SBC Conservatism Vs Emergent Pragmatism: Round One

bmclar.jpgHow dangerous is this man? Apparently he’s dangerous enough that Kentucky Baptists don’t want to take the chance of hearing what he has to say about evangelism and church growth. He doesn’t have anything to say on homosexuality that wouldn’t hurt someone (his words) and he’s not sure that those of other religions who become Jesus-followers need to abandon their familiar cultural context.

Brian McLaren’s exit from a Kentucky Baptist Evangelism conference underlines the temporary battle among SBC evangelicals halting between the theology of the conservative resurgence and the assured results of church growth pragmatism. I predict the winner, but I’m really laughing at the ironies.
Continue reading “SBC Conservatism Vs Emergent Pragmatism: Round One”

Startle Us, O Lord: Jesus Talks To A Gay Man

Every so often the internet will provide you with something that you will never hear anywhere else. I’ve found it this morning, and I hope you will read and share it. It’s entitled “Jesus Talks To A Gay Man,” and it is from a remarkable post by Steve at Ragamuffin Ramblings.

It is a retelling of the story of Jesus and the woman at the well in John 4. Not only is it creative and well-written, but it does exactly what the original story was supposed to do- and did- in its original context: It shocks us. It startles us. It makes us want to ask more questions.

You might want to use this with any Bible study groups you lead. I gurantee you discussion will follow 🙂

This is one of those weeks when I am travelling and may not be able to post. Those of you who pray are invited to pray on Tuesday for my mom. At 83 she is blind in one eye and has about 10-15% vision in the other. They are doing a procedure to draw some blood out of the bad eye. Our hope is for improved vision, but it will be a frightening procedure with no gurantee.

If you don’t know about Macular Degeneration, learn about it, and be aware that there is no cure. It’s very common.

Eugene Peterson: A Voice That Must Be Heard

pete.jpgI am always aware that those who read the Internet Monk may not realize that when you hear my voice, you are really hearing the voice of those who have influenced me. There is no one who has influenced me more than Eugene Peterson.

There is a lot I could say about all of Peterson’s twenty-plus books, and how they are wonderful examples of all that I would want to recommend to anyone about reading the Bible, teaching, thinking about the church, authentic ministry and much more. Just for a sample, try Peterson’s book on Revelation, Reversed Thunder. Incredible work.

So….when I read this interview with Peterson in the current issue of Christianity Today, I wanted to ask every IM reader to take the time and read it, and pass it on to a pastor, student or friend in church leadership. Peterson’s wisdom has authority and authenticity. This message needs to be heard and heeded.

By the way, I am afraid that many of you may only associate Peterson with The Message, his paraphrase of the Bible, and especially with Rick Warren’s use of The Message in Purpose Driven Life. Let me just say that this is high irony, as the interview above will reveal. My opinion of The Message? It’s a paraphrase. If you don’t know what that is, or what it is intended to do, and not do, maybe you could read some interviews with Peterson where he discusses The Message.

Anyway, get the CT Interview out there. It’s absolutely required reading.

Have We Said Too Much? (About Marriage, that is)

married.jpgRecently, my daughter returned from a conference at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville. She had a fabulous time, but she mentioned something unusual. She said that every public prayer contained a request for God to guide the conference participants in finding a spouse. This wasn’t the theme of the conference, but the conference was primarily single young college students. Was this odd?

It didn’t surprise me. Southern has become increasingly visible in the culturally confrontational Christianity of its President, Dr. Al Mohler. (A personal hero of mine, and nothing that I write here changes that, I assure you.) And Dr. Mohler is on a crusade to get Christian young students to make marriage a priority.
Continue reading “Have We Said Too Much? (About Marriage, that is)”

I Just Couldn't Look Away: The Crazed, Cranky, Captivating Christianity of Dr. Gene Scott

gene.jpg
I doubt that many Internet Monk readers watched or listened to Dr. Gene Scott. His passing this week made me sad, but it also made me reflect on how bland evangelicalism has become, and what a shot of hard whiskey Gene Scott was for the thirty years he broadcast his strange and wonderful program around the world on television and shortwave.

If Joel Osteen is the smiling face of evangelical success, Gene Scott was the scowling, ranting voice of a segment of American religion that refuses to be domesticated by the spinners and hype men. He may have been a great teacher, and he may have been a crook. But Jesus would have liked the guy, I’m certain, and I think he was an amazing man who heard his own drummer louder than most. Denounce me if you will, but here’s my tribute to an American Religious Icon, the infamous cigar-chomping, profanity-using, communion-loving, money-demanding star of the University Network, Dr. Gene Scott.
Continue reading “I Just Couldn't Look Away: The Crazed, Cranky, Captivating Christianity of Dr. Gene Scott”

Fighting Words: What happens when we abandon the vocabulary of faith.

lutherbw.jpgI was viewing the web site of a church a friend was visiting, when I saw the current sermon series was entitled “Finding the Sweet Spot in Your Spiritual Life.” Compulsory video clip of the pastor with a golf pro, borrowing the language of golf to try and communicate the message of the Christian life.

Does it matter? The words we use about the faith….do they matter?

It reminded me of one of my favorite IM essays: Fighting Words. Another in the “iMonk 101” series of critiques of evangelicalism.

Continue Reading:“Fighting Words: What happens when we abandon the vocabulary of faith.”

Does this help?: A simple statement about the purpose and inspiration of the Bible.

vantildog_talk.jpgIf you are concerned about my views on the Bible, please read this:

Setting aside general revelation (creation, nature) and experience, everything we know about the Good News of God in Jesus Christ, we know from the Bible.

In fact, it is entirely right to say that the Bible’s theme- its message- is the message of Salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

When I speak of the inspiration of the Bible, I am not usually talking about some general idea of the Bible’s truthfulness, but I am speaking about its truthfulness in presenting all things necessary for salvation and life in Christ. As the Westminster Shorter Catechism teaches:

Q. 2. What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him? A. The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him.

Q. 3. What do the Scriptures principally teach? A. The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.

Now there are a number of theories of inspiration, but Christian confessions have not required that a specific theory of inspiration be endorsed beyond the result of that inspiration. The Second London Confession, for example, says

Therefore it pleased the Lord at sundry times and in divers manners to reveal himself, and to declare that his will unto his church; and afterward for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the church…to commit the same (i.e. himself and his will) wholly unto writing; which maketh the Holy Scriptures to be most necessary…The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelation of the Spirit, or traditions of men.

Even the New Hampshire Confession- which uses the word “perfect” to describe the Bible- CLEARLY teaches that Salvation and the principles or eternal judgement are the message of scripture.

We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired, and is a perfect treasure of heavenly instruction; that it has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter; that it reveals the principles by which God will judge us; and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried.

Therefore, I believe that confessional Christianity wisely focuses on the ultimate, final purpose of the Bible, and not on the mechanism used to achieve that result.

This is wise, because there will always be vast disagreement over the nature of the Biblical material, and what kind of books they are. This diversity of views has always been true, and will continue as the Bible is studied.

What must be noted, however, is that those who see, for example, the Gospels as exact reports of conversations and events, and those who see the Gospels as literary creations drawing portraits of Jesus for theological purposes, will both sit under the teaching of the Word, with open Bible and open hearts, listening for the Spirit to illuminate the Word so that Christ may be known, worshiped, obeyed and loved.

We may disagree on whether the Bible meant to tell us the age of the earth in scientific terms. We may disagree about dinosaurs on the ark. We may disagree over why there are two temple cleansings by Jesus at two different times in his ministry. We may disagree over whether there are multiple authors to Biblical books. We may disagree over whether all of Jesus’ exorcisms were demon possession rather than physical/mental conditions unknown at the time. We may disagree on these things and still say:

All we know about Salvation by grace through faith by Christ comes from the Bible. That is what I believe. I have a view on Genesis, and a view on Job and a view on the Gospels. My views are, as best I can understand it, in line with what I believe these books are, and what they were written to be. I want to understand these texts so I can clearly hear their message. But at the end of the process, I read the Bible as God’s Word to me about the Incarnate Word, Jesus Christ. I come to scripture to know Jesus, and to hear the Word of my salvation.

The iMonk Weekend File: 2:18:05

belushi1941.jpgI’m bringing over some BHT posts for this edition of the weekend file. First, some honest thoughts about how the “inerrancy” debate intersects with my own experience as a Christian. Then, a story from the Spencer Family Hall of Fame. Let’s just say that our Valentine’s day was….uh….memorable.
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