“Self-righteousness has so seeped into American Christianity that being a missionary to one’s neighbours is easily overlooked because of the sickness of our faith. How sick are we when the most popular books among American Christians are about how to get blessed by praying a small section of Old Testament Scripture like a pagan mantra, and about the Rapture, as if the goal of the Christian life were to get more junk and leave this trailer park of a planet beore God’s tornado touches down on all the sinners? Only through repentant eyes will we see that God has a plan, by the power of the gospel of grace, to build a community of transformed people.” (p.78 The Radical Reformission)
Appealing to felt-needs
I would love to hear your comments on this topic… first go and read Josh Harris’ post Summons of a Judge where he discusses a Mark Dever quote. It’s a good quote and a good post.
My question (basically my comment on his blog):
Keeping in mind the “summons of the judge” do you think there’s any place for appealing to the felt-needs of the hearer?
1) believing the gospel leads to ‘no fear in death’
2) true ‘happiness’ is found in delighting in God
3) ‘meaning’ and purpose is in our creator
In Dever’s 1st paragraph he seems to suggest that God can use them in convicting someone… but Dever seems to steer away from using them.
Ought we appeal to the felt-needs of our hearers at all? What do you think?
[Prize for guessing the name of the beach in the picture…]
Around the Web:
Blue King Brown: Come And Check Your Head
John Piper is bad – very funny! (h/t thebluefish)
Youth Ministry: Online Lectures
Covenant Seminary (h/t CraigS) have youth ministry training as part of their MDiv. It looks like some really good gear. They have a whole semester class online for free. Today I listened to the introduction class and the first lecture (they even have the class handout online too). I appreciate the teaching from Mark Davis and plan on listening to the whole of the semester over the coming months. There’s also a stack of online resources worth checking out.
In the first lecture it’s interesting to hear again some of the history of youth ministry, and to hear how Mark became a Christian through the relational ministry of some young life leaders. The guys that helped to introduce Mark to Jesus were effective in getting him involved in church life. The challenge for para-church organisations like Young Life is how they can hook people into local churches. If para-church movements can’t move people into churches they are ineffective if those students graduate from their program and Christianity.
Is anybody intersted in listening to these lectures with me?
Yes? Have a listen to the lecture 1 and leave your comments below…
No? Have you been involved in para-church ministry? What’s your experience?
[If you’re in the above picture and are reading this… leave a comment]
Humble Orthodoxy
Young, Restless, Reformed: Calvinism is making a comeback—and shaking up the church from the September Christianity Today has recently been made available online. It’s a great article with some great quotes from guys such as: John Piper, Al Mohler, Kent Hughes, Mark Dever and Joshua Harris.
Below are a number of Josh Harris quotes from the article. On his first encounters with Calvinists:
“I’m sorry to say that they represented the doctrines of grace with a total lack of grace. They were spiteful, cliquish, and arrogant. I didn’t even stick around to understand what they were teaching. I took one look at them and knew I didn’t want any part of it.”
On his understanding of Reformed theology:
The theological depth attracted Harris. “Once you’re exposed to [doctrine],” he said, “you see the richness in it for your own soul, and you’re ruined for anything else.”
And:
“If you really understand Reformed theology, we should all just sit around shaking our heads going, ‘It’s unbelievable. Why would God choose any of us?'” Harris said. “You are so amazed by grace, you’re not picking a fight with anyone, you’re just crying tears of amazement that should lead to a heart for lost people, that God does indeed save, when he doesn’t have to save anybody.”
I think that Joshua Harris is someone who has been gripped by the truths of Reformed theology and seeks to respond in humility rather than with spiteful arrogance. On the New Attitude site (recently updated) there is this description of something Josh calls Humble Orthodoxy:
Humble orthodoxy is a commitment to believing, living, and representing the truth with humility. We believe that God’s truth in Scripture should not be redefined or reinvented to suit our own preferences or culture. Our role is not to change truth but to let truth change us.
It’s not a revolution. It’s not a movement. It’s a group of people in local churches, passionate about rediscovering truth and recommitting to it. We stand on the shoulders of those who have followed God before us. So this is what we offer to the conversation:
Forget reinvention. Embrace a humble orthodoxy.
I’ve read a bunch of Josh’s books, listened to a bunch of his sermons too (see here and here) and think that he’s good value. Have a listen to his sermon on Humble Orthodoxy.
I’ve been guilty in the past of arrogance and a great ability to tell the truth without love. This is a great danger in churches like mine where we are concerned with teaching the truth and refuting error, that we neglect to love one another as we ough to love one another.
Watch your life and doctrine closely. 1 Tim 4:16
How are you (and your church) going with Humble Orthodoxy? Would love to hear your comments…
[The photo is of Sam Chan playing 2 recorders through his nostrils!! He gave a great talk on Sunday night]
Prayer Friday #004
Welcome to PF#004! Appreciate your prayers. I hope that you are well. Would love to know how to pray for you. No more soccer to advertise… but if you’re going to the Mariners vs Jets game tomorrow night… send me an sms and we can maybe sit together? Have a good weekend.
Praise
>Good talk training with young leader this week
>The living hope we have through Jesus’ resurrectionPrayer
>That guys from our soccer team would come to hear Sam Chan speak at church this Sunday night.
>More opportunities with high school scripture
Around the web:
John Piper on the Pope and Christian response to Islam
Cool blog: this dude works with John Piper
There are two John’s in my basketball team
Here’s a Pipe(r) Organ!
Prize for guessing the name of the bridge behind Row…
Katie Noonan, Aron Ottignon and communication
Last night Row and I went to the opening of Jazz:Now 06 at The Studio (Sydney Opera House). It was a fantastic night out and we think it was a pretty sweet gift… so thanks Rachael. The line up for the night was the “Aron Ottignon Trio” and “Katie Noonan / Elixir Vitae“.
I’m a huge fan of Elixir and Katie Noonan (I’ve seen george play live 3 times). Their set was very impressive. Her husband (Isaac Hurren) played sax and Steve Magnusson was a master on guitar. His diction was reminiscent of Jeff Buckley on Grace. Katie’s lyrics, as always, were mesmerising. Most of the songs were Australian poems put to music. They even had a stab at Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah.
I’d never heard Aron Ottignon play before, but he is a genius! He is very much part of the avant-garde when it comes to Jazz Piano. You can check out some of the gear he plays with another project called Aronas here and here (they are playing at the Opera House this Friday night).
One of the things that impressed me with both sets was watching the way the musicians communicate on stage. The double bass player in the Aron Ottignon Trio, Cameron Undy (who looked like a cross between Oliver Kahn and Travis McMahon with a funny last name), was particular good at communicating with Aron on piano and Felix Bloxsom on drums.
Good Jazz needs good communcation.
I’ve been thinking today about the need to be a good communicator. I think that I’m an effective communicator when it comes to teaching (bible talk, bible study, scripture class etc…) but not as effective in other areas. I’m getting better at communicating with Row (though have a long way to go!). But there are areas that I need to be a much better communicator so that I can make better Jazz! Here’s a few that come to mind:
- Staff at church
- Other key leaders at church
- Those I lead in ministry teams
- Youth group parents
- My family
Communication, as shown by the Jazz musos, involves more than just words.
I want to be a good communicator so that I’m living a godly life and also better able to communicate the glorious news of Jesus.
What are you like at communicating? Where do you need to improve? Who are your favourite Jazz musicians?
Help us do our bit for the environment
Avast, me hearties! (Today is Talk Like a Pirate Day)
I just went up to our local supermarket to buy a couple of things. There was a sign about bringing re-usable bags to help them “do their bit for the environment”. I don’t like these signs. Not because I feel guily for not bringing re-usable bags, but that the intention of the sign is to make me feel guilty. We recycle stuff. We have 3 bins to help. But the problem is that for general rubbish you are supposed to put it into bags and not straight into the bin. This means I would have to start buying gargbage bags instead of using the free ones they give me at the checkout. Maybe this is all a ploy by the garbage bag companies to make more sales??
What do you think?
If you don’t have any thoughts on this topic – post your best Pirate Jokes in the comments…
Don’t try and make any link between this post and the picture of my favourite (and only) apron… it’s random and a bit postmodern.