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You Know When, 2...
2008-02-14 15:57:00
You know you are in seminary when clever responses like this come from students.Professor: Bonus question number 2. Name one of Jesus' brothers.Student 1: James.Student 2: Judas.Professor: Good. If you had James or Judas, you get one extra point.Student 3: What if you put, 'Whoever does the will of my Father?'technorati tags: Jesus James Jude Matthew quiz seminary

Tag
2008-02-14 11:37:00
John Barach of Kata Iwannhn tagged me for a book meme that’s making its way around various blogs. Here are the rules: 1. Pick up the book nearest you with at least 123 pages. (No cheating!) 2. Turn to page 123. 3. Count the first five sentences. 4. Post the next three sentences. 5. Tag five other bloggers.I haven't done one of these for some time, and they're always kind of interesting. Since I have a stack of twelve books to my immediate right, I decided I'd use the one on the top of the pile, which is David M. Doriani's book, The Sermon on the Mount: The Character of a Disciple. Following the instructions, these words are found:He knows that those who are promiscuous for a few years may be plagued by sexual temptation for many years. Some accidents make our bodies limp for years, and some sins make our spirits limp even longer. God says, 'Come to me.'A bit random, but I suppose that's how these go. Anyway, my five tags will be Scott Schultz, Rich Wagner, Russ Murr...

On Winter
2008-02-13 17:35:00
Perhaps I give this far too much thought. But, I really dislike winter.I maintain, along with C.S. Lewis, that winter---that is, winter within small parts of Group C and all of Group D and E of the Köppen climate classification---is a result of the Fall. Lewis' Narnia, of course, during the rule of the White Witch and prior to Aslan's sacrificial act, serves as an example of a world in the grips of the distortions of sin. Only through the salvation he brings is the creation returned to its original state. Lewis' connection of winter with evil is not only his perspective; such a view is also maintained in Norse mythology in the period of Fimbulwinter.When Christ returns to renew the creation (Rom. 8:20-22), winter will cease to exist. For, a world free of death, pain, and suffering (Rev. 21:4) cannot include a season that causes such things. The Genesis record does not mention the original climate in creation, but the natural state of Adam and Eve (Gen. 2:25) in the garden ...
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Luther on Vulgarity
2008-02-12 00:24:00
The reformer, Martin Luther , is well-known for his often colorful and vulgar language. Why does he do it? Luther says, I can cut through a willow branch with a bread knife, but to cut through tough oak requires an axe and a wedge, and even with these one can hardly split it. Stephen J. Nichols (who I believe teaches here, though I can't verify it), in his book Martin Luther: A Guided Tour of His Life and Thought, says that for Luther, "urgent situations...call for strong language" (170). Growing up in a tradition where this was, in fact, the case, or where such language could be justified by calling it "barnyard language," I can relate to Luther to a degree. Still, the words of Paul are hard to ignore.technorati tags: Martin Luther Stephen J. Nichols cussing Apostle Paul

A Green God? Christianity and Environmentalism
2008-02-11 19:59:00
Ever since I took an environmental science class in college and read portions of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, I've become somewhat of an environmentalist, a conviction which grows stronger every year. So when I saw this video, I was very interested. I thought the perspective was fair and balanced (especially for a major cable television network).Northland Church is pretty much just around the corner from my house, and I was glad to hear that Joel Hunter is preaching on Christian environmental stewardship, what I believe is a much-needed voice in conservative Christian circles. Hunter speaks of Genesis 2:15, a verse which reads, "The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." He cites the original Hebrew phrase for "take care of it," saying that it means literally that we are not to pollute the earth. I have not taken any Hebrew yet, so I do not know about his exegesis or interpretation, but notwithstanding, I think even in the En...
More About: Christianity , Green , Environmentalism

Charity is More Than Giving Money
2008-02-10 22:45:00
I have a few posts working their way down the assembly line for the next week. But for now, for the purpose of not remaining silent for too long, I again offer some words from Kuyper, words that are intended to challenge us.A charity which knowns only how to give money is not yet Christian love. You will be free of guilt only when you also give your time, your energy, and your resourcefulness to help end such abuses for good, and when you allow nothing that lies hidden in the storehouse of your Christian religion to remain unused against the cancer that is destroying the vitality of our society in such alarming ways. For, indeed, the material need is appalling; the oppression is great. You do not honor God's Word if, in these circumstances, you ever forget how the Christ (just as his prophets before him and his apostles after him) invariably took sides against those who were powerful and living in luxury, and for the suffering and oppressed.--- The Problem of Poverty, 62.He spe...
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Helpful Thoughts on the Election
2008-02-06 13:59:00
A former political science professor of mine, Dr. David Koyzis, weighs in with some helpful thoughts on the current U.S. election. Among other things, he says,[The primary elections have] encouraged Americans to view a prospective president as an heroic, napoleonic figure who will sweep into office and shake things up in the stale corridors of political power. The candidate promises 'change' without going into too much detail as to what this implies. Because no one person can ever fulfill such exaggerated expectations, the public quickly sours on him or her, waiting for the next candidate to come along making similar promises.Read the rest here.technorati tags: primaries election 2008 United States politics president
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Follow Your Heart to Näätämo
2008-02-04 21:42:00
Far in the north of Europe, in the country of Finland, lies a small village called Näätämo. Its size is negligible, only one minor road running through it on its way to Norway, which lies several miles to the northeast of the village. It is difficult to find any information about Näätämo due to its small size. However, what I have discovered after painstakingly navigating the Finnish language website of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (I know, too much time on my hands) is that there does not seem to be a church there. The closest church is in the village of Inari, a distance of 144km (89 mi.) from Näätämo. Perhaps the church in the border town of Utsjoki would be closer, but as there are no direct roads from Näätämo to Utsjoki; a 180km (112 mi.) drive through Norway is required. That is one long haul.One of the members of our teaching team for adult Sunday School at church just wrapped up a great series on the mission of the church. One of the question...
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What I Know About Being Black in America
2008-02-04 17:53:00
When I was younger, I frequently watched the television show, 7th Heaven, with my family. The fact that I watched the show is not the significance of this post (if you are about to make fun of me for doing so). Earlier seasons of the show often dealt with serious and important social issues. One episode in the fourth season, entitled "Twelve Angry People," finds the lead character of the show, Eric Camden, on a jury in a very racially-charged case. I don't remember all the circumstances surrounding the issue, but a black man had been charged with killing a police officer, even though it was quite clear he hadn't done so. The jury, however, was particularly apathetic towards the issue because of the racial tensions involved with it, and was unwilling to properly deal with the trial.Eric found himself sitting beside an older black man, a man who was indignant at the attitude of the jury and refused to compromise for the sake of preventing a hung jury. Eric sides with him, tryi...
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You Know When...
2008-02-03 00:03:00
You know you go to a Reformed seminary when seven out of your eleven textbooks are printed by P&R Publishing.technorati tags: P&R Publishing books

We Are All One in Christ Jesus
2008-02-01 18:21:00
In the winter between the end of high school and the beginning of college, I worked at the Hamilton International Airport for a company called Cargojet. One evening as we waiting for a plane to come in for us to load up, two young black men about my age approached me and casually, as if it were any other question, asked me, "Are you a racist?" I was thunderstruck that such a question could be asked in such a manner, and after exclaiming, "What?!", I replied that I certainly was not. Apparently satisfied with the answer, they sat down and we had a normal conversation about sports, weather, and whatever else for the next little while.February is Black History Month (I've often wondered why Martin Luther King Day doesn't fall in February). I've been aware of this month for some time, but I have not often sat down to think about it. No doubt part of the reason is that I am Canadian, and Canada served as a refuge for many blacks during the operation of the Underground Railroad. ...
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Kuyper on the French Revolution
2008-02-01 15:26:00
This again is from Abraham Kuyper's 1891 speech, The Problem of Poverty (originally titled in Dutch, Sociale vraagstuk en de Christelijke religie). His analysis and comparing and contrasting of the social ideas of Christianity and the French Revolution are imbued with a sense of timelessness. What he says of the French Revolution may just as easily be said about the West today. And, of course, our prayer may be that what he says of Christianity may also remain true today.The French Revolution, against which every Christian who thinks consistently should turn, produced its evil not so much by throwing the Bourbons from the throne, nor my making the middle class more powerful than both the nobility and the clergy, but rather by completely changing people's consciousness and view of life.In the Christian religion, authority and freedom are bound together by the deeper principle that everything in creation is subject to God. The French Revolution threw out the majesty of the Lord i...

Even Google Fears Chuck Norris
2008-01-31 15:14:00
Type "Finding Chuck Norris " into the Google search bar.Click "I'm Feeling Lucky".Now go hide.technorati tags: Google Chuck Norris
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Equality of Brotherhood
2008-01-30 13:21:00
The church influenced society by instituting the equality of brotherhood (in contrast to differences in rank and station) both by abolishing all artificial demarcations between men and by joining rich and poor in one holy food at the Lord's Supper. The communion service is a symbol of the unity that binds us together not only in our common humanity but, more important, as those who have collapsed under the same guilt and have been saved by the same sacrifice in Christ.â–º Abraham Kuyper, The Problem of Poverty (ed. James W. Skillen), 41.What Skillen adds as an endnote to Kuyper's words is also noteworthy. He notes that the church must engage in a mission that is all-encompassing. For "the church was organized not only to seek the eternal welfare of its followers, but also to remove social injustices. Exactly because of its divine simplicity, this organization brought forth a double fruit. It follows that the church forsakes its principle when it is only concerned with heaven...
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A Canadian Reflection on American Politics
2008-01-29 16:54:00
Today is Florida's primaries. It has been at the top of everyone's conversation for the last week especially, and for good reason; Florida is a fairly influential state. I cannot vote, but I must say, it has been kind of exciting to be surrounded by all that goes along with the primary campaigns. I have had the opportunity while following the campaigns to get more of a feel for what American s are looking for, what they want from their government.Though I am not in a position to actually have any influence by casting a vote, I still have some thoughts to offer about all of this. I think the best way to tackle it is to deal with issues one by one.â–º War in Iraq/War on TerrorContinually a topic for discussion, how the candidates will deal with the war in Iraq is a major issue for the general population. With over 4,000 soldiers dead, 60,000 injured, and close to $500 billion spent so far, it is little wonder that it is such a big deal. Out of all the candidates, I think I favo...
More About: Politics , Canadian , Reflection , American Politics

Should I Fear for Society?
2008-01-28 16:03:00
Many thanks to Mazze for sending me the link for this video. If you are like me and don't know very much about economics, you owe it to yourself (no pun intended) to watch this video. It may not be the most well-made film, but the information is enough to keep you on the edge of your seat...and perhaps fearing for society. Find 45 minutes to sit back and watch it. It's worth it. I don't know if the solutions are plausible, but at least it's something to think about. technorati tags: money economics bank government federal reserve fractional reserve credit society video Google Video
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Slice and Dice Economics
2008-01-24 20:50:00
Having sliced off about a quarter of my middle finger on my left hand while chopping scallions last night, typing is a little difficult right now, hence the brevity of this post.Either you are gasping in horror right now, or chuckling at my exaggeration. It should be the latter. It was only a couple layers of skin. But it still hurts.It occurs to me that I should have paid more attention in economics class in high school. With the slowdown in the American economy and the issue of a recession coming up in everyone's conversation, it seems to be that the economy is a growing issue in the ongoing presidential race. A few voices in the blogosphere continue to herald Ron Paul's policies, which, even with my lack of attuned economic knowledge, seem to be very radical. But maybe radical is what this country needs.I'm putting together some thoughts on the issue that I'll blog once I can type better, and once a friend of mine who is visiting from the other seminary in St. Louis (ye...
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Neuhaus on Catholicism and the American Church Climate
2008-01-22 14:57:00
Americans are notorious church-hoppers. Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopal, Baptist, Presbyterian---it doesn't seem to make much difference to millions of American Christians. Some would say there is nothing 'notorious' about that at all. Don't we pride ourselves on being a free-market society in which consumer choice is king? Why shouldn't there be a free market also in religion---or, as it is said today, in 'spiritual preferences'? Church -hopping is simply church-shopping in search of a 'spirituality that meets my needs.' There was a time not long ago when denominational identity was much more than a matter of individual preference: 'I come from a long line of Presbyterians,' one heard it said. (Or Lutherans, or Episcopalians, or Baptists, or whatever.) Back then, it was not unusual for people to tell you why their church was right and others were wrong about issues such as infant baptism, or the Real Presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper, or about God's predest...
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The Gospel in the Bar Scene
2008-01-21 15:59:00
On Saturday night I spent a few hours at the Blue Martini Lounge here in Orlando. The husband of one of Robin's co-workers was celebrating his birthday there, so we went over for a little bit. It's an up-scale place, where you need to dress fashionable, and the drinks are not cheap. Certainly not the type of place I would frequent. With the loud music and subsequent inability to communicate with people, I nursed a Corona and took to people-watching (one of my favorite hobbies). I observed a lot of different type of people, and I began to wonder about making the gospel relevant (sorry to use that word again) in a context like that.There's a lot of 20- and 30-somethings who frequent these bars. For many, it's a favorite weekend hangout. I realized that this poses a barrier for me. I don't particularly like the bar scene. I don't like it when music plays that loudly, I don't enjoy drinks with names like Blue Hawaiian, Midori Sour, or Sex on the Beach, and I don't reall...
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You Have Been Warned
2008-01-21 15:57:00
Exhibit A: A standard AT&T Yellow Pages phone book.And in small print, this friendly reminder.My goodness.technorati tags: Yellow Pages AT&T warning label

Petition for WTS
2008-01-18 18:15:00
As Westminster Theological Seminary was one of the four seminaries I considered attending, I found this petition to be particularly interesting.(HT: Sets 'n Service)technorati tags: WTS Westminster Theological Seminary
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Information and Responsibility in the TV Era
2008-01-17 16:33:00
(HT: Fr. Stephen Freeman, who links to another blog in his recent post, "Iconoclasm and Ignorance," in which this video is linked to. The issue here that I address is not iconoclasm itself---that in itself would be a whole other topic---but the problem of ignorance and where we put our trust to get accurate information.)A significant problem in Western society is where we get our information from. Two of the largest sources we rely on for information are the internet and television. Huge amounts of the internet are filled with useless and/or false information (I certainly hope this blog doesn't fall in that category...). We also allow large amounts of information to disseminate into our brain from television broadcasting. This is problematic, as a lot of the information that comes across is full of ignorance itself, such as the video linked to above this post. Whoopi Goldberg's role as a nun in two movies does not qualify her to be an authority on icons and saints on The Vie...
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Coolest Challenge in a Long Time
2008-01-16 16:07:00
A big high-five goes to Mikey for finding this one. The challenge is to create a fake album cover using a random article from Wikipedia for the artist's name, a number of words from a page of random quotes for the album title, and a random photo from Flickr for the background image. I enjoyed this challenge so much that I made a few different ones. Mikey got the challenge from Typophile, and here are the rules:You will create an album cover for a fictitious band, using afictitious album name and an image from Flickr. Follow thesesteps below. Design your album and post it on your blog.1. The first article title on the Wikipedia Random Articles pageis the name of your band.2. The last four words of the very last quotation on the RandomQuotations page is the title of your album.3. The third picture in Flickr’s Interesting Photos From The Last7 Days will be your album cover.4. Use your graphics application of choice to throw them together,and post the result.If you go to Typophil...
More About: Time , Challenge , Long

Chat Box
2008-01-15 22:49:00
A quick note: on the sidebar, underneath the recent comments widget, I've added a chat box in which you can leave a message or just say hello if you don't want to contribute by leaving a comment on any of the posts. I've seen them on other blogs and they look fun, so feel free to leave a message there anytime.technorati tags: chatbox tagboard CBox widget Web 2.0
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When I Wish I Was a Catholic
2008-01-14 23:13:00
Sometimes I wish I were Catholic . I know saying something like this can get me in trouble, so let me issue a few disclaimers. First, I don't mean this in a disrespectful way at all. Catholic believers are brothers and sisters in the Lord, and there are many things I respect and admire about them and their Church, as I will demonstrate in a minute. Second, for those of you who are worrying that I might join the Catholic Church, I assure you I am not going to. As per disclaimer one, I respect them for who they are, but there are too many theological barriers for me to hurdle over to get there. With that, let me move on.While I certainly consider myself a Christian in the tradition of the Reformation, I also know that the Reformation gave birth to a ridiculous amount of division that continues to split and splinter to this day, to the tune of over 30,000 different denominations. Combined with the individualism of Western culture, you get what can be a pretty ugly recipe for chu...

Good Memories
2008-01-14 22:18:00
When we were on our Alaska cruise in 2005, one of the ports of call was Prince Rupert, BC. I remember sitting in one of the restaurants having breakfast, and as the ship docked, I noticed a little scooter rental place just down from the port. I said to Robin that we should rent one and ride around the area. Having not ridden a motorcycle before, she was hesitant at first. But once she got on it, she loved it. I remember riding along Yellowhead Highway just outside the city limits surrounded by some beautiful scenery, looking into the little rearview mirror, and seeing a huge smile on her face. Best $65 I've ever spent, hands down.technorati tags: scooter moped Prince Rupert British Columbia Yellowhead Highway Yamaha Vino
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Seeking New Lives in New Countries
2008-01-11 17:03:00
I am always looking for good blogs to read, and one of the better ones I’ve been reading lately is Mark Mardell’s Euroblog, hosted by the BBC. Mardell is a reporter, and he covers a lot of issues dealing with the European Union, a topic which continues to interest me since I first learned about it in detail in a high school history course.With the recent expansion of the Schengen Zone further eastward, one of the big concerns has been border security. Mardell has been riding along with authorities on the Slovak and Polish borders to see how this is carried out, and to get the stories from those caught trying to come into the EU. The situation is comparable to the many people attempting to get across the border into the United States (there is a tendency here in the US to refer to these people as “illegal immigrants�. From a technical standpoint, this is accurate. But I thoroughly despise this sort of categorization and dehumanization of people groups. They are first an...
More About: Countries , Lives , Seeking

Finding the Balance
2008-01-10 20:49:00
One of the important things that everyone needs to discover in their life is balance. It’s one of those things that all us know, but most of us struggle with. There’s a couple of sayings that refer to this---“Everything in moderation�, “You can have too much of a good thing�. While these may not be entirely accurate, especially for a Christian, they do point to the importance of balance in our lives.In our society, one of the hardest balances to achieve is between work, play, and rest. Western culture moves at breakneck speeds, especially in North America, and getting ahead is a cutthroat battle. Many people find themselves working fifty or more hours a week, and it negatively affects relationships, increases stress, and can be unhealthy. Of course I am not advocating idleness (Ecclesiastes 10:18), but what is important here is prioritizing the important things in life. Again, the focus is balance.Foundational to achieving balance in our lives is the level of comm...
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On Travel
2008-01-09 15:57:00
I have not really ever been in a position to travel extensively. I have not been overseas, nor have I covered North America yet, though I have seen a decent chunk of it. According to the map at the left, I've been to 7% of the world. That leaves 93% of it unseen. With my (very) rudimentary math skills, I figured out this: I am almost 25, and assuming I will be good to travel until I'm 75, that gives me 50 years to explore. With 93% of the world left to see, I have to knock of 1.86% of it per year. That sounds feasible to me. Of course, there are variables---I want to avoid volatile areas, and I could potentially travel longer (my grandmother is 85 this year and still flies across The Pond frequently). This would whittle down the percentage per year, making it even more feasible.I remember once reading something St. Augustine said:The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.A simple phrase, but it really made me think. It's easy to read about other pl...
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Travels, Thoughts, and Gardens
2008-01-05 06:29:00
My parents and my in-laws have been visiting us, so I've been traveling around the area a bit, seeing some different things and sleeping on pull out couches. Along the way, I have been thinking about a few things, mulling them over in my head, wondering if they are worth posting about. They might be, but I'm not at the point of doing so yet. Look for them over the next while---but that's not a promise, I may find other things to post. Topics on the mind include libertarianism and the extent of government interaction in society, whether or not baptism has anything directly salvific about it, and what kind of concrete things I can do to make myself worthy of being called a follower of Christ (my sole and perennial New Year's resolution).While I'm doing that, check out my Flickr account by clicking here for my latest photos from the last couple of weeks as I've been around central Florida a bit. I visited the historic Bok Sanctuary in Lake Wales on Monday. The American Auto...
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