12 Sunday Dec 2010
Posted in Theology
This is probably my favorite Advent hymn. I love the original two verses by Wesley, but I especially appreciate the first half of verse 3, penned by Mark Hunt.
I’m a bit of a hum-bug about Christmas, but hymns like this really do prepare my heart (through the truth of the Gospel presented therein) for the celebration of our Substitute’s birth.
11 Saturday Dec 2010
Posted in Uncategorized
So a guy I follow on Twitter (who will probably want to remain nameless after he reads this, hence my preemptive honoring of that desire) who sent me this article by Justin Davis who is a site pastor at Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN, according to this page.
After a story about his son failing at something (a legitimate problem all of us have, so no problems with the illustration), we read this quote:
Maybe today this picture [striking out] is a picture of your life and your relationship with God right now. You have struck out. You have messed up. God was writing His story with your life. He was using you and you had purpose and you had dreams and you had a vision for what your life could be…but you struck out.
This is problematic. First…”maybe”? Romans chapters 1-3 says that all of us have “messed up;” in fact, the bible calls this sin. Second, “He WAS using you…but you struck out.” I’m at a loss, really. The idea that a sovereign God is some how derailed by my disobedience…well…that doesn’t make him a very good king, does it? In fact, it makes Him impotent.
27 Saturday Nov 2010
Posted in Uncategorized
Recently, I saw a stack of papers in a youth room. I won’t tell you where, but when stuff like this is lying around, I tend to grab it and fold it and put it in my pocket. This is terrible.
The passage is, first of all, identified incorrectly on the paper which was given to the students. The questions only make sense if it’s applied to FIRST John 2:3-14. But whatever.
The title of the study is “Something Old, Something New.” Let’s look at these:
26 Friday Nov 2010
Posted in Personal
Tags
One of my favorite hymns of all time has part of its root in Psalm 71:17-18:
17O God, from my youth you have taught me,
and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
18So even to old age and gray hairs,
O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to another generation,
your power to all those to come.
19Your righteousness, O God,
reaches the high heavens.
You who have done great things,
O God, who is like you?
The hymn is “How Firm a Foundation.” The sixth verse reads:
Even down to old age all my people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn
Like lambs they shall still to my bosom be borne.
Thanksgiving is always an interesting holiday for me. This year, I graduated to “adult” status at the dinner in Elwood, IN, because the coordinator asked me to pray before the meal started.
25 Thursday Nov 2010
Posted in Personal
I’m very appreciative of my brothers with whom I’m in seminary. They have really rallied around me, encouraging me. I don’t have anyone’s permission to use their names, so I’ll just rattle off some scenarios and they’ll know who they are.
19 Friday Nov 2010
Posted in Personal
I had two tests today. I don’t know how I did…but at least they’re over.
I gave my first devotional in my sermon preparation and delivery class. I got a lot of really good feedback…some things I can improve upon and some things I’m already doing fairly well. I’m really looking forward to coming semesters of preaching.
The plan is to get some things done for my covenant theology class paper on Numbers 21 (“Snake on a Stick”) tonight and be done by Sunday evening so that I can get other things done. If I can get my CovTheo paper cranking…and my Greek homework done…it will be a good weekend.
I had some really great conversations this week, both in person and via email. And I have been fighting temptation a lot this week, but am seeing a lot of encouraging things in my own life and hearing really encouraging things from others. I love this group of guys God has surrounded me with here.
There is a lot to be thankful for right now in my life.
13 Saturday Nov 2010
Posted in Personal, Uncategorized
Last night, a friend of mine invited me to his house for soup. I wasn’t anticipating an invite, but I was like “awesome,” especially since I’m a sucker for chili.
There was such great conversation…even a recap of the musical Les Mis, that, by the way, I did not initiate…but since it was known that I knew many of the lyrics, I was enlisted to sing parts of the songs while another friend talked about the storyline.
I’m really looking forward to getting to know the friend who hosted the shindig. We’re having lunch next week and I think he’s gonna be a great encouragement.
I also got to talk to another friend of mine and get to know him better just before the party while we were studying for our covenant theology paper. It was wonderful to talk to him and to even get to meet his wife, who came to the party.
13 Saturday Nov 2010
Posted in Theology
Tags
culture, Gospel, homosexuality, Jim Swilley, Law, repentance
Recently, Charisma magazine published an article by J. Lee Grady asking, Is It Ok to be Gay and Christian? You can read the article here. A friend of mine sent me the link and I have a response that I initially shared via email with the 2 or 3 of us to whom he’d sent the link.
08 Monday Nov 2010
Posted in Book Discussion, Personal, Theology
Tags
Gerhard Forde, Gospel, justification, Lutheranism, Reformed Theology, repentance, sanctification, Scripture, sexual sin, theology
For my Spiritual and Ministry Formation class, we’re assigned blog summaries in which we interact with material assigned the previous week. This week’s assignment was to read the Lutheran view of Sanctification as discussed in Christian Spirituality: Five Views of Sanctification, edited by Donald Alexander, published by IVP. The Lutheran view was articulated by Gerhard Forde. I figured I’d share my assignment on my blog.
Dr. Forde begins his discussion of sanctification as “the art of getting used to the unconditional justification wrought by the grace of God for Jesus’ sake. It is what happens when we are grasped by the fact that God alone justifies.” In other words, Dr. Forde asserts that sanctification is the natural byproduct of justification and thus, all of it is indeed brought about by none other than the Christ who bought us. Many people view sanctification as the “getting down to business” of the Christian life. It’s what we bring to the table after Christ saves us and is (so it is thought, anyway) the way we stay in God’s good graces. This is, Dr. Forde asserts, “entirely false. According to Scripture, God is always the acting subject, even in sanctification. ”
Repeatedly, Dr. Forde calls attention to the dangers of speaking of sanctification. All the discussion appeals to the old man, he says, becoming a verbal exercise which sounds very impressive, but lacking the necessary foundation of love which the old man is completely incapable of laying himself.
Sanctification, as well as justification, is rooted in the unconditional promise of God. This is something the old man does not know how to handle because “as old beings, we simply cannot understand or cope with the unconditional promise of justification pronounced in the name of Jesus. What we don’t see is that what the unconditional promose is calling forth is a new being. The justification of God promised in Jesus is not an ‘offer’ made to us as old beings; [instead,] it is our end, our death.”
Are you putting YOUR old man to death?
28 Thursday Oct 2010
Today’s Book of Common Prayer (BoCP) epistle reading is from Revelation 12:7-17. In it, we learn of the fact that Satan is the accuser of those who are children of God by faith and that those children have conquered Satan by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.
Growing up, I heard about this as being a reference to sharing my faith in addition to the fact that Christ saves. But what is the substance of the confession of these saints? Is their changed life the testimony by which they overcome Satan?
The three rules of biblical interpretation are, of course, CONTEXT, CONTEXT, and CONTEXT. So, what do you think? What is the substance of the martyrs’ testimony?
Gay and Evangelical 
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