This Pilgrim's Progress

Hitchens the Godless

Christopher Hitchens has written a book that's anti-religion and especially anti-Christian. He's been hitting a lot of the talk shows lately. I find most of his arguments rather superficial and ad-hominem. He's very deficient on his facts and tends to re-hash old arguments with fresh vindictive. Check out the transcript of Hugh Hewitt's "Great God Debate": http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/Transcript_Page.aspx?ContentGuid=2fbc257d-4761-43ff-adfd-279a3e01f69b

Mark D. Roberts has been commenting extensively on Hitchens' book and its a good read: http://www.markdroberts.com/

Personally, I don't understand atheists!  How do they live a life without meaning???

"Hyper"-Calvinism!!

Check out the "25 warning signs that you might be obsessing about Calvinism" on the blog "Purgatorio" (http://purgatorio1.blogspot.com/2005/12/help-im-going-hyper.html)

I thought it was pretty funny!!!  I always enjoy laughing at myself!

I found it while doing a Google search on "Calvinist smoking". I've been doing some thinking about the concept of Christian liberty and how that is interpreted behaviorally by some of my fellow Calvinists. But that's a topic for a later, and longer, post!

p.s. ProFlowers.com often has great deals on tulips!! My wife loves them.

Happy Reformation Day!!

Thanks to World Magazine Blog (http://www.worldmagblog.com/blog/) , I was reminded that today is Reformation Day. 

Check out Luther's "Here I Stand" speech on the Ligonier web site: http://www.ligonier.org/rym.php

Soli Deo Gloria!

New Testament Greek

My blogging time has suffered due to a course I'm taking at our church. Our pastor is teaching a "New Testament Greek for Dummies" course that's combined with some Bible study tips and techniques. Our first task was to memorize the Greek alphabet. That was one the hardest things I've tried to do in the last 10 years!! My 54 year old brain is not very flexible, so it's difficult for me to memorize things. But I managed to get it done. So far I'm enjoying the challenge and the course content, and our pastor is a gifted teacher!

So, if my posts are somewhat infrequent this summer, that's the reason why.

Crosses on High Places

The Federal judge has ruled that San Diego must dismantle the cross on Mt. Soledad in 90 days or face a huge daily fine.  This is the latest in a series of legal contests locally and around the country that the ACLU and it's fellow travelers are waging to further their own peculiar interpretation of the 1st Amendment to the Constitution of the U.S. 

I personally don't have a positive vibe for crosses on hilltops. It always smacked of  "Asherah poles in the high places" to me.  A type of base superstition and misplaced piety by people who invest the symbol with sacred status and at the same time ignore the reality it (the cross) points to.  Frankly I prefer my hilltops and mountain tops to be unadorned and graced only with the beauty God bestowed on them and the surrounding scenery.

In this case though I think the ruling is wrong and the campaign being waged by the ACLU is mean-spirited. The Mt. Soledad cross was set up in the '50's as part of a Korean War memorial.  It has since become a veteran's memorial, honoring those who died in all conflicts. It has been part of the San Diego scenery and cultural climate for over 50 years. With all of the problems that San Diego has had recently, this just seems so trivial.  Mayor Sanders wants the City Attorney to appeal the ruling, but Mr. Aguirre doesn't seem to be inclined to do so.

Lenten Season

I just realized that Lent has started. The season is one celebrated by the historic Christian church, but largely ignored by Protestants, both evangelical and oldline/mainline denominations, in recent years.

I have made it a practice to observe the season with some re-examining of my walk in faith and a renewed focus on prayer and scriptures. Our church will have a special study on Ash Wednesday tonight and I'm looking forward to it.  Congregations I've been a part of in the past often had special bible-studies during Lent, or the pastors started a special sermon series leading up to Easter (or Resurrection Day as some of my reform brothers prefer to term it).

I think the liturgical calendar has much to recommend to Christians as a way of refocusing our lives on Christ throughout the year. That doesn't mean we need to get caught up in the excessive ceremony and ritual of the Roman and Eastern church, but that it can be a help to get us back on track or keep on track in our daily lives as Christians.

I encourage all my brothers and sisters in the faith to use this next few weeks to deliberately refocus on Christ and renew yourself through the spiritual disciplines of prayer, scripture reading, worship, and fellowship. Be more open during this season to share your faith when the opportunity arises.  And in saying that, I'm also holding that out as a goal for myself to achieve.

May you reap a rich harvest from the seeds you sew during Lent this year!

Soli Deo Gloria!

"Ayatollah" Pat Robertson

Pat Robertson placed both feet firmly in his mouth today by suggesting that Sharon's stroke is a judgement of God!!  His friends and family need to get together and do an intervention and get him committed to professional care. The guy is really off his rocker!! And he seems to have the knack  to come up with these statements that are totally off-the-wall and extremely offensive. For a man in professional ministry, he is committing a terrible sin by presuming to know God's will!!  Of course, he's just crazy enough to believe he is God's prophet and is getting these crazy idea's directly from the Lord. His rabid Dispensationalism leads him to make these really stupid remarks that have no basis in reality or in the Gospel. Someone, please sedate him and put him where he won't hurt anyone!!  I am really tired of these "Geo-Theo-political" fantasies about the Mid-east that these dispensationalists keep coming up with.

The real fact of the matter is that the stroke and possible death of Sharon is a deep tragedy for the nation of Israel, and will have a de-stabilizing effect on not only their politics but that of the entire Mid-east.  Christians need to be in prayer for Israel and the Mid-east, not making stupid statements that insult and anger people and betray the lack of God's grace in their own lives.

Thanksgiving

I'm thankful for another year of good health and prosperity for me and my family.

I'm thankful for the selfless sacrifice of our service men and women serving overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. I pray that the Lord will keep them safe, and bless and comfort their families and loved ones.

I'm thankful for the continuing blessings that the Lord has given this nation. I pray that the Holy Spirit will move our heart's and cause a revival and reformation in the Church in this nation, and in turn be the instrument for making this truly "One Nation Under God".

I'm thankful for my wonderful wife and my two children. They have been a great blessing to me for which I give thanks and praise to the Lord.

I'm thankful that God out of His love for us sinners, sent His Son to be our Savior and our King.

God Bless our friends and family, and may you have a thankful and joyous heart this Thanksgiving.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Recommended God-Blogs

My favorite news magazine, World Magazine,  has a blog site that I highly recommend to anyone who is looking for a Christian perspective on the issues. The main page is at http://www.worldmagblog.com/blog/ and they have discussion threads on the big or noteworthy news items of the day.  The publisher and editors take turns posting items of interest, and much lively discussion in generated in the comments.

They have a number of "subsidiary blogs" which have been slowly growing in content and excellence.  One of the two I especially like is  "Cranach" which explores Culture and Christianity from a slightly Lutheran point of view and is moderated by the World's culture editor, Edward Veith.  Take a look at some of the Cranach community blogs too.  It's humbling to see so many great and thoughtful writers in the blogosphere.

My other favorite is "Theologica", which discusses a wide range of theological issues.  This seems to be more reform than not, but I wouldn't be surprised to see some non-Calvinist contributors. A very well done blog site, it's editor is David Wayne. The contributors do a lot of cross-posting to their personal blogs and that provides some interesting side trips!! The categories side-bar is a great way to navigate to postings on specific topics. And again check-out the contributors personal blogs for additional interest.

These two are probably the most active and well-maintained of the subsidiary blogs, but by all means check out the other offerings on WorldMagBlog.  There's movie and book reviews, and a blog on bioethics, and you can listen to or download audio interviews.

Wine vs. Grape Juice

The session (governing board) of my church recently decided to start offering wine at communion.  Formerly we served grape juice rather than wine. They will also continue to provide grape juice for those who prefer it. 

I've been engaging my pastor in some comments about this issue. My opinion is that there really is very little substantive difference between grape juice and wine, and that it's preferable to use grape juice to avoid causing our brothers to stumble who may be struggling with alcoholism.  Using grape juice does not present a stumbling block to anyone, so I feel somewhat strongly that while a strict interpretation may (and I'm not convinced of that either) indicate that Christ used wine at the Lord's Supper, it's a better thing to use the grape juice.  Using wine doesn't correct a doctrinal error or enforce a scriptural principle. It does not further the gospel and it doesn't necessarily Glorify God if we cause injury to a weaker brother's conscience.  All the congregations that I've been a member of, until now, used grape juice.

A note of interest too is that the session is not being consistent in their decision either. Apparently we will continue to use leavened bread.  I think there's an even stronger case to be made, since they were essentially celebrating Passover, that the bread Christ used was un-leavened.  Why are they focusing on the Cup and not on the Bread?? How do we explain the difference to our children in a way that makes sense??

I am not a tee-totaller, but since becoming an parent I have curtailed my consumption of alcoholic beverages to rare and infrequent celebratory occasions.  As the father and spiritual leader of my family, I feel it's important to provide a good example of moderation and sobriety to my wife and children.  From that point of view, I also feel the session should also provide that same sort of example to the flock that they are shepherding. Part of that should be a sensitivity towards members who are struggling with alcoholism, or because of the affects of alcholism in their lives or their family's life, have a strong conviction against alcoholic beverages.

I did quite a bit of browsing the web to find articles on this topic. Below is the list of what I found for the edification of those who are interested. I hope to do the same for books on the topic.

Discusson on Christians and alcohol - not specifically on communion
http://www.biblestudy.org/basicart/chrdrink.html

Discusson on Christians and alcohol - not specifically on communion, very similar to previous article
http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/2262

A compilation of blog exchanges - definitely anti-wine in orientation, I think they are incorrectly stretching the point and distorting some of the facts. Whether intentional or not is hard to say.
http://members.aol.com/RichClark7/pass/wine/wpreface.htm

Catholic discussion on communion
http://www.ewtn.com/library/Liturgy/zlitur85.htm

Short discusson of the elements of communion. I believe the author is completely wrong on their definition of "leaven", obviously they've never baked a loaf of bread!!
http://www.thirdmill.org/answers/answer.asp/file/99778.qna/category/pt/page/questions/site/iiim

Question and answer on using grape juice in communion. A good answer, neutral and just presents the facts.
http://thirdmill.org/answers/answer.asp/category/ch/file/99906.qna

Keith Mathison's article on Communion. Pretty accurate, however very pro-wine. The last page presents comments from pro-grape juice authorities, which I find  very helpful. But then he posts rebuttal comments in which he often resorts to reductio ad absurdem logic,  carrying a point to ridiculous ends to win the argument.
http://thirdmill.org/newfiles/kei_mathison/TH.Mathison.Prot.Transub.1.html
http://thirdmill.org/newfiles/kei_mathison/TH.Mathison.Prot.Transub.2.html
http://thirdmill.org/newfiles/kei_mathison/TH.Mathison.Prot.Transub.3.html
http://thirdmill.org/newfiles/kei_mathison/TH.Mathison.Prot.Transub.4.html

General discussion of Communion and it's meaning. At the  very end he has a very short paragraph on the wine vs. grape juice issue
http://www.training-resources.org/communion.htm

Discussion on the nature of the wine at the Cana Wedding -- a bit of a stretch I think
http://www.bibletruths.net/Archives/BTAR236.htm

What one Baptist church believes about why they use wine (I think the logic is flawed though)
http://www.berean-houston.org/Library/WWBWI/Chapter43.htm

Addresses the general issue of Christians using alcohol - overwhelmingly on the positive side, doesn't address the negatives to any extent. I think their emphasis on Moderation as the key is spot on.
http://www.giveshare.org/BibleStudy/049.alcohol.html

Discussion of the communion elements in the Roman Church
http://www.catholic.org/featured/headline.php?ID=2253

Brief outline of the history of communion in Christiandom
http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/newsletter/2001/aug10.html

Interesting blog exchange on the topic
http://raphael.doxos.com/more.php?id=140_0_1_0_M16

Balanced discussion on Christians and Alcohol--doesn't address the communion issue though
http://www.souldevice.org/ethics_wine.htm