Rants and Manifestos

Deo Volante and the Edge of the Future

2013-01-05T10:30:00.001-08:00

Having just written the title to my post, I realize now that it sounds like an awesome 80's hair band or perhaps some indie group from today. Definitely going to remember that title in the case that I somehow need an awesome band name.

At any rate, that is not what I am here to write about. I want to write about what I mentioned in the title: God's will and the way we plan for the future. This morning I was reading through James and James' discourse in chapter 4 on planning for the future and the necessity of acknowledging our existential contingency on God and I was struck by it (again). It was especially pertinent to my current situation because I am at the place in life where there is so much to plan for and so much to hope to be able to do in the future. By way of substantiation, here are a few examples of things I am currently planning on/for and earnestly hoping that I get to experience:
—studying abroad in the Fall at Oxford University
—getting married
—getting an internship that hopefully leads to connections that help after law school
—getting into law school in the first place

These are just a tiny sliver of the many things I hope to do/experience in the next few years. And every single one of them is entirely contingent upon God's will. It is His decision and exercise of will that will allow any of those things to happen. Neigh, it is that which allows even my next letter to be typed! At every second while I wrote this and you read this, God was entirely sustaining the universe and providing the necessities of existence. Well, I know at the very least that that is true for while I was writing this; the world may have been judged and remade by the time someone gets around to reading this (haha!). I digress. Thus, what the Holy Spirit worked upon my heart this morning was a reminder that I need to live not in the moment (which I find a rather strange expression when closely examined) or in the past or in the future, but in light of the constant and clear realization that God Himself, the Alpha and the Omega, YHWH, gives rise to my existence and to the existence of everything in the universe. Furthermore, there is not a thing my tiny spirit can do to significantly change what will happen in the future; I cannot make the future happen exactly as I want it any more than I can create a rock or move a mountain. I can only trust that the God of the universe will, God-willing (literally), give rise to it and oversee it in His perfect and powerful way. And despite all the fear and trepidation I sometimes have about the future, I am deeply confident that God's will for my life is what I want most, is what is best for me, and will bring about the greatest happiness in my life. Until next time, God willing.

James 4:13-17
Boasting About Tomorrow
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Note: (D.V.), DV, D.V. are all shorthand for the phrase 'God-willing' (Deo-God, Volante-willing—like 'volition') in latin. I was introduced to this way of putting the phrase into latin by my Linguistics professor at APU. He was and continues to be an excellent example to my heart of someone who seeks to live by James' exhortation to us not to boast about the future.

Waiting...For A Package

2013-01-03T11:17:00.001-08:00

Haven't written on here in quite a while; thoroughly disappointed that I have not made the time to write, but understanding that life does not permit for universal allocation of time. I can only do what I can with what The Lord has provided for me. At any rate, I wanted to write this morning after having my quiet time and noticing a particular desire that I thought was worth exploring. You see, I am waiting for a package to arrive at my house today. It is nothing incredible, just a case for an electronic device. But as I was waiting for it, I thought more about the desire and my waiting. I thought about what motivated the desire for the package, why the waiting seemed to increase the desire for the package to arrive, and finally I took a step back. I noticed that that desire was particularly pungent because I have had to wait quite a while for it to arrive (roughly 3 weeks, which is still rather short compared to many things). What struck me most was a particular conviction in my spirit. It is nothing new, really. This has been said before and will be said again, but the truth inherent to it is such that it bears repeating time and time again. Do I wait for Christ's return as I wait for infinitely more insignificant things? No. No, I do not. I ought to, but in my weakness I am prone to long for things which pass and fade away. I long for things which cannot fulfill the deep desires of my heart and will leave me only saddened and frustrated. But the truth is that Christ is in me, and His Holy Spirit is at work. He (HS) is making my heart long for Christ's return and not for the passing things of this world. When I am humble, seeing God in His right place and myself in mine, it is so clear that what we wait for in Christ's return far, far outshines everything else in our lives, especially iPad cases.

Colossians 1:28-29
28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

Wall-E and Heaven

2012-11-11T16:01:00.001-08:00

Though not necessarily profound or novel, I wanted to share this thought with you all:

Tonight while watching WALL-E, a line in the movie caught my attention. At one point in the movie, the captain excitedly says, "We can go home for the first time!"

It seems to me that, as Christians, we get to do a similar thing. As resident aliens, we get to one day return to the Lord, to be with Him in the truest home we shall ever know. We get to reside in the place that we are meant to reside in, to live where we are happiest and most fully glorifying God, reveling in and at Christ's glory. We get to go home for the first time, too.

Future Glory
[18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time [n]are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. [19] For the creation waits with eager longing for [o]the revealing of the sons of God. [20] For the creation [p]was subjected to futility, not willingly, but [q]because of him who subjected it, in hope [21] that [r]the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. [22] For we know that [s]the whole creation [t]has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. [23] And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have [u]the firstfruits of the Spirit, [v]groan inwardly as [w]we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, [x]the redemption of our bodies. [24] For [y]in this hope we were saved. Now [z]hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? [25] But if we hope for what we do not see, we [a]wait for it with patience.
(Romans 8:18-25 ESV; emphasis added)

[Cross References]
========================================================================
[n] 2 Cor. 4:17; [1 Pet. 1:5, 6]
[o] 1 Pet. 4:13; 5:1; 1 John 3:2; [ch. 2:7]
[p] Gen. 3:18, 19; Eccles. 1:2
[q] Gen. 3:17
[r] [Acts 3:21]
[s] Mark 16:15
[t] Jer. 12:4, 11
[u] [2 Cor. 5:5; James 1:18]
[v] 2 Cor. 5:2, 4
[w] ver. 19, 25; Isa. 25:9; Gal. 5:5
[x] See ch. 7:24; Luke 21:28
[y] [1 Thess. 1:3; 5:8]
[z] 2 Cor. 4:18; Heb. 11:1
[a] [1 Thess. 1:3; 5:8]

Does God Love Everyone?

2012-09-06T09:52:00.001-07:00

I found this on Kevin DeYoung's blog and was very encouraged, impressed, and helped in my thinking about this question. I found his and Carson's way of thinking about this difficult question so well-said and thought through that I had to share it with you on here. Please read and enjoy this piece from KDY and DA Carson!

Shalom,

Mark

Original post at: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2012/09/06/does-god-love-everyone/

Does God Love Everyone?
Yes.

And no.

The question is deceptively difficult. The Bible speaks of God’s love in several different ways. D.A. Carson, in his excellent book The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God, mentions five (16-19):

1. The peculiar love of the Father for the Son, and of the Son for the Father.
2. God’s providential love over all that he has made.
3. God’s salvific stance toward his fallen world.
4. God’s particular, effective, selecting love toward his elect.
5. God’s love toward his own people in a provisional way, conditioned upon obedience.

After giving a brief biblical explanation for each way, Carson explains the danger of emphasizing one aspect of the love of God over the others.

If God’s love is defined exclusively by his intra-Trinitarian love, which is perfect and unblemished by sin, we won’t grasp the glory of God in loving rebels like us.

If God’s love is nothing but his providential care over all things, we’ll struggle to see how the gospel is any good news at all because, after all, doesn’t he love everyone already?

If God’s love is seen solely as his desire to save the world, we’ll end up with an emotionally charged God who doesn’t display the same sense of sovereignty we see in the pages of Scripture.

If God’s love is only understood as his electing love, we’ll too see easily say God hates all sorts of people, when that truth requires a good deal more nuance.

And if God’s love is bound up entirely in warnings like “keep yourselves in the love of God” (Jude 21), we’ll fall into legalism and lots of unwarranted self-doubt.

Talking about God’s love sounds like a simple theological task, but it’s actually one of the trickiest. I’ve heard of churches debating whether their kids should be taught “Jesus Loves Me” (some of the children might be reprobate, you never know). I know many more churches which so emphasize God’s all-encompassing love for everyone everywhere, that it’s hard to figure out why anyone should bother to become a Christian. The fact is that God loves everyone and he doesn’t. He hates the world and he loves the world. He can’t possibly love his adopted children any more than he does, and he is profoundly grieved by our sin. The challenge of good theology is to explain how the Bible provides warrant for all those statements and how they all fit together.

Any one truth about the love of God pressed to the exclusion of the others will make for a distorted deity and deadly discipleship. “In short,” Carson counsels, “we need all of what Scripture says on this subject, or the doctrinal and pastoral ramifications will prove disastrous” (23).

Savoring the Gospel—(from the Resurgence)

2012-07-28T09:25:00.003-07:00

(original link here)
“Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully.” 1 Timothy 1:8

It seems that every few years there is a fight over keeping the Ten Commandments in the public square (a courthouse, a public school, etc.). I’m not interested in getting into the merits of the arguement for either position here, but I do find it sadly ironic that many Christians are ready to fight for the Ten Commandments to be lifted up in the public square, but are much less motivated to see the gospel take center stage. It is as if some think that the law of God is a cure-all. That if we can just gather ourselves around the law things will change: our cities, our citizens, our culture. And, this is not only a social/political issue. Many of us are also tempted to think this way as it relates to our own growth in the grace of godliness. It is as if we think that the law of God is our cure-all. That if we can just gather ourselves around the law we will change: our thoughts, our hearts, our lives.

THE NEED FOR JUSTIFICATION
But law does not save you. The law cannot save you. This does not mean the law is bad. The law is holy, just, and good. It is still the gift of God, but the law cannot save you. It is a gift that shows us his way, our rebellion, and our great need for the gospel. The law deals a crushing blow to our sense of self-righteousness, but also prepares us for the good news of God’s forgiving and restoring grace. In the law we see God’s standard of righteousness, but in the gospel we see Jesus fulfilling all righteousness for us. Here are the two gifts: one that exposes our guilt, and another than unleashes God’s grace; one that crushes, and another that revives and renews. The law is good when used rightly–not to justify–but to show our need for justification that must come from outside of ourselves.

No, the law does not save, but it does help us to savor the gospel.

Originally posted on Joe Thorn's site

Working Hard, Resting Well

2012-07-22T11:25:00.002-07:00

A prayer by Scotty Smith that I was encouraged by and prayed earnestly:

"Heavenly Father, what a most glorious paradox and beautiful irony this portion of your Word presents. You’re calling us to work diligently, to invest great effort, to strive with all our might to rest from our works that we might enter the rest of your work. Work hard to rest well. Work hard to cease working.

Once again I’m confronted with how the gospel contradicts the fundamental way I’ve been trained to approach every sphere of life—athletics, education, finances, career, reputation. “Do it the good ole’ fashioned way—earn it.” “God helps those who help themselves.” “You’ll always get what’s coming to you.” “You can do anything you set your mind to do.” These mantras have been my motivation for much of life; but they also been my madness, because performance-based living never really brings rest, just more restlessness.

Father, because the gospel is true, fortunately, I didn’t get what’s coming to me. You gave that to Jesus at the cross. You put my sin on him. You punished him with the punishment I deserve. And in exchange, you’ve given me what I never could’ve earned: complete forgiveness, the righteousness of Jesus, and your permanent favor resting on me.
Continue reading>>

The Price of a Feel-Good Faith from Kevin DeYoung

2012-06-09T20:30:00.001-07:00

From Kevin DeYoung

Original post:
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/

The Price of a Feel-Good Faith

Thomas E. Bergler in The Juvenilization of American Christianity:

"Many larger American churches have remained vibrant by adapting to the preferences of younger generations. Many of those adaptations have enriched the church. In 1950, many people who went to church did so out of a sense of social obligation. While at church, they didn’t expect either to have fun or to be challenged to work for social justice. Just as many people go to church today, but now, by and large, they want to be there be there because their faith is providing them with strong feelings of connection to God, to others, and to a spiritual mission. As a result of juvenilization, they are more likely to have intense experiences of God, participate in a service or mission trip, and engage in Christian political activism. Evangelical youth ministries made religious conservatives less dour and legalistic. Progressive Protestant, Catholic, and African American youth leaders eventually won the battle to get Christians to see social and political concerns as legitimate elements of their faith.

Continue reading>>

E-Boasting

2012-06-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

I'm always a fan of well-done graphics. Check this out! Thought it was clever. Original post here.

—Mark

Job's (Literally) Sacrificial Love

2012-06-01T12:32:00.003-07:00

Job is book of the Bible that most of us have probably read and/or know the story of. We've all heard, or at least have probably heard, how Job got the raw end of a deal that God made with Satan. He was God's golden boy, and God used him to show Satan what was up (God was), figuratively speaking. I've heard many sermons on Job's life and the ways that God worked in his life. I've read books about suffering that have used his example. And I've also read the actual book in the Bible before.

But as I sat down yesterday morning to re-read it, something jumped out to me that hadn't before.

[Job's Character and Wealth]

[1:1] There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. [2] There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. [3] He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. [4] His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. [5] And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.

(Job 1:1-5 ESV; Emphasis added)

I want to share these thoughts with you, outlined below:

We are called to love sacrificially
We are called to love continually
We are called to love profoundly and selflessly

As a Chaplain, Must I Always Publicly Pray in Jesus’ Name? —Russell Moore

2012-05-25T13:43:00.001-07:00

As a Chaplain, Must I Always Publicly Pray in Jesus’ Name?

— MONDAY, MAY 21ST, 2012 —

"Dear Dr. Moore,

I’m a committed evangelical Christian, and also a chaplain with responsibility for people from all sorts of religious backgrounds. I am called on to pray at many functions, with mixed audiences. Some over me are pressuring me not to end my prayers “in Jesus’ name” but to instead pray more inclusively to God, generally. I can pray “in Your name” and that seems to solve the problem. I mean Jesus, of course, but it wouldn’t be as patently offensive and it would enable me to minister here longer and more effectively. Is that ethical?

A Confused Chaplain

Dear Chaplain,

You’re assuming this quandary is about language. It’s not. Praying in Jesus’ name isn’t simply a cultural addendum at the end of a request, something evangelicals do in the same way we repeat phrases like “just” and “lead, guide, and direct us.” We pray in Jesus’ name because Jesus commanded us to do so (Jn. 14:13). We pray in Jesus’ name because we believe that “there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5). Thus, we have no access to God apart from our being hidden in Christ.

Morning and Evening, May 22—Morning

2012-05-22T19:48:00.002-07:00

Morning, May 22 Go To Evening Reading

“He led them forth by the right way.”

— Psalm 107:7

Changeful experience often leads the anxious believer to enquire “Why is it thus with me?” I looked for light, but lo, darkness came; for peace, but behold trouble. I said in my heart, my mountain standeth firm, I shall never be moved. Lord, thou dost hide thy face, and I am troubled. It was but yesterday that I could read my title clear; to-day my evidences are bedimmed, and my hopes are clouded. Yesterday I could climb to Pisgah’s top, and view the landscape o’er, and rejoice with confidence in my future inheritance; to-day, my spirit has no hopes, but many fears; no joys, but much distress. Is this part of God’s plan with me? Can this be the way in which God would bring me to heaven? Yes, it is even so. The eclipse of your faith, the darkness of your mind, the fainting of your hope, all these things are but parts of God’s method of making you ripe for the great inheritance upon which you shall soon enter. These trials are for the testing and strengthening of your faith—they are waves that wash you further upon the rock—they are winds which waft your ship the more swiftly towards the desired haven. According to David’s words, so it might be said of you, “so he bringeth them to their desired haven.” By honour and dishonour, by evil report and by good report, by plenty and by poverty, by joy and by distress, by persecution and by peace, by all these things is the life of your souls maintained, and by each of these are you helped on your way. Oh, think not, believer, that your sorrows are out of God’s plan; they are necessary parts of it. “We must, through much tribulation, enter the kingdom.” Learn, then, even to “count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.”

“O let my trembling soul be still,

And wait thy wise, thy holy will!

I cannot, Lord, thy purpose see,

Yet all is well since ruled by thee.”

¹ Charles H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening : Daily Readings, Complete and unabridged; New modern edition. (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2006).

J.I. Packer On The Freedom of Inerrancy

2012-05-17T20:51:00.001-07:00

J.I. Packer

Any degree of skepticism about the portrait of Christ, the promises of God, the principles of godliness, and the power of the Holy Spirit, as biblically presented, has the effect of enslaving us to our own alternative ideas about these things, and thus we miss something of the freedom, joy, and vitality that the real Christ bestows. God is very patient and merciful, and I do not suggest that those who fall short here thereby forfeit all knowledge of Christ, though I recognize that when one sits loose to Scripture this may indeed happen. But I do maintain most emphatically that one cannot doubt the Bible without far-reaching loss, both in fullness of truth and of fullness of life. If therefore we have at heart spiritual renewal for society, for churches and for our own lives, we shall make much of the entire trustworthiness–that is, the inerrancy–of Holy Scripture as the inspired and liberating Word of God. (Truth and Power, 55)

The Otherworldly Culture: Understanding Our Cultural Context So That Christ Might Be Made Known

2012-05-16T11:42:00.001-07:00

The Otherworldly Culture: Understanding Cultural Context

by Haley Oram and Mark Thomas

You’ve probably seen it at the parking lot in church, maybe on the freeway or in your hometown, and you’ve definitely seen it if you go to a Christian college: NOTW. One of the most well known Christian mantras or sayings, NOTW stands for “Not of This world.” It is the name of a Christian clothing company, but more importantly it is a phrase commonly used by Christians. It is used in prayer and in teaching, one used especially when discussing the posture of a Christian in this fallen world. It is a phrase widely known and used within the Christian circle; it is how we are called to live. It is a concept that is fundamentally a part of the Christian faith.

But where does it come from?

This phrase originates from John 18:36, where Jesus discusses where His kingdom lies: “One of the most well known Christian mantras or sayings is “Not of This world.” Not only does this saying come from the name of a Christian clothing company, but it also is a phrase commonly used by Christians, in prayer or teaching, when discussing the posture of a Christian in this fallen world we live in. It is a phrase widely known and used by the the Christian circle; it is how we are called to live.

This phrase originates from John 18:36 where Jesus discusses where His kingdom truly lies and comes from: “Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Jesus Himself says His kingdom is “Not of this World.” He is right,of course. Christians are heavenly citizens, foreigners here on earth. This discourse. Christ’s kingdom is not of this world and does not come from this world.

Happy Mother's Day, or Whatever—Kevin DeYoung

2012-05-13T12:06:00.001-07:00

Found this from Kevin DeYoung (I know—'once again', you say). Enjoy!
-Mark

Happy Mother’s Day, or Whatever.

This country loves Mother’s Day. We love to honor moms and get flowers. We love to take her out for dinner and make her stand up in church. Americans are the people of motherhood and apple pie.

Just so long as motherhood has no meaning. Happy Mother’s Day. Or father’s. Or parents. Or gender neutral guardians. Or whatever.

We know who mom is, but do we know what a mom is? Are the two persons (or three? or thirty? or pets?) in a marriage interchangeable? Is there anything beyond biology (and affirming biology is a start!) that makes a mom a mom? When your little girl asks, “What does it mean to be a mommy?” what will you say to her?

Is Bibliolatry the Real Danger? (Kevin DeYoung)

2012-05-05T12:54:00.005-07:00

Found this fantastic piece from Kevin DeYoung. Enjoy.

Mark

Is Bibliolatry the Real Danger?

Which poses the bigger risk of idolatry–a high view of the Bible that sees Jesus submitting to the Scriptures or a low view of Scripture that sees Jesus standing apart from the Scriptures? Some Christians fear that if they have a high view of the Bible they will end up denigrating Jesus and being guilty of bibliolatry. But what if the danger of idolatry is much more likely when you try to place Jesus above the Bible?

J.I. Packer explains:

Others tell us the final authority for Christians is not Scripture, but Christ, whom we must regard as standing apart from Scripture and above it. He is its Judge; and we, as His disciples, must judge Scripture by Him, receiving only what is in harmony with His life and teaching and rejecting all that is not.

Sunset. Sun, Set.

2012-04-28T22:08:00.001-07:00

Theology and ‘practical’ theology: Both-and, not either-or

2012-04-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

Theology and ‘practical’ theology: Both-and, not either-or

Monday, April 16th, 2012

Mark Thomas | Guest Writer

“Theology” is a term that you are probably, at the very least, somewhat familiar with. You probably remember hearing, seeing or reading it at least once before in your life. And whether you are a Christian or not, if you are reading this paper it is very likely that you are in some way affiliated with Azusa Pacific University. APU is a Christian university, which I make clear just in case that fact had by some inexplicable means escaped you. And if you are in some way associated with APU, I would make the well-founded assumption that you cannot be around here for very long or be around Christians in general for very long without coming into contact with this term, this theology.

So, what is it? Apparently, it is something that is rather prevalent here on campus. After all, we have theologians as professors and we have a Department of Theology. It is mentioned in sermons, in chapel, in our daily reading and in our conversations with our friends. There is even an entire library devoted to theological books. This is significant in that while other fields have their share of books, they lack their own distinct libraries.

Thus it seems, from an empirical level, to be a very significant part of the academic and intellectual life here at APU. By extension, we can reason that it is a significant field of study for Christians as a whole body. It seems to me, therefore, that it is rather inescapable and we must come to terms with what it is, what it means, and how we practice it.

Now, you may know all of this quite well and I am sure that you do. I mean only in writing this way shows that it is from a logical standpoint very nearly impossible to think that theology has little place here at school or in our lives. I hope to show later that it has an even greater presence than we realize. At any rate, let us return to figuring out what exactly theology really is.

Literally, theology is the study (-ology) of God (theo-). However, I think it is important to arrive at a more specific and helpful definition. C.S. Lewis, whose writing and thinking has significantly shaped my own, defined theology as “the science of God.” I would agree with him on this definition. It is simple, straightforward, and to the point. But it is, to some degree, inadequate and so I want to qualify it and explain myself further.

The way that I see it, theology is the science of God insofar as that it is a systematic, logical and extensive field of study. It is based on data, the events of our lives and the occurrences of the natural world. But for all its conceptual similarities to science, it is not like science in a good many ways. It, on the one hand, studies what science cannot. Science, and any scientist worth his or her salt, would laugh at the idea that science can

be used to study God. It is simply not within the scope of science to study God the way that theologians do.

However, I still think this is a good word to use; I still think of theology as the science of God. Let me explain further.

Scientific experiments are carried out, by and large, with the use of certain instruments that can measure a certain quality or occurrence. This, I think, is true, too, of theology. We analyze experiences, texts and events with instruments and interpret the results. However, the instruments are far, far more complex than any microscope ever conceived. The primary instruments for conducting theological study are namely you and us. I say “you” to mean that your whole body, all that it encounters, reasons and feels, can be used to study God. It is the foremost and primary instrument in any study, really. I think the holistic nature of yourself, the fact that you are able to grapple with truth in a myriad of ways, is what is the key advantage.

Some people might argue that we ought to prop up reason as the only means of studying God. I think doing so leaves quite a lot out, however. In a strictly-reduced rationalistic system, where is there room for mystery, for joy? They seem to be rather important aspects of our lives and in understanding God. This is not to mention other fields of study wherein a strict rationalization would rob them of their meaning and efficacy: the humanities, the arts.

That notwithstanding, there is something better than yourself for studying God. It is, rather obviously, many “yous;” it is us. We, the Christian community, are the best instrument available to the history of the Church and all her members, is the best instrument for studying God.

This all leads me to what I think follows rather nicely from our present discourse. If theology is a prevalent field of study that has great importance for you as a Christian, and if you and I are the best means for performing this study, then several implications follow.

Firstly, we are, whether we like it or not, theologians. In fact, all people everywhere and at all times are theologians in some sense. We are all theologians in that we all engage and interact with God and formulate beliefs about Him. Even an atheistic stance is still a theological stance. But funnily enough, when you take God out of theology, you are left with just -ology, which makes just about as much sense as atheism does. Humor aside, we are all theologians, even if some of us are rather bad ones.

Secondly, I think this renders our popular and contemporary understanding of theology rather dull, boring and even no longer accurate. It is apparent to me that there is a widely-held belief that theology is not the most exciting discipline. Some of my friends and many students at APU would shrink away from doing theology. They think of it as a dry, tedious field of study entirely comprised of ancient manuscripts and Greek and Hebrew nonsense. How utterly false! If what we have seen about theology is true, if we are really the best tools to engage in this field of study, then how very exciting that must be! It means that, as Christians, we are in the business of doing theology in every aspect of our lives. It is freed from these connotations, or at the very least ought to be.

Finally, it means that there is a semantic problem with the distinction between theology and “practical theology.” Now, I want to be careful to tread lightly here. What I am not saying is that our Department of Practical Theology is in any way flawed in calling itself as such. Neither do I mean to any degree to insult or cast aspersions upon our Department of Theology.

What I do want to do, however, is perhaps correct a misconception. That misconception is namely that there is a disparity between theology and practical theology. If you have even been in a room with theologians and practical theologians, you will know that there is a marked difference in the demeanor and type of people that make up each group. Most people see theology and nonpractical theologians as being more academic and even theoretical than ‘practical’ theologians. Practical theologians, on the other hand, are generally understood to be more ministry-oriented, more involved in the outworking of theology.

I think there is a problem with this delineation. Firstly, there are the words themselves. In the strict linguistic interpretation of what it means to be a practical theologian there is the implication that “just theology” is somehow nonpractical. As we have seen this is entirely untrue. Every aspect of our lives is involved in theological study, even if we fail to acknowledge that. Additionally, there is the matter of what this distinction creates. It has the potential to create a gap between those who are involved in ministry and those who are more academically oriented. However, it is clear to me that we as Christians are to be both-and people. Academics who study theology ought to be that much more encouraged to serve and serve well. And those who are called to ministry ought to seek to think and understand deeply while serving lovingly. Both-and, not either-or.

In closing, I want to say that it is my hope that several things happen. Firstly that people realize that we are all theologians. We are all interacting with God, regardless of what it is that we think we are doing. There is not a single thing we do or think that is not in some way making us more or less like God. We always are interacting with Him and engaging in theology. It is my hope that we eliminate the distinction in our lives between practical and nonpractical theology.

Finally, it is my fervent hope that we become both-and Christians. I hope that we become pastors with Ph.D.s, missionaries with masters degrees. I hope that we become scholars who serve, theologians whose depth of knowledge is matched and exceeded by the degree to which we sacrificially give of ourselves in Christ-glorifying service. I want us — myself included — to think deeply, serve lovingly and in all of it give glory to the God who loved us so much that He sent His Son to be the end to all our sin. Jesus, the Lord, is worthy of both-and living and thinking; He is worthy of our all!

——

Mark Thomas is a junior English and economics double major from Burbank, Calif. He enjoys coffee a little too much (according to some people) and has a particular affinity for sloths. Follow the blog that he and Reed Woodyard run at www.rantifestos.org.

Authenticity: It's Value and Power

2012-04-17T13:30:00.003-07:00

Barnabas Piper wrote this. I liked it. So will you.

enjoy!

Mark

The Value of Authenticity

Written by BARNABAS PIPER

April 17, 2012, 11:04 AM

“Authenticity” was once simply a descriptive noun, but in recent years it has become a distinct value in American culture. In a reaction against the staid and stoic or the phonily polite we have begun to praise the person who wears her identity on the outside. She is free, she is expressive, she is confident, and she is “authentic” in all circumstances.

For all the increase in authenticity, though, it doesn’t seem as if people are any happier. The reason for this is because authenticity isn’t inherently pleasing. While it is always good to be one’s self and avoid phoniness, what if a person is—as people often are—unpleasant? And what if a person values authenticity but not other traits such as respect or humility? What then? Well, then we have an authentic cad. And nobody likes that.

Society values authenticity in a particularly selfish way. We value our own “authentic” (i.e., unfiltered) expressions of opinion, emotion, style, or belief, but may God have mercy on your soul if your authenticity runs afoul of mine. We value authenticity only when it is beneficial to us and gentle to our sensibilities.

Now, Christians ought to value authenticity, and it shouldn’t matter much whether it is unfiltered, unpleasant immaturity. This is not to say we should be those things or condone them, but we absolutely must accept them from others. Authentic unpleasantness is simply the way some people are—people like Jesus’ tax collector and hooker friends.

Authenticity is the gateway to relationship. If we hope to build meaningful relationships with others we must be willing to absorb all manner of unpleasant authenticity. Interacting with others as they authenticate their own sinfulness is simply grace. Being authentic in relationship is the means through which trust is built, and trust is where our representation of Christ flourishes.

The Anatomy of Holiness

2012-04-16T08:50:00.001-07:00

I found this short piece from Kevin DeYoung to be quite helpful and encouraging! I hope it is for you as well!

Mark

The Anatomy of Holiness

What exactly does it mean to be holy? What does it look like?
Here’s one to think about it: consider growth in godliness as the sanctification of your body.

The mind is filled with the knowledge of God and fixed on what is good.
The eyes turn away from sensuality and shudder at the sight of evil.
The mouth tells the truth and refuses to gossip, slander, or speak what is coarse or obscene.
The spirit is earnest, steadfast, and gentle.
The soul rests and rejoices in Jesus.
The muscles toil and strive after Christlike virtue.
The heart is full of joy instead of hopelessness, patience instead of irritability, kindness instead of anger, and humility instead of pride, thankfulness instead of envy.
The sexual organs are pure, being reserved for the privacy of marriage between one man and one woman.
The feet move toward the lowly and away from senseless conflict, divisions, and wild parties.
The hands are quick to help those in need and ready to fold in prayer.

When I lose track of what holiness is actually about, I try to scan down the body from head to toe and remember what God desires from me. And just as importantly, I need to remember who Christ is and is making me to become.

The Day the Rain Began

2012-03-18T12:47:00.001-07:00

With it being so rainy and all, I thought I would share this short post (original post here) from Kevin DeYoung. Enjoy!

Mark

The Day the Rain Began

First Things includes several poems in every issue. I liked this one (in the March 2012 issue) by Duane K. Caylor. It’s based on Genesis 7:12 and called “The Day the Rain Began.”

Today seemed just an ordinary day.
The sun rose like an irritated eye;
wives cooked rice pancakes; children went to play
at tag in dusty fields or caught frogs by
the bank of the Euphrates; while the men
took to the brick kilns, potters’ wheels, and plows;
lovers arose to make love once again;
and old men at the gate weighed claims and vows.
But now this afternoon, things have grown tense.
Anxiety as flour-fine as sand
from Aram fills our hearts as we watch dense
cloud ziggurats grow tall above the land,
and weather warnings in cuneiform
alert us of a coming thunderstorm.

What's Happening to ______?

2012-03-15T23:30:00.001-07:00

Hello again! It has been a relatively long while since I have posted. It is nice to have time to write again.

For a few weeks now I have noticed that people often make statements like "what is happening to_____ (insert some given institution or organization or group of any kind)?!" They are implying with that question that something bad is happening to whatever the given group might be. The change might be a deterioration in morals or standards, or maybe a loss of quality, or perhaps a change in structure. This is all good and well. These people are entitled to their opinions and probably usually have good reason for their exasperation.

I was intrigued to think about a particular usage of this "what's happening to _____?" phrase, however. I've found that people often talk about the United States in this way. I heard the phrase used again and again to talk about America. They'll use it when, for example, the government passes a new and controversial law. Nothing much to be found here, really. The new law/whatever it is may be unfortunate and worth expressing dissent over. What struck me, however, was the surprise that accompanied so many of these exclamations. It seemed to me as if the fact that things were getting worse or that standards were being lowered came as a surprise to many. This intrigued me because as Christians, we ought not be surprised when things go badly in this world. We ought not be surprised when governments are corrupt, when people lie, cheat and steal. We ought to be heartbroken and saddened, but not surprised.

Continue reading>>

A Busy Week

2012-03-08T10:12:00.000-08:00

This week has been mostly spent writing an extensive compare-and-contrast paper about Cornelius Van Til and CS Lewis' apologetical methods. However, worry not. More posts to come soon. The paper will be done by tomorrow and I can get some good thoughts out on here! Hope your week is going fantastically! :)

Optimism, Pessimism, and Real Realisticism

2012-03-02T10:02:00.002-08:00

Would you consider yourself an optimist or a pessimist? You've probably been asked that question before, perhaps by a friend getting to know you better or in some other instance. Another way that people might have put it to you is in the form of a hypothetical situation: do you see a glass of water as being half full or half empty?

The idea of being either optimistic or pessimistic has been on my mind recently. Maybe it is because I have heard people talking about it, or maybe it is because I have been thinking about whether or not my friends (and myself) are optimistic. Whatever the case, it has been on my mind. And after having thought about it for a bit, I think that some thoughts I had might be helpful for you, Reader.

So, I want to show you that, as Christians, we ought be be by default realistically optimistic and that that disposition is one unique to Christians. And I furthermore want to argue that the Christian metanarrative, the grand story of history, is one that compels us to be this way.

Continue reading>>

The IN of Being IN Love

2012-02-29T19:12:00.001-08:00

What does it mean to "be in love?" Now, I think it is obvious that most of us have an innate knowledge as to what this state of being generally entails. We may think of it as rapturous pleasure, noble gallantry, tender affection, or any combination of these and more. Certainly it is different than any other sort of love. We are not ever, I hope, in love with something like Pizza—"I am in love with that new pizza!" And certainly we ought not fall in love with a family member or even member of the same sex. To be clear, I am talking about the love between a man and woman that is romantic and uniquely so.

But I think very few of us examine it any further than that. Or worse yet, we create a sort of flimsy, sappy version of what we think it means to be in love. We make it to reek of soft, fluffy things that are nice to daydream about but clash with reality. We cripple its beauty, dim its glory. This has, at the very least, this has been what I have seen in my experience.

So, to the matter at hand. What does it mean to be IN love? Why is IN used? I find that to be of especial curiosity. Why not say I "I have love for So-and-so," or "We love OF each other?" Well, I will say that the accepted linguistic convention does have a nice simplicity to it. But I digress.

"Being in love" seems to, by its own nature, require that two persons are engaged in a similar state of the being. By this I mean that it seems to require two people—"I am in love WITH So-and-so." Furthermore, it describes a state of being—"I AM in love with..."

And this is the curious part: to be IN love seems to require that they be IN the midst of some state or action. But, while this clarifies things a bit, this still does not answer our question.

But God

2012-02-26T12:28:00.000-08:00

BUT GOD.

This is probably my favorite phrase in the english language. In the moments of and after that interjection lie all my hopes, dreams, comforts, and quieted fears.

[4] But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, [5] even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—[6] and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [7] so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. [8] For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9] not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

(Ephesians 2:4-9 ESV)