For those of you who don't know (and I didn't until this time last year), today is Reformation Day. I suspect many of you thought that it was merely Halloween, which is a pagan holiday that many Christians refuse to have anything to do with. It is that too, but it also marks the 490th anniversary of Martin Luther tacking 95 theses on the door at the cathedral in Wittenberg. As someone who rejects the Catholic Church's interpretation of the gospel, I am glad for this day.
However, this post has helped to temper my glee a little bit. It serves as a good reminder that we need to call out the bad in any organization, but that we should theoretically be on the same side. We all want to live in a way that glorifies God, right? I mean, theoretically that's the idea. The Jehovah's Witnesses would say that they want to do that, but they disagree with my theology as I do theirs. It is good that there are distinctives because we do believe different things. However, should we really revel in them?
I think I'm going to look at this day as the day when someone was willing to challenge the self-appointed supremacy of the Catholic Church. I think it was a great day for truth. However, I don't think that we should be quite ready to make Luther into a saint. Nor should we throw the baby out with the bathwater when it comes to tradition. Is it better to have a church with authority or individuals who can all go their own way? I really like the perspective that this post gives.
I attend a Calvinistic, dispensational seminary. I'm not sure if I'm dispensational or covenantal, but I do know that I am Calvinistic. However, I also realize that this may have to do with the teaching I've received. I like to say that my authority is in the Bible, but it may be just as much in John Piper as it is in the Bible.
A classmate of mine presents this problem well. He used to read a variety of commentaries on a verse and wonder about how to resolve the conflicting views. Now that he knows Greek pretty well he can decide who has good and bad exegetical practices. However, not everyone agrees on how to interpret the Greek. So that leaves you with decisions to make about which lexicon or exegetical commentary you're going to trust.
So where does that leave us? We have textual variants of the manuscripts. We have competing translations of various verses. We have competing interpretations in systematic theology. It's enough to push your faith to the brink of destruction.
It leaves me in a position where I know that we can be sure about some things and we need to be gracious about others. I do know that we cannot waver when it comes to salvation by faith alone though.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
The Mina Project
Our church had another sermon on money this past Sunday. I knew pretty much what the whole sermon was going to be because I had heard it before. I knew that we would hear the phrase "God owns it all". I thought about how we spend our money and I figured that I would get through a Sunday with very little conviction about the sermon.
Then at the end a surprising thing happened. Our church normally gives away about $35,000 during the Christmas season. Instead of doing it the usual way the church decided to give everyone 18 and over an envelope with an amount of cash between $10 and $500. The challenge is to use the money to help someone in the community. We can't spend it on ourselves and we can't give it back to the church. We do have to tell the church what we're doing with it, however.
This suddenly made the message a LOT more challenging. I'm pretty good at funding others and other organizations. I've flirted with the idea of being a missionary. However, this is where the rubber meets the road. What can I do with this money to the glory of God? How can I show the love of Jesus and make Him seem infinitely valuable through the use of this money?
Incidentally, Amanda and I each got $20. I'm glad it wasn't $500. I think God realizes that I need to start small with this. I'd welcome any ideas anyone has.
Then at the end a surprising thing happened. Our church normally gives away about $35,000 during the Christmas season. Instead of doing it the usual way the church decided to give everyone 18 and over an envelope with an amount of cash between $10 and $500. The challenge is to use the money to help someone in the community. We can't spend it on ourselves and we can't give it back to the church. We do have to tell the church what we're doing with it, however.
This suddenly made the message a LOT more challenging. I'm pretty good at funding others and other organizations. I've flirted with the idea of being a missionary. However, this is where the rubber meets the road. What can I do with this money to the glory of God? How can I show the love of Jesus and make Him seem infinitely valuable through the use of this money?
Incidentally, Amanda and I each got $20. I'm glad it wasn't $500. I think God realizes that I need to start small with this. I'd welcome any ideas anyone has.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Coming Up
I feel like my spirit is starting to lighten a bit. My daily prayer is for God to soften my heart toward Him. It's not that I'm hard-hearted toward Him so much that I'm just not enjoying Him like I should. I tend to focus on external things like reading the Bible more, singing praise songs, etc. However, I forgot just how much I need to pray for transformation. There are few better things than to have a heart that is soft and enjoying God.
I find that listening to good preaching really helps with this. I've started listening to more podcasts in the car. I've really been enjoying Mark Driscoll's sermons on Philippians and Nehemiah. I realize that much of the Reformed Community doesn't quite know what to make of Mark. On the one hand, he is a good expositor and clearly holds Scripture in high esteem. On the other hand, he makes some off-color metaphors that really rankle the fundie rank and file. I don't find him particularly offensive, but rather I find him quite refreshing. At least I tend to remember what he says when he preaches!
So far, my favorite story is one he tells about a friend who has problems, but is not a believer. Driscoll keeps telling him the answer is Jesus. No matter what problem he brings up Driscoll keeps telling him, "you need Jesus". He talks about problems his kids have and he gets the same line. Eventually the friend got upset and said that he was tired of hearing that and Driscoll told him that he'd better stop asking if he doesn't want to hear that. The point was that we have a choice to make -- do we offend the asker or do we offend God? That should be a no-brainer, right?
I find that listening to good preaching really helps with this. I've started listening to more podcasts in the car. I've really been enjoying Mark Driscoll's sermons on Philippians and Nehemiah. I realize that much of the Reformed Community doesn't quite know what to make of Mark. On the one hand, he is a good expositor and clearly holds Scripture in high esteem. On the other hand, he makes some off-color metaphors that really rankle the fundie rank and file. I don't find him particularly offensive, but rather I find him quite refreshing. At least I tend to remember what he says when he preaches!
So far, my favorite story is one he tells about a friend who has problems, but is not a believer. Driscoll keeps telling him the answer is Jesus. No matter what problem he brings up Driscoll keeps telling him, "you need Jesus". He talks about problems his kids have and he gets the same line. Eventually the friend got upset and said that he was tired of hearing that and Driscoll told him that he'd better stop asking if he doesn't want to hear that. The point was that we have a choice to make -- do we offend the asker or do we offend God? That should be a no-brainer, right?
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Greek Results
We took our first midterm in Greek last week and I got a 96. I feel kind of silly because I overthought something and missed it. I also missed a vocab word and that just kills me every time I do that. The vocab is the easiest part and I review it daily. Still, I have yet to get a perfect score when I do my own personal review.
I've been getting 100s on my vocab quizzes because we get credit for doing our assigned reading. I've been getting 95s on my verbal translation quizzes. If I do my sums correctly and keep this up I will only need to get an 85 on my final, which should be very doable. I'm feeling pretty good about my grades this semester as long as I keep it up.
We've moved from 1 Thessalonians to 1 Peter. Peter has a very different writing style from Paul. He likes to do things like splitting up the article from the participle. It's kind of tough when you're trying to just sight-read the passage. It's good practice though.
We were told what next semester will be like. Each of us will get a passage in 1 Corinthians that we will spend all semester with. We'll have to diagram it, pick it apart, unpack it, etc. Then at the end we have to prepare a sermon on it. It should be interesting. If nothing else, it will give me good practice at preparing a sermon. The thought of preaching in front of my Greek class is a bit scary. They know when you're full of it! Or at least they should.
I've been getting 100s on my vocab quizzes because we get credit for doing our assigned reading. I've been getting 95s on my verbal translation quizzes. If I do my sums correctly and keep this up I will only need to get an 85 on my final, which should be very doable. I'm feeling pretty good about my grades this semester as long as I keep it up.
We've moved from 1 Thessalonians to 1 Peter. Peter has a very different writing style from Paul. He likes to do things like splitting up the article from the participle. It's kind of tough when you're trying to just sight-read the passage. It's good practice though.
We were told what next semester will be like. Each of us will get a passage in 1 Corinthians that we will spend all semester with. We'll have to diagram it, pick it apart, unpack it, etc. Then at the end we have to prepare a sermon on it. It should be interesting. If nothing else, it will give me good practice at preparing a sermon. The thought of preaching in front of my Greek class is a bit scary. They know when you're full of it! Or at least they should.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
A Little Perspective
The Indians got thumped last night 12-2 and I'm not sure if it was really even that close. I have had some really good conversations with my mom over this series. She says that she is ready to give up on pro sports because she thinks that they are all grossly overpaid. I'll be surprised if she follows-through on it, but I would be impressed if she did.
I'm very disappointed that Sabathia and Carmona have pitched so poorly in this series. I expected Sabathia to split his two starts against Beckett and for them to win Carmona's two starts. Carmona pitched terribly, which can happen to 23 year-olds who are on the big stage. I think my surprise comes from how well he pitched against the Yankees.
At any rate, I find the whole thing very disappointing and frustrating, but it helps me keep perspective on this thing. I would love it for the city of Cleveland to finally have a winner. The town is not doing well right now. Unemployment is high, crime is rampant, and winter is just around the corner. The town could really use a winner. Our could it?
Maybe this whole thing helps to reinforce just how badly the town needs Jesus. Of course, every town needs Jesus. I've been listening to a series of messages on Job preached by the president of my seminary. It helps to put suffering in perspective and to realize that all suffering is meant to point us to the cross.
I'm very disappointed that Sabathia and Carmona have pitched so poorly in this series. I expected Sabathia to split his two starts against Beckett and for them to win Carmona's two starts. Carmona pitched terribly, which can happen to 23 year-olds who are on the big stage. I think my surprise comes from how well he pitched against the Yankees.
At any rate, I find the whole thing very disappointing and frustrating, but it helps me keep perspective on this thing. I would love it for the city of Cleveland to finally have a winner. The town is not doing well right now. Unemployment is high, crime is rampant, and winter is just around the corner. The town could really use a winner. Our could it?
Maybe this whole thing helps to reinforce just how badly the town needs Jesus. Of course, every town needs Jesus. I've been listening to a series of messages on Job preached by the president of my seminary. It helps to put suffering in perspective and to realize that all suffering is meant to point us to the cross.
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