A Few Example Posts:

  • "The End of Faith: A Short Response to Sam Harris"
  • See also:
  • "A Long Response to Sam Harris' The End of Faith, by Neil Shenvi"

  • "Is John Piper the Best Answer to Emergence and Postmodernism?"

  • "Captured"

  • "The Storm is Over"

  • "If Golfing Were the Pursuit of Moral Perfection"

  • 11.29.2005

    Gabriel's Poem

    The third poem in the play, "A Christmas Celebration"
    See my last post for an explanation...
    ----------------------------------------------

    Gabriel’s Poem

    Proud kings and fierce emperors wage their wars.
    Nations rage and rebel through the ages.
    Man thinks of himself, of himself alone
    As wise ones, scholars, masters, and sages.

    The sun rises then sets to rise again.
    Wind pursues the south to whirl around north.
    Rivers seek seas that refuse to fill up,
    Returning to homes from whence they came forth.

    Infants commence to grow up in this world.
    Children enjoy its innocent pleasures.
    Strong men, young women enter their sorrows.
    Ancient ones find how short a life measures.

    “Are we here for a reason?” man inquires.
    “Is there hopeful purpose beyond ourselves?
    Does life merely cycle and cycle on?”
    Into these questions the human heart delves.

    Though the years show the sky to be silent,
    The plan of redemption is unfolding.
    Carpenter, maiden, and shepherds make part
    Of eternal ways God is revealing.

    Take hope! Take hope! Lift up your sad faces.
    Dare to hear the prophetic word of old.
    To Bethlehem Ephratah God will come,
    Just as the true prophet Micah foretold!

    4th - 6th Grade Sing: Come Thou Almighty King
    ------------------
    Written by John Rush

    These poems are copyrighted by John Rush 2005.
    If you would like to use them, just let me know. I know they’re not the "end all" of holiday poetry and I’m not charging anything for my plays/programs. But I would like to know if they’re being used.

    11.28.2005

    Christmas Season Upon Us



    Christmas time is a busy time. From company parties to school plays to church programs--everyone is under the gun to get it done! I thrive on it. It does not depress me at all. It just wears me out in a good, wholesome, exhausted sort of way.

    The last few years, I have written Christmas programs and simple plays for a Christian school in the area. This year, the school and my church are performing the same script for their respective programs. The play, for now, is called "A Christmas Celebration." It contains a modern day story juxtaposed (good word, huh?) with the Christmas story. It has transitions where children quote poetry and sing (You've never seen anything like that before, I'm sure...)

    Anyway, in the interest of the holiday season, I thought I'd post the three poems I wrote into the play. The first poem reflects the flow of the script and is quoted by our really, really little kids. Hence, it is not too complicated. Here goes...
    -----------------------------------------------

    CHILDRENS CHORUS


    I’m thankful Mary desired to obey.
    She trusted the Lord to work in her life.

    Her heart would break before it was over,
    But God would answer man’s sin and man’s strife.

    God speaks, and the world will not be the same.
    Poor common people a part of His plan,

    Eternity breaks a sin blasted world--
    God our Beloved One now as a Man!

    Chorus Sings: The Doxology -Praise Him, Praise Him medley.


    ------------------------

    I guess I'll call the next one "Mary Rejoices." It is for the older students around 2nd-3rd grade.

    MARY REJOICES

    Mary rejoices in God.
    The commandment she obeys.
    Favored among all women,
    Trusting her Lord’s sov’reign ways.

    Joseph, hurting but faithful,
    Loves his Lord and loves his bride;
    Not knowing his crucial role,
    His sorrow he seeks to hide.

    Gabriel gives God’s message.
    The angel declares the Plan.
    Not grasping God’s great wisdom,
    Obeys and brings hope to man.

    Humbling Himself for all men,
    Christ willingly suffers loss.
    Found in fashion as a man--
    Born to die upon a cross.

    God the Father loves the world,
    Sending His beloved Son.
    Judging our great transgressions,
    A vict’ry o'er death He’s won!

    Adam, to Moses, to Christ,
    God’s mercy and law and grace,
    Are shown to Jew and Gentile
    To redeem our helpless race.

    Eternal to eternal,
    The story in time now starts.
    Millions gladly received it,
    Yet it waits for your own hearts.

    Sing: Tell Me the Story of Jesus


    -----------------------
    I'll save the last poem for another post....
    Anyway, that's the start of my Christmas spirit blogging...



    These poems are copyrighted by John Rush 2005.
    If you would like to use them, just let me know. I know they’re not the "end all" of holiday poetry and I’m not charging anything for my plays/programs. But I would like to know if they’re being used.

    11.23.2005

    Thankful for Christ



    When I think of the Lord Jesus Christ, I am thankful that:

    He Humbled Himself: Christ said, “He who sees me, sees the Father.” He claimed equality with God. And rightfully so. He is the Second Person of the Godhead. Co-equal with the Father in power, glory, knowledge, holiness, justice, righteousness, beauty, creative action, humility, and joy. Yet He did not cling to this standing. He did not grasp after it. He was willing to humble Himself and be found in fashion as a man.

    In every way, He was human--but without sin. He could smell the stench in the barn the night he was born. He knew hunger and thirst. He knew what it was like to want to rest his feet after a long journey. He felt the sense of accomplishment after a day’s work. He needed his naps. He felt pain.

    He humbled Himself. From the highest heights to the lowest depths. He came to the lower parts: the earth. He pitched a tent among us and lived a while. Before He died, He looked forward to returning to the glory He had with the Father. But He never ducked or dodged his mission: to become fully human while remaining God all the while--and make His way to Calvary.

    He Fulfilled the Law: Jesus said that not one minute point of the Mosaic Law would go unfulfilled. The countless masses of humans, from the very beginning, failed to meet the standard. Not only did we fail, we rejoiced in our failure. We stoked it into rebellion. We even found a way to be angry at God because He was so right--and we so wrong. It's not our fault, and He has no right to judge!

    Some became proud because they actually thought they could meet the standard--and religion was born. I know this temptation. Paul knew this temptation. But God in His mercy took the Law and showed us our failure. The 10 Commandments are an MRI for the soul--a CAT Scan for the inner man. Paul confessed that without the high demands of God righteous standard, he would never have known he was covetous. When Paul realized his sin, he then claimed to be the chief of sinners. If he lays claim to that position--I must admit to running a very close second. (I am a Christian because I DON’T measure up. I’m NOT better than anyone. I DON’T meet the standard. I DON’T pass inspection. I’m guilty and worthy of rejection by a holy God. This is true.)

    But Christ does meet the standard.

    He surpasses it. He excels. He never had one deviation from absolute conformity to God’s law. Not one microscopic speck of corruption was in Him.

    1. As a man, He always worshipped the true God with all His heart and all His soul.

    2. Of course, He never considered a false god. He knew that not all paths lead to God. God defines Himself for us. We do not define God for us.

    3. He never used God’s name in a profane or common way.

    4. He knew the true sense of the Sabbath and kept it in His heart.

    5. He honored His parents, even when He felt the need to get about His Heavenly Father’s business. He went down from Jerusalem and was subject to them.

    6. He never murdered and cursed anyone in His heart.

    7. He never lusted. Period. Adultery was far from Him. His purity is blinding white.

    8. He didn’t steal. Even when He hungered 40 days, he refrained from using His power amiss to make bread.

    9. He always told the truth. When He told His disciples that He would make a place for them He said, “If it were not so, I would have told you.” Simple.

    10. He never coveted. The very point to which even Paul admits failure. This point where the best of men show themselves to be men at best. He never longed for what was not His. (After all, He had already willingly forfeited the highest glories in heaven!)

    Christ amassed enough merit, enough righteousness as the Second Adam to redeem the entire human race. In Adam all die. In the Second Adam--all who come to Him--can live.


    He Atoned for My Sin: Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. The Old Testament sacrificial system trumpets this truth. Why? Because the wages, the due results, of sin is death. Since the life of the flesh is in the blood, blood must be poured out. A death sentence must be executed.

    God, in His wisdom, allowed for substitutes. But the substitutes had to be innocent and spotless. Lambs. Lambs are innocent. And only the spotless ones will do. These sacrifices never took away sin, however. They pointed to the true sacrifice. Christ, the Lamb of God took my place. His pure blood was poured out on my behalf. He absorbed God wrath against John Rush. John Rush is guilty. It was my fault.

    The wisdom of God has decreed a way for the love of God to deliver sinners from the wrath of God all the while upholding the righteousness of God.” - John Piper

    I thank God for this.

    He Rose Again: His sacrifice was accepted. He body resurrected. He conquered death. Up from the grave He arose... after three days. He delivers us from the fear of death. He said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” He is the first-born out from the dead.

    Is it hard to believe that God can and will raise the dead? It was just as hard to believe this in the first century as it is now. Yet the gospel swept the world. Although relatively few bow the knee to Christ in comparison with the world’s population, millions have--and will continue to receive Him until He comes.

    The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is rooted in the space/time continuum. If it is false, all of Christianity is a fraud. We admit this. But we stake our lives on it.

    He Saves Sinners: Like I said, I am a Christian because I am NOT good enough. I can’t meet the standard. But Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world, but that the world could be saved through Him. How is this done?

    Not through religious schedules.
    Not through religious ceremonies.
    Not through self-help advancement.
    Not through effort.

    It is done by faith. Faith is not taking a blind leap into a self-created existence. It is trusting someone. In this case--Christ.

    Faith is not faith mixed with works. It is faith alone. If I had to work or produce one unit of merit in order to be brought to God, I would fail miserably.

    Christ is willing to put His merit on my account and cancel my sin debt.

    The transaction is a transaction of faith alone. That’s how someone as unworthy as I am can be brought to God.

    I thank God for this.

    11.21.2005

    Pastor's Log for November 2005

    About every three months, I print a tri-fold for the church called "Pastor's Log." (How original is that!) Our church just recently adopted bylaws, established membership, and is now in the process of selecting its leadership. Lord willing, we will have three elders, two deacons, one minister of finance, and one minister of records, and a partridge in a pear tree...

    I have spent the last several months preaching through 1 Timothy (see sidebar) hoping to lay the groundwork for our future ministry according to Scriptural principles. We are always open to innovation, good ideas, and fresh perspective; however, I want to be rooted in Scripture rather than current fads or hard-headed tradition for our philosophy of ministry.

    I have recently been convinced of the plurality of elders that should lead a local assembly. I believe it is Scriptural and carries with it many benefits.

    Anyway I thought I'd post a short 2 paneled section of the Pastor's Log.

    What Are Elders and Deacons?

    Elders Lead the Church:

    Acts 20:17, 28 show the three words for the same office: Elder, Bishop, and Pastor

    From Miletus he [Paul] sent to Ephesus and called for the 1 elders of the church... Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you 2 overseers (bishops), to 3 shepherd (pastor) the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

    The rest of the New Testament continues to use these words to describe the spiritual leaders of a local congregation.

    Elder: This word speaks of spiritual authority rooted in spiritual maturity. He is an example of a believer in the assembly.

    Bishop (Overseer): This title reflects the responsibility of overseeing the church. A bishop cares for souls and sets the direction of the church while providing spiritual protection.

    Pastor: A pastor is a shepherd who feeds the flock and tends to the health of the congregation. It is a noun form of the verb “to shepherd” or “to feed.” Pastor’s teach.

    Notice how the apostle Peter uses the same three terms describing one office in 1 Peter 5:1-4.

    The 1 elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: 2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as 3 overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.

    Notice that elders are in the plural. Philippians 1:1 also follows a plurality of elders. Here Paul uses the word bishop.

    Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

    Paul refers to bishops and deacons as plural. There was more than one elder/bishop/pastor at Philippi--as well as more than one deacon.

    Deacons Support the Church:

    The idea of serving makes up the word deacon. Deacons serve the church by supporting the elders in the “physicality” of the ministry. Acts 6:1-7 lays the groundwork for this office. Deacons were to execute the church’s ministry to the needy. Deacons were just as godly as elders; however, the qualifications for elders require that elders must be “able to teach.”

    11.17.2005

    They're At It Again



    I wanted to write about this little controversy over The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis when I first heard of it; however, Gene Edward Veith has done a much better job here.

    It seems that secularists want to restrict young minds, once again, from the freedom of expression in literature. Honestly, I see secularism as a force of repression and ignorance in its own right. It seems like some, if they had their way, would take all the color out of the world.

    11.15.2005

    My Sixth Look at Buddhism: The Last of the Three Marks: Not-Self



    The Three Marks that characterize life within the Buddhist philosophy are Impermanence, Suffering, and Not-Self. This post discusses Not-Self.

    Buddhism admits that this is the most challenging of the three marks to understand. It’s basic thought is that we do not have an essential self or personality that continues on without change. This is a tenet that distinguishes Buddhism from many other religious systems.

    Buddhism teaches that five factors comprise an individual:

    1. The body or material form.
    2. Feeling.
    3. Perception.
    4. Thought/Decisions
    5. Consciousness (Self-awareness)

    These five aspects of individuality do make a person unique--but not permanently so. The Buddha taught that when a disciple considers each one of these five “components” of personhood, he should say:



    This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.




    In this life, a person does not remain who he has been. The adult is not the child he once was, for example. Yet this belief extends even into other lives. (Buddhism, like Hinduism teaches reincarnation--the continuation of many lives. The two appear to have different views of the same basic belief.) The personality changes when it leaves this life and enters another life in the world. This puts a personality in a continual process of change. Therefore, all that I consider to be me is really not me. I am not myself.

    Not-Self is antithetical to Christianity.

    What would Christ say of Not-Self? Obviously, Christ did not deal with Buddhism per se. However, His life and words do speak to the issue of a person’s soul. Does a person remain who they are after death?

    One day, a group of Sadducees came to Christ to trap Him with a “discussion” of the resurrection. The Jews had a custom that if a man died without a son the next of kin would marry the widow and name the son from that marriage after his deceased brother. This kept inheritances and family names going. It was called Levirate Marriage.

    The Sadducees told Christ that a man married a woman then died. His brother married her, and he died. This sad turn of events kept going until seven brothers were laid in the earth. Finally, the poor woman keeled over herself. (How many marriages can one person stand?) The Sadducees, who didn’t believe in resurrection anyway, wanted a lesson from Christ about this story. One obvious lesson would be, “Don’t marry that lady!” but Jesus went right to the heart of the matter.

    He said, “Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.... But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine. (This story is in Matthew 22:23-33.)

    Abraham lived around 2000 years before Christ. Jesus points out that God did NOT say “I was the God of Abraham.” He said, “I am the God of Abraham.” This means that Abraham is alive in the presence of God. And he is still Abraham. Isaac is still Isaac. Jacob is still Jacob.

    When Christ was transfigured on the mountain, Moses and Elijah appeared with Him. They had not lost their personalities. They still bore their names and were known by the disciples through some intuitive means.

    God is in the business of loving, redeeming, and glorifying individuals.

    This does not mean that we don’t change or grow. One of the purposes in our salvation is to be conformed to the image of Christ. Yet the Scriptures show us that even in that process, we remain who we are.

    This is true in hell, as well. Dives was still Dives there. He is who he was.

    Buddhism has a solid view of reincarnation and karma. Karma dictates the good and the bad consequences a person experiences in the next life for the deeds done in this life.

    However--and this is an honest question--if the personality is Not-Self from life to life:

    How is it just that someone else (not myself) be punished for my “sins” in this life?

    How is it just that someone else (not myself) reap the benefits of my good actions done in this life?

    It sounds like the karmic record-keeping would be a horrible mess.

    11.14.2005

    A Fifth Look at Buddhism: Suffering, One of the Three Marks



    As mentioned before, Buddhism says that life is suffering, and suffering comes from desire. Life can never really satisfy us; therefore, we should not cling to the objects of our desire. If we do, we will hurt ourselves. We must overcome our desires.

    This philosophy reminded me of some dialogue in the last of the Star Wars prequel. Anakin Skywalker was afraid he was going to lose everything he wanted: namely his wife. He was told he had to let her go--give her up. This was the only way to save her and himself. He had to overcome his desire. But he didn’t. He inordinately grasped and held to his longings. This turned him to the Dark Side, and he became Darth Vader.

    Is it true that suffering is rooted in our desires? It seems that it is true, to a degree. But I would have to qualify this thought in a couple of ways.

    God created the world to be a place that fulfills desire. Food was abundant because man was made to desire it. Marriage was instituted because man had a desire for companionship and physical relationship. And God was to be man’s ultimate desire. He satisfied that desire with an immediate presence.

    But things changed.

    The Biblical account of life tells us that suffering comes, not from desire itself, but from wrong desires and weak desires.

    WRONG DESIRES

    The doctrine of Original Sin explains how moral evil entered the human race. It came through rebellion in man’s heart. The allure--the temptation--was rooted in man’s awakened desire to be “as gods.” Man wanted to have what was forbidden because that one fruit was apparently “good for food, pleasant to the eyes...and to be desired to make one wise (Genesis 3:6).” This is when all the suffering began. It came in with the Fall of Man. It came from wrong desires.

    Desires become wrong, not because they are desires, but because they are twisted, misplaced, or excessive. God’s will is that we straighten, properly place, or reign in our desires. Only His grace can put us right; however, He has not condemned us for being creatures who desire. It is the exact opposite. He created us to have desires.

    WEAK DESIRES

    Weak desires also plague us. We are not satisfied with anything in this life because our desires for the objects that can fulfill us are too weak. Here is another quote from Lewis:

    “If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire or own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit that this notion has crept in from Kant and the Stoics and is no part of the Christian faith. Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”1

    John Piper uses the above quote to set the stage for his philosophy of finding joyful fulfillment in God. He couches this philosophy in provocative terms, but I cannot find the following points to be unbiblical (the points are tightly woven together and won’t stand without each other):

    1. The longing to be happy is a universal human experience, and it is good, not sinful.

    2. We should never try to deny or resist our longing to be happy, as though it were a bad impulse. Instead we should seek to intensify this longing and nourish it with whatever will provide the deepest and most enduring satisfaction.

    3. The deepest and most enduring happiness is found only God. Not from God, but in God.

    4. The happiness we find in God reaches its consummation when it is shared with others in the manifold ways of love.

    5. To the extent we try to abandon the pursuit of our own pleasure, we fail to honor God and love people. Or, to put it positively: the pursuit of pleasure is a necessary part of all worship and virtue. That is, The chief end of man is to glorify God BY enjoying Him forever.2

    God is happy in Himself. He rejoices in the eternal fellowship of the Trinity. Out of the abundance of His joy, He created all that we see. He created us to enter into His joy. We refused to do so, choosing to live in the darkness and disappointment of life on our own. We are left with desires that can never be fully satisfied. So we twist them hoping to find some fulfillment. We misplace them and create false gods to worship. We live in excess but find diminishing returns in our pursuit.

    All the while, Christ has come to redeem us from a life of futility offering everlasting water to quench our spiritual thirst--our desire. “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness...”

    In the swirl of all this, we never hear God say, “Squelch your desires. Escape from them into the void.” Rather, He promises Himself to us in redemption. In heaven, the immediate presence of God will be the fullness of our joy. Of course, even as Christians, we will never find our complete satisfaction in this life. We have some waiting to do. Lewis addressed this condition:

    Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire: well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing.”3

    The “real thing” is found in God. All other holy pleasures simply point to Him.

    Our problem is not desire. It is where we place our hopes for fulfillment. Seeking to escape or negate our desires is not good enough. We must have them sanctified and fulfilled. The psalmist said it well: “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” Psalm 17:15.

    ---------------------------------------
    1 C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York, Collier Books; MacMillan Publishing Co.,1952), 120.

    2 John Piper, Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist (Sisters, Oregon, Multnomah Books, 1996), 23.

    3 C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses (San Francisco, HarperSanFrancisco, 1980), 26.

    11.09.2005

    A Fourth Look at Buddhism



    Through the lens of Buddhism, one sees life as having three major characteristics: Impermanence, Suffering, and Not-Self. These issues will make up the next three posts (if inspiration doesn’t interrupt). Today’s post deals with impermanence.

    Just for the record--again--I am not an expert on Buddhism and am open for clarification. I am simply responding as a Christian to my first real voyage through this land.

    The idea of impermanence states that everything is in a state of change. Nothing is static. From the smallest level of life to the largest, change dominates the essence of life. These changes can be extremely subtle or mammoth in nature. They may be slow or sudden--but change of some sort constantly affects existence.

    Suffering is enhanced when change is not accepted. We would do much better in life if we accept the moments as they are, take the joys as they are, and let them pass away--awaiting for new ones to come. If we try to hold on to something hoping that it won’t change, we only hurt ourselves.

    This idea is simple but profound--and easy to forget. Buddhism reminds us of a truth here. I have seen people hold on to happy, old memories or hurts, playing “I wish” or “What if.” These folks are truly hurting themselves. (Have done some of that myself too.) My brother-in-law, a great friend and counselor, has often said, “You have to deal with what is.”

    Now, Buddhism seems to view life “under the sun.” It is atheistic having no real place for a personal God. If there is a God, it apparently would be pantheistic. (Also--someone can help me out with this--was George Lucas reflecting Buddhism in Star Wars? It appears to me that he was.)

    If one does look at life “under the sun” he is going to agree with Buddhism that everything changes.

    However, if we say--and mean it categorically--that EVERYTHING changes, Christ and His Scriptures would disagree because there is a category that doesn’t change. Actually, it is a person.

    The Bible teaches the Immutability of God. One author wrote, “God’s immutability is due also to his necessary being and self-existence. That which exists uncaused, by the necessity of its nature, must exist as it does. It is due also to his absolute perfection. Neither improvement nor deterioration is possible. Any change in his attributes would make him less than God...”1

    James, the half-brother of Christ reminds us that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning (James 1:17).”

    The author of Hebrews is very direct and states: “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever (Hebrews 13:9).”

    In a world of constant change, Jesus offers Himself as an anchor for the soul. We can hold on to Him as unchanging without hurting ourselves. We can still deal with what is, because He always is who He is.

    His kingdom is eternal as well. Abraham, the father of many nations, understood this “for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11:10).” This city, this kingdom, has eternal foundations. They can never be shaken or changed.

    In this life, everything changes. But we must broaden our view to the eternal.

    ----------------------------------------------
    What other Scriptures reveal the immutability of God?
    How does the idea of impermanence in this life help us or hurt us?
    Can you see the Uncaused Cause? The Self-existent One who transcends our changing world?
    How can we all be ultimately following the same thing if these two views of life are so different?
    -----------------------------------------------
    1Henry Clarence Thiessen, Lectures in Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, Michigan; William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1949), 83.

    11.08.2005

    Constructive Criticism

    A Break from Buddhism

    I recently came across some very fair criticism of Anvil and Fire. An objective third-party perspective always helpful.

    A blogger named John recently did a “compare and contrast” of a couple of Christian blogs, including this one. He said,

    “The blogosphere, of course, does not belong solely to those who are skilled in edgy and tight blogspeak, but most of us seem to agree that adherence to this blogging aesthetic is more likely than not to increase the blogger's sphere of influence by making the blog more eye and ear-catching. Anvil & Fire has plenty of passion, of a kind, but this Tennessean of faith seems more fond of sermons than conversations.”

    I would probably have to plead “guilty as charged.” My training and experience has primarily been in sermon preparation and delivery, among other things. My calling and occupation is that of a pastor/teacher/preacher. So, I think in terms of studying the texts of Scripture, trying to delve into the context of a passage, getting a handle on the Greek underlying it--for the New Testament (I struggled a lot learning the Hebrew, so I am more comfortable in the New Testament...), and seeking to deliver the message in an interesting way. Pastoring includes so much more than this, but this process is definitely in the core.

    So I may have been blending the two avenues of communication: blogging and preaching. A natural error....IF blogging is supposed to fit a certain mold.

    I have never taken a class on blogging. It is probably a good idea to do so. I have read Hugh Hewitt’s book, but that is about it. At that time I didn’t really plan to blog. I was more intrigued by how the bloggers nailed Trent Lott and Dan Rather. Now those were power bloggers!

    I really have to blame Steve Weaver and Phil Rogers for pushing me into this. I never would have blogged if they hadn’t forced me.

    No. I guess that won’t do. I blog because I do want to try to communicate to a broader audience the things that I think, feel, and experience. It is kind of a gut thing. But I admit that sometimes I try to speak to a non-Christian audience, then zig back to those who have come from a similar background, and zag over towards “everyone”--just nailing my thoughts on the door for any passer by to read. Sometimes, I have simply adapted some sermon notes and flung ‘em up on the cyber wall.

    Now, I am grateful to John for pointing out a reason why the Anvil and Fire circle is so tight. Maybe Anvil and Fire should seek more of a “conversation.” Preaching and conversing don’t blend well. But two issues arise:

    1. I have a life to lead with people close at hand. If I constantly converse with the friendly folks who visit Anvil and Fire, I will not spend enough time with family, friends, and the church folks for whom I am responsible. I know of one guy who quit blogging because it took too much time.

    2. The computer I use for blogging is not at my home anyway. Talk about time consuming! I can’t drive back and forth to respond to comments. I already have too many outstanding projects around the house: Have to finish putting polyurethane on an old kitchen table today, Have to cut wood (its supposed to be cold this winter), Still haven’t bagged my deer this season, and Christmas is just around the corner. How many shopping days left?...

    I think there is a third reason why Anvil and Fire is a small blog. Others are good at it, and I’m not. But can’t resist trying. If you want to see a solid Christian blog, try Phil Johnson's at PyroManiac. He's a Calvinist. But He's a good Calvinist.

    John goes on to contrast Anvil and Fire with another blogger who “understands the nature of the beast and he does desire to speak to a wide audience of people who also ponder how to be a religious person not in the mold of the Christian right” [in contrast to Anvil and Fire, I infer.]

    Now we wax a little more philosophical. My goal in ministry and writing is not to move people into a nebulous subculture known as the “Christian right.” I really resist the idea of simply seeing people as groups, subcultures, or herds simply making truth claims that mask a will to power. I don’t deny group dynamics in living, but if that is all we see, then we miss the individual. (Let me “step in it” a little by saying this is major difference in how “liberals” and “conservatives” see the world. But you don't have to be politcally "conservative" to know Christ.) My core desire is to point individuals to Jesus Christ. They individually must decide what to do with this Person.

    My blog represents the variety of my thoughts. So I guess it will ramble some. At least I'm not attempting to make money at it! Whew! I'd be in the poor house.

    Anyway, I must say that John pegged me pretty well. I will try to be more conversational and audience focused, if I can swing it. But as the great philosophical cartoon character said: “I yam what I yam.” Yet there’s always room for improvement, and I have John to thank for some very constructive criticism.

    Thanks, John!

    11.06.2005

    A Third Look at Buddhism



    For my third look at Buddhism, I want to quote C.S. Lewis who said the following concerning “Rival Conceptions of God:”

    I have been asked to tell you what Christians believe, and I am going to begin by telling you one thing that Christians do not need to believe. If you are a Christian you do not have to believe that all the other religions are simply wrong all through. If you are an atheist you do have to believe that the main point in all the religions of the whole world is simply one huge mistake. If you are a Christian, you are free to think that all religions, even the queerest ones, contain at least some hint of the truth. When I was an atheist I had to try to persuade myself that most of the human race have always been wrong about the question that mattered to them most; when I became a Christian I was able to take a more liberal view.1

    When reading about Buddhism, I remembered Lewis’ statement. Buddhism seems to begin with an honest evaluation of life, and I agree with it to a point: Life is Suffering. So Buddhism is not “wrong all through.”

    Honest people from all walks of life, religion, or non-religion have to acknowledge--in one way or another-- the difficulties of life. I was saddened for the three children a mentally ill lady recently threw into San Francisco Bay. I feel sorry for the thousands of people killed, displaced, or suffering from post-earthquake issues in Pakistan. People in our own country have suffered from hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, and all their “fallout.”

    Christians categorize these sufferings under the heading The Problem of Evil. Moral evil encompasses the wrong actions of humans against humans. Natural evil is the disease, disturbances, and distresses of this life.

    The Problem of Evil is a serious and difficult problem. It refuses shallow answers but demands an answer nonetheless. Christians who act like they know all the answers to this problem are either un-tempered idealists or arrogant jerks. Other Christians offer “magic” as an answer. They claim that Christ came to make us healthy, wealthy, and zit-free. The prosperity gospel claims that a simple “word of faith” will make the monsters go away. Preachers of this gospel mislead--and often fleece--people encountering desperate times. These people are just selling a scam wrapped in "Bible." Because of these people, the way of truth is evil spoken of, as the apostle Peter would say.

    The Buddha made an honest attempt in two ways. First he identified the Problem of Evil. Second, he tried, out of compassion, to help people deal with the Problem of Evil. Some Buddhists may challenge my terminology, but I think we’re close.

    Now we come to a parting of the paths. It seems to me that Buddhism is inherently pessimistic. Buddhism appears to see life as fundamentally a place of suffering, delusion, and selfish desire. This life may have some beauties on the surface. We may behold these beauties and appreciate them, but we must let them go and pursue enlightenment. The attainment of Nirvana is the ultimate escape from this existence of suffering.

    Christianity sees life as suffering because we live in a sin-cursed world. At first, God created everything and called it good. The created order was to be a place of blessing. The original view was optimistic. However, man made the decision to sin against God. As a result, this perfect world was cursed. The ground does not easily yield its fruit. Childbearing is now painful. Suffering entered full-force. The universe “cracked” in a sense.

    God’s plan of redeeming man and creation now comes to the front. God sent Christ to redeem man from his sin and promised to restore the created order. He said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation2: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (John 16:33).”

    Christ conquered the sin and the suffering of this life by becoming a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3).

    This truth is especially important to me. I am vulnerable to the Problem of Evil and know what it is like to doubt God at every level because of it. I knew that this was not the best of all possible worlds! When I came to the conclusion that God is the one who has suffered most (think crucifixion and its spiritual ramifications for the Son) I was able to stay grounded in the faith. God got close. He entered fully into suffering--and conquered it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be a Christian.

    Now we wait for a new heaven and a new earth.

    So suffering is not a fundamental element God put into the world. It is upon us like a freeze. Christ will thaw this freeze. In the meantime, we groan. “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now (Romans 8:23).”

    We never see the suffering as useless, however. For the Christian, sufferings here compound into an eternal weight of glory later (Romans 8:18-19). We believe in alleviating suffering for ourselves and others. However, we may have to choose suffering for the cause of Christ, not escape it. Christians of the past and present have made this choice. Without Christ, death is the ultimate suffering (for some, dying is a close second).

    Christ conquered death. The good will be restored--and we can experience some of it now. This is our hope.

    Do you know Him?


    -------------------------------------
    1. C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York; Macmillan Publishing Company, 1952), 43.
    2. thlipsis : This word comes from the idea of “pressure” or being “squeezed” like in a winepress. Nobody likes it. We all seek to escape it at some level. What we really need is a resolution of it.

    11.03.2005

    A Second Look at Buddhism

    Picking up where I left off, I want to finish a brief post on the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism. The stuff on the First Noble Truth is repeated, but this post contains the last three truths:

    Let me paraphrase what the First Noble Truth teaches in a nut shell (because that’s all I can handle.) Here it is: LIFE STINKS. It is suffering through and through. It begins in suffering, prolongs itself in suffering, and it ends in suffering. Any momentary pleasures or joy is exactly that--momentary. Pleasure and joy only serve to add to suffering because they are illusory.

    Where does this suffering come from? The Second Noble Truth answers this question. Suffering is rooted in the human tendency to DESIRE. We desire but cannot attain fulfillment. Life is dissatisfying, ultimately. If we can overcome these desires, instead of seeking their fulfillment, we will be well on our way to enlightenment.

    The Third Noble Truth teaches us that, we can escape suffering by attaining Nibbana (Nirvana). This is apparently a state of mind where all the plagues of being unenlightened are pushed back, and a complete state of mental health is attained. The person is in the now. He or she has finally escaped.

    The Fourth Noble Truth is a Path that leads to Nibbana. If we want to get there, we have to know the way, right? So the Fourth Noble Truth telescopes Buddhism into several more insights, including an apparently strong morality.

    I hope I have fairly communicated these introductory concepts.

    As I read them, a blizzard of responding thoughts kicked up in my mind. Christ has given us a completely different vew of the nature of suffering, the source of suffering, and the deliverance from suffering. I’ll post some thoughts on these later.

    11.02.2005

    Anvil and Fire: A Wholesome Place for Bloggers

    My First Serious (but Basic) Look at Buddhism

    Close to where I live, a Buddhist Peace Pagoda is being established. This seems a little odd for us folks in the Smoky Mountains.

    Maybe some Buddha, sitting under a tree somewhere, asked himself,



    “Where can I find a culture most antithetical to eastern thinking and is thus unenlightened (in my view)....?

    Ah, East Tennessee! I will take Buddhism there.”



    So. It is here--and could be quite an opportunity.

    Now, I have looked at eastern thought in general terms before, but now, as a pastor, I feel a need to look more seriously at Buddhism in order to prepare myself to answer the inevitable questions.

    So. What is an unenlightened, black powder, muzzle-loading, hick-on-the-mountain to do?

    What else? I went to About.com and read the web pages there. The pages are like a “Buddhism for Dummies”--so I related to them fairly quickly--and gnawed on some venison jerky while gazing at the screen. (Not really. We haven’t made any for a while.)

    Anyway, I am aware that About.com may not be the best way to get my feet wet, but it does look like the folks over there put some thorough work into explaining the basics of Buddhism.

    I thought I would blog a little about my initial responses as a Christian. Any reader should keep in mind that I do not consider myself to be an expert on Buddhism, but I do have some grounds from which to form a Biblical response to the basics.


    This issue will take several postings. How hard can it be? (Don’t answer that...) Is not the Prime Directive of us WWW writers, “If it’s interesting, blog.

    You can read the short bio about the first Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama ) for yourself. He was a man seeking to make sense of life the best way he knew. His experience told him that life was not satisfying. In fact, he saw that life is inherently filled with suffering. One day, while sitting under a tree, enlightenment came to him during meditation. (“Buddha” means one who is “enlightened” or “awakened.”) He decided to share his enlightened understanding with others. This was a pursuit of compassion on his part.

    Buddhism includes, among other teachings, the Four Noble Truths of:


    • Suffering
    • the Origin of Suffering
    • the Extinction of Suffering
    • the Path that leads to the Extinction of Suffering


    Just for today, let me paraphrase what the First Noble Truth teaches in a nut shell (because that’s all I can handle.) Simply put: LIFE STINKS. Life is suffering through and through. It begins in suffering, prolongs itself in suffering, and it ends in suffering. Any momentary pleasures or joy is exactly that--momentary. Pleasure and joy only serve to add to suffering because they are illusory.

    Buddhism seeks to bring enlightenment about and escape from suffering.

    More on this next time.

    11.01.2005

    God's Tender Mercies: Some Devotional Thoughts


    Do you see God as a Father filled with tender mercies for His children? In our quest for truth, righteousness, and obedient commitment, we should never forget that God has pity on the just and the unjust--especially the just.

    Richard Sibbes said in A.D. 1630:

    Physicians, though they put their patients to much pain, will not destroy nature, but raise it up by degrees. Surgeons will lance and cut, but not dismember. A mother who has a sick and self-willed child will not therefore cast it away. And shall there be more mercy in the stream than in the spring? Shall we think there is more mercy in ourselves than in God who plants the affection of mercy in us?

    From Genesis to Revelation, we can readily see God’s desire to favor mankind. Several verses came to mind as I meditated on this topic:

    • Genesis 16:13 And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?

    • 1 Kings 19:5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. 6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.

    • Psalm 37:23-24
    The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

    • John 21:9-10
    9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. 10 Jesus saith unto them, "Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. " 11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, and hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. 12 Jesus saith unto them, "Come and dine."

    • Romans 14:4
    Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

    • Revelation 3:20
    Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

    • Revelation 22:17
    And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.



    Spurgeon reminds the Christian that “No saint shall fall finally or fatally. Sorrow may bring us to the earth, and death may bring us to the grave, but lower we cannot sink, and out of the lowest of all we shall arise to the highest of all. For the Lord upholdeth him with his hand....Even in our falls the Lord gives a measure of sustaining....It is not that the saints are strong, or wise, or meritorious, that therefore they rise after every fall, but because God is their helper...”

    These hopeful words leads me to a few conclusions I like to share with people:

    I. God knows our struggle against sin. Romans 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. ....24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord...

    A. The Curse of the Law is Lifted.
    B. God not merely chastens but conforms His children to Christlikeness.
    C. There is no such thing as a perfect Christian--only growing Christians.


    II. God knows our struggle against Satan. Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

    III. God knows our struggle in being human. Psalm 103:13-14-- 13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. 14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

    Apply this to your prayer life “A Christian complains he cannot pray. ‘Oh, I am troubled with so many distracting thoughts, and never more than now!’ But has he put into your heart a desire to pray? Then he will hear the desires of his own Spirit in you...God can pick sense out of a confused prayer. These desires cry louder in his ears than your sins.” - Richard Sibbes

    SO WHAT?

    1. Commit Yourself to this God.
    2. Do not wait for perfection in yourself to step out for Him.
    3. Do not wait for perfection in others to express love for them.
    4. Be thankful you dwell in such a “land.” Breathe the free air.
    5. Know that all of this is available to us through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.