An art exhibit of a usable toilet enclosed in a cube of one-way glass is seen across the road from London's Tate Britain Museum. The person inside the outhouse can see passersby while remaining invisible to them. Find out more! (Thanks to Scottie C for this.)
I came across a beautifully haunting illustrated novel called Blankets (NOTE: this book contains R-rated content, please be prayerful about the impact nudity, language, and pictures of abuse might have).
I have stumbled across this book a couple times while roaming Barnes & Noble. I have been taken by Craig Thompson's storytelling and pictures every time I quickly read parts of it. Of course, the compelling aspect of the book for me is Thompson's autobiographical account of his Christian upbringing, the effects of "youth group," the lure and wonder of young love, and the dichotomy of cultural Christianity and true faith.
This is what Publishers Weekly wrote about Blankets, "Thompson manages to explore adolescent social yearnings, the power of young love and the complexities of sexual attraction with a rare combination of sincerity, pictorial lyricism and taste. His exceptional b&w drawings balance representational precision with a bold and wonderfully expressive line for pages of ingenious, inventively composed and poignant imagery."
For those who have carefully considered the content of this book, it is a heart churning, soul aching, love sick tale which draws up my longing for God, Heaven, and a life that is eternal in quality and never-ending in quantity.
I have been taking some time listening to John Piper's sermon series on the content of his book Future Grace. I have been confounded by his assertion about the availability of joy (especially in suffering) in the Christian life. I am looking forward to more on this subject tomorrow . . . but for now . . .
As I pulled in to church this morning I realized I needed a scanner for a flier I wanted to distribute. I walked into the office and asked the receptionist if there was one at the church, she was not sure, and then looked at a printer left on her desk . . . it was a combo printer/scanner/copier (the entitled HP PSC 2355). She offered that I could borrow it (I began to wish in my heart I could keep it), but that it was for another person in the office. Unfortunately I did not have the right cable to attach it. So the printer/scanner/copier was left, and I was without my scanner.
Later in the day I went and asked the new owner of the printer/scanner/copier if it was set up yet. She said no and directed me elsewhere. So I proceeded out of her office to run an errand with friends.
As I returned from the errand, the owner of the printer/scanner/copier called me back in to her office. She offered the aforementioned printer/scanner/copier to me for my office. Delighted, I received it, and my friend carried it up the stairs for me.
In the midst of a trivial need, God provided in abundance. Unmerited favor. God's power enabling me to do what I could not do on my own. Grace. All done in foreknowledge by God even before I had the thought about needing a scanner and then wanting that one. Future. Future Grace.
Could he provide in such proportional abundance to greater needs like the woundedness of my character? Could he bless beyond measure the relationships I participate in? Could he guard my heart with peace and joy in the midst of suffering? Can I respond with rejoicing when I am persecuted or wronged?
I prayed for help with my unbelief . . . I am beginning to believe.
Well, the "shift" has hit the fan.
(hear Driscoll's comments about McClaren's new group Deep Shift).
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Okay, I have wasted a lot of words and time below, and they pretty much reveal my own arrogance about "understanding" God and big theological concepts . . . what's the bottom-line: Pursue Jesus, not men. Which is Driscoll's ultimate point as well. So you may be better off stopping and reading your Bible to hear what Jesus is saying to you with the time you would have spent reading what I have written . . . seriously . . . stop . . . should you spend some time with Jesus right now . . . As it is said, "Today, if you hear his voice,do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." - Hebrews 3:15 . . . take time to listen to Him before you even think about listening to me . . .
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At the recent Southern Baptist Theological Seminary conference, Convergent, Mark Driscoll unloaded on the emerging church, at least part of it (hear it for yourself, you can skip the 16 minute intro).
I have been a reluctant fan of the emerging church, enjoying Dan Kimball, worried about Brian McClaren, and wanting to agree with Rob Bell. Driscoll did a pretty good job of laying out the dangers of certain streams of the emerging church. Although his style is not to my liking, so if you can be patient with some of his rhetoric and flaunting of his theological vocabulary, you will learn a lot about the trendy authors and artists people flock to . . . worship . . . listen to in cultural Christianity.
Driscoll breaks the emerging church into three streams:
RELEVANTS: Cool church crowd. Evangelical theology, innovative methodology. Examples: Dan Kimball, Donald Miller, Erwin McManus, & John Burke.
REVISIONISTS: Emergent Village (McClaren) and Bell. Genesis 3 - SIN = error and falling came through a conversation. Emergent has portrayed itself as a conversation on what God has said - "Did God mean what He said?" When God speaks, we are not to converse but to OBEY.
RELEVANT REFORMED: Contextual, confessional, evangelical New Reformed Calvinists. Examples: Driscoll, Matt Chandler, Acts 29 Network, CJ Mahaney, & Joshua Harris. Return to expositional Bible teaching that is theologically motivated and Jesus-centered.
I agree with Driscoll's concerns about who McClaren "talks" with and endorses. He, at best, misleads Christians into theological and philosophical waters which they are too deep for and does little to equip them for their swim (see Ephesians 4:11-15).
In principal I agree with his concerns about the emerging church's stance on homosexuality (which is often unspoken). However, in Driscoll's rant he clear example of why the emerging church is careful with their words. Driscoll is quick to lump the sin of homosexuality with those who have active sex outside heterosexual marriage, but does not put them in the same room as those who struggle with lust. This kind of careless discussion about homosexuality is what makes Christians into hypocrites to those outside the church.
Driscoll critiques Rob Bell's use of rabbinical tradition as suspect since rabbinical tradition does not recognize Jesus as the Messiah (personal note: I discovered recently most of what we know about rabbinical tradition is from the AD 100's, more than 70 years after Jesus). It's definitely not the cleanest approach to scripture, but Bell clearly sites his sources and encourages his readers to do their own investigation. Also, I wonder how well sited Driscoll's use of how Western Philosophy affects his interpretation of scriptural texts (much of current theology has been developed based on the philosophical views and approaches of the Greeks).
Driscoll also calls into question Bell's "trajectory hermeneutic" and sites Bell's support of Slaves, Women, and Homosexuals (see my comments on this book in a previous post). Driscoll's weakness here is that he believes this hermeneutic (which is actually called a "redemptive-movement hermeneutic" in the book) specifically does NOT lead to an endorsement of homosexuality (as explained in the book) like he claims. Not sure if Driscoll has any other concerns about this approach to interpreting scripture, but I recognize that any interpretation of scripture must be very carefully considered and critiqued.
Another major concern of Driscoll, which I share with him, about Bell is his trampoline analogy about theology (in other words theology needs to be flexible) and the example of the importance of the virgin birth. In Velvet Elvis, Bell, hypothetically, considers the translation of "virgin" in Isaiah as "young girl" (which is possible) and wonders if it changes anything about how early Christians viewed Jesus' conception. Driscoll misguidedly, but correctly, points out that the virgin birth was a HUGE part of the early church and goes to the heart of the integrity of the scriptures. Where he goes wrong is saying would we believe the word of a "lying whore" if Mary lied about Jesus' conception. How many whores does God use in the Bible to bring glory to his name? How many liars, thieves, drunkards, and more bring glory to God by proclaiming the truth?
Driscoll's bottom line is we need to return to Jesus and not get so caught up in current trends, culture, and celebrity hype . . . which leads me to wonder about my time writing this and whether I should have been pursuing something else . . . perhaps this will be helpful to some who have not considered the wider implications of those beautifully made NOOMA videos.
Either way, I hope you spend some time with Jesus now before moving on to something else so that you will take him with you:
I have set the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. - Psalm 16:8
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. - James 1:26-27
For awhile I have gone back and forth with some people about whether or not God really likes religion (Toph is of course one of them). I always came back to this verse as an argument against the modern definition of religion: "A set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs." (ref) I argued, vehemently at times, that God is not concerned with a set of beliefs, ritual observances, or even moral code (though clearly these are derived from a fear of God and a humble and contrite heart, Psalm 51:16-17).
I am not stepping back from this position too much, but I clearly made a mistake. I did not take into consideration what "religion" meant in the Greek 2000 years ago.
"1) fearing or worshipping God; 2) to tremble; trembling, fearful." (ref) Of course the ancients knew that "religion" was more than some set of governing beliefs or ritualistic behavior. It was, at its heart, a definition for your attitude toward and relationship with God. Is your attitude one of awe, respect, and honor towards God? Then your are religious.
James exposes that this attitude towards God will be reflected in your speech, in your actions, and in your character. A tongue that builds others up actions that join the oppressed, and a heart that remains pure in the midst of evil and brokenness are all evidence of a true heart of religion.
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This does not have only theoretical implications for me. As I began my new job, Family Pastor, I had a lot of ideas about how I would be spending my time. One thing that has consumed more time than I anticipated is a local Kids Club. The leaders from last year backed off, volunteers have left for different reasons, and the few that remain seem uncertain of whether or not God is calling us to this ministry. Personally, I was not planning on leading or facilitating an after school program for kids when I signed on . . .
However, I come across these verses in James, and wonder about my heart towards God and whether it is reflected in my desire to join the fatherless and be a part of their lives. I also remembered reading from Hebrews 11:25-27 . . .
(Moses) chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.
I am not saying I would be mistreated serving in Kids Club. I just connect my discomfort with it and realize this discomfort, compared to the suffering of Jewish slaves, is nothing. Moses, by faith, entered into a difficult situation because of his encounter with God. His new found respect, honor, and awe for God led him to uncomfortable places. Even before Christ was physically on the scene, it was for his sake that Moses let go of the fleeting comforts, rewards, and pleasures of Egypt.
John Piper challenged an audience about whether or not they would choose suffering for the sake of Christ and as a blessing to others. His example: if you and a brother were adopting children and two became available. Would you choose the one with significant challenges over the completely healthy one to bless your brother and choose to enter into the suffering of this child for the sake of Christ?
So, will I choose to facilitate and serve at Kids Club simply as a blessing to other brothers and sisters in Christ as well as for the sake of Christ in the lives of those kids? I am wanting to say yes. And am beginning to move out in faith. Realizing I do not have enough faith, my prayer is:
"God, help my unbelief."
