Lessons from a Thirsty Theologian

Excerpts from the post Things I’ve Learned After It Was Too Late:

• Be careful what you say in front of your children.
• If you’re given a month to do an assignment, and you think you can wait until the last week to do it, the assignment will take at least two weeks.
• God may not help everyone who helps themselves, but if you don’t help yourself, your kids will eat all the cookies before you get any.
• That cake your wife baked that you snitched a piece from? That was for church.
• If you buy a rare book on eBay for sixty dollars, two identical copies will sell next week for twenty-five.
• When your wife is nine months pregnant, don’t suggest naming the child Jonah.
• I’m not as funny as I think I am. See above.
• Your sins really will find you out.

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Mark Driscoll on Ministry

The following was directly copied from Mark Driscoll’s blog at Resurgence.  I highly recommend that you look there to read his thoughts on ministry and many other topics, but for accessibility I’ve compiled his posts entitled Death by Ministry.  Be warned that it is very long, but there are a few wonderful points:

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Heaven, Earth, and In-Between

Do either of these categories fit you well?

[Some] construct a modern monestary by adopting a “fortress mentality.”  They refuse to live in this world and instead construct an entirely Christian one, from which they rarely break out.  They are consumed by Christian radio stations and Christian bookstores, and when they need their faucets fixed, they make sure that it’s done b a Christian plumber.  If they can’t be in heaven, they’ll simply construct one on earth.  They wholeheartedly agree with Paul that to die is gain.  they’re just not sure how to say along with Paul that life “in the flesh” (that is, in the body, on earth) is “fruitful labor” (Phil. 1:22).

On the other hand, in contrast to monestary Christans, whether literally or figuratively, some are distracted by this world and risk being consumed by i.  For them, the Christian faith means little more than learning how to be a better parent or how to balance a checkbook or manage a business or find inner serenity.  To them, this world eclipses the next.  They are consumed by this world’s agenda and are driven by its passions.  They may very well use Christan lingo to baptize their pursuits, but their herats are not directed toward their home.  As for life on this earth, they would feel quite claustrophobic within monastery walls.  They would much prefer to break out and blend in, perhaps even to be trendsetters.  Rather than withdraw from the world, they’re right at home in it.  Paul’s belief that “to die is gain” doesn’t make much sense to them. 

Stephen J. Nichols, Heaven on Earth 18-19

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Heroes: Then and Now

This evening I had the blessing of conversing with three of my closest friends, and the topic turned to that of heroes and role models.  We lamented the absolute lack of names we could commend to the youth of our church.  Athletes have let us down; movie stars continue to let us down; and let’s not start on politicians.  Perhaps there are some in the church that are good examples, but I would hope that there would also be some Christians living out their faith in the world to inspire all those who might not go into full-time ministry.

So, I’ll revisit the topic later as I think about it… but if you have any suggestions or people that you admire, I’d love to hear them.

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Creation Project, Jonathan Dodson, and Accountability

It is my privilege to commend to you the blog of Jonathan Dodson called Creation Project.  Jonathan is the author of a wonderful article in the Journal of Biblical Counseling entitled Accountability Groups which I recently cited for my paper on Repentance vs. Penance, and it can be downloaded here. (pdf link)  There are some other edifying articles there that he has written for Boundless, and his blog interacts quite a bit with modern music if that is of interest to you.

Here are some quotes from the journal article:

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Sentences that Change Lives I

Books don’t change people…paragraphs do…sometimes even sentences. – John Piper, A Godward Life

In recent days I’ve been persuaded that while a deep understanding of the most technical of subjects can be to the glory of God, still the practical depends upon short, perhaps pithy, sentences.  If I cannot summarize a sermon, a lecture, a book, or a lesson in one or a few sentences, then I don’t understand it myself.  For, teaching is not about doing an information dump, but purposefully arranging and organizing information to drive at a thesis or main point.  When people ask what I’m learning in seminary, for example, I’m quick to explain the most interesting bit of trivia from that day rather than impart some bit of wisdom or broader understanding to the glory of God.

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Misunderstood – Forgiving and Forgetting

Reformation21 has a wonderful roundtable discussion with Ligon Duncan and Justin Taylor on the topic of Forgiveness.  Here is a quote:

Derek: How much forgetting is involved in forgiving? And is that what God actually does?

Ligon: Well, obviously, because God is unchangeable and omniscient, there is sense in which he doesn’t ever forget anything. When we speak of forgetting, colloquially, I think we are talking about that circumstance in which a person has a really hard time getting over an issue.

Now, from the divine standpoint, I think it is important for a believer, for instance, to understand that though God knows everything that the believer has ever done, yet God’s forgiveness is without reservation… It’s not because the sins that the believer has committed are inconsequential. They are not inconsequential; they are very consequential. But it is the fullness of the price and the merit which Christ has paid and performed on our part and God’s acceptance of it in our stead that makes his forgiveness as without reservation. So when you come to passages in the Bible where the Scripture writers talk about God casting our sins behind his back and remembering them no more, it is not that God had a sudden slip of amnesia – it is that he has put out of heart and mind anything that could be an obstacle to right relationship between him and the forgiven sinner.

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Media and the Church Service

FaithVisuals has a good article tonight entitled Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should.  Here are some highlights:

The problem is that many [people] seem to think that knowing software is equal to knowing how to create good art. They think because they know Photoshop that makes them a graphic artist. Churches are in the habit of using people with knowledge instead of style. After all, it’s a challenge to find good volunteers and we sometimes value their time despite their lack of talent. The advent of computers and software has changed the questions we ask. Instead of asking, “Are you an artist?”, we ask, “Do you know Photoshop?” An approach like this is akin to asking a potential pianist if they know where all the keys are on a piano.

Just because your computer can do something, doesn’t mean you should do it. You know that really funky filter that makes your photos look hand-drawn? Don’t use it. What about the PowerPoint entrance where the letters bounce onto the slide? Skip it. And that video transition that does wavy lines across the screen? Don’t go near it. For the most part, you should stick to effects and transitions that are subtle, not sexy. 

Whether you create graphics, PowerPoint, or video for your church, it’s important to intentionally limit yourself to some standard effects, perhaps even against your own best judgment. It would be better to miss an opportunity to use a cool effect than to use that effect inappropriately and distract from the message your art is trying to communicate. In that case, it’s never a bad idea to stay away from flashy and stick with the basics.

 

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Joost and CNN’s Christianity Documentary

It had been months since I had fired up Joost at all, since generally there isn’t much content to view.  Correction, there isn’t much worthwhile content to view.  But today I received in my inbox a notice that the over-the-internet Joost will be re-airing MLB playoff games within 24 hours of their first airing, and it piqued my interest to see what other new features and programs have been added.

Lo and behold, CNN has put together a good documentary on Christianity after Jesus under Roman rule.  Check it out at http://joost.com/101002a.  If you need an invitation, I have some of those left too, just leave a comment or email me.

Not familiar with Joost? Get to know it here.

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Piper Logos PrePub, Rosscup Logos Pre-PrePub

Yesterday Logos started taking orders for the John Piper Collection which contains 24 of his books. With an MSRP of $360, it will most likely sell for $170 when it comes out and is available for preorder at $150. Production will begin when enough preorders have been made. Note, this is different from the previous announcement of the his sermon manuscript library , which should be shipping on 10/2/2007. Both seem like wonderful tools, and if you don’t already own the printed versions I highly recommend this new prepub.

Also, and you’ve heard it first here: James Rosscup’s monumental exposition of prayer will be coming to the Logos PrePup program soon, within the next week or two. [edit: It is now available for $160] for It is an effort of 15 years that resulted in nearly a 3,000 page work covering more than 1,000 references. A detailed index can help users quickly get to verses, ideas, words, etc.
Among the highlights:

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