Roman

My-
Brother is Roman.

But my-
Brother is Roman.

My wife-
My wife-and-I are Not.

The University

For four years we-
Studied at the University
We tried to look busy, looking busy
An entire generation being over-looked

Hey, Mister, no matter-
We learned to look busy, looking busy.
But how, Mister, can these sons compete
In a world full of, full of Fathers?

For four years we-
Studied this City
We studied each other, to become ourselves
But the City is not a University to become ourselves, looking busy

Christian Worship: Christian Traits

‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ Ephesians 5:18-21

Christian living ought to look like biblical worship. When Christians participate in worship they are both anticipating the eschatological reality of the Christian future and participating in that Christian future. At the end of the Lord’s Service the Saints are commissioned and receive a benediction—in the name of the Triune God they are blessed and sent forth into the world as God-worshippers shaped by Godly-worship. The Saints will conduct dominion-work during the week, and the aroma and ethos of that work should be typified by Lord’s Day worship. That being the case, Christian living should be identified by the traits of Christian worship. What traits are in the Lord’s Service?

Ephesians 5:18-21 describes a trait—those filled with the Spirit will sing. Singing is a trait of those who love God (Not obnoxious singing, or inappropriate singing, like singing at the top of your lungs in Wal-Mart).

God speaks to us through his Spirit and we respond. This is what we do in the Lord’s Service (The Word is spoken to us and we respond in song.). If our worship does look like this, then so will our life.

But isn’t it interesting that the author contrasts drunkards with believers? This is not an ultimate dualism; actually there are several similar points. The drunkard singing in a bar is a convention that resonates in antiquity. Christians will share traits with a drunkard, constantly singing and talking about the things that are going on, however, rather than singing about your sinfulness or greed or lasciviousness and your dread of pain and agony, instead you will sing about God’s faithfulness to you, your family, and His providential care for you and Christ’s Bride, the Church, in all things, which includes the pains, temptations, and the vale of tears that oftentimes comprises this world.

Christians should be singing. Therefore, Christian worship and living, to add to James K. A. Smith’s observation, may look more like the singing and participatory movements in Moulin Rouge or the local pub than the talking-heads on the 700 Club, or their silent, stoic viewers sitting at home in their Lazy-Boys.

Yes, Christian living ought to look like biblical worship. However, this does not mean that biblical worship is charismatic/Pentecostal “anything goes”--“slain/laughing/nobody-knows-what-is-happening in the Spirit” showbiz. Biblical worship will be filled with the Spirit and will be identified by Fruit –specifically – sober mindedness and self control...oh yeah, and singing.

Church: Elders-Prayer for Congregation

“One of the central duties of the eldership is that of prayer for the congregation of the saints. This important truth is revealed to us through the first crisis in the church at Jerusalem. The reason they appointed deacons to serve in that church is that they did not want to be taken from their service of the church which they rendered through prayer. They said, ‘We will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word’ (Acts 6:4). The truth is a very simple one; talking to men about God must always be accompanied by talking to God about men” (Douglas Wilson, Mother Kirk, 192).

NT: 1 Peter 3:15-17 - Character is the Prepared Answer

Character prepares and provides answers.

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing” (1 Peter 3: 15-7).

Our innocence and godly-character, first and foremost, will be our primary answer to every man that asketh us the reason for the hope that is in us.

Oft I have heard this verse quoted—“be ready always to give an answer”—and certainly Christians should be able to do that; Christians should be able to provide answers to their antagonists.

The thrust of these verses, however, transcend the imperative to believers—having premeditated, formulated answers is only half of the equation, and the less important half at that. Notice the thrust and tone of these verses: “Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts,” “with meekness and fear: having a good conscience,” “your good conversation in Christ,” and “it is better … that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.” Overall, I would argue that the text focuses primarily upon the character, innocence, godly speech, and good works conducted by the believer, and less upon that believer’s reply to the antagonist’s questions.

The reason is obvious: Innocence and godly-character not only speak louder than words, but with greater clarity and power. After all, if we are sanctified and meek (not prideful), then upon what basis other than being a follower of Christ will an antagonist bring accusations against us? False accusations tell us more about the antagonist/accuser than the accused; namely, that the accuser is the one with fault/sin, and not the accused that is innocent.

So, will the antagonist accuse us for being charitable? I hope not. Is he going to accuse us for taking care of orphans and widows? Again, I hope not. Is he going to accuse us for being self-controlled and sober? Again, I hope not. Is he going to accuse us for being faithful in our marriage to our spouse? For loving our children? Again, for a third time, I hope not. I hope that we are not accused for holiness, but it may be the case that we will be accused—“it is better … that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.”

Which brings me to two points to conclude with: First, rejoice if you suffer for well doing, for we know that Christ also suffered for well doing, and as a result he reconciled and brought sinners to God (1 Peter 3:18). Let this, therefore, be our aim: If we must suffer for well doing, that sinners might notice our innocence, and as a result, they might be reconciled and brought to God by the grace of Christ. Second, don’t forget that if you are a believer suffering for evil doing (e.g. pride, lying, etc), the only appropriate and covenantal response is to repent for your sin, and then go forward innocent, sinning no more.

Scripture

2 Tim 3:14-17: "But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."

Scripture: Linguistic & Mental Equipment

From The Baptized Body: Peter Leithart says, "One of the effects of saturation in Scripture is that we gain the linguistic and mental equipment to grasp the world as it truly is and to live in it fruitfully."

Church Reformation: Diverse but United

“As reformation gets underway, we will find that our churches continue to be diverse in many ways. Some will have roots in the Jesus-people movement of the seventies. Others will have a dispensational Bible church background. Still others will have come out of the charismatic movement. In this we will see reformation in the churches that have had no clear historic connection to the historic Reformed churches.

“In other situations, churches with a Reformation heritage have been busy throwing it all away. In their midst, there will be some who are distressed by the steady drift of these formerly evangelical Presbyterian and Reformed communions into various kinds of compromise, and so have consequently taken a stand.

“The principles which bring such disparate groups together are obviously not cultural, but rather scriptural and theological. Together we affirm these key scriptural principles stated here [dedication to authority of Scripture, affirmation of ultimacy of Scripture, reformational understanding of doctrine of salvation, ecclesiastical government that is presbyterial and representative, etc], and expect that they will continue to bear fruit in different cultural ways” (Douglas Wilson, Mother Kirk: Essays on Church Life, 53).

Douglas Wilson: Reformation – Scripture, Repentance, and Church

“By the grace of the Lord, we must resolve to be faithful to every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. From Genesis to Revelation, we must not be embarrassed by any passage of Scripture, and once we have submissively ascertained its meaning through careful and patient grammatical, historical and typological study, we must seek to put it into practice the day before yesterday” (Douglas Wilson, Mother Kirk: Essays on Church Life, 16).

“In a godly culture, the first social manifestation of grace is found in the family. But our culture is so rebellious that we have institutionalized our rebellion and cannot even conceive of how a genuine obedience would appear. We must nevertheless begin; Christians must insist on the abolition of the government school system, our nursing home system, our government welfare system, and countless other agencies and bureaucracies designed by the godless to replace the family. The family, and only the family, is the ministry of health, education, and welfare. Christians must hasten the destruction of this godless system of salvation by works through separating themselves from it. Christians must take their children out of government schools and day-care centers, their parents out of rest homes, and food stamps out of the budget.

“And this brings us to the point of this book, which is the reformation of the Church. The first duty of all Christian churches is to proclaim clearly the gospel of Christ as Scripture has revealed it to us. Our preachers must therefore repent of their ignorance, slothfulness, timidity, and prideful ‘wiser than God’ assumptions, and return to a bold proclamation of the truth of the Gospel. We need have no fear in preaching this message, for it abases man and exalts Christ. We need to tremble for having neglected it. . . . The point of this book is the reformation of the Church, and not the reformation of nations and culture. Nevertheless, if the Church were to be reformed, it would have a dramatic impact on the surrounding nations and culture” (17-18).

“Modern evangelicals in our culture have gotten money, power, and influence, and it has been like giving whiskey to a two-year-old. But the need of the hour is theological, not political. The arena is the pulpit and the table, not the legislative chamber. The message is Christ crucified and risen for His chosen sinners and now acknowledge Lord of all. This risen and conquering Christ is the Head of the Church. Before we are equipped to proclaim His lordship to the inhabitants of all the earth, we must live as though we believed it in the Church” (22).

OT: Genesis 1 - Calvin's Insight

“And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day” (Gen 1:5).

In his commentary on this verse Calvin notes: “It did not, however, happen from inconsideration or by accident, that the light preceded the sun and the moon. To nothing are we more prone than to tie down the power of God to those instruments the agency of which he employs. The sun and moon supply us with light: And, according to our notions we so include this power to give light in them, that if they were taken away from the world, it would seem impossible for any light to remain. Therefore the Lord, by the very order of the creation, bears witness that he holds in his hand the light, which he is able to impart to us without the sun and moon.”

What tremendous insight, especially the recognition that the very order of creation bears witness of the truth that the power of God is not tied down.

Advertisement: Funny

CMYK Magazine issue 24 has an advertisement for Axis and Allies WWII board game. On the left side of the advertisement, positioned between pictures of FDR and Churchill, in angled, typeset font, the caption reads: “Good friends send sympathy. Great friends send ammo.” On the right side, and even funnier, it continues: “Be wary of people who say winning isn’t everything. They’re called the French, the Germans, then the French again.”

Proverbs 29:11, 29: Speech - Sanctification

"A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise [man] keepeth it in till afterwards (11)."

"Seest thou a man [that is] hasty in his words? [there is] more hope of a fool than of him (20)."

A very important part of our sanctification is learning how to speak with wisdom, both in content and form (God cares what, how, and when we speak). Our speech is part of us, and it will be transformed through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.

Speaking is an art, but speaking wise counsel at the appropriate time is an even greater art. The Lord, however, is gracious, and readily provides instruction; the Lord teaches us what, how, and when to speak through Scripture, prayer, worship, and the Holy Spirit.

Books: Introductions – Clarification

Previously I stated that some introductions curse a reader with a plethora of paragraphs, and I still believe that to be true. I thought, however, it would be prudent to add a point of clarification.

Words and paragraphs are good. Lots of words and paragraphs are good (lots of good). My attitude is not, “Man, come on, get to the point now!” It is the opposite. In fact, I rather enjoy the hours upon hours I spend with words and paragraphs (they are great companions) – I enjoy the fact that reading takes time – it is a temporal activity. But what I do not enjoy is excess verbiage. Some authors will say anything and everything, and as a result they reveal that they lack passion and love for anything or anyone (except for their passion for nihilism—that is—nothingness).

As I said earlier, my attitude is not “Man, come on, get to the point now!” Rather, my attitude is, “Man, I really wish you had a point (passion, love, etc) to get to.”

Wilson: Blunt Question

N.D. Wilson, in the welcoming comments of Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl, bluntly asks, “What the hell is this place?” His book is fun, poetic, reads well, and asks (and answers) lots of good questions. He uses the Tilt-A-Whirl as a metaphor for the world, structuring his book upon the four seasons (Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer). It really is a great book with loads of humor.

My only warning: at times the book feels forced, but push through it. It is well worth it.

Hart: Christian Revolution

From the introduction to David Bentley Hart's Atheist Delusions: The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies: “In what follows, my prejudices are transparent and unreserved, and my argument is in some respects willfully extreme (or so it might seem).”

Atheists Delusions is significant, masterfully written, and as page-turning as a Robert Ludlum novel, with ideas that are insightful and compelling. The subject matter is “chiefly about the early church” and the “triumph of Christianity”, which Hart argues is the only shift in Western civilization “that can be called in the fullest sense a ‘revolution’.” This shift resulted in a “revision of humanity’s prevailing vision of reality” and “created a new conception of the world, of history, of human nature, of time, and of the moral good.”

Not only does Hart discuss each of these conceptual categories as he argues his chief claim, but he confidently rejects and frequently critiques the secular rewriting of the Christian past. Hart challenges, prods, and tramples ideas recently put forth by the proselytes of the “Gospel of Unbelief”, refusing to surrender our Christian past to the sensibilities of men like Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, Philip Pullman, and Dan Brown. For instance, he argues that “Many of today’s most obstreperous critics of Christianity know nothing more of Christendom’s two millennia than a few childish images of bloodthirsty crusaders and sadistic inquisitors, a few damning facts, and a great number of even more damning legends.” Hart suggest that rather than Christians listening to the histories of the New Atheists, they ought to “deepen their own collective memory of what the gospel has been in human history.”

Books: Introductions

A thought on book introductions: Reading an introduction to a book is like Russian roulette; it can be an exercise of anticipation and dread. In order to fully examine a literary work, the reader’s critical eye must at some point be cast down the gun-barrel of the author’s introductory comments, of which there are two varieties: 1) the editors from the temples of the publishing gods smile upon the reader, publishing introductory comments that are succinct – derringer-like and informative, or 2) the reviewer is a figure of Egypt from the Exodus narrative, except in this case rather than plagues they are cursed with a plethora of paragraphs. I am a fan of paragraphs, but it is painful to engorge the mind with excess verbiage from belaboring authors and generous editors. Books, therefore, can be either “sweet” or “sour”. If I had a dollar for every bad book introduction I’ve read…

James K. A. Smith: Praise

Initial praise for Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation by James K. A. Smith, who teaches at Calvin College:

This philosophical theology of culture is the first of a three volume Cultural Liturgies series, and its chief aim was birthed out of a “desire to communicate to students (and faculty) a vision of what authentic, integral Christian learning looks like, emphasizing how learning is connected to worship and how, together, these constitute practices of formation and discipleship.”

I believe this book is going to be received with a hearty “Amen” and that Christians enrolled and employed at universities and colleges will find Smith’s chief aim both consonant and challenging.

Smith, philosopher that he is, wants the reader to slow down and consider the central role of formative/liturgical practices. With much insight he states that, “Because our hearts are oriented primarily by desire, by what we love, and because those desires are shaped and molded by the habit-forming practices in which we participate, it is the rituals and practices of the mall—the liturgies of mall and market—that shape our imaginations and how we orient ourselves to the world.” This is a very compelling and very well phrased statement, no doubt about that. It reminds me of what the historian Eugen Rosenstock-Huessey said over six decades ago in Out of Revolution: Autobiography of Western Man: “Our passions give life to the world. Our collective passions constitute the history of mankind. . . . The heart of man either falls in love with somebody or something, or it falls ill. It can never go unoccupied.”

Love is at core of this book. Smith acknowledges, “human creatures are lovers before and above all else, and that the people of God is a community marked by a love and desire for the kingdom of God.” To be human is to love and to give oneself entirely to the desire for the object of one’s love, and that is why Smith believes when Christians desire the kingdom of God it “might look more like the passionate world of the Moulin Rouge than the staid, buttoned-down, talking-head world of the 700 Club.” Which is why Smith so eloquently says: “The end of learning is love; the path of discipleship is romantic.” And so Smith delves into Romantic Theology, and he asks us to come along.

Mounds of praise for Smith’s new book

Church of Christ: Accept Word of Jesus

“Those who accept salvation on the terms on which it is offered them constitute the church, those who reject it constitute the world; good men and angels belong to the one, wicked men and angels to the other; the head of the first is Christ, and the head of the last, Satan (A Dictionary of Christian Biography, Literature, Sects and Doctrines edited by William Smith and Henry Wace).”

The nobleman in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of John is a figure of the Church of Christ – “And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him”. The Church of Christ, by accepting salvation, believes the word that Jesus speaks to them.

Wicked men and angels are not a figure of the Church of Christ; they are the antitype - they do not believe the word that Jesus speaks to them.

The Church of Christ accepts the Word of Jesus and give him glory; in doing this they are glorified and blessed by the word of Jesus. The wicked men and angels, seeking their own glory, are disobedient; they do not receive glory (Pro. 25:27), only judgment.

Medieval Church - Wisdom: Cost of Discipleship, Again

Does the American church today show its glorious wisdom at the front door, in the portal of the church? Are martyrs, bloody swords, and suffering servants of God our Sunday morning greeters? Hardly.

Rather, oftentimes we are greeted by Goliath-sized TV monitors, touch screen lobby digital directories, and “Information Centers”. Technology is a gift from God, but technology be damned if it veils any of the central truths of the Christian life; particularly, the cost of discipleship.

Medieval Church - Wisdom: Cost of Discipleship

“In the Middle Ages, the church showed its glorious wisdom by placing statues of the martyrs at the front door, in the portal of the church. Thus the faithful were welcomed into the church with scenes of decapitation, bloody swords, and suffering servants of God. The church, up front, at the first, portrayed the cost of discipleship.”

Lord, Teach Us: The Lord’s Prayer & the Christian Life by William H. Willimon & Stanley Hauerwas

Proverbs 2:1: Receiving Words

A thought regarding Proverbs 2:1: “My son, if thou wilt receive my words…”

Words are important, especially from a father to a son. With words a father can encourage his son to heed the father’s words, as we see Solomon doing when he urges his son to hear his instruction, as well as not forsaking the law of his mother (Pro 1:8). A good father will speak to his son, giving him instruction and steering him towards wisdom. Speaking, however, is tricky. Words easily fall to the ground.

A wise son will not let the words of his father fall. He will receive them, accepting them as a gift. Sound counsel, the wise words of a loving father, these can be given to sons as gifts. And we should be intentional about giving these gifts to our sons.

A grateful son will receive the words of his father. The son will take the father at his word (A son will learn how to do this because he has seen his father take the Lord at His word). Wise counsel, the words given as gifts from a father to a son, will provide rest for the son. And sons need rest to avoid becoming exasperated (Col 3:21).

What this does not mean is that fathers can simply communicate with words alone. They are required to act. For instance, men are told “to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly” (Mic 6:8). However, a spoken word functions somewhat differently than an action, and Solomon’s highlights this by denoting the importance of a son’s reception of his father’s words.

Music: Blues

Job 30:26-31: “When I looked for good, then evil came unto me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness. My bowels boiled, and rested not: the days of affliction prevented me. I went mourning without the sun: I stood up, and I cried in the congregation. I am a brother to dragons, and a companion of owls. My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burned with heat. My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep."

Prayer: Salvation

“Christians are those who ask to be saved. When we pray to God to save us, we are not asking for some changed self-understanding, some new way of feeling about ourselves, something to put zest in our lives. Salvation in Christ is being adopted (baptism), made members of a people, Israel, and the church. We really believe that if we were not part of this people we would not be saved.”

“So when the church has opinions about how you spend your money, how you have sex, how you vote, this is salvation. You are not simply being saved from personal greed or licentiousness, you are thereby being made a member of God’s people.”

Lord, Teach Us: The Lord’s Prayer & the Christian Life by William H. Willimon & Stanley Hauerwas

Thomas Merton: Saint

“What do you mean, you want to be a good Catholic?”
The explanation I gave was lame enough, and expressed my confusion, and betrayed how little I had really thought about it at all.
Lax did not accept it.
“What you should say”—he told me—“what you should say is that you want to be a saint.”
A saint! The thought struck me as a little weird. I said:
“How do you expect me to become a saint?”
“By wanting to,” said Lax, simply.

The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton

CSR: Indian Studies

Christian Scholar’s Review has published a review-essay (Conflicting Views from the Banks of the Little Bighorn: A Modest Proposal for a Christian Approach to Indian Studies) I co-authored with Dr. Todd C. Ream. A table of contents is available at http://www.csreview.org.

OT: Psalm 2: Honour the Son

Psalm 2
“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”

Calvin says, “Let this, therefore, be held as a settled point, that all who do not submit themselves to the authority of Christ make war against God.” Calvin’s comment is correct and his logic draws heavily from Saint John: “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.”

Christian Living: Evangelical Patience

Commenting on Modern Man's obsession with progress, Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy writing in 1938 said, "When we act too early we are not ourselves; our intellect, our will, our efforts, are in advance of our true being, and they may easily forfeit - by their restlessness - our own secret destiny."

Stories

A good-story addresses the backwardness in the universe, particularly in humankind, and that is why there are more than a few bad stories.

Four Years Ago

When I was a twenty-one year old collegiate
I learned a prayer for the first time from a classmate,
“Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

The two of us and our friend with the shaved head
Seeking forgiveness of sin and the Kingdom -
Everywhere, at all times, and by any Universal means.