Us: In Perspective

Has is ever occurred to any of us that ten thousand years from now, historians might be writing about the first two thousand years [and all of us] as “the early Church”.  And some poor seminary student will be studying and trying to figure out: " Now, who came first?  Was it Athanasius or Cornelius Van Til?  Those guys … they all run together!”

- D.W.

Presuppositional Apologetics: Monty Python-Style

Presuppositional apololgetics always engages in an "internal critique" of an unbeliever's worldview to show its inherent, destructive self-contradiction... you must show the unbeliever where his presuppositions lead: to epistemological futility.

-Greg Bahnsen, Pushing the Antithesis

Deformed and Deforming

How many "good" Reformed congregations would invite St. James back to preach if he stood behind the pulpit and quoted his epistle as his sermon?  How many would invite Peter back if he told them in his sermon that baptism saves [like he did in his first epistle]?  So the 2 questions are: 1.  At what point are we more "Reformed" than Biblical.  and 2. How might we get back on track?

A study in Contrasts

Sola Theologica?

Had our God wanted us to be systematicians first and Christians second, He would’ve given us the Bible in the form of systematic theology and told us to memorize it.  As it is, we reconstruct the material and make it systematic. Now – I’m not anti-systematic – no – I’m very much systematic, I depend on it in my argumentation and presuppose it in several critical occasions.  But I do not mistake systematics for the inspired narrative and Word of God and exposition and application of that Word.  So we must keep the distinctions in mind that lead to sanity and not insanity.  … at times when we’re opposed by unbelievers and they come up with systems, we are justified in returning a system that demolishes theirs.  But we should not then forget the narrative!  We always return to the narrative! …

-Steve Schlissel, role playing as the Apostle Paul  

The Duties of a Husband ...

“A man has a basic responsibility before God to make love to his wife regularly, keep her cubbards full, and to do the same for her closet.” 

-Doug Wilson, commenting on Ex 21.10 in Federal Husband

Oh Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High

Psalm Sing - Christ Church, Moscow, ID from Daniel Foucachon on Vimeo.

This is a wonderful hymn.  The majority was written by A'Kempis in the 15th century with the final verse attributed to Ambrose in the 5th:

Oh, love, how deep, how broad, how high,
How passing thought and fantasy,
That God, the son of God, should take
Our mortal form for mortal’s sake!


For us baptized, for us he bore
His holy fast and hungered sore;
For us temptation sharp he knew;
For us the tempter over threw.


For us to wicked men betrayed,
scourged, mocked, in crown of thorns arrayed.
for us He bore the cross to’s death,
for us, at length, gave up his breath.

For us he rose from death again;
For us he went on high to reign;
For us he sent his Spirit here
To guide, to strengthen, and to cheer.

All honor, laud, and glory be,
O Jesus, Virgin-born, to Thee;
Whom with the Father we adore,
and Holy Ghost forevermore. Amen.

BTW: Here's a great link that allows you to quickly and simply transfer the audio from some of these uncopyrighted videos to your itunes playlist.  Remembering the 8th commandment, check it out, here.

What is a Goatee, really?

     Mens' Beard Fashion, Styles, And Design

A La Souvarov Beard	Anchor Beard	Balbo Beard
Chin Curtain/Strap Beard	Franz Jonef Beard	French Fork Beard
Hulihee	Handlebar - Chin Puff	Hollywoodian Beard
Imperial Napoleon	Mutton Chops Beard	Mutton Chops Friendly

Presuppositional Apologetics: Narnia-Style

“If you're thirsty, you may drink.” [Aslan speaking]
… [she] realized that it was the lion speaking. … she had seen its lips move this time, and the voice was not like a man's. It was deeper, wilder, and stronger; a sort of heavy, golden voice. It did not make her any less frightened than she had been before, but it made her frightened in rather a different way.
“Are you not thirsty?” said the Lion.
“I'm dying of thirst,” said Jill.
“Then drink,” said the Lion.
“May I - could I - would you mind going away while I do?” said Jill.
The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience.
The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.
“Will you promise not to - do anything to me, if I do come?” said Jill.
“I make no promise,” said the Lion.
Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer.
“Do you eat girls?” she said.
“I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms,” said the Lion. It didn't say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.
"I daren't come and drink," said Jill.
"Then you will die of thirst," said the Lion.
"Oh dear!" said Jill, coming another step nearer. "I suppose I must go and look for another stream
then."
"There is no other stream," said the Lion.

C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair

Young Men with Visions; Old Men with Dreams

If someone had told me 10 years ago that I would be seeing what I have been seeing, I would not have believed it. Now please understand this, the general so-called Christian media [I don’t believe] has a clue about this – they don’t see it and I don’t think they even want to see it. But there is a ‘Great Awakening’ going on in this country and I am seeing it. Now here’s another thing: typically it’s not even understood or desired among [many], even those in the ministry, who are older. But I’ve gone into the inner city of Chicago and met with young men that are studying Jonathan Edwards. Guys on college campuses walking around reading Spurgeon. I’m telling you something absolutely astounding is going on!

-Paul Washer

Irresistible Grace #2

A Collision of Lives: Collision Reviewed

“A debate like this is more a collision of lives than it is an exchange of mere views.”  Those were Doug Wilson’s words at the start of the film and the entire movie took shape accordingly.  The literary term for this is ‘foiling’- pitting two characters together in a way that makes their contrast more vivid … and vivid may be putting it mildly.  We see Wilson in his home, hands raised, singing the doxology before a Sabbath dinner with several children and dozens of grandchildren [as is his weekly habit], while Hitchens introduces the camera crew to those with whom he shares his home – books – every corner of his living space is crammed with them.  With grandfatherly affection, he shows off every printed word by George Orwell and – his pride and joy – the complete 20-volume edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. 

Making Democracy Safe for the World

When I came here I always remembered Saul Bellow saying that the sufferings of freedom must be taken into consideration. People might survive the ordeal of Holocaust, but how do we deal with the ordeal of freedom?

-          Azar Nafisi, author of Reading Lolita in Tehran

GOT REPENTANCE?

About a year ago, I posted a blog commending Rick Warren’s prayer at the inauguration of our President.  At that point, my biggest criterion was whether he would actually pray in Jesus’ name.  This he did, and in a very emphatic fashion [especially when compared to the apostate Gene Robinson’s inaugural prayer which began with the words, ‘Oh god of our many understandings …’].  However, after considering my previous comments several times over the past year, I want to revise, if not recant my initial position.