Wednesday, December 28, 2005

Rad Rod on Pietism

I ran across a great two (2) part program on Issues, Etc. entitled "Pietism: Experiential, Legalistic & Individualistic Spirituality." It features Dr. Rod Rosenbladt who is a co-host on the White Horse Inn. It is worth finding the time to listen to both Hour 1 and Hour 2.

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Tuesday, December 27, 2005

A Theology of the Practical (Part 2)

Sometimes I worry about just where my denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America ("PCA"), is going. In the latest email update of By Faith Online, the PCA's web magazine, a link was included to an online survey the results of which are to be published sometime in the near future. The survey inquired, "In your opinion, how important are each of the following characteristics to the PCA's future health? Evangelism, Mercy Ministry, Redeeming Culture, Creation Stewardship, Being Winsome, Other (Please list in comments field)."

How did the surveyors come up with these "characteristics" to evaluate, and what does this tell us about their perception of the PCA? Are these the measures of a true church? I thought to myself, what if the Westminster divines had created a survey, what might they have included in evaluating the health of a church? Perhaps they would use different measurements such as the following: Is the Word rightly preached?; Are the sacraments properly administered?; Is church discipline correctly applied?; How is the duty of prayer undertaken? Is this different from what the Apostles taught? Does not faith come by hearing? Should not mercy flow from knowing you have received much mercy?

What would you ask in your survey?

Saturday, December 17, 2005

Thoughts on Vocation (Part 4)

Staring at Our Navels.

"Every attempt to select a gathering of holy and unworldly people for service has the result of forcing love --and that is not the love of Christ. . .In the cloister man is forced to perform works which are a substitute for the works which he should 'pour out on his neighbor, in love,' in the world at large. His works are done for a reason other than the purely earthly aim of being of service to his neighbor; his aim is now to make himself holy. That is to seek justification before God by works. Faith is wiped out." Wingren, Gustaf, Luther on Vocation, 31 (1957).

"To realize that the mundane activities that take up most of our lives -- going to work, taking the kids to soccer practice, picking up a few things at the store, going to church -- are hiding places for God can be a revelation in itself. Most people seek God in mystical experiences, spectacular miracles, and extraordinary acts they have to do. To find Him in vocation brings Him, literally, down to earth, makes us see how close He really is to us, and transfigures everyday life." Veith, Gene, God at Work, 24 (2002).

How is modern evangelical thinking similar to that of the monastic orders?

* See archives for previous post on vocation.

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Thoughts on Vocation (Part 3)

We are called to continue the creative work of God.

"'He gives the wool, but not without our labor. If it is on the sheep, it makes no garment.' God gives the wool, but it must be sheared, carded, spun, etc. In these vocations God's creative work moves on, coming to its destination only with the neighbor who needs the clothing." Wingren, Gustaf, Luther on Vocation, 8-9 (1957).

* See archives for previous post on vocation.

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Wednesday, December 14, 2005

N. T. Wright and the "New Perspective on Paul"

Gene Veith writes in his recent post entitled The New Attack on Justification, "I think many evangelicals have been wanting to make salvation a function of good works for a long time, and this gives them a good excuse. Salvation comes from living like Jesus did. That usually gets translated into either conservative or liberal politics, or trivial lifestyle choices like not driving SUVs, recycling, affirming gays, or--on the complementary side--not drinking, smoking, or going to movies. I have yet to see the person who lives with the moral purity of Christ. But go ahead and try. And then when you fail, perhaps you will appreciate how Jesus really chose to live His life. By dying for you."

The scary thing is, Dr. Veith, some people think they are doing it.

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

The Worst of them All.

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy, to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. Jude 24, 25. (NIV)

The foregoing passage is one of my favorite in all of scripture. To me, it tightly and richly packages the Gospel. I am especially struck that Christ will present the me before the Father "with great joy." He intends to present me, a wretched sinner, with great joy! That leads me to an unresolved question I have had since I became a Calvinist. Why me? Why have I been shown favor. Other than it is for the glory of God, I do not know if a sufficient biblically supported answer can me made. However, I have often wondered if it were not because the elect were the worst, or at least had the potential to be the worst, lest the hand of God holding them back. That is, in order to show the power of the cross, Christ would present us, the most wicked, evil and rebellious lot of them all, with great joy, to the glory of God. It would seem to fit in the tetor toter kingdom of God.

Monday, December 12, 2005

Before The Throne of God Above

A good friend of mine introduced me to this hymn. It is good stuff for those who need to be reminded of the Gospel.

"Before The Throne of God Above"

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea:
a great High Priest, whose name is Love,
who ever lives and pleads for me.

My name is graven on his hands,
my name is written on his heart;
I know that while in heaven he stands
no tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair,
and tells me of the guilt within,
upward I look, and see him there
who made an end of all my sin.

Because the sinless Savior died,
my sinful soul is counted free;
for God, the Just, is satisfied
to look on him and pardon me.

Behold him there! The risen Lamb!
My perfect, spotless Righteousness,
the great unchangeable I AM,
the King of glory and of grace!

One with himself, I cannot die;
my soul is purchased by his blood;
my life is hid with Christ on high,
with Christ, my Savior and my God.

Charitie Lees De Chenez (also Charitie Lees Bancroft, ne Smith) (1841-1923)

You can find the tune at Oremus.

Saturday, December 10, 2005

. . .and the Gates of Hell Shall not Prevail Against It.

As reflected in some of my most recent posts, when I think of the state of the church today, I am deeply troubled. It is times like these that I need to remind myself of the Gospel. It is not by our striving but by God's own hand that the Church shall persevere and ultimately prevail. Nothing is new under the sun. Today's heresies are simply a reincarnation of the ancient heresies of the past. Gnosticism, Pelagianism, and all the other "isms," we have them all today. They have just mutated and shape shifted into new forms. Perhaps that is another reason why we should not be so quick to throw out our church history books. The Westminster divines knew this all to well.

"This catholic Church hath been sometimes more, sometimes less visible. And particular Churches, which are members thereof, are more or less pure, according as the doctrine of the Gospel is taught and embraced, ordinances administered, and public worship performed more or less purely in them. The purest Churches under heaven are subject both to mixture and error; and some have so degenerated as to become no Churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan. Nevertheless, there shall be always a Church on earth to worship God according to His will." Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter XXV -- Of the Church.

Thursday, December 08, 2005

This Week's Sermon is Sponsored by. . .

The sermo-mercial is apparently the next evolution in the consumer driven church. Watch for a Narnia sermon coming to a pulpit near you. Philip Ryken posts an interesting question on reformation21 entitled "Say 'Narnia,' Collect $1000."

In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, "Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade." John 2:14-16 (ESV)

A Theology of the Practical

Sometimes I worry about just where my denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America ("PCA"), is going. In the latest email update of By Faith Online, the PCA's web magazine, a link is included to Leaderskills International, Inc. While browsing Leaderskills website my mouth stood agape. I will let you judge the website for yourself, but my thought was the Gospel prompts giving better than anything. Perhaps we have too many programs in our churches, or too little Gospel.

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Closed For Christmas

Closed For Christmas. I guess this is what happens when you view your congregation more as consumers of religious goods and services rather than members of the covenant.

Thursday, December 01, 2005

An over realized eschatology

I think one of the major problems we have in modern evangelicalism is kingdom confusion. Beggars All hits this right on the head with its recent post "Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before..." While we have been freed from the bondage and oppression of sin, we are not yet in the promised land. That is, the kingdom of God is already/not yet. There is no room in modern consumer driven Christianity for the "“blue note"” which is so prominent in the Psalms of King David. Accordingly, worship services must be upbeat and "“happy clappy,"” the word "“funeral" has been changed to "celebration," and our cemeteries have been moved from church grounds to the outskirts of town -- out-of-sight and out-of-mind. The White Horse Inn has a great series on this topic entitled the "Blue Note." I imagine you can find it in the archives at the website.