I am back from the time off for our wedding and honeymoon and there will be some blog posts on the way soon, particularly, I hope on South Africa, which I found a fascinating country. But for now I am just pointing in the direction of things that are catching my attention on the web today: Apple are having yet another product release event today (@6pm UK time), greatest anticipation is for the new Apple Laptop range with rumours of a sub£500 laptop and an upgraded line of MacBook Pro’s. I’m looking on with hopeful optimism as they are releasing what I hope will be my next computer purchase (though not until they have filtered into the refurb section!) There are also rumours that Microsoft is looking to buy out Blackberry (RIM) which would make sense as Microsoft...
“Even though my conscience accuses me of having grievously sinned against all God’s commandments and of never having kept any of them, and even though I am still inclined toward all evil, nevertheless, without my deserving it at all, out of sheer grace, God grants and credits to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner, as if I had been as perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for me. All I need to do is to accept this gift of God with a believing heart.” - Pg. 60, Q/A
The Heidelberg Catechism: Christian Reformed Church: Books
HT: OFI...
Now that my days are filled with endless staring at spreadsheets and webpages, I miss my time with the 4 or 5 of us in the Barth course sitting around in John Webster’s office, strange really that Microsoft Excel would give you such a strong desire to discuss Karl Barth. Anyway here is some stellar prose from the man himself (not Barth or even Jesus, but Webster) in the Jesus Christ article in the Cambridge Companion to Evangelical Theology. "The best evangelical theological work emerges from the delight in the Christian gospel, for the gospel announces a reality which is in itself luminous, persuasive, and infinitely satisfying. That reality is Jesus Christ as he gives himself to be an object for creaturely knowledge, love, and praise. To think evangelically about this one is...
Rachel and I sang this song together the other night and went over the lines to understand them properly, whilst making a decision about whether to use it in our wedding in just over 2 weeks time. It is a great song and the original author Robert Robinson penned the words at age 22 in the year 1757, I think you’d be hard pressed to find such an rich and mature articulation of Theology from many 22 years olds that have spent their entire childhood’s in the Church (me included, at 23). David Crowder has also arranged a good version of this song on a couple of his albums. We are planning on singing the following two verses at our wedding for 2 reasons, 1) for the sake of accessibility to the songs central theme for non-Christians which can be clouded by the religious imagery...
I only realised a few weeks ago that Christopher Wright, author of the Mission of God book, that I began reading a few weeks ago, spoke in Aberdeen at the ecumenical event Souled Out and I sat through the entire evening without realising who he was. My bad…...
“Jesus shocked the established authorities by being a friend to all—not only to the destitute and hungry, but also to those rich extortioners, the tax-collectors, whom all decent people ostracized … The shocking thing was not that he sided with the poor against the rich but that he met everyone equally with the same unlimited mercy and the same unconditioned demand for total loyalty. If we look at the end of his earthly ministry, at the cross, it is clear that Jesus was rejected by all—rich and poor, rulers and people—alike. Before the cross of Jesus there are no innocent parties. The cross is not for some and against others. It is the place where all are guilty and all are forgiven.” —Lesslie Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society (Grand...
Election is of course, in the light of the whole Bible, election unto salvation. But is first of all election into mission." -Dr. Christopher Wright, Mission of God p. 263, 264
The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand NarrativeISBN: 0830825711ISBN-13: 9780830825714
HT: Take Your Vitamin Z...
I only had time to add the technology links from last weeks end of week round up, so here are a few that were left off but still deserve to be plugged. The Center for Barth Studies publishes a new version of the Shorter Romans Commentary Christian Audio are giving away Augustine’s Confessions as a free audio book. HT: Scotteriology Michael Patton at Parchment and Pen writes a long long post on the emerging church which acts as a very helpful and informed introduction. Trevin Wax has an interesting interview with Rabbi Derek Lemen who talks about a balanced hand when dealing with tradition before regarding all Jewish tradition within faith as pharisaic. Scot McKnight hammers ahead with Mission of God and I am not keeping up with the reading unfortunately.
The Mission of...
I was asked recently quite a common question so I thought I would share my two cents and see if any of you had any thoughts on the subject. The Question was really more of a statement which wanted an answer: "Sometimes I wonder what use theology is for real people in real churches" When seeing the enormous breadth and depth of Theology it is very easy to wonder what real use it is for the Church, when you hear of someone spending years studying the dialectic intricacies of deutero-Isaiah, the question can often be, "What does that do to build the Church?". In a world with pressing physical need, the need for Christians to live out the realities of Matthew 25:37-40 and the need for people to serve in local churches as teachers and pastors are very clear, but...
I was recently asked quite a common question so I thought I would share my two cents and see if any of you had any thoughts on the subject. The Question was really more of a statement which wanted an answer: "Sometimes I wonder what use theology is for real people in real churches" When seeing the enormous breadth and depth of Theology it is very easy to wonder what real use it is for the Church, when you hear of someone spending years studying the dialectic intricacies of deutero-Isaiah, the question can often be, "What does that do to build the Church?". In a world with pressing physical need, the need for Christians to live out the realities of Matthew 25:37-40 and the need for people to serve in local churches as teachers and pastors are very clear, but I...
I was asked recently quite a common question so I thought I would share my two cents and see if any of you had any thoughts on the subject. The Question was really more of a statement which wanted an answer: "Sometimes I wonder what use theology is for real people in real churches" When seeing the enormous breadth and depth of Theology it is very easy to wonder what real use it is for the Church, when you hear of someone spending years studying the dialectic intricacies of deutero-Isaiah, the question can often be, "What does that do to build the Church?". In a world with pressing physical need, the need for Christians to live out the realities of Matthew 25:37-40 and the need for people to serve in local churches as teachers and pastors are very clear, but I...
I received an official looking email from an organisation today saying that Todd Bentley has begun Canadian law divorce proceedings with his wife. I haven’t blogged at all about the Lakeland happenings or the subsequent Pentecostal excitement surrounding it primarily because I couldn’t trust myself to give a balanced account of it due to my distance from it and the self awareness that I am not inclined towards such events at the best of times. I have had serious reservations in it all, despite wanting to keep somewhat of an open and generous mind to the wider activity of the Holy Spirit. I give that background to say, it will be very easy for those who, like me have been either quietly pessimistic or even spoken out against the Lakeland ‘Revival’ to get...
Believe it or not, its been a month since the last post in this series from Jamie Arpin Ricci who gave what were for me, some really insightful answers in the question of Missions funding. Here’s the second in the series from my good friend John Gillespie who interestingly enough, is also working for YWAM (you may see a pattern emerge soon) in Kona staffing Discipleship Training Schools and generally being a good guy, he is also getting married later this year to Miss Jenni Larsen. John used to blog here, but we wont hold that against him: In considering financial support for missionaries to what extent do you think it is important for both the supporter and supported to think about the support as theological endorsement? 1) I would venture to say that the emphasis of...
“There is no deep and stable spirituality that does not acknowledge what an utterly profound privilege it is to know God and be reconciled to him by the crucified Messiah.” - D. A. Carson, The Cross and Christian Ministry (Grand Rapids, Mi.: Baker Books, 2003), 52. HT: Of First ImportanceSimilar Posts:None Found...
Here’s a great place to find free religious audio books of a catholic persuasion TheologyForum have written an interesting post on the nature of Apologetics IPSUM ESSE has written some useful reflections on Aberdeen’s Francesca Murphy’s book "God is not a Story" which cannot be purchased for any less than £60 according to my research whilst trying to find it. Brian Brock was right, he does write the cheaper books at the faculty in Aberdeen (just kidding Brian) faith and theology writes a review of Engaging the Doctrine of God which Aberdeen’s John Webster contributed to.New Kid on the Blog: theological scribbles from Robin Parry takes on a big one, Israel and the Church in his quest to lose his friends. Here is a well balanced review of The Shack,...
I am not sure what it is about Slavoj Zizek that I find so endearing, maybe it is because I visited his native Slovenia last year and so am fascinated by an intellectual product of the country’s socio-political history, or maybe it is because although I imagine I am at ideological polars with him, his willingness to hold on to 21st Century, albeit revisionist, Marxism is equally fascinating. I think above all of that, whatever you think of his conclusions and Lacanian projections we can’t help but be courted by Zizeks subversive meta-narrative. There is, I think, in all of us a desire to analyse and understand what is ‘really’ going on and Zizek’s lectures and writings attack our presuppositions from behind. Zizek always constructs his thesis on subjects...
Scotteriology asks a good question: "We are entering a time where it is very probable that we will be asked to bring the Kingdom of God into North Atlantic areas in ways that will be challenging and unique. How do you minister to the “least of these” that are still among the world’s elite? If a family has lost the ownership of a house and their nest egg, but still has their health, food, and a roof over their heads (which makes them very rich by global standards) how do you minister to the broken heart of those experiencing relative poverty?"Similar Posts:None Found...
Scot McKnight draws out this useful bit of Exegesis from The Mission of God Phil 2:9-11 needs to be read alongside Isaiah 45:22-23, so I want to put them both down right here. Here’s Isaiah: “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow;by me every tongue will swear.” Here’s Phil 2: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross! Therefore God...
Theres plenty to get through today, normally there is a bit of a smorgasborg of topics, so decided to divide the round up a bit more topically this week (needless to say the topic headings are hopelessly inadequate), let me know if that is useful: Theology/Church Stuff: Scot McKnight just started blogging through a book Rachel gave me for my Graduation - The Mission of God by Christopher Wright Ill be reading it along with this series.
The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative
John Stackhouse has written an excellent post for people considering a PhD, well worth a read, it certainly quelled my fantasies of Post Grad work! Jason Clark gives you a peek into his PhD research. Andy White writes a helpful post on the subject of why your visions should be...
John Piper quotes Adoniram Judson who has some good things to say regarding missionaries - that is wherever we are called (yes, that means you), Some of these points are interesting in light of the missions series I have been running. it was so engaging I have posted it in its entirity:(Author: John Piper)
As I was working on the fifth volume of The Swans are Not Silent series about the lives of William Tyndale, Adoniram Judson, and John G. Paton, I found a letter written by Judson from Burma on June 25, 1832 with sobering counsel to missionaries.
Actually, these are hard and good words for all of us. Here are four of his points:
Fourthly. It may be profitable to bear in
mind, that a large proportion of those who come out on a mission to the
East die within five years after...
“If you know what He has done at infinite cost to himself - He’s put you into a relationship with so that you’ll never be rejected by Him - then your motivation when you sin is to go get Him. You want fellowship with Him. When the thing that most assures you is the thing that most convicts you, you’ll be okay because when you’re convicted of sin in a gospel way it drives you toward God. Without the gospel we hate ourselves instead of our sin. Without the gospel we’re motivated through all sorts of awful fear and pride to change and it doesn’t really change our hearts it just restrains our hearts.” - Tim Keller, How the Gospel Changes Us (message given at Redeemer Presbyterian Church) - HT: Of First ImportanceSimilar Posts:None Found...
After some very insightful words regarding missions and finance from Jamie earlier this week, I thought Id try and pick up on some topics he mentioned and hear what he has to say. Thanks again to Jamie for contributing to this, if you don’t already subscribe to his blog at http://missional.blog.com I certainly recommend it. — Jamie, You said in one of your answers: "Missionaries are often on the front edge of theological and missiological thinking and practice, growing out of the necessity of their work. Many Christian donors, on the other hand, often engage theology in a more theoretical context, affording them the luxury of idealism" I thought this was a very interesting idea, do you think that there is a way to overcome this, or is it an inevitability...
I had a particularly hectic week last week with graduating at the start of the week (see pictures here) , then working in London for a few days yet not getting to see any action at Wimbledon!..now I am back on terra firma and able to give a tour of my rss reading catch up. Dropbox was highlighted by Lifehacker again, I have been using it now for about a month now and can say it is by far the best fil;e transfer app available…I’m just waiting for it to come out of beta so I can get more than 2GB! Holla in the comments for an invite to the as-yet private beta. Floyd and Sally have included some great photos from their community giving an insight to what is going on there. View from the basement gets into a quick exploration of Pastoring in a Media age and how the Sunday...
Today we get into the first responses to the questions I asked last week and begin with Jamie Arpin Ricci who in his own words is "a missionary/church planter and writer, serving
with Youth With A Mission for nearly 15 years. He lives and serve in
the inner city of Winnipeg, share life alongside his neighbours, trying
to love God and others along with his community. He writes and speaks
on issues of missions, missional community and urban ministry. He
blogs at www.missional.blog.com."So here are Jamie’s thoughts on the questions I asked, feel free to leave your own thoughts in the comments: In considering financial support for missionaries to what extent do you think it is important for both the supporter and supported to think about the support as...
I have a few shelves of good theology books building up but I was wondering when I see the walls of professors offices, and some theology blogger’s lined with books, how do people build their theological libraries. Many Theological texts are well north of £30 and certainly many of the bloggers and prof’s must get review copies from publishing companies, I suspect others working in Churches have some form of book budget. But what about everyone else out there? As Ive mentioned in the past abebooks is an excellent tool for fiding sub-amazon prices. More recently I have also discovered a few smaller second hand theology bookstores, and a blem section on another publishers site, and of course the odd books of interest turns up on ebay now and again. Last year I was talking...
Jim Martin shared some excellent insights on waiting as a spiritual discipline from Richard Foster. Halden lists texts to read before you go to seminary, interesting, and vast selection, No time for a summer job with this reading list! Some Commentators weighed in with some others too, firstly Wess Daniels, then in response to that Kyle Bernett adds some more (Kyle’s list is better In my opinion) and finally Andy Rowell. My Advice would be, try and get hold of the course details for the first courses and read the primary and secondary texts. On Similar lines I noticed Andy Rowell talks about seminary and lists off a few US Seminaries which might be of interest, he concludes by linking to Theologian John Stackhouse’s Blog who makes a compelling case for seminary....
I read this interesting take on the function of intellectuals, probably more specifically philosophers, and I wondered whether distinctively Christian Theologians might see some of their vocation in this reflection. It is certainly a vocation needed in the Church today: "…people today, I don’t know what they expect of intellectuals. If I’m honest, at least as a philosopher, I don’t have answers. We intellectuals do not have answers. If you ask me what to do about ecology, bah, what do I know? What we can do is change the very questions. We can show to what extent the very way we approach a problem, which is a very real problem, is part of that problem."Similar Posts:None Found...
I was hoping to continue the 21st Century Missions series earlier this week but I have had no time to get the responses together. Thanks to everyone who has responded so far though, there are some great thoughts and it will be well worth the wait. Theologian Douglas Knight shares some interesting Barthian thoughts on Marriage from CDIII.4. Do you know of any other theological treatments of marriage? Also there is a sample chapter available from the new edition of the Church Dogmatics which will include translations of all Latin and Greek texts, presented alongside the original texts. Tom Smith at SoulGardeners writes a great reflection on how as Jesus-followers, University education should not be primarily motivated by money-making or getting the advantage but by being equipped to...
Its not often I blog just for the sake of one other post, I normally collect them together in my bi-weekly round ups, but as I read this post this morning at Kingdom People it really struck a chord in me. It’s been something I’ve been wrangling with on and off for a while, how to approach a definition of the gospel. Trevin does a great job of explaining this all, but for the sake of those who don’t read his post, I’ll try and sketch out the context before giving some of my own thoughts. The Two Camps of Gospel Definition Traditionally, and rather simplistically there has been two camps, social gospel and saviour gospel. Those who lean towards Social Gospel see the implications of Jesus’ resurrection as the start of an outbreak of the kingdom of God which...
I’ll be away this weekend doing various testosterone filled activities in the aid of a friend’s stag weekend, should be good fun. There isn’t an end of the week round up this week, but theres plenty of those to dig through if your interested. Instead I’ve posted this poem from the Eugene Peterson book I’ve been reading:As Kingfishers Catch Fire - Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1889)As king fishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame;As tumbled over rim in roundy wellsStones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung bell’sBow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name;Each mortal thing does one thing and the same:Deals out that being indoors each one dwells;Selves — goes itself; myself it speaks and spells,Crying What I do is me: for...
