Mud Gud

Look around you
See the children play
Shaping images from mud

And pondering it lately,
Me thinks children likes messing with mud,
because God too delights in the mud

Phoney alert

Over the weekend, I listened to a good friend moan and moan about the lack of organic foods at their local supermarket. In their eyes it was "outrageous that the big supermarket chains were failing massively to provide wholesome and natural foods that would ensure our children are brought up healthily." Hmmmmmm... Really? I wasn't sure why I couldn't find myself agreeing entirely with this rant and then today I read this insightful post from Douglas Wilson and I think he gets right to the bottom of the issue...

One of our great problems today is that Christians have gotten caught up in our culture-wide quest for authenticity. We want our jeans authentic (pre-ripped at the factory), we want our apples authentic (grown locally instead of somewhere else), we want our music authentic (underground bands nobody ever heard of), we want our lettuce authentic (organically manured), we want our literature authentic (full of angst), we want our movies authentic (subtitles), and we want our coffee tables authentic (purchased from a genuine peasant while we were on some eco-tour or other). In short, we are a bunch of phonies. We are superficial all the way down.

For the full post see Superficial All the Way Down

Questions to an evolutionist

So there has been a storm in the US re Waltke's comments on evolution and his subsequent resignation. Many have written insightfully on this. Probably the best commentary to date on this whole saga is offered by legendary historian Carl Trueman. I particularly like the questions posed in the ultimate paragraph namely

whether evolution is consistent with biblical teaching, particularly Genesis 3, Romans 5 and I Corinthian 15. Which form of evolution is it at which we are looking (there being significant disagreements even within the scientific community)? What about the scientific objections of men like Michael Behe? And how come some people, with little or no scientific training, and who spend their lives telling us how difficult it is to understand messy, written texts - texts designed to, ahem, communicate in a relatively direct fashion -- seem to think that scientific data is univocal, unequivocal, and perspicuous on this point?

And then of course there was that brilliantly apt quote on the dangers of accommodating oneself to the prevailing age

Cultural acceptability is a cruel mistress.

This was an excellent post. Imbibe it here Link text and then ready yourself for some godly conversation next time you meet an evolutionist of either the pagan or theistic variety... Which leaves me to say "Be warned dear Timmy..."

Pun of the week

A thief attempted to steal paintings from the Louvre in Paris, but was caught 2 blocks away when his van ran out of gas. All the thief could say for himself was: “I had no MONET to buy DEGAS to make the VAN GOGH. But I tried for it anyway because I had nothing TOULOUSE!”

HT: Link text who reckon that this is only no 2 in the top 10 pun-chart!

Not so feminst after all

It is about 8 weeks to go today until I get married. I have to confess that as the day approaches I find that the struggles to remain pure have increased. So one solution which my fiance and I have opted for is to avoid spending time purely on our own. This has therefore meant that our recent catch up times have tended to be us going out for a meals. All good fun if not somewhat expensive.

Anyway a thing that I've noticed these last few times is how at the end of the evening, the person bringing the bill almost always hands me the bill. This evening was even more striking. Our waiter was a woman. Rachel - my fiance offered to pay so she asked for the bill. The waiter approached the table and handed me bill.

How interesting? Here we are in 21st century Britain with all the pundits telling us about equal rights and how we are to treat each other as equals and yet when it comes to those situations that ladies cherish and which would not really work to their interest, they somehow revert to doing things in the traditional (and biblical) way. Me thinks that the world is not that feminist after all or as Doug Wilson brilliantly puts it when discussing the issue of biblical leadership/submission "Arguing with the fact of the husband's headship in the home is like jumping off a cliff in order to quarrel with the law of gravity. Marshall the arguments on the way down however one likes, he will eventually find himself refuted in a messy way."

Image of the week

HT ASBO Jesus

Everything is possible

Continuing my musings on the wonder of the Resurrection, this thought from Leithart, really warmed my heart

If it [the Resurrection] really happened, then no situation and no person are hopeless. No marriage is beyond repair, no child beyond recovery, no pagan beyond the reach of the gospel, no sin beyond forgiveness, no womb permanently sealed, no one and nothing beyond restoration.

Doesn't that just make you smile? Look to Him now and smile.

Guess who?

"The law is not administered without the gospel, nor the gospel without the law. So that it is as it were a legal-gospel and an evangelical-law; a gospel full of obedience and a law full of faith" (2: 268).

Now can you imagine any of today's leading lights saying anything like this? Is that maybe because we have lost contact with our great evangelical heritage?

Up stream dear brothers and sisters there is treasure of godly knowledge. It is a treasure that will not merely inform your mind but will also warm your heart as you are stirred to ponder the richness of us of God's glorious gospel... I therefore commend to you Francis Turretin (1623-1687) from whom the above quote originates.

Resurrection power rocks!

A minister I greatly respect challenged me recently in my attitude towards those I find hard to love. As many of you know, the recent months have been a time of controversy and evangelical strife. One of the consequences of this pain and division has been a heart - mine - that is cold towards those I felt, acted wrongly. There have even been times where sadly, I wished dear brothers and sisters in Christ ill. Of this I repent, asking our heavenly Father to forgive me even as I forgive those who sin against me.

The Easter period has been a good period to reflect again on the great power that Jesus resurrection brings to situations that feel helpless. Think of those words from 1 Corinthians 15:55

O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?

The most dreadful enemy is conquered. How much more then are things like forgiveness and reconciliation achievable in Christ?

Which therefore means that I must remember that it is not only the folk at my church, but also those who are on the other side of my theological convictions who share in resurrection power and therefore destined for the same delightful intimacy in the risen Christ when all things are made new.

I should love and treasure all, just as God has poured his munificent grace on all His children.

I should love all because we all share in that truimph of grace, Christ's resurrection power

Christ is risen... He is risen indeed

Well done God

Over at Walking Worthy (http://walkingworthy110.blogspot.com/) the lovely Esther Field has written a good post about God's wonderful ability to display His majesty in putting forth the most glorious sunsets these last few days (here in London). It reminded me of one of the letters in that funny little book, Children's Letters to God, where a little boy writes

Dear God -
I didnt' think orange went very good with purple until I saw the sunset you made on Tue. That was cool.
Eugene

Just like Job 42:5

And another...

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgHlW85hA65YInYu609niyRsJ30qHANPFPrsU3YyVpkloIMQyBpmFySoi0JQCsQFeR05vBrautbu0DyYzxx3jOpmcj9keF8dfrP4v3XpIGCz4AXlUtmv1QW2okHWUOjfGJgTCwe_NJmQwN/s1600/wii+fit.png

Fail

Funny...

http://failblog.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/129144614332424537.jpg

Quote of the week

If Jesus really did come back from the dead, then certain things are false, and the gigantic brotherhood of man has gone phut.

Doug Wilson, 6 Apr 2010

Smells like Nike spirit

In the most recent edition of Evangelicals Now, one of the UCCF staff comments on how notoriously difficult it can be for CU members to invite friends to CU evangelistic events. So what is the solution? 'To create an atmosphere that connects with and speaks relevantly to student culture.' Hence, the planning team for a recent evangelistic event 'spent a great deal of time thinking how to deliver the highest quality events that would fill CU members with confidence that this kind of thing their non-believing friends would enjoy and be drawn to.'

Now here is a simple question. What Scriptures and biblical principles would support the above approach or is it a case of just do it to just get it?

Eastertide in an English Spring

In the sky/ The song of the skylark/ Greets the dawn./
In the fields wet with dew/ The scent of the violets/ Fills the air./
On such a lovely morning as this/ Surely on such a lovely morning as this/ Lord Jesus/ Came forth/ From the tomb

HT: Liz Culling

Quote of the week

Dirt is a party waiting to happen. The dirt wants to be cultivated. It wants to become a garden and grow fruit for you... Creation was made with you in mind.

Brad Belschner, In Defense of Sauerkraut, 7