Quote of the week

Christians acting like Christians would be the most effective possible evidence for the truth of what they profess


From: Marilynne Robinson Takes on Bad Science Writers

To over-react or not? That is the question

John Owen, that Prince of Puritans and one of the leading Post-Reformation theologians, declared that one of the key ways by which we can grow in holiness is by walking regularly over the bellies of our lusts - what a great phrase - walking, stepping on, crushing the bellies of our lusts. Any according to a certain American pastor, one way in which this is accomplished (by us men) is by us being careful not to simply over-react when for example a scantily clad girl appears on screen. He says that instead of instinctively reacting like someone who has had boiling water poured on their lap we should be more measured whilst still treating it with the sense of seriousness it deserves which might mean pondering what kind of background/ parents/society would allow women to dress this badly, thinking aloud on what would heal our land of such folly and then walking away calmly. Please note that this is not saying we are to sit there indulging our lusts whilst justifying such ungodly behaviour with the misguided notion that we are "keeping calm in a tricky situation". What however this is saying is that we (especially us men) ought to be careful not simply to over-react when facing the mighty battleground of lust. Our response in the face of such sin should not merely be the quick shuffling from the computer/hands over my eyes/shouting at the screen expressing outrage whilst actually failing to name the sin as it is and then empowered by the Spirit speaking out how the Gospel answers this sin and then walking over its belly in triumph. The American pastor concludes like this

"Walk away because you want to, and you know that you really want to because you could stay if you wanted. You could not stay "if you wanted to" in order to give way to lust because God's Word speaks directly to that. But you could see it if you wanted, free of lust, and since it is lawful (but not necessary), you might as well leave. Leaving is the point, but you want it to be the right kind of leaving, because otherwise you are not really leaving." (Full post at Dealing with Nuisance Lust)

Men out there, what do you think of all this? If I am really honest, I am in the bolting it out of the room/quickly turning the computer off/hand over my eyes school when I face any sexual temptation - is this to over-react or not?

Joke of the week

Quote of the week

The gospel is the message that Jesus Christ has saved the world from death. One way that we can show this is by letting the gospel confront whatever aspects of the death-principle are most prevalent in our age. Since our age manifests the death-principle in, among other things, excessive degrees of ugliness, it follows that the articulation of beauty – in word, deed, music, drama, worship, dance and all the arts – is not an optional extra for the church, but a central feature in our annunciation of Christ’s Lordship.

Robin Phillips at Robin's Readings and Reflections

Thought for the day: How does your church fare?

For too long the church has evangelized with Gnostic aspirations, thinking we must appeal simply to a person’s spirit or the mind instead of seducing the whole person with the loveliness of Christ’s Kingdom, confirming Nietzsche’s complaint that modern Christianity is anemic, opposed to life rather than an affirmation of life. Believing that God is only interested in disembodied souls, we have retreated from a central aspect of the good news.

Via Music and the Objectivity of Beauty

So, how does your church fare?

Beautiful Jesu

One of the songs played at our wedding was J.S. Bach's Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring. To our shame, we chose it simply because it was a "lovely" piece of music. Now I have nothing with lovely pieces of music but I wish I had done a bit more homework on the original words etc which would have given it more meaning and allowed us and our guests to appreciate and enjoy it even more. Anyway today following a very interesting post on the objectivity of beauty (see Music and the Objectivity of Beauty) I decided to check out what the words for Bach's Jesu are. For now, all I'm going to say is: Bach, what a genius. To listen to a modern rendition sung in English (words below) listen to it here

Josh Groban Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring from Jacy JoyPals on Vimeo.

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
Holy wisdom, love most bright

Drawn by Thee, our souls aspiring
Soar to uncreated light

Word of God, our flesh that fashioned
With the fire of life impassioned
Striving still to truth unknown
Soaring, dying round Thy throne

Through the way where hope is guiding
Hark, what peaceful music rings
Where the flock, in Thee confiding
Drink of joy from deathless springs
Theirs is beauty's fairest pleasure
Theirs is wisdom's holiest treasure
Thou dost ever lead Thine own
In the love of joys unknown

Schriener and Moo, Boooo

A few weeks back I had my first preach at the parish where I've just been ordained curate. The passage that was given to me for this my first preach was Romans 2:1-11. I mentioned this to one of my old pals back at theological college and their response was to scream and say "Kip, they've thrown you right in there haven't they?" which was code for what a tricky passage to be given first up and more importantly, how are you going to read/interpret/preach Romans 2, especially the all important verses 6-8:

God "will give to each person according to what he has done."[a] 7To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.

As some of you know, there has been quite a bit of debate on the meaning of this verses. The issue simply put is this can Paul really be teaching salvation by 'works' given what he says in Romans 3:20?

Many of the traditional heavyweights such as Schriener and Moo take this line but do you know what after much pondering and considering other NT teaching such as Matthew 16:27, 2 Corinthians 5:10 and Revelation 22:12 I'm not persuaded. What's more today I was reading the Westminster Confession of Faith wherein we read that

"...good works, done in obedience to God's commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith: and by them believers manifest their thankfulness, strengthen their assurance, edify their brethren, adorn the profession of the Gospel, stop the mouths of the adversaries, and glorify God, whose workmanship they are, created in Christ Jesus thereunto, that, having their fruit unto holiness, they may have the end, eternal life.

In other words, doing good is an integral aspect of your salvation. Put another way, there is no such thing as an empty set reading to Romans 2 and so to Schriener and Moo et al, I say booo ya booo to you.