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Month: September 2013

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Published on 13 Comments on The Monstrous Evil of Balance: Or Why Nuance Is Always Always Wrong

luther"It's like that great Luther quote", says the conference speaker. And I lean forward, expecting some fiery nugget - boldly declaiming the works of the flesh as dung, narrating some epic battle with spiritual darkness (probably won by farting in the devil's face), an impassioned insistence on Christ crucified upending all our dearest ideals - essentially I'm expecting some red-meat theology still dripping with blood. And what do I hear? More often than not, it's...

As Luther said, "Humanity is like a drunkard who, after falling off his horse on the right, falls off it next time on the left."

And what is the moral to the story? Be balanced. Avoid extremes. Just like Luther, right?

Well, except that, such a sentiment doesn't sound very Lutheran now does it? If you are looking for a proponent of balance would you really choose Luther as champion of the via media?? Surely not! Surely Luther is the champion of theological extremes: Scripture Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone - nothing balanced there! The whole reformation is the rejection of a balance between faith and works or between faith and reason. There is a place for works and reason but it comes on the far side of a radical insistence on God's glory to the exclusion of ours.

Balance is not an aim, it's the fruit of an extreme devotion to Christ, and Christ alone.

So then, what's the deal with Luther's quote? Well actually it has been mediated to us through CS Lewis (in "The World's Last Night"). And at that point, it all starts to make sense. Mr Mere-Christianity-Anglican used Luther's line and pressed it into his own service. He made it a word about the dangers of extremes and the wonders of balance. But in the context of Luther's Table Talk, this is what he actually said:

The world is like a drunken peasant. If you lift him into the saddle on one side, he will fall off again on the other side. One can't help him, no matter how one tries. He wants to be the devil's. (LW 54:111)

Now, to me, this isn't a quote about extremism. There are only two positions really - on the horse and off the horse. The point is not about finding a median point between opposing wings. In fact, Luther's thought here is itself an extreme view of human nature - that we are in bondage to Satan and want to belong to him!  The problem isn't so much extremism, the problem is a mad (drunken) humanity that cannot save itself and can therefore only be saved by a radical intervention from beyond (not by a resolution of the drunk to 'find their balance'). If you ask me, Luther just isn't saying what Lewis wants him to say.

So next time you hear someone cite Luther's praise of balance, you'll know it's actually a Lewis sentiment. And you can decry it with extreme audacity, safe in the knowledge that balance is a monstrous evil. And nuance is always, always wrong.

 

Published on Leave a comment on The Tweek That Was

 

 

Our Halloween video has officially gone "Man Flu". Nothing like as big as "Viral" but I make a huge fuss nonetheless https://vimeo.com/75045602 

That Paul McKenna, he can mesmerize others but he can't take it himself. Hypnocrite

My father quit his job cleaning Tube tracks after they asked him to double as a late-night ghost-buster. He doesn't fluffer ghouls sadly

There's a God who has loved you to hell and back, and He has the scars to prove it (John20:24-31) #EnjoyYourDay

Pascal: "I have discovered that all the unhappiness of men arises from one single fact, that they cannot stay quietly in their own chamber"

In church history Trinity & Christology were settled b4 theories of atonement & doctrines of grace. 'Who' must come b4 'what'.

Heb7:24-25 If you spot Jesus being frog-marched out of heaven, worry. Otherwise #enjoyyourday

The law revolves around the priesthood. Heb7:12. Deep thought

Everywhere I go I see automated crazy people. Maybe it's psychos'o-matic

"Yes we can" was a slogan of hope. "Britain can do better" is a school report

I once met a Christian Atheist. He said "Believe in Jesus, Reject God." Given the "God" most people believe/disbelieve in, I see his point.

MT @NietzscheQuotes "There's not enough love&goodness in the world 2 permit giving any away 2 imaginary beings" But what if God's the Giver?

Feeling down? We have a lowly God who is with and for the downcast: Is57:15; Dan4:25; Zech9:9; Matt11:29 #EnjoyYourDay

...I meant Dan4:11 - wonderful verse. God sets over the kingdom "the Lowliest of men." Jesus is Lord because He is Servant.

 

"Even if Christ were crucified 1000 times it wd all be vain if the Word of God were absent & were not given to me w the bidding: This is 4u" (Luther)

Luther: "Before u take Christ as an example, accept him as a Gift that God's given you." This video explains

"I wish I never sinned" said the OT Israelite offering their sacrifice. "Why?" "Then I wouldn't have to keep returning to this altar" #fail

Sometimes our determination not to sin is basically our desire to never need Jesus or His blood. Which really *is* sinful

Paul says "I do all 4 God's glory" Within 2 verses he says he bends over bkwds "trying 2 please every1.. that they may be saved" Same thing!

<< God's glory is an outgoing, self-sacrificial, saving movement. That's what it is for Him, that's what it is for us. (1 Corinthians 9-10)

Ground down? The Lord's speciality is breathing life into our dust. Gen2:7 #EnjoyYourDay (based on a @PLeithart tweet)

Street-preachers: think twice before proclaiming Psalm 118:12. You may just be Preaching the Bees. #topicalspoonerism #edgy

“We are all of us born in moral stupidity, taking the world as an udder to feed our supreme selves” (George Eliot).

Given what we know of human nature... In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is burnt as a witch, right?

Preacher: illustrations are meant to illuminate a dazzling jewel, not sugar-coat a bitter pill.

The Trinity acc. 2 Rev7:17: A God who wipes away all tears, A Shepherd who dies 4 His sheep, A Spirit who slakes every thirst. #EnjoyYourDay

They don't like you shrinking the Pyramid of Cheops. Small wonder.

The temple drummer didn't want to accompany the ceremony. But I had him bang to rites.

You don't like flat bread? More's the pitta.

The DJ just said "I'm throwing u a curved ball". Yes curved. I'd like to see him throw a flat one.

Just bought a bible that skips from Psalms to Ecclesiastes. Someone's been taking the proverbial

-- @IsaacPain @sparticus My last bible only had 3 Gospels. I should have realised - it was Marked down :(

-- @IsaacPain @sparticus I don't mind my Spanish bookseller keeping back the fourth gospel for himself. Takes Juan to know Juan

-- @IsaacPain @sparticus My last bible stopped before Psalms. I guess they thought Job Done

-- @IsaacPain @sparticus Turns out my bible was missing Ezekiel 38-39. I was agog! Not to mention magog

-- @IsaacPain @sparticus Mine had variant spellings of the minor prophets. Obadih. Obadah. Life goes on

-- @sparticus @IsaacPain I, like, totally finished Jonah. Then I turned the page and was all, like, Dude, where's Micah?

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Published on Leave a comment on The Context is Key. The Context is Mission

blues-brothers-mission-godA repost

In preaching through 1 Corinthians recently I listened to a lot of sermons on chapters 9 and 10.   Two themes in particular were hammered home by preachers.

In chapter 9 there's the olympic training regimes (v24-27).  In chapter 10 there's 'glorifying God' in all circumstances (v31).  But so often the context of these verses is ignored.

So in chapter 9 we read this:

24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

That'll preach won't it?  Go into strict training people!  There's a medal held out.  Be an Olympian Christian.

And what did all these sermons mean by being an Olympian Christian?  Personal holiness.  Devotional disciplines.  You know the drill.

But what is the context?  Verses 19-23 - becoming all things to all men so that by all possible means we may save some.  It's a missionary context.  Beating our bodies and going into strict training is a description of how we order our lives with evangelistic priorities.  This Olympian spirituality is an outwardly focussed determination to move out into the world for the salvation of others.  That's quite a different sermon.

In chapter 10 we have that famous verse:

31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

What does this mean?  How would it look like lived out?  Well if you listen to these sermons it's mainly about personal holiness.  Devotional disciplines.  You know the drill.

But again, what is the context?  It's eating and drinking in the context of food sacrificed to idols.  The context is a world full of unChristian and anti-Christian cultures and practices which, nonetheless, the Christian is compelled to engage.  And so verse 33 says:

I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

It's about adapting all things, even eating and drinking, to the end that Jews, Greeks and the church of God is built up (v32).  Effectively verse 33 explains verse 31.  Doing all for the glory of God means doing all for the good of many, so that they may be saved.  This makes sense of the 'glory of God' which is not a static quality but an outgoing salvific movement.

To have your life ordered by God's glory is not simply to do your daily devotions - it's to live in outgoing invitation for the salvation of others.  Verse 31 is not some abstract call to look pious at all times.  We know what 10:31 looks like - it looks like Paul's ministry.  It looks like 9:19-23.  It looks like the missionary determination to become all things to all men that some may be saved.

So please, keep the context in mind.  And remember, the context is mission.

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Published on 1 Comment on Some Luther Gems on Preaching

Luther PreachingThe Threefold Word

“Christ is completely wrapped in the Scriptures, just as the babe is wrapped in swaddling clothes. Preaching is the manger in which he lies and is apprehended, and from which we take our food.” (Sermon on Luke 2)

Preaching as God's own Word

“Tis a right excellent thing, that every honest pastor’s and preacher’s mouth is Christ’s mouth, and his word and forgiveness is Christ’s word and forgiveness… For the office is not the pastor’s or preacher’s but God’s; and the Word which he preacheth is likewise not the pastor’s and preacher’s but God’s." (Quoted in Church Dogmatics I/1, p107)

“[God] condescends to enter the mouth of every Christian who professes the faith.” [Therefore preaching must be] “believed as though God’s own voice were resounding from heaven” (LW24, 66)

"We both - pastor and listener - are only pupils; there is only this difference, that God is speaking to you through me. That is the glorious power of the divine Word, through which God Himself deals with us and speaks to us, and in which we hear God Himself." (LW 23, 97)

 Therefore Preachers Inherit the Ministry of the Keys (Matthew 16:19)

[Jesus says,] “Peter’s mouth is my mouth, and his tongue is my key case. His office is my office, his binding and loosing are my binding and loosing. His keys are my keys, and I have no others, nor do I know of any others.” (LW40, 365)

“God has no other way to forgive sins than through the spoken Word, as he commanded us. [For] if you do not look for forgiveness through the Word, you will gape toward heaven in vain for grace, or (as they say), for a sense of inner forgiveness.” (LW40, 366]

Preaching Law and Gospel

“The law uncovers sin; it makes the sinner guilty and sick; indeed, it proves him to be under condemnation... The gospel offers grace and forgives sin; it cures the sickness and leads to salvation." (Romans Commentary)

Preaching the Gospels

"I believe that it has now become clear that it is not enough or in any sense Christian to preach the works, life, and words of Christ as historical facts, as if the knowledge of these would suffice for the conduct of life; yet this is the fashion among those who must today be regarded as our best preachers. Far less is it sufficient or Christian to say nothing at all about Christ and to teach instead the laws of men and the decrees of the fathers....Rather ought Christ to be preached to the end that faith in him may be established, that he may not only be Christ, but be Christ for you and me, and that what is said of him and is denoted in his name may be effectual in us. Such faith is produced and preserved in us by preaching why Christ came, what he brought and bestowed, what benefit it is to us to accept him." (The Freedom of the Christian, LW 31.357)

“The chief arti­cle and foun­da­tion of the gospel is that before you take Christ as an exam­ple, you accept and rec­og­nize him as a gift, as a present that God has given you and that is your own. This means that when you see or hear of Christ doing or suf­fer­ing some­thing, you do not doubt that Christ him­self, with his deeds and suf­fer­ing, belongs to you. On this you may depend as surely as if you had done it your­self; indeed as if you were Christ himself."  (What to Look for and Expect in the Gospels)

The Nature of Preaching

"Preaching is naught other but an offering and presentation of Christ." Luther (LW39, 183)

“The preaching of the gospel is nothing else than Christ coming to us, or we being brought to him” (LW 35.121).

The Necessity of Preaching

“Even if Christ were given for us and crucified a thousand times it would all be vain if the Word of God were absent and were not distributed and given to me with the bidding, this is for you, take what is yours.” (LW 40, 213)

"To preach Christ means to feed the soul, make it righteous, set it free, and save it, provided it believes the preaching" (Freedom of the Christian)

The written Word (the Bible) "is not as fruitful and powerful as it is through a public preacher whom God has ordained to say and preach this.” (Sermon, 21 July 1532)

A Sample of Luther's Preaching

It would be spectacular and amazing, prompting all the world to open its ears and eyes, mouth and nose in uncomprehending wonderment, if some king’s son were to appear in a beggar’s home to nurse him in his illness, wash off his filth, and do everything else the beggar would have to do. Would this not be profound humility? Any spectator or any beneficiary of this honor would feel impelled to admit that he had seen or experienced something unusual and extraordinary, something magnificent.

But what is a king or an emperor compared with the Son of God? Furthermore, what is a beggar’s filth or stench compared with the filth of sin which is ours by nature, stinking a hundred times worse and looking infinitely more repulsive to God than any foul matter found in a hospital?

And yet the love of the Son of God for us is of such magnitude that the greater the filth and stench of our sins, the more He befriends us.

For how amazing it is that the Son of God becomes my servant, that He humbles Himself so, that He cumbers Himself with my misery and sin. . . . He says to me: “You are no longer a sinner, but I am. I am your substitute. You have not sinned, but I have. The entire world is in sin. However, you are not in sin; but I am. All your sins are to rest on Me and not on you.” No one can comprehend this. In yonder life our eyes will feast forever on this love of God. (Sermon on John 1:29)

And here's the lowdown on Luther and Preaching from David Lotz: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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Published on 9 Comments on All About Us

its-all-about-meWhen we hear a preacher talk about "our Jesus-shaped hole" we're sensitive to the dangers. It sounds instantly "me-centred" doesn't it? If a preacher goes on about our felt needs and how Jesus meets them, Jesus seems only as big as the hole that's in us. That can't be right.

Yet, while we may be able to spot that error, another kind of me-centredness can beset the soundest of pulpits. Let me pick on perhaps the three most popular topics preached on in the churches I visit. These days the Trendy Trifecta is Trinity, grace and idols. Everything now is Trinity, grace and idols. Thinking back to last Sunday, I touched on all three, and if you're a preacher I hope you covered at least two of those!

But here's the danger, we are so self-obsessed, we can even make these truths all about us. We psychologize them and turn them into anthropology not theology.  So,

We're interested in "Trinity" because it resonates with our need for love.

We love love, we think it's lovely. So we love that God is love. And we preach the Trinity because it accords with our prior proclivities. We don't preach Trinity as the nature of God, we preach it as wish-fulfillment.

We're interested in "Grace" to the degree that it's a motivator in our lives. 

It's all about which regime produces the better Christian life - carrot or stick. Well, because we're "grace" people, we say CARROT. Loudly! But what we mean is "we believe in a certain shape to the Christian life" - not "we believe in a certain shape to God's life." Again, we don't preach grace as God's very nature (quite apart from how we feel about it), we preach it as wish-fulfillment.

We're interested in "Idols" as a psychological explanation for our patterns of addiction.

Idols-speak provides us with a window onto our own desires and we need little encouragement to think about ourselves. Idols-speak can become like the online personality test to discover the real me: delicious! But in preaching there's a real danger that we don't consider idols theologically. I find it rare for a preacher to define idols (as Scripture does) as false conceptions of God. Instead we consider over-investment in the world and the flesh and how we can solve our idolatry problem by determining to worship the right thing. In all this, God Himself is quite dormant, waiting for us to switch our allegiances. We are centre-stage. (More on idolising idols here).

It might sound "God-centred" to talk about Trinity and grace and idols, but so easily we make it all about us.

 

Published on Leave a comment on Sermons

Jesus baptism 10"The Gospel"
(part of "Marks of a Healthy Church")

From 1 Corinthians 15 (also a baptism service)

Sermon audio

Sermon text

Sermon Powerpoint

 

"Losing your grip, finding yourself"
(Evangelistic sermon on Jesus' Baptism)

Sermon audio

Lost the first minute of recording where I talk about the things people do to find themselves: Travel, moving to the country, new hobbies, new diets... but they don't work.

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Published on 6 Comments on Putting Halloween in Context

H4When 10 of those asked me to do an evangelistic video for Halloween, I knew the dangers. Immediately I predicted a range of reactions reflecting the range of views on the subject.

When John Piper was asked about Halloween he summarized these varying approaches...

How to write something that satisfied all such groups?

Well, you can't. So I decided to write something for the friends of Christians - friends who would have little understanding of Halloween's origins or the gospel. That's the target audience. Therefore I'm not trying to convert Christians to 'trick or treating'. I am trying to engage trick-or-treaters (and their Facebooking parents) with the gospel.

Originally the video was going to be an animation with silhouetted figures playing the part of trick-or-treaters. We ran out of time for that and so decided to film it. On the day, I told the parents to bring children in whatever costumes they were comfortable with - a pirate or a spiderman would be perfect. I also brought some spare pumpkin costumes just in case. As it happened, the parents did a wonderful job on wardrobe and make-up as you can see.  And my videographer and soundtrack artist were incredibly good at evoking the mock-horror.

What we ended up with was a really quite scary first minute of film that went beyond what I'd imagined with words and a basic animation. But I'm glad for how the film has turned out. I think that initial impact grabs folks and hopefully pulls them into the gospel material. Remember - this is for non-Christians. Non-Christians.

So I want to make clear, my intention is not to open the doors for Christians to go trick-or-treating. I want to open the doors for trick-or-treaters to come to Christ!

Interestingly I've had complaints in the other direction too. One person so far has thought I'm too hard on paganism. I think they made some good points. They asked Why do we "mock" these spiritual beliefs (witches, paganism, etc)? Is it really Christian to mock? Would we similarly 'mock' Muslims or Hindus?  That complaint led to a really fruitful conversation. But I mention it just to say that the video is not at all trying to compromise with spiritual darkness but to unmask it.

Here's the bottom line for me: if you're not sold on the whole "mocking the darkness" angle (which I think is the true meaning of Halloween... see links below) then please don't get involved in Halloween just because we made a pretty video. I'm persuaded that Halloween can be engaged with positively, but if you're not persuaded then don't practice.

Romans 14:14 is the verse here:

I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean.

Just cos I made it rhyme, doesn't mean I'm right. If you're a Christian wondering what your approach to Halloween will be this year, our video hasn't solved anything for you. You can't short-cut the reading, thinking and praying part.

If you want some pointers in the direction of Christian engagement with Halloween, James Jordan is my top tip on a starting place. Peter Dray has also written a great paper (delivered first as an evangelistic talk). The Oxford Concise Dictionary of the Christian Church has good entries on "All Saints Eve" and "All Saints Day" (which deny that ancient Christians simply adopted pagan practices). CS Lewis's introduction to the Screwtape Letters gives sound advice on neither thinking too highly nor too little of evil powers and gives a great defence of holy mockery. He quotes Luther:

“The best way to drive out the devil, if he will not yield to texts of Scripture, is to jeer and flout him, for he cannot bear scorn.” (Martin Luther)

Alan Rudnick writes from an American perspective and Steve Utley from a British one. Michael Spencer and Anderson Rearick might be a step too far for some, but they're fascinating for showing how attitudes have changed on this issue.

If you're after a video for how Christians should engage Halloween, then check out Ed Drew's video. Our video is designed to reach non-Christians. And to that end I ask that you get busy sharing it towards the end of October. If we really want to oppose Satan then, as Luther says "Christians should face the devil with the Word of God."

 

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Published on 4 Comments on Lost in Translation

evangometerHere are ten Scriptures that get lost when translated into our church practices. The second phrase of each pair might never be articulated and it will often have much truth to it. But there's a mould we tend to press the Scriptures into - and it's not always useful...

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly" becomes "Have a quiet time."

"Pray without ceasing" becomes "Have a quiet time."

"Preach the word" becomes "Explain the passage."

"Do not give up meeting together" becomes "Schedule weekly Bible studies."

"Confess your sins to one another" becomes "Join an accountability group."

"You will be my witnesses" becomes "You ought to do some evangelism."

"We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God" becomes "Please come on our course."

"You must be born again" becomes "You must be able to narrate a dramatic conversion experience."

"Pursue righteousness" becomes "Avoid porn."

"Flee from idolatry" becomes "Don't love things too much." 
Can you think of others?

 

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Published on 1 Comment on I Done Tweets

Halloween Video nearly ready:
Halloween

#Luther 1/3 "How amazing it is that the Son of God becomes my servant, that He humbles Himself & cumbers Himself with my misery & sin."

#Luther 2/3 "Christ says to me: 'You are no longer a sinner, but I am. I am your substitute. You have not sinned, but I have....'

#Luther 3/3. "Christ says to us: '...The entire world is in sin. However, UR not in sin; but I am. All yr sins are 2 rest on Me & not on u.'

Christ is wrapped in the Scriptures as in swaddling clothes. Preaching is the crib where He is seen & from which we take our food. #Luther

There is a God who reigns from the cross, turning deicide into divine glory. He will redeem you from *all* evil. (Gen 48:16) #EnjoyYourDay

I cannot emphasize /**THAT**/ enough

- "Were there many factors that inspired such a speedy overture?" - "Only time" (Will Tell)

Strange, you can call a Welshman dim, but it means nothing to him.

Nice review of @321Gospel by @ArthurGDavis LINK

Law: "If you... Then He'll..." Gospel: "Since He... You are..."

The LORD cares particularly for the orphan, the widow & the sojourner. Well, the Father adopts us, the Son marries us & the Spirit seals us.

Visited a church where Many older men regaled me with their spiritual CVs. Lord save me from CV-building now so I won't be CV-boasting then

Our hearts go out, but not like His: "When the Lord saw her His heart went out to her. He said 'Don't cry'" Lk7:13 #EnjoyYourDay

Tinker Tailor Soldier Sjerikiehhgwu #typofilms

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spew #typofilms #better

When Happy Met Silly #typofilms

When Hairy Met Pally #typofilms

Nick Cave's dark western about a Grammar Nazi out for revenge: The Preposition" #typofilms

John McClane takes on the badger cull: "Die Herd" #typofilms

"Things would have turned out very differently if Vin Diesel's parents had had a *nice* bottle of wine that night." (@kerihw)

The true Lord of this world is not death, decay, power, money, fate or some uncaring god. It's Jesus and He's for you #EnjoyYourDay

The point of the preaching aint the passage but the Person proclaimed in the passage.

An admission that we in our circles have little theology of preaching (I include myself as a debtor to PT) LINK

When we render 'confess your sins to one another' as 'join an accountability group' MUCH is lost in translation.

Whatever it holds, today is another day closer to seeing His face. #EnjoyYourDay

"ALL who exalt themselves will be humbled but HE who humbles Himself will be exalted." (Mat23:12) The whole world lifts up, Jesus comes down

Outrageous and eye-opening: MT @PastorJoshW: "Today I was arrested for preaching the Gospel. http://fb.me/24GIHekVE "

Man is the operating system of the universe. 1.0 (Adam) was corrupted, 2.0 (Christ) fixes all bugs & takes us to a new level. #UpgradeNow

In Adam - tho u'd done Nothing - u were caught up in curse. In Christ - tho u've done Nothing - ur heir of all blessings #EnjoyYourDay

God's plan for world evangelization (SPOILER: it's church!) LINK by @PastorSteveJeff

Dear Twitter, I really *really* Really don't care about your meals, your runs or your iPhone updates. Much love, Glen

@PrestonSprinkle is interviewed by @mbird12, and makes a great Christian case for nonviolence. LINK

An Historical Critique of Islam's Beginnings speaker Jay Smith LINK

Our Saviour sent Kindness to justify you and poured out Cleansing to renew you. (Titus3:4-7) #Trinity #Salvation #EnjoyYourDay

To all those struggling with your iPhone updates... I'm sorry for your Ios

Some call me lazy. Let them.

I don't mean to judge but naming your children after diseases is cruel. Especially if your surname is Ridden.

I'm always wondering how @DerrenBrown might trick me. Hypnothetically speaking.

 

 

 

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