Between Two Worlds: Jonathan Edwards's Resolutions

Monday, December 31, 2007

Always worth reading this time of year.

6 Comments:

Matt Harmon said...: Part of what's amazing about this list is the fact he wrote between the ages of 19-20! I know I certainly was not that mature at that age.; 12/31/2007 09:11:00 AM
tc said...: I've been listening to a sermon given by Dr. Steven J. Lawson on the Life of Jonathan Edwards and he mentions how he penned those at age 19 and reviewed them every week for the rest of his life.

Now that's impressive, when one considers the age he penned those.; 12/31/2007 01:23:00 PM
John said...: I recently turned 20 myself, so these resolutions are of particular interest to me. I have to admit that when I read these resolutions, generally what I feel most is tired. I realise that Edwards relentlessly pursued his eternal joy, so I'm not trying to say he was a killjoy, but one of the things I find difficult about him is that he's relentlessly serious. I don't oppose seriousness, life, afterall, is not a joke, but very serious. Rather, I'm reminded that Piper once said "You are probably sick if you can't be light hearted". I really can't imagine this guy playing with his children (Though I'm told he specially set aside time to do this every day), or telling jokes (though his resolution not to tell jokes on Sundays implies that he did on other days of the week).

I look at modern evangelical leaders and I find they mostly have some kind of hobby. I read only earlier today that Andrew Sach (one of the authers of pierced for our transgressions) likes watching Spooks (a British drama about British intelligence workers). Mike Ovey (another author of pierced) likes really complicated whodunnits. Jim Packer likes detective novels and Jazz music. Al Mohler likes listening to classical music. C J Mahaney, though serious in the pulpit, is *hilarious* in interview. When I do things like watch Spooks, or really complicated whodunnits, or if I were to read a detective novel, if you were to read "Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can." I'd probably say I'd be violating it. Surely whenever you're doing something like that, unless you're doing it to try to understand pop culture for evangelistic purposes, you could always say you could be doing something which tends more to your eternal joy, or the salvation of others.

What am I missing here? I realise I've not referred to the Bible at all, and that Edwards' resolution isn't in the Bible, but it seems thoroughly Biblical in spirit. At the same time godly men who really do love Jesus and the advance of his kingdom and, what is more, revere Edwards, do things I can't reconcile with these resolutions. I really think the problem is that I've not understood something, rather than with Edwards and the people I mentioned. Can anyone help?

I guess, perhaps, what I'm asking is, what place, if any, does fun or leisure (as opposed to necessary relaxation simply so you don't die of exhaustion) have in a genuine, wholehearted Christian life.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.; 12/31/2007 03:43:00 PM
jordan said...: Great question john, I'd love to hear a good answer to this as well.; 12/31/2007 05:21:00 PM
don gale said...: John,
I've been wrestling with this issue for a while as well, especially because I don't see anything in the Bible that advocates R&R, not that it says it's sinful, I just don't see it anywhere. We never hear of Paul going out and racing people or doing any oil wrestling. Moses and the boys didn't start any pick-up football games that I know of. There just aren't references to it that I see, though I realize I could be missing many.
The issue is complicated in our culture because we have so much free time. Up until the 20th century, most people always worked 6-7 days a week, usually sunup to sundown. Now, most of us work 8-5 (or some variation thereof) and have a two-day weekend. The abundance of down time I think has led to much laziness in the Church. Many Christians I know now hold the opinion of the world that we've worked so hard that we deserve so much time off. That argument doesn't hold up.
So, I don't have an answer at all. I merely say that I share your concern. Reading Edwards and other saints of old (especially the Puritans) has greatly challenged me and helped me, but I'm still wrestling.

PS - In Packer's lectures on the Puritans at RTS (you can get them free off iTunes), he pointed out something of their enjoyment of life. Apparently at Edwards' ordination, they did the service/ceremony, then there was a party-type thing with dancing and music and the like. A guest or writer (I can't remember who) said jokingly of the night, "These Puritans are so devout that they even perform ordinations at their dances."; 1/01/2008 08:21:00 AM
Anonymous said...: Jesus sure seemed to do "R&R" type things like boat rides, weddings and dinners with "sinners"...; 1/02/2008 09:09:00 PM