Careful Thought

Nothing like a little Popa Chubby to round out the week…

Tags: blues, fenderbender, popa chubby

Excerpts from Tim Keller at the 2007 Evangelical Ministry Assembly on the current state of evangelicalism in western society.

Evangelicalism used to occupy the middle ground between fundamentalism and liberalism. It was orthodox, pro-scholarship, and facing the world. Recently, evangelicalism has become more hostile and condemning of culture. A younger generation has given up on evangelicalism as a middle ground and are looking for a new consensus. This group goes by a number of names, such as post-evangelicals or the emerging church.

Basically evangelicalism is this: The liberals are not orthodox in their theology, but are engaged with culture and scholarship. Fundamentalists are orthodox in their theology, but are separatist and anti-intellectual. Evangelicalism aimed to be orthodox but engaged, concerned with scholarship, and facing the world. And actually, it worked. This middle ground has been the most vital - until recently.

The rise of the Christian right has made many evangelicals more hostile and condemning to culture. Then you have the charismatic movement, which has been good in many ways but is sometimes anti-intellectual.

A younger generation - sometimes called the emerging church, sometimes post-conservatives or post-evangelicals, are saying, “The old consensus isn’t going to work anymore.” They are responding to the anti-intellectualism of the charismatic movement, and to the rigidity, self-righteousness, and political narrowness of the Christian right. And they are blaming it on classical evangelical doctrine.

(HT:  DashHouse by way of JollyBlogger by way of Blogotional .  You want to hit all those links.  Each has something great to add to the discussion.)

This is an excellent summary.  I consider myself a recovering evangelical, but that’s just a label.  I’m looking for that ‘orthodox (i.e., Scripturally sound) theology’ that is ‘engaged with the world,’ just as Christ called us to be.

Tags: evangelicalism, faith, fundamentalism, Tim Keller

Tags: bird sign

I’ve gotten a few comments that this site is not accessible in all browsers and operating systems.  Can you get to the sub-pages by clicking the tabs in the header or by clicking the Pages links at the top right?  Can you enter comments?  If not, please drop me a note - click on the Contact Me link at top right - and tell me how accessible this site is.  Please include your browser version (IE6/7, Firefox Beta 2, Netscape, Opera, etc.).

That is all.  We now resume our regular programming….

Tags: accessibility, blogging, browser compatibility

“I find that my heart is slow to go to God; and when it does go to Him it does not seem to want to stay with Him; so that very often I am forced in my prayers, first to beg of God that He would take my heart and set it on Himself, and then when it is there, that He would keep it there.”

John Bunyan

(HT: deTheos )

Tags: faith, qotd, quote of the day

“And the Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. And when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me go over,” the men of Gilead said to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” When he said, “No,” they said to him, “Then say Shibboleth,” and he said, “Sibboleth,” for he could not pronounce it right. Then they seized him and slaughtered him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time 42,000 of the Ephraimites fell.”  ( Judges 12:5-6 , ESV)

Way back in November 2006, I posted on the old site about the travails of Kent Hovind.  To date, that single post has gotten over 5000 visits, with more than 140 comments.  Hovind was/is a sometime preacher and advocate of a young-earth creation (YEC) model.  He is currently spending time at a Federal Prison in South Carolina and blogs here .  (The posts on his site are interesting, but reveal someone who seems to be trying desperately to keep it together.)  The problem is that he also opposes the payment of any taxes, payroll or otherwise, by any of his ministries or employees.  What’s in the man’s heart is between him and the Lord, but his approach brings great discredit on himself and on believers in general.  Pray for him and his family - his wife Jo was also found guilty of many of the same charges.

I still get scathing comments to my original post (since moved here ), and I’m not sure why.  Is it that the man has become an icon and hero of the “faith vs science” debate?  I don’t think so.  Many, even among the YEC crowd, have rejected his more specious arguments.  Is it his stance on not paying taxes?  I don’t relish the idea of giving a large chunk of my income to the government, but I recognize the obligation under federal and state law.

His positions are a stumbling block and a modern day shibboleth that divides believers and holds them up to ridicule.  Whatever the reason for his continuing popularity, I pray that God would soften his heart - and those of his followers - and help them to focus less on the arguments for or against his chosen positions, and more on the gospel of Christ.

Tags: age of the earth, blogging, Kent Hovind, shibboleths

In other news, the Pope is catholic. 

(HT Erudite Redneck , by way of Dustbury )

Tags: bears

Jon at Levite Chronicles posted this guide to pointless prayer:

1. Look at it as obligation.
(you love to talk with people when you have to, right?)

2. Look at it as a contract.
(If I promise to do this, You promise to…)

3. Look at it as a monologue.
(Speeches are always more effective than conversation.)

4. Look at it as a good luck charm.
(might as well, it couldn’t hurt.)

5. Believe you have to be polite.
(If I raise my voice, if I get honest, God will get mad)

6. Look at it as a formula.
(I have to get the words exactly right.)

7. Believe it’s about posture.
(”close your eyes and fold your hands” - “so I can’t pray and drive?”)

8.  Don’t.

He’s a master at 8 Ways .

Tags: faith, prayer

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”  ( 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 , ESV)

One of those weighty theological issues I’ve wrestled with over time is knowing — and doing — God’s will.  It always seemed a struggle with Deep Things. 

Then along comes this verse, which someone must have just added to my Bible in the last few days.  His will is not always for us to abandon our jobs and family to minister to the lost in deepest, darkest Burundi.  Sometimes it’s to stay right where we are.  Instead of changing location or job situation, we’re called to be happy, to pray continually, and to be grateful for the blessings we’ve been given.  Sure, it can be hard to stay focused on these things all the time, but that’s what He wants us to do.  It’s His desire for us.  And it saves me from having to find Burundi on a map.

Tags: God's will, thanks, thanksgiving, Thessalonians

Just a knife - with 87 tools and 141 functions.  It’s certified by the Guinness folks as ‘the most multifunctional penknife’ in the world.  It weighs in at 2lbs 11oz, and only costs $1200. 

Among other goodies, it contains a bike chain rivet setter, a golf divot repair tool, a mineral crystal magnifier with precision screwdriver, a telescopic pointer, a fish scaler, hook disgorger, line guide, a Shortix laboratory key — and a knife.  (Implement combinations subject to change without notice.)

Buy one for the guy in your life who needs something really functional.  Available here .

(HT: Extreme Mortman )

Tags: megaknife, Swiss Army Knife