The Word

We have been using Graeme Goldsworthy's book According to Plan - The Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bible in our college Sunday School class the past few months. I would highly recommend it for use in any adult bible study. In Chapter Nine (9), the author points out the relationship between creation and God's Word. "Creation by God's word also has the effect of showing that God has chosen to relate to all things by his word. The truth cannot be over-emphasized. The supremacy of the word of God in the world goes back to creation. All creatures must bow to his word." Id. at 91. Thus, unlike Merlin waving his magic wand or flinging pixie dust into the air, God simply speaks and it is. Moreover, by the preaching of his Word we are also made new creatures. Goldsworthy states that ultimately the fall of man results from this lack of trust in God's Word. They eat of the tree because they don't believe God's warning, and perhaps even more importantly, they don't believe God really loves them. God can not be trusted. "The most important effect of this is that God is no longer accepted as self-evident Creator and Lord. His Word is no longer accepted as self-evident truth, but is reduced to the status of the word of the creature. Both God and his Word are seen as lesser authorities that must constantly be tested by higher authorities. . .The truth of any proposition would from this point onward [i.e., after the fall] be tested by what was in humans themselves. In this sense they became as God." Id. at 104. How quickly do we forget the Gospel and place our trust in ourselves. Forgive us for our unbelief.

God or the Girl - Thoughts on Vocation (Part 5)

I have been watching a series on A&E entitled God or the Girl. In a nutshell, it is a reality show about four (4) young men trying to discern whether they are called to be Roman Catholic priests. Unlike their protestant counterparts, they are also struggling with the requirement of celibacy. One of the themes I have noticed has been the need to sacrifice for God. Yes, I agree, we should expect trials and tribulations as believers. However, what I find interesting is if their lives do not seem to be sacrificial enough they then artificially create some hardship. For instance, when challenged by his priest, a guy named Dan builds an eighty (80) pound cross out of wood and then commences to carry it down the highway for twenty-two (22) miles! This is when theology matters. I am reminded of Luther's work on vocation, "The cross is not to be chosen by us; it is laid upon us by God, i.e. the cross comes to us uninvoked in our vocation." Wingren, Gustaf, Luther on Vocation, 53 (1957). My heart goes out to these guys because I doubt they have ever been exposed to the biblical doctrine of vocation. Like most kids their age, they are making life changing decisions based on some very bad theology. Only by the grace of God I escaped making some very bad decisions along the way. Nonetheless, I wish someone would have introduced me to Luther's work while I was in college. It would have saved me a lot of grief.

Excessive Love of this Present Life. . .

John Calvin once wrote, "God uses tribulations to wean us from an excessive love of this present life. God fashions each tribulation for us as a perfect means to treat each individual'’s need for transformation. We are often placed in such circumstances because it is our tendency to leave unnoticed the vanity of this life. We need to be purged of it by force, and such tribulations and difficulties in cross-bearing help us to do this." Institutes of Christian Religion, Book 3, Chapter 9 - Meditations on the Future Life

Beggars All has a thoughtful post entitled "Suffering" that is worth a look.

Any Given Sunday

For a little over a year I have had the privilege of teaching the college Sunday school class at my church. We have a small, but great group of kids who are eager to learn more about the Christian faith from a reformed perspective. A good number of the students are athletes that play for one of our local universities (a historically Baptist institution). While I have noticed their passion for sports, their passion for corporate worship, on the Lord's Day, is also striking.

Unfortunately, it appears to be a growing trend for collegiate scheduled practices and games to fall on Sunday. When I was in college, back in the early '90's, this did not seem to be much of an issue except for the professional teams. Now days, however, it appears to be the rule. I have seen how these young athletes have suffered persecution and pressure from coaches and peers if Sunday games or practices were even questioned.

It doesn't stop there. Even more troubling is that I have also observed how Sunday play and practice is filtering down to children playing sports. And for the most part, the parents of these children I know, do not even flinch. It just seems to be a given. Although I would not consider myself a strict Sabbatarian, I fear that we are losing, if we have not already lost, any sense as Sunday being set aside as the "Lord's Day." The loss of the Sabbath, coupled with our society'’s fanatical view of sports, is trying the faith of more and more believers. Did Eric Liddell see this day coming?

The Big Red Gospel

In concluding his series on the book of Ruth this morning, my pastor made an interesting observation about the popular kids show Clifford the Big Red Dog. You can find the Gospel in the theme song! Check out the lyrics:

". . .Clifford needed Emily, so she chose him for her own,
And her love made Clifford grow so big that the Howards had to leave their home. . ."*

May your home be too small.

*Composed by Mark Mothersbaugh and Josh Mancel

Shaking my Head at the Radio

While flipping through the radio dial recently, I noticed what may be a new trend emerging among Contemporary Christian stations. That is, some of these stations have taken the word "Christian" out of the music genre. Some of the new adjectives they are employing are "inspirational," "positive," "uplifting," etc. I guess this is the next logical evolution to the consumer driven church which seeks to remove any offense, including the cross, to the nonbeliever. It seems we are surrounded today with more and more "religious" and "spiritual" programming than ever, but we hear less and less of law or Gospel. Will we come to a place, in the not so distant future, that we find nonbelivers increasingly attracted to these f/k/a Christian stations? Will we see them on the interstate smiling and singing gleefully to "inspirational" songs with no notion that they are sitting under the wrath of a holy God, and without knowledge of the sweetness of the Gospel? Instead of "positive" music, perhaps AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" would be a better selection. It might be more honest.

No Mickey Mouse Church

When my family is vacationing, one of the things we enjoy most is visiting new churches. Last week my oldest daughter was on Spring break so we made our way down to Ormond Beach, Florida. After several days of playing at the beach, long afternoon naps, and eating lots of ice cream, we took a short road trip down to Orlando to visit St. Paul's Presbyterian Church (PCA) on Sunday.

Frankly, our last few experiences visiting churches, all of which were PCA, have been pretty disappointing. This was not the case as St. Paul's. We found a group of believers committed to worshiping the Lord with reverence and awe. One of the things I liked about St. Paul's was it had kneelers (I just wished they had used them more often). Another was, when it came time to take the Lord's Supper, the pastor prayed with each of the covenant children individually that were not yet communing members.

If you find yourself in Orlando on a Sunday, I would encourage you to gather with the saints at St. Paul's. You will be blessed.

* Have you noticed that while on vacation some wish to take a vacation from worship as well? Why is this and what does it indicate about their view of worship? I am not saying this to boast. Rather, I know how badly I need to hear the Gospel.