Why you think you are better than your preacher

I reckon most mature christians have one sermon in them. One talk that draws together the elements of their faith, one talk that stabs you in the heart then warmly heals the wound, one talk that shows Jesus is alive and Lord. That one sermon is better than each of the offerings that the minister coughs up each week, ("what is wrong with our seminaries, don't they teach preaching?"). When they get a go it bursts onto you like a sizzling debut album that has been crafted since the artists angst ridden teenage years, through countless mid twenties bedroom studios and now into your ears. BuT the follow up album never quite matches. Just as there is a big difference between a home cook and a chef. Cook up a talk in a couple of hours each week before you contemplate opening up a new restaurant. 

US bail out

IF American financial institutions are so worried about the USA defaulting on debt, why dont they offer the government a bailout? Sure, they will never see the money again, it will not completely take away the negative effects, and some treasury official might get a bonus from it, but, it only seems fair. It's only fourteen million million after all.                      

First date with a theologian

The first time you meet a theologian, it should be as a lover, as a friend, as a fellow pilgrim, or at worst a stranger. Not as a soldier. and especially not as a soldier on your side.

Can THESE bones live? Forsyth on preaching and hope

Some members of the Church – yea, some Churches themselves – make a greater problem than even the world or the heathen does. They make us ask, “Can these bones live?” These people who go to church, who uphold their Church, who would fight for their Church, would make civil war for its privileges, who have more fight than faith in them, whose souls are exceedingly filled with contempt, and they have a name to live, but are spiritually dead, who care for their Church chiefly as partisans, or because it is a centre of social rank or of juvenile amusements – can they live? What preacher but is cast into occasional despair by that question as he looks upon many spiritual skeletons around him? What preacher has not many a time to answer with Ezekiel that they can only live by some miracle of God; he, poor son of man, has failed, and is hopeless. He is preaching, perhaps, out of duty more than inspiration; he often prophesies in obedience rather than in hope. Well, preach hope till you have hope; then preach it because you have it. “Prophesy over these bones; call out to the Spirit,” says the Lord. At the Lord’s call, if not at your own impulse, call; call with a faith of life when the sense of life is low; speak the word you are bidden, and wait for the word you feel; and then the matter is the Lord’s, and you win a new confidence in the midst of self-despair."

– from Jason A. Goroncy (ed.). Descending on Humanity and Intervening in History: Notes from the Pulpit Ministry of P.T. Forsyth. Eugene: Wipf & Stock, forthcoming.

H/T Jason

Holiness as redemptive covenant love/presence/action

I have a confession to make. When I read John Webster's 'Holiness', I loved it's theological reframing of holiness as God's redemptive purpose. For Webster, holiness is not 'seperateness', even for God. Or perhaps, Gods transcendent 'holiness' is really his being wholly and mercifully 'for us'. I like how it avoids opposing Gods holiness with his redemption. But to tell you the truth, I wasn't so sure of Websters exegetical footing, especially in the penteteuch. So whenever I wanted to put this kind of view across, I was always dragging out Hosea 11. Well, today I was reading the IVP 'Dictionary of the Old Testament: Penteteuch'. The article on 'Holy and Holiness, Clean and Unclean' by JE Hartley backs up Webster at almost every point. Holiness properly belongs to God, and the holiness of creatures comes from being swept up into his presence and purpose. The 'wrath' side of holiness is a minor note, as a function of the burning love of God that consumes all that destroys his people. The article is full of gems and well worth a read, especially before you trot out some rubbish in a sermon like 'to be holy is to be seperate'. I might even do a bit of a series on it

1 Corinthians 12 and the gifts we pursue

I've been reading through 1 Corinthians with one of the young guys at church. He is a gentle, quiet, rock solid beleiver type. He has hade a pretty rough time, but clings firmly to Jesus. As I tell him, reading the scriptures with him is the highlight of my week.  We finished reading and discussing 1 Corinthians 12, had prayed and were about to leave when he came out with this gem, said with all sincerity "If the church is meant to be a diverse body, why are so many Christians trying to be the arsehole". Couldn't have summarised the chapter better.

Narrative Identity and Praise

The narrative theology of Robert Jenson may cause some people metaphysical squirms. Of all the theologians I've read, he is the one who places most emphasis on God being his acts, not just revealed in his acts. Despite the theological quibbles, I've noticed a joyful benefit in hanging out with narrative theologians and using their perspective. The benefit is the increased ability to praise.
Ask a bunch of christians to praise God, to simply praise God in prayer, and it won't be long before they move into confession and petition, and generally move away from praising God. The content of the praise is usually some vague attributes, thanks for taking away sins, and some recollection of nice things God has done recently.
This week I ran some prayer meetings at church. I shared with them the idea that praising God was simply telling him who he is and what he has done. As we paint a picture of praise, the whole sweep of the Bible is our palette. We know God through these stories, so if you can recount the story, you can praise God.
Well.
We could have spent the whole time praising God. It just gushed out, as people remembered different bits of the scriptures, retold them with 'You are the God who...' It was easy instead of painful. It was joyful instead of dreary. It was concrete instead of abstract. It set the scene for the rest of our prayers because it praised God as a person, as a subject, who acts, rather than a vague benevolent force.
In one of the most interesting responses, one of the prayers said afterwards, "I want to go home and read my Bible so I can praise God more". Whew, surely that is what we are aiming at right.

So, I highly recommend dabbling in some theology of narrative identity and incorporating it into your prayers.

Rahner on Prayer

“It is simply the case that the highest and most comprehensive form of thought is adoration. Prayer is the most decisive word that a person can say. There are some highly articulate scholars who are yet in an ultimate sense deaf-mutes: they do not listen to the word of God, and have nothing to say to God.”

—Karl Rahner, Mission and Grace: Essays in Pastoral Theology, Vol. 2 (London: Sheed & Ward, 1964), p. 108.

Thomas Aquinas Prayer for virtue

O Almighty and all-knowing God,
without beginning or end,
who art the giver, preserver, and rewarder of all virtue:

Grant me to stand firm on the solid foundation of faith,
be protected by the invincible shield of hope,
and be adorned by the nuptial garment of charity;

Grant me by justice to obey thee,
by prudence to resist the crafts of the Devil,
by temperance to hold to moderation,
by fortitude to bear adversity with patience;

Grant that the goods that I have I may share liberally
with those who have not,
and the good that I do not have I may seek with humility
from those who have;

Grant that I may truly recognise the guilt of the evil I have done,
and bear with equanimity the punishments I have deserved;
that I may never lust after the goods of my neighbour,
but always give thanks to thee for all thy good gifts...

Plant in me, O Lord, all thy virtues,
that in divine matters I might be devout,
in human affairs wise,
and in the proper needs of the flesh onerous to no one...

And grant that I may never rush to do things hastily,
nor balk to do things demanding,
so that I neither yearn for things too soon,
nor desert things before they are finished.
Amen.

Is it ok to be a bully pastor?

This is part of why I cringe when people tell me they listen to Driscoll. So much good stuff mixed with a little bit of poison. Almost like a dead fly in a bottle of ointment I guess..

Plundering the Egyptians?

Every now and then I hear a christian leader defend their use of secular thinking (or crappy christian thinking) under the excuse of plundering the Egyptians. The reference is of course, to the Israelites taking the gold, silver and clothing of the Egyptians as they left during the Exodus. It is used as a metaphor for taking the 'best' of a culture and your surroundings, without fear of contamination. I think it's use like this comes from Wesley, (though it is there is Origin and Augustine relating to philosophy in particular), who used it based on his belief that God was the God of all truth, and so anything that was true and good in a culture could be used for God's glory.
Now, as a principle, it isn't so bad. But I wonder whether it works as a metaphor. The thing that bugs me is that well before this silver and gold was used as a freewill offering to build the tabernacle, the gold was melted down, made into a golden calf and pronounced to be 'the God who brought you out of Egypt'. Maybe it does work as a metaphor!
So for example, there are people in my church who subscribe heavily to the 'Babywise' parenting method, that says that your children are evil little sinners who need to be brought into line by imposing a routine on them. Some christians say, "oh well, we can still 'plunder the Egyptians' and take what is good out of this program, even though it's theology and use of the Bible is suspect." Which may be good and well for those who know that the God of Israel and of Jesus Christ has nothing to do with such monstrous excrement, but for those who don't, I wonder whether they hear "This is the God who brought you out of Egypt". This man made construct, justified by it's appeal to the true and living God, is plundering the egyptians to make a Golden calf, why should the church have anything to do with something that distorts God so heavily?
(As a side note, the little man is basically on a routine, but not because it is 'God's way' of raising children, but because it is what seems to be working for him and us at the moment).
I wonder whether quite a bit of 'plundering the Egyptians' falls into the same trap?

Prayer from Augustine

God of our life, there are days when the burdens we carry chafe our shoulders and weigh us down; when the road seems dreary and endless, the skies grey and threatening; when our lives have no music in them, and our hearts are lonely, and our souls have lost their courage. Flood the path with light, run our eyes to where the skies are full of promise; tune our hearts to brave music; give us the sense of comradeship with heroes and saints of every age; and so quicken our spirits that we may be able to encourage the souls of all who journey with us on the road of life, to Your honour and glory
Augustine (apparently, don' know where from)