Christ Community Fellowship

These first couple of weeks have been intense, busy, exciting, and at points overwhelming. Upon arriving at Christ Community, I spent the first week in nearly non-stop meetings as I met with all the ministry leaders at the church and learned about policies, procedures, philosophies of ministry, etc. Following this week of orientation, I launched into a week of VBS here at the Leawood Campus. After completing VBS, the following week was spent in preparation to preach at the Leawood campus. So that is what the first three weeks have looked like so far. Let me give some highlights from those times.

The greatest highlight from the first week is a tie between a conversation with Tom Nelson, the senior pastor, about his vision for pastoral ministry and the time we as staff spent praying for the people in the congregation. Both of these times were extremely significant as glimpses into the heart of what being a pastor is really all about. Another highlight that first week was serving communion.

Highlights during the second week, the week of VBS at Leawood included sing and playing games with kids. However, it was teaching the Bible and sharing the gospel with my small group of 4th grade boys each day that week that brought me the most joy.

The highlight the third week was certainly having the opportunity to preach in both services at the Leawood Campus. My message prep was long and at times very difficult. I felt a lot of pressure to do really well since this was my first impression with most of the congregation. I spent a lot time in prayer and in study and in practicing the message too. Sunday went very well, and I have receive much affirmation and encouragement from the elders, staff, and congregants.

The biggest challenge so far has been learning to rest and manage my time. I'm growing in this but I'm still trying find a good rhythm here at Christ Community. Thankfully, the staff and other fellows have been very helpful in helping determine was is reasonable and expected in terms of hours and effort.

That's all for now. More soon.

American Idols Sings . . . 'Shout to the Lord'?

I'm not an American Idol fan. In fact, I've never even seen an entire episode, but tonight after dinner some guys were here at the apartment, and the first part of the show came on as I was finishing in the dishes. I watched as the host recapped the previous evening's program: "Idol Gives Back." This was a charity program to raise funds for world relief work. Fair enough. If singing celebrities can incite fans to give 60 million plus dollars for world relief projects, praise be to God! But then something strange happened--they did--praise God, that is. The "final eight" Idol contestants sang "Shout the Lord." It was one of the most surreal moments I've seen on television. Eight aspiring pop singers with a black gospel choir singing one the most popular American evangelical worship songs on national television. I don't really have a category for that.

I tried to compute the cultural hermeneutical relationships and pastoral care implications ("there are probably a lot of people who are going to need counseling after watching that," I thought to myself). However, at the end of the day I think I am just stunned at how post-Christian our society has become in some spheres and yet how so many elements of a sort of "folk" or "cultural" Christianity remain. You can't pray in school and the Pledge of Allegiance probably shouldn't mention God, but don't worry the secularists have not yet won the day. God, or at least his cultural effigy, is alive and well on the set of American Idol.

Neither Poverty or Riches

I just got back from chapel here at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School where today Dr. Craig Blomberg spoke about the importance of generous giving even as a seminary student. His message challenged me to consider how I could increase my financial generosity even as a student, and when I returned from chapel to check my e-mail, as if on queue, I had an e-mail from Avant, a missions sending organization, challenging people to consider increasing their giving to missionaries they support because of the of the weakening dollar.

Since the dollar has been dropping in value against the pound and the euro, the money that supporters send to missionaries in Europe and the UK no longer goes as far as it used. For those of us who support missionaries, this is something to consider. We ourselves are facing economic down turn in the United States; however, St. Paul is quick to remind us that the Macedonian Christians generously supported their brothers and sisters in Christ at Jerusalem even though they were facing hardship themselves (2 Cor 8:1ff). Consider the work of those who are spreading the gospel and give to them generously.

New Balance LOVE/Hate Anthem

New Balance LOVE/Hate Rain

It is hard to beat a good run even in the rain . . . i've never come back from a run and regretted it. i heart running.

New Balance LOVE/Hate Bench

These commercials are right on!

2008 Albert Cardinal Meyer Lecture Series

The Theological Contribution of Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J.

The 2008 Meyer Lecture Series will examine the work of Avery Cardinal Dulles.

Cardinal Dulles is one of the most important theologians alive today. His long career as an author and professor has produced twenty three books and over seven hundred and fifty articles covering a broad range of topics.

Those topics will be organized under two broad heading and treated in two keynote lectures.

Keynote Lectures:
Fr. Aiden Nichols, O.P. will examine Cardinal Dulles’ contribution to the understanding of the Church ad intra.
Fr. Paul McPartlan will explore Dulles’ insights about the Church ad extra.

Last spring I attended these lectures when N. T. Wright, Bishop of Durum spoke. The format was quite good and the event was well planned. I think this would be an interesting exploration of Roman Catholic ecclesiasology.

Here is this the link for more info.

If the automobile . . .

If the automobile had followed the same development cycle as the computer, a Rolls-Royce would today cost $100, get a million miles per gallon, and explode once a year, killing everyone inside.
- Robert X. Cringely

Stephen Colbert on the Lucifer Effect

This is one of the funniest clips I've seen in a really long time. Colbert presents a surprising lucid and orthodox doctrine of hell and the problem of evil. . . not something you expect from The Daily Show, but nonetheless very entertaining.

What Makes Finnish Kids So Smart?

This is a really interesting article from The Wall Street Journal about why Finnish teenagers are some of the smartest in the world. Go here.

Divine Mercies

For his birthday, my dad got the book Valley of Vision, which is a collection of Puritan prayers. This is one of the prayers from the book that he shared on his blog that I thought was well-worth posting here also.

Thou Eternal God,

Thine is surpassing greatness, unspeakable goodness, super-abundant grace;
I can as soon count the sands of ocean’s ‘lip’ as number thy favors towards me;
I know but a part, but that part exceeds all praise.

I thank thee for personal mercies, a measure of health, preservation of body, comforts of house and home, sufficiency of food and clothing, continuance of mental powers, my family, their mutual help and support, the delights of domestic harmony and peace, the seats now filled that might have been vacant, my country, church, Bible, Faith.

But, O, how I morn my sin, ingratitude, vileness, the days that add to my guilt, the scenes that witness my offending tongue; All things in heaven earth, around, within, without, condemn me – the sun which sees my misdeeds, the darkness which is light to thee, the cruel accuser who justly charges me, the good angels who have been provoked to leave me, thy countenance which scans my secret sins, thy righteous law, thy holy Word, my sin-soiled conscience, my private and public life, my neighbors, myself – all write dark things against me.

I deny them not, frame no excuse, but confess, ‘Father, I have sinned’; Yet still I live, and fly repenting to thy outstretched arms; Thou wilt not cast me off, for Jesus brings me near, thou wilt not condemn me, for he died in my stead, thou wilt not mark my mountains of sin, for he leveled all, and his beauty covers my deformities.

O my God, I bid farewell to sin by clinging to his cross, hiding in his wounds, and sheltering in his side.

- The Valley of Vision – Puritan Prayers and Devotions

Clinton-Obama Debate in Cleveland - Entire Debate from MSNBC

Valentine's Day 2008

Jill, Jeremy, Bill, and Christy celebrate Valentine's Day 2008

Bill and Christy - Valentine's Day 2008

We are too easily seduced

As promised here are some more reflections from Johnson, The Message of Acts in the History of Redemption (see post on 1/31/08). At the end of the chapter "The Great King Above All Gods," Johnson makes an observation that is particularly timely give this season of primaries and political speculation. He writes:

"We [Christians] are too easily seduced by the manipulation of religious affections in the service of political agendas, too easily tempted to promote the kingdom of God through alliance with the power brokers of our culture. God calls us, of course, to be good citizens and good neighbors, not withdrawn from society and its problems, but rather engaged in the pursuit of mercy and justice. But Luke's portrait of the gospel's confrontation with 'institutional religion' in the Greco-Roman world reminds us that our combat weapons are not the feeble weapons of the flesh."

"Selfish Desires are Not from God"

Another great insight from Schlatter--

Today he reflected on Jesus' rejection by his hometown record in Luke 4:14-28:

"What the Nazarenes desired, Jesus called an impossibility. The selfish exploitation of God's gift separates the one who attempts it from his grace. To be sure, it extends to the one whom it chooses and enables, freely extending to him in order that he may live in power and greatness. The Father glorifies his Son, but precisely this ties him to God and puts to death any form of selfishness" (Schlatter, Do We Know Jesus, 96).

Did Rowan Williams Really Say . . .?

Rowen Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury ("the first among equals" of the 38 Anglican Archbishops worldwide), recently made remarks concerning the role Muslim sharia law may play in Great Britian in the future. His comments have been roundly criticized and in some cases blown out of proportion both in the British media and in the Church of England--some are even calling for the Archbishop's resignation. However, what did Rowan Williams really say, and does it really merit the response that it has received? The Economist.com offers a helpful summary and critique of what the Archbishop actually said and the response that it has received thus far. Go here. For background to the controversy see "Sharia row persists for Williams" from the BBC NEWS.

"God's Word is heard by all his creatures."

This year I have been exploring Adolf Schlatter's devotional book Do We Know Jesus? In today's entry Schlatter reflects on Jesus' casting out of an unclean spirit from a man in Mark 1:23-26. His observations on Jesus' absolute authority over creation both natural and supernatural were particularly insightful. He writes:

"Through an encounter with those who were compelled by a hostile spirit to speak and act, Jesus was asked if he was able to issue also to them the liberating Word in the name of God. Did the spirits possess the power to resist the rule of God? Or were they, too, subject to God's creative power, and the demon-oppressed subject to his grace? God's Word is heard by all his creatures. Even natural forces obey him; supernatural spirits are likewise subject to him. Here as well, Jesus did not waver. 'Be quiet and come out of him,' he told the spirit" (Schlatter, Do we Know Jesus, 93).

"Mitt Romney throws in the towel"

The article "Mitt Romney throws in the towel"at the Economist.com offers (as regular readers of the Economist have come to expect) a concise, thoughtful, and informative analysis of Romney's withdraw from the GOP race and its implications for John McCain and the challenges McCain now faces as the Republican front runner. Check it out here.

"self-referential incoherent"

This is a little art project I made that I like to call "self-referential incoherent"

Reflections on The Message of Acts in the History of Redemption

Dennis Johnson in his book The Message of Acts in the History of Redemption offers many helpful insights to how to interpret the book of Acts. It is also an excellent example of "theological interpretation" of Scripture.

Below are a few highlights.

Preface
Johnson uses the metaphor of a bridge to describe how Acts functions. (1) He argues that Acts builds bridges between "God's word of promise" in the OT and his "word of fulfillment" in the NT. (2) It is a bridge between "Jews and Gentiles in God's saving plan." (3) It is bridge between "the apostolic events narrated by Luke and our own day."

Chapter 1 - Listening to Luke
This is one of the most helpful chapters in the entire book. There are two crucial questions that Johnson says need to be asked when reading Acts: (1) What is "God's verdict" on the various events recorded in Acts; (2) "What does God intend us to learn here and now from what happened there and then? Two extreme answers to the second question are (1) that everything from there and then is for here and now; or (2) that nothing then and there applies here and now.

To avoid either of these extreme answers, Johnson gives five principles for interpreting Acts:
1. Read Acts in light of Luke's purpose.
"Here God's Spirit unveils the identity of the church between Jesus' two comings , the divine power at work in the church, the results of that divine powerful Presence, and the environment in which we are to pursue our mission . . . ."

2. Read Acts in the light of the New Testament Epistles. The epistles, Johnson argues, help us to understand what in Acts is unique to Acts and what is normative for the church today.

3. Read Acts in the light of the Old Testament. Luke makes extensive use of the OT not only in direct quotations but also through the development of themes.

4. Read Acts in the light of Luke's first volume. "Parallels between Luke's gospel and Acts abound."

5. Read Acts in the light of it structure. Johnson understands Acts to be structured around four features:
a. Acts 1:8 and 9:15
b. Summary statements
c. Repeated accounts
d. The prominence of preaching

The first chapter alone is worth the price of the book.

There are more reflections/summaries to come, but this alone should whet your appetite for this gem that Johnson has produced.

I couldn't agree more

After watching the Democratic response to the President's State of the Union address last night, I couldn't agree more with the comments of John Bresnahahn of CBS:

"And gosh, she was terrifically boring. Today, I went from Barack Obama to George Bush to Kathleen Sebelius, and it seemed like I was going downhill in rhetorical ability-o-meter. Wow. Here's the text of Sebelius' speech, which was actually pretty good if you read the text. That is, if you stayed awake through her delivery . . ." (John Bresnahan, "Sebelius Is Up Now")