Between Two Worlds

If you’re involved in children’s ministry, you may want to consider the Children Desiring God leadership conference held on April 7-9 in Minneapolis. Speakers are John Piper, C.J. Mahaney, David and Sally Michael, and Sherard Burns.

If you want to get caught up on the intelligent design debate, you can listen to these lectures by William Dembski.

With respect to marriage and divorce, the majority of evangelicals hold to what is called the “Erasmian” view—namely, that remarriage is permitted after divorce that was caused by adultery (Matt. 5:32; 19:9) or abandonment (1 Cor. 7:15). In 1985, Gordon Wenham and William Heth published the first edition of their book, Jesus and Divorce. Wenham, an OT scholar, and Heth, an NT scholar, combined to argue against “the evangelical consensus.” They argued that while divorce may be permitted in some cases, remarriage while the partner is living is never allowed, for it would be a violation of the seventh commandment, not to commit adultery. John Piper holds to a similar view of disallowing any remarriage (in distinction from the official position of Bethlehem Baptist Church).

Heth, however, has since changed his mind. He credits Gordon Hugenberger’s scholarly tome Marriage as a Covenant as the key cause of his shift.

For an excellent overview of the two positions and the best exegetical arguments on either side, see Heth’s article, Jesus on Divorce: How My Mind Has Changed and Wenham’s Does the New Testament Approve Remarriage after Divorce? Both published a few years ago in the Southern Baptist Journal of Theology.

David Hasselhoff was once named as “Most Popular and Best Selling Artist of the Year” in Germany. Europeans love the guy. But I think that this “More Than a Feeling” video might rank as one of the worst music video of all time.

In 1994, Stanley Grenz dedicated his Theology for the Community of God textbook to David Dockery--now president of Union University--describing Dockery as a "kindred spirit." In this article, which I highly recommend--Dockery pays tribute to his friend, and also recounts the troubling theological problems associated with the "later Grenz."

I'm sure you've never heard of her, but my favorite comedienne is named Pearl Gross. She'll leave you in stiches. And she sings. She was on the same video as our friend John Daker.

These performances--circa 1990 in Peoria, Illinois on public access television--are real, led by music teacher Reva Insicker. They've brought me much joy.

There's now a trailer for the Narnia movie--or more properly, a WETA featurette on the making of the movie. Looks good! It's due to hit theatres on December 9, 2005.

The White Horse Inn posts part 2 of their series on the Emergent church movement. (HT: STR)

In his book, The Family Worship Book: A Resource Book for Family Devotions, Terry Johnson writes about the most essential tool for the spiritual health of a family:

What then is the first key to a Christian family’s spiritual health? Though you may not have anticipated our answer, we are quite sure that we are right. The key is not new. It is not novel. It will not reveal long hidden mysteries, disclose any secret formulas, provide any new techniques, or require lengthy or costly counseling.

What is it? Simply, the first and primary key to your family’s spiritual health is a commitment to the weekly public worship services of the church. The most important single commitment you have to make to ensure your family’s spiritual well-being is to regular, consistent attendance at public worship.

Sound far-fetched? I’ll say it even stronger. I have yet to meet a person for whom it could not be said that all of his problems, personal, marital, familial, or vocational would not be solved by such a commitment. I do not believe that the person for whom this is not true exists. By saying so, I do not minimize the seriousness of the problems that people face. Rather I maximize our confidence in the power of the gospel. So I’ll say it again: we do not know of anyone of whom it could not be said, if only he were in worship week in and week out, fifty-two weeks a year, year after year, his problems would be basically solved.

…The key to your own and your family’s spiritual health is remarkably simple. Though there is considerable hype to the contrary, it involves no pilgrimages to sacred places. It requires no week-long or weekend retreats, seminars, or special programs. It depends on no special techniques or novel methodologies. You won’t have to spend yet another night out. You won’t need to add more meetings to an already frantic schedule. The key is to be found in the regular, ordinary, weekly worship services of the church. It is not a glamorous key, but it is the key nonetheless. (pp. 3, 5)

If this is taken in the sense that there is something magical or automatic about church attendence, this surely is far-fetched. But if one recognizes that the gathering of the church is to be the primary place for the means of grace--the Word preached, the sacraments administered, and prayers offered--then this countercultural counsel is worthy or our deepest consideration.

There are various ways for Christians to glorify God, express their God-given gifts, and convey a powerful message to the culture by means of the arts.

Phil Ryken recently wrote about a Japanese-America artist, Makoto Fujimura, who is doing exactly that with his display of paintings, "Images of Grace," which Ryken describes as "shimmering majesty." Nicholas Wolterstorff says that there's nothing in the West like Fujimura's unmistakable, memorable, haunting paintings.

On the other hand, a guy like Nick Alexander--a guy who tries to do serious Catholic teaching through parodying popular songs ala Weird Al Yankovich--is probably not a good example of how to engage the culture. (Some examples of his new renditions are "Tithe After Tithe" to the tune of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time"; "I Got You Saved" to the tune of Sonny and Cher's "I Got You Babe"; "Should I Stand or Should I Kneel" to the tune of the Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go"; or "Evangelize" to the tune of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive"!)

The editors of the left-of-center journal The New Republic offer their "grudging respect"--along with concerns--with the jump-starting of Middle Eastern democratization in Lebanon, Egypt, and Iraq under President Bush's watch. I found this section particularly interesting:

. . . should it succeed despite their puerile detachment--or, worse, their objections--Democrats could well be branded as the party that opposes bringing human rights and responsible governance to people who don't yet benefit from them. And that could change U.S. politics for a generation.

More immediately, liberals must realize that they have to be willing to support the Bush administration in the Middle East if they want to have anything to say about democracy elsewhere in the world.

Meanwhile, Joe Klein at Time Magazine writes: "Look who has a shot at the Nobel Peace Prize: George W. Bush."

Related to all of this, Peggy Noonan wrote in the Wall St. Journal last week that "the world right now [finds itself] in an interesting place. For America a moment of unaccustomed satisfaction; for the West a moment of unaccustomed admiration for the American president; for the world's left a moment of unaccustomed doubt; and for many, of all persuasions, a sense of wonderment."

I'm not usually one who responds to "urgent actions" to "call your senator," much less one who usually passes along such to others. But in this case I think it's worth it in this case, and worth reprinting the following article by Steve Bowers:

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Florida Congressman Dave Weldon and Florida Senator Mel Martinez today introduced the Incapacitated Person's Legal Protection Act. The act is designed to be a final avenue of review in the federal courts for people who have been incapacitated for whatever reason and are unable to make their wishes know. It is meant to ensure that the incapacitated person's Constitutional rights to due process are preserved and provides for separate legal council for the person independent of any other interested or involved parties. . . . Weldon, an MD, said that this bill would afford the same protections to incapacitated persons that death row inmates are now afforded. The act would not apply in cases where there is a written legal directive. If this is bill is to be enacted in time, quick action is needed.

If there is anyone who needs independent legal protection, it's Terri Schindler Schiavo. Right now, her fate is in the hands of her "husband" who (just to review):

• Has been co-habiting with his fiancé for the past eight years and has two kids by her
• Has denied Terri physical therapy that could lead to her partial rehabilitation for the past 12 years.
• Has a significant monetary interest in seeing Terri dead.
• Has allegations of abuse against him that have yet to be fully investigated because, as Terri's guardian, he controls the bone scans done of Terri that show possible abuse. The state of Florida is asking that these be unsealed and that Terri's execution be stayed until they have had time to investigate the abuse allegations.

Despite the publicity, this case isn't exactly on the top of everyone's list of number one concerns. But this landmark pro-life case should be. Part of the apathy on the part of most folks has to do with a misunderstanding of Terri's condition. The prevailing wisdom is that she's a vegetable, go ahead and pull the plug. Most people don't know that:

• "The plug" is merely a feeding tube. Terri isn't on life support.\
• The only reason why the tube is in is because they are afraid Terri's swallow reflex isn't strong enough to swallow food. Otherwise, she could eat through the mouth and would be today if she were given the physical therapy her "guardian" has denied her.
• Not only is she not on life support, she's not in a persistent vegetative state either. She responds to people and music, follows objects with her eyes and smiles at the sight of friends and family. These are hardly "involuntary spasms" or whatever the pro-death crowd would like you to believe.

Weldon said that this is one of the only cases to his knowledge where a "guardian" is going to court for the right to kill a person on who's behalf they are supposed to be acting. Cases such as the Karen Ann Quinlan case went to court only to get a determination as to whether the guardians would be charged with murder if they took action to end their relative's life.

Anyone who has been reading my posts on the Terri Schiavo case is very clear on what my opinion on the matter is. If you share my opinion, there is something you can do now. Email or call your congressman or senator and urge them to support HR 1151 or S 539 -- The Incapacitated Person's Legal Protection Act. You can find contact information at www.house.gov and www.senate.gov Time is running out on this critical sanctity of life issue.


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Action Points:

1. Write and/or call your senator. Ask him or her to vote for S 539 -- The Incapacitated Person's Legal Protection Act. Also tell him/her that you want this legislation fast-tracked and passed before March 18.
2. Write and/or call your representative. Ask him or her to vote for HR 1151 -- The Incapacitated Person's Legal Protection Act. Also tell him/her that you want this legislation fast-tracked and passed before March 18.
3. Write and/or call Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. (His phone number is 262-784-1111.) Tell him that you want this legislation fast-tracked and passed before March 18.

I've received word that Stanley Grenz--a prolific author and baptist theologian who has had a significant impact on the burgeoning postconservative/Emergent movement--has had a massive brain hemorrhage, and is not expected to survive. Please keep Dr. Grenz, his wife (Edna) and their two married children (Joel and Corina [Kuban]) in your prayers.

I'll let you know if I receive more information than this.

Update 1: Here's what I've learned: Dr. Grenz was admitted to St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver this morning, having suffered from a massive blood pressure spike that damaged his brain. The last I heard, he was unconscious and on a ventilator. He is in critical condition, and the doctors don't expect him to survive long. Please pray for God's gracious healing and that the Lord would be ministering to his family during this very difficult time.

Update 2: Stanley Grenz died at 4 am on Saturday, March 12. May the God of all comfort minister to his family in these painful days.

Update 3: Brian McLaren reflects on Grenz's life and impact. Grenz's family posts a family picture online along with a brief statement.

Update 4: Christianity Today remembers Grenz, as do others in the blogosphere.

Chuck Colson reports on the true-life story behind the blockbuster film, Million Dollar Baby. The real story didn't end the same way that the movie did. The New York Times also did an extended profile on Katie Dallam.

Calvin once described the human heart as "a perpetual factory of idols" (Institutes 1:108), Richard Gaffin concurs and expands upon this:

Because we are, each of us, the image of God, we will worship, in fact we must worship, someone or something, either our original, as we should, or, with the illusion that we are the original or our own ultimate point of reference, ourselves. If the latter, we will give ourselves over, with the full, still efficient resources of our imaging capacities, to some figment, some distorted image, focused on ourselves or on some aspect of the world, ultimately seen as an extension of ourselves. What Calvin observed long ago is no less true today: the human heart, our image-bearing and image-fashioning nature, is an idol factory.

(Richard Gaffin, "Speech and the Image of God," in The Pattern of Sound Doctrine: Systematic Theology at the Westminster Seminaries, Essays in Honor of Robert B. Strimple (2004), p. 186.

For a superb outline on the idolatry of the human heart, see C.J. Mahaney’s teachings on The Idol Factory.

John Murray (1898-1975) was one of the great Reformed exegetical-systematicians of the 20th century. John Frame once remarked that one hardly needs any other books for the study of systematic theology than the four-volume Collected Writings of John Murray. You can listen to MP3s of Murray lecturing on systematic theology here--though the recording quality is quite bad.

Despite Murray's extradordinary accomplishments, Jay Adams writes that “What Murray had done exceedingly well, [Robert] Strimple did even better. . . . While Murray was a brilliant exegetical theologian, students commented that his teaching in the classroom left much to be desired. From the old Scottish school, he inherited and used methods that not only failed to communicate but also often left students cold. Strimple brought a different and more vital teaching method to classes that gave new life to and love for the study of theology (and of even more importance—for the study of the Bible).” (Jay Adams, “Westminster Theology and Homiletics,” in The Pattern of Sound Doctrine: Systematic Theology at the Westminster Seminaries, Essays in Honor of Robert B. Strimple (2004), p. 262.

Now Professor Strimple--recently retired-- is putting his systematic theology lectures and teaching materials from Westminster Seminary unto CDs. The first class--Salvation in Christ-- is now available in a 50-CD set. It might seem a bit pricey, but it’s a pretty good deal in comparison with the cost of tuition!

For those who’d rather have seminary-level lectures for free, check out the Biblical Training website--especially the Leadership Education section--run by our friend Bill Mounce (bestselling Greek textbook author turned pastor).

Finally, for those who want to earn a master's degree through accredited seminaries with online programs, see Reformed Theological Seminary's Virtual Campus and Covenant Seminary's Access Program.

In his new book, Unspeakable: Facing Up to Evil in an Age of Genocide and Terror, Os Guinness writes:

"We must never lose sight of the undeniable fact … [that] more people were killed by secularist regimes in the twentieth century than in all the religious persecutions in Western history, and perhaps in all history.... Whatever our personal views of religion, this statement [that religion is to blame] is simply and factually wrong, and its lazy repetition seriously distorts public debate and endangers democratic freedom. Its root is an unexamined Enlightenment prejudice that simultaneously reduces faith to its functions and recognizes only the worst contributions of faith, not the best—such as the rise of the universities, the development of modern science, the abolition of slavery, and the promotion of human rights."

(HT: Danielle DuRant at RZIM)

You can read an interview with Guinness in the latest issue of CT.

What are you doing on behalf of the unborn? Steve Wagner of STR suggests two things you can do--or rather, two tools you can use--to persuade others that abortion is wrong:

1. Give a friend Greg Koukl’s Precious Unborn Human Persons (available through Stand to Reason. This short book makes a complete argument for the pro-life position without reference to religion. Tell your friend you’re very concerned about abortion and you’d like them to read this short book and have coffee with you to discuss it.

2. Contact Justice For All and ask for a copy of the indispensable Justice For All Exhibit brochure. I keep this tool with me at all times because its fetal development pictures, abortion pictures, and ingenious layout have literally saved lives. But it’s also the best tool I have to help open a dialogue about abortion with complete strangers or dear friends.

This week is the 50th anniversary of Francis Schaeffer's founding of L'Abri. Last month World Magazine editor Marvin Olasky reflected on Schaeffer's landmark book, How Should We Then Live? in his article, "Schaeffer Revisited." In this week's article, "Two-Track Mind," Olasky looks at Schaeffer's next-to-last book, A Christian Manifesto, for what it tells us about Christians and politics.

If you spend any amount of time listening to or reading stuff on the Emergent Church, you will soon hear a reference to "foundationalism," usually in the context that "foundationalism" must be abandoned, that it's passe, and that the evangelical church today is in bondage to it. In my view, few people truly understand what foundationalism is or is not. Proponents of Emergent usually don't understand it. And the receipients of their criticisms often don't understand it, either?

In this article published a few years ago in The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology, Millard Erickson gives concise definitions and a helpful overview of the issues. If you're engaged in the Emergent discussions, I'd encourage you to read this article. Then the next time you see someone bemoan "foundationalism," you'll have some definitions and distinctions available to evaluate what they are talking about.

(A more technical discussion may be found in chapter 2 of Reclaiming the Center, in a chapter co-authored by J.P. Moreland and Garry DeWeese).

John Frame has posted an online review of Esther Meeks' Longing to Know: The Philosophy of Knowledge for Everyday People.

Here's an excerpt:

"This is a terrific book. I can’t begin in a short review to illustrate adequately the beauty of its writing and the cogency of its reasoning. But let me just say that I have never read a serious philosophical work (and this surely is one) that is as eloquently and delightfully expressed. . . . All in all, this is the best book on epistemology (let alone Christian epistemology) to come along in many, many years. It is a must for any serious student of the discipline and, indeed, for ordinary people who are trying to get clear on how to know God."

The apostle James, in James 3:5, writes about the destructive influence of the human tongue:

5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

Richard Gaffin of Westminster Seminary comments:

This is strong language . . . about human language. The conflagration of communication that James sketches so severely is one of communication processes gone awry, perverted and in confusion, become harmful and destructive, because they are more than just tinged with hell-fire. We dare not shy away from such a depiction, for it does not take great imaging ability or much power of imagination to recognize here the malevolent potential of our own time, with its undeniably marvelous technologies, the potential for nothing less than media mayhem, a mayhem of mega proportions. . . .
The human tongue—with all the media possibilities it symbolizes, with the varie means of communication it embodies—has become an instrument of distortion, or perversion and degradation, of destruction. The gift of the tongue, this God-given gift, is a gift that has been prostituted—massively, thoroughly.

Gaffin then turns toward Christ as the remedy for the sickness of our perverted tongue:

Here, finally, is a tongue, the Gospel writers tell us, that speaks “words of grace” (Luke 4:22, my trans.), “words of eternal life” (John 6:68), and, in that declaration that is so compelling, he claims for his disciples, “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you” (John 15:3). Finally, there is a word that meets our deepest and most desperate need, our need to be clean from our sin and all of its debilitating consequences, a word with power to cleanse, with a detergency strong enough to restore the image we bear to its full luster, and so, to strip away the impurities that pollute our communication at every level and in every form.

(Richard Gaffin, “Speech and the Image of God,” in The Pattern of Sound Doctrine: Systematic Theology at the Westminster Seminaries, Essays in Honor of Robert B. Strimple (2004), p. 185, 187, 188.)

Haven't had time to buy and read Naomi Schaefer Riley's God on the Quad: How Religious Colleges and the Missionary Generation Are Changing America or Alister McGrath's The Twilight of Atheism: The Rise and Fall of Disbelief in the Modern World? Well, instead, you can just read magazine articles by them that summarize their books. Riley recently distilled her argument into an article for the American Enterprise, and McGrath did the same for Christianity Today.

My friend Josh Sowin—who blogs at Fire and Knowledge—has a new website dedicated to Neil Postman.

Josh is carrying on an interesting online discussion with John Marstell over whether or not—or perhaps more accurately, where and where not—Postman gets things right with regard to the priority of word over image.

For a helpful one-stop shop for evaluations of Emergent, check out the new blog, Emergent No.