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| “My friends rooted for the Cardinals and grew up happy and therefore liberal. Because of my early and prolonged exposure to the Cubs, I became morose and conservative.’’ -George Will |
Jim, I figured you’d be ‘in’ and I figured you wouldn’t reply ‘til Thursday. You proceeded my expectations.
On the beer hall test thing…a big ‘meee tooo’ with both Michael & Jack. I cannot wait to see (in this order) the results for Pirate, Jim & Joel. Santa is wiggling his frozen glutes off with anticipatory glee!
[Aside to Kent: I’m in. No email access today, but details will follow.]
I’m James A. Nicholson, and I approve of this message.
We did Exodus 32 today, and my first period class reacted strongly to the killing of the 3,000 by the Levites. This allowed me to go back to the bigger picture. We visited Genesis 2:17, Genesis 6:5-7, Sodom and Gomorrah, then Romans 6:23 and so on. I said that when you encounter stories like this, it will demonstrate whether you are reading the Biblical story and getting the point, or whether you are just sticking your head into the Bible wherever you want to make whatever conclusions appeal to you. I said this is where you discover if the Bible is a book about being nice or a story about a Holy God’s dealings with sinful human beings. That story is always surprising in what God does, should do, doesn’t do and does for us.
I always try to read a couple of baseball books in the off season. I am almost finished with Leigh Montville’s bio of Babe Ruth. A very entertaining read about the first real modern superstar, and a guy with a surprising amount of mystery in his life on some very basic issues, like his racial background. A good read.
Challies has a well-written explanation of some of the mechanics of using the regulative principle in worship, especially as it relates to a lot of the “What about…” questions. I believe in a modest use of RPW, but my take is that the elders are to regulate not so much how worship is done- though some of that is important in being sure that worship is an expression of the actual congregation and not something else- but a focus on the main point of the Gospel message. Regulation, to me, is not so much elements as it is essential essence, i.e. does our worship reflect the focus of the Bible, of the Gospel and of the examples of worship we see? The question isn’t so much about candles per se, but about whether candles keep us on track or take us off.
We’re doing presentations on Shakespeare’s sonnets in AP English IV. It’s a blast.
Well, despite its willingness to keep to the Biblical account, it doesn’t look like “Nativity Story” resounded much with my favorite movie reviewer, who happens not to be a believer. [Edit: At least, he isn’t to my knowledge.]
I suppose one could say something about the unbeliever being blinded to the wonder and glory of the truth that is Jesus, but this is Hollywood, and, in my experience, a yawner is a yawner, religious or otherwise.
A new book that looks pretty interesting: Fabricating Jesus: How Modern Scholars Distort the Gospel by Craig Evans.
(HT: Deinde)
A lurker recently informed my about a quiz he put together for the BHT fellows – give it a shot!
I mentioned in a brief post about the Pope’s visit to Turkey that he sort of covered up the cross as he got off the plane. I was in a hurry and didn’t elaborate. No one asked, so maybe no one cares but it occurred to me that the post could have been taken the wrong way and, perhaps, even as a insult to Benedict XIV. It was not. I wrote a little about his visit in this post a while ago. I still think this is a very interesting story and this little nuance about the Pope’s dress is just on example of how sensitive things really are.
You see, the cross is offensive. It is offensive to the whole world, of course, but it is offensive to Muslims in a different way. In the Muslim mind there is no way that Allah would allow a prophet to die a humiliating death on a cross. Never. So when we say that Jesus (the greatest prophet next to Mohammad) was killed on a cross, it is an insult. Seeing the symbol is a reminder of this. Another reality is the association of the symbol of the cross with the crusades. I am not implying guilt or innocence to either side of the Crusades. But, obviously, most Muslims think they were “right” and the Christian armies marched under the banner of the cross.
The center of the Christian faith (and a symbol of it) is one of the greatest offenses in the ongoing tension between Christians and Muslims. As people like B XIV make efforts to build bridges this is considered and actions are taken. Most won’t notice it but it is an important little part of the whole drama.
UPDATE: getreligion.org has a post about the trip and the Pope’s efforts to connect with Orthodox Christians. It is a very good summary. Read it here.
Jack, I so much look forward to the day that our adoption(s?) are paid off and I can afford to meet you somewhere warm enough for you to tolerate (it’s 3 now, heading to a cozy high of 15 today).
Santalert: Today is the last day of the rest of your BHT Christmas decision making process. Fall off the fence if you’re on it and let me know if you landed on the ‘opt it’ side. The elves are cogitating and trying to creatify a randomization name drawing process…so…let me know. (Quite a poet eh?)
Travis, I thought after the flood was when God instituted cannibalism.
For the record, I’m against the death penalty. I’m against abortion, too, generally. I’m also against letting good Kentucky bourbon go to waste, so if you see any around, please send it on to to me.
At the site that Kent linked in this post, I learned that Joel Hunter was briefly president of the Christian Coalition of America. This must be why Joel hasn’t been posting much :)
Since there was a time in history when God Himself instituted the Death Penalty (right after the Flood), it is not inconsistent nor hypocritically to oppose abortion and be in support of a death penalty. Say Jesus changed this law if you want, but don’t call the position inherently hypocritical or “inconsistent.”
Kent: from the post you linked to:
While Pro-Life Evangelicals care for the pre-born, after you are born you are on your own.
That broad brush doesn’t sit well…look at Michael and what he’s doing – that is not a man who leaves kids on their own.
See the BRILLIANT comment I left at the site referenced by Kent.
Honestly, people – economic ignorance is FATAL. Good intentions are no excuse. We all know what kind of paving material is used for the road to hell.
How Consistent is your Life View?
Pope Benedict XVI has begun his visit to Turkey. Notice anything missing from his appearance as he got off his plane? Give up? No cross. You can see a photo essay here. Once he was indoors and at safer venues, he took off his coat.
Michael Kinsley is bothered that people write about themselves on the web. Thanks for telling us what bothers you, Michael. (Irony is wasted on some people. Someone tell Michael that what annoys him is no more interesting than what other people tell about themselves on the web. Duh.)
And on another subject….”Were you there?” When a single impact killed the dinosaurs? YECs shouldn’t read this kind of story. Impacts on the ancient earth are hard to fit into that flood geology.
soli was going to be a small crowd, but it turned out to be a bunch of folks. Christ the King worship is great. Mixing the right hymns and choruses with the scripture lessons is one of my favorite things to do.
Jars of Clay, “Oh God.” What an incredible song.
So, who’s better, Anaheim or Buffalo?
Buffalo, of course:
Right now? The Sabres are the better team, if only by the slimmest of margins. It’s not just because they’ve achieved the same number of points in one fewer game, two fewer after the Ducks play the Oilers on Tuesday night. It’s not because the Ducks haven’t beaten the Sabres this millennium.It’s because the Sabres look willing to play that extra-risky, cojones-to-the-wall style that just might put them over the top if Miller can stand his ground.
Right now, there are two teams, Anaheim and Buffalo, with a legitimate belief that they should be considered the NHL’s top squad.(Before the cards and letters start pouring in from Buffalo, I only put them second for alphabetical reasons. Honest. No slight intended. And I know Brett Hull’s toe was in the crease.)
(I’ll stick to hockey, and not mention the recent baseball news about which team gets a certain pitcher…)
Don’t you dare say anything else – they’ll know. They always know. Lutheran snipers are the most deadly fighting force in the world.
Blue Raja, if I wrote a response, I would transgress a number of conservative Lutheran shibboleths. What I’m supposed to say is that Scripture is self-interpreting, something or other about rightly distinguishing Law and Gospel, and then walk away from the issue. Also, this interesting question appeared on a study guide for Luke:
Defend the statement on the basis of the Greek text that Mary is portrayed in the annunciation as Israel and the temple, and in the next passage on the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth as the ark of the covenant. Why is this important in understanding Luke’s Gospel? In understanding salvation history?
I know that Mary = the Temple/Israel/Ark of the Covenant was the first thing that came to my mind when I read the Greek.
Ah Ha!
Psychoanalysts always say that, I learned it from Lucy VanPelt.
It’s Reactive Disambiguation Disorder with Reflexive Features. No cure, only suffering & coping.
Boy, I can’t wait to see how this is presented tonight on the Colbert Report.
Michael, define your use of “just”; do you mean like the last ten minutes, the last ten weeks, the last ten months or the last ten years?
Right after you answer I can diagnose you, the DSM-IV-R is within arm’s reach…
Pirate: I know you weren’t trying to offend – sorry if I came off as defensive. I guess I’m saying that the doctrine of inerrancy can’t preclude open theism unless the proponents say certain texts of Scripture are inaccurate or unreliable. It’s not capable of settling the score. It secures the authority of Scripture, but it doesn’t specify the content of Scripture. Not all heresy is a denial of inerrancy, and if anything this demonstrates that inerrancy doesn’t belong at the bottom floor of a person’s theology.
All of this backs up into the relationship between Scripture and tradition, hermeneutics and theology, and biblical theology vs. dogmatics, and I think evangelical scholars sometimes shift positions on these issues citing exegetical priorities over theological ones or vice versa at their own convenience.
Kent/Santa: My wife, whose psychiatric care I am now under, has a theory that most of what I do in life is a reaction against what has just happened to me. My boss has called me- about ten years ago- an over-reactor. I have no idea what either one of them are talking about, and your post made absolutely no sense either. I’m now giving up blogging and going to join the French Foreign Legion. (jn++)
Well, I didn’t mean insult, just exactly what you said…if it’s a group you’ve got a stake in, it’s going to make you a lot more upset if they rule you out than otherwise.
Not having really investigated the surrounding maelstrom of comments, is anyone from ETS actually saying that open theists “don’t believe in inerrancy?” Or are they saying that inerrancy practically precludes opentheism, protestations to the contrary notwithstanding? I think it would make sense if they said “Scripture is inerrant, here are some clear texts about God knowing all things exhaustively, case closed.”
And trust me, I know the whole “If you don’t believe this, you don’t believe in inerrancy” schtick happens all the time. Franz Pieper’s Christian Dogmatics refute all false doctrines on one of two bases:
1. This false doctrine is a practical denial of justification by faith alone.
2. This false doctrine is a practical denial of biblical inerrancy.
Of course, he uses the 2nd whenever he can’t come up with a way to make the first work.
The banner quote makes me think about the letter I got from Dr. Dobson last night…which makes me want to read Nouwen. That said, Pirate makes me want to read Don Miller and reformed bloggers make me want to read Capon. Joel Osteen makes me want to read the Bible, so I guess he really must be a pastor after all. Listening the local Christian Radio Station makes me want to listen to U2 or sometimes Lonestar, and listening to or reading NTW makes me want to become Anglican while listening to charismatic megachurch pastors makes me want to become Buddhist.
This has not been a good day for me here at OBI. No problems with what I do….just the loss of another staff family, this time one that I really had hoped to connect with….and I didn’t. I’m really sad that to lose these co-workers.
On the other hand, we’re overflowing with good people these days. I have to say that many of them have a lot to teach me, because they remind me of the goodness of the simple work we do. Showing up, working with the kids, doing whatever our task has to be, putting worship in its place at the center of serving these students. I’m grateful for the faithful lives of my co-workers who help me keep my focus and call clear after almost 15 years.
So OBI needs a computer/information technology person. This person works with two computer labs and the schools computer network. If anyone is interested, write me or go to www.oneidaschool.org and the “Work at OBI” link.
Pirate: I don’t know that personal offense is the best way to characterize people’s response to the issue; but I would agree that for those who happen to have a personal stake in the issue of self-definition, a less casual response is to be expected. I’m sure if there were a controlling group of Lutherans deciding who’s in and out you might have a much more considered conviction than I would. As for boundary making in general, I don’t recall it being challenged on any moral grounds, or anyone asking for a hanky to wipe away the tears at this decision. More »
Remember that you need to let Santa (aka ‘Kent’) know that you want to be part of the BHT gift exchange by tomorrow...Wednesday…November 29…2006…at midnight.
On February 7th, 2002, a diverse group of Christians started a wide-ranging weblog conversation. Today, that conversation continues and you're invited to pull up a chair. Welcome to the Boar's Head Tavern.
“It is better to think of church in the ale-house than to think of the ale-house in church.” - Martin Luther
