New link added to the blogroll. He has some great stuff on his blog. For instance, did any of you guys know that CC DeVille was a follower of Christ?
Go spend some time over there. He shares my addiction to bibles. Always fun to run across somebody else with way more bibles than they need.
Thanks to Mark Bertrand for the find.
As believers in Christ, what is our calling? Jesse Phillips is asking a pointed question on the Catablog.
here is the issue and the question:
Some evangelicals believe it’s our duty to fight for righteousness in our nation, creating laws to help non-Christians follow God’s law. Other evangelicals believe that trying to restrain non-Christians or imposing our morals on them will push them further away from salvation.
What do you think?
Go read the rest of Jesse’s post and watch the video he has embedded therein. Here is the comment that I made there:
Excellent question, Jesse. I think the answer is yes. But that the way we fight the nation’s cultural problems is one heart at a time in our churches, neighborhoods and workplaces. The culture and laws have to follow as a result of people coming to Christ and allowing themselves to be changed into proper reflections of God’s glory. 2 Cor. 3:18.
If we go into the world and make disciples teaching them everything that Jesus commanded, then our world will be changed.
The key is making disciples. As an example, if the entire church that already claims to follow Christ would stop paying for pornography, then that industry’s bottom line would be severely adversely impacted.
Comment by Keith Ingram – Aug 06, 2008 @ 07:44 AM
what do you think?
UPDATE
The conversation continues. here is a comment by Ross Middleton to Jesse’s question and the response that I posted over there:
Hey everyone,
Here goes. I am familiar with Lou Engle and The Call and have been for a long time. A good number of people from my church went to the Nashville Call last summer and are going this summer to DC. On the issue of “purifying the culture” its a good question and an interesting way to put it.
My first answer and argument is we already do. We outlaw murder, hate crimes, racism, theft, etc. Those are all biblical commands that I’m sure we would all agree on. The issues listed in the blog were abortion, pornography and gay marriage. Here is the way I see it. There are two things happening at the same time with issues. There is a natural effect and a spiritual effect. If we outlaw abortion (which is my conviction) will abortion in America completely stop? No. there will still be back alley abortions all over the place. But I would say that I am sure we would save millions of lives. If we outlaw homosexual marriage (which is also my conviction), is that going to stop people from living homosexual lifestyles? No. If we outlawed pornography (I’ve never actually thought about that one) would it stop porn from being made? No. So I think some people could look and say why would we do any of it? I think that’s the wrong question/answer. Here’s why.
First of all, as a Christian I believe we have to stand up for injustice, we can go to other countries and its ok to talk about the Sudan or Sierra Leone and see people get killed and all agree thats wrong. But if its in the womb, somehow we feel as if we cannot speak about it. I believe it is a huge injustice and atrocity. Over 50 million babies have been aborted in our nations history. Its our job to say something about that. Secondly, my tax dollars are helping to pay for abortions because the gov. gives money to Planned Parenthood and organizations like it that abort babies. At some level the blood is on my hands also. On a very practical level, thirdly, I also have to pay for it with insurance premiums. Some insurance companies will help pay for your abortion, guess who helps pay for that, we do.
On the homosexuality issue, its the same thing. When we legalize things like that, first of all our government is saying that they have more moral authority than the Bible. When an organization or person moves outside of the delegated authority that God has given them, they instantly lose their authority, that is why its ok sometimes to rebel against corrupt governments. That is how America was born. When the government legalizes things like homosexual marriage, private companies can then be forced by law to cover someone’s homosexual partner with AIDS. how did they get AIDS? By living a homosexual lifestyle.
Lastly, there is a spiritual side of things that never gets brought up in situations like this. Without writing a book on this response, I believe America is at a place where we need all the mercy from God we can get. I believe that there are spiritual consequences for these things. If our government continues to allow abortion & homosexuality, because God has placed then in authority over us, I believe that God will judge our nation at some level based on the laws that are passed. We see it all over scripture, God judging nations, (Sodom & Gomorra) God wiping out other nations that were ungodly. God killing leaders who were ungodly. Now I know that the gov. is by no means solely responsible for this but I do think it makes a difference. I think in Proverbs it says, when the righteous rule, the people rejoice. Study scripture, if there is anything God does not tolerate it is the shedding of innocent blood. Look at Cain and Abel, read through the OT, he hates it and judges nations because of it. I believe the Civil War was part of God’s judgement on our nation for slavery. Biblically, its in Deut. somewhere, I can’t remember but the only answer for the unjust shedding of blood is blood being shed. Now I know people will say well thats what Jesus did on the cross. I agree……but, look at the civil war and tens of thousands of lives that are lost when innocent blood is shed in these other nations. My point is regardless of the covenant we are under its still a scriptural principle.
What Lou Engle is doing in my opinion, is crucial for our nation. Basically, what it is, is a huge prayer meeting, we need to cry out to God for his mercy. Its not an either/or but a both/and situation. We don’t totally ignore politics, that’s not biblical, God calls us to engage the culture. But we don’t put our trust in politics. At the end of the day the local church is the hope of the nation and the world.
To an early commenter, when you study the constitution there is no separation between church and state ever mentioned in the constitution. That phrase was found in a letter Thomas Jefferson (the deist) wrote to a particular Christian denomination saying that they were not going to endorse or make one “Christian denomination” the official one as a state. When you study American history, the buildings in DC used to be used for church services, like the Senate and House chambers. That concept of separation is a result of revisionist history in America. I’m not saying they need to be the same or I’m for some theocracy I’m just saying thats inaccurate history.
In conclusion, yes I do think we should pray and seek out the ending of abortion in America legally. Yes I think we should outlaw homosexual marriage. and I do agree with Read Scott where there is sin and lawlessness, more laws are needed. That is a deeply scriptural principle. Do I think it will fix all our problems? No. Is Jesus the ultimate answer? Yes. Should the church pull out of culture? No. I think we should speak up and address cultural problems? Should we be the tool of the Republican party? No. Should we put our trust in politics or politicians for the advancement of the kingdom in America? Heck no. That are role, but I don’t think we should ignore it either. I’ll shut up now.
Comment by Ross Middleton – Aug 06, 2008 @ 12:00 PM
Ross,
Well said. The only issue I have with what you wrote is making sure that the main thing stays the main thing. The older I get and the more I see, the more I am convinced that our enemy’s best tool is distraction. He distracts christians with busyness with “the good” in order to keep us from being effective at “the best”. “taking back America” is not the main thing.
Saving unborn children is a wonderful thing. What is the best way to do that? Getting a fifth judge on the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade? That won’t stop abortion. That will just move the fight to state legislatures. If we then succeed in getting laws restricting abortion passed in 35 or so states, then you are correct that the number of abortions will decrease. That is a very good thing. But would that time and effort have been better spent working with our kids to teach them that God’s way of sexuality is different than the world’s and that God’s way is for their good and for their benefit?
Paul said that since we know what it is to fear God we persuade others. 2 Cor. 5:11. He then begins his discussion of our being new creatures in Christ reconciled to God through Christ. We have been entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation. We are His ambassadors in this world with His message on our lips. 2 Cor. 5:17-21. Paul wasn’t trying to persuade the Roman government to outlaw baby girl abandonment. As worthy and important a goal as that would have been, the goal of Paul’s persuasion effort was much more fundamental and important. “We implore you through Christ, be reconciled to God.” 2 Cor. 5:20.
My point is that we live in a wonderful country with a wonderful opportunity to have an influence on the laws by which we are governed. I agree with you that we should use that opportunity to push for laws that can teach the culture what morality is. However, we must constantly be on guard against the temptation to spend our resources of time, talent, and treasure on the good to the exclusion of the best.
The best and highest task we have is to be ambassadors for Christ entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation.
Peter said that the end of all things is near, therefore let us love one another earnestly, keep our minds clear and use the gifts God has given us as good stewards of God’s manifold grace. I Peter 4:7-11. Good stewards speak as though they are speaking the oracles of God and serve in the strength that God provides in order that “in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.” I Peter 4:10-11.
Comment by Keith Ingram – Aug 06, 2008 @ 12:51 PM
here is an idea that a church of any size can do in its community.
We wanted to plan an event that was all about serving our community, so we planned this event where we would give away new backpacks full of school supplies, free back-to-school haircuts, free food, free photos/fingerprinting for the kids, and lots of other fun things (inflatable games, facepainting, cartoons on the big screen, great door prizes, etc…).
Read the rest of Jeff’s post to see his doubts about the event and how it turned out. Inspiring stuff.
Julie thought the other one didn’t do her new hair justice since it was out in the sun. Here is a better one.
The whole book of Hebrews was written to Jewish believers in Christ who were thinking about/considering the possibility of returning to Judaism. The writer’s purpose was to persuade these believers to stay with Jesus. He (or she) wrote that Jesus was better than Moses and better than the angels.
He then spent a great deal of time expositing why the priesthood of Jesus after the order of Melchizedek was better than the Levitical priesthood. In Chapters 7, 8, 9, and 10, the writer explicitly compares the priesthood of Jesus and its superiority to the Levitical priesthood. He emphasizes that animal sacrifices never cured the sin problem. They only covered it up. He says the priests in Jerusalem have to stand and continually offer sacrifices, first for themselves and their sin and then for the sins of the people. The Day of Atonement just pushed back the sin for another year. By contrast Jesus offered himself once for all and sat down at the right hand of the Father, because His work was finished forever.
Hebrews 10:1-18 sort of sums it all up, but you should read chapters 7-10 to get the full devastating (for the Jewish religion) comparison. In addition, I Cor. 13:10 says that when the perfect has come into the world that the partial will be done away with. Jesus was the perfect high priest and less than forty years after His death and resurrection, the partial symbols of the Levitical priesthood were done away with.
All I am saying is that it doesn’t make sense to me for God to rely on rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem as part of His plan for the end and for the millenial kingdom. Why would He revert to the partial and imperfect that was supposed to illustrate and point to the perfect Lamb of God that was slain for all sin for all time? Doesn’t make sense to me.
If the Temple does get rebuilt, it will be men doing it for their own purposes. Obviously, that move will tbe part of God’s perfect plan, just like Joseph getting sold into slavery, Eli’s sons ignoring their father’s warnings, the nation of Israel chasing after other Gods and the crucifixion itself. See for example, Gen 50:19-20; Exodus 7:3-5; I Sam. 2:25; II Sam 17:14; Romans 9:15-23; and I Peter 2:9.
I am just saying there is room for doubt in our eschatology. It bothers me when people are so completely certain about uncertain things. The Pharisees knew the Old Testament backwards and forwards and based on their view of prophecy were 100% certain that Jesus was not the Messiah.
Just sayin’.
transitioning a conversation to the gospel requires the intention to do so and the opportunity. Joe Thorn has a list of eight topics from which the gospel is an easy leap. There are more in the comments.
Here are the first three to get you started.
1. Corruption, evil and sin.
Conversations about corruption and evil are pretty common in my experience. Murderer’s go unpunished, children are exploited, racism continues on in more polite forms, mayors are busted smoking crack, etc. These conversations can naturally connect to the biblical issues of justice, judgment, forgiveness and redemption.
Transitions examples: “Even when the unrighteous escape justice in the courts, God says he will not let sin go unpunished…”
“My personal desire for vengeance is often quited by God’s assurance of justice…”
“In the end, I find that though I am guilty of different sins, I am just as guilty as…”2. Community.
This is a great conversation to have in the suburbs. Everyone wants it, but many are at a loss how to build it. Zoning laws have essentially destroyed the development of real, workable, walkable, communities. Conversations about community naturally lend themselves to the reality that we are made for community, that God himself dwells in eternal community (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), and that a central component of God’s saving work is the establishment of a community, a family, made up of every tribe, tongue and nation.
Transition example: “Part of why I am so passionate about the development of authentic community is because of how the Bible portrays the need for it. We are created by God to live in real community…”3. Politics.
In “my suburbia” it’s 49% Republican and 51% Democrat. We’re split down the middle, and yet I often hear and have political discussions with practical strangers. Political discussions are a great opportunity to relate the second greatest commandment (love for neighbor) to the management of power.
Transition example: “I regret that Christians are often seen as a voting block of the Republican party. The truth is, the command to love God and our neighbors points to a way that is not entirely in line with any political party…”
Hat tip Ramblin Pastor Man.
here is a fish story from a book by Wayne McDill called Making friends for Christ:
Wayne McDill – Making Friends For Christ p.8
Whatever Became of Evangelism?
Now it came to pass that a group existed who called themselves fishermen. And lo, there were many fish in the waters all around. In fact the whole area was surrounded by streams and lakes filled with fish. And the fish were hungry.
Week after week, month after month, and year after year, those who called themselves fishermen met in meetings and talked about their call to fish, the abundance of fish, and how they might go about fishing. Year after year they carefully defined what fishing means, defended fishing as an occupation, and declared that fishing is always to be a primary task of fishermen.
These fishermen built large, beautiful buildings for local fishing headquarters. The plea was that everyone should be a fisherman and every fisherman should fish. One thing they didn’t do, however; they didn’t fish.
In addition to meeting regularly, they organized a board to send out fishermen to other places where there were many fish. The board was formed by those who had the great vision and courage to speak about fishing, to define fishing, to promote the idea of fishing in faraway streams and lakes where many other fish of different colors lived. Also the board hired staffs and appointed committees and held many meeting to define fishing, to defend fishing, to decide what new streams should be thought about. But the staff and committee members did not fish.
Large, elaborate, and expensive training centers were built whose original and primary purpose was to teach fishermen how to fish. Over the years courses were offered on the needs of the fish, the nature of fish, how to define fish, the psychological reactions of fish, and how to approach and feed fish. Those who taught had doctorates in “fishology”. But the teachers did not fish. They only taught fishing.
Further, the fishermen built large printing houses to publish fishing guides. Presses were kept busy day and night to produce materials solely devoted to fishing methods, equipment, and programs, to arrange and encourage meetings to talk about fishing. A speakers’ bureau was also provided to schedule special speakers on the subject of fishing.
After one stirring meeting on “The Necessity of Fishing”, one young fellow left the meeting and went fishing. The next day he reported that he had caught two outstanding fish. He was honored for his excellent catch and scheduled to visit all the big meetings possible to tell how he did it. So he quit his fishing in order to have time to tell about the experience to the other fishermen. He was also placed on the Fisherman’s General Board as a person having considerable experience.
Now it’s true that many of the fishermen sacrificed and put up with all kinds of difficulties. Some lived near the water and bore the smell of dead fish. They received the ridicule of some who made fun of their fishermen’s clubs and the fact that they claimed to be fishermen yet never fished. They wondered about those who felt it was little use to attend and talk about fishing. After all, were they not following the Master who said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt 4:19).
Imagine how hurt some were when one day a person suggested that those who don’t fish were not really fishermen, no matter how much they claimed to be. Yet it did sound correct. Is a person a fisherman if year after year he never catches a fish? Is one following if he isn’t fishing?
we have got to get nets in the water and quit talking about it. Everything Forrest Gump learned about catching shrimp, he learned on a boat in the gulf trying to catch some shrimp.
John Piper has put up a remembrance of Alexander Solzhenitsyn with a quote from the Gulag Archipelago
here is a portion of the quote, but go read Piper’s post for the whole thing as well as John’s prayer of gratitude for this man’s life:
In my most evil moments I was convinced that I was doing good, and I was well supplied with systematic arguments. It was only when I lay there on rotting prison straw that I sensed within myself the first stirrings of good. Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either—but right through every human heart—and through all human hearts…. That is why I turn back to the years of my imprisonment and say, sometimes to the astonishment of those about me: “Bless you, prison!” I…have served enough time there. I nourished my soul there, and I say without hesitation: “Bless you, prison, for having been in my life!” (The Gulag Archipelago: 1918-1956, Vol. 2, 615-617)
Chuck Warnock has coined a phrase for getting off purpose in life. He calls it priority drift.
“Priority drift.” I made that phrase up to describe the state I found myself in a couple of weeks ago. Simply put: my priorities had drifted. I found myself spread too thin, doing too many good things, and not doing the things I felt called — even compelled — to do.
His post has some very practical and helpful tips that he uses to help him stay focused.
I find that it is useful to constantly ask “why?”. Why am I doing whatever I end up doing and does it further the goal? We need to be able to individually and as a body be unafraid to ask “why?” about what we are doing.
If some ministry or activity doesn’t move the ball down the field, then we need to be able to cut it out and try something different. This is hard for us humans because inertia sets in and usually every ministry, no matter how ineffective it is, has a constituency that insists on its continuance.
Leadership must have the freedom and the ability to make the difficult decision to pull the plug. A large portion of leadership is having and using the discernment to decide what activities get our time and attention both individually and corporately.
If God is sovereign over all as Ephesians 1:11 say He is, then why pray?
John Piper wrote an article back in 1976 answering two questions:
1. “Why pray for anyone’s conversion if God has chosen before the foundation of the world who will be his sons?”
…..
2. If someone now says, “O.K., granted that a person’s conversion is ultimately determined by God’ I still don’t see the point of your prayer. If God chose before the foundation of the world who would be converted, what function does your prayer have?”
Take some time and go read the article. It is pretty short, and it is eye-opening.
the boys after a week of camp and one to go
and Julie in the sun in West Austin
more of my pictures here.
My lovely wife and I have been wondering about/concerned with the question of how to encourage our children to appropriate the Faith for themselves in a vibrant and real way. Julie sent a link out yesterday to some folks as follows:
this is an interesting website….these teens are showing that their youth doesn’t have to be wasted time, but they can live for God right now. we should get our kids their book and get them reading their blog. i heard about them when listening to John Piper on “the unwasted life.” by the way, i highly recommend Piper’s series on the unwasted life. you can download it on Desiring God.org.
In addition, Pulpit Magazine has a review of the book that Alex and Brett Harris wrote called Do Hard Things. Here is a piece of the review:
The first way the myth gets teens to waste their life is by convincing them that being above average is actually something to be proud of. Excellence is defined by getting good grades in easy classes, and if the classes are to hard, at least trying to get good grades should be sufficient. The second way, the Harris brothers say, is by getting teens to be known for what they don’t do, rather than what they do. “Tim doesn’t do drugs or get in trouble at school — what a good boy he is!”
This book is refreshing because it is unlike most other books written for teens; it challenges them with real challenges. It challenges both the myth and the culture of mediocrity the myth creates. And it encourages teens to try things at which they might very well fail. In this vein it reminds me of John Piper’s Don’t Waste Your Life.
finally, Challies put me on to Deb Burton. Deb’s question of the week is this:
Your child thinks Sunday morning sermons are boring. The pastor is just another talking head, like all those grown-up shows with political pundits. His body language shows it. You think the pastor is right on the money – he’s biblical, he’s topical, and he has a decent presentation.
What’s the deal?
The comments to the post are pretty good and her followup post is interesting as well.
Lots of folks sharing the journey and learning from each other as we attempt to shepherd the hearts of our children.
Adrian Warnock posted this video a few weeks ago of a dramatic reading of Romans 8:16-39. Enjoy.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6Lluay3_1Y&hl=en&fs=1]
Jonah’s column today is a magnificent exposition of capitalism (the idea itself) as wealth. It is an absolute must read.
He says:
In large measure our wealth isn’t the product of capitalism, it is capitalism.
And yet we hate it. Leaving religion out of it, no idea has given more to humanity. The average working-class person today is richer, in real terms, than the average prince or potentate of 300 years ago. His food is better, his life longer, his health better, his menu of entertainments vastly more diverse, his toilette infinitely more civilized. And yet we constantly hear how cruel capitalism is while this collectivism or that is more loving because, unlike capitalism, collectivism is about the group, not the individual.
and he says:
Capitalism is the greatest system ever created for alleviating general human misery, and yet it breeds ingratitude.
People ask, “Why is there poverty in the world?” It’s a silly question. Poverty is the default human condition. It is the factory preset of this mortal coil. As individuals and as a species, we are born naked and penniless, bereft of skills or possessions. Likewise, in his civilizational infancy man was poor, in every sense. He lived in ignorance, filth, hunger, and pain, and he died very young, either by violence or disease.
ok. I love me some Lileks. He is always fun to read, and the way he strings weaves words together is wonderful and wacky.
Today’s bleat is awesome. I mean it, totally awesome dude! In it, he asks this question and makes the assertion following thereafter:
Has the last quarter-century melted and congealed to form a primordial sea of media in which everything older than last week is somehow made equal?
I’ll make a strange assertion here, floated with no supporting evidence: if you’re in my demographic, and you were alive & and “hip” and “with-it” during the hullabaloo of the 80s, the culture of the 90s left very little impression on you, but the culture of the Aughts seemed more interesting and relevant. It’s as if we take a decade off after the bloom of youth has faded.
waddya think? are we drowning in a primordial media sea? feels that way sometimes to me. We watched Philadelphia Story with the kids a few months ago and they actually enjoyed it. We had a regular family date with Retro videos when we lived in Little Rock. The kids loved Take on Me and Safety Dance.
Do all of the last 30 to 100 years of media just blur together into a ball where all of it is the same as all the rest of it?
Here is what David Laubach recently had to say about the state of the church in America at the recent Baptist World Alliance meeting:
According to Laubach, 75 percent of churches in the United States are plateaued or declining and 24 percent are growing because they are poaching new members from those declining churches.
Only 1 percent of U.S. churches are growing because they are reaching the unchurched population, he said.
Since most American churches are small, the issue of survival assumes critical importance and depletes energy and resources. Across denominational lines, those in churches of fewer than 100 members said that “keeping the church going” was their chief concern. That concern was only slightly less important in churches with fewer than 250 members.
“Shrinking resources, absence of biological growth, aging mainline denominational populations, mobility, consumerist/entertainment culture, a sometimes-hostile environment, increased pastoral expectations and role overload, dramatically shifting ecclesiology, church change and conflict” are among the stress producers North American clergy deal with regularly, Laubach asserted.
The stress can create its own problems, he noted, because “emotionally drained pastors can succumb to moral failure and personal and family breakdown.”
Only 1% of churches are growing by reaching the unchurched population. 1%. If this is true, what a horrible indictment of the church.
If this is true, then why is it occurring? Why aren’t people in churches reaching the unchurched lost friends and neighbors around them? What do we do about it? What do we do right here in Austin, Texas today?
One of the commenters on the Catablog post, Steve Bradley had some extended thoughts on his own blog that are interesting. I think that he absolutely nails it. Here is a portion of his entry, but please go read all of it.
The funny thing I realized after awhile is that I really didn’t know anyone who wasn’t a part of a church. All this church activity was centered around church, and you just expected unchurched folks to be interested at some point and show up. If they did show up, the goal was to get them to forsake the world and get busy doing church things. So they could be worn out hoping other unchurched people would show up and become a part of all this activity. You get the point…
We must always take the time to ask why we are doing what we are doing and how whatever the activity is fits into our main role as ambassadors for Christ entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation.
Hat tip Catablog
one of the things that has bothered me for some time about the way we do church is age segregation. Breaking up Sunday School or other small group time into age categories seems like a way to pool the collective ignorance of a demographic slice of people. In other words, why in the world would we put twenty fourteen year old boys together in a room and expect them to learn something useful from each other. It just doesn’t make sense. Teenagers need some guidance from grownups.
Younger adults need the wise counsel of older adults who have made the journey they are making. Older adults need to benefit from the fresh perspective, energy etc of the younger adults.
When I started a new sunday school department back in 2005, we made it “unclassified” for that reason. Our goal was to have a good healthy mix of older and younger adults in order to cross-pollinate across generations.
Ramblin Pastor Man had a quote on his blog a couple of days ago from JI Packer on Between two Worlds
Here is a portion of what Mr. Packer had to say:
J. I. Packer: We have separated the ages, very much to the loss of each age. In the New Testament, the Christian church is an all-age community, and in real life the experience of the family to look no further should convince us that the interaction of the ages is enriching. The principle is that generations should be mixed up in the church for the glory of God. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t disciple groups of people of the same age or the same sex separately from time to time. That’s a good thing to do. But for the most part, the right thing is the mixed community in which everybody is making the effort to understand and empathize with all the other people in the other age groups.
Go read the rest of it. Its not too long. What do you think? Is age segregation a good thing? why or why not?
cool boys.
learning off camera flash
sunset
Here are two interesting items that I ran across and emailed to a few folks toward the end of June. The first is a series of youtube videos with Adrian Warnock interviewing Ed Stetzer about missional church planting etc that I got from this Timmy Brister post.
If you don’t have time to watch them all right now, then cut to the first four minutes of the number 6 video.
The second is an entry off of National Review’s “the Corner” about Anglicans. Isn’t the bit about the hangover headache so very true to life? Doesn’t it match what Ed says about the things that regular church members get passionate about?
Food for Thought, from the Anglicans [Mike Potemra]
Even those who don’t follow religious news closely know it’s tough to be an Anglican these days. The 77-million-member Church’s assembly of bishops—the Lambeth Conference—meets next month, amid fears of radical ruptures and even schism; conservative Anglicans angry about gay issues are now holding their own counter-conference in Jerusalem. The website Anglicans Online is an extremely valuable and well-designed resource for all things Anglican, including many of the numerous versions of the venerable Book of Common Prayer. Every week or so, Anglicans Online posts an editorial on its homepage. This week’s is thought-provoking, offering as it does a bit of information about booze I’d never heard before:The Anglican events in the Middle East this week caused us to recall [a story] from long ago. . . .
Towards the end of Harold Wilson’s first term as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, we recall attending a lecture by the head of the Beverage Chemistry division of one of the world’s largest liquor firms. This man was responsible for the formulation and quality control of many famous brands of alcoholic beverages, shipped and served all over the world. He told us that it was very important, after making the whisky or gin or strong ale or whatever it might be, to add small amounts of unpleasant chemicals to them. He explained:
“People have come to expect that if they spend a lot of money on a fifth of premium whiskey, and they drink a good bit of it on a Friday night, that they ought to feel terrible on Saturday morning. The most important part of my job is to see to it that just the right amount of fusel is added to the beverage so that their headache the next morning will meet their expectations. If we make our beverages too pure, too free of impurities, then our customers will feel cheated when they hardly have any headache at all the next morning, and they’ll start to think that we’re watering it down. They want their pain, so we add enough amyl alcohol to ensure that they get what they expect. The morning-after aches and pains are a key part of our brand identity.”
We were speechless, but, as you can tell, we remembered and internalized what the good chemist told us: people want what’s familiar, even if it hurts them needlessly.
This is a fascinating story, though the point it makes is rather familiar, and very close to the standard liberal critique of small-C conservatism: They want you to have a headache because, darn it, Grandpa had a headache and if it was good enough for Grandpa it better be good enough for you. (In reality, though, I know precious few conservatives who would not welcome hangover-free Wild Turkey.)
06/22 11:21 PM
Ben at Desiring God blog posted 12 sins we blame on others. Here are the first few:
1) Anger
I wouldn’t lose my temper if my co-workers were easier to get along with, or if my kids behaved better, or if my spouse were more considerate.
2) Impatience
I would be a very patient person if it weren’t for traffic jams and long lines in the grocery store. If I didn’t have so many things to do, and if the people around me weren’t so slow, I would never become impatient!
3) Lust
I would have a pure mind if there weren’t so many sensual images in our culture.
4) Anxiety
I wouldn’t worry about the future if my life were just a little more secure—if I had more money, and no health problems.
Take a little time and go read the rest of them. Do you agree that we have a tendency to blame some sins on others?
Hat tip to Adrian Warnock
I have long tried to use Ephesians 4:29 to guide my speech, written and verbal. Sometimes with more success than others. I have tried to explain to my kids why we use certain words and not others in our communication based on this verse.
So I can identify with the family discussion described by Paul Tripp in the following video. It is hilarious. As Steve McCoy says, “Paul Tripp has a potty mouth and he’s right on the money”. If mild expletives of a scatological nature offend your ears, then don’t play this clip. If you want to hear a funny and excellent explication of Ephesians 4:29, please go ahead.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUtPBCELCZc&hl=en&fs=1]
Thanks to the Justin Cofield Band I am obsessing over this song. I just can’t get enough of it. I haven’t obsessed over a song like this since this one and this one. I can’t link to the other song I have been obsessing over because it isn’t for sale anymore, but you folks who downloaded the recorded version of David Cook singing Eleanor Rigby know what I’m talking about.
Brad Abare has an article on Catalyst about why changing the world disturbs him. It is titled, reasonably enough, “Changing the World Disturbs Me”. In the article he makes this statement, “Lately, I’m beginning to think that this inclination for world changing is not only unhealthy, it’s also counter-productive. Perhaps the idea of “changing the world” has derailed a generation from actually accomplishing it.”
Turn that thought over in your mind a few times and chew on it a bit. What do you think? Is he on to something or has he lost his mind? Read the rest of his article and see how well he supports this thesis.
Yesterday morning in bible study we we made it up to Hebrews 13:4. That led to discussion of the fact that marriage is not held in honor by much of anyone in this culture and is under assault legally and culturally. The question then arose as to what we can do about this sad fact.
We talked about several things, but the conclusion was that mostly what we can do is hold our own individual marriages in honor. That we can keep our own marriage bed undefiled and we can “Occupy” till he comes. The word translated “occupy” in the KJV is pragmateuomai and it means to carry on with business.
the parable of the minas in Luke 19:11-27 is a very useful antidote to the “change the world” virus. Jesus told his disciples that their job was to do business with what he gave them until He returns to claim his kingdom. That is what we are supposed to do. Every single one of us can do that. We can be faithful to use diligently, practically, and constantly the resources that Jesus entrusted to us where we are in life.
Individually we are called to be faithful stewards. Collectively, christians who get a hold of and live that principle have the capacity to change the world, perhaps even to turn the world upside down.
Instapundit gave a link to an article about Randy Pausch and his last lecture.
In the article, Charles Lipson talks about the fact that professor Pausch’s lecture was also a lesson in great teaching. Lipson makes the point that good teaching must impart the necessary substantive material. In addition:
The best teachers also serve as models for students. Good teachers bestow their love of learning, their willingness to work hard and their ability to think imaginatively to unravel the mysteries. Those lessons can launch students on their own paths—the real goal of any teacher.
Good teaching points students toward important questions, gives them the tools they need to inquire and inspires them to continue exploring for themselves. Ultimately, every teacher lets go and hopes the students can proceed on their own—and hopes that they will want to.
While we were in Arkansas, our church’s education staff gave teachers and wannabe teachers the opportunity to watch a video series on teaching from Seven Laws of the Teacher by Howard Hendricks. It was really very good.
Lipson’s description of a good secular teacher’s main purpose and goal in the quote above sounds almost exactly like what Howard Hendricks said as well. As a bible teacher my main goal is to assist in creating the thirst in my class members to pursue scripture on their own outside of class. To give them the tools they need to pursue their own answers with their own Bible and their own walk with God.
If you haven’t ever heard Randy Pausch’s last lecture, I encourage you to watch it. It has some mild language, but is entertaining and challenging.
