Considering Strawberry Picking

While all the world seemed to be shopping on “Black Friday,” the CavFamily spent part of the morning picking strawberries.  CavWife’s friend let us know of a new place to pick them.  The farm is only 2 years old, and it is hydroponic which is way cool.

Hydro-who-a-whatis????

Hydroponics (from the Greek words hydro water and ponos labour) is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, without soil. Terrestrial plants may be grown with their roots in the mineral nutrient solution only or in an inert medium, such as perlite, gravel, or mineral wool.

Plant physiology researchers discovered in the 19th century that plants absorb essential mineral nutrients as inorganic ions in water. In natural conditions, soil acts as a mineral nutrient reservoir but the soil itself is not essential to plant growth. When the mineral nutrients in the soil dissolve in water, plant roots are able to absorb them. When the required mineral nutrients are introduced into a plant’s water supply artificially, soil is no longer required for the plant to thrive. Almost any terrestrial plant will grow with hydroponics. Hydroponics is also a standard technique in biology research and teaching.

Other advantages include faster growth combined with relative freedom from soil diseases, and very consistent crops, the quality of produce being excellent. There is also a considerable reduction in growing area, weeds are practically non-existant, while standard methods and automatic operations mean less labor, less cost, and no hard manual work. Some plants can be raised, out of season, better control of crops naturally results in addition to no dirt and no smells. Waterlogging never occurs now. Chemically grown plants are not inferior to naturally reared ones in point of flavor, nor have analyses shown any deficiency in vitamin content. In fact, hydroponic fruits and vegetables are sweeter and more luscious than those grown in ordinary soil.

Soil-less farming.  Very interesting.  They had these rotating stryrofoam towers with numerous pots in them.  You didn’t have to bend down to pick anything if you didn’t want to.  All the nutrients are in the water.  They had 3 kinds of strawberries, and they were delicioso!  I couldn’t believe how red they looked.  The kids had a blast, though CavSon was a bit too exuberent- often picking green strawberries.

The farm also grows tomatos, squash, peppers, cucumbers and lettuce hydroponically.  They have lots of blueberry bushes that were hybrids designed to grow well in Florida.  They should be ready for picking in late March.  So we’ll go back.

After picking our berries, and tour of the other crops, we got to see the miniature horse they just purchased, and their other 2 horses.  They also had a catfish pond, so we got to feed them.  CavSon wasn’t able to toss it far, so the turtles will have to clean up after him.  It took a few minutes for the fish to do their thing.  I wish we could have taken one or 2 home for some good eatin’.  But we did bring home 4 pounds of strawberries that are so sweet and juicy.  A great way to spend a glorious Florida morning.  Way better than shopping.

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Considering Books for Seekers

I missed this catagory on Steve McCoy’s Big 5 Books list- Big 5 for Seekers.

The idea is what books would you give to someone who is seeking to understand Christianity, or address a question keeping them from Christ.  Here goes!

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.  It is a classic which is best for those skeptics with a more “modern” view of the world.

The Reason for God by Tim Keller.  The Mere Christianity for this generation.  Keller addresses many of the objections he hears in his ministry.  It interacts with contemporary and classic skeptics.  Love it.

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller.  There is something to be said for humor lowering defenses.  Miller gives a good, winsome, broader understanding for the younger crowd.  He moves beyond seeing salvation of individuals without neglecting that.

Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller.  See above.  Miller talks about how we are all searching for redemption, somewhere, even if we don’t realize it.  Something about that imago dei thing.

The Prodigal God by Tim Keller.  I love the book, and think it would help many people make sense of the core message of the gospel.  Maybe I’m crazy.

Basic Christianity by John Stott.  Short and to the point.  I used to keep these as a give-away.

Knowing Christianity by J.I. Packer.  I haven’t read it, but knowing Packer it is solid.  This covers the basic doctrines of the faith.

I need to find more of these………

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Considering Lone Survivor

I’ve been wanting to read Marcus Luttrell’s book Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of Seal Team 10 since hearing Marcus talk about it on the Glenn Beck show one day while doing hospital visitation.  It is a moving, and powerful story that I enjoyed greatly.  I recommend people read it to gain a better understanding of how crazy our Rules of Engagement are.  This is the underlying message of Marcus’ account.

For those who don’t know what I’m talking about: Operation Redwing was an attempt to capture or kill a high ranking Taliban leader in the mountains of Afghanistan in 2005.  A Seal team of 4 men were dropped into the mountains to locate and attempt to capture him.  They were discovered by some goat herders.  Militarily, you can’t be sure they are not connected with the Taliban and make your presence known so that a much larger force drops on you like a ton of bricks.  With the strange ROE in this War on Terror- terrorists don’t wear uniforms, and may not be holding a rifle- they knew they could face criminal charges while at least being crucified in the press if they killed the goat herders.  They set them free … and only Marcus lived to regret it.  These 4 men took on 150-200+ Taliban soldiers for 90-120 minutes.  Seal Team 10 and a Rapid Response team answered their call of distress, but the helicopter was shot down and all were killed.  Badly wounded, Marcus was able to escape until finally taken in by a village elder who swore to protect him.

It was a very good book and interesting read, but here is what I’d change (as if anyone cared):

• Move the material about ROE and the press to a separate chapter.  Since it is interspersed as part of the narrative, it loses some of its rhetorical power to more of a soap box feel.
• Double check the material on the training.  I was confused with varying accounts of how many guys dropped out when and how long various things took place.  I thought they might be errors, but I’m not sure.

This does not diminish what Marcus is doing here.  It is a book that needs to be written, and read.  Prior to getting to the ill fated mission you hear about Marcus’ background and how he and his twin brother were preparing to become Seals even as a teens.  You gain a better understanding of how difficult it is to become a Seal- the most elite fighting force in the world.  And you learn about how the press bungled the post-battle coverage.  You learn about the mammoth vigil that took place spontaneously at his parents’ ranch, and the generosity of so many fellow Texans.

In describing the battle itself, I wondered if this Texan was telling some tall tales.  It just seemed incredible to read what these 4 men did, and persevered despite serious injuries.  But it all makes sense when you take into account their training which identifies and selects men who can’t give up.  Their bravery and perseverance humbles me.  If you have half a heart, you too will weep when he is finally rescued, says ‘goodbye’ to his friends and comrades in arms, and is reunited with his distraught family.  You also get a taste of Seal culture, for better or worse (yes, lots of bad language and what I would consider blaspheme from the mouths of men who are Christians).  But you also gain a better understanding of how politics and the mainstream media make the task we ask these soldiers to perform most difficult, put their safety and our in unnecessary jeopardy.

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Advent ’08 Sermons

Songs for the Messiah will look at some of the more explicitly Messianic Psalms (for they are all Messianic).

11/30  Psalm 2  Song of the Great King

12/7  Psalm 16  Song of the Risen Holy One

12/14  Psalm 22  Song of the Suffering Savior (Ron Smith)

12/21  Psalm 72  Song of the Righteous King

12/28  Psalm 110  Song of the Eternal Priest

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Considering CCEF and Addiction

Tara Barthel did some live blogging of the recent CCEF Conference.  She has both the live blogging and the quick summaries of each presentation.

Preconference

• Ed Welch- Crossroads Addiction Curriculum quick summary
• David Powlison- What is Biblical Counseling?  quick summary

Plenary

• Ed Welch- Addiction, Temptation and Voluntary Slavery  quick summary
• Mark Driscoll- Death By Love: Addiction and Atonement  quick summary
• Winston Smith- Groaning and Slavery  quick summary
• Mike Emlet- Groaning and Glory: The New Testament and Addiction  quick summary
• Jeffrey Black- Counseling Addicts in Your Church  quick summary
• David Powlison- Escape to Reality  quick summary 
• Tim Lane- Godly Intoxification quick summary

Workshops

• Mike Emlet- This is Your Brain on Drugs  quick summary
• Phil Monroe- Counseling Strategies for Individuals with Addictions  Phil’s Power Point

 

Friday Round Table quick summary

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Considering Absurd Things

When you spend too much time on rollercoasters, you start thinking in strange ways.  I ran across these things this morning- pondering the absurdity and irony.

Three prosperity churches are filing for bankruptcy and/or selling their facilities.

• Church Without Walls International in Tampa is facing foreclosure.  Since the White’s divorce things have gone south of the border financially.
• Bishop Thomas Weeks II was removed from the Global Destiny Ministries property, owing more than $500k in back rent.  How do you owe half a million dollars in rent???  This transpired in the midst of a service.  Priceless.  He also divorced his popular “preacher wife” Juanita Bynum.
• Cathedral at Chapel Hill, founded by the oft accused of adultery Bishop Earl Paulk, has put its unique gothic building up for sale.  With the numerous sex scandals, and his son’s further departure from orthodox Christianity (3 cheers for universalism) have emptied the congregation.  They have fallen into debt, and the building into disrepair.

Christian online dating service, eHarmony, is being forced to launch a site for homosexuals.  The New Jersey Civil Rights division brought action against them based on a complaint.  I’m not sure what I’d do if I were Neil Clark Warren.  I might just say – too bad, how sad- and close up shop since it isn’t worth the headache, or the guilt of facilitating sin.

In the “it doesn’t fit, but hey” catagory- A 13 year-old boy was arrested for persistently passing gas in school in Stuart, FL.  Was that a 911 call?  Will we be hearing that absurd call on the TV?  Actually, he also turned off other students’ computers.  The “school resource officer” arrested the scofflaw.

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Considering Islands of Adventure

A friend provided 2 comp tix for Universal Studies.  I had never been to Islands of Adventure, and really wanted to spend a day on the rollercoasters.  So my friend Danny and I headed north today to enjoy said rollercoasters.  It was a perfect day- 60’s and sunny with little to no wind.  There were not many people either.  We usually waited for less than 15 minutes, at times not waiting at all.

We started on the Incredible Hulk Coaster.  I was not sure what to expect, so when the car shot to about 40 MPH in 2 seconds while ascending the hill I was surprised enough to shout an explicative.  Hulk was a blast, with top speeds of 67 MPH and 7 inversions.  The 2nd time we were in the first row.  As we shot up that hill and I saw the quick inversion I had to close my eyes.  Too much for me.  We hit Hulk 4 times.

Dueling Dragons was a blast was well.  We started on Ice, and sat in the front row.  That was intense!  We immediately went on Fire.  We decided we liked Ice a little better since you approach the castle wall.  The Dragons go as high as 125 feet and 55 MPH.  There are several inversions, and a number of rolls as the dragons pass withing 18 inches of each other 3 times.  We rode Dueling Dragons 4 times.  So, we figure we were probably spun upside down about 40 times today.  And our voices were hoarse from screaming.  We routinely stopped to see the pictures.  Danny’s arms were routinely in the air and his mouth wide open in mid-yell.  My hands were routinely gripping the harness tightly and I was smiling.

In addition, we rode Spider-Man twice.  The second time was because 1) we rode Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges and got utterly soaked and 2) the temperature had quickly dropped.  We wanted to dry off & warm up from the flames during Spider-Man.  As a result, we rode in the front.  The 3-D effects were cool.  Despite our best efforts to dry off, our pants were still largely wet when we arrived home.  A hot shower was in order.

We also got wet, though far less wet, and earlier in the day when it was warmer on the Jurassic Park River Adventure and Ripsaw Falls.

We rode the Storm Force Accelatron for a change of pace.  It was the crazy tea cups on steroids.  Solid but unspectacular ride.  Doctor Doom’s FearFall was anti-climatic.  I thought it would be like Tower of Terror except you can see how high up you were.  I don’t like free fall and went reluctantly.  I really wanted off before we went up.  Instead of slowly lifting us to the top and dropping us repeatedly (I was thinking I wouldn’t look), we shot up and bounced like on a bungee.  I was initially scared, but then said ‘That was it?!”  Sort of disappointing.

The only real disappointments were the Sinbad’s Voyage stunt show (Not so funny, and I’m really glad the kids weren’t there since they lit the witch on fire and she ran around for half a lifetime before diving into the pool.  Not kid fare.), and Poseidon’s Fury.

A great day, and some GREAT rollercoasters.  More than worth the free tix.  I’d pay to go back, as long as it was an off day so we could ride them as often as we did today.

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Considering the President-Elect’s Faith

Cathleen Falsani has released her complete, unedited interview with Barak Obama on his personal faith from back in 2004 (all quotes are from that article).  Nothing he says should preclude him from being President, in any way, shape or form.  But much of what he says should preclude him from being a member of any evangelical church I know.  I’ll summarize it, but my goal is not to skewer him or correct him (ok, once or twice).

He denies the exclusive claims of Jesus Christ.

So, I’m rooted in the Christian tradition. I believe that there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power, a belief that we are connected as a people. That there are values that transcend race or culture, that move us forward, and there’s an obligation for all of us individually as well as collectively to take responsibility to make those values lived. …

I find it hard to believe that my God would consign four-fifths of the world to hell.

I can’t imagine that my God would allow some little Hindu kid in India who never interacts with the Christian faith to somehow burn for all eternity.

That’s just not part of my religious makeup.

Faith for him is more about living values than trusting a person (Jesus) and believing certain truths about him.  These are values that many religions have in common, rather than reflecting the character of God.

I’m a big believer in tolerance. I think that religion at it’s best comes with a big dose of doubt. I’m suspicious of too much certainty in the pursuit of understanding just because I think people are limited in their understanding.

I think that, particularly as somebody who’s now in the public realm and is a student of what brings people together and what drives them apart, there’s an enormous amount of damage done around the world in the name of religion and certainty.

He’s pretty vague on Jesus beyond the fact that Jesus really existed.

Jesus is an historical figure for me, and he’s also a bridge between God and man, in the Christian faith, and one that I think is powerful precisely because he serves as that means of us reaching something higher.

And he’s also a wonderful teacher. I think it’s important for all of us, of whatever faith, to have teachers in the flesh and also teachers in history.

The guys who keep him straight probably need to be straightened out.

Well, my pastor [Jeremiah Wright] is certainly someone who I have an enormous amount of respect for.

I have a number of friends who are ministers. Reverend Meeks is a close friend and colleague of mine in the state Senate. Father Michael Pfleger is a dear friend, and somebody I interact with closely.

For a constitutional law professor he doesn’t understand the Constitution.  1st, the Non-establishment Clause means no Church of America, or state church.  2nd, the Free Exercise of Religion which guarantees both Obama and I can freely exercise our faith here in America.

Alongside my own deep personal faith, I am a follower, as well, of our civic religion. I am a big believer in the separation of church and state. I am a big believer in our constitutional structure. I mean, I’m a law professor at the University of Chicago teaching constitutional law. I am a great admirer of our founding charter, and its resolve to prevent theocracies from forming, and its resolve to prevent disruptive strains of fundamentalism from taking root ion this country.

Fox News and talk radio confuse well-meaning Americans.  They apparently invented the pro-life movement.

Like the right to choose.

I haven’t been challenged in those direct ways. And to that extent, I give the public a lot of credit. I’m always stuck by how much common sense the American people have. They get confused sometimes, watch FoxNews or listen to talk radio. That’s dangerous sometimes.

He doesn’t seem to get grace.

What I believe in is that if I live my life as well as I can, that I will be rewarded. I don’t presume to have knowledge of what happens after I die. But I feel very strongly that whether the reward is in the here and now or in the hereafter, the aligning myself to my faith and my values is a good thing.

Sin is …

Being out of alignment with my values.

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Considering Our Pharisaical Hearts

I’m struggling with my sermon for Sunday.  I’m struggling because I know the sinful, legalistic tendencies of our hearts.  I’m struggling with communicating the truth in such a way as to reveal our idols/substitutes in a more concrete way without establishing “man-made” rules which we use to attack others or exalt ourselves.

In Nehemiah 13, Nehemiah returns from Susa to discover that Israel has broken all the promises and oaths they had made to God.  They were once again becoming like the nations, being assimilated, instead of honoring God with their money, time and relationships.  They were not providing tithes & offerings for the worship of God, they were breaking the Sabbath, and they were taking foreign wives.  They had lost their saltiness.

And so have we.  The Church in America struggles with assimilation- being squeezed into the world’s box, conformed to their values rather than conformed to Christ and His values.  We start to worship self and success.  Here’s a chart I put together to summarize it:

	Love God	Love of Self
Money	Joy in Christ => simplicity + generosity	Covetousness => status symbols + luxuries
Time	Boundaries + balance	Excess to fulfill my agenda
Marriage/Family	Kingdom building + character	Focus on beauty or economic advantage
Church Leadership	Biblical (gospel) principles	Business models (control)

We have a tendency to want to make this clearer so we can better know (we think) if we are being obedient.  This way we can establish our righteousness over our less obedient brothers and sisters.  This permits us to criticize them.  Sometimes they need to be confronted by their own worldliness- but I can’t be the standard by which they are measured.

We also do this so we can play the martyr.  I think of this primarily financially.  We can point to our simplicity- “see what a junky car I drive because I love Jesus”- to show how much more we love Jesus than our brothers.  We aren’t content to say “don’t covet, be generous and keep your treasure in heaven.”  We want to know what that looks like, and we start this Pharisaical process to gain credit instead of relying on Jesus, His work for us, and to work in and thru us.  Or am I the only one whose heart is so twisted by indwelling sin?

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Considering the Hot Stove Season

Remains to be Seen Globe Staff (Jim Davis)

A second Red Sox post in 2 days?  Yes, because the Hot Stove is overheating!

Coco Crisp is now a Kansas City Royal (sorry, dude).  I’ll miss his superb defense despite his weak arm.  Obviously Theo and Terry think Jacoby will make the necessary adjustments to return much better next season after going through some disappointing slumps this season.

Ramon Ramirez is now a Red Sox.  He pitched well in relief for the Royals last year with a 2.64 ERA and 70 Ks in just over 71 innings of work, giving up only 2 HRs (a key stat).  He can help solidify that Red Sox bullpen which struggled before Justin Masterson joined it.  The Sox may have plans to return Justin to the rotation (I wrote this before reading the Buzz).  But maybe not…

Reports are that the Sox are making a run at A.J. Burnett, a John Henry favorite from his days as Marlins’ owner.  This may trigger a bidding war, which may be exactly what the Red Sox want (though the Yankees may return the favor over Teixeira).  I’m not sure why the Sox want him.  He’s often injured and can’t seem to put it together despite having great stuff.  Without ‘Tek, this would be an even riskier move.  I’m not so wild about this.

Nothing yet on the rumored trade of Julio Lugo to the Tigers for an equally bad contract on a pitcher.

Tony Mazzarotti thinks the Red Sox will offer Mark Teixeira the biggest contract in Red Sox history.  The Red Sox want him.  Afterall, they once drafted him.  He is productive, patient, a great defender and a great clubhouse guy who can lead.  In other words- Manny without the baggage.  This is why they didn’t pick up Manny’s option- they’d rather spend $20 million on a guy who is younger and low maintenance.  They might not get him, but it won’t be for a lack of effort and resources.  Both teams remain mum on Teixeira.  They want to work behind the scenes, much like the Yankees did with Damon.  That’s how Theo likes things too.  The Yankees have far more to spend, even if they drop $150 million on pitching.

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Considering Size

Today, the “miniscule” Dustin Pedroia (whose heart is like the Grinch’s post-Christmas) won the AL MVP.  He’s the first “small” guy to win the award in quite some time.

Jared Wilson has a great post today on whether size matters in churches.  He was attending a conference, noticing that all the speakers had BIG churches, which is why they were invited to speak.  Here’s one part of the struggle all of should reckon with:

One of the Catalyst speakers in his address said that every church has the Holy Spirit but that some churches have that something extra that makes them special. The crowd ate this up, and indeed, this seems to be the implicit message of all conferences, kits, consultations, and systems of this kind: You may have the Spirit, but do you have _______?

This not only implies that God isn’t enough, it only feeds and stokes the insatiable idolatry for that “x factor” the fans of these programs are operating out of. “Sure, I’ve got Jesus. But I need the tips, techniques, and know-how to take it to the next level!”
The level above Jesus? There is a place that is better or more “successful” than having Jesus?
Do we need the Spirit plus something?

Similar to the Galatian heresy: turning Christianity into Jesus + __________.  The difference being that in Galatia it was about being a Christian, and here it is about “growing a church” but the implications are pretty much the same.  Who gets the glory?  We are all too ready to give credit to the pastor if the church grows (and blame if it doesn’t- does a congregation repent because they didn’t take the Great Commission seriously or just fire the pastor?).  We worship success in this here country, and can’t understand why a church doesn’t grow.  So we add all kinds of things to the gospel, and often obscure the gospel, so the church will grow.

He was told about a small church conference which which wasn’t really a small church conference.  I’ll let him explain.

And then the respondent recommended we small church dudes check out The Sticks Conference. And he elaborated. The Sticks Conference is for pastors in small towns.

Hmmm.
What wasn’t said, but was nevertheless something I “heard,” was that small church equals small town. Because, again, if you have a small church in a big town, it is not successful. The implication is that the only acceptable reason for having a small church is that you are in a low populated area where there aren’t a lot of people.

So I checked out the website for The Sticks. It is indeed for pastors of small churches in small, mostly rural, towns. And the speakers are all pastors of megachurches that are in small towns. Each of the speakers’ bios glowingly related how large they had grown their churches, as if that is the point of the conference: get big.
<> Thanks, Sticks, for dispatching with the preoccupation with size.

Even the concept of The Sticks, which was suggested as an alternative to the success-obsession of the other conferences, is that if you are in a small church, your job is to get bigger.

Justin hits the nail on the head in what follows- we worship numbers.  There is a whole “industry” designed to feed our idolatry.  We ignore blatant heresy because the “pastor’s” church is big.  You can’t argue with success, right?  Yeah … what does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul.  This is what many of us are doing- losing our grip on the gospel (and our soul) so we can gain a big church, becoming famous.

But it isn’t just pastors and church leaders.  The average search committee worships success.  They want the guy with the “proven track-record.”  Godly men are passed over because they don’t pass the success test.  You can talk about this in terms of providence if you want.  Okay, God often gives churches over to their sin just as he does individuals and cultures (Romans 1:19ff). In their quest for successful men, the church suffers extended periods of time without a godly shepherd.  And often the mini-messiah is not what the Shepherd ordered.  Churches around our land have been ravaged by moralism and pragmatism in this worship of success.  Where is the gospel?  Why do we think the gospel is insufficient?  Obviously we need means to present the gospel (small groups, SS, youth groups etc) but they are a means to the end of preaching and applying the gospel.

Whether you’re a tall, grande, or venti church, if your overriding concern is numbers, you’re an idolatrous church.  Be faithful, and God will give the increase in his measure and in his time.

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Considering Dustin Pedroia, AL MVP

Reason to Smile Globe Staff (Jim Davis)

Dustin Pedroia’s professional career so far.

• May 2007- fans want rookie Dustin Pedroia benched for lack of production.
• 2007- World Series Champion
• 2007- A.L. Rookie of the Year
• 2008- One win away from the 2008 World Series.
• 2008- Golden Glove Award: best fielder at his position in the A.L.
• 2008- Silver Slugger Award: best hitter at his position in the A.L.
• 2008- A.L. MVP

Not a bad way to begin your professional career.  Perhaps Dustin is the new Derek Jeter, without the glitz and girlfriends.  I’m talking the guy who makes a team go, who works hard and is just plain a winner.

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Considering Books on the Cross

Back to working my way through Steve McCoy’s Big 5 Books, today the Cross.  As Spurgeon once said:

“Endeavor to know more and more of Christ Jesus. Endeavor especially to know the doctrine of the sacrifice of Christ.” C.H. Spurgeon

Here are the best books I’ve read:

• The Atonement by A.A. Hodge.  He views the atonement like a diamond, with many facets, but the main theme (to change the metaphor) would be substitutionary atonement.  Find it, buy it, read it!
• The Cross in the New Testament by Leon Morris.  I love this book and used it for much of my research on the atonement.  I think it is out of print, but The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross by Morris is quite good as well. Update: The Atonement: It’s Meaning and Significance is not available.
• Pierced for Our Transgressions by Jeffery, Ovey and Sach.  This is a great, contemporary treatment of this issue that interacts with the recent misunderstandings and charges against the penal substitutionary view of the atonement.
• The Death of Death in the Death of Jesus Christ by John Owen.  It deals mostly with understanding the extent of the atonement.  He absolutely crushes any version of a universal atonement.  The edition with the intro by Packer is best.
• The Passion of Jesus Christ by John Piper (aka Fifty Reasons Jesus Came to Die).  Short, concise and the unestimitable John Piper.  What more need I say?
• The Doctrine of the Atonement According to the Apostles by George Smeaton.  Another classic work which works through the NT to develop a full understanding of the atonement.  It was Morris before there was a Morris, or Jerry Bridges’ book.
• The Cross of Christ by John Stott.  One of the contemporary classics.

The books I have yet to read, and hope to:

• The Cross by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones.  I’ve got it, and I need to read it.
• The Truth of the Cross by R.C. Sproul.  My old prof and boss most likely produced a very solid and accessible treatment of the atonement.  I hope to read it one of these days.
• The Work of Christ by Robert Letham.  This is part of the Contours of Christian Theology series, which I’ve enjoyed and found helpful.  I’m sure this will follow that trend.
• Death by Love by Mark Driscoll and Gary Beshears.  I’ve heard great things about it.  Driscoll’s passion without his earthiness.  See, he’s maturing.
• Christ Crucified: A Puritan’s View of the Atonement by Stephen Charnock.  Sometimes you have to return to the Puritans to drink deeply.
• The Atonement: It’s Meaning and Significance by Leon Morris.  Probably a more accessible version of Morris’ fine work on the atonement.
•  Living the Cross-Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing by C.J. Mahaney.  This combines The Cross-Centered Life (which is a very good and practical book) and Christ Our Mediator: Finding Passion at the Cross.

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Considering Quantum of Solace

The wife and I enjoyed the new James Bond thriller, Quantum of Solace.

quan-tum  (noun)

1.	quantity or amount: the least quantum of evidence.

2.	a particular amount.

3.	a share or portion.

4.	a large quantity; bulk.

The movie begins shortly after the end of Casino Royale, and is about Bond seeking a measure of solace after his betrayal by Vesper.  He has kidnapped the man directly responsible and is being chased by his hired men trying to retreive, or kill, him.  In the process, Bond discovers an underground network that has avoided detection by all the intelligence networks called Quantum (at least I think I heard that).  In the process, Bond draws the ire of the CIA, the PM of England as well as the front organization Greene Planet.  M is not sure if she can trust Bond.  She thinks he is just a loose cannon seeking revenge.  But in following the trail of those who blackmail Vesper, he uncovers a plot to overthrow a government or two, and more importantly to monopolize our most important resource- water.

Both of us give the movie a thumbs up.  It was filled with action.  The increase in violence has drawn disappoval by critics like Roger Ebert.  I think he fails to recognize that this is a Bond for the new times.  Connery and Moore were Bond during the Cold War.  Connery was more physical than Moore, and certainly more believable.  Roger Moore was a more sophisticated Bond.  Daniel Craig is more like Sean Connery- very physical.  He is a War on Terror kind of Bond.  His sense of urgency is much greater.  He must dole out his countries wrath.  Afterall, he is an assassin as well as a gatherer of intelligence.  This Bond is less of a womanizer.  He “only” bedded one woman in this movie.  So while there is more action/violence, there is less sexual immorality.  The former is not always a sin, the latter is.  The violence here is the attempts to stop evil people from perpetrating greater evil.  But his government doesn’t always approve of his actions.  Eventually they see that he is right, and they were very wrong, in his assessment of the situation.

Quantum is not as good as Casino Royale.  It suffers a tad from the Bourne-syndrome.  The action is filmed too tight, so you aren’t sure what is actually happening.  That catches the speed at which things can happen.  But if your wife asks you, “How did he kill him?”, it is happening TOO fast.  The movie could have stood to have a few slower scenes to develop the plot line.  It was under 2 hours, and it felt as if there were a few leaps in the plot line.  These shortcomings do not ruin Quantum of Solace, but we see Bond move on without exacting revenge as we, along with M, feared.  Bond is not out of control, but using the correct quantum of violence to meet the circumstances in which he finds himself.  I look forward to his return.

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Considering Tom Schreiner and Women Deacons

I was reading Tom Schreiner’s review of Scot McKnight’s book The Blue Parakeet tonight. In his attempt to develop a hermeneutic he uses women in ministry as a case study.  This review is found on The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood’s Gender Blog.  Schreiner is a complementarian.  He does a good job of pointing out some weaknesses in his friend’s arguments.  But I found his comments on women deacons to be interesting.

 Similarly, Phoebe, in my judgment, served as a deacon (Romans 16:1-2; cf. 1 Timothy 3:11), but the office of deacon must be distinguished from the office of elder. Elders are distinguished from deacons in that they must be able to teach (1 Timothy 3:2; 5:17; Titus 1:9) and are required to rule (1 Timothy 3:4-5; 5:17). Significantly, Paul insists that women should not engage in teaching men or ruling the church in 1 Timothy 2:12. Hence, women serving as deacons does not mean that they should occupy the pastoral office. Certainly women served in a variety of ministries in the NT: Romans 16 almost serves as a roll call for such noble women. And we must not forget the evangelistic ministry of Euodia and Syntyche (Philippians 4:2). Still, the example of Priscilla does not mean that women can teach men publicly since she and Aquila instructed Apollos in a private setting (Acts 18:26). The pattern of the NT is more complex than the “all or nothing” approach of McKnight. Yes, women may serve in ministry as deacons, prophets, and missionaries, but they are not to serve as pastors/elders/overseers. 

What surprised me was that this stalwart complementarian, on Gender Blog no less, states that he believes women may be deacons.  I don’t think people can accuse him of being a closet feminist.  Or capitulating to culture.  This is an area where honest complementarians disagree.

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Birthday-Date Night

A friend has provided gift cards for a movie & dinner, as well as babysitting so CavWife & I can go out and celebrate our birthdays.  With mine this weekend, we will see a Cavman movie.

Sorry Roger Ebert, James Bond is more than an attitude- he’s an action hero, an assassin, the man who brings payback on behalf of his nation.  The days of Roger Moore are DONE- thankfully.

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Considering 1 Timothy 3:11

One of the key passages in the discussion over women deacons is 1 Timothy 3:11.  For many people, this clearly shows that women are not to be deacons.  The Greek in this sentence is very interesting, and as a result, many translations necessarily interpret it.  The question is, do they interpret it correctly?

11 In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. (NIV)

¹¹ Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.  (NKJV)

11 In the same way, their wives must be respected and must not speak evil of others. They must exercise self-control and be faithful in everything they do. (NLT)

11 In the same way, women must be respected by others. They must not speak evil of others. They must be self-controlled and trustworthy in everything. (NCV)

Many of these translations include a footnote indicating that the Greek word “guna” can mean either woman or wife depending on the context.  I can’t get the Greek text in here so it is legible, so forgive me.  Here are the problems:

• There is no subject for this sentence.  It is assumed (as in verse 8).
• There is no verb for this sentence.  It, too, is assumed (as in verse 8).
• The word for women/wives is in the accusative, indicating that it is the direct object.  It is first in the sentence to put stress, or emphasis, on it.  Though “in the same way” something very different is being said than in verse 8.  It has to do with women.  Deacon/servant in verse 8 is also in the accusative.
• There is no possessive pronoun, which would clearly indicate that it means “wives” rather than “women.”  Most translations add this (“their”) to the text.
• The rest of the sentence is largely made up of adjectives modifying women/wives.

So, the sentence reads like this:  “In the same way [or likewise] (assumed subject & verb) honorable women/wives, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all (things).”

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Considering Good Works, Perseverance & Assurance

Some more from the Westminster Confession of Faith for you.  Since I’m covering the Perseverance of the Saints today, I’ll toss out a great quote as a freebie.

“There is one grace you cannot counterfeit … the grace of perseverance.”  Gardiner Spring

Chapter XVI: Of Good Works

168. What makes a good work good?  They are works that God has commanded, done in faith by the power of the Spirit to the glory of God.

169. Is man saved by his good works?  No!

170. Why are good works necessary for a Christian?  They are fruits and evidence of saving faith (James 2).

171. Can a sinner outside of Christ do any good work? No, their acts remain sinful for they are done from an impure motive (not from the love for God- violating the 1st commandment).

172. Are the good works of believers meritorious? No, they are not meritorious.  We cannot attain eternal life through them.  Our good works are only accepted in Christ.

173. What is the motive for good works?  Our motive is to be the glory of God, and trust in His Word accompanied by love for God and gratitude for such a great salvation.

174. Is any good work ever pure? If not, then how are they accepted by God as good?  No, all our best works remain tainted by sin.  They are accepted as good by God because of Christ whose blood removes the stains from our works.

175. How would you respond to a statement such as the following: “I know people who make no profession of Christian faith and yet they live morally better than many Christians. Does that not please God? Does He take note of this?”  Outwardly they live better lives than many Christians- but Christianity is not about how righteous we are, but how Christ alone saves us.  God not only demands perfection, but truly good works flow out of a person’s love of God (Ex. 20).  Those that don’t violate the first commandment and are therefore actually sin.

 

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CavSon Update

Not the soft food diet!

Yes, some info on CavSon.  I only said “most”, not “all”, of the CavFamily updates would be on my Facebook page.  This one will be in both places.

We have noticed the fistula in CavSon’s hard palate (anterior) getting bigger.  More food has been stuck up there (easily removed though).  Last week the raman noodles I made with our stirfry were hanging out of his nose.  Yeah, that is very exciting to behold.

With our deductible paid, and the fact that we have no spare money lying around in the mattress, we realized that IF he needed another surgery, it would be best to have it done before the end of the year.  We pushed up his follow-up visit, and the surgeon quickly determined that another surgery was called for.  The tissue in his mouth has had time to heal since his surgery in April. 

With a trip to NY planned for mid-December, the surgery will take place before Thanksgiving.  If you can remember, that means a long night of not sleeping in the hospital.  So excited about that.  Nor am I looking forward to comforting him in the recovery room again.  It won’t be as bad this time since it is only a palate revision- instead of a palate reconstruction and lip revision like last time.  But still, it will be tough on the little guy.

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Considering My Semi-Big Day

It wasn’t a big day, but important anyway.  Today I attended the SW FL Presbytery (PCA) to be examined for licensure.  It went mostly well.  I paused for a moment before articulating my position on women deacons, lest I really mess it up.  You don’t want to have any blood in the water or the sharks will circle you looking for something tasty.

I was approved for licensure, and approved as stated supply for Cypress Ridge.  So a good day.  I am not a man with 2 Presbyteries.  My membership, and ordination, remain in the Florida Presbytery (ARP).  But I’m like a member of SW FL Presbytery, being officially licensed to preach the gospel there for the next 4 years.

This should set search committees’ minds at ease should I be considered for a position in the PCA.  My exam in SW FL was more strenuous than for transfer.  So, in the words of Carl the groundskeeper, “I’ve got that going for me.”

Some encouraging moments from Presbytery:

• The repentance of a pastor who had been under discipline.  Encouraging to hear.  He is being restored to ministry at the same church so reconcile can take place.
• A church plant reported that most of their growth has been utterly non-churched people.
• Another church plant who had a teen interested in a teen Bible Study, but she was the only teen.  Well, she brought a bunch of her non-churched friends, essentially creating a youth group.

Since we stopped at Total Wine, I splurged on an Arthuro Fuente cigar and a bottle of Rogue’s American Amber Ale.  Don’t tell CavWife- I want it to be a surprise.

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