Love Your God With All Your BLOG

Book List [what I've been reading/listening to lately ...]

2012-02-10T16:16:00.000-05:00

you are what your mind eats ...

FROM, not BY!!!

2012-02-09T07:24:00.000-05:00

Today, the central question Americans ask is 'How can we be more protected BY the government?' Our Founders engineered the Constitution by asking 'How can we be more protected FROM the government?'

"I cannot help thinking that of late years, measures have been adopted and opinions sanctioned in this country, which have an evident tendency to stretch to the utmost the constitutional authority of our Executive, and to introduce the political evils of those European governments whose principles we have rejected."

-Thomas Cooper, 1799

[photo:flickr.com]

Extended Scripture Memorization by Andrew Davis

2012-02-08T16:34:00.001-05:00

An Approach to Extended Memorization of Scripture
Dr. Andrew Davis [abridged]

The Value of Scripture Memorization

“make every effort to add to our faith goodness, and to goodness knowledge…” (2 Peter 1:5).

“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17)

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11)

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom…” (Colossians 3:16)

How better can you obey Colossians 3:16 than by Scripture memorization?

Memorizing Books Is Better Than Memorizing Individual Verses

Most of Scripture is written to make a case… there is a flow of argumentation that is missed if individual verses are memorized. [to read more click below ...]

Making the Commitment Before God

Ask Him humbly for help... Ask for protection from spiritual pride… God HATES pride in every form (see Isaiah 2:6-22 and Luke 18:9-14), Then, humbly commit to God that you will invest time in scripture memorization.

Choosing Your First Book

Some practical concerns:

1) Not too long (or too short?): The greatest obstacle to lasting achievement in this arena is lack of perseverance. We usually give up because the way seems too long. You must get the discipline deeply rooted in your daily habits and you must develop your memory skills before you can attempt a really long book. Start with one around 90-160 verses long.

2) One that stirs your passions: Choose a book that God has used to minister to you, that would be useful in ministry to others. You should also choose a book that still has some mysteries to you, that you see as an adventure in learning.

Surveying the Terrain

The next step is to survey the entire book and set a finish date. I always recommend taking one day off per week.

The way you survey the terrain is this:
1) Count the number of verses in the entire book.
2) Divide that number by the number of verses you will memorize per week. This is how many weeks the book should take you.
3) Look at a calendar and determine a tentative finish date.
4) Add 10% so as to not feel under tremendous pressure until you get used to this lifestyle (i.e. If you are doing Ephesians—155 verses—at the rate of 6 verses per week, it will take you 26 weeks, or exactly 6 months; add 10%--3 weeks—for a total of 29 weeks).
5) Make a covenant before the Lord that, with His help, you will memorize this book by this date. Sign and date the covenant, and put it in a place where you can get to it regularly when the times get tough.

Daily Procedures

Always give priority to the retaining of old verses even over learning new ones. Always begin every day’s work with review of old verses.

Saying a verse 100 times in one day is not as helpful as saying it every day for 100 days. The absolute key to successful memorization is repetition over a long time period. This is how you retain old verses while learning new ones.

It is well-worth the extra effort to memorize the verse numbers as if they were part of each verse.

The memorization process is connected very closely to the eye. Read each new verse ten times, covering each word as though photographing it with your eyes. I can still remember where some particular verses were on the page of the Bible I first used to memorize them. Burn each verse into your brain with your eyes.

Say it out loud. The additional sensory input to your brain helps memorization. It doesn’t have to be very loud, just so you can hear it. Also, try putting some feeling and interpretation into the verses as a form of meditation.

Sample daily procedure for memorizing Ephesians one verse per day:

Day one: Read Ephesians 1:1 out loud ten times, photographing each word with your eyes.

Then cover the page and recite it ten times. You’re done for the day.

Day two: Yesterday’s verse first!! Recite Ephesians 1:1 ten times. Look in the Bible if you need to, just to refresh your memory. Now, read your new verse, Eph 1:2, out loud ten times, photographing it with your eyes. Then cover the page and recite it ten times. You’re done for the day.

Day four: Yesterday’s verse first!! Recite Eph 1:3 ten times. Next recite Eph 1:1-3 together once. Now, your new verse. Read Eph 1:4 out loud ten times, photographing it with your eyes. Then cover the page and recite it ten times. You’re done for the day.

This cycle continues through the entire book. Obviously, the “old verses altogether” stage will soon swell to take the most time of all. That’s exactly the way it should be. The entire book of Ephesians can be read in less than fifteen minutes. Keep your Bible ready at hand, in case you get stuck.

Long-Term Retention

With no missed days Ephesians can be done in 26 weeks. When it is, you should stop to celebrate!!! Get on your knees and give thanks to God for His goodness to you.

But after your celebration is done, you need to get back to work. If you have done the “old verses altogether” stage faithfully, this next stage should not be overly burdensome, even though it may seem like it will. RECITE THE ENTIRE BOOK FROM MEMORY FOR 100 CONSECUTIVE DAYS.

After about the second week you probably won’t even need the Bible to do this. Thus, you can do this step while in the shower, while driving, while washing dishes, while walking down the road, while exercising… IT WILL ADD NO EXTRA TIME TO YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE!!

What is more, it is in this stage that you begin to see the scope of the entire book of Ephesians (or whatever book you have memorized). You will see large themes that unite chapters together, you will see the flow of the argument, you will discover new things that you never knew before.

Be tough with yourself… 100 days without missing a single one! You can do it, and you’ll be glad you did. When that is over, then stick the book in a slot (Monday morning, let’s say), and recite on Monday morning for the rest of your life. You will never forget it.

However, don’t forget to weed the garden. As you recite a book over a long period of time without looking at the Bible, you will gradually begin to make little mistakes or leave verses out. So, perhaps every other month just read once through the book to correct errors… this will “weed the garden.”

Memorizing Long Books & Memorizing Faster

To memorize longer passages, follow the same method while covering multiple verses. The key is to keep your review times less than 20 minutes.

The High School Method of Long-Term Review

1) Read Matthew with a stop watch, and time out ten minutes of verses, reading at a normal rate. This may be Matthew 1-5, depending on your normal reading rate. (I average about 125 verses for 10 minutes). NOTE: Stop at major chapter divisions… Dig deep and get to the end of the nearest chapter, even if it’s 11 minutes of reading for you.

2) Recite Mat 1-5 every day for 25 days. After about 15 days, you should be able to do it without the Bible, if you did your work well the first time you memorized these verses. Then just do it in the shower or while driving, etc.

3) On days 26 - 50, read Matt 6-8 while continuing Matthew 1-5. At the end of this period, you will have done Matthew 1-5 for 50 straight days, and Matthew 6-8 for 25.

4) On days 51 -75, read Matt 9-12, continue Matthew 1-8. etc…

5) As in a high school, Matthew 1-5 is your “senior class”, Matt 6-8 your “junior class,” Matt 9-12 your “sophomore class,” and Matt 13-15 your “freshman class.” The entire reciting process should take no more than 45 minutes, if you’ve done your timing right. NOTE… by this time, you should be able to recite Matthew 1-12 at least with no Bible at all while you do other things… thus, you will only be memorizing for 15-20 minutes at most.

6) To maintain, simply recite it every Monday, in addition to the ongoing work you’re doing… or, of that’s too much, just review it once a month to keep it fresh.

Now, add the next “ten minutes” of Matthew, to replace the “senior class” that just graduated… perhaps its Matthew 16-19. Keep on going with Matthew 6-8 (your new “senior class”), Matthew 9-12 (“junior class”), and Matthew 13-15 (“sophomore class”). At the end of this next period, you will have done Matthew 6-8 for 100 days, Matthew 9-12 for 75 days, Matthew 13-15 for 50 days, and Matthew 16-19 for 25 days.

Sample Weekly Schedule for Ephesians

Week 1 Ephesians 1:1-1:6

Week 2 Ephesians 1:7-1:12 Ephesians 1:1-1:6

Week 3 Ephesians 1:13-1:18 Ephesians 1:1-1:12

Week 4 Ephesians 1:19-2:1 Ephesians 1:1-1:18

Week 5 Ephesians 2:2-2:7 Ephesians 1:1-2:1

Week 6 Ephesians 2:8-2:13 Ephesians 1:1-2:7

Week 7 Ephesians 2:14-2:19 Ephesians 1:1-2:13

Week 8 Ephesians 2:20-3:3 Ephesians 1:1-2:19

Week 9 Ephesians 3:4-3:9 Ephesians 1:1-3:3

Week 10 Ephesians 3:10-3:15 Ephesians 1:1-3:9

Week 11 Ephesians 3:16-3:21 Ephesians 1:1-3:15

Week 12 Ephesians 4:1-4:6 Ephesians 1:1-3:21

Week 13 Ephesians 4:7-4:12 Ephesians 1:1-4:6

Week 14 Ephesians 4:13-4:18 Ephesians 1:1-4:12

Week 15 Ephesians 4:19-4:24 Ephesians 1:1-4:18

Week 16 Ephesians 4:25-4:30 Ephesians 1:1-4:24

Week 17 Ephesians 4:31-5:4 Ephesians 1:1-4:30

Week 18 Ephesians 5:5-5:10 Ephesians 1:1-5:4

Week 19 Ephesians 5:11-5:16 Ephesians 1:1-5:10

Week 20 Ephesians 5:17-5:22 Ephesians 1:1-5:16

Week 21 Ephesians 5:23-5:28 Ephesians 1:1-5:22

Week 22 Ephesians 5:29-6:1 Ephesians 1:1-5:28

Week 23 Ephesians 6:2-6:7 Ephesians 1:1-6:1

Week 24 Ephesians 6:8-6:13 Ephesians 1:1-6:7

Week 25 Ephesians 6:14-6:19 Ephesians 1:1-6:13

Week 26 Ephesians 6:20-6:24 Ephesians 1:1-6:19

Some Old Testament Number of Verses

Genesis 1533

Exodus 1213

Leviticus 859

Numbers 1288

Deuteronomy 959

Joshua 658

Judges 618

Ruth 85

1 Samuel 810

2 Samuel 695

1 Kings 816

2 Kings 719

1 Chronicles 942

2 Chronicles 822

Ezra 280

Nehemiah 406

Esther 467

Job 1070

Psalm 2461

Proverbs 915

Ecclesiastes 222

Song of Solomon 117

Isaiah 1292

Jeremiah 1364

Lamentations 154

Ezekiel 1273

Daniel 357

Hosea 197

Joel 73

Amos 146

Obadiah 21

Jonah 48

Micah 105

Nahum 47

Habakkuk 56

Zephaniah 53

Haggai 38

Zechariah 211

Malachi 55

Some New Testament Number of Verses

Matthew 1071

Mark 678

Luke 1151

John 879

Acts 1007

Romans 433

1 Corinthians 437

2 Corinthians 257

Galatians 149

Ephesians 155

Philippians 104

Colossians 95

1 Thessalonians 89

2 Thessalonians 47

1 Timothy 113

2 Timothy 83

Titus 46

Philemon 25

Hebrews 303

James 108

1 Peter 105

2 Peter 61

1 John 105

2 John 13

3 John 14

Jude 25

American Charity

2012-02-06T17:02:00.000-05:00

"The average American comes in a bit above ‘fair share’ and well below tithe, donating roughly 2% of annual income [to charity] – a rate, by the way, twice as high as in any other industrialized country."

- Kevin Salwen, author of The Power of Half

Book List [what I've been reading and listening to lately] ...

2012-02-04T08:31:00.000-05:00

Leah in the Morning

2012-02-03T08:12:00.001-05:00

“In the morning it is always Leah, never Rachel.”

-Tim Keller, Counterfeit gods
[using the Biblical allusion of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel to illustrate the utter disappointment that always follows the frenzied pursuit of fulfillment in sex, money, or power.]

Please Speak Directly Into the Microphone ...

2012-02-03T08:10:00.000-05:00

" ... there is at bottom no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pointless indifference. . . . We are machines for propagating DNA . . . . It is every living object’s sole reason for being.”

-Richard Dawkins [compilation by William Lane Craig]

[photo: freerepublic.com - sorry, I couldn't resist posting the picture, especially when the quote was about man's chief end being to propogate his DNA ... ]

The Visual Family Budget

2012-02-02T09:59:00.000-05:00

Dave Ramsey's recommended category percentage of overall spending:

Housing 25-35%
Utilities 5-10%
Transportation 10-15%
Healthcare 5-10%
Food 5-15%
Investments/Savings 5-10%
Debt Payments 5-10%
Charitable Giving 5-15%
Entertainment/Recreation 5-9%
Misc Personal 2-7%

[graphic: visualeconomics.com]

Book List [what i've been reading and listening to lately ...]

2012-01-27T11:37:00.000-05:00

You are what your mind eats ...

Susman and Myers on Personality and Culture

2012-01-25T07:28:00.000-05:00

In the 19th century, character was key, but other key words related to the concept of character: citizenship, duty, democracy, work, building, golden deeds, outdoor life, conquest, honor, reputation, morals, manners, integrity, … and above all: manhood, virility.

Early 20th century, accompanying material change, we move from a production-oriented society to a consumption-oriented society, and character disappears and what becomes key is personality: personality used to mean the qualities that were universally shared by all persons – the things we had in common. Personality was then changed to describe the attributes or qualities that make you unique. So the advice is on how to build this sort of personality or image. Here are the new key words from advice manuals: fascinating, stunning, attractive, magnetic, glowing, masterful, creative, dominant, forceful. [these words were almost never used to described character – character is either good or bad, not glowing. The quality of being ‘Somebody’ is emphasized. We live constantly in a crowd [basically strangers who will never have time to know your character], how can we distinguish ourselves from others in the crowd? ‘Crowd’ is the most commonly used word. The new personality literature stressed items that could be best developed in leisure time and that represented in themselves an emphasis on consumption. The social role demanded of all in the new culture of personality was that of a performer. Every American was to become a performing self.

"Personality and the Making of Twentieth-Century Culture."

- Warren Susman

Sussmen argues that “the most important aspects of a culture are not those that are expressed directly [quotable from its books or great leaders] – but they are the assumed aspects of a culture – the unconscious culture - the deep, buried, invisible presuppositions of every worldview. [We have these deep assumptions about reality that are imbedded in cultural conventions and we have to figure out – not just what people are saying – but where their words fit in a configuration of communication and social structure] A careful study of the conventions – the unassuming everyday acts – the rhetorical devices in speech and song – the unconscious pattern of behavior – all help to uncover that implicit knowledge and those fundamental assumptions that members of those cultures share. [ I think it’s absolutely imperative for the church, as it’s trying to minister and encourage not just belief but faithfulness, to be aware of the deep assumptions about reality that we are all subject to and recognize where those deep assumptions are incompatible with Christian understanding. ] ...

Some of those assumptions are evident when we consider cultural change. Or transition. [see above]

- Ken Myers quoting Susman

The Act of Cowardice

2012-01-24T06:30:00.000-05:00

"By cowardice I do not mean fear. Cowardice is a label we reserve for something a man does. What passes through his mind is his own affair."

- Lord Moran, The Anatomy of Courage

Greater Youth Ministry Hath No Man Than This ...

2012-01-18T13:31:00.001-05:00

"Love provides answers to the demand for trendy relevance.
Some people say, 'If you really want to relate to the young people today, if you really want to keep the kids and reach the young people today, then you've got to ...' and then what follows the 'got to' almost never is 'really love them and lay down your life for them'. No. We want to mix it up and make it a little more trendy, contemporary.
Someone might say 'What is more terrible, what's more awful than a church full of dead people and organ music? organ music and dead saints?'
I grant you that's pretty bad, but there are some things worse than that - a church full of dead, frozen chosen saints where the bass player's terrible and the drummer's worse. That's really bad too! In other words, where love's gone missing, that's the problem. And you're not going to clean the carpet by rearranging the furniture."

- Doug Wilson, State of the Church Sermon 2012

"Back to Galatians 6.1: When you're motivated to rebuke someone, you're rarely qualified; and when you're qualified, you're rarely motivated."

Book List [what I've been reading/listening to lately] ...

2012-01-11T06:59:00.000-05:00

You are what your mind eats ...

An Age of Disillusionment

2012-01-10T07:25:00.000-05:00

“I would go so far as to say that never has there been a greater opportunity for preaching than there is today, because we are living in an age of disillusionment. The Victorian age, last century, was an age of optimism. People were carried away by the theory of evolution and development, and the poets sang about the coming of ‘the parliament of man and the federation of the world’. We would banish war and all would be well, and the world would be one great nation. They really believed that sort of thing. Nobody believes it by now apart from an odd representative here and there of the old ‘social gospel’ of the pre-1914 era. We have lived to see the fallacy of that old optimistic liberalism, and we are living in an age of disillusionment when men are desperate. That is why we are witnessing this student protest and every other kind of protest; that is why people are taking drugs. It is the end of all the optimism of the liberals. It was bound to lead to this because it was wrong in its basic conceptions, its origin, in its very thinking. We are seeing the end of all that. Is not this then the very time when the door is wide open for the preaching of the Gospel?
The age in which we are living is so similar to the first century in many respects. The old world was exhausted then. The flowering period of Greek philosophy had come and had gone, Rome in a sense had passed her zenith, and there was the same kind of tiredness and weariness, with consequent turning to pleasure and amusement. The same is so true today; and so, far from saying that we must have less preaching and turn more and more to other devices and expedients, I say that we have a heaven-sent opportunity for preaching.”
-Martyn Lloyd-Jones

The Death of Pretty ...

2012-01-07T08:05:00.008-05:00

by Pat Archbold
[abridged]

Pretty is dying.

People will define pretty differently. For the purposes of this piece, I define pretty as a mutually enriching balanced combination of beauty and projected innocence.

Young women today do not seem to aspire to pretty, they prefer to be regarded as hot. Hotness is something altogether different.

Pretty inspires men’s nobler instincts to protect and defend. Pretty is cherished. Hotness, on the other hand, is a commodity. Its value is temporary and must be used. It is a consumable. A consumable that consumes as it is consumed but brings no warmth.

Most girls don’t want to be pretty anymore even if they understand what it is. It is ironic that 40 years of women’s liberation has succeeded only in turning women into a commodity. Something to be used up and thrown out.

Of course men play a role in this as well … But here is the real truth. Most men prefer pretty over hot.

Our problem is that society doesn’t value innocence anymore, real or imagined. Nobody aspires to innocence anymore. Nobody wants to be thought of as innocent, the good girl. They want to be hot, not pretty.

Girls, please, bring back the pretty.

Book List [What I've been reading lately ...]

2012-01-04T10:02:00.001-05:00

you are what your mind eats ...

2012 Resolutions

2012-01-02T06:26:00.000-05:00

They say it's not really a resolution until you've written it down, so here goes:

1. No library late fees all year.
2. One date activity with my wife per week.
3. Help w/ at least one load of laundry per week.
4. Memorize the book of Romans.
5. Memorize all of the words/definitions in Zondervan's New Testament Greek Vocab Guide
6. Finish digitizing old sermon tapes of my former professor and mentor, Colin Smith.
7. Read at least 2 books in each of the following areas:
        A. Heaven/Eschatology/Culture
        B. St Paul
        C. Leadership/Administration

Ecclesiastical Nursing Homes

2011-12-28T07:14:00.000-05:00

Children are part of the bride of Christ. As such, they ought not to be prohibited from learning how to commune (in corporate worship) with their Lord. They ought to be knit together with us. But this is not accomplished by sitting in a pew thinking wishful thoughts. We have to do what God told us to do—sing, hear, pray, say amen, stand, kneel, eat, chew, drink and swallow—and we have to do it all in true evangelical faith. Because we hold children back from this, they either fall away, or their devotional zeal (which has somehow survived) is diverted into other more individualistic directions. They become the top Bible-verse kid at Awana, and we wonder in later years why they don't have a high view of the Church. In this the Church is like parents who put their kids in day care for years, and forty years later wonder why the kids put them in the rest home. We are to instill ecclesiastical loyalty in our children by the scriptural means, and keeping them back from the Table is not that way.

- Doug Wilson

Like Buttah ...

2011-12-26T07:16:00.008-05:00

This Christmas, before tearing into the presents, we gathered around to read Luke 1-2. And for this, of course I had to break out my nice Cambridge NJKV. Here is an unpublished piece I wrote about it in '09 after making the decision to buy it.

If our Lord was worthy of Mary's spikenard, His Word is worthy of more than neon pleather.

So I've done it, I've bought a really fine Bible. This is my first worth more than $100, and wow - what a difference. The wide margins allow for plenty of note taking with my Pigma Micro pens, and even though it makes this masterpiece look a bit Sesame-Streetish, I color code my notes along certain themes [simple things for simple minds]. The binding is smyth-sewn, so it can be rebound and last several centuries if not abused. I'm looking forward to pouring over it, filling its margins w/ comments, wetting the fine India paper with my tears, and then passing it along to one of my sons to continue the process when I'm a pile of bones awaiting the final resurrection.

I had been in the market for this exact Bible when I found it on eBay for 1/3 cost of retail so I bought it and am very glad for it ... in fact, it's the opposite of "buyers' remorse" ... the more I use it, the more I appreciate it. If you're in the market for an heirloom-quality Bible, I highly recommend Mark Bertrand's site: Bible Design and Binding. He's a Bible connoisseur and his recommendations were the basis of my choice [especially his comment that holding this supple Bible was like trying to hold a puddle of water in your hands]. My son observed as I was reading it to him last night, that: 'Daddy, you would be really sad if a bear or something ripped your Bible, wouldn't you?'

In Martin Luther's Day, if a man wanted to own a Bible of his own, he had to pay the equivalent of 2 years' average wages to buy one [if he was able to find a seller/printer]. What an indescribable blessing that we can amass a collector's 'stack' of them - half a dozen translations -at the cost of maybe a week or two's wages. It's enough to make a postmillennialist out of even the most purse-lipped Calvinist.
[photo: Mark Bertrand]

A Modern Incarnation of the Christmas Narrative [repost]

2011-12-24T07:32:00.000-05:00

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in the fashion of a man, He humbled Himself ...

Philosophers debate the possibility of God becoming a man. When it actually occurred, it was more radical than they could've imagined. After years of Hallmark nativity greetings, familiarity has blinded us to the scandal of the incarnation. When the holy God became humble, it looked, by contrast, disgusting.

The Christmas story deals in the realm of the concrete; shared reality in a fallen world; common need with which all mean can relate - and so it begins with tax legislation.

She was fifteen, quiet, and a two days over-due.

He was working in a machine shop, broke after buying the engagement ring, and hoping their eighty-nine cavalier would finish the five day trip to Coonesboro, the middle-of-no-where town whose only claim to fame was being the birthplace of a former King from the nation's glory days a thousand years ago.

When they pulled in after midnight, the only motel was behind the trailer park. The neon vacancy sign was not lit, and for good reason - the only available space was in the maintenance garage to the rear. They had no other option.

While he was cleaning grease off the floor to put down a blanket, her water broke. He could clean the floor later. When the baby arrived, they wrapped him in shop towels and gently set him in the utility sink.

Angels appeared for a brief and terrifyingly awesome moment to announce the birth of the Godman at the local truckstop. So garbage men, a tow truck driver, and the Wonderbread delivery guy came to worship the Savior of the world.

As He grew, He apprenticed under the father He'd created. The One Who'd stood as the fourth in the fiery furnace, now woke up before sunrise with achy knees and itchy stone-dust eyes. He commanded the angels of heaven and winced at pulled splinters. Six-day-a-week, blue collar life was the only he knew for thirty years. It ended when the Spirit of God was seen filling Him, while the greatest of all prophets baptised His body, and the Father's voice came out of the sky to affirm His perfection. On that day, like every day before, he had dirty fingernails.

After three years, He was a despised and rejected teacher, though His words had spoken the Andromeda galaxy into place. His student followers left him to return to their jobs in the factory. He was tortured to death as a political scapegoat, for hours, naked, beside two car thieves, in public. As He gave them life, breath, and all things, the centurions pulled His draining carcass from the wooden pole.

The incarnation was the closest God has ever come to denying Himself and betraying His own glory. It was so sacrificial as to almost be sacrilegious. It was nearly obscene - God sinning.

This is the mind of Christ. This is what we are called to imitate. In our world of entitlement, this is obscene humility and we are commanded to make it our own.

Book List [What I've been reading/listening to lately]...

2011-12-22T07:09:00.000-05:00

You are what your mind eats ...

What makes a Southern Gentleman?

2011-12-21T15:41:00.001-05:00

I recently found a neat little company that I commend to you. It's called The Forgetful Gentleman. Below is an example of what you might find on their blog:

Forgetful Gentleman interviewed the ultimate Southern Gentleman himself, Jeremy Blume, Principal at Bearings, a Southern lifestyle guide for men:

Why is the idea of a gentleman so prominent in the South?

Manliness and manners have always been important attributes in the South. We celebrate the man that hunts, works with his hands and has a backbone. Yet we are also a culture that prides itself on proper conduct and hospitality. The combination of those two characteristics is part of the fabric of a Southern gentleman.

What ideals, virtues and morals are integral to a southern gentleman?

A Southern gentleman should embody integrity, character, chivalry, hospitality and humility. His confidence in who he is as a man garners respect, but it’s also his humility that sets him apart. He has a healthy appreciation of the past, while at the same time a forward thinker.

What distinguishes a Southern gentleman in the following areas?

Style: There’s a certain sensibility in our generally classic prep style. It’s no accident that two of GQ’s most lauded in men’s attire are Southern innovators: Sid Mashburn and Billy Reid.

Food: We may be known for our distinct food more than anything else. Today’s Southern man knows his way around the kitchen and the grill with at least a few family recipes.

Drink: We claim bourbon and Tennessee whiskey – that probably speaks for itself.

Music: The South has such a strong musical heritage - jazz, blues, country and Appalachian folk music have their origins here and today’s musicians are building on that foundation in their own way. Everyone from R.E.M. to The Avett Brothers to Louis Armstrong have combined heritage with innovation.

Women: You can’t separate chivalry from the words “Southern gentleman.” We were raised to open doors for ladies and we’ll make sure our sons uphold those same standards.

Outdoors: Nature has always been a strong part of our Southern heritage. The connection to our land is important – even to those living in urban areas.

How do Southern men learn these things?

Family and tradition are central to the South and our culture. More often than not, our fathers and grandfathers have taught certain traits or skills to us. There is pride in passing on something to the next generation.

How is the southern gentleman evolving to stay relevant in today’s more technologically advanced world?

Just because we appreciate our history doesn’t mean that we are stuck in the past. We bring the lessons from those that came before us into the present, but with an eye to the future. For example, a man with class doesn’t drop his standards just because he’s functioning in a digital world. Our character is a constant even as we adapt to new technologies.

What advice do you have for men who want to embrace the southern gentleman lifestyle?

There are elements of each culture that we can learn from and grow, but we have to do that with authenticity. Our vision is not that our Southern lifestyle will replace others, but that men would appreciate and be enriched by the depth and value in our culture.

Why does the South fascinate America?

Right now there is a strong emphasis on the importance of heritage and craftsmanship. The South has such a rich, developed culture that it’s is easy to see the unique aspects of our music, art, food and traditions. As people look back, they are discovering just how much is actually Southern culture.

If you are ready to incorporate more gentlemanly things of the South into your life, check out the following articles by Bearings.

Imbibing: Moonshine's Resurgence, The Return of Bitters, The Basics of Pipe Smoking

Etiquette: The Art of a Toast, Modern Manners for the 21st Century
Style: Seersucker in the South, Curators vs. ConsumersFor more Southern lifestyle suggestions, finds and insights, check out Bearings, A Southern Lifestyle Guide for Men.

Genesis Debate, part 4 [conclusion]

2011-12-19T06:54:00.001-05:00

HIM: B...I have not heard of that - it was my impression that many unbelieving scholars believed it to be a type of origin myth.

1 or 2 arguments:

1) I already mentioned the common 7 day literary convention in ANE literature (see Davis, "Bible, Rocks and Time")

2) The 6th day seemed to have an awful lot of things take place on it for it to be a 24 hour day

3) The 7th day clearly is not 24 hour day, unless I am greatly mistaken when I read Hebrews; if the 7th isn't, why the other 6?

As far as "Satan enticing Christians"...I'm sure the folks over at The Association for Biblical Astronomy, who still hold to an earth that neither rotates daily NOR revolves annually around the sun "because the Bible says SO!", would make the same accusations against YOU! And how would YOU go about assuring them they were wrong, I wonder? Would you go to Scripture, and say "look, this language is phenomological"? I bet their response would be something like this: "nobody thought it was phenomological UNTIL godless scientists told us that the earth spins daily and revolves around the sun, and then Christians compromised their belief in an inerrant Word of God by re-interpreting those verses!! You are letting Satan entice you away from plainly believing what you have plainly read in the Bible! The serpent is near, asking, 'Yea, hath God said?' " Something to think about, isn't it?

I think I'm getting tired of the FB exchange. When and where ya wanna do lunch? We can spar over it more then.

ME: A - that's it? All the activities of day 6 could have been done well before sunset, because - something neither of us can relate to - this took place before the invention of paperwork & cubicles; Heb 4 is moot w/ regard to our debate. I was looking for more ... oh well, back to the lab ;?).

I was also hoping our comment stream would reach 100, but alas, we're just short [finally petered out at 98]. Let me end by affirming my love and gratitude to my brother, A - and offering him the last word [his response - a short restatement of his initial post - was lost ... sorry!] ... and by asking if anyone else is even still reading and has found our exchange interesting and/or helpful ...?

Thanks, Pastor B, for stirring the Pot. Love and prayers to you, your family, and church.

Eyes NOT Full of Adultery

2011-12-18T07:17:00.000-05:00

Peter Leithart comments on the Song of Songs:
"the bride’s eros is aroused not by the lover in isolation but by the lover-in-society. What makes him lovable, desirable is not only his physical and sensual attractions but the honor bestowed upon him by others."

Such a view of attraction and arousal, actually gives chastity/modesty an appeal.

Too often, a man is lured into bedding [or lusting after] a woman that he and everyone else in town knows is a whore [think of that scene from A River Runs Through It]. The fact that she has given herself so freely and desperately to every other guy around seriously takes away from the significance of having her – she is a whore in everyone’s eyes – a woman of low esteem. That thought is a bit of a … well, downer.

For a young man to learn this view of women is a HUGE step in his sanctification. I’ve heard older, Godlier men explain their victory over the temptations of lust after gaining this mindset/heart. Learning to see a whore as ugly and her enticements as poison – regardless of her physical appearance, how many albums she's sold, centerfolds she's filled, or Oscars she's won – is an important thing to strive for. May God bless us and our sons as we cultivate the ability to see the daughters of men through His eyes.

[print of Dorian Gray from Alcorn Studios]

Genesis Debate, part 3

2011-12-17T06:42:00.000-05:00

ME: Well, I guess that in the same way you affirm “**creation in 6 days**” I affirm “**your position**”.

‘Mountains of evidence’… was that a pun? ;?) How big do you think the mounts of opposing ev were in Galileo’s day?

So is the debate: ‘my int.... of Gen’ vs Nature OR Genesis vs Your interpretation of nature? IMHO it’s too high a view of “science” – having spent countless hours renewing our minds via Discovery Channel HD, we’ll not doubt 1 jot or tittle of this month’s National Geographic. I’d blame your high school education, but … ;?) [we went to the same High School]

Of the “2 books of God’s revelation” – Scripture and Nature [only 1 of which is actually a “book”] - which one is more clear? When they seem to conflict, which do we bend to fit? Which is subject to revision? Which involves more interpretation [ie. Which is harder to “read”?]? I’m telling you that Genesis is not compatible w/ these “scientific” interpretations. The text itself does not allow it.

The question is [cover your ears kids] epistemological. As one said: in Scripture, what is the opposite of “faith”? The knee-jerk Reformed answer is “works”, but that is not it … it’s SIGHT.

A, I really appreciate your candor, bro. ... I’ll reciprocate – no, I don’t read much science. But the question isn’t scientific, it’s literary. What was Moses saying? What did Israel believe? What did the Apostles teach? IMO, that’s the bottom line – take it or leave it.

HIM: B...Mountains of evidence! HA! I made a funny, and didn't even realize it! : D

I think you are well aware that there are many conservative evangelical, even Reformed, OT scholars who don't seem to have a problem understanding Genesis ...1 in such a way that it doesn't require 6 24-hour days. Ben, have you considered the fact that much ANE literature utilized a 7-day structure, which was clearly a literary device never intended to convey literal 24 days? Is it absolutely outside the realm of possibility that Moses could have used a literary convention such as this, one that his original audience (the Israelites) would have appreciated, even if we don't?

As I've tried to emphasize before, the truth discovered in God's creation will never contradict the truth in Scripture. With that much I think we agree. However, our interpretations of both creation and Scripture are fallible. You're convinced that I'm interpreting creation incorrectly (although you admit that you don't really understand the "story" that creation is telling, because you haven't read much in the area), and I'm convinced that you're interpreting Scripture wrongly. Can I humbly suggest that before you get locked in to that position, that you invest in "Bible, Rocks and Time" or another book providing the multiple lines of evidence behind the age of the earth? To me it just seems like the intellectually fair thing to do. When we get together for lunch, I'll even lend one to you.

You make jokes about putting too much stock in science shows, magazines, etc. The implication is that you think scientists are somehow more "fallible" than Bible interpreters. I beg to differ! C'mon, Ben, you've gone from being Arminian to Reformed, and from credobapist to paedobaptist (and perhaps you've changed your views in other ways too). Are you seriously trying to suggest that there aren't a lot of fallible interpretations held by fallible brethren in Christ?? On the other hand, in the scientific community NOBODY affirms a 10,000 year old earth, EXCEPT the handful of people who are bound to a specific interpretation of Genesis; and they don't really have credible scientific evidence to bring against an old earth...just an unwavering faith that this interpretation of Genesis 1 is the only conceivable interpretation. Don't you find that even a little bit troubling? Just a wee bit?

B, would you admit that there have certainly been times in the past when the commonly held beliefs of the day (which were engrained in minds because of what people THOUGHT was supported from Scripture) have been RIGHTLY discarded mainly due to new light that scientific discoveries shed? If you admit it, please remember that history tends to repeat itself.

ME: A - because you are a gentleman, brother in Christ, and buddy - I would certainly be willing to reconsider your position. Let me ask this: what do you think are the 1 or 2 strongest arguments WITHIN THE TEXT ITSELF for a loose reading/interpretation?

@ N [per A's comment] No N, actually Satan is involved a lot earlier on in the process, enticing Christians away from the practice of plainly believing what they have plainly read in the Bible from its first pages.

"Yea, hath... God said? ... Oh ... yeah, He did. But He didn't actually mean THAT, did He?"

Avoiding Ministerial Burn-out

2011-12-15T06:06:00.002-05:00

An interview w/ Gregg Strawbridge:

The way to avoid burnout is by addressing body, soul, spirit [without being overly-tripartite].

1. Body – frequent, rigorous physical exercise and activity [I would have become burnt-out if I hadn’t started training for triathlons because physically, you get worn down by dealing with other people’s problems no matter what your situation.]

2. Mind – refresh yourself by regularly stimulating intellectual growth.

3. Spiritually – the most important point is to put away your sin – whether it’s obvious sin like lust or a very ‘respectable sin’ like the fear of man/ being obsequious to people in authority or greed and a desire for money … there are many different sins that can control you and if you’re letting sin control you it’s easy to want to escape from people, escape from the church and ministry, and that’s really just a precursor to burn-out.

What is the Chief End of Man?

2011-12-12T06:19:00.012-05:00

Recently, I Overheard this conversation among some of my friends and coworkers – the speakers were an Evangelical believer discussing general apologetic issues w/ an agnostic one… I got involved after the fact, but thought this part was telling. I quote them both here verbatim [hence the expletive].

Agnostic: So you believe there is a purpose for your life?
Evangelical: Yes.
A: What is the purpose for your life?
E: To witness.
A: What does that mean?
E: To spread the ‘good news’.
A: That’s it?
E: Yes.
A: That's the purpose for your life?
E: Yes.
A: Sounds like a pretty lame-ass purpose to me.
*laughter*

I perked up when I heard the critical question but was unable to interject the glorious words of the Westminster Catechism at that point when they were so desperately fitting. In my mind, this vividly illustrates the shortcomings of a typical shallow view of the gospel and a one-dimensional understanding of the Christian life and worldview. The entirety of many Christians' system of faith can be likened to "I-amway: Spiritual multi-level marketing"; like so many little Christian amoebas whose only purpose is replication. The gospel is more than this.

Advent Worship Meditation - 2nd Sunday

2011-12-11T05:37:00.003-05:00

Isaiah 40:1-11 Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken." A voice says, "Cry out!" And I said, "What shall I cry?" All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever. Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, "Here is your God!" See, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.

Insight: Anyone similarly blessed to be familiar with the ultimate musical masterpiece, Handel’s Messiah, will recognize the first verse of this passage as the opening words of that great work. “Comfort, comfort ye my people.” These were the hope-filled words of God’s prophet 700 years before the fact. But they were a mere blink to the God Who had inspired them. And though our frail bodies fade like dry field clover, God’s hopeful promises stand. This particular one stood for 7 centuries, 4 of which were a hard, barren time of frustrating silence for Israel. Then, true to His word, Post Tenebras Lux: God forgave the iniquity of His people and restored the fortunes of Jacob. He sent John to pave a highway for the Evangelion of His Son, the Great Shepherd of His sheep, Whose mighty arms stretched forth to gently gather the lambs. In Him is seen the kiss of righteousness and peace.

Questions: How many times in your own life have you known the comfort of God? Do you cherish the gospel as a victory of peace with God? In your own life and that of your friends and loved ones, how have you seen the patience of God leading the lost to repentance? When was the last time you listened to Handel’s Messiah? Isn’t it about time to listen again?

Prayer: Great Father, we praise You for Your comfort and steadfast love toward us, Your people. Grant us, by Your Spirit, more grace to live lives worthy of Your comfort as a testimony of the hope that is ours by Your Son, our Lord, in Whose great name we pray. Amen.

Batman Vs. Santa

2011-12-10T06:14:00.002-05:00

The crying need of our day is for Heroes. Our sons need heroes – real heroes. With that in mind, we have been trying to wean them off of the caped/masked/animal-kingdom-themed variety and inspire them by saturation with real hero stories. What could be more important than this?

Lately, we’ve been reading about Nicholas of Myra aka Saint Nicholas. And at this point in the reading, I’m struck by all the similarities that exist between Bruce Wayne and Nicholas of Myra. So here is a brief – if timely – meditation because this time of year the air is rank with thick materialism [quick, grab a breathing regulator from my bat belt, Robin!]

Both lost parents at young age and as a result vowed to devote their lives to good …

Both battled the forces of evil [Nicholas purportedly had to be restrained at the council of Nicaea after literally slapping Arius in the face … I love it!] …

Both spent their lives helping the victimized and helpless …

Both went off for a time of training …

Both were unjustly imprisoned …

Both sought to do much of their ‘ministry’ in anonymity and often at night …

But the one big difference was this [well, okay besides one actually being a real person and the other a comic book character] – after his parents died, the young Nicholas started off by giving away his inheritance. He served the poor as a poor minister himself. This is often what you’ll find in Church history, formalized a millennium later by the medieval Christian vow of poverty …

He didn’t conduct his good deeds while secretly owning majority shares in a multi-billion dollar international technology corporation that could equip him with bleeding-edge tools and weapons. He had no safety net but the arms of His Good Shepherd. And that is the real difference. Nicholas had faith, not fortune. At the bottom of it all, we have rugged self-reliance and independent means, deep pockets VS faith. And that is why Nicholas is truly a hero while Bruce Wayne is a cartoon character who does hero-ish things while dressed in a silly-looking body suit disguised as a flying rodent.

The Disadvantages of Modern Civilization

2011-12-09T11:15:00.000-05:00

“To build his pyramid Cheops packed some pounds of rice into the stomachs of innumerable Egyptians and Israelites. We today would pack some pounds of coal inside steam boilers to do the same thing, and this might be cited as an instance of the superiority of modern civilization over ancient brute force. But when referred to the sun, our true standard of reference, the comparison is naught, because to produce these few pounds of coal required a thousand times more solar energy than to produce the few pounds of rice. We are simply taking advantage of an accidental circumstance.

It took Cheops twenty years to build his pyramid, but if he had had a lot of Trustees, contractors, and newspaper reporters to worry him, he might not have finished it by that time. The advantages of modern engineering are in many ways over balanced by the disadvantages of modern civilization.”

-Washington Roebling, chief engineer of the brooklyn bridge

Modesty for Dummies [and their teenage daughters]

2011-12-07T17:21:00.000-05:00

Recently, the issue of modesty surfaced in a discussion of congregational life, [as it will from time to time] but with a twist. The unwitting offenders were young ladies from very solid Christian families – many only being young teens whose fathers are otherwise engaged, devout, and fastidious. The problem seems to be that these fathers – looking through paternal eyes – simply cannot see the obvious: that their daughters are becoming ladies now in need of a particular level of coverage. Fathers are notorious for this: “…not my little girl. You must be thinking of someone else’s daughter.”

For such men I have a helpful suggestion [and timely]. Since Christmas is right around the corner, sit down next to your daughter tonight and – after reminding her of this fact – ask her to list for you her top 3 favorite clothing stores [to which she would just love a gift card]. Once she has done this, without missing a beat, hop on the internet and [with her at your side] just dare to open and view the home page of each store, one at a time. The images that will flash before your glazed eyes will probably be enough to raise your pulse and redden your cheeks, especially with your “not my little girl” sitting beside. If this isn’t enough, the next time you’re at the mall, take a minute to walk into these stores. Look around at the posters on the wall; take a gander at the photos they actually print on said gift cards; check out the bags they chirpily hand each shopper to carry around the mall like a walking mini-billboard, slash, status symbol, slash, black & white peep show snapshot. Sir, if you have a hard time seeing your young daughter for what she now is - a sexual being, please be aware that Abercrombie, Hollister, American Eagle, Aeropostale, and all the other companies manufacturing her wardrobe don’t.

Book List [what I've been reading lately] ...

2011-12-05T10:56:00.000-05:00

You are what your mind eats ...

Choose Subversive Sarcasm

2011-12-01T08:09:00.001-05:00

For those of my readers not from Maryland [okay, ... hi mom ... and to my other reader from Lithuania, 'Zdravstvuj, comrade!'], a bit of background is in order. For the last 2 years, Howard County has launched a public niceness campaign based on the Oprah-endorsed book 'Choose Civility'. The initiative is based out of their award-winning library branches, where I have to admit I do spend a considerable amount of time. The whole campaign consists almost entirely of handing out free bumperstickers that say "Choose Civility in Howard County". But because civility is so dependent upon some ethical framework, I find that daily, as I drive to and from work, a miniature Greg Bahnsen appears [poof] on my shoulder spouting presuppositional jabs each time I see the bumpersticker. So, not wanting to miss an opportunity to declare the postmodern emporers' new clothes of civility to be, in fact, non-existent, here are some humorous parodies I've come up with. My good friend and creative genius John Barnes was the original inspiration for most of these and you can find his batch of these with a quick google search.

To see the rest of the collection, click below ...

Book List [what I've been reading/listening to lately] ...

2011-11-30T10:51:00.000-05:00

you are what your mind eats ...

The Lazy Pastor

2011-11-29T08:02:00.000-05:00

Why spend hours in the study when you could be putting in valuable ministry time on the back nine? Any topic; any text; any time. Thousands to choose from. Written by the hottest gurus of mindlessly-entertaining inspirational self-helpism in the industry. Endorsed by Joyce Meyers [via her ghostwriter], Bishop Shelby Spong, Leonard Nimoy, Bob Barker, Dwight K Shrewt, Dr Phil, Every woman panelist on “The View” [except Barbara Walters], Joel Osteen, Joel Osteen’s hair dresser, Joel Osteen’s dermatologist and skintone consultant, Joel Osteen’s cosmetic dental technician, and both Bob and Larry from Veggie Tales.

“Sermondrivethrough.com: Just print and preach!”©

Just what the Doctor Ordered ...

2011-11-28T13:34:00.000-05:00

Every young pastor should make a point to study and develop a specific expertise on one book of the Bible, one area of theology, and one pastor from Church history.

- Martyn Lloyd-jones [paraphrased]

On the Memorization of Texts ...

2011-11-14T13:58:00.003-05:00

Here is a wordcount list of some worthwhile speeches/sermons I've compiled for comparison: See any glaring omissions? Please let me know.

41 - Theoden's "Ride to Gondor" Speech
78 – Luther’s “Here I Stand” speech
92 - Aragorn's speech before the Black Gates [film version]
111 – Apostles’ Creed
225 – Nicene Creed
267 – Paul at Mars Hill [before being stopped short by the crowd – Acts 17]
271 – Mark Antony’s [Shakespeare’s] ‘Friends, Romans, countrymen’ speech
278 – Lincoln’s Gettysburg address
407 – Shakespeare’s Saint Crispin’s Day speech
478 – Benjamin Franklin’s Call to Prayer at the Constitutional Convention
523 – Peter’s Pentecost sermon [Acts 2]
648 – Paul’s sermon to Agrippa [Acts 26]
657 – Athanasian Creed
896 – Paul’s Epistle to Titus
1,028 – Patrick Henry’s “Give me Liberty” Speech
1,236 – Stephen’s sermon to the Sanhedrin before his martyrdom
1,320 – The Declaration of Independence
1,382 – JFK’s – “Ask not” Inaugural Address
1,666 – MLK’s “I have a dream” speech
1,666- Paul’s Last Epistle [2nd Timothy]
1,928 – Olivet Discourse [Matthew 24-5]
2,304 – James’ Epistle
2,412 – Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount [Matthew 5-7]
2,423 – Psalm 119
2,743 – Luther’s 95 Theses
2,854 – The Didache [R-D Trans]
4,144 – Westminster Shorter Catechism [w/o proofs]
4,246 – Gallic [French] Confession
5,330 – C.S. Lewis’s “The Weight of Glory” sermon
5,933 – Sozhenitsyn’s “A World Split Apart” Harvard Address
6,069 – Washington’s farewell address
6,696 – Spurgeon’s “Hairs of Your Head” Providence Sermon
6,897 – The letter to the Hebrews
7,184 – Jonathan Edwards’ Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
8,180 – 12 Commandments from Shepherd of Hermas [R-D Trans]
8,375 – Heidelberg Catechism [w/o footnotes or proofs]
9,078 – Belgic Confession
12,123 – 1646 Westminster Confession of Faith w/ Footnotes/Proofs
13,143 – Clement’s Epistle to the Corinthian Church
15,406 – Westminster Larger Catechism
23,918 – Athanasius’ On the Incarnation
33,760 – 2nd Helvetic Confession [w/ headings and proofs]
~80,000 – Torah [5 books of Moses]
169,751 – English New Testament

In the NKJV Romans has 9495 words [7111 in the Greek]; 16 chapters; 433 verses. It takes roughly 60 minutes to read/recite them all.

Tips for memorization:
Getting into recollection from repetition/reading mode is the key. Use finish-this-sentence exercises, fill-in-the-blank programs. I found that simply flipping the page upside down helps get me from reading to remembering/reciting more quickly. There is a SUPER tool online that will convert the text into a list of the first letter of each word. This is the main tool I’ve used thus far.
I’ve found that visualizing images for each line is cumbersome and actually more difficult than simply remembering the words. I’m hoping to implement a hybrid of the visualization method to navigate through the outline, but not the text itself.
Lastly, memory research suggests that context is key – so understanding the text’s flow of thought [which for Romans is quite conversational and rambling] - having the book outline set into your mental concrete is essential. Studies also show that your memory is more receptive on an empty stomach – so just before meals is a prime time to spend a few minutes for memory work.

Who are You? 2 Views ...

2011-11-12T18:02:00.000-05:00

In the Darwinist worldview, you are the descendant of a tiny cell of primordial protoplasm washed up on an empty beach three and a half billion years ago. You are the blind and arbitrary product of time, chance, and natural forces. You are a mere grab-bag of atomic particles, a conglomeration of genetic substance. You exist on a tiny planet in a minute solar system in an empty corner of a universe. You are a purely biological entity, different only in degree but not in kind from a microbe, virus, or amoeba. You have no essence beyond your body, and at death you will cease to exist entirely. In short you come from nothing and are going to nowhere.

By contrast, in the Christian worldview, you are the special creation of a good and all-powerful God. You are created in His image; with capacities to think, feel, and worship that set you above all other life forms. You differ from the animals not simply in degree but in kind. Not only is your kind unique, but you are unique among you kind. Your Creator loves you so much and so intensely desires you companionship and affection that he has a perfect plan for you life. In addition God gave the life of His only son that you might spend eternity with Him. If you are willing to accept his gift of salvation, you can become a child of God.

- Randy Alcorn

[photo: desiringgod.org]

Book List [What I've been reading Lately]...

2011-11-10T06:43:00.000-05:00

You are what your mind eats ...

Opiate of the Morally Corrupt: why unbelief is so appealing

2011-11-08T07:41:00.002-05:00

“I had motives for not wanting the world to have meaning; consequently assumed it had none, and was able without any difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this assumption…. The philosopher who finds no meaning in the world is ... concerned to prove there is no valid reason why he personally should not do as he wants to do…. For myself, as no doubt for most of my contemporaries, the philosophy of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation. The liberation we desired was simultaneously liberation from an certain political and economic system and liberation from a certain system of morality. We objected to the morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom.”

-Aldous Huxley
Confession of a Professed Atheist, Report: Perspective on the News, vol. 3 (June 1966), p. 19

[blog title taken from a chapter title by Dinesh D'Souza. He calls this the 'pelvic revolt against God'.]

Our Little Church Project

2011-11-06T16:03:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, in the first sermon of a series on the book, our pastor threw out a challenge to the congregation of Christ Reformed: memorize the entire book of Romans. This really struck me. Most similar memorization efforts I've seen have been insultingly simple or individualistic. So I've decided to spend [probably the next year] working on this challenge. My strategy/tool list at this point is:

Get the book on audio from 2 sources.
Print two copies and have them laminated.
Tailor my Greek studies to the book of Romans.
Read the book regularly.
Write the book regularly.
Study through the book using Haldane's commentary as a guide [and possibly others].
Outline the book.
Chart the book based on a network of ideas and already-familiar verses.
Lastly, I plan to exercise twice a week through the winter.
[The best thing you can buy for longterm memory aid is running shoes, or so they say.]

I'm also reading a book on memorization training entitled Moonwalking with Einstein. It was recommended to me by my friend and fellow-CREC pastoral trainee, Tony Aguilar. Hopefully I'll be able to pick up a few tips/tricks from that resource as well.

Rookie Pastor - FAIL.!

2011-10-31T15:51:00.002-04:00

Recently, the pastoral trainees at Lancaster were joking with the session about implementing a new
church app that would allow the congregants to critique the service and performance of the young guys w/ texts and tweets. This was too good to pass up without some humor. Here's my list of the top postings with colorful commentary:

- Spring forward/fall back - starting the service on time # FAIL.!
- Ben Stein in Ferris Bueller’s Day off ‘Anyone … Anyone?” - Appropriate excitement when reciting call to worship # FAIL.!
- Your Playlist sucks - Psalm/Hymn selection # FAIL.!
- Uh, now what?? Remembering to say “You may be seated” after hymn # FAIL.!
- I needed filler – inserting the line “and bless this food to the nourishment of our bodies” without thinking – opening prayer # FAIL.!
- What version is He reading from? Announcing the actual reference without inverting the numbers - Scripture Reading # FAIL.!
- X, Y, Z – remembering to check fly before walking to pulpit # FAIL.!
- Don’t quit your day job - Starting off the “Our Father” on the right note # FAIL.!
- Don’t play poker for money … ever - Keeping a straight face while starting off the “Our Father” when Paul Thompson is in attendance # FAIL.!
- Hang in there, puberty was tough for us all – singing first line of “Glory be to God on high” without voice cracking # FAIL.!
- Milli Vanilli you’re not – lip synching words to unfamiliar hymn while leading worship # FAIL.!
- That’s gonna’ leave a mark – Not tripping up the stairs on the way to pulpit # FAIL.!
- If you thought last week’s sermon was good, wait till you hear it a second time – printing the notes for the right sermon # FAIL.!
- And now to paraphrase – Remembering to bring your Bible to the pulpit # FAIL.!
- Oh, that green button – aka – Oh … That’s why the sound booth guy looked so interested in my sermon - turning on lapel mic # FAIL.!
- Wake me up when it’s over - Opening sermon illustration # FAIL.!
- Well, at least it woke them up – Not hitting and knocking over the pulpit mic when making hand gestures during sermon # FAIL.!
- Note to self – call exterminator to kill chirping crickets in basement – sermon joke # FAIL.!
- Next time, I’ll fire off a cannon first to warn you it's coming – covering mic and turning head in time to not sneeze at 140 decibels # FAIL.!
- Just … stay … focused … not being distracted by ringing cell phone during sermon – train of thought # FAIL.!
- Just … stay … focused … not being distracted by screaming baby during sermon – train of thought # FAIL.!
- Just … stay … fo … uh … oh no! That’s my kid crawling under the pews – ordering your own household # FAIL.!
- Just … stay … fo … uh … oh no! That’s my ring tone! Finding reach-through to pocket in clergy robe # FAIL.!
- “All the Single Ladies”? … Really? – Pastor’s ring tone selection #FAIL.!

- Say What? Sermon outline/organization # FAIL.!
- You know, I hadn’t planned on saying this, but … - resisting rabbit trail during sermon & finishing on time #FAIL.!
- So What? Practical application of text # FAIL.!
- Did he just say what I think he said!?!?! “Lot pinched his tits on the planes facing Sodom … er, uh” … - Sermonic Freudian slip – above reproach # FAIL.!
- It’s the playoffs – you’ll have to do better than that if you want to see me next Sunday – sermon relevance # FAIL.!
- If the text had the flu, that sermon would have never caught it- Textual Exposition # FAIL.!
- crash landing; no survivors reported - Sermon Conclusion # FAIL.!
- Don’t care what you preach about, as long as you preach about 40 minutes or less - Sermon length # FAIL.!

- You want an unforgettable sermon illustration on the theology of food?!?! I’ll give you an unforgettable sermon illustration on the theology of food!!! – not throwing up during sermon - *** # WIN!!! ***

- With skills like that, you could play for the Eagles - Not spilling the offering plate # FAIL.!
- The more you try to be Jim Jordan, the more you sound like Ghandi - Eucharist homily # FAIL.!
- Have a pink pair of 5lb dumbbells I can lend you – not having any trouble tearing the communion loaf in half / Manliness # FAIL.!
- Next time, ask for a straw - Not spilling the communion wine all over white robe # FAIL.!
- Don’t eat out much, do you? - Not knocking over wine carafe - coordination # FAIL.!
- We shouldn’t be using these anyway! - Not dropping tray of little wine glasses# FAIL.!
- Yeah – but if the apostle’s had had microscopes … Overcoming germophobia and drinking from the communal cup# FAIL.!
- Can I see some ID? Drinking from communal cup without choking/coughing through nose # FAIL.!
- Remembering the Passing of the Peace – oh yeah, we still do that don’t we? # FAIL.!
- Then why was she wearing a blue onesie?! – getting gender of newborn right on first try during baptism # FAIL.!
- Walking and chewing gum @ same time - Not tripping during the recessional # FAIL.!
- Now I know how that girl felt during the National Anthem - Remembering the words to the benediction# FAIL.!
- Breath like that could singe the tips of your hair – remembering mints for mingling after service #FAIL.!
- I’ve known you for over five years now … we’re like best friends – recollection of parishioner’s name # FAIL.!

Reminds Me of Something Spurgeon Once Said about Sermon Length ...

2011-10-27T07:22:00.001-04:00

According to author Christopher Buckley, before constructing the East Building of the National Gallery of Arts, the design team created its floor plans based on studies that suggested the average museum-goer’s attention span lasts for approximately 45 minutes.

Another Great Poem from Reading Time ...

2011-10-25T07:07:00.000-04:00

“OUR HEROES”

By Phoebe Cary

Here's a hand to the boy who has courage
To do what he knows to be right;
When he falls in the way of temptation
He has a hard battle to fight.
Who strives against self and his comrades
Will find a most powerful foe.

All honor to him if he conquers.
A cheer for the boy who says, “No!”
There's many a battle fought daily
The world knows nothing about;
There's many a brave little soldier
Whose strength puts a legion to rout.

And he who fights sin single-handed
Is more of a hero, I say,
Than he who leads soldiers to battle
And conquers by arms in the fray.
Be steadfast my boy, when you're tempted,
To do what you know to be right.

Stand firm by the colors of manhood,
And you will o'ercome in the fight.
“The right,” be your battle cry ever
In waging the warfare of life,
And God, who knows who are the heroes,
Will give you the strength for the strife.

Book List [What I've been reading/listening to lately] ...

2011-10-22T07:25:00.000-04:00

You are what your mind eats ...

What about Galileo?

2011-10-21T07:22:00.002-04:00

I once got a chance to meet and ask Ken Ham about the story of Galileo, science, and the Church. His response really set me back on my heels. He said that when Church officials refused to hear Galileo’s case – they were really only doing so because Church doctrine had been established by both Biblical language AND THE ‘SCIENTIFIC CONSENSUS’ of the day. The scientists of his day were originally opposed to Galileo along w/ the clergy. It’s actually most analogous to mainstream/liberal ministers shunning intelligent design or young-earth scientists today.

Ham’s point was that when the Church starts to formulate her doctrine on the basis of scientific corroboration [Darwin … the ‘theistic version’], she must be prepared for the shame of future revisions when tomorrow’s new discovery disproves today’s ‘scientific consensus’.

It’s always stuck w/ me. The BioLogos guys love to use the Galileo scenario as ammo, but in actuality, it stands as a rebuttal to their own position.

Occupy Wallstreet Envy: Egalitarianism Gone Wild

2011-10-20T07:12:00.004-04:00

In the first chapter of Romans, Paul tells us that, with God, ingratitude is a capital offense. This truth is at the heart of the Christian faith. It's why globally, countless Christians wake every Sunday to render thanks to God. This general principle also applies to the countless Jews and Muslims around the globe. It is an evil to accept gifts from the hand of God without so much as a thank you in reply.
But it is easy for us to take good gifts for granted. Narcissism comes naturally. Nowhere is this decadence more evident than in the rabble of whiners loitering on Wallstreet right now. These people who have spent their lives living off of corporate production now lashing out in covetousness and ingratitude demanding a share of other’s wealth [by posting google blogs on iPhones, while clothed in corporate textile fabrics, etc] .

I remember once hearing Sam Walton sum up his business philosophy with the old adage, “Sell to the classes, live with the masses; sell to the masses, live with the classes.” Walmart has been wildly successful not because they sell caviar, yachts, or Gulfstream interior packages. They sell Rubbermaid storage bins, fabric by the yard, and Doritos at a discount. Walmart booms because it reaches so many ordinary people in helpful ways. It provides a first job for many high school students, night shift stock work to other young adults who need the second income, and employment for elderly and handicapped workers who might otherwise not be able to find work. The managers of our local branch make a competitive wage and the supervisors are afforded regular opportunities for training and internal advancement. For all its flaws, Walmart makes my town a better place and as proof, I merely submit the thousands of people who shop there every week.

The problem is that Walmart also makes a big target [lower-case “t”] and people love to hate successful businesses like the one Sam Walton started. This is what I teach my kids to call envy. God calls it covetousness and also idolatry [see: Ex 20.17 and Col 3.5]. And this is what the Occupy Wallstreet Protests are all about. The fact that some people have a lot of money and the rest of us don’t. But the fact of the matter is that the really large corporations of the world are as successful as they are because they have found the best ways to serve the largest number of clients. Walmart, Apple, Microsoft, Exxon, BP, GE, GM, AT&T, Citigroup, Verizon, CVS, the Home Depot, State Farm Insurance, Best Buy … these are some of the largest corporations in the world. How many of them have you turned to in the last month? Yeah, I’m asking this to my fellow 99%ers. These companies are successful because they help normal people [us] and normal people [we] give them regular business.

I was born into a working-middle class home. My mom and dad both worked. They bought a small rancher on a postage-stamp lot, and slowly filled it with matchstick furniture, sometimes used. My mom bought many of our clothes second-hand, except for our shoes. They both drove used cars until they didn’t work, then bought more used cars. My dad did a lot of the maintenance himself. I remember once that he used his leather belt to repair our Volkswagen Beetle enough to limp it home after breaking down on the way home from church. Speaking of church, they faithfully gave 10% and not infrequently more than that in offering and charity giving. Dad carpooled to work off and on. He spent several years working the midnight shift and sleeping through the day. We never had cable. I remember the first time dad brought home a VCR. We rented Star Wars and invited some friends over for the big show.

Until I was in high school, our dinner table was actually a large six-foot diameter wooden cable spool my dad salvaged from a construction site and refinished. It wasn’t until something like 15 years after they bought the house that my parents had saved enough money to have a deck built on the back of the house, even though the rear sliding door was about three feet in the air and the design clearly called for a back deck or patio. My dad finished the basement, himself, one room at a time. He installed a wood-burning stove and every year would get a cord of wood delivered, which he split with an axe and burned to supplement our small electric heat pump. Until I was in high school, the kitchen had the original wallpaper. When we were young, we bought a used Atari that came w/ a few games. My folks splurged and bought us a new Nintendo later on. When I was in high school, my brother and I bought a used Sega Genesis which I grew to hate because he was a whiz and beat me every time. They saved up enough money to take my brother and I to Disneyworld once. We drove the whole way overnight. Every other vacation was to see and stay with our family members in the next state above us. Sometimes birthday parties were at Chuck E Cheeses. My Mom packed a brown bag lunch for my dad almost every day and cooked dinner for us almost every night. We rarely ate out, even at McDonalds. We had no pets. We had chores every Saturday morning with the rest of the day to ride our bikes and play or explore in the woods. Some of my best memories growing up were of playing in the woods with my little brother.

When I wanted nice tennis shoes, I had to make and save my own money to buy them. When I was in Jr high, I had to do the same to get a CD stereo in my room. I got my first job before I could drive and most days road my bike or caught the bus to work. I worked every summer after that and regularly through the year too. I had saved up enough money to buy an old used car [carburetor and stick shift] that I could also afford to insure the year after I graduated High School. My parents helped me with the first year or two of college and then I had to pay. Even when they were paying tuition, I found part time jobs in the morning or at night. I dropped out and ended up finishing much later on my own dime.

I cancelled my telephone landline years ago to save a few bucks each month; Craigslist, Ebay, and the Goodwill are my friends; almost all of my clothes are purchased second-hand. I have sold things at the pawn shop to make extra money. There was a Christmas where the only present I bought my firstborn was a 99 cent toy from a thrift store [he reallllllllllllly wanted it … what would you do in a situation like that?!?!] I cannot afford a mortgage, new car payment, iPhone, video game system, cruises or foreign vacations. I had to drop out of grad school because I just can't afford it right now. I am working on paying off a few thousand in medical bills. I have worked in the mud and rain and snow at jobs I found out of the paper or picked up through the grape vine just to have some sort of cash flow during the dry times. Now that I’ve been blessed in a stable position, I look back on all these things without regret [at least as far as they are concerned]. I sincerely think we have been immeasurably blessed to share this comfortable, but mindfully frugal, life together. We have received some charity and tons of help from my family, but I refuse to vote money out of my neighbor’s pocket into my own. Whether he is a millionaire or billionaire is irrelevant.

This is what life was like for a middle class kid in the 80s. These people had to work hard for long hours and save a portion of what they made. They thought in frugal terms and lived thrifty lives. They expected to pay their way. They expected to have to save for hard times, retirement, and large expenditures along the way. In fact, I dare say that in a general sense, every generation of young people have had to work for what they had. If they wanted to improve their lot in life they expected to sacrifice and scrape to get there. If they wanted education, they expected to pay for it by the sweat of their own brow. So the $74,000 question is, why should this generation be different? What makes us so special that we think we deserve “free” college, “free” healthcare, government-provided jobs and mortgage loans?

One of the books I love to read my sons is the Chinese children’s book Jichang Learns to Shoot Arrows. I love it because it tells the simple story of a young man who wants to become a master archer. So he apprentices under the greatest bowman and subjects himself to a rigorous practice regimen for years in order become an archer. He patiently disciplines himself for years and years. This quality is at the heart of every traditional Asian families’ culture. Sacrifice, saving, and hard work is a given. Life has been this way for almost every human being who has ever lived. But there seems to be precious little of it in the US.

Only this generation, the ones who have been catechized according to the mantras of self-esteem psychology, for whom entitlement has replaced industry and freedom, virtue; who have not been taught to recognize, honor, or thank their earthly or heavenly Fathers; only this generation could produce and condone the shame that is the Occupy Wallstreet Movement. From the perspective of humanity, if you do not grow up expecting to work and save every day for your own keep, you are part of a very spoiled, lucky, coddled, and posh few. From the vantage point of the history, you are the 1%.

The Context of Abortion ...

2011-10-19T06:21:00.001-04:00

"Abortion is a religious issue not just because traditional religions happen to oppose it but because abortion is necessarily about sex... A woman (or more usually, the man!) wants abortion only because she wants to have sex without babies.
So in order to fully persuade the people in our society that abortion is not an option, that babies are holy and not to be treated as toys to be thrown away at will, we must achieve a much harder task: we must persuade them that sex is holy and not to be treated as a toy. For sex is the context of abortion. Abortion is different from other issues because sex is different from other issues."

- Peter Kreeft

How do we go about it?

1. Be realistic. Don't expect the victims of the sexual revolution to be objective and rational. You are challenging their god. You are waging spiritual warfare. You are condemning their ecstasy.

2. Always put the negatives (no to sins) in the context of the positives (yes to sinners).

3. Make clear (first of all to yourself) the reason sex is holy: like conversion and the Eucharist, it brings God himself to earth. Conception is a divine act, a miracle.

4. Recognize and affirm the presence of genuine human love even in sinful relationships.

5. Use your imagination. Remember, 'there but for the grace of God go I'.

6. Make heroic sacrifices for the spiritually poor, the enslaved. Be a humble and anonymous hero of purity and chastity. Sacrifice your 'freedom of thought' first of all. 'Take every thought captive to obey Christ' (2 Cor 10.5). In other words, 'don't even think about it', or about yourself. Do it simply for the love of God and God's lost children.
When a body is threatened by a disease, it produces antibodies. The body of Christ too produces these antibodies: saints. If the body is threatened with the disease of greed, the body produces heroes of poverty, like St Francis. If threatened with the disease of indifference to human life, the body produces missionaries of charity, like Mother Teresa. The newest and most critical diseases today seem to be sexual, and there is a desperate need for volunteers to fight in all these areas of the battlefield.

The Lullaby of Broadway ...

2011-10-17T06:54:00.000-04:00

“The next great heresy is going to be simply an attack on morality, and especially on sexual morality... And the madness of tomorrow will come not from Moscow but from Manhattan.”

-G.K. Chesterton, 1926

Genesis Debate, part 2

2011-10-15T07:16:00.003-04:00

ME: So, when Scripture is read, should we wait for the lab results before saying the 'Amen'? Dave's point stands - if theology is subject to scientific consensus then what else is up for grabs? What stops us IN PRINCIPLE? Isn't it THE slippery slope that marks the point of departure, historically, from orthodoxy into liberalism?

A - love you, brother, but 'proven'? When scientists claim to have "proven" fossil aging in the billions of years in the same way that - say - they did the polio vaccine, a certain cynicism is in order. On the contrary, God's Word is sure. Its clear points are to be clearly and plainly believed.
@ Galileo - I asked for chapters - because that's what we have for creation. And their CLEAR point is 6-day creation, while the metaphorical "sun rising / setting" is incidental. There is no honest comparison.

A - hope to get together again soon, maybe in DC?

Pastor B, as 1 Peter commands, preach as the oracle of God, not the oracle of God**.

Let God be true and every man a liar [white lab coat notwithstanding].

HIM: B- you can still say the "Amen" whether the days are meant to be literal or figurative, because the message of Scripture is that GOD created the universe! The same way that 400 years ago, the congregation could say the "Amen" to the "...geocentric" verses before "the observatory results" were in, because the message is NOT geocentrism OR heliocentrism.

There is much evidence that the 7 days structure was a common literary device used in the ANE literature, and is not meant to be taken literally (see Young, "Bible, Rocks and Time"). Just as in so many other places, God accommodates to the language conventions of the day in which He reveals His truth.

As far as the slippery slope...sometimes it's valid, but sometimes it's not. I mean, that was the same thing they warned about 400 years, and yet re-interpreting those "geocentric" verses hasn't led to a rejection of miracles, the Virgin Birth and the Resurrection, has it?? I know it certainly hasn't led ME down that slope, nor any of the people I know of who accept an old earth. The "slippery slope" argument, I'm afraid, is over-rated.

B, love you too! : D And yes, "proven". Whence the cynicism? When the methods have been proven in oil exploration (as I mentioned several times in this chain, and have received no response from anyone),and when the entire community of geologists and geophysicists are convinced about the methods, wouldn't it be a bit uber-skeptical of me (and you) to say "Nope, can't be true, because my traditional interpretation of Genesis 1 says it can't be true!" Perhaps the cynicism would be better aimed...at the traditional interpreation of Genesis 1 (you know, the kind you aimed your cynicism at when you changed you traiditional interpretation of the baptism passages?? : D ).

And I agree that God's Word is sure...your interpretation of it, however...that's another thing! ; )And yeah, Ben...love to do lunch in DC. Are you working down there now?

OUTSIDE contributor: "N" - I mean why do we argue over something that in the long run doesn't matter. Scripture doesn't tell us how old the earth is so why should debate about the whole thing?

HIM: Because, N, some people think that it DOES tell us how old the earth is (6-10K years old), and then when confronted with the scientific evidence that it is much, much older than that, they have a crisis of faith, and Satan causes them ...to doubt the Bible.

I agree with you in this sense though...Scripture really doesn't tell us how old the earth is. Now if only some of the other people listed above in this discussion would realize that! : D

ME: square pegs; round holes; free woodchips. But A, maybe I misunderstand your position. When you affirm the statement "In 6 days the Lord made heaven and earth", what do you understand that to mean?

N - Something to notice when working your way through Genesis is that genealogies were as important to its author [Moses] as microscopes are to A ;?) . This is where the timeframe of 6-10k years comes from. ... the Bible. You're right in one respect though, it is not exact about age. But you don't need to know my weight down to the ounce to tell me apart from my baby daughter ... even from a distance ... through a glass darkly.

HIM: B, I'm not completely sure I have a firm understanding (just being honest), except for the obvious fact that God created EVERYTHING. As you know, there are many ways that even conservative OT scholars undersatnd (and have understood) the... language/genre of those opening verses. Meredith Kline's framework view, which I assume you're familiar with, is one; others have pointed out that much Ancient Near East literature utilized a 7-day literary device quite commonly, in ways that it was clear the days were not 24 days. It wouldn't be crazy to think that Genesis could have utilized the common literary conventions of the ANE.

So however exactly we're supposed to understand the 7 days, we CAN'T understand it to require thinking that the universe is only 10K years old. God's creation is a witness that can't be ignored, and it witnesses to billions of years.

B, you're thinking of this as the "glass half empty"; but maybe you should think of it as the glass half full! There may be many potential ways of understanding these verses, but God's creation gives us some information that helps us to eliminate some of those possibilities. So that means that the study of God's creation is actually helping us to get closer to the correct understanding of God's Word! : D

Also, B have you read any books that detail all the various methods that scientists use for dating the earth and the universe? I just wonder if you have appreciated the weight of the mountain of evidence that you're rejecting. My guess is that you would say that it doesn't matter, because the Bible clearly contradicts the empirical evidence, and you're going to go with the Bible. I appreciate that you want to stand for the Bible, "let every man be a liar". I can't see it in the same categories, however. In this case, it's not really "man" that's speaking, and therefore, it can't be "man" that's lying. In reality, it's GOD'S CREATION that is speaking, and scientists are in a sense the messengers (don't shoot the messengers!). GOD'S CREATION doesn't lie, any more than God's Word can lie.

So here's the bottom line with me: In this case, God's creation screams so loudly and consistently that it does NOT ALLOW for various interpretations, but God's Word DOES in this case allow for more than one interpretation. Some of those interpretations can be reconciled with what God's creation tells us, and some of them can't. Ergo, since any interpretation of Genesis which requires that we believe the earth to be 10K years old can NOT be reconciled with what God tells us in His creation, the any such interpretation must be wrong. It's that simple for me. Whether I necessarily know EXACTLY how to interpret Genesis 1 doesn't bother me. My faith in the Bible is just as strong (actually stronger) as it was when I was a YEC, because I know that God's Word is true, even I can't quite understand every portion of that Word.

It Gets Better …once you repent

2011-10-08T06:58:00.002-04:00

There has been a lot of media coverage recently because of the recent suicides of some young students who had allegedly been the victims of bullying [which seems to be the contemporary equivalent of antebellum lynching] because of their nascent homosxlity. Never before have we needed more clarity on this issue. Never before have we needed more honesty about this issue. But both are very hard to come by. The dirty little secret is that it doesn’t get better. The homosxl life is a meatgrinder that leaves people mangled, used, and desperately alone in the end. I hope we can say this with honesty and love to our dear ones in the struggle.
Below is an abridged essay written by Ronald Lee who refers to himself as a former gay [of several decades] and now devout Christian [Catholic]. He has written bravely and frankly to set the record straight and this lengthy essay is well worth the read.

The Truth About the Homosxl Rights Movement
Ronald G. Lee

There was a "gay" bookstore called Lobo's in Austin, Texas, when I was living there. The layout was interesting. Looking inside from the street all you saw were books - like any other bookstore. It all looked so innocuous and disarmingly bourgeois. But if you went inside to browse, before long you noticed another section, behind the books, a section not visible from the street. The pornography section. Hundreds and hundreds of videos involving men catering to every conceivable sxl taste or fantasy. And you would notice something else too. All the customers were in the back, rooting through the videos. As far as I know, I am the only person who ever actually purchased a book. The books were, in every sense of the word, a front.

So why waste thousands of dollars on books that no one was going to buy? The money spent on books wasn't wasted. It was used to purchase a commodity that is more precious than gold to the gay rights establishment. Respectability. Respectability and the appearance of normalcy. Without that investment, we would not now be engaged in a serious debate about the legalization of same-sex "marriage." By the time I lived in Austin, I had been thinking of myself as a gay man for almost 20 years. Based on the experience acquired during those years, I recognized in Lobo's a metaphor for the strategy used to sell gay rights to the American people, and for the sordid reality that strategy concealed.

There are two kinds of people who are going to be looking in through the window: those who are tempted to engage in homosxl acts, and those who aren't. To those who aren't, the shelves of books transmit the message that homosxlity is not wrong, just different. Since most of them will never know more than what they learned looking in the window, that impression is of the greatest political and cultural importance, because on that basis they will react without alarm, or even with active support, to the progress of gay rights. There are millions of well-meaning Americans who support gay rights because they believe that what they see looking in at Lobo's is what is really there. It does not occur to them that they are seeing a carefully stage-managed effort to manipulate them, to distract them from a truth they would never condone.

For those who are tempted, the view from the street is also consoling. It makes life as a homosexual look safe and unthreatening - normal. Sooner or later, many of these people will go inside. They won't be distracted by the books for long. They will soon discover that the back section is where all the customers are. And, gentle reader, that is where most of them will spend the rest of their lives, until God or AIDS, drugs or alcohol, suicide or a lonely old age, intervenes.

Ralph McInerny once offered a brilliant definition of the gay rights movement: self-deception as a group effort. Nevertheless, deception of the general public is also vital to the success of the cause. And nowhere are the forms of deception more egregious, or more startlingly successful, than in the campaign to persuade Christians that churches should open their doors to same-sex lovers. The movement relies on a stratagem that is as daring as it is dishonest. I know, because I was taken in by it for a long time.

No single book was as influential in my own coming out as the now ex-Father John McNeill's 1976 "classic" The Church and the Homosxl. Most of the book is devoted to offering alternative interpretations of the biblical passages condemning homosxlity, and to putting the anti-homosxl writings of the Church Fathers and scholastics into historical context in a way that renders them irrelevant and even offensive to modern readers. It made me feel justified in deciding to come out of the closet. Were his arguments persuasive? Frankly, I didn't care, and I don't believe most of McNeill's readers do either. They were couched in the language of scholarship, and they sounded plausible. That was all that mattered. The efforts of people such as McNeill don't need to be persuasive. They only need to be useful.

Naïve theologians presume that McNeill believes his own arguments, and is writing as a scholar, not as a propagandist. But correctly parsing the sexual ethics of St. Thomas, was never really the issue. Winning admittance to Holy Communion was the issue.

I interpreted McNeill to be arguing that homogenital acts were moral when performed in the context of a monogamous relationship. And that [since] the author was aware of such relationships, and that I had a reasonable expectation of finding such a relationship myself.

Several years ago, McNeill published an autobiography. In it, he makes no bones about his experiences as a sexually active Catholic priest -- a promiscuous, sexually active, homosexual Catholic priest. He writes in an almost nostalgic fashion about his time spent hunting for sex in bars. Although he eventually did find a stable partner (while he was still a priest), he never apologizes for his years of promiscuity.

Although to this day McNeill, like all gay Christian propagandists, avoids the subject of sexual ethics as if it were some sort of plague, his life makes his real beliefs clear. He believes in unrestricted sexl freedom. He believes that men and women should have the right to couple, with whomever they want, whenever they want, however they want, and as often as they want. He would probably add some sort of meaningless bromide about both parties being treated with respect, but anyone familiar with the snake pit of modern sexl culture (both heterosxl and homosxl) will know how seriously to take that. In other words, the ex-Fr. McNeill is a bad priest and a con man. And given the often lethal consequences of engaging in homosxl sx, a con man with blood on his hands.

Let me be clear. I believe that McNeill's actual behavior represent the real aims and objectives of the homosexual rights movement. In other words, if you support what is now described in euphemistic terms as "the blessing of same-sx unions," in practice you are supporting the abolition of the entire Christian sxl ethic, and its substitution with an unrestricted, laissez faire, free sxl market. If you still believe that the debate is over the religious status of monogamous same-sx relationships, please be prepared to point out one church somewhere in the U.S. that has opened its doors to active homosxls without also opening them to every other form of sxl coupling imaginable. I am too old to be taken in by "Father" McNeill and his abstractions anymore. Show me.

When I first came out in the 1980s, it was common for gay rights apologists to blame the promiscuity among gay men on "internalized homophobia." But 35 years have passed since the infamous Stonewall riots of 1969 in New York, the Lexington and Concord of the gay liberation movement. During that time, homosxls have carved out for themselves public spaces in every major American city, and many of the minor ones as well. They have had the chance to create whatever they wanted in those spaces, and what have they created? New spaces for locating sxl partners.

Male homosxls are not promiscuous because of "internalized homophobia," or laws banning same-sx "marriage." Homosxls are promiscuous because when given the choice, they overwhelmingly choose to be promiscuous. And wrecking the fundamental social building block of our civilization, the family, is not going to change that.

But isn't it theoretically possible that homosxls could restrict themselves to something resembling the traditional Catholic sxl ethic, except for the part about procreation -- in other words, monogamous lifelong relationships? Of course it is theoretically possible. It was also theoretically possible in 1968 that the use of contraceptives could be restricted to married couples, that the revolting downward slide into moral anarchy we have lived through could have been avoided. It is theoretically possible, but it is practically impossible. It is impossible because the whole notion of stable sxl orientation on which the gay rights movement is founded has no basis in fact.

René Girard argues that all human civilization is founded on desire with an elaborate and unbreachable wall of taboos and restrictions. Until now. What we are seeing in the modern West is not the long overdue legitimization of hitherto despised but honorable forms of human love. We are witnessing is the reduction of civilization to its lowest common denominator: unbridled and unrestricted desire. To assert that we have opened a Pandora's Box would be a stunning understatement. Fasten your seatbelts, ladies and gentlemen, it looks to be a bumpy millennium.

Two people of the same gender could (in theory) fall in love and live a life of monogamous commitment. Then bisxlity was introduced, and the real implications of the sxl revolution became clear. Monogamy was out the window. Moral norms were out the window. Do-it-yourself sxlity became the norm. Anyone who wants to know what that looks like can do no better than go online. The Internet offers front row seats to the circus of a disintegrating civilization.

Over the years, I have attended various gay and gay-friendly church services. All of them shared one characteristic in common: a tacit agreement never to say a word from the pulpit -- or from any other location for that matter -- suggesting that there ought to be any restrictions on human sxl behavior. If anyone reading this is familiar with them, let me ask you one question: When was the last time you heard a sermon on sxl ethics? Have you ever heard a sermon on sxl ethics? I take it for granted that the answer is negative. Do our priests and pastors honestly believe that Christians in America are not in need of sermons on sxl ethics?

Here is the terrifying fact: If we as a nation and as a Church allow ourselves to be taken in by the scam of monogamous same-sx couples, we will be giving our blessing to the suicide of Western civilization.

The media are biased and have no interest in telling the truth about homosxlity. I met Wyatt online. For five years he was in a disastrous same-sx relationship. His partner was unfaithful, and an alcoholic with drug problems. When Vermont legalized same-sex "marriage," Wyatt saw it as one last chance to make their relationship work. He and his partner would fly to Vermont to get "married." This came to the attention of the local newspaper in his area, which did a story with photos of the wedding reception. In it, Wyatt and his partner were depicted as a loving couple who finally had a chance to celebrate their commitment publicly. Nothing was said about the drugs or the alcoholism or the infidelity. But the marriage was a failure and ended in flames a few months later. And the newspaper did not do a follow-up.

Harry was a balding, middle-aged man with a potbelly. He was married, and had a couple of grown daughters. And he was unhappy. Harry persuaded himself that he was unhappy because he was gay. He divorced his wife, who is now married to someone else, his daughters are not speaking to him, and he is discovering that pudgy, bald, middle-aged men are not all that popular in gay bars. Somehow, Oprah forgot to mention that. Now Harry is taking anti-depressants in order to keep from killing himself.

Gay culture is a paradox. Most homosxls tend to be liberal Democrats, or in the U.K., supporters of the Labour Party on the grounds that their policies are more compassionate and sensitive to the needs of the downtrodden and oppressed. But there is nothing compassionate about a gay bar. It represents a laissez faire free sxl market of the most Darwinian sort. There is no place in it for those who are not prepared to compete, and the rules of the game are ruthless and unforgiving. The gay life is all about meat, and unless you are a good cut, don't bother coming to the supermarket

I have known a lot of people like Harry. But I have met precious few who bore more than a superficial resemblance to the idealized images we see in movies such as Philadelphia, or in The New York Times. What I find suspicious is that the media ignore the existence of people like him. The unhappiness so common among homosexuals is swept under the carpet, while fanciful and unrealistic "role models" are offered up for public consumption. There is at the very least grounds for a serious debate about the proposition that "gay is good," but no such debate is taking place, because most of the mainstream media have already made up their (and our) minds.

On one occasion, I was complaining to a lesbn about my disillusionment. She made a remarkable admission to me. She had a teenage son, who so far had not displayed signs of sxl interest in either gender. But she confessed to me that based on the lives of the gay men she knew, she found herself secretly praying that her son would turn out to be straight. As a mother, she did not want to see her son living that life.

A popular definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing, while expecting a different result. That was me, the whole time I was laboring to become a happy homosxl. Several times I turned for advice to gay men who seemed better adjusted to their lot in life than I was. When was it going to get better? What could I do to make it better? I was told that there was something wrong with me and that I should shut up and stop bothering others with my "internalized homophobia." It took me twenty years, but I finally reached the conclusion that I did not want to be insane.

So where am I now? I am attending a militantly orthodox parish in Houston that is one of God's most spectacular gifts to me. My best friend Mark is, like me, a refugee from the homosxl insane asylum. He is also a devout believer, though a Presbyterian (no one is perfect). From Mark I have learned that two men can love each other profoundly while remaining clothed the entire time. We are told that the Church opposes same-sx love. Not true. The Church opposes homogenital sx, which in my experience is not about love, but about obsession, addiction, and compensation for a compromised masculinity.

So, what do we as a Church and a culture need to do? Tear down the respectable façade and expose the pornography beneath. Start pressuring homosxls to tell the truth about their lives. Stop debating the correct interpretation of Genesis 19. Sodom is hidden in plain view from us, here and now, today. As Cardinal Newman shows in his classic Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine: Truth ripens, error rots. The homosxl rights movement is rotten to the core. It has no future. There is no life in it. Sooner or later, those who are caught up in it are going to wake up from the dream of unbridled desire or else die. It is just a matter of time. The question is: how long? How many children are going to be sacrificed to this Moloch?

Until several months ago, there was a Lobo's in Houston too. Recently, I was taking a walk through the neighborhood and I noticed something. There was a padlock on the door. A sign on the door read, "The previous tenant was evicted for nonpayment of rent." The façade and what it conceals, are gone now. Praise God.

Remember Tyndale ...

2011-10-06T14:44:00.007-04:00

Today is the day many in the Church remember the life and work of William Tyndale. He died on this day in 1536.

A lot has been made of the King James Version of the Bible this year, but if you're like me, you haven't heard or thought much about this dear saint. Below are a few of the phrases we take for granted, that originated with him:

Jehovah (from a transliterated Hebrew construction in the Old Testament; composed from the Tetragrammaton YHWH.

Passover (as the name for the Jewish holiday, Pesach or Pesah)

scapegoat (the goat that bears the sins and iniquities of the people in Leviticus, Chapter 16)

Coinage of the word atonement (a concatenation of the words 'At One' to describe Christ's work of restoring a good relationship—a reconciliation—between God and people)[25] is also sometimes ascribed to Tyndale.[26][27] However, the word was probably in use by at least 1513, before Tyndale's translation.[28][29] Similarly, sometimes Tyndale is said to have coined the term mercy seat.[30] While it is true that Tyndale introduced the word into English, mercy seat is more accurately a translation of Martin Luther's German Gnadenstuhl.[31]

As well as individual words, Tyndale also coined such familiar phrases as:

lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil

knock and it shall be opened unto you

twinkling of an eye (another translation from Luther)[30]

a moment in time

fashion not yourselves to the world

seek and you shall find

ask and it shall be given you

judge not that you not be judged

the word of God which liveth and lasteth forever

let there be light (Luther translated Genesis 1,3 as: Es werde Licht, which would be word for word translated: It will be light)

the powers that be

my brother's keeper

the salt of the earth

a law unto themselves

filthy lucre

it came to pass

gave up the ghost

the signs of the times

the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (which is like Luthers translation of Mathew 26,41: der Geist ist willig, aber das Fleisch ist schwach; Wyclif for example translated it with: for the spirit is ready, but the flesh is sick.)

live and move and have our being

fight the good fight

Sporadic Mycophilia: Golden Chanties ...

2011-10-04T22:15:00.015-04:00

Today I found my first wild golden chanterelles - one of the most precious finds for any mycophage [top 3 choice edible on any list] because of their taste and because they have never been successfully cultivated by commercial farmers. They were beautiful, if a little over-ripe. I found them circling the ground near a large, mature oak in some woods almost within sight of the side door to my office. They smell strongly of dried apricots - not even a trace of mushroom or fungal aroma ... simply wonderful. Bright, buttery yellow gold, they stood out from the forest floor, that is only just starting to clutter with the bright colors of fall leaves. You can see from the picture their deep ridges/wrinkles [NOT gills & NOT growing out of dead wood/tree base and NOT in a true cluster]. They sliced solid with a white center down the stalk. We sauteed them with some pineapple, honey, salt, general seasoning spice mix, and of course, lots of butter - then served with pasta.
It vividly reminded me of a Leithart passage a friend shared with me recently. He notes how Moses recounts the construction of the tabernacle to parallel the 7 days of creation in Genesis 1. “Day 3: Table of showbread on north side outside the veil, with bread arranged [Ex 40:22-23]” corresponds to Day 3 of the creation week: “Golden land and food”.
...“the Day 3 associations of the golden table suggest that the dry land itself is a table spread with food for God’s creatures. A table that reproduces food at will, that recycles waste food and turns it into more food to re-fill the table, in other words a pretty neat table. Altars are also tables, and so the dry land-as-table suggests that the land also emerges from the sea to be God’s table.”
As you can see from the picture, I pulled them straight from the soil. This was intentional. Studies have shown that they seem to grow back and thrive more in the longrun when harvested this way than when knife cut. ... almost as if they were created for us just to pluck off the ground, a golden table of delights.

Book List [What I've been reading lately ...]

2011-10-02T09:40:00.000-04:00

4 by Clancy

Genesis Debate, part 1

2011-10-01T12:59:00.001-04:00

Here is an old online debate I had with a dear friend on our reading of Genesis 1-11. Enjoy!

HIS THESIS: Science proves that the earth is billions of years old and this is compatible with the teachings of early Genesis.

MY THESIS: The earth is only thousands of years old and any honest reading of Genesis demands this view.

ME: A - your position can be summed up in w/ the words: square peg; round hole; hammer not included.

Here’s a big clue: something interesting to note - Unbelieving scholarship uniformely confirms … without blinking … the simple reading - without the pressure of having to actually make the account seem believable, … like the insecure, affection-starved girl mistaking lust for love, we confuse honest exegesis for sophisticated interpretations.

Can you give me the one or two strongest reasons WITHIN THE TEXT ITSELF for a “loose interpretation”?

HIM: B! Good to hear from you! I remember talking about this before with you : D It seems you haven't changed your mind on the age of the earth, but you have changed your mind on baptism! Your wisdom is now suspect... HAHAHA (kidding) : D"

No doubt similar arguments were made during Galileo's time...
..."If we can't trust the Bible on issues of science, how can we trust it when it comes to salvation?" Again...who was wrong about that?? Oh, yeah...US, the BIBLE BELIEVING Christians! Now we just understand the verses they argued about to be speaking phenomologically, and we move on. But that intepretation was not so popular or credible 400-some years ago. It took time to be accepted.

So despite a fossil record that goes back millions of years, you're telling me that there was no death in the natural world until after the fall in Eden?

ME - what a can of worms! A- 1: pre-fall fossils, nope. Geocentricity - 2: can you guys list for me the chapters of the Bible that teach the earth as the center of the universe? For the record - Galileo is - in fact - a great example of what happens when theologians of one generation interpret the Bible by the science of their day, then have to recant when the science changes. kinda like ... ;?) Big question: Hath God said? Yes or no.

HIM: B - so are you telling me those trilobite fossils dating reliably to hundreds of millions of years ago...are in fact really only about 6-10K years ago? Is it really likely that all the geologists are wrong, geologists who use these dating methods (U238 and U235, for ex.) regularly, geologists who are held accountable in the field, whose conclusions have been TESTED and PROVEN to be true in the field and in the real world (most prominently the oil exploration industry, which relies on the science of modern geology to find oil sources)?? Why do you think oil companies hire paleontologists, geologists and geophysicists, but NOT flood geologists or OT scholars?? Is it maybe because the oil companies, who have no dog in the "age of the earth" fight, are abundantly aware that the science of modern geology, etc., is RELIABLE and has amazing PREDICTIVE POWER, while flood geology isn't and doesn't?

As for heliocentrism...Eccl. 1:5; Psalm 19:6; Psalm 93:1, 104:5; Joshua 10:13. And you're missing my main point - which is that we need to learn to be humble given our track record in these conflicts. Theologians then were convinced that the earth did not move, and so it couldn't be possible that the earth was actually spinning around the sun (as well as on its own axis), and they based this belief on how they interpreted Scripture. When scientists gathered compelling evidence that in fact those theologians were WRONG, I've no doubt that the theologians made similar ultimatums: "Are you going to believe these scientists with their 'evidence' or are you going to believe the WORD OF GOD??" The fact was that both the science was accurate and the Bible was accurate, but the INTERPRETATION of the Bible was DEAD WRONG at this point. I'm suggesting that history is repeating itself.

THINK before you Billboard

2011-09-28T07:12:00.003-04:00

This was too good not to post. Apparently somewhere out west, the American Humanist Association had a billboard put up in the name of enlightened rationalism. The tagline was "THINK before you believe". But there was this big, irresistible void in the bottom left of the layout ... and some local Christian students just couldn't resist. So they printed and pasted the banner you see in the picture. Now, I'm not saying I endorse vandalism, but if my boys did something like this, I'd be very, very proud.

Book List [What I've been reading lately ... ]

2011-09-26T06:43:00.000-04:00

The Federal Budget as a Household

2011-09-24T09:04:00.001-04:00

thanks to Andy D for sending this my way - a very helpful perspective!

Sporadic Mycophilia: Something to Passover

2011-09-23T11:24:00.000-04:00

Here's me next to what I believe is one of the deadliest mushrooms in America: a huge Destroying Angel. The boys and I spotted this one while driving down an old country road. Smooth, stark-white cap w/ fine white, non-attached gills, long stem skirt rising from a bulb at the stipe base; white spore print; no bruising or discoloration when cut/split [I checked the pieces in the trashcan from yesterday and they're all still eerily, pale white.]. It is said to make a delicious last meal. Implications for our hamartiology?

Good News!

2011-09-15T13:50:00.000-04:00

For Such is the Kingdom of Heaven ...

Evangeline Hope

Lex Canteti ...

2011-09-07T06:03:00.001-04:00

"The early church argued lex orendi, lex credendi: the law of your prayer is the law of your belief. I would argue the law of your singing is the law of your belief."

- Darryl Tippens, author of That’s Why We Sing: Reclaiming the Wonder of Congregational Singing and organizer of Ascending Voices; An a cappella Music Festival

What is this, Missouri?!?!

2011-08-27T20:31:00.004-04:00

Tuesday we had a 5.8 earthquake. Tonight Hurricane Irene arrives. What is this, Missouri?! This evening, while reading George Grant and Greg Wilbur's EXCELLENT Christian Almanac [one of our favorites] I discovered that it was, in fact, on this day in 1667 that the very first recorded American hurricane hit Jamestown, VA -- and that before live webcams, doppler radar, and poured foundation walls*.
*This was also the day in 1883 when Krakatoa erupted killing an estimated 36,000 in Indonesia. Try to fit that one into Rob Bell's theology.

Just a Number

2011-08-18T06:07:00.001-04:00

Recently, the sport of golf, traditionally thought of as an old man's game, has been taken over by youngbloods. This weekend, the PGA championship was won by 1986-born, Keegan Bradley. Just a few months ago, the best score ever recorded [by a healthy margin of 4 strokes!] at the US Open was shot by a 22 yr old. That was a truly remarkable accomplishment for someone in any year of life. But age is a funny thing, as we in the Church well know. Something I've been grappling with for some time, as a 'young' man pursuing the ministry, is the [pun intended] age-old question: when is a man too young to be a pastor? Here is a short list that might help provide some historic [and Reformed] perspective on that question:

Athenasius was 27 when he stood against the Arians at the first council of Nicaea; Ursinus and Olevianus were commissioned to produce the Heidelberg catechism at 28 and 26 resp; George Gillespie was called to the Westminster Assembly at 31; also called were John Bond [32], Peter Sterry [31], John Wallis [non-voting scribe at 28], Henry Wilkinson [34], Francis Woodcock [30], Archibald Johnston [33], and John Maitland -sent by the Scottish Covenenters to the Assembly at 28 [of course any of them may have been ordained at a younger age prior to this as well]; Joseph Caryl and William Greenhill, signers of the Savoy Declaration, were both not yet 30 when they began ministry; Jeremiah Burroughs was 31 when first appointed rector; John Whitgift, author of the Calvinistic Lambeth Articles, entered the chaplaincy at around 30; Heinrich Bullinger, primary author of the Second Helvetic Confession, began ministry at 24-25; John Calvin was ordained at 27 and within a year had published the first edition of his Institutes; Guido de Bres, author of the Belgic Confession, began his ministry at 30; Martin Bucer entered the chaplaincy at 30; Samuel Rutherford began his ministry ~ 27; Thomas Boston – licensed at 21, pastor at 23; Francis Turretin – pastor at 25; John Owen – ordained ~ 28; John Gill served as a pastoral intern at 21 and graduated to the full pastorate a year later; John Bunyan began preaching at 27; Franciscus Gomarus, who led the stand against Arminianism at the Synod of Dort, began pastoring at 24; Stephen Charnock - minister at 22; Peter Viret, known as "The Smile of the Reformation", said to have helped Calvin and two others author the Gallic [or French] Confession of Faith 1559, was called to preach at 20 by William Farel, who was himself ~ 30 when he joined the Cercle de Meaux, to help bring reform to the French church; Jonathan Edwards - called to the pastorate at 20; Benjamin Keach [Spurgeon's predecessor and one of the original seven Baptists to call for the General Assembly that lead to the London Baptist Confession of 1689] was called as pastor when 20; Melanchton was only 24 when he joined the Reformational fray by authoring his first two works in defense of Luther; John Willock [one of the 6 Johns responsible for authoring the Scots Confession] was about 27 when made chaplain to the Duke of Suffolk; John Row [another of the 6 Johns] was 25 when ordained as a minister; Thomas Cramner, primary author of the Book of Common Prayer, was appointed preacher at Jesus College before he turned 30; John Knox wasn't yet 30 when he famously guarded the pulpit of reformer, George Wishart, [himself within a year of the same age] with a giant two-handed sword; Richard Baxter – ordained at 23; Thomas Watson – pastor at 26; J.C. Ryle – ordained at 25; Abraham Booth was called to be a pastor while in his early 20's; Cotton Mather – full pastorate at 22; David Brainard – licensed and called at 25; George Whitefield – parish priest at 25; Asahel Nettleton – ordained at 28; Charles Wesley – ordained at 28; Henry Martyn began missions work in India at 25; AA Hodge did the same at 24; Charles G Finney began studying for the ministry at 29 [just checking to see if you’re still reading]; Andrew Fuller was a pastor at 21/22; J.L. Dagg, the first American Baptist theologian began pastoring at 31; William Carey – called at 24; Abraham Kuyper accepted a call at 27; Matthew Henry – called at 25; BB Warfield – called to the pastorate at 26 [though he refused]; Archibald Alexander - licensed at 19, ordained at 23; Charles Hodge – licensed at 23; Andrew Bonar - minister at 28; his brother Horatio was ordained at 29; RL Dabney - missionary at 26, pastor at 27; Spurgeon – ordained at 19; McCheyne – died at 29; Martin Lloyd Jones – called at 28; RJ Rushdoony - ordained at 28; JI Packer – ordained at 27; Francis Schaeffer – ordained at 27; In recent years, Ian Murray, entered the ministry at 24-25; R.C. Sproul – ordained as an elder at 26; and John MacArthur began the pastorate at Grace Community at 30. How many of your heroes are on this list?

[photo: inquisitr.com]

The Meaning of 'is' Day

2011-08-17T07:23:00.001-04:00

Well all, my wacky calendar tells me that today is “The meaning of ‘is’ day”. This is a ‘commemoration’ of the phrase our former President used 13 years ago while attempting to finagle his way out of a truthful answer to questions about his illicit relationship inside the oval office with a young, now infamous, intern. Personally, I have to admit that such a recollection makes me glad for our current President who, for all his many faults and shortcomings, appears at least to be a man of marital fidelity [something much more rare than might be supposed from our land’s highest office – see “In the President’s Secret Service: Behind the scenes with the agents” for insights that will make your skin crawl].

In the last year, we have seen several similar examples surface, namely the Weiner debacle, Schwarzenegger’s scandal, and the most notably, the philandering of John Edwards, behind the back of his famous, dying wife. The Edward’s episode was notable because his staffer’s revealed that through the years, they actually worked to keep him and his mistress apart. They would intentionally screen her calls and interfere with their attempts to rendezvous. So here is a man, aspiring to one day attain the highest political office in the world, who needed his staffers to protect him from his own lusts. Truthfully now, how could such a man be trusted with the reins of our nation? It brings to mind the Scriptural principle that a man incapable of ruling himself, is not fit to rule anything else. This directly contradicts conventional wisdom that a guy’s personal life is his own business, as long as he performs in office. But the borders dividing the compartments of a man’s life are more than a little porous, and a lack of integrity at home will always lead to similar breaches in the other areas of his life. A jar of spoiled mayo is no more edible in the cafeteria at work than it is when I first find it in my kitchen at home.

Book List [what I've been reading lately] ...

2011-08-11T06:45:00.000-04:00

4 by Krakouer

you are what your mind eats ...

Birthday Wishes

2011-08-05T06:21:00.009-04:00

Thank you all for your birthday well wishes. In case any of you are thinking of gifts - I would be honored if you would consider a 'birthday' donation of $31 to help the International Medical Corps with their relief work in East Africa where - because of famine and the actions of wicked men - a large part of the population is starving, with the children being hit especially hard. The donation process is easy at this link [please be aware that there is a $4 service fee added at the end, so the total will be $35]. Thanks again for all the cards and notes.

Discovery Channel Worldview

2011-08-03T06:09:00.000-04:00

This week the Discovery Channel is launching a new show called "Curiosity". It is purported to be a five year deal to explore the most tantalizing and provocative questions of science and technology. The first episode, hosted by Stephen Hawking, is entitled, "Did God create the Universe?" With all these things in the air, I found myself unable to ward off the parody demons. To the tune of 'Jesus Loves Me'.

Darwin loves me this I know

Stephen Hawking tells me so
Say goodbye to right and wrong
all the weak to feed the strong

Chorus:…

Self adapters will survive
and the fittest stay alive
Progress Darwin’s all about
Till our bright, hot sun burns out

Chorus: …

Nature red in tooth and claw
Is life’s only certain law
Thankfully for Stephen’s sake
We still often that law break.

Chorus: ...

Once again, I can't resist quoting the close of Steven Turner's Creed:

If chance be the Father of all flesh,

disaster is his rainbow in the sky,
and when you hear
State of Emergency!
Sniper Kills Ten!
Troops on Rampage!
Whites go Looting!
Bomb Blasts School!
It is but the sound of man worshiping his maker.

Book List [what i've been reading latetly ...]

2011-08-01T09:51:00.000-04:00

Summer reading/listening ...

Debt Ceiling Commentary too good not to pass along ...

2011-08-01T07:34:00.000-04:00

"In times past, spending cuts have been what they have called spending increases that increase more slowly. A man gaining five pounds a months manages to get it back to three pounds a month, and then proudly tells all his friends about this fantastic weight loss program. ...

President Obama says that he favors a "balanced approach," which he thinks is a combination of tax increases and spending cuts. But when the guy talking about his weight loss program is bedridden because the only way out of his room is if the fire department does it for him, and he also tells you that his "balanced" solution for ending this crisis is for him to consider a diet next month, and for you to bring him another plate of sausages now, the word that comes to mind is not "balanced."

And as for a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution? ... once the debate started, we would have the special treat of watching all the big spenders of Congress standing in front of microphones, cameras rolling, and all of them sweating like Mike Tyson at a spelling bee. After that, the Lord could take me home anytime. I will have lived a full life."

- Doug Wilson

Book List [What I've been reading lately]

2011-07-20T06:14:00.002-04:00

you are what your mind eats ...

Monthly Current Events Quiz

2011-07-15T06:04:00.000-04:00

Americans everywhere are joining their voices to the public outcry because …

A. Casey Anthony is being released without being held criminally responsible for any role in her toddler daughter’s death .

B. The state of New York has legalized same-sex marriage.

C. Washington debt-summit officials are at a stalemate, unable to agree between various options of overspending.

D. Netflix has raised their prices.

[photo: pcworld.com]

Jefferson's Retrospective: Adding Just One Last Amendment

2011-07-12T06:57:00.001-04:00

It is easy for we Christians to dismiss Tea Party types as crass, one-track activists who just want to keep their pockets better padded via lower taxes. But this is because we often forget that the question of taxation is a moral one. It was Jesus Who taught us that where our $$ is, there will our hearts be also. $$ is at the core of what ails us, and repenting of our fiscal sins will go a long way in curbing the others as well. Along these lines, here's a truly remarkable quote from Jefferson I came across:

“I wish it were possible to obtain a single amendment to our Constitution. I would be willing to depend on that alone for the reduction of the administration of our government; I mean an additional article taking from the Federal Government the power of borrowing.”

– Thomas Jefferson, in his letter to John Taylor, November 26, 1798

Artwork by Mia Nogueira, www.tjjournal.com

3 Basic Questions from the Right [for Democrats AND Republicans]

2011-07-11T06:42:00.001-04:00

Every time a new bill is launched from Washington in response to thousands of upturned palms, there are three basic questions we, on the right, find ourselves asking all over again.

1. Is this action moral … is it ethically defensible?
2. Is this action practical … will it even work in the end?
3. Is this action legal? … with the Constitution as our standard [novel as that idea may be], the answer to this question is often “no”. When this is the case, we need to revisit question #1, because many of our DC officials have sworn public oaths before God and their nation to obey and defend this constitution and so consequently have reintroduced the question of immorality.

Sons, Sports, and Wisdom

2011-07-09T05:18:00.004-04:00

Recently, a friend whose son is a professional athlete in Europe, pulled me aside to encourage me to think carefully about cultivating the athletic abilities of one of my sons. I respect this man [an ordained minister] and so have been - for the first time in my life - seriously thinking about how best to incorporate sports into their lives. The following article has been a big help, so I thought I'd share it.

Picking the Right Sport
By Richard & Jane Hawes [abridged]
Phase One: Laying the Foundation

Between the ages of 5 and 11, you just want to lay the foundation for future learning – "teach the nerves how to talk to the muscles" (before age 5, just let them play).
Try different sports and physical activities that enhance the body's ability to learn where it is in space [martial arts, dance, gymnastics and swimming]. That's called "body awareness," and it happens when your nervous system knows exactly how much oomph it takes to get a muscle to move. Activities that require fluid whole-body movement enhances one's ability to move efficiently and enables him to pick up skills needed in other sports more easily.

Phase Two: The Window of Opportunity

Between the ages of about 11 and 14 is "the window of opportunity" when the body's nerves and muscles are ripe for acquiring skills, mastering a sport, and preparing the body for harder training later. Don’t specialize too early because adolescent growth will undo previously-acquired skills, leading to frustration and burnout. This is when you want to pick a favorite sport. But when you do so, take a good, honest look at yourself because research overwhelmingly shows that your child's adult physique will be just like the parents' - and most often like the mother's.

Here’s a list of descriptive phrases, a short explanation of how each applies to physical activities, and then a list of sports that people who match those adjectives might want to try.

Phase Three: Matching Natural Attributes to Activities

Speed: This means the body's muscles are mostly composed of fast-twitch fibers that enable them to move and react quickly to the instructions that the nervous system is giving them: badminton, baseball/softball, basketball, board/ski sports, boxing, diving, fencing, field hockey, football, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, martial arts, track and field, volleyball, wrestling.

Stamina: This means the body has mostly slow-twitch muscle fibers which can support the same type of movement for an extended period of time; sometimes, but not always, this person might not possess much speed: crew, cross-country skiing, distance swimming, distance track events.
Note: People with ADHD also tend to do very well with endurance sports. It seems counter-intuitive because of the length of time that concentration is required, but that bottomless pit of energy and the soothing structure of repetitive movement are very complementary.

Both speed and stamina: or has neither in abundance: crew, figure skating, golf, soccer, middle-distance swimming, synchronized swimming, tennis/squash, middle-distance track events, water polo.

Agile: Can execute small, quick movements with precision: badminton, basketball, board/ski sports, bowling, boxing, fencing, field hockey, figure skating, football, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, martial arts, synchronized swimming, track and field, water polo, wrestling, volleyball.

Flexible: Can move the limbs through a noticeably wide range of motion and is more prone to dislocating joints: diving, fencing, figure skating, gymnastics, martial arts, swimming, synchronized swimming, track and field, volleyball, water polo, wrestling.

Note: An athlete who is flexible to the point of having hyper-extended or double-jointed limbs should probably avoid contact sports.

Power: Can focus a burst of energy effectively and efficiently: baseball/softball, crew, sprint cycling events, fencing, football, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, martial arts, synchronized swimming, tennis/squash, track and field, volleyball, water polo, wrestling.

Short legs: This doesn't always mean the athlete is short, but often he or she is. Mostly it means that the torso and legs are about the same length, so the athlete has what's known as a "low center of gravity" which makes it easier to control movement close to the ground: board/ski sports, field hockey, some positions in football, ice hockey, martial arts, track sprints, soccer, wrestling.

Long legs: Again, not always tall, but often is. This means the athlete's torso is shorter in relation to the legs and has a high center of gravity which makes it easier to control other types of movement: crew, golf, high jump, pole vault, volleyball.

High Pain Tolerance: This person can deal with the kind of pain that anaerobic or lactic-acid-generating activity creates: crew, synchronized swimming, middle-distance swimming, middle-distance track events, water polo.

Good Balance: This is the child who doesn't seem to get hurt no matter what dumb risks he or she takes, whether climbing up or jumping off things: archery, bowling, curling, diving, equestrian, figure skating, football, golf, gymnastics, soccer, synchronized swimming, tennis/squash, track and field, volleyball, water polo, wrestling.

Fearless: Usually goes hand-in-hand with having good balance, but also includes a certain lack of concern about physical well being: diving, gymnastics, pole vault, water polo.

Can turn the brain off: No, this is not a polite way of saying "dumb." It's just that people like this are able to stop thinking and let instincts take over: boxing, swimming sprints, track sprints.
Note: Don't be surprised if a child who is hyperanalytical does not do well with these sports.

Steady: This is more a neurological than a physical trait. People with great steadiness have the ability to calm themselves down so much they can discern their own heartbeat and launch movement between heartbeats: archery, billiards, bowling, golf, riflery.

Great eye sight: Sees fine details easily and can judge how far away something is: archery, baseball/softball, billiards, bowling, golf, riflery, tennis/squash, volleyball.

Richard Hawes is a professor of physical education, specializing in exercise physiology and kinesiology, at Ohio Wesleyan University. His wife Jane Hawes, who is also the editor of Columbus Parent, took the big scientific words he uses and translated them into plain English.

Monday, August 30, 2010 06:00 AM
[photo: bleacherreport.com]

Pastoral Counseling Advice: A Short Interview with Randy Booth

2011-07-07T06:49:00.001-04:00

A short outline of Pastoral Counseling advice from Randy Booth:
…………………………

I think we should spend about hour together talking about your past. No matter how bad it was, it’s important for you to face it, put it behind you, and not wallow in it.

There are four possibilities (or combinations of them) that are the reason(s) you are having problems:

1. You don’t know what to do.
2. You don’t know how to do it.
3. You need some help doing it.
4. You don’t want to do it.

As a pastor, I can help you with the first three. I can’t help you if you’re not willing to do what needs to be done. There’s no point in continuing to meet if number four is the case.

Before we start, you need to know that I can’t fix this for you, nor will I try. This is your problem and it will require you to change. Wherever we find sin, you must repent and face the consequences head-on, doing whatever God says needs to be done to repair and rebuild.

If we don’t see any progress after three sessions, we need to discontinue the counseling.
……………………………….

Some other assorted golden nuggets:

- Know the name of every child in your congregation; love of the children will cover a multitude of pastoral sins.
- Be patient with your people through change; new things are supposed to feel odd, God intends it.
- His favorite pastoral metaphor is being the father at a foster home. God gives you people with problems and it’s your job to shepherd them.
- Use your liturgy as a chance to demonstrate warmth and hospitality to visitors and those not acquainted with it.
- Stay short on your sermons: 25-30 mins.

The Importance of Prepositions: Reflections on the Casey Anthony Trial

2011-07-06T06:34:00.002-04:00

While I have to admit I was stunned with the rest of the world at yesterday’s outcome, the really striking thing to me has been hearing our public discourse about the case. After having been involved in several conversations myself, I’ve been astonished at how automatically we resort to therapeutic language: "if she really did do it, she must be sick … mentally ill. No person in her right mind could ever be capable of doing such a thing." And with this axiom, we soothe ourselves and reassure each other.

To me – this is what’s really frightening. As a society, we’ve become unwilling to recognize or deal with evil as evil. It is unthinkable to us that a mother, with no other apparent motive than her own narcissism, would be capable of murdering her little girl. [As if we weren’t already murdering babies by the millions all for the sake of convenience and expediency.]
The undeniable fact of the matter is that the capacity to commit heinous acts of violence exists inside each one of us whether or not we were abused as children, or have a family history of dementia, or whatever. In the past, our fathers understood this, and set up strict laws to dissuade citizens from the crimes they might otherwise commit. They understood people to be morally responsible for their actions, however vile, and severely punished them.
But today we are increasingly unwilling to acknowledge this. We talk about murderers, especially the really brutal ones, as if they were the victims, oppressed by some psychological ailment and in need of treatment or correction … rather than punishment. The discussion is completely and comfortably amoral.
I’ve often said any murderer with any sense at all, once he’s committed the deed shouldn’t waste time trying to cover his tracks. He should simply mutilate the body and stuff it in his freezer. If he makes it gruesome enough, no contemporary jury would condemn him. You might be tempted to think I’m exaggerating here, but I’m not. If any one of my friends or coworkers were on the jury, based solidly on our conversations, they would not see him as anything more than a disturbed individual needing clinical treatment. I have yet to hear a single person in casual conversation use the word “justice”. But what else –for crying out loud – are we supposed to be after at a time like this than justice?!?! A baby girl has been killed.
From the vantage point of history, it is frightening to think what might lie in store for a nation whose citizens have forgotten the ability that human beings possess to perpetrate wickedness and who have lost the moral courage to punish such wickedness with any measure of conviction.

Finally, as to the verdict, I have to admit: it made sense. While foul play was obviously involved, [based on the evidence that the media reported] a clear case of murder was not established. Still, among all our discussions of chloroform and duct tape, let us not forget the importance of prepositions. God is in His Heaven. And while it may be possible [in the short run] for a murderer to get away with such a thing, it is not possible for her to get away from it. Mark these words: If she is guilty, her life will bear it out not many days hence. Where she has sinned, it will find her out.

A Heritage Worth Celebrating

2011-07-04T05:05:00.000-04:00

Book List [What I've been reading lately]

2011-06-30T06:04:00.000-04:00

You are what your mind eats...

Under the Hood of Postmodernism

2011-06-29T06:55:00.009-04:00

'From my perspective, "postmodernism" merely names an interesting set of developments in the social order that is based on the presumption that God does not matter.'

- Stanley Hauerwas
in Preaching As Though We Had Enemies

[painting: "Surreal," © 2009 Marcus A. Jansen, MW Gallery Aspen]

It's Diversity Weekend in Westminster, but Don't Worry!

2011-06-28T06:49:00.001-04:00

(*this article has certain explicit terms abbreviated to keep from tripping content filters that any reader may wisely have in place. You may notice the misspellings, they are intentional.)

As Christ’s disciples, in every circumstance, we are called to be of good cheer.

Recently DW posted a great article about this and I am with him 100% here, but am having a good chance to put some shoe leather on it this week because I was greeted w/ this headline in my local paper: Westminster to hold first Diversity Weekend. (http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/news/local/westminster-to-hold-first-diversity-awareness-weekend/article_2715ac56-9d41-11e0-8f28-001cc4c03286.html) then later: (http://www.pflagwcc.org/)

Of course, by "diversity", we’re not talking about a joyful recognition of how God has made us all “different”, in that some people are big and some small, some people are male and some female, some people are dark-skinned and others lighter. We’re talking strictly about how some people in our town are “different” in that they engage in certain sxl acts that our society has historically viewed as immoral and repugnant.
So “Diversity” was sort of a misleading title for this event. It’s really just all about sxl acts performed by members of the same gender and how society [and the specific institution of “the church”] should no longer view these actions as immoral and repugnant, but as acts whose perpetrators should be warmly accepted and even celebrated. But I suppose “The Redefinition of Sxl Ethics by the [deceptive] Use of Emotionally-Laden Language from the Civil Rights Movement and Highly-Politicized Rhetoric Weekend” doesn’t have the same ring to it.

So how should faithful Christians in our county respond to this? Hint: not with Chicken-Little hysterics.
In answering, let me snatch three phrases from the NT and drop them on you. Here they are: “be of good cheer, I have overcome the world”; “such were some of you”; and lastly, “according to their own lusts they will heap up for themselves teachers”.

Firstly, “be of good cheer” [Jn 16.33]. If Christ required this of his original eleven, all of whom would be facing martyrdom [though John would survive the ordeal and later be exiled to Patmos], what do you think He expects of you? Do not surrender your hope or joy when the battle lines intersect our little corner of Mayberry. Be joyful in battle. This is not a ‘sign of the times’, as if the gospel were in the final stages of its failure in human history and Christ’s kingdom is about to come crashing down around us.
Don’t fail to notice what’s really going on in the world. For every American church that slides into apostasy here, there are probably two new faithful ones that spring up in Chinese homes across the globe, despite the best efforts of their local regional authorities. Be of good cheer. God is at work. The leaven is spreading through the loaf.
How many years have the folks in my town been gossiping about all the unmarried couples’ love lives? Well, that lust has finally conceived and brought forth the offspring of further corruption and now we’re celebrating w/ rainbow colored balloons.
Examine yourselves; repent of your sins; and praise the Lord. Do not be robbed of your joy, or as David would say [did say – Ps 37], do not fret because of evil doers… refrain from anger and turn from wrath. The evil will be destroyed but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. Christ has overcome the world. This is His guarantee. These chancel prancers [props to DW] will whither like the summer grass. So don’t fret. Stay the course. Be steadfast. Remain faithful. Be of good cheer. Keep calm and carry on.
If ever in His earthly life Christ winked, I believe he did here. Sure, you’re all going to face fiery trials, but … hey – be of good cheer, I’ve already won, and you’re here with me.

Secondly, “such were some of you” [1 Cor 6.11]. Do not respond by starting our local chapter of Westboro Baptist hatemongering [Christ taught us better: Lk 9.52-56]. If God does not delight in the death of the wicked [Ez 18.23], then you are not being like Him when smile through foaming lips below a giant "God hates You" poster.
Now I am not saying that everything is hunky dory. But we do not gnash our teeth back at them in kind. Just like we do not "mourn as those who have no hope", we don’t strive that way either. God delights in mercy and so should we. The sacrifice He desires is a repentant heart. Paul deliberately emphasizes the fact that the Apostolic church in Corinth was made up of those who were formerly guilty of these abominable sins. This is not the unforgivable sin. This not a sin that cannot be turned from and repented of. The Bible plainly teaches these things. God is eager to receive repentant sinners, and His Church should loudly proclaim this.

Thirdly, “the time will come when men will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own lusts they will heap up for themselves teachers, having itching ears” [2 Tim 4.3]… When people abandon faith in God on His terms [the basic tenets of the faith taught with uncomfortable clarity in the Bible], they do not always do so by leaving the Church. This is an important point to wrap your brain around. Often, rather than leaving church, they will instead burrow deeper into the pew and then volunteer to chair the steering committee to help find “heaps o’ teachers” who will act as mouthpieces for their own lusts.
This is what Paul told us to expect will happen. Why are we so surprised when it does? Don’t be shocked, for instance, when you read that in workshop #1b, Tom [or no, I’m sorry … Thom] presented the case that the Bible really doesn’t condemn sodmy after all. According to the write up, his workshop concluded with a time of sharing about how the Holy Bible is often “used to teach prejudice and foster unloving relationships by those who claim to be faithful People Of God”. I hope they saved a few minutes for a second time of sharing about how modern scholarship is often used to foster an unloving relationship with the actual text of Scripture in the many instances that it categorically condemns hmsxl activity with the strongest possible language. Maybe next year they’ll add a workshop on how, a thousand periwinkle stoles not withstanding, “diversity” workshops are used to teach prejudice against the uniform understanding of God’s faithful people on this matter for the past two thousand years. But that would be asking too much. That would be scratching where their ears ain’t itching.

So how should we then live? Please allow me to make a few brief, humble suggestions. Firstly, I would like to suggest that you not send your little ones to this event. What?! you say. Send my little ones there? Why, of course not!?! Seems like a no-brainer, doesn’t it?
But let’s track this one down for a minute… who do you think is organizing this event? It all began w/ President Obama declaring June GLBT appreciation month and then the mayor of my town “proclaiming” this “perver… er, um, I mean diversity week”. Now who do you think holds the reigns of the curriculum committee at the Carroll County Department of Public Education? What do you think your children will hear on any given day through throughout any given year in any given Carroll County “public” school? You better believe that “celebrating diversity” is one of the “core values” that educators will be working to instill in their little brains.
So don’t send them. Obey your God Who commands you to teach them about Him when they rise up, lay down, walk along the way, etc. [Deut 4]. It is literally illegal to obey this command in the context of a government school. Pull your kids out and send them to a Christian school or teach them at home. Downsize to a smaller house; sell your second car; bring your wife home; do what you have to do. This is THE battle of our times and Christians are loosing ground because we are afraid of being viewed as weird or taking the financial hit.

Lastly, allow me to remind you how difficult it is to make that case that hmsxlty is hereditary. Please note that it is physically impossible to be a practicing hmsxl and pass along your genes. These folks, by definition, can't have natural offspring. Again, not impossible to argue, but certain a difficult case to maintain under an even marginally rigorous cross x.
Where do hmsxls come from then? They are made, not born. Where are they made? At home. And the most reliable [and Christian] research indicates that the single largest factor that drives a person to hmsxlty is a failed fatherly relationship.
So firstly, if you have the chance to interact with any of these folks, don't add another failed relationship to their lives by treating them with hatred or contempt. Pray for wisdom and love them in every appropriate way you can. [on balance: calling another professing Christian to repent with meekness and fear is an act of deep love.] These people are ... people, real people. Treat them the way you would want others to upon finding your own son or daughter in their place twenty years from now.
And finally, if you are a father, it is time to rethink your spousal and paternal relationships. Refuse to sacrifice your children on the alter of Molec Corp International. They need you and your time infinitely more than they need expensive presents at Christmas or extravagant vacations at Disney. Cut back or change jobs if you have to. Spend time loving your wife. Spend time - lots of time - at very regular intervals - loving your kids. But don’t do it running scared. Do so out of trust in your Father. And be of good cheer.

[photo of rainbow flag in the castro district found at several locations on the web. It is used as an item of public domain, but will gladly be removed or revised to attribute credit to its owner if such information is brought to my attention.]

On Not Treating the Symptoms: Making Real Progress

2011-06-27T06:40:00.000-04:00

My wacky office calendar tells me that today, June 27th, is “National HIV Testing Day”. And Lord haste the day when HIV will be erased from the earth. In the spirit of moving the globe in that direction, I’d like to propose a simple change to help us along the way: beginning next year and from then on, let’s call June 27th “National Fidelity to Your Spouse Day”. Or better yet: “The First Day of National Fidelity to Your Spouse Year”.

Let not that man think he makes any progress in holiness while he walks not over the bellies of his lusts (daily).
-John Owen

Peter Pan Generation

2011-06-22T07:05:00.001-04:00

Somebody somewhere declared today: "Stupid Guy Thing Day". So, in keeping with the spirit of things, here is a quote I came across recently from Darrin Patrick, a Resurgence church planter:

“We live in a world full of males who have prolonged their adolescence. They are neither boys nor men. They live, suspended as it were, between childhood and adulthood, between growing up and being grown-ups. Let’s call this male Ban, a hybrid of both boy and man. Ban is juvenile because there has been an entire niche created for him to live in the lusts of his youth. The accompanying culture not only tolerates this behavior but encourages and endorses it. (Consider magazines like Maxim or movies like Wedding Crashers.) This kind of male is everywhere, including the church and even, frighteningly, vocational ministry.
Ban may be a frightening reality in the church, but he is the best thing that ever happened to the video game industry. Almost half (about 48 percent) of American males between the ages of eighteen to thirty-four play video games every day – for almost four hours. The average video game buyer is thirty-seven years old.”

- Darrin Patrick in Church Planter
[photo:thegadgets.net]

Virtue and Its Imposters

2011-06-20T06:20:00.002-04:00

VIRTUE AND ITS IMPOSTERS
by Thabiti Anyabwile

Three things confuse a Christian; Yeah, four confound any man.
Unbelief masquerading as wisdom,
Enthusiasm presenting itself as faith,
Fear pretending to be patience,
and permissiveness claiming to be love.

Start 'em Young

2011-06-11T07:00:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, I came downstairs and found my daughter sitting on the floor, flipping through Geerhardus Vos's The Eschatology of the Old Testament. It was too good a moment to let pass w/o a grainy cellphone snapshot. Then we took a minute to have our first Tea Party - I figured she could explain a few things to me after a read like that.

Bourgeois Haiku: "JJ Drawing"

2011-06-10T06:10:00.001-04:00

"JJ Drawing"

Gray afternoon light
Blue eyes chasing pencil lead
anchored to the page.

Worship Guide: Trinity Sunday: OT Lesson

2011-06-09T07:46:00.008-04:00

Every week at All Saints, the leadership sends out a traditional-style worship guide for use by our families to prepare for the coming Lord's Day with the readings we'll hear and [hopefully] heed then. Here's a sample of mine for next week:

Gen 1.1-2.4a

INSIGHT: There is so much to mine from this famous passage, but the main thrust of the author is in the order of the creation process. Notice that if you take the first three days and line them up above the last three days, they perfectly correspond to each other, day by day. God was working in the first half of the week to prepare and then in the second half of the week to fulfill and complete His creation. If you were there on the first part of the first day, it would have been unclear that God was up to anything “good”. Even by the third day, it ‘did not yet appear what the earth should be’. But by the end, God brought it all together in beauty and completion. He loves order. He loves preparation. He works things out to fulfillment according to His plan. Remember where we are in the lectionary readings [and Church History]. This is the Sunday after Pentecost, Trinity Sunday. We remember the way that God had been working throughout all of human history to prepare, then “in the fullness of time” when it was just right, He sent Christ. Then, following this, He sent His Spirit. At the end of this process, we can join Him as we look back on His work in the world and declare it all to be “very good”.

QUESTIONS: What specifically is the relationship of the first half of the week to the last? What comfort can we draw from God’s creation pattern for our own lives personally? How does the order of creation in Genesis differ from the standard timeline of evolutionary development proposed by many contemporary scientists? This passage contains the basis for what’s called ‘the dominion mandate’. What is good about the “green” environmental movement, and what needs to be corrected? If the earth was created as a very “good” thing for us to enjoy and tend to, how should we then live – how should our attitudes and dispositions reflect this? [hint: it doesn’t look like Puddleglum]

PRAYER: Holy Father, You are good. The universe which You have created is too small a place to contain Your goodness. We praise You for Your eternal goodness, and thank You for this good earth, over which You graciously reign according to Your good plan. Give us eyes to see the light of Your Word overcoming the darkness in the world today. And give us hearts to rest and rejoice in it, for You are at work, doing all things well. Finally, make us to be faithful stewards in all things over which You’ve placed us, by the power of Your Spirit Who moved upon the waters, and in the name of Your Son, our Lord, Whose world this is. Amen.

[artwork: God as the Architect of the world - illumination from the Bible Moralisee, A. D. 1220-30]

Teaching with her Fists

2011-06-08T06:28:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, my wife showed me the news story of the Florida teacher who "punched" her student. Okay, ... I can't help but rant for a minute. Please ... just indulge me - a former teacher - in my uninformed rant. It was deeply disturbing. Not because she punched him - but because she had to - because it escalated to that level - and most of all, because the rest of the class just stood there and watched it happen. In true "millenial" fashion, someone found enough time to video the whole thing via cellphone, but not step in to restrain this kid who was bullying his teacher ... his FEMALE teacher ... his almost a foot shorter FEMALE teacher.
The fact of the matter is that the kid that got punched was only the second biggest kid in the class. The biggest kid [looks like a linebacker] jumps in only after it comes to blows. Apparently, he was standing nearby as a spectator while the bully cornered his teacher against the wall and shouted her down w/ profanities the entire way. Where was Paul Bunyan a second ago when this kid was cussing his teacher out? As soon as she strikes the kid [an admirable right, left, right combo - the last of which lands squarely on his jaw] one of the girls in the class shouts out, "You can't do that! You can't hit a student!". As if this were just another stomach-turning Springer episode where it is totally fine and acceptable for students to verbally berate or even physically push around their teachers. No lines had been crossed until the teacher struck, even if it were in self-defense. Why wasn't she yelling, "You can't do that! You can't curse at a teacher! You can't do that! You can't disrespect a lady like that!"?!?! Sounds like punches and slaps were needed all around. May God help us to raise our sons and daughters in the rebirth of chivalry.

A Well-needed Reminder

2011-06-05T13:27:00.002-04:00

"Chance" A Postscript

If chance be the Father of all flesh,
disaster is his rainbow in the sky,
and when you hear:

State of Emergency!
Sniper Kills Ten!
Troops on Rampage!
Whites go Looting!
Bomb Blasts School!

It is but the sound of man worshiping his maker.

-Steven Turner

Tolle Lege, and I mean pronto!

2011-06-02T06:33:00.000-04:00

Recently I fininshed Ken Myers's All God's Children and Blue Suede Shoes: Christians and Popular Culture. I have read several snippets of it before and followed along w/ Myers's audio journal for many years, but had been putting off sitting down w/ the book and getting from cover to cover until now. After going back and forth between the hard copy and audiobook I really can't recommend it highly enough [though the narrator of the audio did leave something to be desired]. For most of us who are involved in Christian service, ministry, or church leadership - it might be the most important book you have read in the last five years [well ... excluding those for whom this would be the only book {without pictures} they've read in the last five years.]. It is a sort of modern classic. If you haven't read it - tolle lege - and I mean, pronto.

"T.S. Eliot argued that religion and culture are in a sense two aspects of the same thing. This means that culture cannot be preserved or developed without religion, an argument that many Christians have been presenting to 20^th-century secularists. But Eliot insisted that it also means that religion cannot be preserved or maintained without the preservation and maintenance of culture."

- Ken Myers

Pastor, Help! My son wants to get a tattoo!

2011-06-01T06:42:00.004-04:00

This is a common scenario across the nation - especially in our more Evanjellycal circles. When dealing w/ this situation, we've got to get a bit of perspective. The strongest argument against your teenager getting a tattoo is that it's a really dumb idea ... and that pretty much settles it. Getting into a hermeneutical tangle over "cuttings and markings for the dead" in Leviticus probably won't prove to be the most productive way to argue, at least not at the beginning [So are you telling me I'm not allowed to wear shirts that are a cotton/poly blend now too? Or maybe you want me to stop shaving the corners of my beard?]. The principle contained in the passage should eventually be understood. The fact that your body is not your own does eventually need to be addressed. Gnostic assumptions about the faith and misguided attempts at "relevance" should all be dealt with. But really, the bottom line here is the 'folly factor'. Because the issue really boils down to aesthetics, we should cut to the chase and go straight there. Here's a helpful - if pragmatic - counterexample:

Imagine that - instead of the tattoo thing - all of your friends were rushing out to buy the same kind of custom-printed graphic tee shirts ...

... you know - to express the magnitude of their originality and individuality. And you approach me asking for my permission to join in the craze. The catch, though, is this: Once you've bought it [for a few hundred or even thousand dollars] you have to wear this same tee shirt everywhere you go, every day for the rest of your life. In fact, at the store, they will sow it onto your skin. It will take several hours or even days for a more ornate design. And the process will be quite painful. But hey - everything comes at a price, right? And besides, what sort of a man would you be if you didn't join the billions of nonconformists, rebels, and anarchists who dutifully pay dues to the irresistible draw of such a fad!?!

Now don't worry - you can wear other shirts over top of it, but ... well, yes ... it will probably end up showing through from below or underneath your collar or sleeves anyway a good bit of the time. That's just a risk you'll have to take. And when it's hot, you'll just have to shed layers until you're down to your tee, wherever you are. Even if you happen to be at work or in an environment where a graphic tee isn't really appropriate, that's the deal - there's no turning back. Sure, a lot of folks will mentally associate someone in such a tee shirt with ex-convicts, gangbangers, miscreants, or hooliganism, but that's they're problem - judgmental haters!! ... uuuunnnnless of course, they happen to be hiring managers, would-be-father-in-laws, local traffic court judges, state troopers, admissions staff members, promotions and advancement board members, loan officers, etc. In any of those cases, well ... it's your problem too ... permanently.

And yes, as you shower, it will be washed as well - so don't worry about sanitation - but naturally, each time you wash, its colors will fade and the fabric will warp and stretch more and more over the years. If in five years, you're still as excited about it as you were the day you bought it, you can probably pay someone another few hundred or thousand dollars to recolor it all over again so that it doesn't look quite so faded ... but it will still have stretched with age at that point ... but hey - what are the chances you'll like it enough to bother in five years anyway.

And while we're thinking of it, maybe we should mention fashion, and how fickle a girl she can be. Yes, it's true. The coolest graphic tee of today will most likely be nothing short of laugh-worthy in just a few short trips around the sun, but ... well ... there's really nothing we can do about that. Just something to be aware of. Look on the bright side. Oftentimes styles come back into fashion after two or three decades ... think vintage retro. Well, if being really cool every thirty years [while really awkward the rest of the time] isn't your thing, maybe, instead of going with the latest and coolest design, you'd get more mileage out of a classic, timeless graphic tee ... not that there really is such a thing ... the medium really does seem to dictate the message ... but - well - perhaps you can at least try for something in that direction to gain a few more years of passability before the utter regret and despair set in to the point of self-revulsion.

Well, Charlie Brown, how about it? Still want a ride to the tattoo parlor? Come on - I'll buy the aspirin!

What I've been Reading Lately [Book List] ...

2011-05-23T06:41:00.002-04:00

You are what your mind eats ...

May 21, 2011 ... just another day, actually

2011-05-19T06:29:00.002-04:00

But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.

- St Peter

[the actual reference is 2 Peter 2.2 - look! The #2 appears 3 times in succession! And if you multiply 2 and 3 you get 6! And that number three times in succession is 666! And if you ... oh nevermind.]

And Provoke them not to Wrath ...

2011-05-18T06:16:00.003-04:00

"By withholding affection to children when they were young, but also then endeavoring to control their behavior well into adulthood, Victorians were in the very odd position of simultaneously trying to suppress childhood and make it last forever. It is perhaps little wonder that the end of Victorianism almost exactly coincided with the invention of psychoanalysis."

- Bill Bryson, At Home

Another droll quote from another kill-joy Puritan

2011-05-14T06:06:00.000-04:00

Games may be divided into three sorts: games of wit or industry, games of hazard, and a mixture of both. Games of wit or industry are such as are ordered by the skill and industry of man. Of this sort are shooting in the longbow, shooting in the caliver, running, wrestling, fencing, music, and the games of chess and draughts...These, and all of this kind, wherein the industry of the mind and body hath the chiefest stroke, are very commendable, and not to be disliked.

- William Perkins

Taste and See ...

2011-05-13T06:45:00.003-04:00

"I can tell you at once that nothing you touch today will have more suffering, bloodshed, and woe attached to it than the innocuous twin pillars of your salt and pepper set."

- Bill Bryson, from his chapter on the history of the Western diet in At Home

other memorable quotes include:

'typically scurvy killed about half the crew on any long voyage. Various desperate expedients were tried. Vasco De Gama on a cruise to India and back encouraged his men to rinse their mouths with urine, which did nothing for their scurvy and can't have done much for their spirits either.' ...

'It is hard to overemphasise just how important bread was to the English diet through the 19th century: for many, bread wasn't just an important accompaniment to a meal, it was the meal.

Up to 80 per cent of all household expenditure, according to the bread historian Christian Petersen, was spent on food - and up to 80 per cent of that went on bread. Even middle-class people spent as much as two-thirds of their income on food ( compared with about a quarter today), of which a fairly high proportion was bread. For a poorer family, nearly every history tells us, the daily diet was likely to consist of a few ounces of tea and sugar, some vegetables, a slice or two of cheese, and just occasionally a very little meat. All the rest was bread.'

“While showing off his $519,750 eighteenth-century Chteau Margaux [reputed to have once been owned by Thomas Jefferson] at a New York restaurant in 1989, William Sokolin, a wine merchant, accidentally knocked the bottle against the side of a serving cart and it broke, in an instant converting the world's most expensive bottle of wine into the world’s most expensive carpet stain. The restaurant manager dipped a finger in the wine and declared that it was no longer drinkable anyway.”[photo:necton.pt]

The book is actually organized around Bryson's investigation of the house he owns, that was originally built as a parsonage. There are lengthy and interesting sections of discussion about the changing societal role that Christian ministers have faced over the past few centuries - primarily the loss of public esteem and financial remuneration through the years. It was very telling.

I have a separate post for what I thought was his most trenchant observation in the entire book - about the birth of psychoanalysis arising from the disintigration of the Victorian family ie: failed parenting.

I skipped the risque' section, but overall - it was typically interesting Bryson-style history... full of non-blinking, wide-smiling espousement of materialistic evolutionary theory, but the old bait-n-switch, warm-n-fuzzy care about life and its many forms anyway version... ending in a typical handwringing session, followed by a preachy admonition to shrink your carbon footprint - and I mean now, buster!

Regardless, Bryson can tell a hi-story like few others, so I give him four of five stars here.

Having Faithful Children: The Standard [please don't forget to pray for my family]

2011-05-09T07:12:00.000-04:00

"Not only must a minister's children not be dissolute and rebellious, they must be faithful (Tit. 1:6). Whether or not that last word is rendered as faithful or as believers amounts to the same thing. A minister's children are his first parishioners, and they are the canary in the mine...

When the Protestant world cries out for reformation and revival, as it does, this would include the Protestant ministers. Guys who like fat books more than their wives, and committee meetings more than their kid's ball game, to hear their own golden tones flowing out from the pulpit more than to hear their little girl's chatter on a weekly date, are men who will find themselves caricatured in cartoons when the reformation comes."

-Doug Wilson

10-year-old AA Hodge's "Letter to the Heathen"

2011-05-06T07:02:00.001-04:00

Dear Heathen:

The Lord Jesus Christ hath promised that the time shall come when all the ends of the earth shall be His kingdom. And God is not a man that He should lie nor the son of man that He should repent. And if this was promised by a Being who cannot lie, why do you not help it to come sooner by reading the Bible, and attending to the words of your teachers, and loving God, and, renouncing your idols, take Christianity into your temples? And soon there will not be a Nation, no, not a space of ground as large as a footstep, that will want a missionary. My sister and myself have, by small self-denials, procured two dollars which are enclosed in this letter to buy tracts and Bibles to teach you.

Archibald Alexander Hodge, and [sister] Mary Eliz. Hodge, June 23, 1833
Friends of the Heathen.

[painting: St Boniface Felling Thor's Tree unknown artist]

IMAGINE ... Postmillenialism

2011-05-02T06:22:00.009-04:00

As many of you [well - okay - both of my readers] may know, my eschatology is from that row in the garden with 'postmil' sharpied on the Popsicle stick. It used to be the standard pre-trib, pre-mil variety, but after years of Reformed teaching and a growing familiarity with the Psalms as sung and read in worship at church and home, I find myself optimistic for the very long-term. I respect others who differ, but agree that among friends, laughable ideas ought to be laughed at ... at least every once in a while. So in the spirit of giving ideas their due, here's a funny little rendition of John Lennin's lyrically-horrific song, Imagine, that we whipped together for the St. George's Festival hosted by All Saints Church at Lancaster this weekend. There is a video of me singing it somewhere out there, so maybe I'll post that at some point too.

Imagine there's no rapture;
no Left Behind;
no Harold Camping;
no Thief in the Night;
Imagine all the steeples filling the landscape ...

Imagine no Hal Lindsey;
it's easy if you try [go on and try];
no Jack Van Impe;
no unmanned airplanes in the sky;
Imagine Jesus' kingdom, going all the way ...

You may say I'm a dreamer, a mini Keith Mathison.
I hope some day you will join us, in a right reading of The Revelation.

You may say I'm a dreamer, like that old Doug Wilson,
I hope some day you will join us, cuz the Lamb will overcome.