Sunday, January 31, 2010
What Is the Missional Church? Watch This Simple Short Video.
Please listen to this message from Ed Stetzer that fleshes this out to a greater degree. I was greatly encouraged by it.
(HT: LOS)
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
You Are Cool Because You Are Missional
If you are an Arcade Fire loving, beard having, coffee and beer drinking, Acts 29 type guy (I don't have a beard and I loathe Arcade Fire, but other than that I am this guy to some degree), Jonathan Dodson has a butt kicking post for you to read. My butt was effectively kicked. Check it out.
Is streaming the future of music?
From BBC News:
With free, legal access to almost any music at any time, streaming services like Spotify and We7 are a dream for many music fans.Read the rest.
Some believe streaming will overtake downloading to become the most popular form of digital music.
But there are still big questions over whether such services can make money - and whether record labels will let them work.
Rote Gospel Singing
Bob Kauflin:
We can practice gospel-centered corporate worship in a way that is more obligatory than faith-filled. What once magnified the glory of Christ becomes lifeless repetition. My friend, Jon Payne, shared some thoughts with me on this topic that I found helpful. He pointed out that a formulaic approach to gospel-centered worship can lead to some of the following problems:
Leading gospel-centered worship in a faithless way can lead to some bad fruit:
- thinking every song should be exclusively about justification, boldness before the throne, or our sins being completely forgiven.
- thinking every song list should climax with a “gospel” song.
- an inability to reference or articulate uniquely other aspects of the gospel - adoption, reconciliation, union with Christ, etc.
- a scarcity of other themes in our songs such as the wisdom of God, the eternity of God, the power of God, the incarnation, the kingship of Christ, heaven.
- worshiping a doctrine rather than allowing that doctrine to lead us to a living Savior. We are not “crowning the gospel with many crowns.”
It’s our responsibility as leaders to make sure, as the Puritans said, that we always “labor to be affected by the cross.” The gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest news the world has ever heard and our singing should show it.
- The gospel and the Savior lose glory in the eyes of bored worshipers.
- People develop a limited view of God and his attributes.
- People don’t learn how to apply the gospel to other areas of life/Biblical themes.
- The gospel becomes a crude, repetitive statement of facts rather than a lens through which we view all of life.
- We think an explicit reference to the gospel makes our worship acceptable, rather than trust in a crucified and risen Savior.
- Rather than expecting to encounter God because of the gospel people come expecting to repeat faithless facts.
What have you done to make sure that singing about Christ’s redemptive work on the cross never becomes rote?
Postmodern Architecture
From an address by Ravi Zacharias:
I remember lecturing at Ohio State University, one of the largest universities in this country. I was minutes away from beginning my lecture, and my host was driving me past a new building called the Wexner Center for the Performing Arts.
He said, “This is America’s first postmodern building.”
I was startled for a moment and I said, “What is a postmodern building?”
He said, “Well, the architect said that he designed this building with no design in mind. When the architect was asked, ‘Why?’ he said, ‘If life itself is capricious, why should our buildings have any design and any meaning?’ So he has pillars that have no purpose. He has stairways that go nowhere. He has a senseless building built and somebody has paid for it.”
I said, “So his argument was that if life has no purpose and design, why should the building have any design?”
He said, “That is correct.”
I said, “Did he do the same with the foundation?”
All of a sudden there was silence.
You see, you and I can fool with the infrastructure as much as we would like, but we dare not fool with the foundation because it will call our bluff in a hurry.(HT: JT)
On Being "A Christ-Follower"
Kevin DeYoung:
Every once in awhile a little rant is called for. So here’s mine.
What ever happened to being called a Christian? Did I miss the ecumenical council that decreed the phrase “Christ follower” or “Jesus-disciple” be used for churchgoers under the age of 40? Of course, there’s nothing wrong with calling yourself a “Christ follower” or a “Jesus-disciple.” You can be a part of “Team Jesus” or walk in the “way of Rabbi Yeshua” if that floats your boat. There are plenty of justifiable phrases to go around.
Provided we don’t pick our phrases in order to avoid necessary unpleasantries.
I understand that “Christian” may feel stale, and that it carries baggage with some people. But the label is biblical (Acts 11:26). And the baggage is sometimes unavoidable. If you want to be a “follower of Jesus” instead of a “Christian” because the former implies only ethical emulation, while the latter suggests doctrinal and institutional commitment, then you need to check your motives not the baggage. Again, I don’t have a problem using “disciple of Jesus” to spice things up a bit. A phrase like that may even be prudent in extreme situations of persecution. But if we in North America are using it just to be trendy, or to gut Christianity of its theological center, or to simply avoid being one of those guys, we should really take a deep breath and learn to live with a term that’s been around since first century Antioch.
And while I’m at it, we should also be careful that we don’t make everything about “Jesus.” (Wait a second, did he just say that?!) Let me explain. I love Jesus. I love to pray to Jesus. I love to say the name “Jesus” in my sermons, a lot. I talk about following Jesus, worshiping Jesus, believing in Jesus, and having a big, glorious Jesus. No apologies necessary for saying “Jesus.” But then one time an older member of our congregation asked why I didn’t say “Christ” more often. I had never really thought about it before. I guess “Jesus” just packs a little more punch, has a little more edge, sounds a little fresher than Christ or Lord or the Son of God.
Again, there’s nothing wrong with referencing “Jesus.” The gospels do it a whole bunch. But we must not forget–and we must help our younger listeners remember–that we are not merely followers of a man named Jesus. We worship the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are disciples of this man Jesus, but this man is also our Savior and God. He is, after all, more than a carpenter.
Following Jesus is a movement. Believing in Christ is a faith. Let’s make sure we don’t have the first sentence without the second.
Don’t ditch the name that marks us out as his. Ain’t no shame in being called a Christian.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Challies Review of the iPad - Josh Harris Disagrees
I could go on with annoyances. There is no tethering between the iPad and the iPhone. The battery life is simply not sufficient (if they say ten hours, they probably mean six or eight with a bright screen and heavy use). There are so few input and output possibilities. I will stop there. No I won’t. How hard would it have been to smack an SD card slot in there? Seriously! It’s great to show a pretty photo application, but why not allow us to quickly and easily get the photos on there in the first place.
I guess it comes to this. If they are to maintain their share price, Apple needs you to continue buying an iPhone and a MacBook (or iMac). Thus they cannot allow the iPad to replace either one of them. And so it is a device between. It’s a device lots of people want, but nobody needs. What Apple should have done is to create a device that is spectacularly good at one thing—one thing that neither of the other devices does particularly well (like reading!). Instead, they went with the kitchen sink approach, trying to make it passably good at everything—things that the iPhone and MacBook do just fine.
I’m disappointed because the iPad could have been so much more. There are areas of my life it could have jumped into and done well, justifying its cost. As it is, I don’t see that happening. I’ll grant that ultimately I’ll need to use it and experience it to really know for sure. Maybe the experience of it will show me how and where it can find its place in my life (as happened with the iPhone). I would not be half surprised if, in the end, I end up with one (at least for R&D purposes). But it is going to take a very compelling argument for it to change my mind and find its place.
Josh Harris writes:
My friend Tim Challies has written a very negative post about Apple's new iPad. In fact he's calling it "the greatest disappointment in human history." Tim, where has your discernment gone? Go read your own book!
Admittedly, I am a mindless Apple fan so what I say here doesn't have much merit. But I'm putting my money on Apple and betting that the iPad will be another success. I remember people freaking out because the first iMac didn't have a floppy drive and only used USB ports. The naysayers had similar complaints about the iPod's battery life and the limitations of iTunes. Now, 250 million iPods later, I guess we could say the naysayers were wrong.
Now my brother Tim is upset that the iPad doesn't have a camera and more input options. But that's the genius of Apple. They know what to leave out. Before we even know ourselves, they figure out what we'll actually use and how we'll use it. Sure, the iPad will get better. We'll look back on this first version like we do the clunky first-edition iPod. But I think this will be a game changer for how people interact with media and the internet. Seeing my kids interact with the iPhone has convinced me of that. We want a computer we can touch.
My prediction: look for a blog post by Challies in the next year sharing how he bought an iPad just to review it, really mostly for his kids, and how it's not so bad as he initially thought. He'll gripe about several features just to save face, but will also be driven by integrity to mention that he uses his iPad constantly and his Kindle is in the dustbin. Of course I could be wrong. And if I am I'll do a blog post with the title "Challies Was Right About the iPad." But don't hold your breathe!
Why Churches Stall
Tim Chester:
Here’s a great article in this month’s Evangelicals Now from Marcus Honeysett on why churches stall.
Here are some highlights to whet your appetite …
1. The church forgets who we are and what we are for … When we forget that we are the community of disciples for declaring God’s greatness and making disciples, mission quickly becomes just one among many activities rather than the defining vision of who we are as a community.
2. The majority of believers are no longer thrilled with the Lord and what he is doing in their lives. When questions like ‘What is God doing with you at the moment?’ cease to be common currency, it is a sure sign of creeping spiritual mediocrity.
3. … In my view, the single biggest cause of stalled churches in the UK is the belief that material comfort can be normative for Christians. It is the opposite of radical commitment to Christ.
4. When [Christians] see church as one among many leisure activities, usually low down the priority list. They are unlikely to see the Christian community as God’s great hope for the world and unlikely to put commitment above self-interest.
5. … Where people take no personal responsibility for their own spiritual growth a stalled church becomes more likely.
6. … When preaching, teaching and Bible study become ends in themselves rather than means to an end, something is badly wrong.
7. A church becomes afraid to ask radical questions … The danger is that people start to equate serving the church with living out the gospel. Few churches regularly evaluate every aspect of church life against their core vision.
8. Confusing Christian activities with discipleship …
9. Not understanding how to release and encourage everyone in the church to use their spiritual gifts for the building up of the church … There are two types of DNA in churches. One type of church says ‘we exist to have our personal spiritual needs met’, the other ‘we exist to impact our locality and the world with the gospel of the grace of God in Christ’. The first type is a stalled church.
10. … No church was stalled at the point that it was founded. At the beginning all churches were adventures in faith and daring risk for God. No one actively decided for comfort over risk, but at some point the mindset shifted from uncomfortable faith and daring passion for the Lord to comfortable mediocrity … The mantra of the maintenance mindset is ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’. But just like buying shoes for growing children, if structures don’t take account of future growth then fellowships end up stunted and deformed.
Christian, Jew and Muslim "Trialogue"
Ed Stetzer posts a very interesting interview with a Dallas pastor who recently hosted a very unique event with Christian, Jews, and Muslims. He describes the event as follows:
The largest mosque and synagogue in DFW along with our church came together not for an inter-faith service but a multi-faith education and relationship building event. On Friday - we all went to the synagogue - had refreshments and conversation for an hour, and then and observed their worship. When it concluded me, the rabbi, and the imam took Q & A for 45 minutes. Saturday we all went to the mosque - and then Sunday they all came to the church. I'll tell you, it was strange as a pastor looking out and seeing hundreds of head coverings of hijabs, skull caps, etc., Our members worshipped with passion, clapping, raising their hands - and to see other religions interspersed through us as we worshipped was undescribeable - all I could think of was Paul in the synagogues, Mars Hill - etc., I didn't know how it would affect our worship Sunday, but for whatever reason - our worship that day was powerful simply powerful - I heard that again and again.Read the rest of the interview with this pastor about the event.
These People Think The iPad Is Not That Great
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Pray For "The Most Dangerous Place In The World"
Click here to watch a very interesting video about the insanely turbulant and violent situation near the border of Pakistan and Afganistan.
Meditate With Pen In Hand
Stephen Altrogge:
(HT: Chris Brauns)
Meditate With Pen In Hand
I first heard of this from John Piper, who said the following:
“A pastor will not be able to feed his flock rich and challenging insight into God’s word unless he becomes a disciplined thinker. But almost none of us does this by nature. We must train ourselves to do it. And one of the best ways to train ourselves to think about what we read is to read with pen in hand and to write down a train of thought that comes to mind. Without this, we simply cannot sustain a sequence of questions and answers long enough to come to penetrating conclusions”
The practice of writing down my thoughts as I read my Bible has had a transforming effect on my devotional times. Writing forces me to think through each verse, and to trace the logic of each passage. It helps me to fight distraction and to focus all my attention on the words before me. Go out and get yourself a Moleskine Watercolor Notebook LargeRead the rest.journal and start writing as you read.
(HT: Chris Brauns)
Mission As Identity
Tim Chester:
Mission as identity
For many people mission has become an event. We have guest services. Evangelistic courses. Street preaching. Youth programmes. There’s nothing wrong with these things. But mission is more than a slot into our schedules. It is an identity and a lifestyle. Mission is about living all of life, ordinary life, with gospel intentionality.
Missional communities
We are called to be missional communities – not lone evangelists. The life of the covenant community is to be a light to the nations. ‘By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’ (John 13:35) Our love for one another reveals our gospel identity. The world will know that Jesus is the Son of God sent by God to be Saviour of the world through the community life of believers (John 17:20-23). This does not primarily mean inviting people to meetings. It is about shared life into which other people are welcomed.
Scattered communities of light
Imagine a globe in darkness with one point of light. That was Israel in the Old Testament, one point of light in a dark world, drawing the nations to God. And New Testament believers are still be communities of light, drawing people to God. We still draw people in towards the centre. But the centre is no longer one geographic location in Palestine, but a hundred, thousand communities of light scattered across the globe. We are not be like a lighthouse, occasionally sending a beam of light across the city. We are to be communities of light and hope and love in a dark and broken world at street level, on the street corner.
"Dug Down Deep" Promo Video
Dug Down Deep: Unearthing What I Believe and Why It Matters
by Josh Harris was just released. Here is a really cool video that is part of the promotional competition for the book.
DugDownDeep_Carnahan.mov from Covenant Life Church on Vimeo.
by Josh Harris was just released. Here is a really cool video that is part of the promotional competition for the book. DugDownDeep_Carnahan.mov from Covenant Life Church on Vimeo.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
The Pro-Life Generation
Dr. Gene Edward Veith:
The pro-abortionists are worried. Journalist Robert McCartney, one of their number, explains why:
I went to the March for Life rally Friday on the Mall expecting to write about its irrelevance. Isn’t it quaint, I thought, that these abortion protesters show up each year on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, even though the decision still stands after 37 years. What’s more, with a Democrat in the White House likely to appoint justices who support abortion rights, surely the Supreme Court isn’t going to overturn Roe in the foreseeable future.
How wrong I was. The antiabortion movement feels it’s gaining strength, even if it’s not yet ready to predict ultimate triumph, and Roe supporters (including me) are justifiably nervous.
As always, we in Washington enjoy an up-close view of the health of various causes because of the city’s role as the nation’s most important setting for political demonstrations. In this case, I was especially struck by the large number of young people among the tens of thousands at the march. It suggests that the battle over abortion will endure for a long time to come.
“We are the pro-life generation,” said signs carried by the crowd, about half its members appearing to be younger than 30. . . .
Activists who support abortion rights conceded that there’s less energy among young people on their side of the debate.
“Unfortunately, I feel my generation is a little complacent,” said Amanda Pelletier, 20, co-director of the abortion rights group at American University. “It just doesn’t seem to be a very hip issue.”
A Statement That Implodes Upon Itself
In reference to the Tim Tebow Super Bowl commercial:
So it's wrong to "hold one way as being superior way over everybody else's"? Then why is Terry communicating her view of the Tim Tebow commercial? I feel "demeaned" that Terry would impose her views on me like this.
If no view can be held out as superior, then why is Terry trumpeting her view that the Tim Tebow commercial should be removed? Seems that she feels as though her view is superior to mine since I believe that all the world should watch the commercial.
I could go on and on. You get the point. Please, when people say things like this, figure our a way to gently and lovingly challenge it.
Terry O'Neill, the president of the National Organization for Women, said she had respect for the private choices made by women such as Pam Tebow but condemned the planned ad as "extraordinarily offensive and demeaning."
"That's not being respectful of other people's lives," O'Neill said. "It is offensive to hold one way out as being a superior way over everybody else's."I am honestly not trying to be smug here, but it just grieves me when people say these things that are so blatantly contradictory.
So it's wrong to "hold one way as being superior way over everybody else's"? Then why is Terry communicating her view of the Tim Tebow commercial? I feel "demeaned" that Terry would impose her views on me like this.
If no view can be held out as superior, then why is Terry trumpeting her view that the Tim Tebow commercial should be removed? Seems that she feels as though her view is superior to mine since I believe that all the world should watch the commercial.
I could go on and on. You get the point. Please, when people say things like this, figure our a way to gently and lovingly challenge it.
Flunking Kingdom Economics
Darryl Dash:
I got up yesterday ready to speak about God’s upside-down economy. “Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, ‘Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all’” (Mark 9:35). Mind-blowing stuff.
But before heading out, I checked Google Reader. I read about the top religion blogs according to Technorati (http://technorati.com/blogs/directory/living/religion/) and began thinking about how nice it would be to make the top ten.
Later on I heard somebody pray for the staff of the church. “Especially,” he said... I waited to hear my name. “...for Jonathan.” Why not me? I thought. I quickly pushed the thought aside, but I have to admit being glad when he finally got around to me.
It doesn’t take a genius to see the irony. I was about to speak about the first becoming last, servants of all. This is how things work in God’s economy. Jesus himself modeled this. If anybody had a right to be number one, it was Jesus. But he took the path of obscurity and service, a path that lead him directly to his own death.
He even used an infant as an object lesson. Back then, infants weren’t seen as all cute and full of potential. They were seen as resource hogs who consumed and demanded much and gave nothing in return. They weren’t even considered full persons. They were dependent, vulnerable, and unlearned, and had no status or rights. Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me.” In other words, whoever welcomes those who are seen as disposable and of no value are living according to God’s economy. We know we get it when we welcome those that everyone else rejects, those who can suck our time and resources and give nothing in return.
I was about to speak about all of this, but I didn’t get it. Not really. I understand the kingdom economy, but I still find myself as baffled as the disciples were.
I’m flunking kingdom economics. It’s especially embarrassing because I pass myself off as one of the teachers.
I’m flunking, but I refuse to drop out. I’m still hoping that I will one day I’ll get it. I take comfort from the fact that the disciples seemed to get it eventually. Maybe one day the world’s economy will seem upside-down, and the kingdom economy will make much more sense.
I’m a pretty poor learner. Good thing that Jesus is a good teacher.
Wishing Celebs Became Christians
Stuff Christians Like has a pretty funny post about how many Christians wish their favorites celebrites were Christians. I confess, I have thought this before. :) He makes the case that John Mayer would be the perfect candidate for becoming a Christian. It's pretty funny.
I do wish that John Mayer would become a Christian.
I do wish that John Mayer would become a Christian.
Tim Tebow Super Bowl Commercial Hype
There is a lot of hype going around right now about the Tim Tebow pro-life commercial that is going to air during the Super Bowl. You can read a bit about this here. Many pro-choicers are calling for CBS to retract it.
Jay Watts writes in response:
Just as an aside, would you please please please join me in advocating for the complete stoppage of all the "tolerance" talk. Tolerance is not the issue and it never has been. If anyone tells you to stop being "intolerant", or that you should be more tolerant because of a view that you hold, just suggest something like this:
Jay Watts writes in response:
Tim Tebow and his mother Pam in conjunction with private donors and Focus on the Family have legally purchased commercial air time during the Super Bowl to tell the story of how his mother was advised to abort him over medical concerns. Specifically there was something wrong with Tim that made it medically advisable to terminate his life. The content of the ad has been reviewed and approved by the network as acceptable. The theme of the brief spot is “Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life.” And according to abortion supporters, supposedly obsessed with freedom and choice, you should not be allowed to see this spot.Terrell Clemmons also writes:
Odd isn't it? Freedom, they cry! Liberty and equality for all and don't you attempt to force your view of morality on others. And yet it is that very same group that is now demanding that CBS not allow this perfectly legal and approved spot to air. Their desire for freedom is so specifically and narrowly defined as their own right to destroy inconvenient human life that the hypocrisy of this stance remains hidden from them. It is not freedom but fiat that they seek, and this fact is embarrassingly clear every time they seek to bully and quash the basic right to express contrary opinions.
An advertisement about a mother and her successful football player son, shown during a football game, is “not being respectful of other people’s lives.” Really?
“It is offensive to hold one way out as being a superior way over everybody else’s.” Really? Or is that merely Ms. O'Neill's way being held out as superior?
Yet to be determined: What will CBS deem to be the superior way?
Just as an aside, would you please please please join me in advocating for the complete stoppage of all the "tolerance" talk. Tolerance is not the issue and it never has been. If anyone tells you to stop being "intolerant", or that you should be more tolerant because of a view that you hold, just suggest something like this:
"Why are you asking me to be more tolerant? That in itself is not very tolerant. If you were really consistent in your view of tolerance you would accept ALL views, including mine, as valuable. But we both know that is impossible. No one wants to be "tolerant" of Hitler and his views on the Jews. So we both know that real tolerance is an impossibility.
Let's just get down to what really is going on here. We both disagree about something. I think I am right, and you think you are right. Most likely, we both can't be right. Do you think we can give reasons for or against our beliefs and not kill each other? I do. So why don't we cease with all the "tolerance" talk that really doesn't get either of us anywhere and give reasons for why we believe what we believe. That way, maybe we can find out what is really true. Peace-loving truth is what matters here much more than tolerance."
Leadership Advice From Carl Trueman
Some good leadership advice from Carl Trueman found in an interview done by C.J. Mahaney.
(a) Pick your battles. Not every hill is worth dying on; and not every battle is something you are competent to fight. As a younger man, I wanted to fight all comers and win every battle. Neither necessary nor possible.
(b) Be part of a team who care for you and whom you trust to tell you when you are going the wrong way or crossing a line that should not be crossed—and listen to them. Yes-men are fatal to good leadership. A trustworthy colleague who is prepared to oppose you to your face is worth his weight in gold.
(c) Understand that leadership is lonely; being liked by everyone is a luxury you probably cannot afford. Deal with it and get on with the job. If you want to be liked, be a circus clown; if you want to lead and lead well, be prepared for the loneliness that comes with it. This is why, for me, a happy home has been crucial for it has been a place where work is, as far as possible, kept far away. Home is the one place I can go each night and know that I am loved, and I guard it fiercely. I have even banned my kids from Googling my name—if there is nasty stuff out there about me, I deal with it at work; I do not allow it into my house.
(d) Don’t waste time defending your own name for the sake of it. If Christ’s honour is at stake, or the innocent are made vulnerable by some attack on your character, you need to respond; otherwise, let it be. If I responded to every wannabe crank who thinks I’m arrogant, hypocritical, lying etc. etc., I’d never have the time to do anything else. The secret is not caring about your own name except as it impacts upon others.
Roger Nicole’s Letter to Justice Blackmun on Roe v. Wade
James Grant writes:
Justice Harry Blackmun was the author of Roe v. Wade, and when he retired in 1994, Roger Nicole, Professor of Theology (Emeritus) at Reformed Theological Seminary and long-time professor at Gordon-Conwell, sent him the following letter [HT: Bayly Blog]:
****************************************
April 13, 1994
Mr. Justice Harry A. Blackmun
United States Supreme Court
Washington, D.C.
Your Honor:
The Orlando Sentinel reports that in the prospect of your impending retirement from the U.S. Supreme Court you are wondering what you will be remembered for…
To my mind nothing else that you ever have done can approximate the impact of your support of the majority opinion of the Court in the case of Roe vs. Wade.
This has opened the door to millions of abortions…
for the sake of expediency or selfish motives. It has encouraged millions of women and thousands of physicians to participate in this murderous course.
In 4 B.C. Herod the Great ordered the killing of perhaps a few dozens of babies, but his name remains famous for this “massacre of the innocents” (Matthew 2:16).
In the Civil War of 1861-65, one of the bloodiest on record in terms of the size of the armies involved, there were perhaps close to 500,000 casualties. But Roe vs. Wade has made already 30 million victims since 1973, and this number grows every day.
In World War II, the USA suffered somewhat more than 400,000 deaths due to the conflict: this is only 1/75th of the number of the abortion hecatomb.
In the Viet Nam hostilities there were some 60,000 fatalities. You would need 500 Viet Nam walls, enough to encircle the whole of D.C., to record those put to death by abortion.
The infamous holocaust engineered by the Nazis brought death to some 6,000,000 Jews and other innocent people. The name of Hitler is inextricably associated with this monstrous atrocity. Yet Auschwitz, Dachau, Buchenwald, Treblinka and others together exterminated only one-fifth of those whose life was snuffed out before birth by Roe vs. Wade.
The Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor cased the death of 2,300 Americans, and President Roosevelt, who surely cannot be accused of being politically right wing, stigmatized this occasion by calling it “a day of infamy.” Now two “decades of infamy” have cost our nation a loss as great as 13,000 “Pearl Harbors.”
Rest assured, therefore, your Honor, that this legacy of yours will ever be remembered and that your name will be associated with it. And unless you repent, when you appear before the Supreme Court of God you may well hear the verdict, “Your brothers; [and sisters'] blood cries out to me from the ground” (Genesis 4:10).
Sincerely,
Roger Nicole, Ph.D. (Harvard)
Monday, January 25, 2010
Stetzer on What It Means To Be "Missional"
Ed Stetzer has an interesting post on what is means to be "missional". He interacts with a recent article by Jonathan Leeman and also talks about a conference coming up that looks to be really interesting.
Parenting Is Your Highest Calling and 8 Other Myths That Trap Us In Worry And Guilt
Walt Mueller:
I knew more. . . alot more. . .about parenting before I ever had kids myself. Then I had kids. Then I had teenagers. Then I got to the age I'm at now. Along the way, reality came at me through experience, and then even more importantly, God's Word.
My own personal history from one who was sure of and dependent on the "foolproof" stuff I once believed. . . to sure of the ignorance of the "foolproof" stuff I once believed and currently experiencing the joy and freedom of riding along while God's at the wheel. . . has been quite a journey. Early in the journey I immersed myself in every Christian parenting book I could find. I was in search of the foolproof formula that would enable me to become the perfect parent raising perfect kids. I don't know how many books I digested before giving up. I'm glad that it didn't take too long to realize that those books leave you feeling quite beat up. I stopped reading them. Why? Because as your eyes are locked on the pages, they're also locked on your own heart. And what you see on the page doesn't mesh with the complex darkness that exists inside, which explains why the formulas don't lead to fruit.
Now, I run into parents each and every week who are looking for the "how to." It's not there. Rather, I'm convinced that our certainty, joy, and wisdom as parents is dependent on who we believe. If there's a secret, it lies in knowing, worshiping, following, and believing the One who made us for Himself. It comes in bathing ourselves in the truths of His Word. I was reminded of this yesterday when our pastor preached on the Resurrection from Matthew 22. The answer Jesus gave to the ignorant Sadducees applies to all of us and our confusion in life. . . even when it comes to our misplaced priorities and beliefs regarding parenting and our kids. Jesus said, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God" (v. 29).
If we only knew the Scriptures we would see that many of our parenting beliefs and practices are about replacing the Creator with created things. . . including our parenting skills, our twisted beliefs, the family, and even our kids. They can all become idols.
So for the last few years I've been committed to answering the question, "What's the best parenting book I can read?" with this simple answer: "The best parenting book I've ever read is Paul Tripp's "Age of Opportunity: A Biblical Guide to Parenting Teens, Second Edition (Resources for Changing Lives)" For one, Paul gets the Creator and created priorities right. Paul knows how sinful we and our kids really are. Paul knows how dependent we are on God. Paul knows that there are no foolproof formulas. Paul knows because he knows the Word, and he's been through it as a dad. It's a great book.
This morning I finished a book that joins Age of Opportunity on my list. A few weeks ago I mentioned Leslie Leyland Fields' article - "The Myth of the Perfect Parent" - in Christianity Today Magazine. The article was full of truth that is liberating to those of us who have bought the lies. It made me want to hear more from this mother of six. She sent me a copy of her book, :"Parenting Is Your Highest Calling: And Eight Other Myths That Trap Us in Worry and Guilt"Now I've got a number two on my list. Fields addresses each of the 9 myths straight from the Scriptures in a way that leaves readers wondering, "Duh, how did I ever miss that?!?" She busts through the myths by taking us into a deeper understanding of the sovereignty of God and His grace in the lives of fallen humans who cannot save themselves.
The myths (and idols!) Fields' says we believe? . . .
1. Having children makes you happy.
2. Nurturing your children is natural and instinctive.
3. Parenting is your highest calling.
4. Good parenting leads to happy children.
5. If you find parenting difficult, you must not be following the right plan.
6. You represent Jesus to your children.
7. You will always feel unconditional love for your children.
8. Successful parents produce Godly children.
9. Why God is not limited by imperfect families.
Do you scoff at any of these myths? Don't. . . until you've read the book.
Winners of Piper's "A Sweet and Bitter Providence"
The winners of John Piper's "A Sweet and Bitter Providence: Sex, Race, and the Sovereignty of God
" are...1. Nate Downey
2. Dawnae Richards
3. Aaron Armstrong
Thanks for playing and be on the lookout for another giveaway from Crossway Books in Feb!
In Haiti, children are the most vulnerable
USA Today with this very painful read. Read it. Then pray and seek to act on their behalf. From the article:
I long for this day...
Rev. 21:1-5:
In the devastation left after the Haiti earthquake, the heaviest blow is falling on the weakest: children. Already poor, underfed and underschooled, tens of thousands of Haiti's children now face the cruelest catastrophe: They are alone. Their parents are dead or have disappeared in the chaos. They have lost their homes, their friends, their sense of security. They are hungry, bleeding and afraid — of the present and of the future.
I long for this day...
Rev. 21:1-5:
21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”
Mark Driscoll's Full Interview With R.C. Sproul
- Has R.C. Sproul Ever Been on the Internet?
- Does God Really Want All People To Be Saved?
- Apostasy in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America?
- What Is the Biggest Upcoming Theological Battle?
- R.C. Sproul and Alice Cooper
- How Do You Prepare Yourself for Ministry?
- R.C. Sproul's Greatest Battle and How He Recovered
- If R.C. Sproul Could Do Anything Over Again, What Would It Be?
- How Has R.C. Sproul's Wife Impacted Him?
- R.C. Sproul's Ministry Legacy
- How Does R.C. Sproul Feel About Facebook?
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Spirit-Filled Singing
Our teaching pastor at Desert Springs Church, Ryan Kelly, delievered a very good message today on singing in the church. I would greatly encourage you to download it and listen.
How To Wreck Your Church In Three Weeks
Ray Ortlund:
How to wreck your church in three weeks:
Week One: Walk into church today and think about how long you’ve been a member, how much you’ve sacrificed, how under-appreciated you are. Take note of every way you’re dissatisfied with your church now. Take note of every person who displeases you.
Meet for coffee this week with another member and “share your heart.” Discuss how your church is changing, how you are being left out. Ask your friend who else in the church has “concerns.” Agree together that you must “pray about it.”
Week Two: Send an email to a few other “concerned” members. Inform them that a groundswell of grievance is surfacing in your church. Problems have gone unaddressed for too long. Ask them to keep the matter to themselves “for the sake of the body.”
As complaints come in, form them into a petition to demand an accounting from the leaders of the church. Circulate the petition quietly. Gathering support will be easy. Even happy members can be used if you appeal to their sense of fairness – that your side deserves a hearing. Be sure to proceed in a way that conforms to your church constitution, so that your petition is procedurally correct.
Week Three: When the growing moral fervor, ill-defined but powerful, reaches critical mass, confront the elders with your demands. Inform them of all the woundedness in the church, which leaves you with no choice but to put your petition forward. Inform them that, for the sake of reconciliation, the concerns of the body must be satisfied.
Whatever happens from this point on, you have won. You have changed the subject in your church from gospel advance to your own grievances. To some degree, you will get your way. Your church will need three or four years for recovery. But at any future time, you can do it all again. It only takes three weeks.
Just one question. Even if you are being wronged, “Why not rather suffer wrong?” (1 Corinthians 6:7).
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Resurrection & Redemption
“In God’s mighty act of raising Jesus bodily from the grave we are right to glimpse the final chapter of the drama of redemption. Indeed, an understanding of redemption that fails to take its moorings from Christ’s victory over sin and death via bodily resurrection, and the promise of ultimate restoration of all things declared by the empty tomb, is not a biblical understanding of redemption at all.”
- Michael Williams, Far As The Curse Is Found: The Covenant Story Of Redemption
, 12(HT: OFI)
AmazonMP3 Daily Deal
Hope For Haiti Now
by Various Artists
Price: $7.99
All proceeds from album sales of Hope for Haiti Now will go to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, Oxfam America, Partners in Health, Red Cross, UNICEF, United Nations World Food Programme, and Yele Haiti Foundation.
There are some really amazing performances on here. I saw a few of them last night. I especially dug the Justin T. performance of "Hallelujah".
Some Thoughts On Evangelism
J.D. Greear has some really helpful thoughts on how to share your faith.
How To Not Be A Complainer But Also Point Out Problems
One of my biggest pet peeves in myself and in others is when I or someone else habitually point out problems and then offer no help in finding solutions. Annoying. Matt Perman has a helpful post along these lines. He writes:
When we notice things that could be better, it’s easy to respond negatively. This easily leads to (or is) complaining.
Complaining, in addition to just being wrong, tends to create an overall attitude of negativity that is not helpful. This not only sucks the joy from your life and those around you, but also makes it less likely that people will actually want to do something to fix the problem. Playing the victim doesn’t inspire people.
Seth Godin posted the other day on how to point out problems without falling into the trap of complaining. It’s a short, good post that is worth reading.
The gist is this: Instead of saying “my job has this problem and that problem, and it’s really starting to get to me,” you say: “In this economy, I’m lucky to have this job, and it’s almost perfect. It would be even better if…”
Or, instead of saying “they spent $10 million developing this device, and it can’t even do this or that,” you say: “I love owning this device, it lets me manage my life and contacts, and the one thing that would make it even better is…”
The latter approach is the way proactive people talk. It puts the focus on the positive first, where it belongs. Then everything after that is about how to improve things.
The former approach, on the other hand, just leaves you focusing on the bad. And it would seem likely that if you generally think that way, pretty soon the bad is all that you will see everywhere — which would not only be wrong, but would also be a pretty depressing existence.
Wrong Reasons To Love The Church
Josh Harris:
Acts 20:28 tells us that Jesus obtained the church with his own blood. Is this what your love for the church is based on? If it's anything less than it won't last.(HT: Pure Church)
Love the church because of who shed his blood to obtain the church. Love the church because of who the church belongs to. Love the church because of who the church worships. Love the church because you love Jesus Christ and his glory. Love the church because Jesus is worthy and faithful and true. Love the church because Jesus loves the church.
- Don't love the church because of what it does for you. Because sooner or later it won't do enough.
- Don't love the church because of a leader. Because human leaders are fallible and will let you down.
- Don't love the church because of a program or a building or activities because all those things get old.
- Don't love the church because of a certain group of friends because friendships change and people move.
Mark Driscoll's Letter To His Church After Returning From Haiti
He writes:
“So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” — Galatians 6:10
Dear Mars Hill Church,
I am writing this letter to you while flying home from a whirlwind tour of Haiti. This Sunday across all our campuses we will be taking a break from the Luke series. In its place we will have a special presentation on the results of my recent trip to Haiti including footage and images to give you a sense of the devastation we experienced and how our response is an extension of the mission of Mars Hill. Be prepared for intense, emotional and graphic content especially if you normally have children in service. For this reason, my oldest children (ages 12 and 10) will be in the service. My two youngest children (4 and 6) will not be. I am still prayerfully considering with my wife Grace what is appropriate for our middle son (age 8). Each parent must make this decision for their own child and we trust them to prayerfully do what is best for their child(ren). We will be providing additional childcare for children over 10 at our campuses, which will be explained on Sunday by your campus pastor.
On Sunday I am inviting you to participate in the first special offering we have ever taken at Mars Hill Church. I am asking you to give over and above your regular giving to support www.ChurchesHelpingChurches.com. This is a new ministry I am helping to launch with my friend, Pastor James MacDonald. Our mission is to help rebuild destroyed churches in Haiti, and help plant new churches in Haiti.
The devastation there is more horrendous than you can possibly imagine. Within the first few hours on the ground to research the state of the church, we saw multiple collapsed churches with members’ decomposed bodies trapped inside; we saw multiple churches with the decomposed bodies of church members baking in the sun on the sidewalk outside of what used to be the church entrance; we saw a teenage boy shot in the head just feet away from a Christian seminary that was housing 5,000 refugees, most of whom were children; and we watched a twenty-four-year-old Christian man pull the body of his twenty-six-year-old brother, a worship leader, from the rubble.
We made great contacts on the front lines in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and invite you to send support to help our brothers and sisters in Christ. We will take our offering separately from our normal offering, so come ready to give twice, or give online at www.marshillchurch.org/give and select “Haiti” from the fund menu. www.ChurchesHelpingChurches.com.
Furthermore, in the coming year I will put out an invitation for the members of Mars Hill Church to do short-term mission trips to help rebuild churches in Haiti. So please come this Sunday to not only hear about how all of this is an extension of our mission at Mars Hill to be a group of disciples who make disciples and churches who plant churches – - but come to hear how you can be a part of it.
For Jesus’ Fame,
Pastor Mark Driscoll
Friday, January 22, 2010
Preaching and Abortion
Owen Strachan:
If we conservative evangelicals think that we can avoid preaching on abortion, we’re kidding ourselves. The Bible is far from silent on this matter. When you’re covering Pharoah’s sacrifice of children in Exodus, or the sacrifice of Jephthah’s daughter in Judges 11, or the effort of Herod to kill the Christ-child in Matthew 2, you are in direct contact with texts that speak to abortion and the killing of children. (Russ Moore has an article on this that I commend to you.)
When you consider that you are not preaching these texts in a culture that celebrates the life of the fetus, but seeks to extinguish it to the tune of millions of unborn children each year, then you have a real quandary on your hands. Even those who do only the most elementary application of the text to our age can’t help but see that there is a massive and bloody connection between the efforts to kill children in the Bible and those that continue in our own day.
We have been led by so many different commentators to think hard and well about ways to apply the Bible’s teaching to our own day. But we have to be very careful here. We shouldn’t pick and choose what cultural sins we call out and what sins we leave alone. Nobody protests when we preach against our lust for success; many will protest when, in the course of our preaching through the whole canon of Scripture, we preach on the necessity to defend the lives of unborn children.
If and when they do so, we should realize that this is not an aberration; this is the way of the cross. Yes, we should be wise as serpents, but we are also called to be salt and light. The examples of the apostles call us to preach boldly and courageously before the Lord with no regard for our lives. Perhaps many of us who desire to “engage the culture” should read old texts like Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, and soak up a little bit of the courage contained in it.
Of course, I am not advocating that we preach in favor of certain pro-life resolutions. I’m also not advocating that we preach single-issue messages on abortion. I’m also not suggesting that, if we’re preaching on Matthew 2 or some other text, that we devote the majority of our sermon to the issue of abortion. I’m merely saying that we are not being fanciful or political when we preach on abortion from texts that cry out for application of this subject to our present-day.
Sometimes we reformed practitioners of expository preaching tie ourselves up in knots on the question of preaching and politics. Of course we should not generally preach on certain laws and resolutions; of course we should not have a political pulpit. But just because an issue is debated in the political realm does not mean that when we are in a given text by the natural rhythm of our preaching calendar we avoid preaching on it. Though that action may proceed from a good motive (the desire to not politicize the pulpit), it may actually end up silencing the Scripture and its relevance for our contemporary age.
We will have to preach carefully and responsibly on abortion and other scriptural subjects, but this must not, it seems to me, muzzle our clear and courageous denunciation of a practice so wicked as abortion.
You Didn't Come From An Embryo
Scott Klusendorf:
(HT: Chris Brauns)In short, you didn’t come from an embryo, you once were an embryo. At no point in your prenatal development did you undergo a substantial change or change of nature. You began as a human being and will remain so until death. Sure, you lacked maturity at that early stage of life (as does an infant), but you were human nonetheless. ‘Living things do not become entirely different creatures in the process of changing their form,’ writes Greg Koukl. ‘Rather, they develop according to a certain physical pattern precisely because of the kind of being they already are.’
Groothuis on Fetus Fatigue
Doug Groothuis:
It appears that millions of evangelicals, especially younger ones, are experiencing fetus fatigue. They are tired of the abortion issue taking center stage; it is time to move on to newer, hipper things--the sort of issues that excite Bono: aid to Africa, the environment, and cool tattoos.
Abortion has been legal since they were born; it is the old guard that gets exercised about millions of abortions over the years. So, let's not worry that Barak Obama and Hillary are pro-choice. That is a secondary issue. After all, neither could do that much damage regarding this issue.Evangelicals (if that word has any meaning), for God's sake, please wake up and remember the acres of tiny corpses you cannot see. Yes, the Christian social vision is holistic. We should endeavor to restore shalom to this beleaguered planet. That includes helping Africa, preserving the environment, and much more. However, the leading domestic moral issue remains the value of helpless human life. Since Roe v. Wade, approximately 50 million unborn humans have been killed through abortion. Stalin said, "One death is a tragedy. A million dead is a statistic." Too many are now Stalinists on abortion. The numbers mean nothing, apparently. The vast majority of these abortions were not done to save the life of the mother, a provision I take to be justified.
Things have reached the point where bumper stickers say, "Don't like abortion, don't have one." It is simply a matter of private, subjective taste. But how about this: "Don't like slavery, don't own slaves"? Two human beings are involved in this matter, inescapably.The biblical argument against abortion is direct and powerful:1. The fetus is a person made in God’s image (Gen. 1:27; Psalm 139:13-16).2. Murder is unjustly killing a person and is sinful (Exodus 20:13).3. Abortion is (all things being equal) the unjust killing of a person. Exception: when life of the mother is directly endangered.4. Therefore: (a) abortion is morally wrong and sinful before God.5. Therefore: (b) abortion should be illegal and stigmatized socially (Romans 13:1-7).One can build a strong pro-life argument apart from the Bible as well, but I will not address that here. See the new book called Embryo by George and Tollefsen on this.The Democratic contenders are both militantly pro-abortion. If one wins, he or she will likely appoint several Supreme Court judges.
If so, you can forget about overturning Roe v. Wade, which would return the legality to the states. This is not as good as a Human Life Amendment (which Huckabee supported), but it is better than the moral and legal abomination that is Roe. v. Wade. Both Democrats would also fund stem cell research on human embryos and provide as much federal funding as possible for abortion. The president can also issue executive order that have tremendous power. William Jefferson Clinton did so a few days after talking office in 1993. Hillary or Obama would do something very similar. Obama even voted against a bill that would save the lives of infants born alive after a botched abortion. One could go on. Please see the blog entry, "Why Pro-Life Presidents Matter," by Joe Carter.
Evangelicals, for God's sake, please wake up. Remember the least, the last, and the lost: the millions of unborn human beings who hang in the balance (Matthew 25:31-46). No, this is not the only issue, but it is a titanic issue that cannot be ignored.
Two Interviews Concerning The Overturning of Roe vs. Wade
Justin Taylor has posted two very insightful interviews with Robert George and Clarke Forsythe concerning the means and methods for undermining and overturning Roe vs. Wade.
Missional and Pro-Life
Jared Wilson has posted some good reflections called, "The Missional Way For The Pro-Life Passion". Check it out.
The Painful Double Standard
Kevin DeYoung with a very startling post about the glaring double standard inherent in our justice system when it comes to abortion. Please read it here.
Let's Kill Our Apathy, Not Our Kids
Since today marks the 37th anniversay of Roe vs. Wade, I'll primarily be posting about abortion.
STR.org:
STR.org:
Today marks the 33rd year since Roe v. Wade gave the Constitution's right to privacy a new meaning. Abortion remains legal in all 50 states, throughout all nine months of pregnancy, and for virtually any reason.
It's strange, though, that as I speak on abortion in churches, I find many church goers uncomfortable about the subject. They would rather talk about social justice: Human trafficking, poverty, homelessness, and most recently the surge to help Haitians after the devastating earthquake. To be sure, these causes are very important. I care about them and have supported them.
But if what we believe about abortion is true (that it kills an innocent human being), then it becomes an important – if not the most important – social justice issue of our day. There are 3,315 unborn children killed each day.
What upsets me even more is that unlike more trendy social justice issues, Christians are not just apathetic about abortion, some are having abortions. Alan Guttmacher reports that 27% of abortions are committed by Catholics and 43% by Protestants. Christians are killing their own children.
The most dangerous place for a baby to be in America today is resting in her mother’s womb.
Sadly, many people are pro-life, but do nothing to stop the killing. But we can all make abortion unthinkable in our sphere of influence. Besides not having an abortion yourself, you can help someone you know not have an abortion or support a local pregnancy resource center.
If you never have these opportunities, then do what you can to learn how to change minds on abortion. Yes, people do change minds on this issue.
I suggest learning our tactics and using our tools because I know they work, but I’m happy if you use any effective method. Learning to persuade others on abortion is a small sacrifice for a cause that’s well worth the effort.
If you can financially support a pro-life advocate, that’s great. It’s even better if you can become one – even part time. But never underestimate the power of a changed mind. A changed mind changes other minds. Many changed minds change public opinion. And public opinion eventually changes policy. That saves lives.
Haiti’s Quake Orphans Will Stay Put, For Now
Dan Cruver:
Since the earthquake in Haiti, my inbox has been inundated with emails requesting information about the process for adopting Haitian orphans. It’s been amazing to see God’s people rising up in response to Haiti’s crisis of orphaned and vulnerable children. As we all well know, it is a crisis to which we as Christians must respond, and we are.
We must keep in mind, though, that the complexities of Haiti’s orphan crisis are enormous. If you’re interested in reading an article that will shed light on these complexities, particularly as it relates to the issue of adoption, Jennifer Ludden of NPR has written an excellent and informative article entitled “Haiti’s Quake Orphans Will Stay Put, For Now.”
Let me encourage you to read it.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Ultrasound Technology and The Abortion Doctor
Kevin DeYoung:
“Mugged by Ultrasound: Why So Many Abortion Workers Have Turned Pro-Life”,by David Daleiden and Jon Shields, is a gut-wrenching, disturbing, graphic account of the emotional trauma abortion wrecks on those who perform them. For example, in 2008, Dr. Lisa Harris explained what happened while she, 18-weeks pregnant at the time, performed an abortion on an 18-week-old fetus. She felt her own baby kick at the same time she ripped off a fetal leg with her forceps. This prompted a visceral response.
Instantly, tears were streaming from my eyes—without me—meaning my conscious brain—even being aware of what was going on. I felt as if my response had come entirely from my body, bypassing my usual cognitive processing completely. A message seemed to travel from my hand and my uterus to my tear ducts. It was an overwhelming feeling—a brutally visceral response—heartfelt and unmediated by my training or my feminist pro-choice politics. It was one of the more raw moments in my life.Tragically, Dr. Harris is still in the abortion business.
Paul Jarret is not. He quit after 23 abortions. “As I brought out the rib cage, I looked and saw a tiny, beating heart,” he would recall, reflecting on aborting a 14-week-old fetus. “And when I found the head of the baby, I looked squarely in the face of another human being—a human being that I just killed.” Judith Fetrow and Kathy Spark, both former abortion workers, converted to the pro-life cause after seeing the disposal of fetal remains as medical waste. Daleiden and Shields explain:
Handling fetal remains can be especially difficult in late-term clinics. Until George Tiller was assassinated by a pro-life radical last summer, his clinic in Wichita specialized in third-trimester abortions. To handle the large volume of biological waste Tiller had a crematorium on the premises. One day when hauling a heavy container of fetal waste, Tiller asked his secretary, Luhra Tivis, to assist him. She found the experience devastating. The “most horrible thing,” Tivis later recounted, was that she “could smell those babies burning.” Tivis, a former NOW activist, soon left her secretarial position at the clinic to volunteer for Operation Rescue, a radical pro-life organization.Many abortion providers have been converted by ultrasound technology. The most famous example is Bernard Nathanson, cofounder of the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws, the original NARAL. By his own reckoning Nathanson performed more than 60,000 abortions, including one on his own child. But over time he began to fear he was involved in a great evil. Ultrasound images pushed him over the edge. “When he finally left his profession for pro-life activism, he produced The Silent Scream (1984), a documentary of an ultrasound abortion that showed the fetus scrambling vainly to escape dismemberment.”
Sadly, countless abortion workers keep on perpetuating the great evil, even if it means suppressing the truth they literally feel in their bones.
Pro-choice advocates like to point out that abortion has existed in all times and places. Yet that observation tends to obscure the radicalism of the present abortion regime in the United States. Until very recently, no one in the history of the world has had the routine job of killing well-developed fetuses quite so up close and personal. It is an experiment that was bound to stir pro-life sentiments even in the hearts of those staunchly devoted to abortion rights. Ultrasound and D&E [dilation and evacuation] bring workers closer to the beings they destroy. Hern and Corrigan concluded their study by noting that D&E leaves “no possibility of denying an act of destruction.” As they wrote, “It is before one’s eyes. The sensations of dismemberment run through the forceps like an electric current.”Read the whole thing and pray for abortion workers.
It Is Time To Say Goodbye To Our Small and Self-Oriented Ambitions
:It is time to say goodbye to our small and self-oriented ambitions, and to abandon ourselves to the cause of Christ and his gospel. God has a plan that will determine the destiny of every person and nation in the world, and it is unfolding here and now as the gospel of Christ is preached and the Holy Spirit is poured out. Is there anything more vital to be doing in our world? Is it more important than our jobs, our families, our pastimes-yes, even more important than the comfort and security of familiar church life. We need to recapture the radicalism of what Jesus said to the young man who wanted to return and bury his father: “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:60). (Chapter 3, page 38)(HT: The Vine Church Madison Blog)
On Hard Conversations
Josh Dix has a helpful post here. He writes:
I’ve heard it said many times that “Ministry is a series of hard conversations.” True. I often add that it’s also “committing to hard relationships.” Conversations happen in finite space and time and therefore can be put into context. Relationships are on-going, hard to quantify, and consequently are difficult to process as a whole. Ministry is a careful amalgam of all that.Read the rest.
Here’s some quick advice about hard conversations and managing conflict within relationships with others–whether those relationships are with family, friends, co-workers, or neighbors.
AmazonMP3 Daily Deal
Today's special: Song Up In Her Head
by Sarah Jarosz, suggested if you like Nickel Creek or Alison Krauss.$1.99
Churches Helping Churches
Pastor James MacDonald recently went to Haiti with Mark Driscoll to see how Christians in American could be mobilized to serve the needy in the wake of the destruction of the earthquake.
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