The Evangelical culture usually fights its battles with the surrounding culture by boycotting.  I remember recently Focus on the Family calling Christians and Conservatives to boycott Abercrombie & Fitch because of their 'pornographic' advertisements.

I am more and more inclined to see boycotting as wrong headed.  What I am seeing more and more is buycotting.  Both methods see that the economy drives a good deal of what is in our culture.  If it sells there is more of it.  Boycotting assumes that if we can keep more and more people from buying products, then those products will no longer be part of the culture.  There are many problems with this though, and one of them is that many of the people who were called on to boycott A & F weren't buying their clothes from them.  Thus, the boycott would not do that much good. 

But a buycott can send a positive message.  We will buy things, and we will buy things that are good.  This way of working with economics, I think, is more influential, than simply boycotting.

This, I would argue along with Mr. Nehring, is the way foward with Christians and Hollywood.  Instead of simply boycotting movies we really wouldn't see anyway, let's make a move toward flooding the theaters, when a good movie comes out.

This is the same way Marvin Olasky argues we should deal with Peter Singer and his idolatrous views.  He writes,

" So, the future: The better way is to demand and support only programs that provide an alternative to Singerism -- Princeton has done that through the creation of its James Madison program -- and to debate Singer not only on theoretical grounds, but also on the practical applications of his proposals." (Read the whole piece here).

We can't simply boycott, we must buycott as well.  Speak with your money.  Be bold!

 

Book reviews typically are not that funny, especially book reviews read at scholarly meetings.  But much has been said of N.T. Wright's review of Crossian's book The Historical Jesus.  In this review Wright uses Crossan's own method for reading the Gospels to show how flawed Crossan's method is.  Those who originally heard this read at The Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting, say it was a hoot to hear.  On special feature is that this essay was quickly written the night before it was spoken.  Enjoy a little of the genius of Wright.

David Wells' new book Above All Earthly Powr's, will soon be released from Eerdmans.  This is the fourth and last volume in Wells' series, which began with No Place for Truth.  This promises to be good and helpful just as Wells' other books in the series.

Here is the books description:

In our postmodern world, every view has a place at the table but none has the final say. How, as Christian faith adjusts to a new culture, should the church confess Christ?

Above All Earthly Pow'rs, the fourth and final volume of the set that began in 1993 with No Place for Truth, paints a picture of the West in all its complexity, brilliance, and emptiness. As David Wells masterfully depicts it, the postmodern ethos of the West is relativistic, individualistic, therapeutic, and yet remarkably spiritual. Wells unabashedly locates American postmodernism's roots in the last century's waves of immigration — waves that, for all their diversity, have brought with them numerous new religions and a cultural relativism born out of confusion and a fear of offense. Wells also carefully differentiates between intellectual and popular postmodernism; while few Americans read Foucault or Derrida, nearly everyone is subject to the permeating flood of TV ads.

Wells's book culminates in a critique of contemporary evangelicalism aimed at both unsettling and reinvigorating readers. Churches that market themselves as relevant to consumption-oriented postmoderns are indeed swelling in size. But they are doing so, Wells contends, at the expense of the truth of the gospel, as the trappings they adopt come laden with theological consequences. By placing a premium on marketing, the evangelical church is in danger of selling authentic engagement with culture for worldly success.

Welding extensive cultural analysis with a formidable theological contribution, Above All Earthly Pow'rs will grip pastors, educators, and all serious readers concerned about the fate of evangelical Christianity.

 

http://www.eerdmans.com/shop/product.asp?p_key=0802829023

Mark Steyn writes,

...the Batman thesis: It’s what we do that defines us. 

Read the whole article here, which is a good assessment of the role of government in giving aid.

This assessment fits well with the other posts I have made regarding this issue (HT: Burton).

 

Mindy Belz at www.worldmag.com writes,

What common cause could unite Pink Floyd and Rick Warren?  Read the full article here.

(HT: JT)

About two years ago I started to read Wild at Heart.  I liked the introduction, and I liked what he said about men needing a battle to fight, a beauty to fight for, and an adventure to live.  I resonate with these things.  But I stopped reading the book, because after the introduction, when Eldredge attempted to flesh out his view of masculinity, the more he wrote the less biblical he became, and unfortunately he was not starting with much in the biblical catergory.

This was especially true when Eldredge began talking about God.  This book has maybe a few redeeming sentences but for the most part it should be avoided.  See this article for a similar assessment.

 

Instead of Wild at Heart I highly recommend Future Men. 

 

Order it here.

Thomas writes,

Jesus said he came to bring a sword. A sword divides. The primary objective for the Christian should be to seek and to point others toward Jesus, not to political parties and agendas.

The social ills confronting us have not produced our collective indifference to a moral code. They reflect that indifference. Fixing social ills does not begin in the halls of Congress or Supreme Court, but in individual human hearts.

Government can't go there. God can. But if God's servants prefer government to God, or seek to attach God to political parties and earthly agendas, they are doomed to futility.

From how I see it, I think Thomas has a few things right.  First, Those of the conservative Christian 'movement' ought to make sure their homes are in order, before they go about fixing everyone else.  Second, I think in the quote above Thomas hints at what I think is missing today, that is doing the hard work of persuading people to right behavior instead of seeking to legislate it. 

But I find two things a bit muddled in the article.  First, is his statement "The primary objective for the Christian should be to seek and to point others toward Jesus, not to political parties and agendas."  When the word 'primary' is used I concur.  But I do not want people to think that because of this truth it is not proper for the Christian to persuade another to a specific political party.  Why?  Because I think the one party has more in line with the gospel than another party.  Thus, being a Republican or Democrat does not make one a Christian, but I do think that the gospel moves the Christian to one party over the other.

Second, and this is related to the above critique, is the use of Billy Graham's silence on 'hot button issues' as a model of virtue.  Now that Graham has matured in his faith, he does not take on controversies.  But, if we don't persuade to political parties, and we don't take on hot button issues, then how is it that the gospel is changing things?  That is, where is there room for the prophetic speaking of gospel ministers into the world?  King Jesus calls out into the world through the Church, and he is king of all things, and thus all things falls under authority.  And thus the Church must be speaking into the world about all things, especially hot button issues.  How else will change come about?  We must persuade individual hearts but not at the expense of the prophetic pulpit.

Read the whole article here.  What do you think?

Read Sowell on Budwiser's diversity.

Below is a copy of a call to worship I gave on Father's Day weekend 2005.

The Apostle Paul writes in his first letter to the Corinthians,

¹³ Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.  ¹⁴ Let all that you do be done in love (1 Corinthians 16:13, NAU).

 

Hear this again!

¹³ Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.  ¹⁴ Let all that you do be done in love (1 Corinthians 16:13, NAU).

 

“Act like men” Paul says. 

What type of man? 

• Should we behave like sensitive, renaissance men, who are Oprahized, and in touch with their feelings? 
• Or should we act like beer guzzling, outdoorsmen, who are crass, and preoccupied only with themselves and their toys? 

 

Neither of these American expressions of masculinity will do.  What the world needs is more gospel-men.

 

Gospel men are

• Alert
• They are aware of dangers around them and take protective measures to guard themselves and those under their watch.  Gospel men are not passive; they are aggressive in protecting their keep.
• Firm in the faith
• They are growing in their understanding of God and his world.  They are studious, and bring to expression in all areas of life the truth ‘Our God reigns’.
• Strong
• Strength has more to do with character than physical ability.  Gospel men are driven by the grace of God to maintain their allegiance to Jesus, and stand against the evil one.

 

• Lovers
• To gospel men love is not a weakness but strength.  Gospel men love strong and well.  Gospel men romance their wives, speak the truth, protect the weak, and play ‘tea party’ with their little girls.

 

It is this type of man who looks most like Jesus, a man who persevered to the end.  A man who loved though he was hated, a man who sacrificed himself for those who betrayed him.  Before Jesus demons bowed, but also in the presence of Jesus children played.

What happens when school choice is abolished or prohibited?

Star Parker writes,

Poor kids wind up being slammed by a double jeopardy. First, they are trapped in failing schools that are insulated from the prime condition that produces improvement _ competition. Second, the failing schools in which they are trapped teach exclusively relativist values that are the opposite of what these kids need for climbing out of chaos and poverty.   Read the remainder here.

What is biblical theology?  Is it simply theology that is faithful to the Bible?  While biblical theology does aim at being faithful to the Bible, it is not simply this.  Biblical theology is a discipline in the way that systematic theology and historical theology are disciplines.  I would argue that biblical theology is the prince of the theological disciplines, but that it should not be seperated from the discipline of systematic and historical study.  Goldsworthy has a nice article on this at 9marks.  Thanks, JT for the article!

I am still confused on how so many Western Evangelical Christians live with so little a concern for the great return of the Lord Jesus.  This reality was a great motivator in the New Testament.  The irony is even more potent when one considers the popularity of the Left Behind Series.  Here is an essay by Gareth Battan stating the same idea (HT: Bluefish).

Carson writes,
"This essay does not respond to postmodernism systematically. That would demand quite a different piece. Still less have I attempted to sketch an alternative Christian epistemology, although astute readers will detect the direction I would take. My point has been simpler. Informed Christians will neither idolize nor demonize either postmodernism or modernism. Both are founded on profoundly idolatrous assumptions. And both make some valuable observations that, when they are properly integrated into a more biblically faithful frame of reference, enable us to reflect fruitfully on the world in which we live."
Read the remainder of the article here.  Consider also Carson's larger treatment of postmodernity The Gagging of God.

Some guys over at http://www.vintage21.com/findex.html have made some movies which capture what many in our culture see Jesus to be.  Watch 'em, you might find some of your thoughts represented. 

Jesus 1

Jesus 2

Jesus 3

Jesus 4

 

But of course if these films do not represent the real Jesus, then who is the real Jesus?  A good place to start is N. T. Wright's The Challenge of Jesus. 

Order it here.

Internetmonk writes,

I've been thinking about the subject of the Christian's assurance of salvation. To put my cards on the table, I don't struggle with assurance of salvation personally at all. I'm far more inclined toward the "wider mercy" view of God's love than I am toward any apprehensions about whether I am among the elect. My struggles are over entirely different subjects: Does God exist? How can I face death without losing my sanity? Check in with me on those topics and I'll buy your joe.

I'm interested because I spend a significant amount of time counseling students and adults on the subject of assurance. These are people who are unsure whether or not they are Christians at all. Some feel they never were, but most feel they've somehow started, and now failed, in their Christian faith. I rarely have anyone come to me doubting that God exists or questioning whether the Bible is true- both questions I would expect to hear frequently given the student population that I minister to at a boarding school. Instead of these fundamental questions, I continually have a conversation something like this:

"I used to think I was a was Christian, but I don't think I am any more."

"What has convinced you that you're not a Christian?"

"I don't live like a Christian. I do a lot of things that I know Christians don't do. I rededicate my life to Christ all the time, but I just go right back to the same old things, and I don't see how a Christian would be so hypocritical. I'm lazy, and I really don't live the Christian life."

See the remainder of the article here.  He brings up a good point in this article, a point that is important for Christians to engage.  The best book I know of for helping Christians think through issues of justification, sanctification, and assurance is The Race Set Before Us.

This is a great book and is well worth the price.

Prayers of dedication are often special, but few contain strong intercession.  Here is an example of a great prayer of dedication by a father for his son's wedding.

I just received this book in the mail.  I am looking forward to reading it.  I assume from the authors Murrow quotes, that he will support many of the thoughts I have previously had regarding men in church.  Murrow also has a section on 'worship music' and how it is written for women and children.  It looks similar to thoughts I have expressed on this blog and in print.  Regarding feminization see also this blog.

Thinking about the Arts?  Here is a good page to get some helpful articles.

Sam Storms of Enjoying God Ministries and author of One Thing has entered into the critique of Emergent things.  This is part 1 of the critique using Carson's book Becoming Conversant with Emergent as a foil for critiquing the Emergent 'movement'.  Storms writes,

"

I can’t count the number of times over the past six months that people have asked me: “When are you going to write about the Emerging Church?” That question is almost always followed by: “Have you read Brian McLaren’s books?”

 

The answer to the second question is Yes. If I’m not mistaken, I’ve read all of McLaren’s books except the one on evangelism (“More Ready Than You Realize” [Zondervan, 2002]). I even used his book “Finding Faith” (Zondervan, 1999) as a required textbook in the course on Christian Thought that I taught at Wheaton College. But I’ve refrained from writing a review of any of them, in large measure due to the developing nature of his thought. In other words, it seems with each new volume another layer of the onion is peeled, revealing something surprising or sad or, on occasion, moderately encouraging. I’ve thus been fearful that no sooner would I write a response than he’d disclose something unexpected and render my comments either obsolete or inaccurate, or both."

Read the remainder here.

" None of this is rocket science. Anyone who can understand the concept of supply and demand can understand that putting most of the land in a whole county off-limits to building will cause the price of the remaining land to rise. "  Read the remainder here.

Read this report regarding what pastors have found to be the most influential books for their ministry.  I place this link here only because I recently posted a list of the books I am currently reading.  I find myself to be an odd duck among pastors.  I mean really, is PDL really that great of a book for pastors?  I'm not against the book, but it's not that great.  These are strange times!