Lee Siegel of the New Republic finally said what I wanted to say from day one, but didn’t want to say. Read the summary at World Mag Blog. Short version: Only evangelicals could retell the story of the murder of three people as a “Praise the Lord! Brian has found Jesus!” story.

Oh, I know. Shut up.

This is the “Let’s just praise God for anything terrible that results in a decision” gang within evangelical media, publishing and preaching. They love this stuff, and their view of reality is so skewered that they can’t stop jumping up and down over a murderer liking Purpose Driven Life to sound normally grieved about the deaths of innocents.

There are times that I think certain kinds of evangelism-oriented thinking are way too similar to cults and mental illness to even want to be remotely associated with them.

There. I said it and I’m glad I did.

Bill Hobbs has some interesting comments on Federalization of the Shiavo case.

I just spent one of those hours that renews my faith in the purpose of this place (OBI) and rebreaks my heart over the many boys in our world who have no father to love them like God meant for boys to be loved. Pray for Justin, who helped me tonight to remember what I am here for, and why God knows what he’s doing in leaving me here.

What is driving today’s church innovations?

Stones Cry Out covers the Shiavo story, too.

I think these two subjects fit nicely together in leu of the recent discussion concerning the afterlife. For those of you who believe in some sort of unconscious state before the resurrection (or a re-creation), how does your view of human nature fit this case? Is she already dead or not? If there isn’t a hint of a brain wave and you hold an essentially monist position, what is the justification for keeping the her alive (when her mind is clearly gone)?

By the way, there is a law in Texas on this, and she would have died 7 years ago. I don’t understand why we even have states anymore, we are quickly turning into the Republic of America. No one can convince me that they didn’t get their due process in the state courts and that the feds needed to step in.

...into the reality of a non media-saturated existance. I don’t know the “sides” in the Schiavo case, but I do know that this is an issue of family that should not be at the center of an entire nation’s opinion-casting.

This family needs the support of wise legal counselors to help them navigate their rights and responsibilities related to the care needs of their loved one. They do not need a circus of opinion and the polarization of a country. This is not a simple decision and reasonable people can hold an opinion on either side of the fence.

Sort of a retro church growth movement…

Greg’s comment that the War of Northern Aggression was fought over slavery is not entirely true. The slavery issue was more a pretense than anything else. And allow me to make an unsupported assertion: Lincoln is overrated.

Since I am the resident anarchist here, let me defend a certain view of the relationship between the Church and the state. I think it is wrong for the Church to employ the state’s monopoly on coercion for any purpose, however noble. The power the state wields inevitably ends up corrupting the Church, since the state’s power is essentially of this world (though given to it by God). The Church has an entirely different kind of power which involves no coercion of all but the free action of the Holy Spirit.

I am morally opposed to euthanasia in most forms, especially involuntary euthanasia, which is what I suppose the case to be with Terri Schiavo. I would support Christians who engage in civil disobedience to save her life. Indeed, I would encourage Christians to do so.

On the other hand I cannot accept Greg’s claim that sometimes the situation merits the Church calling for government intervention in any case. This sounds enough like “ends-justify-the-means” ethical thinking.

I think we need to distinguish between the mode of state power and the application that mode undertakes. By federalizing the Schiavo issue, we expand the mode of the state’s power in order to apply it to a particular situation. The problem is that this thereby permanently expands the mode of the state’s power such that whenever there is a hue and cry concerning another particular situation, perhaps where the Church might object to the application of state power, there would have already been a precedent set.

And we will have shot ourselves in the foot.

“To simply say that the ‘culture of life,’ or whatever you call it means that we don’t have to pay attention to the principles of federalism or separation of powers is certainly not a conservative viewpoint.” Rep. Bob Barr.

Not all conservatives are on the same page about federalizing this situation. I am as horrified as the next person, but I am more than disappointed that we now have a situation where if media decides to pay enough attention, Congress will pass a law. This situation occurs all the time. Not in these precise terms, but treatment is witheld all the time, and the media never gets involved. Now Peggy Noonan said that if conservatives don’t do something, the voters will hold them accountable. Does anyone realize what is happening when the attention of a particular case that is NOT unique causes the government to pass laws under the eye of a camera and for press conference copy?

This situation is a sword that will cut both ways. The selective compassion of conservatives is about to take them against 60-75% of the American public. We will see how this is used politically in the future.

These are even worse

I just received a recorded phone call from my pastor inviting me to attend Easter Sunday.

Someone asked me about my evaluation of Marcus Borg’s work on the Historical Jesus.

I would suggest that a good look at articles on the NTW Page dealing with the Quest for the Historical Jesus would probably turn up a statement to the effect that the value of scholars like Borg isn’t so much in the conclusions they try to sell to the Christian community, but the conclusions they bring to the historical work itself. Borg doesn’t get to the Jesus of the Westminster Confession. He- and all the other Questers- do succeed in getting Jesus out of the trash bin of history and in showing us that there is quite a lot we can know and much more about which we can reasonably speculate than we were led to believe fifty years ago in the heyday of scholarly skeptism. NTW talks about the Third Quest as “the prodigal son” of historical evidence for Christianity “come home.”

Borg is a great example. His final “Christian” version of Jesus is unacceptable, but he builds a remarkable case for Jesus within first century Judaism. (See his books on Holiness, and Jesus.) Borg and Wright wrote a book together, and Wright is very positive about much of Borg’s historical research. He even has good things to say about the Jesus Seminar in that regard….before he demolishes it.

In short, all we’ve learned about first century, second temple Judaism helps us understand the plausibility of much that the Gospels say about Jesus. This historical study doesn’t gurantee an orthodox reading of the New Testament, but it does a lot to move us away from biased, individualized and sectarian readings.

I appreciate those like Luke Timothy Johnson who react so strongly to the Jesus Seminar that they renounce the “historical Jesus” completely, but I think they go too far. There is help for our faith in the Quest, and it isn’t doomed to always be the downhill road to the demise of the faith.

Hello,
I need some help from you Internet savvy peeps. In the process of training Sunday school teachers I have been trying to connect them with good resources to use as they prepare their lessons. I would love to have a library with some good resources but we are not quite there yet. My question is what are the best Internet resources. If you can give me some ones you frequently use it would help out a lot.

Steve at Reformissionary is doing excellent blogging these days. Here’s a Brian Mclaren quote he’s posted.

What did our churches become in modernity but places of Bible exposition (aka objective textual analysis)? What was the ticket to spiritual leadership if not Bible scholarship (that is, credentials certifying our competence at applying modern analytical tools to Bible study)? If our churches leaned to the liberal side, we tended to reduce the Bible to nothing but myths, and if they leaned to the conservative, we tended to reduce it to nothing but propositions, principles, abstractions, doctrines. Can you see how for maybe four hundred years this could remain interesting and engaging, but after five hundred, our culture would be ready for a new approach…something less reductionistic, something more holistic and maybe even mysterious?

Steve also started a blog for SBCers interested in the Emergent Church.

I’m having my semi-annual disillusionment with life, so Josh’s “afterlife” topic works real well for me. I have to admit that the topic of the afterlife, particularly eternal existence in “heaven” or anywhere else, doesn’t set well with me. Not because it can’t be true, but because the notion of it outrages me. Who wants to do anything forever? Anything. Now, I can factually say that the exploration and praise of an infinite, eternal being is desirable, but my mind and emotions reel at the concept. Nothing in me can get around the concept. My atheist friends talk about the peace that comes from contemplating non-existence and becoming part of nature and matter, and that horrifies my sense of life. Then I contemplate singing worship choruses forever, or doing anything forever in any environment, and that doesn’t work either.

Nothing reeks of the Freudian critique of religion (we need a psychological crutch) like talk of heaven and eternal life. All that being said, I do think the case for a temporal conscious state is stronger than NTW seems to say. (He does affirm a conscious interim state if you dig around in enough interviews at the NTW Page.) But the emphasis on resurrection and this world becoming the Kingdom of God is much stronger.

BTW- if people would stop assuming that every reference they THINK is about heaven/hell/eternity IS about heaven, etc., they might be surprised. Example, today we read where James and John ask to sit on the right and left of Jesus “in his glory.” I asked what this meant, and the first bright student says “heaven.” See how easy it is to play? Of course, it doesn’t mean “heaven” at all, in the sense most preachers/Christians use that term.

I’m wanting to be Shinto already. More later.

Check out the “unapologetically liberal alternative to the Alpha course.” Their ad was featured prominently in the recent issue of “Circuit Rider” (a magazine for United Methodist clergy). Interesting.

Yes, that’s redundant, isn’t it? I’ve just returned from our Spring Break and a good visit with my brother and his family in DC. And now I’m hacked off. Red Lake and Schiavo. Theology. Anti-catholicism. Intellectual anti-intellectualism. Death. Grrr.

I like much of what Josh S calls his “heresy” on the afterlife. I remember at age 9 at my father’s viewing and funeral the profound sense that he was watching and listening to me. This was very comforting to me as I had watched him suffer with bone cancer in previous weeks and months, gradually losing awareness of my presence. I believed that after he died he regained that awareness. I think this was a self-centered view of things (not in the sense of ‘selfish’). It was a way that my child’s psyche could survive.

I have a problem with the stories we tell ourselves at the death of loved ones. Someone said that the term ‘homecoming’ made their skin crawl. Me too. Josh S calls such talk eisegesis. He’s right. They’re all ways we avoid real grief and sorrow. If we can immediately switch off the pain of losing a parent, a child, a sister, or a friend, calmly dispassionate in the knowledge of our future hope, is it any wonder that we can read about Red Lake and our only thought being, “Here we go again.” I confess it was mine. Dulled to suffering. Numbed to pain and grief. I know that I’m angry but I don’t let myself show it. Would that the stones would cry out.

I’m amazed that deaths that occur within my sphere of my life don’t shake my faith. That’s what shakes my faith—that I’m so unshakable. When death occurs close to us we stand at the edge of the infinite, the bottomless chasm that we understand less than anything else. Right in the flow of mundane ordinary life comes the infinite, the absolute, and how do I deal with it? Ho hum. Happy face. Self-congratulation.

Well now I’m getting mad. Mad at myself and my dishonesty. Mad at theology. I want to cry with those who lose loved ones. I want to beat my breast until I bruise. I want to yell “No!” How can the peace of Christ be comforting to me if I’m not in distress?

Speaking of Terri Shiavo. Scrappleface really hits home (thru satire) to speak volumes about the rights of the disabled versus the rights of a convicted murderer.

And from Common sense runs wild -

If Terri were a murderer, she would be allowed due process before the state takes away her life. She would be allowed an attorney of her own, independent counsel from any concerned party. Her case would be reviewed at the federal level. She would be given a chance. Yes, if Terri w ere a cold blooded killer, she would have more rights than she does now because she is brain damaged.

If that doesn’t sound right. If that doesn’t seem to be what your perception of justice is, then maybe you can understand what this bill still being considering in Congress is all about. It is about giving those who can not speak for themselves just as many rights as we already give our most heinous criminals.

If Mary and the other Saints aren’t up in heaven watching, who should we be praying to? (uber-JN)

I’m kinda with Josh S. (and maybe NTW) re: the afterlife. Call me a Jew but I think there’ll be one judgement day for all, and until then we will all sleep. I don’t buy that the saints that have died before me are all hanging around up there in “heaven” waiting for me to show up. Paul, Polycarp, Martin Luther, Martin Luther King and silly ol’ Kent will all share the first day in the New Jerusalem (actually I’m still planning on living out of town).

This is very close to home, it will be (sadly) interesting to overhear the local response as it occured on “the Rez”.

A few days back, Bill Mac posted a question on prophecy that brought a lot of great comments. As a denizen of the charismatic wing of the Tavern, I wanted to give my thoughts on prophecy.

I was once extremely charismatic and was a strong believer in “the end-time prophetic movement.” My views have changed over time to the point that I am attending a PCA school, but I am not a cessationist. I have yet to see a convincing Biblical case for cessationism. Perhaps a case can be made from experience and observation, but I don’t see one within the pages of scripture. I agree with my cessationist brothers and sisters that at least most of what we see done in the name of prophecy is unscriptural, but I must admit at least the possibility of a continuation of supernatural giftings. I don’t believe that 1 Cor. 3:8-13 refers to the closing of the canon or any other event in this age, but is a picture of the world to come.

I don’t hold to a second “Baptism of the Holy Spirit” or any other “second blessing,” though I once did. If a person does prophesy, it’s due to the will of the Spirit (1 Cor 12:4-11) More »« Less

Are you people going to let Josh confess to innumerable heresies, and just let him off the hook?

BTW Josh, NTW gets a lot of grief over similar- not identical- views of the afterlife. See the NTW page.

One of the ball players walks down from campus, past the bus compound and the volleyball court, to the field. It was a beautiful day for a practice game.

The team is issued uniforms before our first practice game against nearby rival Jackson County tonight.

Managers and coaches load equipment on our bus. We’ll do about 20 road trips on this bus, most of them 2-3 hours each way. I still haven’t learned how to sleep on this vehicle.

A Jackson County player at the plate. We lost 14-9, but that was a great effort for us and we were very pleased with the performance of the team.

After the varsity game, we gather for a team meeting, and it’s so cold everyone huddles up. It is great to be a part of fhe comraderie of the team.

A few staff kids drove over to cheer the team on, and then offered a blanket to some varsity players during the freezing cold JV game. Ahhh…to be young and cold :-)

Josh S- You’re looking in the wrong place for chicks!

The other two members of the trinity

only 5 days left—supplies limited!

Speeders in the hands of an angry God

Ever feel like you wish you could relive your childhood?

If I keep this up, I’m going to be the queen of totally random, pointless posts. Perhaps I should quit while I’m ahead.

Don’t hurt me Michael…hides

Michael: Your 90% gender statement (#8 on your list) strikes me as representative of many things. During my “word of faith” days, I often observed that the ratio of women to men was really, really high. Given my blinders at the time, I assumed it was true for the church as a whole, but now I can see that while there do seem to be more women than men in the church, things were much more heavily weighted that way in WOF circles.

Of course, here we’ve got only a few women. I’m afraid to extrapolate for fear of offend…. wait a minute. I’m Phillip!

Clearly, women want to feel, while men want to think. Not to say that either doesn’t do both, but come on, you all know what I mean. {:)}

John Hendryx says my statement that the Reformed have little interest in historical Jesus’ studies is “perposterous.” I stand by that statement and believe it can be defended.

Alan Culpepper is one of the leading scholars on the study of the Gospels in America. He teaches at Macafee, but he was at Southern when I was there. Here is the excellent ibliography for his “Historical Jesus” class.

Find the typical conservative PCA/OPC Calvinist in that list. The Reformed don’t “do” the historical Jesus. They are clearly uncomfortable with the unwashed liberal scholars that reside in the Third Quest, and are further uncomfortable with many of their presups and conclusions.

Calvinists would burn Marcus Borg’s books at the stake. As historical Jesus’ studies go, they are top notch.

I’m not a pastor, but I have a question for pastors, or those familiar with the pastorate. How much of your time is spent in simply keeping people happy enough not to leave? From my cynical viewpoint, it seems like alot of a pastor or ministers time (or sometimes the core group that exists in any church) is trying to stem the tide of people leaving. Oh no, Mr. X hasn’t been here in two weeks! Better visit. I heard Mrs. S is miffed at ____ for ____. Better visit.

Are any local churches showing “The Passion of the Christ” this Easter?

The Robbie Seay Band is knockin’ me out. “Faith of Our Fathers.” Great stuff. Check this out, too.

I haven’t counted lately, but I am sure I have over 100 Osteen related letters. The new essay is generating more pro-Osteen letters. It’s bringing out the social psychologist in me. (Yes, in addition to being a wordsmith, prophet, preacher and baseball coach, I am also a well-known psychologist of religious fanaticism.)

1. Two thirds of the letters are pro-O-Boy.

2. None- NONE- of those letters mount any Biblical defense of his ministry beyond, “Don’t judge, etc.”

3. Almost all readily agree he doesn’t preach the cross or Jesus. Here’s a sample:

First I have to say I was appalled and angry. We both along with our 4 children are avid watchers of his sermons, we all will sit down and watch and discuss what the topic is about. After reading your commentary I stopped to think about what you have to say and you are correct in the fact that Joel does not mention Jesus or the Cross with every sermon, but he does always state at the end of his message to get involved in a good bible based church and to read the bible. He is giving people a look into the bible and a look into GOD. He is bringing people whom never would have listened before to the bible,where is this wrong? He is reaching a group that has been unattainable to this point. Both my husband and I had to come back to the Lord after leaving him for many years,we were put off by many churches that were a little to hard core for us. We are now both very seated in a Pentecostal church, we are also learning/training to become ministers. We believe that you make choices for yourself and if you come to the Lord, that’s all that matters. We are not to rely on any man, you have to put your faith in GOD. If Joel can bring people in and encourage them to read the bible, who are we to judge this man? Its not about religion its about knowing GOD and reading his word. Maybe its his job to plant the seed, to get people motivated again, to come to the Lord by reading the bible and making their own decision, who are we to criticize? We all have specific jobs here, and we truly believe that the only one to question that is GOD. We don’t rely only on this man to bring us to CHRIST, we listen to other preachers we love to listen to John Hagee whom is very hard core, we take what he preaches and we learn from it, just like we do from Joel’s. We never criticize, for its not our job to judge. We all answer to GOD in the end. We pray that you can do that as well, with a clear conscience.

4. No one is disturbed by this at all. In some way, it fits into a grand divine plan to get people interested in God. Osteen is a ministry that really deserves the title, “A Show about Nothing.” What do you talk to your kids about after watching Osteen? His vaccuous positivity would make the kids I work with far more cynical.

5. There are a number of Pentecostal/Word-Faith types who seem to feel Osteen is a “healing” experience for them as compared to other preachers. There’s a sense in which Osteen is a kind of therapy for Pentecostals.

6. If you can’t see the coming merger of this with the New Age Hallmark Card theology “Coversations with God” fuzziness, you are asleep.

7. Contrast this version of American religion with Typical Roman Catholicism, for instance. This makes the RCC so Christ-centered that they are two different religions. This is the canonizing of a way of “feeling” about God, and the particulars of the Bible are EXTREMELY irrelvent. With all due respect to the writer above, if she thinks Osteen is promoting Bible reading, she’s daft.

8. 45 of 50 defenders will be female.

9.Osteen is getting high mileage out of providing a contrast to the image of a “preacher.” In his way, he’s like Mark Driscoll, except that Driscoll is hilarious. I’d go to his church just to hear what he would say next.

10. No one mentions the blinking or the mullett.

Anyone want to get a head start on their BHT gift for next year?

Quite the day.

Taught John 5 at 8 a.m. Two people were sleeping. Soundly.
Preached to the students at 9 a.m.
Preached at church at 11 a.m.
Ate lunch. Slept.
Dreaded and worried about things for a while.
Preached to the students at 7 p.m. Evening services make about as much sense as five legs on a dog. It was an OK service. Everyone knows there has been a “terminated relationship” between the local church and the school, but we can’t say anything about it yet. So it’s kindof awkward.
Ate red beans and rice. With ham. And lots of hot seasoning. And a bowl of Raisin Bran.
Goofed off. Still goofing off.
Have a practice game tomorrow. We are hardly ready to play, but I guess we are going to anyway. Hope the other team is less prepared than we are. I don’t think we’ve practiced baserunning once. I’ll mention we circle to the left when we run the bases. That should help.
Clay has been on two choir gigs today, one in Northern Ky and one in Lexington where he got to see Noel. He just returned late.
I bought a camera. And stuff.
I have my men’s Bible study at 6 a.m., class all morning, then the first Holy Week Chapel. Denise coordinates everything. I preach for about 10-15 minutes each day.
Baseball sounds good. One of our staff wants to take me to the Cubs/Reds series. I might let him take me :-)
Clay and I are planning our baseball tour this year. I want two Reds games this time.
I am considering becoming a prophet.

Dear Mr. Doctor,

I want to make it clear that I am a fan of Michael Spencer. I have read your correspondence concerning the estimable Mr. Spencer. In case you need reminding, this is AMERICA. He is free to say whatever he wants on his own blog. In case you went to public school, look up the FIRST AMENDMENT of the CONSTITUTION of the United States. If you are offended by his or anyone elses message, that’s too bad. THERE IS NO CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT NOT TO BE OFFENDED! If Mr. Spencer bugs you that much, TURN THE FREAKING COMPUTER OFF!

Your rantings have proven several things: 1) You are jealous. 2) You and people like you are blind to the incredible irony and hypocrisy of being critical of someone, (Spencer) for being critical of someone else (Osteen) . 3) You need to mind your own business and worry about your own sins. 4) You have demonstrated a high degree of arrogance by assuming you know the mind of Michael.

Stop worrying about Mr. Spencer. God will take care of him as He does with everyone else.

He who shall remain nameless. (unless you look at the authorship of the post)

Would anyone like to write the post that asks the good doctor if he would have any feelings about the most popular doctor in America selling 30 million copies of a book that says cancer can be cured by eating a Snickers bar?

Dear Mr. Spencer:

First of all I want to make it clear that I am not a Joel Osteen fan. I have read your commentaries concerning the young Mr.Osteen. In case you need reminding, this is AMERICA. He is free to say whatever he wants from his pulpit. In case you went to public school, look up the FIRST AMENDMENT of the CONSTITUTION of the United States. If you are offended by his or anyone elses message, that’s too damned bad. THERE IS NO CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT NOT TO BE OFFENDED! If Mr. Osteen bugs you that much, TURN THE FREAKING TV OFF!

Your rantings have proven several things: 1) You are jealous. 2) You and people like you are LATTER DAY PHARISEES. 3) You need to mind your own damned business and worry about your own sins. 4) You have demonstrated a high degree of arrogance by assuming you know the mind of God.

Stop worrying about Joel Osteen. God will take care of him as He does with everyone else.

(Name Removed), M.D.

You know why I’m not going to write a book? Because when I write an essay on the Gospels, a person who actually LIKES the essay says…”Michael’s essay leaves the impression that Paul is to Jesus what Joel Osteen is to the church today.”

!!!!!!!!!!!

I’ll alter the essay in any way suggested if this is what I seem to be saying. Send your feedback to: Internet Monk Publications, 2134 Gene Scott Drive, St. Sadies, Maryland, 23712

Just a question to the fellows that have more charismatic experience than I do.
Some friends of mine needed a baby sitter the other day, because they were going to get “prophesied over.” I don’t think this is the first time. What is this all about? I think the church brings in an itinerant prophet for this sort of thing. What goes on? What are the prophecies like?

Yes, I could just ask them, but they are my friends and I doubt that I could keep the scorn and incredulity off my face.