April 2012

A La Carte (4/26)

Consistent Complementarianism - Merely being complementarian is not enough. Michael McKinley says “I see a lot of men who assert their headship in their home, but who do not take a consistent approach to the authorities set over them by God (or God himself).”

A Beautiful, Dirty Mind - Someone sent me this article, which talks about the man who may be the most intelligent person on the planet. Yet he is consumed with lust and envy and jealousy. Luke 12:48 comes to mind: To whom much is given, much will be required.

Slow Mastery - This is a simple article that lists ten examples of great achievements (granted they’re not all quite so great) that took time.

Doubting Darwin - Marvin Olasky: “The sky is falling! Many interest groups and journalists raced to tell that to the public when a modest but important bill became law in Tennessee early in April.”

Make that Digital Elephant Disappear - Nathan Bingham has some good things to say about ministries in a digital age. The heart of it is this simple statement: “Quality online resources often take a team of people with great skill, at great cost, with a great investment of time.”

That Idol Doesn’t Love You Back - It’s always true: the idol that you love doesn’t love you back.

It is right that our hearts should be on God, when the heart of God is so much on us. —Richard Baxter

The Essential: Trinity

About a month ago I announced the start of a new series of posts in which I will attempt to define theological terms succinctly and simply (as much as this is possible). I began with a definition of the category itself--theology--and am now finally getting around to the second term.

Trinity is a word that, like theology, we do not find in the Bible itself. Nevertheless, like theology, it is no less biblical, because the concept that it summarizes is clearly evident in Scripture, from the first page to the last.

Trinity refers to the nature of God’s existence and is a theological description that distinguishes genuine, biblical Christianity from so many cults and frauds. The name itself could be understood as the combination of the words “triple” and “unity,” and that would just about capture the main idea. 

In very basic terms, Trinity refers to God’s three-fold being--the fact that he has always been and forever will be one God who consists, simultaneously and distinctly, in three Persons (Father, Son and Spirit), who are each fully God.

Any definition of Trinity warrants additional explanation of all that it does (and doesn’t) mean. For a next step in understanding the doctrine, I recommend checking out the infographic I put together recently. Here is how I defined the term in that graphic:

God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is one God.

If you haven’t ever read a book on the Trinity, you would do well to read one as soon as possible! I recommend James White’s The Forgotten Trinity or Bruce Ware’s Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; both are excellent places to go for an introduction or refresher.

On Books and True Ownership

I have a love-hate relationship with e-books. Among the issues I’ve grappled with most is that of ownership: Which option offers the greater sense or reality of ownership? Is there greater ownership in having a physical copy of a book I can hold in my hand and file on my bookcase, or in having that book available to me anywhere in the world in electronic format? There is a kind of trade-off here.

My brain has not yet been able to fully adjust to digital versus physical ownership. I realized this a couple of weeks ago when I bought a novel in Kindle format. I loved that novel and enjoyed reading it on my Kindle, but at the end of it all I found myself wanting to visit the bookstore to buy a printed version of it, something I could put in my office and add to my bookcase almost like a kind of trophy, a relic that says something about me, about what I’ve loved. I found it interesting that somewhere beyond conscious thought and reason, my brain registers a difference between these things. My brain tells me that I don’t fully own something until I own it physically. Somehow my mind registers owning a Kindle book as something less than owning a book printed in ink on dead trees.

Mortimer Adler points out that there are two ways of owning a book. "The first is the property right you establish by paying for it, just as you pay for clothes and furniture. But this act of purchase is only the prelude to possession. Full ownership comes only when you have made it a part of yourself, and the best way to make yourself a part of it is by writing in it." E-books allow you to have some kind of a property right, though this is still very different from owning a book. In reality it is more like owning insurance than owning furniture. In one case the ownership is virtual and even revocable. In the other case the ownership is physical and irrevocable. You can own an e-book, but it seems a lesser form of ownership than owning a book (as Kindle users discovered when one day their copies of 1984 suddenly disappeared). Owning the rights to read the contents of a digital file is far, far different than owning the book that sits on the desk beside me. Then again, those digital files are available anywhere at any time.

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A La Carte (4/25)

3 Ways to Encourage Your Pastor - R.C. Sproul Jr. offers up three really good ways to encourage your pastor. As I read these, I realized that though I am a pastor, I ought to be more deliberate in encouraging the other pastors at my church!

Building Healthy Churches - 9Marks has just released a helpful new series of study guides along with some new books on church discipline and church membership. Westminster Books has it all on sale; now’s the time to stock up!

Jane Goodall and Worshipping Chimps - This is truly an odd article to find at Christianity Today. They interview Jane Goodall who says that chimps have souls and that they worship.

2012 Band of Bloggers - Just prior to T4G, I and a bunch of other bloggers got together to discuss the state of modern Christian blogging. The audio is now available if you want to listen in.

Joel Osteen and Mormonism - Joel Osteen continues to lead astray: “When I hear Mitt Romney say that he believes that Jesus is the Son of God-that he’s the Christ, raised from the dead, that he’s his Savior—that’s good enough for me.” And, “Mormonism is a little different, but I still see them as brothers in Christ.”

The Ugly American - Dr. Mohler writes about a blight on America: “By the end of the last decade, American officials were aware that sex trafficking was taking place in cities large and small. Women, along with boys and girls, were being kidnapped in far parts of the world and on the streets of American cities, to be sold into what could only be considered as sexual slavery.”

The man who tries to do something and fails is infinitely better than the man who tries to do nothing and succeeds. —Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Thinking About Seminary

  • Tim Challies
  • 04/24/12

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This week's Connected Kingdom podcast discusses with seminary, whether it is good and necessary and wise and all the rest. You won’t be surprised to learn that David Murray does the bulk of the speaking! You've got two options: You can read the transcript below or you can listen in by clicking on the audio player. If you listen in, you'll be able to hear the two of us interact a little bit.

CKI have a hate-love relationship with Seminary.

When I was converted in my early twenties, and sensed an almost immediate sense of call to the ministry, I was looking at six years of training before I got near a congregation. (I'd gone straight from High School into Finance, because, I mean, who needs a degree to make a million dollars? Right!)

Six years? Three years at University, then three at Seminary? The world needs me,  the Church needs me, lost souls need me! Why do I need books, lectures, professors, etc?

I was ready to jump on to MV Logos and save the world. Yet, despite trying hard to find someone to confirm my vital stop-the-clock mission, every voice, without exception, told me to get some education and some theological training first. 

So with much reluctance and considerable resistance, I started the long, weary six-year plod through Glasgow University, then Seminary in Edinburgh.

Seminary Misery

Glasgow University taught me how to learn, and Seminary taught me what I needed to learn. At least, that was the theory. I'm afraid my Seminary years were a fairly miserable experience. Some of that was my own fault; but most of it wasn't.

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The Legacy of Charles Colson

Charles ColsonI don’t mean to be a curmudgeon and I don’t mean to be insensitive, truly. Perhaps there are rules that govern these things, and I am violating them, or maybe I am just missing some vital piece of information. I don’t know. But I have been to a wide variety of Christian blogs and news sites reading the obituaries and memorials and remembrances of Charles Colson and have been surprised to note that they are have been very nearly uniformly, unabashedly positive. 

I am not convinced that we are doing right here. I suppose I would rather wait a little while to say this, but then the opportunity will be gone. At least to my understanding, Colson’s legacy was both more and less than people are making it out to be. I didn’t really understand the man in all his inconsistencies and complexities while he lived—the combination of good and bad baffled me—and I certainly don’t understand him now that he has died.

Don’t hear me say that Colson was a complete villain, but do hear me when I say that he leaves behind a legacy that is far more multi-faceted, far more multi-dimensional, than most people have been saying. It is a legacy that includes some dark chapters, and not only prior to his conversion.

Charles Colson leaves behind a testimony of a man who encountered grace at his darkest hour. He leaves behind a legacy of a ministry that seeks to extend grace to those who are likewise in their darkest hour. He sought to teach Christians how to think—to describe and define a biblical worldview. And then he sought to lead in the application of that biblical worldview, and this is where things become hazy, where a positive legacy collides with a woeful one, where his work for the Lord encounters his work against the Lord’s church.

The fact is that as we remember this man, we remember someone who labored to strike a significant blow against the gospel, and who time and again called on the church to do the same. And this is what is absent in so many remembrances. He labored for good and positive causes, but he also labored for outright sinful causes.

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A La Carte (4/24)

The Hunger Games - With tongue in cheek, Wes Bredenhof pens what he calls the definitive Christian review of The Hunger Games. While it may not be definitive, I think he makes some interesting points.

Monergism Books - Monergism has a pretty good selection of new and not-so-new books available at a deep discount (50% or greater).

A Strange Thing - Julian writes about the strange vocation that is pastoral ministry. 

When to Flee Your Church - Trevin Wax wrote recently about not being to hasty to leave your church. Today he circles back around and suggests times when it is well and good to leave.

Herein Is Love - Nancy Ganz’s excellent commentaries for children (the “Herein Is Love” series) has been marked down. Genesis is $4.99, while Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy are $3.99.

The Whole Big Story - I’ve been enjoying Kristen Gilles’ new EP The Whole Big Story. It releases today and is available for free (or donation) at Noisetrade.

Live Wire - You’d have to pay me an awful lot to do this job.

When we have given God all we have and are, we have simply given him his own. —William Plumer

Reviews I Didn't Write

I love writing book reviews and I love reading them. Since I cannot possibly read and review all of the interesting books out there, I've decided to put together some occasional round-ups of reviews written by other writers. Here are a few notable links I've collected over the past few weeks.

William Carey: Obliged to Go by Janet & Geoff Benge, review by Monique Bergmeier. “All the books in the Christian Heroes series we have read are very well written, with a style that draws our children in as we read aloud together. … [it] is a valuable resource in providing concrete examples of true heroes of the faith after which we and our children may follow in seeking God’s will for our own lives.”

The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler, review by Camden Bucey. “The Explicit Gospel is a useful book with many admirable qualities. Principally, it points us to the matter of first importance, that “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). I agree with the principle concerns of this book, but I believe the author could clarify and improve his case in several ways.”

The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Tim Keller, review by “quaesitor” (Mark Meynell). I’m very pleased this is out in print now, simply because it gets to the heart of such a crucial contemporary issue: the power of the Ego. … This booklet contains all the hallmarks of a Keller treatment: close attention to the details of the text (in this case, a handling of 1 Corinthians 3:21-4:7), explicit debts to the thought of C S Lewis, an appreciation of how contemporary thinking is developing and shifting, as well as a vital understanding of real people’s pastoral needs.”

Relationships: A Mess Worth Making by Tim Lane and Paul Tripp, review by Mark Tubbs. “I can confidently say it is a book that every Christian should read on the threefold basis of theology, applicability, and accessibility.”

The Gospel Focus of Charles Spurgeon by Steven Lawson, review by David Steele. Steele gives it five stars, saying that it “is a much-needed antidote in a church that downplays theology and especially has a nasty habit of misrepresenting historic Reformed theology. It reminds pastors of the need for courage and conviction. … It is time to open the Book and preach with the passion and fervor of Charles Haddon Spurgeon.”

Fools Rush In Where Monkeys Fear to Tread by Carl Trueman, review by Aimee Byrd. “Anyone who wants to be sharpened should read this book. While you may not agree with everything he says, you will be challenged by the gospel’s implications. Your sense of humor will be challenged as well. And your vocabulary.”

Reformation: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow by Carl Trueman, review by David Steele. “Trueman’s work is a delight to read. My hope is that this reprinted edition receives the credit it deserves. Grounded in the great truths of the Protestant Reformation, this work inspires, educates, and corrects mistakes some evangelicals are currently making.”

Don't Tweet that Sermon!

When a new technology explodes on the scene, there is always a period of time in which society negotiates the rules that will surround it. When the telephone first gained popularity it took time to learn what would be considered the polite way of answering it. Alexander Graham Bell suggested “Ahoy!” Others tried, “Who’s there?” Those would be considered rude or ridiculous today, but that is only because society successfully negotiated “Hello?” as the preferred greeting. In years to come we will negotiate the polite way of using a mobile phone (Is it rude or acceptable to use it on a crowded train?). What is considered rude today may become normal; what is considered normal may become rude. We won’t know until it happens.

Electronic devices are quickly becoming the new norm in church. Almost three years ago I said Don’t Bring Your iPod to Church, but today that rebuke seems almost quaint. Just a few years later it is not at all unusual to see all kinds of iPods and iPhones and iPads and iEverythingElse being used in place of a printed Bible. That’s not necessarily a good or a bad thing; it’s just reality. As times goes on, printed Bibles will likely fade into history.

But what about using that same device to do more than read the Bible? What about using it to take notes? And what about sending out Twitter or Facebook updates during the sermon? This is something we often experience at conferences or political events. While people sit and listen to the speaker, they grab ahold of memorable phrases, type them down, and send them out to the world via social media. Is it a good idea to tweet during a sermon?

Let’s get this out of the way: Tweeting during a sermon is not sinful, at least not in the abstract (though certainly your motives could make it sinful). The Bible does not forbid it. However, even though it falls within the realm of Christian freedom, this does not necessarily make it wise or helpful. In fact, I’ll just go ahead and lay my cards on the table and say that I am convinced that it is neither wise nor helpful, either to you or to the people around you. At least for now, I would suggest that you refrain. Here are five good reasons:

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A La Carte (4/23)

Kony 2012 in Numbers - This post, which also includes an infographic, discusses Kony 2012 as a phenomenon (rather than talking about the ideology of the campaign). Studied from a social media perspective, it’s a complete triumph.

Extreme FOMO - “We are living in an era of extreme FOMO, more commonly known as Fear of Missing Out. As the tweets, Facebook status updates, check-ins, Instagram photos, and Tumblr posts pour in, it can start to feel like your friends, coworkers, and even your frenemies lead lives that are infinitely more interesting than yours. Social media is a blessing and a curse that way.”

Malls - “These land-devouring, car-dependent malls were invented 60 years ago, with Seattle among the pioneers. Now they are in terminal decline. There was a better idea in Kansas City, but unfortunately it was eclipsed by our mania for malls.”

Introducing The Stranger - Last week I mentioned that Leland Ryken was beginning a series discussing literature. This post introduces Camus’ The Stranger and gives us the kind of format Ryken will be using as he goes through various books. It looks like a promising series.

Pastoral Reflections on Homophobia - This is an article worth reading.

Why Do Old Books Smell? - It’s distinctive, isn’t it, that old book smell? This video explains it.

One may live as a conquerer, a king or a magistrate; but he must die as a man. —Daniel Webster