Paul F.M. Zahl: On Grace and “Last Signal To The Carpathia”
UPDATE: This is the mother load of Zahl sermons and forums. Great stuff here. I’ve been listening all day.
I’ve discovered Paul F. M. Zahl, and I’m beside myself with enthusiasim for his writing on grace and the church. The only problem is that there’s not much of it, and that is truly a loss. Zahl is an Episcopal minister who has served as dean of a theological school as well as pastor. He’s a marvel of humor, grace, hope and balance. A delight to read and listen to. Here’s Zahl speaking recently about his knock-out book Grace In Practice.
I found this talk by Zahl given at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama. It is a talk given in the light of the ordination of Gene Robinson as bishop, and it is a talk given by a traditionalist seeking to plead with a Robinson-approving majority to find a way to accommodate traditionalists. It’s quite interesting given what has now unfolded with the formation of GAFCON, ACNA and the radicalization of TEC at their recent gathering.
Be sure and add to this talk the excellent interview Ryan Cordle just posted with AMiA missionary bishop Doc Loomis. Zahl and other traditionalists who stayed with the ECUSA are the subject of several of his comments.
The majority of this talk is a reasoned traditionalist analysis of the issue of homosexuality. Zahl, who is the most gracious of Christians, makes it plain where many of us are on this issue: the reasoning used by the other side passes the bounds of integrity and conscience. No matter how much we must repent of our homophobia and exclusion- and I am all for that- we cannot give up our convictions about the Gospel. Zahl makes that very plain.Continue reading “Paul F.M. Zahl: On Grace and “Last Signal To The Carpathia””
Internet Monk Radio Podcast #149
This week: Why do Baptists bring their Bibles to worship? Thoughts on Church Leavers.
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Hold The Light For Me
UPDATE: As usual, David Hayward brilliantly gets it right.
It’s been a long year
like a long sleepless night
Jacob wrestled the angel
but I’m too tired to fight
every Wednesday
for two years we’ve met
I’ve showed you all my anger,
my doubts and bitterness
there was no judgment in your eyes
just the silent peace of God
that felt so real in you
will you hold the light for me?
and I stay up late
because I cannot sleep
I don’t want to face the quiet
where its just God and me
I’m waiting for the gavel
handing me the sentence down
because I don’t believe forgiveness
or even repentance now
I want to feel redemption
flowing through my veins
I want to see with clear eyes
beyond lust and hate
I want the war to be over
and know the good guys won
and I want love to hold me
to know I’m not alone
standing around a willow weeping
we were praying in the backyard
in the chill of the night
the friendship light reminded me who we are
will you hold the light for me?
-Andrew Osenga, Hold the Light, from Caedmon’s Call, Overdressed.Continue reading “Hold The Light For Me”
Liturgical Gangstas 13: Projector Please?!
Update: I’ve had some strange mail on this one. Let me respond to one: This is NOT a debate between churches. If you want to have that and you can’t find it on the net, your hands must not work.
Welcome to IM’s popular feature, “The Liturgical Gangstas,” a panel discussion among different liturgical traditions represented in the Internet Monk audience.
Who are the Gangstas?
Father Ernesto Obregon is an Eastern Orthodox priest.
We have a new Gangsta! Rev. Joe Boysel is an Anglican (AMiA) priest and professor of Bible at Ohio Christian University in Circleville, Ohio. (Ask him about famous alumni.)
Dr. Wyman Richardson is a pastor of a First Baptist Church (SBC) and director of Walking Together Ministries, a resource on church discipline.
Alan Creech is a Roman Catholic with background in the Emerging church and spiritual direction.
Rev. Matthew Johnson is a United Methodist pastor.
Rev. William Cwirla is a Lutheran pastor (LCMS) and one of the hosts of The God Whisperers, which is a podcast nearly as good as Internet Monk Radio.
Here’s this week’s question: Would you use projection technology in worship? How, why or why not? (Limits and reasons iows) How do you approach the overall use of technology in worship in a way that’s helpful, and not either use it willy nilly or oppose it for no reason other than nostalgia?Continue reading “Liturgical Gangstas 13: Projector Please?!”
Jared Wilson: The Internet Monk Interview
Jared Wilson is the author Your Jesus Is Too Safe and the blogmeister at Gospeldrivenchurch.com.
1. You’re obviously influenced by the rhetorical style of someone like Driscoll, in that you are communicating intensely, but with humor and pop-culture to counter-balance. Yet, you’ve managed to put the emphasis on the Biblical content, not on the style or the preacher. What would say to all those young preachers who want to imitate guys like Chandler and Driscoll?
Well, there are worse guys you could imitate. Some practical advice would be to mix it up. Don’t just listen to one or two guys. Listen to several, or many if you have the time. Take a breather from podcasting. You WILL pick up not just sermon points but actual vocal inflections and figures of speech and tics from these guys if you listen to them too much. I think young guys like me especially have a wiring to absorb and regurgitate, to ape. (It’s borderline autistic how we go through lines from Monty Python and the Holy Grail or Beavis & Butthead or whatever.) And we like rock stars. And we, like all people, are idolaters. And this can all happen really subtly.Continue reading “Jared Wilson: The Internet Monk Interview”
Riffs: Conrad Hyers on Creationism, Genesis and Science
Presbyterian minister and Biblical language scholar Conrad Hyers has been the primary help for me on issues of the Bible and Science. I’m sorry so little of Hyers is on the web. His book, The Meaning of Creation, is a mandatory read for those interested in this subject. Hyers’ simplicity and amazing respect for the Bible stands in real contrast to what is done to and with the Bible by those who require science to validate their faith.
The Rise and Fall of Creationism
AIG thought Hyers worth a mention in this column.
And yes, your Google search will reveal that most of Hyers’ work was done in the area of the Bible and humor.
What science and religion books have been helpful to you?
Evangelicals In the Star Trek Universe
For those of you keeping score, we gave up the television about 4 months ago. We discovered that, for $60 a month, we were watching one episode of House, M.D. a week and I was watching baseball. Not worth it, especially with MLB.com and Hulu. Everyone is fine, we’re using Netflix, buying some DVDs and I’ve discovered Star Trek: Enterprise in iTunes.
I watched the original Star Trek as a 10 year old child. I religiously watched the reruns after school throughout my middle and high school years. I sampled about half the movies- loved Khan and the one with the whales- and was dimly aware of the spin off series, though none really got my loyalty.
Watching the “prequel” Star Trek: Enterprise has reminded me of many “fascinating” aspects of the Star Trek universe, but none quite so much as the appealing case the overall approach of the series makes for atheism, agnosticism, pan/panentheism or some form of evolutionary theism.
In the Star Trek universe, cultural relativism gets its most appealing face. Science is no longer debating evolution with anyone. Christian fundamentalists- or any sort of fundamentalists- are a footnote in a minor museum somewhere. Exclusive religion exists in those cultures that have yet to wake up to the true nature of an ancient and diverse universe, cosmic evolution and the ability of science to solve any problem or answer any question. While spirituality may have persisted, its healthier forms are the Vulcan variety: a mysticism and clarity of logic; purity and humility before the greater knowledge.Continue reading “Evangelicals In the Star Trek Universe”
Recommendation and Review: Your Jesus Is Too Safe by Jared C. Wilson
I’ve never met Jared Wilson. We spoke on the phone once because, frankly, I’m desperate for friends. He doesn’t owe me money. We don’t have a book review treaty signed. He’s not going to like my book nearly as much as I’ve enjoyed his, and that’s OK.
Jared isn’t a well-known author or megachurch pastor. His blog, Gospeldrivenchurch.com, is an indicator that he has gifts to write, preach and teach, but blogging or preaching isn’t writing a book. (Take it from me. I know what I’m talking about on that one.) Jared doesn’t head up a ministry that will buy 10,000 copies of his book sight unseen or have reserved spots on all the conference schedules next year. I have no idea if he’s going to be successful as an author or will simply be another solid pastor who happened to write a book.
What I know is that Jared has written a book about Jesus that, for many of the readers of this bog and for vast numbers of evangelicals, should be THE book about Jesus they read in the next few months, because it may be the best popular level book written this year to re-introduce the Christ of scripture to the people who say they know him.Continue reading “Recommendation and Review: Your Jesus Is Too Safe by Jared C. Wilson”
Why So Serious?: Considering A Short List of Gospel Contradictions
I was reminded this week of how dangerous it is to use the word “Gospel” around evangelicals and expect that you are speaking the same language, so if you need a short version, I’m on a Lutheran Confessions kick. Let’s try this:
The Gospel, however, is that doctrine which teaches what a man should believe in order to obtain the forgiveness of sins from God, since man has failed to keep the law of God and has transgressed it, his corrupted nature, thoughts, words, and deeds war against the law, and he is therefore subject to the wrath of God, to death, to temporal miseries, and to the punishment of hell-fire. The content of the Gospel is this, that the Son of God, Christ our Lord, himself assumed and bore the curse of the law and expiated and paid for all our sins, that through him alone we reenter the good graces of God, obtain forgiveness of sins through faith, are freed from death and all the punishments of sin, and are saved eternally. (FC SD, V, 20)
I’m not wanting to have the infinite “What is the Gospel?” discussion that keeps some corners of the blogosphere running 24-7. I’m not even saying this confessional definition gets to everything that ought to be touched on. I simply want a starting place to reference in regard to my other question:
“If we believe the Gospel, doesn’t it seem a bit contradictory to….”Continue reading “Why So Serious?: Considering A Short List of Gospel Contradictions”
The Internet Monk Archives 