New blog…

I’m going to be deleting this blog soon. Here’s the new one:

http://reflectingtheglory.wordpress.com/

Some key “reform” events in the American church

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how different what seems to be turning into “mainstream” Christianity is than what it was even 5 or 10 years ago. I know that my perspective is very limited, and my own experiences have probably caused these changes to be very instrumental in my mind in large part. But, I would love to hear anyone else’s thoughts on these things.

1. “The New Calvinism” as one of the “10 Ideas Changing the World” in Time Magazine:
   In the circles I ran in as a much younger person, not only the ideas that “Calvinism” are based on but even the word itself was taboo. But, I wonder how much of what the “old” Calvinism was known for had actually led to many of those that I was around being very turned off by the ideas. Over the past several years, I’ve tried to stay up to date with how these ideas have slowly been influencing the church in America, but I was totally thrown off guard by this mention in this article.
2. Sam Storms becoming senior pastor of Bridgeway Church in Oklahoma City:
   For me, this is very personal. For the most part, I grew up in OKC, and I still have a deep love for it. When I go back there I have a lot of great memories. When we moved to Seattle and back to OKC a few years ago, we were very sad that it was so hard to find what we believed to be a Bible-preaching, gospel-centered church. In some respects, we feel that we settled in to a few different churches, but we never felt “at home.” Yes, a lot of churches are doing a lot of great things, and maybe our own selfishness kept us from truly diving into what God was doing there already. But, I have spent a few years listening to and reading work from Sam Storms. He’s one of the more widely read, engaging (and humble) preachers alive right now. So, when I heard that he was taking this position, I was somewhat shocked but also very excited. I know that it isn’t about one man – God forgive us for any kind of “celebritizing” of preachers! But, I’ve also seen what God has done through the preaching of men like Matt Chandler, and I see a lot of hope not just for Bridgeway as a church but for the city as a whole. We’re also trying to convince Dr. Storms (who preferred that I call him Sam) that he should partner with Acts 29…
3. The Reason for God by Tim Keller:
   I guess it’s been over a year now since this book was released. But, I’ve personally been very influenced by many of the same thinkers who have influenced Dr. Keller, and who provide a lot of the foundation for this book. I think the days are slowly fading of trying to defend (prove?) Christianity according to modernist epistemology (i.e. the work of McDowell, Strobel, Hannegraaf, etc.), and this book is a huge step in the right direction. And, there’s a huge difference between a book being endorsed by some of the top Christian leaders in the world and being endorsed by “secular” organizations and thinkers. The former seem to be perfectly okay with thinking that doesn’t engage those outside the church, but the latter more often than not will ignore you simply based on the way that your message is presented. This book somehow engages all, and does so with a different brand of humility – the same humility that may have been hard to find in the “old Calvinism.”
4. Tullian Tchividjian becoming senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church:
   This is one of those events that I think will have far more ripples than any of the others. Again, not because Tullian is some kind of celebrity (read his new book and find out why he would despise anything like that). But, because that church, in my understanding, has been one of the key elements in the Religious Right movement that (I am thankful) is fading away. Thank God for the work of D. James Kennedy. But, the time for “taking America back for God” (and yes, that picture is from Coral Ridge) is gone. And, one of the first statements about this that I remember when I first heard about Tullian’s appointment was that he would not spend his time focusing on this useless endeavor. In his new book, he makes it clear that the political sphere is not the most strategic for truly making a lasting change in our culture.

I would love to hear anyone’s thoughts about any of these, or if you have any other events in recent history that you think will dramatically alter the landscape of Christianity in America.

The future of the earth and the environment in the present

I wonder what kind of connection there is between what we think God will do to the earth when Jesus returns (“reappears”) and what we think about environmental issues today.

I’m not sure how popular it still is today for Christians to think that God’s ultimate goal is to take Christians out of this world and obliterate the planet. I remember it being a pretty common belief when I was growing up in the church. It definitely seems to be the consensus around the still (ridiculously) popular dispensationalism.

There is definitely an important foundation for our relationship to the earth in the reality that God created it and gave humanity the responsibility to take care of it. We don’t, therefore, “own” the earth; we are its stewards. I don’t see how any Christian could deny this foundational belief. “God don’t make junk.”

But, this is also closely connected with the ultimate goal of the earth itself. God “gave” the earth to humanity to take care of it (while himself sustaining it through us), but the way we take care of it is not by leaving it as it is. The mandate/vocation/task to be fruitful and multiply was essentially to spread God’s glory throughout the earth – not simply by “making babies” but my creating culture. This task has never been repealed. And, it’s clear that the effects of Jesus’ death on the cross have global implications, not just spiritual:

Col. 1:15-20 – He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Shalom (peace) was what Adam and Eve experienced before they sinned, and shalom is what we see accomplished/inaugurated by Jesus (through his death and resurrection) but not completed until His return. This shalom includes a renewed creation, not just human beings in harmony with God and each other (Romans 8). God’s “mission” has never been just to save individuals out of this world into a spiritual eternity, but rather to rescue everything that has been distorted by sin.

But, this also doesn’t mean that we should care for the earth because if we don’t then it’s going to completely fall apart. This is a motivation based in fear rather than in love. “Our labor is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15) because everything we do now will somehow be used by God in the “new heavens and new earth.”

It seems that more and more legitimate theologians and pastors are “getting” this important aspect of Christian faith. Here are some great places to see the fruit:

The Mission of God by Chris Wright
Doug Moo on “Nature in the New Creation” – PDF / MP3
Tim Keller on “Can Faith Be Green?” – MP3
Creation Care conference @ Southeastern Seminary

I hope that many more will begin to reflect on what a faithful Christian response to the earth that God has entrusted to us might look like – neither neglect, abuse, or worship, but stewardship (love).

I want to leave this post with a couple quick thoughts from the late great Francis Schaeffer:

“Christians, of all people, should not be the destroyers. We should treat nature with an overwhelming respect… If we treat nature as having no intrinsic value, our own value is diminished.”

An effect of an imbalance between sin & the image of God

A few months ago, I spent some time reflecting on how we can do damage to each other as human beings when we fail to stress both the goodness of God’s creation of humanity in the first place and the fact that “in Adam” we all fall short of God’s glory.

One danger is in over-emphasizing the reality that God created us, in his image, out of his own goodness, and that we, inherently, bear a degree of God’s “likeness” simply because we exist. In reality, this is who we are “by nature,” before sin entered the world and devastated everything. But, if we don’t balance this with our propensity to sin because we are sinners, then the “good news” (gospel) that Jesus entered into the world to fix the problem of humanity, makes no sense. If there is no problem, then the world (and we as part of the world) doesn’t need Jesus. He came simply as another human example of goodness (the height of which none of us will ever rise to).

But, the opposite danger is in over-emphasizing sin at the expense of the image of God – which is not simply a “trait” that humans possess, but rather is stamped on us (in us?) as part of our identity. This can easily result in speaking in ways of other human beings that is truly dehumanizing. This, I believe, is the root of a lot of the judgmentalism that has come to define certain groups of Christians in the West. It’s a quickness to point out the faults in others while not so quickly admitting our own. “Total depravity” thus means primarily “you suck” rather than meaning what the doctrine originally meant, that everything has been distorted by the power of sin.

What got me thinking about this again are the different ways that people in general (and Christians, in particular) respond to others whom a society has deemed the “lower class” (the poor, the sick, etc.).

This is a great sermon from Tim Keller on how the Jewish & Christian belief about the image of God led to contemporary ideas about human rights: “In the Image of God”

I’m sure this is generalizing, but it seems to me that those who tend to stress much more often that we are sinners are those who tend to put less emphasis on our treatment of “the poor”; each individual is responsible for himself. So, if someone is in a desperate situation, they did something to deserve it (or, even if there is no direct correlation, they’re still a sinner), so they need to get themselves out of it. We don’t deserve anything good from anyone anyway, so they’re just feeling the effects of the fall.

On the flipside, those who put a lot more stress on the image of God are those who believe that we all, in some sense, bear responsibility for each other. But, the extreme here is a form of socialism, where we each end up losing our sense of individuality/uniqueness and dignity. (These categories could fall into “left” and “right,” or “conservative” and “liberal,” but I’m sure the labeling is not truly getting to the heart of the issue.)

For me, this very convicting to consider. I have to ask myself questions like, “When I see someone different than me, in a ‘worse’ situation than I am in, what is my response?” “Do I get angry that someone, who bears some likeness to the God that I say I love, asks me for my help?” “Can I look someone in the eye and degrade them and still say I follow Jesus, who gave his life for those who hated him?” Or, “Do I feel burdened by thinking that I am the solution to all of the problems in the world?” “Do I think that I am anyone’s savior?”

This really is a gospel question. If we “get” the gospel, what does that do to how we treat all people, regardless of social or economic status, race, etc.? Are we afraid that people will walk all over us? What of the flipside, if our response to those in need is one of anger or belittling, do we actually get the gospel?

How do we lovingly balance these two seemingly contradictory ideas? We all know the dangers of both extremes, but what does it look like to take up our cross and follow the Suffering Servant, Jesus the Christ?

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” (Mt. 25:35-40)

Thoughts on Jesus and “the law”

What did it mean to be a “faithful Jew”?

I think one part of the answer to this question would be that someone would’ve been done all the things that marked someone out as a Jew – “kept” the Torah, was circumcised, participated in festivals, etc. And, if someone “transgressed” the Torah, they would’ve utilized the means instituted to be forgiven of the offense – the sacrificial system. But, faithful did not mean perfection.

But, I think there was another element to this. For Israel to be faithful, as a whole, would’ve meant that the promise to Abraham would be fulfilled through them (as a whole). All nations would be blessed through Israel. How would this be done?

Deut. 4:5-8 – “I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?”

This was what it meant for Israel to not only itself be obedient and blessed, but for Israel to be faithful to God’s ultimate purpose for Israel – the blessing of the world. But, the history of Israel shows that the nation could not be faithful to this calling. Instead of the nations looking at Israel and asking these kinds of questions, Yahweh’s name was blasphemed among them because of Israel (Isa. 52:5, Rom. 2:24). This was why Israel was exiled (not because the nation as a whole wasn’t morally perfect).

So, how does this relate to the idea that Jesus came to “fulfill the Law” (Mt. 5:17), or that he was the “end/goal of the Law” (Rom. 10:4)? If being a faithful Jew did not mean “moral perfection,” then this does not necessarily imply that Jesus himself fulfilled the Law BY BEING morally perfect (though that is necessarily true). But, for Jesus to fulfill the Law meant that He actually came to accomplish the vocation/calling/mission of Israel – to bless all nations. The Messiah is the “goal” of the Law because Israel itself could not complete its task.

If we look at this from the angle of Jesus fulfilling the Law by being morally perfect, then we can easily imply that what it means to be faithful to God is to “earn” His favor by being morally perfect. But, Jesus didn’t “earn” God’s favor for us (he wasn’t a legalist!). Israel was given the Torah as a good gift – not to be used solely for its own good, but ultimately for the good of the world. The purpose of the Torah was never to make someone perfect or to earn God’s favor by obeying it. Its ultimate purpose was to cause Israel to be a light to the nations.

I think we have to be very careful here, because many times the language we use ends up sounding like “Jesus obeyed the Law because we couldn’t” – which to most people means that Jesus was morally perfect because we aren’t (or can’t be). This may be true, but it’s not the main point. Just like Israel, we are chosen by God to be the means by which God brings shalom to the whole world. We are never chosen primarily for ourselves. Jesus accomplished the vocation of Israel, and has given us the Spirit to continue that mission to the ends of the earth.

Gospel Class audio Spring 2009

The gospel class is over! It was a lot of hard work, but it was a lot of fun. If you are interested in the content, feel free to download the files:

Week 1: From Creation to David
Week 2: From Solomon to Exile
Week 3: From John the Baptist to Jesus’ Crucifixion
Week 4: From Jesus’ Resurrection to the New Heavens & New Earth

Advance09 w/ Pastor Mark Driscoll

Wright on “Trivialising Easter”

Easter is about a new creation that has already begun. God is remaking His world, challenging all the other powers that think that is their job. The rich, wise order of creation and its glorious, abundant beauty are reaffirmed on the other side of the thing that always threatens justice and beauty – death. Christianity’s critics have always sneered that nothing has changed. But everything has. The world is a different place. (from The Times)

Bonhoeffer on suffering

The cross is laid on every Christian. The first Christ-suffering which every man must experience is the call to abandon the attachments of this world. It is that dying of the old man which is the result of his encounter with Christ. As we embark upon discipleship we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with his death—we give over our lives to death. Thus it begins; the cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise god-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ. When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die. It may be a death like that of the first disciples who had to leave home and work to follow him, or it may be a death like Luther’s, who had to leave the monastery and go out into the world. But it is the same death every time—death in Jesus Christ, the death of the old man at his call.

Advance09 Trailer