Song of the Day - Coldplay - Violet Hill

If you don't have the new Coldplay single, get it now below. If this is any indication as to the genius of the new record, then I can't wait to get my hands on it. My prediction is that this record will launch them into the realm of enduring rock stardom that we'll still be talking about 50 years from now.

You Might Be A Calvinist

You might be a Calvinist if...

Read the list. Calvinists or not you might find it funny.

Simplifying Simplicity Part 3

Shaun Groves:

First I blogged about how Becky and I are defining simplicity these days. Then, I wrote about the changes we’ve slowly made toward simplicity over the last few years. Today, the stuff we’re trying out next in an effort to take less so we can give more.

Here’s that list

How Do You Approach Dynamics As A Drummer?

Unreached

Incredible pictures of one of Earth's last uncontacted tribes

Simplifying Simplicity Part 2

Shaun Groves continues his series on simplicity. You can read part two here. In this post he outlines what living simply practically looks like in their home. You might find some helpful ideas. Check it out.

Transracial Adoption

My wife and I are (God willing) going to start the adoption process soon. In light of this a couple different posts on transracial adoption have caught my eye recently.

Anthony Bradley has been kicking around some transracial adoption thoughts on his blog. Specifically in reference to whites adopting black kids. You can read his posts below:

New Report: Black Kids Psychologically Hurt When Adopted By Whites

Whites Adopting Black Kids: Think First

Russell Moore has a different perspective:

Transracial Adoption and The Gospel

Please read these and consider adoption! What if all Christians took the command seriously about "caring for widows and orphans in their distress" (James 1:27) by adopting a child without family? I see huge kingdom benefit in this. Consider it.

Song of the Day - Jon Foreman - White As Snow

Today I want to highlight Jon Foreman's (frontman for Switchfoot) song called, White As Snow. The whole recording that this song if found on is great, but I really like this song the most. It's a stark acoustic arrangement that builds with an interesting drum loop and string quartet. The text is based on Psalm 51. Check it out below:

Serving The Melody With The Part You Play

Live Simply For the Sake Of The Gospel

Shaun Groves challenged me this morning:

Why live simply?

1. To free up resources which should be spent on those presently in need. Less time, thought, and money spent on ourselves means - in theory - more time, thought and money that can be spent on others. Example: Getting rid of cable frees up enough money to meet the needs of two children every month and enough time (about four hours a day) to play a game with the kids, go on a date with my wife, exercise, take a real Sabbath, and get to know the neighbors.

2. To prevent need. The less energy, natural resources and store-bought stuff we use, the less negative impact on the environment, health and economics of others. Example: There is said to be a link between my consumption of stuff, the deforestation of South and Central America, and drought in Sub-Saharan Africa.

3. To invest in personal health - mental, spiritual, relational and physical. Living with less stuff, fewer chemicals, and more time increases the odds that we’ll also enjoy more spiritual dependence and focus, less stress, more and stronger relationships, greater freedom in decision making, and improved overall health. Example: Not having a text plan or a phone that allows me to text easily keeps me fully present in conversations, making those I’m with feel listened to and important.

How do we live simply then?

1. Subtract most/all of what’s not needed from our lives. Step one: Take stock of where our time, money, and resources are currently spent and how much stuff, time and money we presently have. Step two: Determine what “need” is. It helps to see people living on the bare essentials firsthand. Step three: Commit to subtract excess from our lives incrementally and tally up the savings of time, money and environmental impact as we go. Example: This month, get rid of cable and count up the hours and cash saved. Next month, nix caffeine and count the savings. In the winter, plant a garden and notice how much better it feels to eat more chemical-free food. Take baby steps and measure the difference they make.

2. Add most/all of what we have to the lives of others. Simplifying saves money and time. Put money aside for the needs of others: The friend who can’t afford counseling, the neighbor who can’t afford medical care, the crisis pregnancy center that needs a sonogram machine. Put aside time to invest in people. Choose not to use all the time once wasted watching TV on getting more work done now. Spent that time with family, friends and neighbors, alone relaxing, on a hobby or serving somewhere. Interestingly, if I don’t have the time to be with people I won’t be aware of the needs of people.

Even more simply put: Take less. Give more.

One thing I'm not hearing Shaun say here, but I think he would affirm is that we should live simply, but not as an end in itself. We should live simply for the sake of the Gospel. John Piper writes very well on this in my favorite chapter in Desiring God, the money chapter.

Road Crossings

The top ten reasons the Emergent guy didn't cross the road.

The top ten reasons the Reformed guy didn't cross the road.

Song of the Day - Leeland - Brighter Days

This is from the new Leeland record. I found this song, "Brighter Days" to be my favorite on the record. It's a great piano driven song with a soaring chorus. Points well to the eschatological hope that we have as Christians, that one day Jesus will return to make all things right.

To me Leeland is a bit of a breath of fresh air in Christian music. They seem to be sort of a throw back. What I mean by that is that in the 80s and 90s it seemed that Christian music was allowed to be much more explicitly and robustly theological. These days what dominates is the "grace/place/seek your face/run the race" kind of songs. My sense is that Leeland moves us beyond that type of song and dwells in more theologically rich content. Check them out.

You Control Tunes - Cool Music Application for Mac Users

Here is a cool, free music application for Mac users. You can control your iTunes from the top menu bar. It sits near your Wi-Fi connection. I have found in very useful in the last few days that I have been using it. You can get it here.

The Importance Of Leadership In Rehearsal

Scott (the drummer) had just observed me direct Tim (the guitar player) a bit in terms of his part. In light of that he thought it was appropriate to make this comment:



Stay tuned... Many more to come.

Exhortations from a Dying Man

Phil Ryken writes on the Ref21 blog:

The body of my friend Tim Eimer is weakened by what may be a fatal cancer. His spirit is finding strength in the gospel. Recently he wrote this practical exhortation:

"In recent years, God has taught me not to hold on to my life so dearly. For what we cling so desperately to, we soon begin to fret and worry about. Fretting and worry lead to fear; fear results in poverty--poverty of spirit and heart and hope. I have been struck this week with the thought of living life generously, of spending my life like the wealthy man that I am because we cannot hoard our days in a bank account or investment. This week I have been writing letters of encouragement, writing furiously in the journals I am leaving to my boys (I'm up to page 115 for each), and pretty much praying without ceasing. As always, I have lavished attention on my sons, but I've looked for every opportunity to praise or give hope to those around me.

"I encourage you to do the same. Spend life generously. If you're a child of God, you are wealthy. Don't grip your life so tightly that you shrink inward and become impoverished and a miser of your days. Move forward today and every day with boldness and laughter and generosity and hope and the power of God's Spirit."

Albuquerque Folks - Come Hear Some Jazz This Saturday Night

Click here for a map to Brickyard Pizza on Central.

Should be a great night of music.  See you there!

Brickyard Pizza
(505) 262-2216
2216 Central Ave Se, Albuquerque, NM 87106
Cross Streets: Near the intersection of Central Ave SE and Route 66

Song of the Day - Kingdom of Comfort

I think I pointed this one out a few weeks back, but the more I listen to it the more I like it and wanted to highlight it again. This is the title cut from Delirious' new record "Kingdom of Comfort". This is by far my favorite song on the record due to it's challenging lyrical content and it's dark, yet sweet tone.

Give Attention To Our Attention

I have never had a good attention span. When I was a kid my Grandma thought I needed to be medicated. Some still do to this day. :) In light of that I found this quote from Al Mohler enlightening:

People who cannot maintain mental attention cannot know the intimacy of prayer, and God does not maintain a Facebook page. Our ability to focus attention is not just about the mind, for it is also a reflection of the soul. Our Christian discipleship demands that we give attention to our attention.

-Al Mohler

(HT: The Crimson Window)

News Video From Funeral of Maria Sue Chapman

Read a summary of the service here from Jim Houser.

(HT: Blog.Worship.Com)

The Heart of Prayer - Jerram Barrs

Jerram Barrs from Covenant Theological Seminary has recently published a book on prayer called, The Heart of Prayer. If we were Catholic, Barrs would be the patron saint of Covenant Seminary. He is not as popular as many Reformed rock star teachers out there, but he is certainly worth taking a look at.

Here are some endorsements:

"I can't think of anyone better than Jerram Barrs to write on the subject of prayer. Dive into The Heart for Prayer and take a cool swim in the wisdom of a teacher who knows how to tackle discipleship with grace, humility, and transparency. If he's speaking, I'm listening. You should be too."
- Charlie Peacock

"At a time when many of us today are hardly better than atheists when it comes to prayer, Jerram Barrs is a wise and gentle guide to the way of prayer shown and taught by Jesus. I have benefitted enormously from this profound yet simple and helpful book."
- Os Guinness, author of The Call

You can buy the book here.

You can read some samples from the book here.

You also might want to consider his book, The Heart of Evangelism. I took his class that much of the book is based on and it was my favorite class at Covenant Seminary that I have taken.

Song of the Day

This song is GREAT. My favorite from the new Death Cab record. A serious groove and some great arranging. Would be a good grab if you don't feel like getting the whole record.

Abortion Debate

Amy Hall from Str.org reports:

I attended an abortion debate between Nadine Strossen (head of the ACLU) and Scott Klusendorf (President of Life Training Institute) at Cal Poly last week. Since they had debated a couple of times before, I knew Nadine was familiar with Scott's arguments, and I looked forward to hearing her address those arguments. Unfortunately, it didn't quite turn out that way.

Read the whole thing here.

Here is a news report on the debate. May the Church have humble and compassionate arguments like Scott's to interact with the culture. I guess this assumes that we actually know and love people who believe that abortion is right. Do we?

Memorial Day Music Fun

Thanks to Steve McCoy for pointing out Weezer's new video, "Pork and Beans" - Very funny and a great rock song. For those who are internet savvy, you'll see a lot of familiar faces.

All The Messages from New Attitude

Actually you can find all the New Attitude messages here. They are not all uploaded yet, but will be soon.

Mohler Q and A

I love theological Q and A. I find it to be extremely practical and helpful.

Listen to Dr. Al Mohler answer Bible questions from the recent New Attitude conference. You can download here.

(HT: Josh Harris)

**Update**

Justin Buzzard is live blogging the conference and he summerizes the Q and A well here:

Session 3 was an unprecedented event at Na. Instead of delivering a message/sermon, Al Mohler (sporting a pink dress shirt) conducted the first ever Na Q&A session. Scores of people flocked to the two floor microphones in hopes making it through the line and asking Dr. Mohler their questions about the Bible. I counted just over sixty people lined up at the microphones. As you would expect, due to time just eight of the sixty people were able to ask their questions.

Below I’ve listed each question that was asked of Mohler and at the bottom of this post I’ve listed a few statements made by Mohler that I found especially noteworthy. To get Mohler’s answers to each question (and to get the full context of the quotations I’ve provided below) you’ll need to listen to the audio--Mohler’s answers were far too thorough and lengthy, and he speaks so fast, that I didn’t even attempt to record his answers.

1. What makes the Bible distinct from other religious books that claim to have divine authority (the Koran, etc.)?

2. How did the books of the Bible get selected and why were others omitted (the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Judas, etc.)?

3. What are you thoughts about the inspiration and authority of sections of Scripture like John 7:53-8:11 and the longer ending of the book of Mark?

4. How do we as Christians interpret and apply the OT law today?

5. How do you handle the idea expressed by some that the Bible is authoritative and reliable, but not “inerrant”?

6. Should we be wary of postmodern ideas and their impact on the church?

7. How do I share the doctrines of grace and handle fellowship with my friends who are semi-Pelagian in their theology?

8. For the Christian, what role should the Word of God play in our artistic and creative endeavors? And, for the Christian, what role should our artistic and creative endeavors play in the culture at large?

Some quotes from Mohler that stuck out to me:

“When we talk about homosexuality we need to find time to say that...any human being who has gone through puberty is a sexual sinner...homosexuality isn’t dealt with in isolation in Scripture, but appears in the normal course of Scripture’s discussion of sin...”

“Inerrancy doesn’t say everything we need to say about Scripture...but if Scripture isn’t inerrant, it’s errant.”

“I commend to you what’s known as ‘formal equivalence’ translations...I commend the NASB and ESV translations...”

“Postmodernism can be very helpful if it produces an intellectual humility.”

“Postmodernism denies that there is one great story to which we are all accountable...Postmodernism has nowhere to go. But our story goes somewhere...to Revelation 5.”

“Pelagianism teaches us that we were born morally good and could keep ourselves morally good and, basically, grace is an unnecessary thing. The Semi-Pelagians came along and said, ‘no, we’re not born morally good, we’re born morally neutral.’”

“There will be people in heaven who didn’t know the doctrines of grace, but were saved by grace...Be grace-full in talking about the doctrines of grace.”

“We’ve got to learn to make art in service of the gospel.”

Crazy Love - Francis Chan

John Piper:

I just got a copy of Francis Chan's new book, Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God.

My favorite phrase so far: "Your best life later."

Yes! If that's not true, we are of all people most to be pitied (1 Corinthians 15:19).

Forgiveness is always a form of costly suffering

“The Cross is not simply a lovely example of sacrificial love. Throwing your life away needlessly is not admirable — it is wrong. Jesus’ death was only a good example if it was more than an example, if it was something absolutely necessary to rescue us. And it was. Why did Jesus have to die in order to forgive us? There was a debt to be paid — God himself paid it. There was a penalty to be born — God himself bore it. Forgiveness is always a form of costly suffering.”

- Timothy Keller, The Reason for God (New York, NY; Dutton, 2007), 193.

(HT:  OFI)

I Can Relate Well To This One

Stuff Christians Like #250:

The unicorn hymn or worship song

Depending on what type of church you attend, this idea can go completely different directions.

The unicorn song is when out of nowhere, from the shadows of the stage at church you start to hear the first few notes of a song they never play. At a traditional church, you realize that someone has finally learned how to play Chris Tomlin's "How Great is Our God" on the organ. And although at first it sounds a little like a raccoon has broken into the organ, you don't care. Something newish and fresh is happening and you are so excited. Your church has now entered the year 2003 and you are proud and happy and singing as loud as you can in celebration of this moment.

If you go to a contemporary church, the unicorn song is when you notice in the bulletin that one of the numbers you'll be singing today is a hymn. With a suspicious feeling you look down and read, "How Great Thou Art" and try not to get too excited. "Is that really the hymn version or has a pop/punk/acoustic/funk duo rewritten that song and I'm about to hear the contemporary version?" But then it starts, and it's the old fashioned version and for just a second, despite the goatees, despite the lasers and the mocha lattes sitting next to you, you're back in your old church, the one you grew up in and you're a kid again, for at least one song.

The unicorn song is fleeting though. For as soon as it ends, the spell that transfixed your worship leader is broken. He/she launches right back into the kind of music you always sing and for a few more months, the unicorn fades into the background.

The Traveling Emergent Show

Amy Hall, writing for str.org:

When I disagree with someone, I always like to hear straight from them what they teach and believe whenever possible rather than merely reading about them (although reading analyses written by others is also helpful). I recommend this approach as a way to avoid misunderstandings, to pinpoint where they're coming from and why, and to focus your own analysis and critique (and sometimes even agreement) more accurately and effectively.

In light of that, I want to let you know about "The Church Basement Roadshow: A Rollin' Gospel Revival" that will likely be coming to a church near you (tour dates are posted here):

Three authors/friends/public speakers hit the road for a summer, barnstorming churches around the country in a cross between an old time tent revival and the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. Speaking at churches large and small, Tony [Jones], Doug [Pagitt], and Mark [Scandrette] will present a 90-minute show (including a 20-minute intermission) that will combine humor and passion, speaking and video, preaching and dialogue. Audiences will be entertained, to be sure, but, more importantly, they will be given a vision of an alternative Christianity, one that is woefully lacking in today’s world—this alternative is a Christianity of adventurous theology, passionate faithfulness, postmodern wit, and unrelenting concern for the justice and peace that God offers.

This is a great opportunity to get a better grasp of the Emergent movement and meet some of the key players in person.

Get Your Pray On

This is how I pray before dinner every night:



I laughed out loud at this. Very funny.

(HT: B-Lo)

Tim Smith with Bob Kauflin

Here is a great interview with Bob Kauflin, dealing with music in the church, hosted by Tim Smith of Mars Hill Church in Seattle.

Audio here.

Video here.

With A Chord Chart, How Do You Figure Out What Part To Play?

Maria Chapman

Here is a video of Steven Curtis Chapman with his daughter Maria who was accidentally killed yesterday (see the post below). Let's continue to remember them in the face of this unthinkable loss. See their blog here.

"For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come." - Hebrews 13:14

Parenting Q and A with C.J. and Carolyn

C.J. Mahaney and his wife Carolyn answer this question:

How do parents engage in gospel-centered parenting with children who are too young to comprehend the message of the gospel?

What are you listening to as you play?

This will be the first in a series of many youtube videos from the Church Musicians Seminar that I held last Saturday. The goal is to help bands figure out how to do what they do better to serve in the leading of the Church in our gatherings of worship.

You might want to pass this series on to the music leader at your church. I think most everyone who attended found it to be extremely helpful.

In terms of the personnel, these three guys (Tim Rosenau on guitar, James Gregory on bass, and Scott Williamson on drums) are some of Nashville's finest musicians and have played live, or on the recordings of too many Christians artists to name here. Just take my word for it: These guys know what they are talking about.

The video quality is not the best, but the audio is there for the most part and that is the important part.

In terms of today's question... Listening is one of the biggest things to understand when playing in a band. How you focus your listening can make or break the unity of the music that you present. This theme will continue to be added to as this series progresses, but I wanted to give them more of an open ended question to start off.

Let me know what you think.

Pray For The Chapman Family

From The Tennessean:

One of contemporary Christian music star Steven Curtis Chapman’s six children was killed this afternoon when she was struck by a car said to be driven by her teenage brother in the driveway of the family’s Williamson County home.

The child, Maria, age 5, was taken by LifeFlight to Vanderbilt Hospital, which confirmed the death, according to Laura McPherson, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

She was hit by an SUV driven by her teenage brother, she said. Police did not give the driver’s name.

The teen was driving a Toyota Land Cruiser down the driveway of the rural home at about 5:30 p.m. and several children were playing in the area, McPherson said. He did not see the 5-year-old in the driveway before the vehicle struck her, she said.

NBA On TNT Website

Here is a pretty cool way to watch the games if you want to on your computer.

New Mac Add and Colplay

See the new Mac add featuring Coldplay singing one of their new songs.

Church Musicians Seminar - Opening Thoughts

Before I start posting videos from the church music seminar we had last Saturday I wanted to post some opening reflections that I communicated to the group before we started diving into the nuts and bolts of playing well in a band.  Here is the essence of what I said:

Before we begin this morning I wanted to draw your attention to a great potential danger that we need to be aware of.

Music is a very easy thing to idolize. We can bow down and worship it so quickly. Why do you think we have worship wars in the church? We have our musical idols and if we can’t bow to them it doesn’t feel like worship! "I HAVE to have this type of music or I just can’t worship."  The moment you add something extra biblical to worship as a requirement you better check your heart really quick.

The essence of idolatry is worshiping created things and not the Creator, so this seminar could feed that if we are not careful. You could walk away from this today and be equipped with tons of great things to implement personally and with your band, but beware that this does not lead to self-focused worship.

Push for the opposite. Not that we should throw down our instruments just because the danger of idolatry is there, but rather, let the gifts that God has given you and is working in you push you to look back to him in thanks and praise. Let your gifts draw you and your people to look to God (and not to self) and praise the Giver. The Giver gets the glory, the glory does not go to the gift, it goes to the Giver.

Being able to play music well in this genre (which is what we are going to be focusing on today) is great, but is a very small facet of the kingdom of God. May the primary ideal be submission to the spiritual and physical reign of the King.  Not that music and kingdom submission are mutually exclusive, but they quickly can be if we are not careful.  

So before we begin let’s try and put this seminar in it’s proper place. If our churches have rockin' music, but don’t do Matthew 22 and 28, we have totally missed it. But if we are doing Matt 22 (loving God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, and loving our neighbor as ourselves) and doing Matt 28 (All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, therefore go and make disciplines of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you, and I will be with you always even to the very end) then we are probably on the right track with first things first.

So we need to put this seminar in it’s proper place. But it does need to have a place.

We need to have it because there is a complete lack of education for guys to learn how to play in this genre. If you want to learn to play jazz, I can give you a list of guys in the area 25 deep, if you want to learn to sing opera, you can get that here, if you want to play classical piano we’ve got resources for that. If you want to learn to play pop/rock, what do you do? You get some guys together in the garage and “JAM”.  This usually is an exercise in the blind leading the blind.   The point is that there are few resources for training in the genre that most of us use week in and week out.  

But we have a tough gig.  Usually it goes like this:  Show up for 1-2 hour rehearsal, learn arrangements for 5-7 songs, then be expected to be ready to go a few days later in front of a few hundred people. It might be with different players every week. It’s easy to see how most worship bands are kind of a free for all. We do what we can just to get by or somewhat functional.

That is why we need to learn from guys who are farther along in their musical journey than most of us here. These guys do this kind of thing for a living, that is why they are here.

But again, don’t let all this lead you into wrong emphasis for yourself and your church.

Would You Watch?

Josh Harris:

I'm thinking it would be really cool to have the Celtics and the Lakers facing each other in the finals. And I think that only about three people will watch if its the Pistons and Spurs.

What do you say? Do you agree? I agree completely. Would you watch a Spurs vs. Pistons finals? Unless it's Lakers vs. Celtics I can pretty much guarantee that I would not watch second of it, and I am a complete basketball lover.

Pics from Saturday's Church Music Seminar

Featuring:

James Gregory - Bass
Scott Williamson - Drums
Tim Rosenau - Electric Guitar
Yours Truly - Piano

These pics were taken during the morning session where we rehearsed 6 different tunes for church the next day and all the attendees got to watch and hear me interview these three guys concerning the "hows and whys" of the musical choices they made. Look for the videos coming soon.

The Potential Future of Christian Persecution In Iran

John Armstrong reports on the state of religious persecution in Iran:

The state religion of Iran, as everyone I suppose knows, is Islam. In fact 98% of the nation’s 66 million people are Muslim. The problem this presents for people of any other faith, especially Christians, is a major human rights issue but few world leaders pay attention.

Satellite television is having some impact within Iran and there is evidence of Christian conversions taking place. When this happens believers remain underground and are often directed to other believers where they can find encouragement and a Bible. But publicly these new Christians remain Muslims, going through the motions of prayers and practices that keep the government at a distance.

Leaving Islam has always invited serious consequences from the Iranian government. If a person is born into a Christian home it is acceptable to be a Christian. What is not acceptable is any attempt to convert others to the Christian faith. Since Christianity is inherently evangelistic this presents real challenges for believers. The government has recently introduced legislation that would mandate the death penalty for Muslim apostates. Joseph Griesboski, the president of the Institute on Religion and Public Policy, says, “Life for so-called apostates in Iran has never been easy, but it could become literally impossible if Iran passes this new draft penal code. For anyone who dares to question the regime’s religious ideology, there could soon be no room to argue—only death.”

The code being considered defines two kinds of apostates: (1) Fetri, an innate apostate, or one who has at least one Muslim parent, identifies as a Muslim after puberty, and later renounces Islam, and; (2) Melli, a parental apostate, who is a non-Muslim at birth but later embraces Islam, only to renounce it again. Punishment for the first category is death. In the second case three days are allowed to repent or then will come death.

In the past various laws were more ambiguous, which allowed some leeway for interpretation. These new laws close all such ambiguity and thus will bring about the death of hundreds, probably thousands, of Christians.

Parliament has slowed its process toward approving this legislation, primarily because of outside protests such as those of the Institute on Religion and Public Policy. It would be good if all Christians expressed themselves on behalf of the suffering people of God inside Iran.

How To Respond To Oprah

Writing for Parchment and Pen, Paul Copan writes a bit about how to respond to the ubiquitous "Oprah Winfrey religion" Her beliefs are nothing really new, but her influence in our culture is surely unique making it all the more dangerous and making it something with which Christians must engage. In the end it all implodes upon itself.

He writes:

My talk began by citing Oprah Winfrey, who claimed on her show that it’s a big mistake to believe there is just one way to salvation: “There are millions of ways to be a human being and many paths to what you call ‘God’; . . . there couldn’t possibly be just one way” (February 15, 2007).

In my next blog, I’ll offer a few critical responses to religious pluralism. One of those criticisms is that religious pluralists surely don’t act as though their view is merely culturally-conditioned. They seem to assume that they’ve risen above their own cultural conditioning to give us the actual, objective scoop on religions. (Just as pluralists say, “If you grew up in Saudi Arabia, you’d probably be a Muslim,” we could reply, “And if you grew up in a society of religious pluralists, you’d probably be a religious pluralist.” It’s hard to know what conclusion to draw from the “geography argument.”) Religious pluralists sound quite similar—indeed, logically equivalent—to orthodox Christianity, which claims that God has broken through the confusions of cultural conditioning to reveal himself in Christ! Oprah is basically saying, “All roads lead to ‘God,’ and all those who think otherwise about this point are wrong.

Read the whole thing.

Just Make An Informed Decision This Election

JT reports:

Every evangelical should watch the first 10 minutes or so of this speech by Barack Obama, delivered to Planned Parenthood in July 2007. It is an impassioned defense of partial-birth abortion.

Note carefully:

"This is what is at stake in this election."

"It is time to write a new chapter in American history."

"I have worked on these issues for decades now."

"This election is not just about playing defense, it's about playing offense. It's not just about defending what is, it's about creating what might be in this country."

"On this issue, I will not yield."

Musically This Is Unique and Super Cool - Wow

New Coldplay Video

(HT: Stevie Mac)

Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs

I just got the new Death Cab For Cutie record today and it is GREAT. These guys might be a bit more indie than some of you are used to, but once you get into their style I think it will really grow on you. These guys are have a definite "voice" that is unique and refreshing. They orchestrate great parts and the songs are quirky but very catchy.

You can purchase it or listen to it by clicking on the Amazon link in my sidebar or just click here.

These are my favorite songs:
Cath...

Your New Twin Sized Bed

"Prince Caspian: Good Film that Misses the Mark"

Amy Hall, writing for str.org, reviews Prince Caspian. She writes:

I struggled to decide how to write this review. I enjoyed Prince Caspian as a film and recommend that people see it, and yet I think it missed out on the most important thing it should have done. Even though I'm going to focus here on that one thing (because that's the thing most interesting to me), I don't want to leave the impression that I didn't like the movie. The movie was a good one in itself even if it didn't accomplish what the book accomplished.

Read the rest here.

Church Musicians Seminar

This weekend we held the Church Musicians Seminar at Desert Springs Church. I felt as though it was a huge success. I video recorded the whole thing so I am hoping to run a youtube series in the next few days. Be on the look out for that. It will be a great resource for music leaders and players alike.

The Mac Progaganda Continues...

The truth about switching to...
PC users, here are some common misconceptions about why you think you should not switch over from the dark side. David Allison writes:

There are lots of reasons that people don't want to switch from Windows to Macintosh. I assume the most common reason is simply because Windows works for the people that are using it. The old adage "If it ain't broke don't fix it" tends to apply here. These people are not upgrading to Vista either, they're staying with Windows XP or even Windows 98 and are just fine.

There are however an increasing number of people that are moving to Macs now - many of them people like me that hated Macs at one time. I believe there are lots of reasons for this, not the least of which is that people that are running Windows XP are faced with an upgrade to Vista as their next logical step and feel that maybe it's okay to consider a Mac since they have to go through a full operating system refresh anyway.

One of the reasons I was not interested in Macs for a very long time was that I clung to many facts about the Mac that I felt eliminated it from contention. Well, as with many things in life it turns out the facts that I knew about the Mac were either hopelessly outdated or simply myths. What I wanted to do was tell you the ones that I was aware of and often cited when I dismissed Macs in the past.

His points are:

1. Mac's only use a single mouse button

2. There are not that many applications for Macs

3. Macs are closed machines that cannot be expanded

4. Macs don't work well with Windows machines on a network

5. Macs are more expensive

6. Macs can't run my Windows software

7. Macs are mouse centered machines. You constantly have to grab the mouse.

Read this whole post to see him flesh out these misconceptions about Macs.

Clarus Audio

Here you can find all the audio for our recent Clarus weekend featuring D.A. Carson and Michael Horton.

An Apostolic Disputation - and Justification - D.A. Carson

Panel Discussion 1 (Friday evening) - D.A. Carson and Michael Horton

Two Mothers, Two Mountains - Dr. Michael Horton

Justification/Righteousness and the Cross of Christ - D.A. Carson

Panel Discussion 2 (Saturday afternoon) Pt. 1 - D.A. Carson and Michael Horton

Panel Discussion 2 (Saturday afternoon) Pt. 2 - D.A. Carson and Michael Horton

The Promise-Driven Life - Michael Horton

Panel Discussion 3 (Saturday evening) - Michael Horton

"The Ironies of the Cross" - D.A. Carson

You don't want to miss these messages. These are some of the most helpful gospel related recourses I have ever heard.

Classical Music Still Alive?

Al Mohler reviews the book, "Why Classical Music Still Matters" by Lawrence Kramer.

These are the best of times and the worst of times for classical music. More music is available to more people than ever before. The digital revolution has made more music available than at any previous time in human history, and available 24/7 at very low cost. Musical performances silent for decades are now available in new digital editions.

Yet, enrollment in many musical education programs is dropping fast as children and teenagers play video games, spend time on the internet, join soccer leagues, and think of music as something they buy -- not something they do. Music programs in public schools are often cut for budgetary reasons or reduced in size and scope.

Lawrence Kramer, Professor of English and Music at Fordham University in New York City has written a wonderful and informative book intended to make the argument that classical music has a distinctive and much-needed place in our culture and in our individual lives.

Read the whole thing.



Speaking of classical music. I just bought this recording yesterday: Mozart for your Mind. I feel smarter already. WAY smarter.

In all seriousness it's really good. I wish I would have paid more attention when I was forced to learn this kind of stuff when I was a kid. My parents told me to, but I just wanted to play basketball. That's probably why I lean towards jazz today.

More Stuff Christians Like

Stuff Christians Like - #232 - This one hit a little too close to home.

The Magical Power of Denim

Caspian Reviews

Read reviews of Prince Caspian here.

Radiohead Concert Review

A great review of a recent Radiohead show in St. Louis. Oh how I wish I was there.

(HT: Brad)

How Do You Love A Porn Star?

Joe Carter asks this provocative question: How do you love a porn star?

Its a great short essay and absolutely vital to think through for the mission of God's people and his church.

Excerpt:

How do you befriend someone who relishes what you despise? Can you show someone love while keeping your distance? If not, how do you draw near to someone who wallows in unrepentant sin? We're told to follow the example of Jesus in loving our fellow sinners. However, we are rarely provided with practical advice on how to carry out this duty.

Packer on Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God

Timmy Brister with a great summary of J.I. Packer's teaching on the sovereignty of God in evangelism.

He quotes Packer:

“Some fear that belief in the sovereign grace of God leads to the conclusion that evangelism is pointless, since God will save His elect anyway, whether they hear the gospel or not. This . . . is a false conclusion based on a false assumption. . . . So far from making evangelism pointless, the sovereignty of God in grace is the one thing that prevents evangelism from being pointless. For it creates the possibility–indeed, the certainty–that evangelism will be fruitful. Apart from it, there is not even a possibility of evangelism being fruitful. Were it not for the sovereign grace of God, evangelism would be the most futile and useless enterprise that the world has ever seen, and there would be no more complete waste of time under the sun than to preach the Christian gospel.”

Read the whole post and be encouraged in your pursuit of people with the gospel! We pursue others because we have been pursued!

MuteMath Live CD and DVD

My deepest apologies that I have not reported on this sooner.

Download the audio recording here (iTunes) or here (Amazon).

Buy the live DVD here.

If you are not a fan of MuteMath yet, you will be soon after listening to this stuff. These guys are the real deal.

Accountability

Abraham Piper:

Accountability isn’t just weekly meetings with a “partner.”

It also means having friends who’ll punch your face when you need them to.

My comment:

I say Amen to Abraham's post and have written a bit about our notions of accountability in the past as well. You can read it here if you are so inclined. I think I got most of it from C.J. Mahaney, but can't remember... I am convinced of the ideas there for the purpose of sanctification. Very, very important stuff.

Cyclone in Burma

Eyewitness account of the cyclone in Burma.

(HT: Think Christian)

D.A. Carson on the Local Church

Jonathan Leeman reports:

Adrian Warnock has a good video interview with D. A. Carson filmed during the recent New Word Alive conference. Beginning at minute 2 is a discussion concerning the role of the local church and the role of the seminary and why professors should dream of being pastors. Here's a few lines:

• "The front line is the local church, and there's a sense in which the seminary is a back up slot."
• "The first impetus toward ministry and toward stamping people for what ministry ought to be ought to be within the context of the local church."
• "A good seminary, a good theological college, helps to provide the kind of training, and further exposure, more technical knowledge, grasp of the language, this sort of thing, that virtually no local church can produce."
• "Yet it's really important for those who teach in such places, nevertheless, to be pastors first, because if they think of themselves as teachers and scholars first, then they tend to produce teachers and scholars. So there's a stamping not simply from the course materials, but from your own values, what you think about, what you dream about."
• "So at our seminary, we always hire a certain percentage of faculty who wish they were in the pastoral ministry or else, quite frankly, we don't want them. Now, they have to be academically competent and all the rest. But we don't want people who just want to be in a seminary.We want people who, in many ways, would prefer to be in the local church."

Church Quote Of The Day

If you treat your church like a business, you will treat other churches like your competition.

-Jared Wilson

This Kind of Creeps Me Out

Seen the new Google Street View? I just found my house. Here is the picture.

What do you think? Kinda cool, but kinda not cool at the same time? I just typed in my address and the picture of my house came up. Wild...

New Mac/PC Commercials

Seen the new Mac/PC commercials? They are pretty funny. Watch them here.

(HT: Josh Harris)

Please Tell Me You Saw LeBron Unleash This Nasty Dunk Last Night...

I don't care what anyone says, he ain't 23 or whatever. Someone screwed up this dude's birth certificate.


** Update **

Here is the video. Great line from announcer = "Lebron James with no regard for human life!!!!" Maybe a bit of an overstatement, but I love it.

Er....?

(HT: Marc)

Accountability Software from XXXChurch

I was recently talking with a friend who has been struggling with on-line porn. Since it all centers around his computer we talked about getting an accountability software. I found out that there was a free version for Mac and PC from xxxchurch.com that sends a weekly listing of all the websites you have been on to any number of persons you choose as accountability partners. Looks really cool and it's free. Why not get something like this on your computer? You can find it here.

Intro To Gospel of Luke

Click here to download the intro to the Gospel of Luke from the forthcoming ESV Study Bible that comes out Oct. 15th. It looks exceptional. I already pre-ordered my copy which comes with an electronic version.

Planet Earth

My family and I have steadily been pounding through the 5 DVD set, Planet Earth. I can't recommend this series highly enough. It has been such a blessing to watch this and a delight to be able to do it as a family. As a Christian it will make you stand back in awe at the boundless creativity of our Creator. Watch this series and you will worship Him with new affections.

Here is the description of the DVD series.

Click here to read Tim Challies' review.

We got ours from Netflix. You can find it here.