The Internet Monk Archives

Riffs: 08:12:08: Ray Ortlund on The Dark Knight

UPDATE: When we get more comments on Ray Ortlund not liking Batman than we get on the Church Membership posts, you folks will have proved my point, and you will all have to buy me a gift.

Ray Ortlund says he wasted $6.25 (!) on The Dark Knight. And in short form, as only Ray can, he cuts across the field for a touchdown.

Then the movie itself. Visually stimulating. Technologically impressive. Hollywood has fast-forwarded a gazillion years since my favorite films by Steve McQueen and John Wayne. But peel off the layers of glittering presentation, and what’s actually there? A ripping good yarn. I grant that. But not much else. In fact, it comes down to a lie of human idealization being passed off on the public because they’re supposed to be better off thinking the lie. That violates everything I believe. I learned nothing. I was not enriched in any way.

Immanuel Church cannot compete with Hollywood in terms of raw momentary impact. No church can. But that’s one of the great things about church. It can be real. It can be entry-level discovery, for anyone, of the Lovely One who will amaze us forever.

I’m weary with the world’s disappointing stimulants. I want more of Christ.

Continue reading “Riffs: 08:12:08: Ray Ortlund on The Dark Knight”

The Church Membership Question: Open Thread on Frank Viola’s “Why I Left The Institutional Church.”

Perhaps the most talked about recent challenge to the traditional, institutional church comes from “organic” church advocate Frank Viola.

In a recent article at The Ooze, Frank chronicled his reasons for leaving the institutional church. Think what you want, and criticize as you wish, Viola states his case Biblically and eloquently. And millions of people agree with his criticisms, even if they don’t buy the house church movement as an alternative.

So pay your ticket money by reading the article, then come back here and make this a good open discussion with your response. Is Viola’s assessment of the institutional church correct, or is he over the fence in left field?

Read, return and talk amongst yourselves.

Baptist Holy Days of (Guilt and) Obligation

My wife sent me an email this morning.

I keep forgetting to tell you that there’s an obligatory Mass this week (for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.) St. Ann is celebrating Thursday at 6:00 p.m. and St. William Friday at 6:00 p.m. Assuming we are going to the waterpark Thursday, I’ll go to church Friday.

Now if you don’t know what this is all about, you should stop by Wikipedia and get educated.

For our Roman Catholic friends, here are the Days of Obligation:

* 1 January: Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
* 6 January: the Epiphany
* 19 March: Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
* Thursday of the sixth week of Easter: the AscensionContinue reading “Baptist Holy Days of (Guilt and) Obligation”

The Church Membership Question: Church Basics (An iMonk 101 Post)

Let’s continue with the church membership theme as we wait for two more interviews to arrive via Van Til express delivery.

In January of 2006 I wrote a major IM essay on what I believe about the local church. As I said in an introduction that doesn’t appear below, it will clear up forever any ideas that I am more emerging than traditional. In this post I give my reasons for endorsing the priority of the local church, church membership, and for those who really need a smack in the head, church creeds, confessions, covenants and constitutions.

I may have more to say about this later, but this post does address the relevant topic of “Is Church Membership Still Viable?”

I edited the intro, so we’re starting a page into the essay. Thanks for reading.

Let’s start with Jesus. Did he plan to “found” a church? Or is the church a thoroughly human movement that can only be associated with Jesus post facto?Continue reading “The Church Membership Question: Church Basics (An iMonk 101 Post)”

The Church Membership Question: Interview with Jonathan Leeman

UPDATE: Thanks for the good response and discussion. If you would like to read an excellent defense of the Baptist view of church membership, John Piper has written an excellent article on Church Membership and Accountability. A very good survey of the basics.

This post begins several posts on the subject of the church and church membership. I have two interviews in the works, at least two related posts and we’ll see what else may appear on the docket.

My concern is simple: Is the concept of local church membership viable- even essential- today or should it be abandoned?

This is a critical question; one that many in the IM audience struggle with as they sojourn in the evangelical wilderness or look toward finding a church that is a Jesus shaped community.

This series will have particular reference to the discussion on church membership that is now going on in the Southern Baptist Convention, where a resolution (non-binding) on Integrity in Church Membership Reporting was a major item passed at this year’s national convention gathering.

Today, I’ll be interviewing someone who deals with the issue of church membership through academic study and through his part in one of the most influential para-church ministries in evangelicalism: 9 Marks.Continue reading “The Church Membership Question: Interview with Jonathan Leeman”

The Long and Winding Road

Humor alert. I said HUMOR ALERT. Yes…YOU…that means YOU. It’s HUMOR.

OK. For those of you that don’t know or don’t remember, my wife is entering the Roman Catholic Church. It’s been rough and I don’t really have anything to say about that. Communication on the relevant subjects hasn’t been easy, and laughter- formerly a big part of our marriage- has been rare.

Well, we finally had a big mutual laugh about the situation. A good one.

First, a bit of background. Denise is in the RCIA process. Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. This is a special course of study that covers all things necessary to a basic understanding of the Catholic faith and preparation for first communion. There are various stages, and it appears that if you do the whole thing on schedule it could take about a year.Continue reading “The Long and Winding Road”

Introduction to the ESV Study Bible

Since we’re talking Bibles, here’s the Apple….uh…ESV Study Bible.

Recommendation and Review: The NLT Study Bible

Before passing along a brief review of the New Living Translation Study Bible, I want to talk a bit about study Bibles in general in my own experience.

I have used a lot of Bibles in my life, and I’ve owned several “study” Bibles, but I have only used two extensively and for particular reasons.

The first study Bible I used extensively was a KJV Thompson Chain Reference Bible I received for high school graduation. This Bible was really my first “Bible school.” As a young Christian and “preacher boy” (I was preaching regularly at age 16) I had no theological library and no access to one. A “Baptist Book Store” in our community (this was the early 1970’s) had a few Bible dictionaries and one volume commentaries. I was basically without more than a handful of books for the first few years of my Christian life.Continue reading “Recommendation and Review: The NLT Study Bible”