Phillip Yancey has survived a scary accident. Thanks to God and those who were there to help him.

Another major archaeological discovery: Jesus’ Underwear Found.

(Denise loves Scott Adam’s blog. This has gotta make you smile.)

“Filmmaker James Cameron is claiming he and some archaeologists found the tomb of Jesus’s family. All the casket-like things called ossuaries are empty. I wonder what the archeologists were thinking when they found an ossuary with Jesus’s name on it. I can imagine the moment they removed the lid and looked in. If it were me, I’d wonder if I was going to see one of the following:

1. Nothing
2. Decomposed stuff
3. Jesus sitting up and saying, “What in Dad’s name took you so long?”

If you put an ordinary guy in an ossuary for 2,000 years, he’d clearly be dead. But if I were opening that ossuary I’d be wondering if maybe someone put Jesus in there after he died but before he arose. And maybe it’s hard to get out once you get in. I’d be worried that Jesus arose inside the stone box, and he’d be totally pissed that no one let him out until now.

I realize that this would not be the most rational worry in the world. But I like to base my worries on an expected value calculation. So for example, a 90% chance of getting a sliver would worry me about the same as a .000001% chance of a nuclear bomb going off in the backyard. In this ossuary example, I’d be looking at maybe a 2% chance of waking up an angry Jesus. I say that’s worth a worry.

If Jesus was in there, and sat up when I took the lid off, I’d first try to judge how angry he looked. If he had that money-changers-in-the-temple look, I’d go with a joke, like “Ha ha! Turn the other cheek!” Or maybe I’d try to explain to him that the extra suffering was extra good for humanity, and after all, that’s his job. Then I’d say, “Hey, I don’t like my job either, but you don’t see me complaining all the time.”

I know that some of you will say that if Jesus could move that big rock that was allegedly in front of his tomb in the traditional telling of his life, he’d have no trouble removing an ossuary lid. But he wasn’t supposed to be in an ossuary in the first place, so obviously if this ossuary is genuine, some of the details of the story were wrong. And if God let Jesus be crucified, it’s not a huge stretch of the imagination to think he’d let him stay in a stone box for 2,000 years. It makes sense to save your coolest miracle for when it’s needed most. And I think you’ll agree that this would be a good time for a messiah. And if you were God, you’d want James Cameron attached to this production. So it makes sense to me.

That’s why I’d be a crappy archaeologist. I’d be afraid to open anything.”

by Scott Adams

Mark Strom’s book The Symphony of Scripture has been a favorite for several years. Here’s some audio from this outstanding teacher. (HT to the Jolly One.)

John Piper has a fine sermon on the small group ministry of the church.

Ben Witherington updates with more effective points on problems with the tomb.

Matthew: I’ve prayed for you.

Ignatius Press has a new book on the ordinary lives of early Christians. Looks interesting.

I’m blown away by this Ash Wednesday thing, and it’s real evidence of how much I was formed in my seminary experience at the “pre-Mohler” Southern Seminary, 1979, 82-84, 86-87.

For starters, we had a music school that was world class, and that kept a lot of “high church” things alive. In addition, the “seminary” churches (faculty dominated) were all in tune with the Christian year. Guys like Glenn Hinson- a friend of Merton- were still teaching early on, and even Timothy George encouraged an appreciation of those things. I attended an SBC/KBC church that had liturgy, the year, the Apostle’s Creed as well as a public invitation and Lottie Moon. (Highland Baptist Church.) Of course you were aware that the seminary community wasn’t your county seat SBC church, but we’re talking a school of 1200 students where you could do your J-terms at the RCC seminary, or the PCUSA seminary across the road.

It is correct that in small towns this kind of cooperation is normal. The two nuns who run the local RCC church are friends with many OBI faculty. When I worked for an FBC in a county seat town, we always attended Lenten and Holy Week luncheons/devotions at the local Christian (Disciples) Church. The ministerial association sponsored Good Friday services and the RC priest, ECUSA rector and the Lutheran guy all participated. No one ever said a word. Of course, no one was promoting any of this IN our church.

But the Christian year, and the practices associated with it, aren’t RCC. They are thoroughly Christian. They are older, deeper, better versions of Christian t-shirts, Emmaus Road retreats and MercyMe concerts. It’s a way to be formed. One of the ways I came to Christ was a one hour “vigil” of silent prayer and Bible reading I had to do as an RA boy at age 14 (in order to play basketball.) What is so dangerous about silence, or fasting, or ashes, or counting the days till Easter?

I think this is all about the 1,001 ways fundamentalists can find to be threatened. Oh wait….it’s up to 1002.

Hey, y’all. Just wanted to drop in for a moment from my self-imposed exile for Lent to ask for prayers for me and my family. My grandmother, Edith Stovall, died this morning in her home in Imboden, AR. She just turned 91 a couple of weeks ago. My family and I will be traveling to Imboden tomorrow morning and return Sunday afternoon.

I appreciate your prayers as I will be officiating the service. Mamaw and I were very close.

Kent: Looks like you made it back home. How’s things with your mom?

Michael: For the life of me, I can’t see why you and Denise feel trapped. As others have said, you guys have tons to offer and I feel certain your options are endless. Just get a dart, say a prayer, chunk it at a U.S. (World?) map, pack up, and go. : )

I’ve been reading your conversation with Frank Turk. You really are a glutton for punishment. Is he an Arkansan? I no longer run in Baptist circles, but I can easily imagine a SBC pastor going to a RCC Ash Wed service being viewed as controversial and a cause for concern. Of course this depends on the individual church.

It seems to me that a major factor is the size of the town/church. The greatest cooperation between denominations seems to take place in smaller towns – where people are more likely to view their community as one big family. Plus, rural pastors are less likely to be egomaniacs – as the nature of their work indicates. My hunch is that the traditional southern city (big town to medium size city) where the SBC dominates like Little Rock, Huntsville, or even Memphis would be the most likely to have quite a few fiercely territorial SBC churches who would strongly resist their pastor attending a RCC Ash Wed service.

Michael: By the way, I noticed that Stetzer mentioned Reggie McNeal in his presentation. I really like McNeal’s book The Present Future (of which I have written a review, if you are interested). McNeal does a great job of taking the commonly held convictions within the broader emerging movement and applying them in the local church context in very practical ways. The book is very readable and easy to follow even for lay people.

Stetzer referred to McNeal as the “recent” director of leadership development for the South Carolina Baptist Convention. Do you know what he is doing now? After reading the book, I was a little surprised he still worked within the SBC. He’s definitely pushing the envelope.

I’ve been reading Chemnitz on Scripture in his Examination of Trent.  It’s really good.  Shockingly, he spends more time talking about who wrote and why than verbal inspiration.  He literally goes through each book of the NT and discusses why the author wrote it and how he wants his book to be read, not something you see in inerrancy battles…and this is the late 16th century.  That’s not to say he didn’t hold the same view of inspiration that pretty much everyone held back then…it’s just that inerrancy and inspiration don’t buy you much when the real fight is over how the Scriptures are to be used in theology and for the Church.

Great Interview with Leigh McLeroy at CGO. Almost a must read. Get all three parts.

An overview of the Stations of the Cross, from the excellent Dream Awakener site.

If you’ve been reading my dialog with Frank Turk, I hope you were stunned to hear Frank’s assessment of my Ash Wednesday observance. Matthew can tell me if there is that much difference between Ky and Arkansas, but here, what a pastor does to deepen his own spiritual life is unlikely to be controversial unless the church has some real hostile boneheads on board or the pastor makes an obnoxious, high profile deal of it all. Going to an RC service with your neighbors in a small community like ours is just neighborly. A very strange world.

Denise and I determined that our lives went into the crapper when the dog died.

Michael, I’ve been hovering around the medical field long enough to know that RNs, especially BSNs are in major demand to the order of $25-40+/hr…simply move to Minnesota…they even have a union here.  The only downside is working with doctors.

There’s a lot of demand for competent & healthy people…especially good communicators…the ‘competitive job market’ isn’t flush with people who can find their butt in the dark with both hands.  You’ve simply been somewhat sequestered the past 15 years career-wise.

Michael: Dude – seriously. I wish I was in a position to hire a pastor. You’d have the offer in no time. As the pomo hero Bono once said: “Don’t let the bastages get you down” – or something like that.

At 50, you are prime senior pastor material. If you love what you do at OBI, stay there to your final breath, but take heart. There are churches all over this country that would love to have someone like you.

Heavenly Father, Shepherd of your people, we thank you for your servant Michael, who is faithful in the care and nurture of your flock; and we pray that, following his example and the teaching of his holy life, we may by your grace grow into the stature of the fullness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Somewhere there’s an evangelical finding some way to agree with some part of this column. You just know it.

Internet Monk Radio 48 is up, and once again, there is no request for money.

Figure this out. Denise and I have been here at OBI for 15 years. She’s a 4 year BSN from Murray State and an RN. While here she’s been a counselor, an editor, run an entire publications department and supervised all school publications including a newsletter with a circulation of almost 25,000. Before coming here she was an adolescent psych nurse, a director of nursing for a facility working with Cerebal Palsy, a nurse educator, a rehab nurse and a regular med-surg nurse. She’s been published in Nursing Magazine and is a published and award winning playwright with extensive experience doing all phases of creative ministry in all kinds of churches. She’s written everything from Passion Plays and three act dramas to 1 minute skits. She plays the piano and the dulcimer beautifully. She’s a wonderful teacher and writer. She raised two fantastic kids. Everyone loves her. Even TRs who hate me would love her.

I have a seminary M.Div and 37 hours of grad. I’ve been quoted in Time and published in Mod Ref. I’m on Sirius radio every week. I have a blog read by a quarter of a million people a year. I’ve been a youth ministry specialist, preacher and minister for over 30 years. I’ve served as a pastor, associate pastor and youth minister since 1976. I’ve preached more than 1800 times in the OBI chapel to thousands of people and just resigned a preaching assignment I carried out for 12 years. I’m a natural teacher who loves the classroom with almost any age. I’m the head of the Bible department here, I teach Bible survey to kids from all over the world and I teach AP English IV. I’ve been campus minister, counselor and currently serve as assistant to the President here at OBI. I travel and speak to all kinds of groups about our school. I play guitar well, sing well and plan/lead worship well. I have a good mind for what’s happening in the world, I can communicate and I am a hard working team player. Before full time ministry, I was pretty good in retail.

We’re both 50. And we’re both convinced- totally convinced- that we have absolutely no possible way to ever be employed anywhere else. We’re both convinced that 15 years here has made us unemployable and that we can never work anywhere else but here.

I’m so mad at myself over this, I could kick myself, but at my age and size, that would probably not turn out well.

Pray for us. This is ridiculous.

Andreas Köstenberger gives the Jesus tomb a good shake down.

• the claim that Mary Magdalene’s bones were found in one of the ossuaries on the basis that the name “Mariamne” (Mary) is inscribed on it is bogus; the connection drawn here is pulled completely out of thin air


• the highly suspect use of statistics and DNA “evidence” to support their case; Jesus, Joseph, and Mary were among the most popular names in first-century Palestine, and, of course, people buried in the same family tomb would for the most part be related; as Witherington rightly points out, we “would need an independent control sample from some member of Jesus’ family to confirm that these were members of Jesus’ family”—but, of course, we have no such thing


• all the earliest accounts of Jesus’ death and burial indicate that Jesus’ body could not be found and had not been moved; there is no ancient evidence at all for a Jesus’ family tomb whatsoever


• why would this family tomb have been in Jerusalem? Jesus was born in Bethlehem and grew up in Nazareth


• there is no historical evidence for Jesus having a son named Jude; there is no credible historical evidence that Jesus was married, to Mary Magdalene or anyone else (plus see the first point above)


• if Jesus died and a year later his bones were transferred to an ossuary, and this ossuary was placed in a Jerusalem family tomb, this would mean that all the early Christian martyrs, including the apostles, knowingly died for a fraudulent religion; this is highly implausible

Apparently this is old, but darned if it isn’t one of the funniest things I’ve heard in a long time. (HT: Confessing Evangelical)

I thought this article in Christianity Today about the sign of the cross was interesting. It made me wonder what Protestant leader I should thank for abolishing the sign of the cross from Protestant practice? Surely that development was not another contribution of that fuddy dud Zwingli?!?

My third answer to a Frank Turk question. You are going to find this one real interesting.

MOD: The Canadian editiorial committee has pointed out that I should say “really” if I want to keep my license to teach English. Of course, this is a colloquialism that is common in our parts….real common. I won’t change it. I’m real stubborn that way. :-)

I noticed in the Time article that Richard Bauckham is quoted a couple of times. Our mate Chris Tilling has a ginormous series of posts on Bauckham’s Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony. The posts include an interview with Bauckham. There are also (so far) four “Bauckham Responds” posts, which adds a dynamic feature to the series.

> So can someone give me some insight into the Reformed mind here?

More »« Less

When guys like Peter Leithart bring up the Puritan abolishment of the church year in English Christianity, I wonder how they view their own Christian genealogy. Do they see themselves as English Christians whose Reformation roots begin in Anglicanism, or do they see themselves as Reformed Christians whose Reformation roots begin in Switzerland? The reason I ask is that I’ve been taught that austere liturgical iconoclasm (abandonment of church year, hymnody, music, liturgy, etc) began with Zwingli and was continued by Calvin…I’m assuming he approved the 1550 edict abolishing Christmas and other festivals in Geneva, since he was pretty much the man around those parts. If that’s not the case, someone please bring me up to speed on that part of Reformation history. However, suppose that it is. If one sees the genealogy of one’s tradition as “Reformed” and beginning in Switzerland, it doesn’t make sense to constantly blame Reformed liturgical habits on the Puritans. But if one sees one’s self as part of “English-speaking Christianity,” then I suppose it’s valid to see the Puritans as importing Swiss corruptions into Anglo Christianity. So can someone give me some insight into the Reformed mind here? Joel? Any lurkers? My e-mail’s on the sidebar, and my nick on AIM is “fearsome” before my name there below.

Update:  Joel Garver tells me that public celebration was abolished; however, Calvin would interrupt his preaching series on Christmas, Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost to preach on appropriate texts.  That seems to have been about the extent on it.  No word on whether this continued after 1550, however.

Need science? Make your own.The technique Jacobovici uses to “prove” the match between the James ossuary and the Talpiot tomb is a technology he calls “patina fingerprinting,” which he and his coauthor Charles Pellegrino (a scientist who helped Cameron write “Ghosts of the Titanic”) essentially invented for the purposes of this project. By comparing the mineral content of shards from the Talpiot ossuaries with shards from James, and by looking at them under an electron microscope with the help of a CSI specialist, Jacobovici and Pellegrino say they have a match.

“Honey….Looks like we’re going to be Jewish now.”

An interview with Graeme Goldsworthy.

Looks like Dell is going to start some serious sales of Linux machines. Can it be? Has God answered Kurt’s prayers?

In the ebb and flow of living
As we wander through the years
We’re told to listen to a voice
We can’t hear with our ears
They say to live by something
That you can’t see with your eyes
Is there really any purpose
To this foolish exercise?
Chorus
Could it be You make Your presence known
So often by Your absence?
Could it be that questions tell us more
Than answers ever do?
Could it be that You would really rather die
Than live without us?
Could it be the only answer that means anything
Is You?
In our words and in our silence
In our pride and in our shame
To the genius and the scholar
To the foolish and insane
To the ones who care to seek You
To the ones who never will
You are the only answer even still
Chorus
It’s a question you can’t answer
An answer you cannot express
That the gentle Man of Sorrow
Is the source of happiness
You’ll never solve the mystery
Of this magnetic man
For you must believe to understand
Chorus
Could it be the only answer that means anything
Is You?

Those crazy LCMS Lutherans! Getting folks all hot and bothered. And what is the big deal with porn, anyway?

(I’m kidding!)

Greg: More preachy than it is would probably have been too preachy. As it is, there are several great lines and the film leaves no doubt whatsoever that Wilberforce was motivated by his Christian faith to do what he did. People in the crowd with me on opening night actually applauded lines like Newton saying, “I know two things. I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior,” as well a line in which a character asks Wilberforce, “So have you found God?” and Wilberforce replies, “It seems that He found me.”

Might have been a slightly reformed crowd.

Anyway, I don’t think it should have been much more Christian than it was, and I don’t think anyone can walk away without linking Wilberforce’s social activism and his faith.

Charlotte Allen has an interesting article on the new film Amazing Grace online at the Wall Street Journal. I got the link from Steve Beard’s Thunderstruck (one of the best), where you’ll find plenty of links today to a wide variety of articles on the movie. Here’s a quote from the Allen article:

Nowadays it is all too common—and not only in Hollywood—to assume that conservative Christian belief and a commitment to social justice are incompatible. Wilberforce’s embrace of both suggests that this divide is a creation of our own time and, so to speak, sinfully wrong-headed. Unfortunately director Apted, as he recently told Christianity Today magazine, decided to play down Wilberforce’s religious convictions—that would be too “preachy,” he said—and instead turned his story into a yarn of political triumph. The film’s original screenwriter, Colin Welland, who wrote the screenplay for the acclaimed and unabashedly Christian “Chariots of Fire,” was replaced.

Michael, I think it would be interesting to consider Apted’s decision within the framework of your “Missional” discussions at IM. Was Apted wise to avoid being “too preachy”? Or did Apted miss an opportunity to “contend for the faith” by illustrating the essential link between Wiberforce’s spiritual exuberance that came from his love of Christ and his social/political achievments that demonstrated his effort to love others? I haven’t seen the film yet, so I have to reserve judgement. But if Ms. Allen’s contention is accurate, then I have a feeling I’ll also agree with her conclusion that the movie missed a golden opportunity.

Oh my gosh, that Islam vs. Christianity video is HILARIOUS! So much insight in so few words. Love it.

Jason: Glad it went well for you. I’m not as spiritual as you – I was only gone 2 days. I made the mistake of reading a little of Francis de Sales Introduction to the Devout Life. Early on in the book, he points out that beyond confessing our sins and being forgiven, we need to ask God to remove our affection for sin. So I spent quite a bit of time doing business with God. de Sales is actually quite gentle. C.S. Lewis described the chapter on self denial as a “green, dewy chapter on softness towards oneself”, so my time away was actually very encouraging.

I don’t watch the national news much. This morning at the gym I saw the story on the Tomb about which Michael has been posting. Even the guys on CNN weren’t giving the story much credence. I think its a non-story – just a guy trying to get a headline (he has succeeded). The story will quickly fade away into oblivion. Yawn.

Frank answers my second question in our discussion of Ed Stetzer’s Baptist Identity presentation.

I have continually updated IM today with Jesus tomb links and a new post on Marcus Borg.

“Superficial Church: The Loss of Real Church” at The Church and Postmodern Culture. Excellent reflections and a real challenge to attempts at repristinating an “original” or “authentic” apostolic, missional body in our age of hyperreality.

The University of Chicago Law School’s blog had an excerpt from a news story about Wikipedia. I have to say I am a little disturbed that Wikipedia is cited in court opinions. Wiki, or course, can be right and it is most of the time. But its reliability is undercut since entries can be updated infinitely long after a citation is made. Serious researchers still do not consider Wiki to be a reliable source. Nevertheless, it is interesting that the average entry is getting closer to Britannica quality. 

More »« Less

I’m back from the three day silence, solitude and prayer retreat. In a word – AWESOME. In a longer word, I’ll just point to my longer blog entry so as not to bore those who don’t want to know.

In all, the whole weekend, regardless of my intentions for going in the first place, renewed my focus on Christ as the starting place, end result, and center of all things. I’m thankful to my loving bride for letting me leave her at home for several days.

It’s quite amazing how much of the Bible one can read and journal through when there are no distractions. The most interesting thing for me personally was reading and praying through Hebrews and Romans back-to-back. Long time preachers are probably chuckling about my saying this, but they go together so darn well. I’ve also come to have a renewed appreciation for the beauty that is the letter to the Hebrews.

Sharing daily prayers three times a day with the two brothers who joined me was a true blessing. Also, celebrating the Eucharist together before we returned to life was quiet but moving.

Good times, they were. I recommend it to everyone. Still, it’s good to be back.

In catching up, thanks to whoever posted about Sid Meyer. I’m a recovering Civ-II addict. If I had the free time, I’d go back to it in a heartbeat.

Michael, thanks for the link to churchyear.net. That’s saving me from having to visit half-a-dozen sites for the same stuff.

This whole Jesus’s tomb thing reminds me of a book I read over 10 years ago (current copy is a reprint). Way better than DVC.

The author also has a short article about the James ossuary.

Okay, that link didn’t work. Now I feel like an idiot.

[Mod/PWinn: S’okay, Tom, I fixed it. You had an extra http:// at the beginning. Only need one of those. :-) ]

Well, I’ve decided I can no longer be a Christian because they found Jesus’ b…Oh, wait a minute, Ben Witherington says otherwise. Never mind.

I’m waiting for Crossan to weigh in on this. Oh, I forgot, he said Jesus’ body was left on the cross and eaten by dogs. Never mind again.

Listening to all this crap about the tomb sort of reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw a while back (maybe it was Jack who pointed it out to me?) that reads

Someone who knows some of my internet history sent me this. It’s worth reading. Great “cultural vernacular.”

I don’t know how old this is, but I assume it’s what’s coming in the new book.