Christ and Culture

Over the issue of Christians, the Church and Culture, I lean heavily in a "Two-Kingdoms" perspective. This is an area of dialogue and debate in the Reformed World. Two articles have come out from two PCA pastors on different sides of the question. Tim Keller arguing for a more Transformationalist view and Horton for the Two Kingdom view. These are not formal or deep defenses but are an interesting introduction to the topic. I believe Horton has the better position, but read for yourself and enjoy:

Tim Keller: "Coming Together on Culture"

Michael Horton: "Christ and Culture Once More"

God and Guinness

Many evangelicals know the name Os Guinness, author of "The Call." Many also know there is some dark, ominous liquid substance by the same last name. Many also may not know the connection. The Guinness family is an Irish Protestant family that has been known for promoting two things: God and Beer. Perhaps an interesting combination (in America at least, not Ireland). But coming across this video peaked my interest. This is the same author of a book on the faith of George W. Bush, writing "The Search for God and Guinness." Perhaps worth a read...



HT: Justin Taylor

Christian Rap?

I'm not a big fan of rap. But Mark Dever interviewed Shai Linne and Voice, two Reformed rappers (no, that's not an oxi-moron) on 9 Marks audio. Interesting interview, especially in their sophisticated view of the place of art in the Kingdom, and their medium as suppliments and not replacements for the means of grace.

The Post.

Listen MP3 here

I do appreciate Shai Linne's music, and you should check out his album Atonement. It is more theologically dense than Derek Webb, if that helps as an endorsement.

You can listen to his song "Mission Accomplished" here. It's a great defense of definite atonement. Plus, who else has a song about C.H. Spurgeon?

A Sanctifying Meditation while smoking a pipe.

Many times our daily activities can be times of mediation on how they relate to spiritual matters. Few would think that would be possible in activities such as smoking a pipe. Although some admired Christians (like our dear C.S. Lewis here) and hobbits have smoked pipes (I haven't, it looks too complicated), today it obviously is an activity that has fallen in the taboo category and it is true if it is done in excess is hazardous to your health. Still, I found this poem funny, but also strangely thought provoking and edifying. This poem has been making the rounds on some blogs, which was written by a Scottish Presbyterian in the 1700s, reflecting on the spiritual similitudes between smoking a pipe and the state of humanity. Enjoy.



HT: Christians in Context / Heidelblog


PART I

This Indian weed now wither'd quite,
'Tho' green at noon, cut down at night,
Shows thy decay;
All flesh is hay.
Thus think, and smoke tobacco.

The pipe so lily-like and weak,
Does thus thy mortal state bespeak.
Thou art ev'n such,
Gone with a touch.
Thus think, and smoke tobacco.

And when the smoke ascends on high,
Then thou behold'st the vanity
Of worldly stuff,
Gone with a puff.
Thus think, and smoke tobacco.

And when the pipe grows foul within,
Think on thy soul defil'd with sin;
For then the fire,
It does require.
Thus think, and smoke tobacco.

And seest the ashes cast away;
Then to thyself thou mayest say
That to the dust
Return thou must.
Thus think, and smoke tobacco.

PART II.

Was this small plant for thee cut down?
So was the plant of great renown;
Which mercy sends
For nobler ends.
Thus think, and smoke tobacco.

Doth juice medicinal proceed
From such a naughty foreign weed?
Then what's the pow'r
Of Jesse's flow'r?
Thus think, and smoke tobacco.

The promise, like the pipe, inlays,
And by the mouth of faith conveys
What virtue flows
From Sharon's rose.
Thus think, and smoke tobacco.
In vain th' unlighted pipe you blow;

Your pains in inward means are so,
'Till heav'nly fire
Thy heart inspire.
Thus think, and smoke tobacco.
The smoke, like burning incense tow'rs

So should a praying heart of yours,
With ardent cries,
Surmount the skies.
Thus think, and smoke tobacco.

Relevant

"Whatever is true, it is emphatically not true that the ideas of Jesus of Nazareth were suitable to His time but no longer suitable to our time. Exactly how suitable they were to His time is perhaps suggested in the end of His story."
-G.K. Chesterton

True Teetotaling (link)

The Christian and War

Over this Veterans Day weekend, our thoughts and prayers are with those serving in the Armed Forces. Below is a message I heard in chapel that I think explores the hard decision to use violence, and how sometimes, in some circumstances, a Christian is compelled to use physical force to restrain evil people and protect the innocent (audio / video):

2 races of humans?

A "scientist" recently speculated about the fate of humanity on that channel of scientific renown, Bravo. He speculated on a few important obviously knowable areas such as:

"Men will have symmetrical facial features, deeper voices and bigger penises...

Women will all have glossy hair, smooth hairless skin, large eyes and pert breasts, according to Curry.

Racial differences will be a thing of the past as interbreeding produces a single coffee-coloured skin tone."

Also he speculates that a lesser human species will develop (ala H.G. Well's The Time Machine).

Now, as much as some may joke about Social Sciences not being "real" sciences, like the science this expert claims to study, I think this shows how wrong that assumption is. Bypassing the obvious metaphysical problems with spliting humanity into a tier of the "beautiful" and the "ugly" there is also the problem of simple cultural ignorance.

A student of culture can easily explain the error. The scientist speculates on the basis of EXTREMELY CURRENT preferances. If you look at the time of the Renaissance, women in paintings who they considered beautiful have few of the characteristics that we find attractive today. They tend to be more meaty, and little attention is paid to "glossy hair and pert breasts." Men were desired if they were large in more areas than the doctor is concerned with (big gut = good provider) and commanded a broad intellect. This male doctor assumes natural selection through mating largely on the basis of current preferances and external traits.

Yet, if our culture continues to be as superficial as this "doctor" (I keep putting it in quotes because, what professional would go on Bravo, really?), if everyone is as shallow as him, then perhaps he's right. But, would the shallow breeders really be ruling, or being ruled? As one of my DTS profs likes to say: "everyone has an eschatology, not just Christians."

"But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty." -1 Cor 1:27

You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You're the same decaying organic matter as everything else

When a slide came up telling us all we were unique, the person next to me quoted the line above. I immediately knew I had heard it before. I asked where that line was from. He sheepishly replied "uh, Fight Club" not really wanting to announce too loud at seminary his viewing of an R-rated movie. But then it made sense. Fight Club is the movie of my generation. Generationally, the baby-boomers have grown up with dreams and high hopes of sucess if you just work hard. I rarely meet a member of the baby-boom generation that liked or followed what Fight Club was about, but rarely meet someone of my generation that did not connect with the theme:

"an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy [crap] we don't need. We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War's a spiritual war... our Great Depression is our lives. We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off. "

This is not a recommendation for the book or movie, (so don't blame me if you watch it and are offended by multiple scenes) though it does give a picture of what the great rebellion of my generation looks like. When this angst is seen, the music and general apathy to career makes sense. The idol of the previous generation has become accepted: money=good. My generation is still in the Iconoclast stage, smashing idols without settling on which idol will replace it. Another line gives hope that this generation may be realizing its problem: "First you have to give up, first you have to *know*... not fear... *know*... that someday you're gonna die. "