Brotherly Wisdom

"The acute sense of the inadequacy of words explains why Augustine at the beginning of the Confessions experiences difficulty in finding any way of addressing God intelligibly, or speaking about God correctly. The answer to the question he finds in the reception of Scripture in the Christian community. The Bible consists of words, human indeed but for the believing community a gift of God so that within the sign there is also the divine reality..." --Henry Chadwick, "Introduction" to The Confessions p. 22.

The believing community receives the Word of God as a gift. A gift. A treasure. In it they find everything necessary for life and godliness. God has spoken and it is sufficient. It pains me to see so many today claiming to be part of this same believing community who are apparently dissatisfied with the Word of God. To say that God has spoken seems so "limiting." They want to say He speaks to them internally and privately. Now, that definitely sounds more exciting, more romantic. But think for a second about what they are saying about God's Word. (Without putting words in their mouths) I hear them saying, "Sure the Bible is useful for teaching, reproof, training in righteousness, etc, but I need more." It seems to me that Paul's concern in the context of that great passage on Holy Scripture is exactly our need for more. He warns "evil men and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and been convinced of. Because you know those from whom you learned it." (2 Tim 3:13-14) The main difference between Paul's opponents and what he is asking his readers (us) to be is continuance in what has been received. This is why he assures us in vs 16 that the Scriptures are sufficient. They are enough. Eat them. Listen to them. Dwell on them day and night. In the words of Ron Heine, "Inhabit them."

Brotherly Wisdom

"What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us...For this reason the gravest question before the church is always God Himself, and the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at any given time may say or do, but what he in his heart conceives God to be like...Before the Christian church goes into eclipse anywhere there must first be a corrupting of her simple basic theology. She simply gets a wrong answer to the question, "What is God like?" and goes on from there." -A.W.Tozer The Knowledge of the Holy pp. 9-12

Or as Dr. Bingham would paraphrase, "The most important thought you think is the thought you think about God, because it effects every other thought that you think and everything that you do."

Once For All

Fatherly Advice

"For He didn't shave off any bit of godhead, and still he saved me, stooping as a doctor over my foul-smelling passions. He was a man, but God. David's offspring, but Adam's Maker. A bearer of flesh, but, even so, beyond all body. From a mother, but she's a virgin. Comprehensible, but immeasurable." -Gregory of Nazianzus De Filio

Gregory goes on for a page listing a human quality in tandem with it's divine counterpart. Litanies like this can be found throughout Gregory's writings. He loved to highlight the mystery--even paradox--of the incarnation.

Brotherly Wisdom

"Each generation of Christians is tempted to see its way of worship, its way of ministry, its way of doing spirituality as the most biblical or practical. History reminds us that our generation is not the only one that has ever lived the Christian life. We are Christians within a company of Christians, both present and past, both living on earth and with the Lord. History helps keep us from becoming infatuated with ourselves. History nurtures the godly virtue of humility." -D. Jeffrey Bingham Pocket History of the Church p.11.

Why the Name?

Some of you may be wondering what's with the name of my blog. It is from a song. Here it is:

In your manger cold
Fingers feel like stone
Mama wraps her shawl around your skin

Finally find your rest
On your mother’s breast
Mother of God Mother of Man

So sleep now my friend
Warm with the love of your kin
The love of your new found kin

Adam’s day is done
The two in the One
Father wraps the Son around our skin

So sing now my friends
Warm with the love of your kin
The love of your new found kin

The song is about the Incarnation. The beautiful truth that God unites humanity to himself by uniting His nature and human nature in the person of His Son. Suddenly God is not far off, but "with us." The Son, eternally existing with the Father and the Spirit, suddenly finds Himself in a new family. "Remaining what He was (divine), He became what He was not (human)." On the flip side, humanity suddenly has a new kin. But this relationship is not automatic. Now there is an "old man" and a "new man." To be "in Christ" is to be a part of this "new humanity." We are "included in Christ" when we hear the word of truth, the gospel, and believe it. Just makes you wanna sing, don't it?

Neato!

Jon referred to this in a comment below. I thought it was worth posting for this simple reason:
In this video you will see four men all of whom have advanced degrees, who are articulate in their reasoning and speech, and who are pastors. These men have said "Theology, thinking, and reasoning are important, not just for me, not just for my professors, not just for seminary students, but for all of the flock of God."

Fatherly Advice

"For when the thing that we love is near us, it is a matter of course that it should bring delight with it. And if you pass beyond this delight, and make it a means to that which you are permanently to rest in, you are using it, and it is an abuse of language to say that you enjoy it. But if you cling to it, and rest in it, finding your happiness complete in it, then you may be truly and properly said to enjoy it. And this we must never do except in the case of the Blessed Trinity, who is the Supreme and Unchangeable Good." -Augustine On Christian Doctrine 1.33

My paraphrase: "When you love something, it gives you joy. But if that joy is simply a means to a greater, more permanent joy, then you're not "enjoying" it per se, you're using it. But if you cling to it, and rest in it, enjoying it for what it is--not what it leads to, then you really are enjoying it. And this we must never do except in the case of the Blessed Trinity, who is the Supreme and Unchangeable Good."

God is to be enjoyed. Everything/Everyone else is to be used.

Brotherly Wisdom

"God prospers me not to raise my standard of living, but to raise my standard of giving.

God comes right out and tells us why He gives us more money than we need. It's not so we can find more ways to spend it. It's not so we can indulge ourselves and spoil our children. It's not so we can insulate ourselves from needing God's provision. It's so we can give--generously.

When God provides more money we often think, This is a blessing. Well, yes, but it would be just as scriptural to think, This is a test." -Randy Alcorn The Treasure Principle p.75

Fatherly Advice

For the way of all those who see is single and upward, illumined by the heavenly light, but the ways of those who do not see are many, dark and divergent; the one leads to the kingdom of heaven, uniting man to God, while the others lead down to death, separating man from God.
-Irenaeus of Lyons On the Apostolic Preaching

I love the language of salvation, not as an everlasting living in a place (heaven), but an eternal union with God. It is also interesting that he claims that the primary distinction between Christianity and all other "ways" is that our way is singular...this apparent rigidity would seem at variance with presentations of the faith that call for us to "flex" or "repaint" our faith to fit new and emerging cultures.

Brotherly Wisdom

"The Church is not simply an institution. She is a "mode of existence," a way of being. The mystery of the Church, even in its institutional dimension, is deeply bound to the being of man, to the being of the world and to the very being of God." -John D. Zizioulas Being as Communion p. 15.

This quote seems to be a stumbling block, both for those with a disdain for anything institutional in the Church, and for those who would view the Church as merely a social club or spiritualized corporation.

Brotherly Wisdom

"Prayer is God's appointed way to fullness of joy because it is the vent of the inward burnings of our heart for Christ. If we had no vent, if we could not commune with Him in response to His Word, we would be miserable indeed." -John Piper Desiring God p. 176

This, alongside "Fatherly Advice" (a daily post of patristic insight), will become a regular quote by a contemporary author. Warning: May contain numerous Piper quotes.

Fatherly Advice

I know we are as though making a great voyage on a raft,

or hastening towards the starry sky upon small wings,

when, with such poems, mind has moved to exhibit the Godhead

(which transcends the power of heavenly beings to worship as is due),

or the great Godhead's statutes, and the universe's helm.

- Gregory of Nazianzus Poem 1.1.1 De Patre

Gregory always begins his lengthier discussions of God by showing how inadequate we are for the task of discussing God. In his Theological Orations he goes on for pages about the mysteries of the natural world. The point being, "If we don't get this stuff, from this fallen world, why do we think we know so much about God?" In this introduction to a poem about God, he draws a picture of a tiny raft (the human mind) that can barely support the weight of it's own helm (the universe). Good stuff.

Thanksgiving...Puritan Style

I've recently been asked to lead worship at my church for the Sundays before and after Thanksgiving. Naturally I was asked to select songs about giving thanks. I consulted the topical index in the back of my collection of Isaac Watts hymns, and it had only one hymn listed.

How can I sink with such a prop
As my eternal God
Who bears the earth's huge pillars up
And spreads the heavens abroad?
How can I die while Jesus lives
Who rose and left the dead?
Pardon and grace my soul receives
From mine exalted Head.
All that I am and all I have
Shall be for ever thine
Whate'er my duty bids me give
My cheerful hands resign
Yet if I might make some reserve
And duty did not call
I love my God with zeal so great
That I should give him all

It seems Isaac simply had very little to say about the things God had given him. That is, Watts sees in God Himself more than his meager soul could ever begin to thank. And until God is duly thanked, His gifts must wait.

Caution: Chunks May Be Blown

Sometimes I see things that make me nauseated. This video is a case in point.

Psalm 139 and Birth Control

A coworker and friend of mine, whose anonymity I shall maintain, has raised some interesting questions about the normative usage of Psalm 139 in arguments against abortion--that if they are true would they not also preclude birth control. I left my gut-shot answers, but the guy's got me thinking. They are some good questions. I'm most interested in the historical viewpoint on the subject. Check him out.

Philosophy of Youth Ministry

I'm currently in the process of applying for a position as Youth Pastor. As such I decided I should write down my philosophy of ministry. Here's what I came up with off the top of my head. What do you think?

Youth Ministry is the dispensation of time, energy, and funds not available to parents to aid them in the discipleship of their young adult.
Discipleship is the reproductive relay of spiritual growth from one member of the body of Christ to another (2 Tim. 2:1-2).
Spiritual growth/maturity consists in an increase in the clarity/degree of their reflection of God’s glory. God’s glory is reflected in:
-The human being’s innate but marred imprint of God’s image.
-The human being’s actions which (by common grace) are consistent with God’s nature.
-The believer’s union with Christ, the Image of God.
-The believer’s knowledge of God’s nature.
-The believer’s enjoyment of God’s nature.
-The believer’s actions which (by grace) are consistent with God’s nature.
The Youth Pastor aids in spiritual growth by:
-Displaying God’s nature in his/her actions.
-Displaying God’s nature in his/her teaching of God’s word.
-Displaying a heart-felt enjoyment of the nature of God.
-Accountability toward actions that reflect God’s character.
-Accountability toward study of God’s nature.
The Youth Pastor employs the following means to do the above:
-Personal time of devotion
-Personal discipleship (Being discipled)
-Rapport
-Personal testimony
-Personal counseling
-Corporate teaching
-Corporate worship (music, Lord’s Supper, giving, etc.)

John

this is john. he's on staff with ywam (youth with a mission) in new orleans. he's an open theist. we had some interesting conversations. he's a typical evangelical, and a good picture of where evangelicalism is heading if it doesn't learn to respect what the church has historically believed. spurgeon once said (something like), "how can one think so highly of what the Holy Spirit teaches them, but think so little of what He has taught others before them?" he has a website: forever grasping the first picture you see is very telling. the subtitle on his writing on the trinity is indicative of his theological methodology. luckily, he just ends up sounding like gregory of nyssa, so he's in good company.

A Good Read

"The climax of God's happiness is the delight He takes in the echoes of His excellence in the praises of His people." -Piper
I'm reading Desiring God this summer with the guys on my youth group's student leadership team. It's my third time through it, and I just want to say, "You need to read this book." That's all, you just need to read it. Don't like Piper? You need to read it. Already read it? You need to read it. Just randomly happened upon this blog and know nothing about Christianity or spirituality? You need to read it. Hiking in the Himalayas with nothing but a tent, some food, and a sherpa named Fo Shu? You need to read it.

DTS

I've said plenty on my blog about what I dislike about DTS, but there's plenty of good to be said about it, too. There are departments that I dislike, but the academic departments, I think, are heading in the right direction. By academic I mean the Old Testament, New Testament, and the Theological Studies Department. These departments are almost entirely made up of professors who take scholarship seriously. We have an Oxford and two Aberdeen grads in the New Testament dept., graduates from Cambridge and Hebrew Union in the OT dept. and a Cambridge grad in the TS dept. Further, the Historical Theology faculty (Bingham and Hannah) are committed to scholarly study in the context of true godly devotion. I have a respect for these men that borders on idolatry. In short, I believe that it is possible to recieve a solid theological education from Dallas Theological Seminary. And my hope is that as these scholarly jewels of DTS become more notable, a degree recieved under them will become better reputed as well. (Having said that, I will not be seeking a doctoral degree from DTS because this is still only a hope.)