the way to heaven. Is there a doubt concerning the meaning of what I read? Does any thing appear dark or intricate?  I lift up my heart to the Father of lights. ‘Lord, is it not thy word, If any man lack wisdom, let him ask it of God? Thou givest liberally and upbraidest not. Thou hast said, If any man be willing to do thy will, he shall know. I am willing to do: Let me know thy will.’ I then search after and consider parallel passages of Scripture, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. I meditate thereon with all the attention and earnestness of which my mind is capable. If any doubt still remains, I consult those who are experienced in the things of God : and then the writings whereby, being dead, they yet speak. And what I thus learn, that I teach.”

John Wesley

What Do Miserable Christians Sing?

While I was an intern we read an article by Carl Trueman called What Do Miserable Christian’s Sing?  His basic premise is that we no longer sing songs of lament, sadness, brokenness etc…Why is this?  And what should we do?

Many of us despise the health, wealth and happiness teachings of the American televangelists and their pernicious British counterparts, as scandalous blasphemy.  The idea that Christianity, at whose center stands the Suffering Servant, the man who had nowhere to lay his head, the one who was obedient to death–even death on the cross–should be used to justify the idolatrous greed to affluent Westerners simply beggars belief…

Nevertheless, there is a real danger, that these heretical teaching have seeped into evangelical life in an imperceptible yet devastating way…Where does the church stand in all of this?  First let us look at the contemporary language of worship.  I myself am less concerned with the form of worship than with its content.  I would however, like to make just one observation: the psalms, the Bible’s own hymnbook, have almost entirely dropped form view in the contemporary Western evangelical scene.  I am not certain about why this should be, but I have an instinctive feel that it has more than a little to do with the fact that a high proportion of the psalms are taken up with lamentation, with feeling sad, unhappy, tormented, and broken…

A diet of unremittingly jolly hymns inevitably creates an unrealistic horizon of expectation which sees the normative Christian life as one long triumphalist street party—a theologically incorrect and a pastorally dangerous scenario in a world of broken individuals.  Has an unconscious belief that Christianity is—or at least should be—all about health, wealth, and happiness silently corrupted the content of our worship?

What should we do?

First, let us all learn once again to lament. Read the psalms over and over until you have the vocabulary, grammar, and syntax necessary to lay your heart before God in lamentation. If you do this, you will have the resources to cope with your own times of suffering, despair and heartbreak, and to keep worshiping and trusting through even the blackest of days; you will also develop a greater understanding of fellow Christians whose agonies of, say, bereavement, depression, or despair, sometimes make it difficult for them to prance around in ecstasy singing “Jesus wants me for a sunbeam” on a Sunday morning; and you will have more credible things to say to those shattered and broken individuals–be they burned-out bank managers or down-and-out junkies–to whom you may be called to be a witness of God’s unconditional mercy and grace to the unloved and lovely. For such, as the Bible might put it, were some of you…

Second, seek to make the priorities of the biblical prayers the priorities of your own prayers. You can read all the trendy sociology and postmodern primers you want, and they may well give you valuable technical insights, but unless your studies, your preaching, your church life, your family life, indeed your whole life, are soaked in prayer and reflect the priorites of the Bible, they will be of no profit to you or anybody else.

And finally, as regards personal ambitions and life-plans, “Your attitude should be the same as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death–even death on a cross.”

Taken from Wages of Spin: Carl Trueman

Charlie Darwin

Here is a song that sounds a little like Bon Iver.

The Low Anthem:  Charlie Darwin

Portland, Oregon

Jack White and Loretta Lynn’s video of “Portland, Oregon.”

Ronald Reagan

While I was doing dishes this evening I listened to Ronald Reagan’s first inagural address (1981).  Some of what he said sounded prophetic to the economic situation we face today.  Obama seems to have a polar opposite view of goverment.  Here is what Reagan said:

The business of our nation goes forward. These United States are confronted with an economic affliction of great proportions. We suffer from the longest and one of the worst sustained inflations in our national history. It distorts our economic decisions, penalizes thrift, and crushes the struggling young and the fixed- income elderly alike. It threatens to shatter the lives of millions of our people.

Idle industries have cast workers into unemployment, causing human misery and personal indignity. Those who do work are denied a fair return for their labor by a tax system which penalizes successful achievement and keeps us from maintaining full productivity.

But great as our tax burden is, it has not kept pace with public spending. For decades, we have piled deficit upon deficit, mortgaging our future and our children’s future for the temporary convenience of the present. To continue this long trend is to guarantee tremendous social, cultural, political, and economic upheavals.

You and I, as individuals, can, by borrowing, live beyond our means, but for only a limited period of time. Why, then, should we think that collectively, as a nation, we are not bound by that same limitation?

We must act today in order to preserve tomorrow. And let there be no misunderstanding–we are going to begin to act, beginning today…

In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem…

So, as we begin, let us take inventory. We are a nation that has a government–not the other way around. And this makes us special among the nations of the Earth. Our Government has no power except that granted it by the people. It is time to check and reverse the growth of government which shows signs of having grown beyond the consent of the governed…

Now, so there will be no misunderstanding, it is not my intention to do away with government. It is, rather, to make it work-work with us, not over us; to stand by our side, not ride on our back. Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother it; foster productivity, not stifle it.

Read the whole address HERE.  Or watch it below.

Cell Phones…Roaming

In the summer of 2004 issue of The New Atlantis, Christine Rosen had an article about how the explosion of cell phone use and how it affects us called Our Cell Phones, and Ourselves.  Here is her introduction:

Hell is other people,” Sartre observed, but you need not be a misanthrope or a diminutive French existentialist to have experienced similar feelings during the course of a day. No matter where you live or what you do, in all likelihood you will eventually find yourself participating in that most familiar and exasperating of modern rituals: unwillingly listening to someone else’s cell phone conversation. Like the switchboard operators of times past, we are now all privy to calls being put through, to the details of loved ones contacted, appointments made, arguments aired, and gossip exchanged.

But if this ubiquitous technology is now a normal part of life, our adjustment to it has not been without consequences. Especially in the United States, where cell phone use still remains low compared to other countries, we are rapidly approaching a tipping point with this technology. How has it changed our behavior, and how might it continue to do so? What new rules ought we to impose on its use? Most importantly, how has the wireless telephone encouraged us to connect individually but disconnect socially, ceding, in the process, much that was civil and civilized about the use of public space?

And a word to parents who are buying it for their kids for safety reasons:

Many parents have responded to this perceived need for personal security by purchasing cell phones for their children, but this, too, has had some unintended consequences. One sociologist has noted that parents who do this are implicitly commenting on their own sense of security or insecurity in society. “Claiming to care about their children’s safety,” Chantal de Gournay writes, “parents develop a ‘paranoiac’ vision of the community, reflecting a lack of trust in social institutions and in any environment other than the family.” As a result, they choose surveillance technologies, such as cell phones, to monitor their children, rather than teaching them (and trusting them) to behave appropriately. James E. Katz, a communications professor at Rutgers who has written extensively about wireless communication, argues that parents who give children cell phones are actually weakening the traditional bonds of authority; “parents think they can reach kids any time they want, and thus are more indulgent of their children’s wanderings,” Katz notes. Not surprisingly, “my cell phone battery died” has become a popular excuse among teenagers for failure to check in with their parents. And I suspect nearly everyone, at some point, has suffered hours of panic when a loved one who was supposed to be “reachable” failed to answer the cell phone.

She continues:

But as trust is being built and bolstered moment by moment between individuals, public trust among strangers in social settings is eroding. We are strengthening and increasing our interactions with the people we already know at the expense of those who we do not. The result, according to Kenneth Gergen, is “the erosion of face-to-face community, a coherent and centered sense of self, moral bearings, depth of relationship, and the uprooting of meaning from material context: such are the dangers of absent presence.”

No term captures this paradoxical state more ably than the word “roam,” which appears on your phone when you leave an area bristling with wireless towers and go into the wilds of the less well connected. The word appears when your cell phone is looking for a way to connect you, but the real definition of roam is “to go from place to place without purpose or direction,” which has more suggestive implications. It suggests that we have allowed our phones to become the link to our purpose and the symbol of our status—without its signal we lack direction. Roaming was a word whose previous use was largely confined to describing the activities of herds of cattle. In her report on the use of mobile phones throughout the world, Sadie Plant noted, “according to the Oxford English Dictionary, one of the earliest uses of the word ‘mobile’ was in association with the Latin phrase mobile vulgus, the excitable crowd,” whence comes our word “mob.”

2009 NBA Finals

Here is a good re-cap of the finals:

And although I don’t like Kobe, here is a short video on his journey to his 4th Title.

Flame

This guy is a member at my church:

These guys are not:

Christian Superstardom

Kevin DeYoung has a good response to Piper’s Hero Worship and Holy Emulation post.  His last two comments are my favorite.

9. Even with the proliferation of blogs, twitter, and iPods, the people in your life still need real live people in their lives. The most important pastor is the one in your local church. The most important teacher is the one raising your kids. The most important mentor is the one who meets with you for coffee every week.

10. This is my final thought, and maybe sums up all the others: don’t like someone just because others do, and don’t dislike someone just because others like him. Both are dangers in a celebrity culture. Some people wait on the corner just looking for bandwagons they can hop on. Others–the too cool for school crowd–have a dire fear of being a part of something popular. These folks decide to dislike an author or pastor or speaker or band or movie just because all their friends rave about them. I understand the reaction, but you don’t have to be a groupie to be edified. Don’t like Calvinism or Piper or Driscoll or whatever because it’s cool. And don’t be the cynical I-hate-labels, why-are-Christians-such-lemmings person either. Give thanks for godliness where you see it, the gospel where you hear it, and good examples when you can find them.

Read the rest HERE.

Orlando Assistant Coach Patrick Ewing Counsels Dwight Howard On How To Lose NBA Title

ORLANDO, FL—Since the NBA Finals began, Magic assistant coach Patrick Ewing has been sharing his vast knowledge of how to lose the title with Dwight Howard, carefully but emphatically advising the center to concentrate on making crucial mistakes if he wants to put his team in the best position to lose. “Dwight, if you want to misdominate this series, you have to get creative with those turnovers and be willing to commit stupid technical fouls,” Ewing said Monday, encouraging Howard to expose his ballhandling deficiencies by dribbling as much as possible. “You gotta be soft in the paint. You gotta waste energy. Let them push you around and box you out. And if you get the ball, drive as hard as you can toward the sidelines and look for the panic pass.” Ewing reportedly stayed after practice to help Howard work on throwing the ball away and missing free throws.

HT:  Onion News

Reflections on Seminary

A friend of mine at Southern, Josh Philpot, has been reflecting on Seminary.  Here is his last one which has good advice for any Seminary student.

There are 10 things I want to recommend and conclude with. I’ll try to be candid:

1. Success in seminary and growth as a future pastor is directly related to your involvement in the local church during seminary. I can’t stress this enough. It is and will always be a blessing for many students to attend large churches with awesome preachers. But the average student (not every student) attends this type of church each Sunday with little or no involvement, even though their intention is to be a pastor. My suggestion is to get out, go to one of the many dying and struggling churches in your area, and just volunteer to do anything to serve that church. I’ve learned more about being a pastor from Mike Thompson’s example, a servant-leader at Kenwood, than anyone else. Though not a deacon or elder, he just serves people with the love of Christ, which flows out of his relationship with God and sincere desire to see the church grow. Pastors are forged in environments like this, watching and emulating the unsung heroes around them, and they will inevitably become better pastors in gaining solid, shepherd-like experience by serving and loving the brothers in local church settings.
2. Seminary life is difficult and ever-changing, so be prepared for anything. For example, since I began seminary in August of 2005 I got married, became a diabetic, acted in a musical, moved from Virginia to Kentucky with no job, went through the agonizing process of finding steady income, was hired at Kenwood as Pastor of Worship, hiked through the Grand Canyon, became an uncle to two nieces and one nephew, sustained the impact of two pastors leaving Kenwood, preached and taught consistently for one year while taking classes, was rejected as senior pastor of Kenwood by a small margin (though not rejected as Pastor of Worship), found out that I had Celiac disease, was accepted at SBTS into the PhD program for OT studies, and graduated in May of 2009. Nuts! Take some time, then, to pray with your wife or loved ones about the trials and temptations you might face during seminary. If possible, encourage your home church to pray for you consistently during this time as well.
3. On the flip side, seminary life is rewarding and life-changing. For instance, I learned a ton, had the privilege of preaching and teaching the Gospel at Kenwood, had the honor of sitting in class under some of the greatest evangelical scholars of our time, and was able to pay for tuition and books debt free. Through all of this I grew steadily as a Christian and my love for the Gospel and for the church is much greater than when I first arrived.
4. Take as many Bible classes as possible, and intersperse practical ministry classes within them each semester. What I mean is to take Hebrew, Greek, Theology and Exegesis courses every semester while taking maybe one class like “Ministry of Leadership” or “Preaching” along side of them. This way you will be able to directly see the correlation between theology and the ministry of the local church. Also, if you have the time, sit in or audit a number of classes. As mentioned in a previous post, I audited something like 27 credit hours, which means that I got all the lectures and notes for classes and didn’t have to do the work. For me this was a engaging and fruitful academic experience. So do your best to make the most out of your time in seminary. Learn as much as you can.
5. Take a break from reading theology to read great works of literature. Jenn and I even began reading novels together in the evening, like Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, and A Tale of Two Cities, and we loved it! On top of these I read a lot of Dostoevsky (Crime and Punishment, The Double, The Gambler, Notes from Underground) and David McCullough (1776, John Adams, The Johnstown Flood, and currently reading Truman), both of whom are excellent and fun to read.
6. Begin the languages early and never stop reading the Bible or you will get behind, which means that you will probably never catch up.
7. Learn from the great ones. My favorite professors in seminary were Drs. Gentry, Garrett, Wellum, Pennington, and Fowler (from LU). Take Gentry for OT I-II and at least one exegesis class, Garrett for OT exegesis as well, Wellum for the Person of Christ and the Work of Christ, Pennington for NT I and Elementary Greek and Syntax, Fowler for anything at LU (he’s their hidden secret). These guys are Southern Seminary’s Augustine, Athanasius, and Calvin. While I learned more about pastoring/shepherding a congregation from Mike Thompon than any other person, I learned more about preaching from these classes and prof’s than any other in seminary, even though other classes were fun and helpful.
8. Don’t forget where you came from. My family has continued to be so encouraging and loving during my time here. Both the Philpot’s and the McCarron’s have supported Jenn and I in our move to Louisville and work in the church, and are consistently helpful in all matters of relationships and spiritual health. Our gratitude to them extends beyond what we can say or write. “We give thanks to God always for you, mentioning you constantly in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 1:2-3).
9. Don’t become reclusive. Make some friends and be social! We are blessed with many friends that are loving and encouraging. Noah and Brandy Lee have been so comforting and supportive during the trials at Kenwood; Randall and Bethany Breland as well. By God’s grace both families have joined Kenwood and serve so tirelessly for the work of the ministry. I have great admiration and respect for Dave Schrock, whom I met here at Southern. I want to be like him. Scott Windham has been a great friend from LU to remain in contact with, and he has always had an open ear. Scott and Angela Van Neste are true saints in the faith, who continue to pray and minister to Jenn and I through phone calls and visits. Although he has since left Kenwood for another ministry position, Michael Naaktgeboren is of the “best” kinds of friends, and over the last year or so I looked forward to our weekly meetings at BW3’s almost as much as Sunday! I’m greatly indebted to the friendship of Justin Petrochko, one of the few people that I enjoy talking with on the phone for long hours. He understands me well and has offered supportive and corrective counsel throughout seminary. He, like all of the friends here, are true brothers and sisters in Christ. We’re thankful for everyone, and pray that the Lord will continue to bless our friendship with a life-long quality.
10. My final recommendation is simple – Love your wife. Honor her. Cherish her. Talk with her. Serve with her. Do not leave her out of the picture of your life at seminary. There is no way that I can possibly express my indebtedness, gratitude and love for my beautiful Jenn. She has been patient, enduring, hopeful, assuring, encouraging, committed, and loving, and I can’t thank her enough. We are such a bedraggled pair, cut and bruised by our own circumstances and ourselves, yet like Israel on the plains of Moab, God has so much in store for us, and as we approach year four of marriage, I can do nothing better than continue to say that I love her. I love her. I love her. Perhaps poetry might get the point across. In the words of greatest ancient poet, “You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride; you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes” (Song of Songs 4:9). And you continue to captivate my heart.

Simmons on Game 4

Bill Simmons on the last couple minutes (not overtime) of Game 4.

1:02: Kobe clangs another horrendous shot (a contested 28-foot 3-pointer). Orlando gets the rebound. Quick recap of Kobe’s fourth quarter, because he’s going to win the Finals MVP and it can’t be forgotten how bad he was from the second half of Game 3 (3-for-14) through the one-minute mark of Game 4 (9-for-26 to this point): Turnover; contested jumper (make); contested jumper (miss); contested drive (miss); contested jumper (make); contested drive (blocked), wide-open 3 (miss); contested drive (bad pass, recovered by L.A.); contested drive (draws blocking foul); contested 3 (miss).

We saw him do it in the 2004 and 2008 Finals; we’re seeing it now. As soon as he can smell that trophy, he goes into Get Out of My Way, Let Me Do It Mode.

2004 Finals (five games): 113 FGA, 25 FTA, 38.0 FG percent
2008 Finals (six games): 131 FGA, 49 FTA, 40.5 FG percent
2009 Finals (four games): 112 FGA, 36 FTA, 42.9 FG percent

What’s really strange: Nobody has ever won an NBA title with a best player in Get Out Of My Way, Let Me Do It Mode if he didn’t play well. It’s just never happened. So basically, I don’t know what to make of the 2009 Finals. It has nothing in common with anything that has ever happened before. My theory: because of the economy, nobody improved their team at the trading deadline and strengthened whatever holes they had, so we just ended up with a bunch of flawed contenders. Just one of those years. Opened the door for … this.

0:39: Lewis misses a wide-open 16-footer. Repeat: Wide-open. Wow. I feel like I’m watching video of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series right now. It’s starting to take that same shape. That was definitely the Gary Carter single.

0:31: Off the Lewis miss, Kobe pushes the ball hoping for a two-for-one, spins in the lane, seems like he’s out of control, tosses a seemingly dumb no-look pass behind him, only HERE COMES GASOL for the trailing layup. Really well done. Only one current player has the smarts, talent and wherewithal to make that play. A game-saver. Magic by three. One of the best plays of Kobe’s career, hands down. Huge. Clutch. That was the Kevin Mitchell single.

0:11: Perfect high screen by Hedo and Howard, with Howard rolling and Hedo finding him for what would have been a dunk if Kobe didn’t shrewdly clobber him. And that leads to … brick … brick. (The Ray Knight single.) Good golly. You know what’s sad? Didn’t you know Howard was missing both? I would have bet anything. Will there be residual effects? Will this follow him for the rest of his career? And how weird is it that this happened to the Orlando Magic, of all franchises????

(Good question from Julio in Orlando: “Why did our crowd chant M-V-P when Howard had to make the two biggest free throws of his career? Really? More pressure is needed on a 50 percent free-throw shooter??? AHHH!!!!!!!! Is that one of the biggest ’shot yourself in the foot’ fan moments of recent sports?” It’s up there. I would have gone with the dead-silent approach.)

0:10.8: If you ever watch this game on ESPN Classic, or if you have it on your DVR, make sure you watch the part when the broadcast team is talking to the camera coming out of the timeout and two blondes are behind them making faces and trying to get on TV, and then, like an act of God, one of them leans back to sit down, tumbles backwards and falls right out of the picture. An all-time comedy classic! And a really bad omen for what would happen next.

0:10.8: OK, so let’s talk about all the ways Stan Van Gundy screwed up these final 11 seconds. First, he pressured the inbounds pass instead of hanging back and putting his defenders outside the 3-point line; this enabled the Lakers to get a modified transition look that they never should have had. Second, you have to foul. Actually, this gets its own slew of paragraphs.

You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul.

You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul.

You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul. You have to foul.

You …

Have …

To …

Foul.

I know SVG made the “I didn’t want to get into a free-throw shooting contest with them when we were bricking free throws” case afterward, but how many times do we have to watch a team blow a game this way: 200, 300? Give me a number. I can’t take it anymore. And third, why was 5-foot-10 Nelson guarding Fisher? Hell, I’d rather have an ice-cold Courtney Lee out there (Orlando’s best defensive guard by a mile) instead of someone Fisher could shoot over? Right? Right? RIGHT????? My head hurts.

0:04.6: Fisher does his Big Shot Rob impression with copious amounts of help from Nelson, who makes the inexplicable decision to stand 22 feet from the basket instead of 25, allowing Fisher to lock and load a 3 and fire it over him. That’s a top-five brainfart in Finals history along with these beauties: Rasheed Wallace leaving Big Shot Rob open for Game 5-tying 3 (2005); James Worthy’s floating pass that Gerald Henderson picked off to save Game 2 (1984); Karl Malone getting stripped by Michael Jordan on the decisive sequence in Game 6 (1998); and a fifth one that I’m sure I forgot. This was the Bob Stanley wild pitch — tied the game, swung all the karma and insured disaster. Even if the game wasn’t over yet. Can’t believe he gave Fisher four feet of space. Can’t believe it. Haunting.

0:00: Orlando runs two ghastly out-of-bounds plays (swallowed up by L.A.), spends two timeouts, then ends up with an off-balance jumper from Pietrus with Lewis wide-open in the corner and Howard posting up Kobe (that’s right, Kobe) down low. Clang. That just couldn’t have been worse. I mean, 4.6 seconds is a decent chunk of time. That’s the best you can do? Thank God I didn’t wager on this game. I think I would have ended up microwaving our new puppy or something. It would have ended badly.

0:00: Before I forget, I really enjoyed this e-mail from Zack in NYC:

“Here’s my retro running diary of Game 4:

“12:00-00:04.6, fourth quarter: I can’t believe Jameer Nelson is in the game instead of Rafer Alston.

“00:04.6(fourth)-00:00 of overtime: I can’t believe Jameer Nelson was allowed to lose the game instead of Rafer Alston.”

Packer on Creation

Genesis 1 and 2, however, tell us who without giving many answers about how.  Some today may think this is a defect; but in the long perspective of history our present-day “scientific” preoccupation with how rather than who looks very odd in itself.  Rather than criticize these chapters for not feeding our secular interest, we should take from them a needed rebuke for our perverse passion for knowing Nature without regard for what matters most; namely, knowing Nature’s creator.

The message of these two chapters is this: “You have seen the sea?  the sky? sun, moon, and stars?  You have watched the bird and the fish?  You have observed the landscape, the vegetation, the animals, the insects, all the big things and little things together?  You have marveled at the wonderful complexity of human beings, with all their powers and skills, and the deep feelings of fascination, attraction and affection that men and women arouse in each other?  Fantastic, isn’t it?  Well now, meet the one who is behind it all!”  As if to say: now that you have enjoyed these works of art, you must shake hands with the artist; since you were thrilled by music, we will introduce you to the composer.  It was to show us that Creator rather than the creation and to teach us knowledge of God rather than physical science, that Genesis 1 and 2, along with such celebrations as Psalm 104 and Job 38-41, were written.

J.I. Packer- Growing in Christ, p 35

Don’t Waste Your Life Sermon Jam

Best Wallpaper Site

If you are like me, you like to change your wallpaper (desktop) background weekly.  Here is the best site I have found for good nature backgrounds.  Click HERE.  Here are some samples:

Alexi Murdoch

Alexi Murdoch is a singer/songwriter who is being featured in the new film called Away We Go.  Here is his song All of My Days:

And here is a trailer for the movie Away We Go.

Links

• Trevin Wax has an interview with Danny Akin about the future of the SBC:

Trevin Wax: When you look our over the horizon of the Southern Baptist Convention, what do you see as the biggest challenge we are facing?

Daniel Akin: Apathy.

I think that Southern Baptists have lost their first love, and therefore, we are apathetic in too many areas when it comes to the Great Commission and the glory of God in seeing the nations brought to Christ for his fame.

With the younger generation, I observe apathy in that they do not see why they should buy into the vision of the SBC. They are not too excited about the mechanics of the SBC. They resonate with the fact that the SBC says we exist to take the gospel to the nations, plant churches across North America, and provide good healthy theological education. My observation is that people in their twenties, thirties, and even forties resonate with this vision.

The problem is that they do not see the SBC pursuing those three agendas with laser-beam passion and the kind of focus that they themselves aspire to have. As a result, there are many guys your age that are asking the question, “Why should I be a part of this big behemoth that I feel is wasting way too much money and seems too top heavy and bureaucratic to be worth expending effort and energy. We can just simply take our money, and we can do church planting and missions on our own apart from the SBC.”

I understand that unhappiness, and I understand that dissatisfaction. That is why I, along with a number of others, and in particular the current president of the SBC – that is why we are working very hard to try to steer the SBC in a new fresh direction that would cause young men like yourself and like my own sons to say, “It’s not perfect (of course nothing perfect exists this side of heaven), but it’s the best thing going. I can see why I would be a wise and good steward to invest in what the SBC is trying to accomplish.”

• They link to this video:

Although the video is interesting I could not help but think about what Carson said in a recent sermon about current trends.  “What we can be sure about is that current trends will not continue.  One of my favorite lines about current trends was given by a mayor (pastor ?) in Arizona.  He was asked to comment on their city being the fastest growing community in the U.S.  He said, “If current trends continue, in 2070 all of America will live in our city.”

• Owen Strachan has a post called The Bride Wore White, But Why?

Run to Win the Prize

My Dad, more than anyone else has helped me understand the difficult warning passages in the Bible.  How do they fit with Philippians 1:6 and John 10:28?  He recently came out with a trimmed down version of his book The Race Set Before Us, called Run to Win the Prize.  Here is the foreward to the book.

One of the most spectacular walks in the Lake District is Striding Edge.  It is a long, narrow crest of mountain, with the ground dropping sharply away on either side.  It is wonderful to walk along, but there is always the thought that one can stray too far either side.  In some ways, the doctrine of perseverance is rather like that.  When understood and lived by correctly, it is breathtaking, but there on errors on either side.

On the one hand a Christian can downplay the significance of perseverance and biblical passages that warn of apostasy.  The result can be a complacent faith, which responds only too feebly to assaults and temptations, if it responds at all.

On the other hand, a Christian can insist on the doctrine of perseverance in a way that makes it differ very little from a work which we contribute to our salvation.  It can seem that God himself cannot save without the effort we bring.  For some, that can breed habits of spiritual pride; for others, that can lead to doubt and insecurity, or even despair, since they are only too aware how far and how frequently they fall short of the standards of holiness God has set out.

The Love of God

You should listen to this sermon if any of the following are true:

• You cannot remember the last time you meditated upon the love of God.
• You like to talk about the sovereignty of God and Reformed Theology.
• You unconsciously shy away from talking or thinking  about the Love of God because the doctrine has been abused.

Ryan Fullerton, my pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church in Louisville, preached this when he got back from Romania.

Humility in Reading Scripture

Scripture is not in our power. It is not at the disposal of our intellect and is not obliged to render up its secrets to those who have theological training, merely because they are learned. Scripture imposes its own meaning; it binds the soul to God through faith. Because the initiative in the interpretation of Scripture remains in the hands of God, we must humble ourselves in His presence and pray that He will give understanding and wisdom to us as we meditate on the sacred text. While we may take courage from the thought that God gives understanding of Scripture to the humble, we should also heed the warning that the truth of God can never coexist with human pride. Humility is the hermeneutical precondition for authentic exegesis.

-David C. Stenmetz, “Luther as an Interpreter of the Bible.

Tim Keller

CT has an article about how Tim Keller ended up in Manhattan.

How to Copy from Google Books

Much time is wasted writing out quotes that you find. However, with Google books you can copy and paste your quotes. (Not all books are available, but many are.) What I usually do is simply go to the advanced search and then type the first 5-10 words of the quote. If the book comes up, great, I have not wasted time copying it. Here is how it is done.

Some of Google’s full view books can now be seen in a plain text version, additional to the existing images of text. This will allow you to copy the text for personal use, or to create a website of it, or have it be read by a screen reader, or do anything else you want (commercial and non-commercial). To search for full view books, use the advanced search page of Google Books and check the “full view” option. Now when you’re in the book view of a result, click the “view plain text” link at the top right. (Not all full view books were showing this link when I tried.)

Pascal on Reason

If we submit everything to reason, our religion will have no mystery and supernatural element. If we offend the principles of reason, our religion will be absurd and ridiculous.

-Pascal, Pensees, 4.273

Are We Worthy of Our Kitchens?

If you have been keeping up, I have been reading a lot of Christine Rosen.  She is the senior editor at The New Atlantis.  Awhile back she wrote an article titled “Are We Worthy of Our Kitchens.” The article explores the relationship between our fancy home appliances and the increasing lack of domesticity among families.

Consider—or reconsider—the washing machine. In many homes, it is relegated to the basement or some other hidden corner. It is used often but not given much attention by its owner unless it breaks. Most households still have reasonably priced models, almost always in white, so loud and unattractive that they are kept out of public view. Despite its humble status, however, the electric washing machine represents one of the more dramatic triumphs of technological ingenuity over physical labor. Before its invention in the twentieth century, women spent a full day or more every week performing the backbreaking task of laundering clothes. Hauling water (and the fuel to heat it), scrubbing, rinsing, wringing—one nineteenth-century American woman called laundry “the Herculean task which women all dread.” No one who had the choice would relinquish her washing machine and do laundry the old-fashioned way.

Many people justify buying the latest household machine as a way to save time, but family life seems as rushed as ever. Judging by how Americans spend their money—on shelter magazines and kitchen gadgets and home furnishings—domesticity appears in robust health. Judging by the way Americans actually live, however, domesticity is in precipitous decline. Families sit together for meals much less often than they once did, and many homes exist in a state of near-chaos as working parents try to balance child-rearing, chores, long commutes, and work responsibilities. As Cheryl Mendelson, author of a recent book on housekeeping, observes, “Comfort and engagement at home have diminished to the point that even simple cleanliness and decent meals—let alone any deeper satisfactions—are no longer taken for granted in many middle-class homes.” Better domestic technologies have surely not produced a new age of domestic bliss.

We seem to value our domestic gadgets more and more even as we value domesticity less and less.

In a 2004 article in the British Journal of Sociology, researchers Michael Bittman, James Rice, and Judy Wajcman argue that most domestic appliances “do not save women any time”—and women, alas, are still the ones who perform the bulk of household duties. The authors speculate that one reason for this failure is that the quantity and quality of what is produced in the home has increased—that is, families are enjoying “better meals, cleaner clothes, or more attractive gardens.” Our domestic technologies might make us more efficient, but they also impose higher standards of domestic performance.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Consumer Expenditures survey, the average family spent $3,129 on food at home and $2,211 on food away from home in 2003. Wealthier families (those with incomes of $70,000 or above) spend even more on food away from home—nearly half (49.2 percent) of their household food budgets. Another American Demographics article noted the trend toward purchasing “home-meal replacement options,” such as the prepared foods one can buy at the supermarket. “Americans increasingly prefer meals they can make quickly and eat on the run,” the article noted. “Almost half of weekday meals today (44 percent) are prepared in less than 30 minutes.”

Eating together is now so unusual that the Nickelodeon television network teamed up with the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) and declared the fourth Monday in September to be “Family Day—A Day to Eat Dinner With Your Children.” Families pledge to eat together and turn off their television sets in the hope of sparking spontaneous dinner conversation (the irony of a television network urging families to turn off their TVs and have dinner together was evidently lost on organizers of the event).

Changing family structure has something to do with this transformation of domestic life. Most women now work outside the home, and working parents with children find they have little time to prepare regular meals. Instead, we eat on the run, with one-fifth of all meals now consumed in a car. Commercial food purveyors are responding to the demand for car-friendly convenience by creating handheld products, such as scrambled eggs and macaroni and cheese that come in push-up tubes. Supermarkets have set up triage-like “meal solution centers” that offer precooked meals “just like Mom used to make.” Meals have become modern problems in need of solutions. As historian and designer Vicki Matranga aptly put it, “Americans now want convenience. The kitchen is a showplace where you heat up your food in the microwave.” The perfect kitchen is also the empty kitchen.

The result is a great disconnect between our domestic fantasies and our domestic reality, between the high-tech façade with its image of home and hearth and the kind of lives we actually live. We have fancier kitchens but fewer family dinners. We have gourmet cooking machines that sit largely unused and oversized freezers filled with microwave dinners. We have high hopes but limited energy for performing domestic labor, and we tend to devalue unpaid labor in the home despite its positive effects on family life. We purchase increasingly specialized, professional-quality domestic appliances at a time when our desire to use them regularly is waning.

Of course, neither cultural nostalgia nor technological progress can restore the domestic tranquility we feel we have lost. What is necessary is a sober defense of the worth of domestic life, including those labors—chopping vegetables, sweeping a floor, setting a table—that are hardly glorious in themselves but essential parts of the domestic satisfactions we still seem to want. “As people turn more and more to outside institutions to have their needs met (for food, comfort, clean laundry, relaxation, entertainment, society, rest),” writes Mendelson, “domestic skills and expectations further diminish, in turn decreasing the chance that people’s homes can satisfy their needs. The result is far too many people who long for home even though they seem to have one.”

Up

Pixar has done it again.  With a plot that would go nowhere, they wrapped you into the story in the most remarkable way.   They did it in the first 10 minutes with little dialogue.  You laughed, smiled, smirked, and cried when the 10 minutes was over.  Many Most movies now do not do that much character development in the  2 hours. 

What makes Pixar movies work?  Why do they continually get 100% on Rotten Tomatoes?  There are several reasons but the most importantly you fall in love with the characters.  The story of Up, when thinking back on it was strange, far-fetched, and not promising.  It would be interesting to see who approved the idea because if you sit down and recount what happened it sounds just plain stupid.  But the plot was wrapped around 78 year old Carl, Ellie (his wife), and Russel (the boy). 

Pete Docter, writer and director of Up said:

“I grew up loving the old Disney movies like Bambi and Dumbo—there’s just such a charm and grace about those films, and I like to think Pixar picked up where they left off.  My dad took me to see Snow White, and there were no crazy gags in it. But there were laughs and heart, and that’s what makes it appeal to generation after generation. Those are the kinds of films we want to make, so we [at Pixar] don’t approach the story looking for ways to insert pop culture references or crass jokes.”

“What Pixar does do, says Docter, is treat animation as a medium rather than genre, which allows for more emotionally developed stories than are typically aimed at kids today. He admits that Up’s major themes—the pain children experience as a result of divorce and the isolation the elderly can go through after losing a spouse—are more than a little unusual for a medium that tends to rely on more generic messages like “learn to be yourself.”

Megan Bashan of World says the following about Up:

One of the boldest aspects of Up, besides featuring a 78-year-old main character, is the lovely portrayal it offers of marriage. Countless animated films include a bride being caught up by a handsome prince, but few portray an ongoing commitment and love that deepens over years.

Heavy stuff for a kids’ flick? Perhaps, but writer/director Pete Docter fills it with such hilarious characters and breathtaking artwork, the kids won’t even notice. What parents will notice is that as funny as Up is—and it is often uproariously funny—its laughs flow from the interactions of the characters, not from adult-oriented, tacked-in jokes.

Without cynicism, without the hottest stars (unless you consider Ed Asner and Christopher Plummer hot stars), and without snarky, inappropriate humor, Up entertains kids and pulls on grownup heartstrings.

Read the rest of the World article HERE.

Certainty and Openness

Ray Ortlund has a thoughtful post about certainty and openness which relates to how we should think of the last post:

Some Christians seem “all certainty.” Maybe it makes them feel heroic, standing against the tide. They see too few gray areas. Everything is a federal case. They have a fundamentalist mindset.

Other Christians seem “all openness.” Maybe it makes them feel humble and cool. They see too few black-and-white areas. They’re giving away the store. They have a liberal mindset — though they may demonstrate a surprising certainty against certainty.

The Bible is our authority as we sort out what deserves certainty and what deserves openness. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 defines the gospel of Christ crucified for our sins, Christ buried and Christ risen again on the third day, according to the Scriptures, as “of first importance.” Here is the center of our certainty.

From that “of first importance” theological address, we move out toward the whole range of theological and practical questions asking for our attention. The more clearly our logic connects with that center, the more certain and the less open we should be. The further our thinking extrapolates from that center, the less certain and the more open we should be.

When a question cannot be addressed by a clear appeal to the Bible, our conclusions should be all the more modest.

Read the whole post HERE.