Vulgar Theology

Moved.

2009-06-09T10:02:00.002-04:00

I have moved.

Find me at The Hand to the Plow.

Smoking?

2009-05-14T16:33:00.002-04:00

In a recent post, Stafford Carson notes

In its commentary on the Sixth Commandment, the Heidelberg Catechism says this:

Q. What does God require in the sixth commandment?

A. That I am not to abuse, hate, injure or kill my neighbour, either with thought, word or gesture, much less by deed, whether by myself or through another, but to lay aside all desire for revenge; and that I do not harm myself or willfully expose myself to danger.

His application is in regards to motorcycle racing, but surely this applies to whether or not the Christian has liberty to smoke.

Keep Calm and Carry On.

2009-05-02T11:07:00.000-04:00

The Greentree Gazette has an interview with Wilfred McClay, who Professor of history and Chair of Excellence in the Humanities at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, in which he makes this interesting statement:

"History often unsettles our assumptions. It makes us realize that things haven't always been the way they are now. It also makes us realize that things will not always be the way they are now. The student of history learns that the notion that life is a steady state is an illusion. "

History helps us to, in the words of the iconic poster, "Keep Calm and Carry On."

In our 21st Century American context we sit as the heirs of an extraordinary, unprecedented time of peace and prosperity. I think it would be safe to say that never in the history of the world has there been a civilization which has been so free from war on its own territory, from famine, from dramatic regime change. This can lead to us thinking that this status quo must continue forever; it can lead to an expectation that the Lord will continue to (has to?) bless us in this manner.

However, the student of history realizes that "the notion that life is a steady state is an illusion."

What this means for the Church is that we need not panic as America is no longer proclaimed to be a "Christian nation." America is not the first nation in the history of the Church to consider itself a "Christian nation", nor will it be the last. The reason why the Lord has blessed nations with a strong Church, and He has removed his blessing is something that is really not for us to know, but the challenge is how do we respond to this providence with faithfulness?

My point is this: even though our culture may change, and may become more secular, this is not a disaster, and we can learn from Church History that throughout it all the Lord remains the same. Our fortunes will ebb and flow, but we have to keep our eyes fixed on Chris and see that throughout it all God remains true and faithful, even if that means we end our lives like Paul, imprisoned and abandoned.

We must give thanks to the Lord for the way things have been, and are now, but we must also not be surprised by change. Lets keep calm, resting in the goodness of God, and carry on doing His work, declaring with the Psalmist:

Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
that I may tell of all your works.
(Ps. 73: 23-28)

Active Recall

2009-04-30T08:28:00.004-04:00

An article in this week's Chronicle of Higher Education states that the old study method of "Active Recall" may actually be the best method of getting information to stick in a student's mind.

After years of neglect, this method is being touted by two significant Psychology journals, namely Psychological Science and Contemporary Educational Psychology, and it seems that "Put the book aside and hide your notes. Then recall everything you can. Write it down, or, if you're uninhibited, say it out loud" may be the best way to effectively remember the information being studied.

The more popular method of "Read carefully, Write down unfamiliar terms and look up their meanings. Make an outline. Reread each chapter" is criticised as creating a false confidence about the amount of information retained.

For those involved in ministry this poses the challenge of how do we get our people to retain the information that we teach them, or encourage them to study on their own? If we seek to be effective teachers, then we cannot ignore this question - if people do not remember what we are teaching them, then what use is our teaching them?

There are those in our congregations who have never experienced much formal education and, it seems to me, there is a duty to teach them how to learn and how to study. There are those who have had many years of education and we must be careful to continue to help them learn and study in the most effective manner. If we want our congregations to be truly Berean, then we must give them the tools, or sharpen the tools, to get to grips with the Scriptures, mine them and hold fast on to the great treasure which is contained within them.

Knowing how to study for our University classes is important, but studying the great truths of Scripture is vastly greater - let us use all means possible to encourage our congregations to use their minds and get to grips with the Word, and treasure that Word in their hearts.

Secular Cathedrals

2009-04-29T16:17:00.002-04:00

I was re-reading Tim Keller's Evangelism through "Networking" (PDF) Paper which he wrote in July 1992, I noticed a particularly interesting observation about the way old church buildings are being viewed by the late 20th Century/early 21st Century society in which we live.

Talking about 30 minute evangelistic lunch-time services which Redeemer holds, Keller writes

"Preaching is done for exactly 30 minutes (12:45-1:15 pm) in public cathedrals. Though they are churches, the space is "secular" space, used for concerts and cultural events, and is seen as public as a museum or art gallery."

It is interesting that spaces that were designed specifically to be "sacred" in their architecture are now viewed by secular culture as their own.

This provides an opportunity for those who have access to old church buildings. Space which was once seen as hostile to the non-Christian now has an air of safe secularity to it, as a public park or a library would. If people feel comfortable in our spaces, then let us rejoice and seize this opportunity to tell them about our Savior who is more beautiful and more glorious than our buildings of stone and mortar.

There is also, however, a danger in that our churches become only museums, which satisfy people's desire for beautiful things and spaces, and not a place in which Christ is preached. When people are attracted to our outward forms, then there is a real danger that the only reason they come to church is for those forms, whether it be music, liturgy, or architecture. Now these things must be done excellently, to the glory of God, but we must be careful that we keep pointing people to Jesus and not to the space in which He is worshiped.

If the nations are coming to us, then let's show them that Christ alone is our treasure!

This is how I want to Preach.

2009-04-29T09:13:00.002-04:00

Dr. Moses D. Hoge, who was William S. Plumer's assistant at Richmond, described Dr. Plumer's preaching in this way:

His voice was one of great flexibility and power. Its cadences varied with the sentiments which filled his mind and heart. When the thought was tender, the expression of it came in accents soft and low. The words fell like the dropping of tears. In the utterance of some sublime and stirring thought, his voice rang out like the sound of a trumpet. These transitions at times were abrupt and startling as a bugle call to battle... In the fulness [sic.] of his strength in middle life he could have filled a great cathedral with the melodious thunder of his marvelous voice.

That is how I want to proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ!

William Swan Plumer

2009-04-27T10:32:00.003-04:00

I am currently teaching a Sunday School class on the use of the Law. I am mainly following Calvin, but recently came across the work by the Southern Theologian William S. Plumer, entitled Law of God. So far I have found it to be an excellent, concise and plain handling of the Law - one of the best I have read.

This got me thinking about who was this William S. Plumer. There is not much out there about him (not even Wikipedia - the fount of all 21st Century knowledge - has a page on him), but after some searching I found that Princeton Seminary is the repository for his papers, and they include on their website a short timeline of this somewhat forgotten servant:

CHRONOLOGY


	1802:	Born, July 26, at Greersburg (Darlington), Pennsylvania.
	1825:	B.A., Washington College, Virginia.
	1825-26:	Student, Princeton Seminary.
	1826-29:	Missionary and stated supply, Virginia and North Carolina.
	1827:	Ordained evangelist, by Presbytery of Orange.
	1830:	Stated supply, Petersburg, Virginia.
	1831-34:	Pastor, Petersburg, Virginia.
	1834-46:	Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Richmond, Virginia.
	1847-54:	Pastor, Franklin Street Church, Baltimore, Maryland.
	1854-62:	Pastor, Central Church, Allegheny, Pennsylvania and Professor, Western Theological Seminary.
	1865-67:	Pastor, Second Presbyterian Church, Pottsville.
	1867-80:	Professor of theology, Columbia Theological Seminary.
	1880:	Died, October 22, Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Plumer was also an author and commentator. He was awarded honorary doctorates from Washington College (Pennsylvania), Lafayette College, College of New Jersey (Princeton University), and the University of Mississippi. Dr. Plumer was Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in 1838 and 1871.

Offense

2009-04-18T09:16:00.001-04:00

“Never offend people with style when you can offend them with substance.”
- Sam Brown

Exactly!

Getting to Yes.

2009-04-08T14:08:00.000-04:00

I have just finished reading Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In by Roger Fisher and William Ury, and heartily recommend it to anyone who seeks to improve their skills in diplomacy.

The backcover explains :

Based on studies and conferences conducted by the Harvard Negotiation Project, a group that deals continually with all levels of conflict resolution from domestic to business to international disputes, Getting to Yes tells you how to:
separate the people from the problem;
focus on interests, not positions;
establish precise goals at the outset of negotations;
work together to create options that will satisfy both parties;
negotiate successfully with opponents who are more powerful, refuse to play by the rules, or resort to "dirty tricks."

The book is short, and very well written with many examples and scenarios, both real and fictional, to illustrate the point. The book communicates well, and makes an effort to connect with readers in a variety of situations, and is applicable as much to communication within relationships as it is to international arms agreements.

The main point to the book is to get the reader to focus on the interests that lie at the core of a position they, or their opponent, take in the midst of conflict, and over the course of 8 short chapters explore the facets of this method, and how it works out in practice, to achieve the three main goals of negotiation: "It should produce a wise agreement if agreement is possible. It should be efficient. And it should improve or at least not damage the relationship between the parties." (p. 4) Fisher and Ury equip the reader to enter into negotiations in such a way that they do not get trapped in a battle of wills, or a personality contest, by helping the reader to discover the core interests which underly the positions taken by each party.

In essence, this book aims to take the heat out of negotiation, so that both parties can walk away from the negotiation with their heads held up high and their dignity intact.

As a man who is hoping to enter the Pastoral ministry I read this book hoping that it would help me as I anticipate moderating Sessions, taking an active part in Presbytery meetings, and shepherding a local body of believers, and I feel that this book satisfied my desire. I am glad to have it on my shelf, and will no doubt make great use of it in years to come.

What I found particularly useful was the emphasis on remembering that successful negotiation is not about hammering your opponent, nor resorting to a fudge in which neither party is satisfied, but it is about finding the solution that satisfies the interests of both parties. In recent years I have been witness to situations in the church where this was not what drove the negotiation and it simply results in division within the body of Christ.

There are a great many situations within the Church which call for negotiation, and our goal ought to be that both parties leave edified and encouraged, whether it is a disagreement over Sunday School space or a matter of Church Discipline. Getting to Yes is a useful tool that will help leaders within the church deal firmly, but yet lovingly with those with whom they disagree.

Did you Know?

2009-04-08T08:36:00.000-04:00

I have seen this before, but a friend just emailed it to me and, just like the first time, it took my breath away. See for yourself...

It ends with the unanswered question, "So what does it all mean?"

I think that it is important to remember that this change is nothing new, when looked at over the course of history. Change is happening at a faster pace, but empires have risen and fallen, technology has been developed, and races have out-IQed each other since Genesis 3!

Our reaction cannot be to look at this video and panic, but we must rejoice that with greater and faster communications links we can spread the Gospel more easily. It was due to Greece uniting all of Asia Minor that a common language was seen for the first time, which aided the spread of the Gospel, it was Rome outstripping Greece in the Empire stakes that Paul was able to travel so freely across Asia Minor and which eventually led to a common language in Europe and the spread of the Gospel there, it was the development of the printing press that meant that the Scriptures could be widely available in the vulgar tongue, the language of the common people and the Gospel advanced.

Many of the developments in the video are happening in countries where Christianity is not the dominant religion, such as China and India, but we can rejoice that God is Lord of all the earth and that he uses even those who are hostile to Him for His own glory.

Jade Goody

2009-04-07T09:47:00.001-04:00

The Diocese of Chelmsford has published on their website the sermon from the funeral of Jade Goody, which was held at St John the Baptist Church, Buckhurst Hill, Essex. The sermon can be found here .

Jade Goody, had a dramatic rise to fame through the reality television programme "Big Brother" and frequently found herself on the front page of newspapers due to her somewhat rocky lifestyle. Her fame was further confirmed due to her recent rapid decline, and subsequent death, due to cervical cancer, leading to something akin to national mourning in Great Britain.

The sermon gives testimony that upon her death bed Jade was converted, through the reading of the Bible. It is an incredible account and exalts the glorious grace of God which is offered to sinners, no matter how sinful, nor wicked. As Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5: 31, 32)
The following section shows that our "post-modern", "post-Christian" world can still understand the concept of a Righteous God, who demands satisfaction. Jade Goody, who once famously said "Do they speak Portuganese in Portugal? I thought Portugal was in Spain" understood substitutionary atonement in some small way! This is good news for all people, no matter their level of education, background, culture, and it can be understood by all people through the grace of the Holy Spirit:

"I had the privilege last week of being able to see the Bible Jade read from. Here it is, and here is possibly the most significant thing about it. She's underlined one chapter more fully than any other. It's one of the most momentous passages of the whole Bible. and it's actually in the Old Testament, in a book of the Bible called Isaiah and chapter 53. The words were written 700 years before Jesus, but speak of him and describe exactly what He came to do. They're words that lie at the heart of the Christian faith and describe the events of Good Friday that Christians will remember this coming week. Here are some of the words that Jade underlined:

All of us were like sheep that were lost,
Each of us going his own way.
But the Lord made the punishment fall on him,
The punishment all of us deserve.

"These words explain that it is possible to be confident about heaven, even though our lives are flawed. You see none of us - not you, not me, not Jade - can stand before a holy God with lives free from mistakes, from faults, from things that we regret. As these verses that Jade underlined tell us, we don't have perfect lives. But we do have Jesus, who opened heaven's doors: not for great achievers, not for those who think they are better than others, but for people like Jade, who simply reach out to Jesus and trust in him, even when all else seems hopelesss."

This testimony rebukes us for not praying for the famous as we ought, and not believing in the power of the Gospel, even to save those who have gloried in their sin.

May God be glorified because of the grace shown to Jade Goody, and may he grant us grace to believe in the power of the Holy Spirit working through the whole Bible, and the strength and courage to take the Gospel to a dying world which desperately needs it.

The Loom is a Tyrant.

2009-02-17T18:05:00.000-05:00

For those who are in full-time ministry, there is are two great dangers, when it comes to time management - either under-work, or over-work.

Ministers are, in a large part, their own bosses. They are under the supervision of the Session and are accountable to the congregation, but when it comes to how much work is to be done in order to meet our teaching commitments we are pretty much alone with our consciences. This often leads to one of two temptations - either we are prone to doing just enough work to get by, following the principle that Thomas Chalmers laid down early in an anonymous pamphlet (which we later, and once converted, recanted of) that the
beauty of ministry was that all ministerial duties could be carried out in two days, leaving five days in which the clergyman could study whatever suited their taste! Or, we are prone to never being able to stop working. I think it is the latter that a great many ministers suffer from, and cause many good men to burn out.

The best piece of advice that I received in relation to this was in the form of an anecdote about Tweed Weaving:

In the Western Isles of Scotland the production of Harris Tweed is a Cottage Industry. That means that it is not produced in big textile factories, but by individuals who have a loom in their house - their is, it could be said, the original home-office. However, as idyllic as this picture of sitting in a remote white-washed cottage listening only to the clack of the loom and the roar of the Atlantic is, the reality is that for many the loom became a tyrant: the only way it makes money is if it is producing fabric, so every minute not spent on the loom is a minute that money is wasting away. The tyrant demands that the weaver sit and weave from the moment he rises to the moment he goes to sleep.

Now obviously ministers are not getting paid by how many pages they read, or how many hours they study, but there is a great temptation always to be studying - for the books to become a tyrant. It is easy for that pile of books on the side of his desk, for the teaching commitments he has to cry to him "just a little more study, just another page, just another article, just another hour" which quickly develops into "if you do not sit at your desk, your ministry will fail!" The tyrant in the books demands the service of the minister.

Brothers, we must guard against that danger. We must find our satisfaction in Christ and not in our studies, especially when service to Tyrant Literature results in the neglect of our families, or our health. We must be faithful, and we must not waste time, but ultimately the success of our ministries does not rest on how many hours we studied, but on the will of God.

Beware of the Tyrant of the Books.

2009-02-12T16:31:00.000-05:00

If there is one thing you can say about Mark Driscoll, it is that he sure can explain theology in a way that is clear, concise and understandable. Listen to his two minute explanation of original sin:

Challies on Theology-ology:

2009-02-12T12:16:00.000-05:00

Tim Challies has a good post on why theology leaves a bad taste in many people's mouths, which they try to get rid of with a vague "spiritual" mouthwash, contained in books such as The Shack.

He notes,

So what is it, then, that people are rebelling against when they disassociate themselves from theology? I believe that what they are running from is better termed "theology-ology." It is a study of the study of God. If a Christian is diligent in studying God through the right motives and methods and for the right reasons, there will necessarily be change in his life. He cannot help but be changed by the living Word of God. However, if someone studies God only to acquire knowledge about him without applying any of that knowledge to his life, he is not so much studying God as he is studying the study of God. The study of God when done as he has commanded must always lead to application, heart change and then life change. Conversely, studying God through improper motives and methods with no view to application cannot affect true heart change in anyone.

If Theology does not serve the Church, then it is pointless! We must communicate our rich doctrine heritage in a way that people understand, so that lives are changed and Christ is glorified - if your theology is not vulgar, then you are driving people to The Shack.

You can find the rest of the post here.

A reputation to aspire to...

2009-02-11T14:59:00.000-05:00

"There still are theologians whose work is directed mainly at other theologians and to the educated middle classes, but [Thomas] Chalmers was a theologian who could speak to the man in the street and bring him face to face with the great verities of the Christian faith. In the midst of great prominence he never lost touch with the common man, nor with his great zeal to elevate their level in society." (S. W. Leonard, unpublished paper)

King James' Words.

2009-02-11T13:43:00.000-05:00

I saw this post on Abraham Piper's blog, which got me thinking about words which are not in the vernacular, but which are common in churches.

It seems to me that their use simply creates an unnecessary us-them situation, but yet part of me is reluctant to say that we ought not to use them.

The point behind this blog:

2009-02-11T13:40:00.000-05:00

It is vitally important that theology does not become an Academic subject. The study of theology is for the upbuilding of the Church, nothing else, and so if the Church cannot understand what the theologians are saying, then it is failing at its task: it is bad theology.

"Seminary and Bible college professors must not forget that they are part of a parachurch ministry - the primary goal of which is to strengthen and assist the church. Their efforts in the classroom should point students back to the local church, not away from it. Students who excel should not be discouraged from the pulpit ministry (for something more academically "prestigious"), but rather encouraged to embrace it as the highest calling on earth. The only institution Christ promised to build was the church, and his body deserves the best and the brightest." (Nathan Busenitz, "The Church as Classroom: The History of Master's Seminary", in 9Marks eJournal (January/Febrary 2009, Volume 6, Issue 1)