Convictions & Affections

N.T. Wright the Musician

Jeff Lash — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:13:44 +0000

N.T. Wright is a man of many talents. He is a bishop, scholar, and prolific author. It also seems that he is a pretty decent musician. Wright put his musical ability and love for Bob Dylan songs on display at a recent visit to The Rabbit Room.

I Don’t Know

Jeff Lash — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:28:08 +0000

Ray Van Neste posted a nice reminder for pastors about being willing to admit ignorance when asked a question they don’t know. It is only natural for a pastor to feel the pressure to come up with an answer for every question and scenario. They are charged with a tremendous responsibility to care for and protect a local body of believers. They are shepherds and stewards of God’s church. They spend several years studying at seminary and training in internships in order to help nurture believers in their faith and answer their questions along the way. Yet pastors are still human beings. Even with advanced education, there are still many things that they do not know. And that is ok. We should give them the benefit of the doubt and trust that they will do everything possible to answer our questions and care for our souls. If we do not believe this to be the case then we should not be members of the churches where we worship.

So pastors…be honest enough to admit ignorance in any moment and diligent enough to seek out the answers which presently elude you. And church members…give your pastors enough space to be honest about their ignorance and enough trust to know that they will do everything possible to help you work through your tough questions.

The Word 5.13.12

Jeff Lash — Sun, 13 May 2012 13:00:45 +0000

Rejoice…for God is mighty to save. He rescues us from our sin and holds us up until the return of the King.

Psalm 21 (ESV)

1 O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices,
and in your salvation how greatly he exults!
²You have given him his heart’s desire
and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
³For you meet him with rich blessings;
you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.
⁴He asked life of you; you gave it to him,
length of days forever and ever.
⁵His glory is great through your salvation;
splendor and majesty you bestow on him.
⁶For you make him most blessed forever;
you make him glad with the joy of your presence.
⁷For the king trusts in the Lord,
and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.

⁸Your hand will find out all your enemies;
your right hand will find out those who hate you.
⁹You will make them as a blazing oven
when you appear.
The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath,
and fire will consume them.
¹⁰You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
and their offspring from among the children of man.
¹¹Though they plan evil against you,
though they devise mischief, they will not succeed.
¹²For you will put them to flight;
you will aim at their faces with your bows.

¹³Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength!
We will sing and praise your power.

A New Band and Its Name

Jeff Lash — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 03:29:22 +0000

It has been about six years since I stopped chasing the music dream. It was hard to walk away from six plus years of music but it happened at the perfect time. Annie and I got married less than a year later and began our journey together. Who would have guessed that it would include a return to music in some form.

So here it is…Annie and I started writing a few songs together a couple of months ago. We have gotten a few opportunities to share those songs and have really enjoyed playing together. So we have decided to start a musical side project. However, we need a good band name for this project. That’s where you come in. We have a few ideas and need your help picking one. You can cast your vote below. There is an option to submit your own idea for our name so don’t be shy. Let the voting begin…

Take Our Poll

The Word 3.18.12

Jeff Lash — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 02:20:01 +0000

Psalm 19 (ESV)

1 The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
²Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
³There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
⁴Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
⁵which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
⁶Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

⁷The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;
⁸the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
⁹the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true,
and righteous altogether.
¹⁰More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
¹¹Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

¹²Who can discern his errors?
Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
¹³Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Jerram Barrs on Harry Potter

Jeff Lash — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 16:07:46 +0000

Jerram Barrs talks about his love for the Harry Potter books and the allusions to Christ found within them. Barrs is the professor of Christian Studies and Contemporary Culture at Covenant Theological Seminary and Resident Scholar of the Francis A. Schaeffer Institute.

The Word 11.6.11

Jeff Lash — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 03:13:46 +0000

Let the Lord be your salvation on this day and all others.

Psalm 43 (ESV)

¹ Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
against an ungodly people,
from the deceitful and unjust man
deliver me!
²For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
why have you rejected me?
Why do I go about mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?

³ Send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling!
⁴Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God.

⁵ Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.

Sale on Two New Marriage Books

Jeff Lash — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 04:26:09 +0000

Westminster Bookstore has two new books on marriage at a steep discount until next Tuesday (11/8). The first book is Tim Keller’s new book, co-written with his wife Kathy, called The Meaning of Marriage. Westminster has it on sale for $14.25 which is 45% off the regular price. The second book, written by Tim Chester, is called Gospel-Centered Marriage. You can get your hands on that one for the ridiculously low price of $2.99 (75% off). Place your order soon before the sale ends.

A Personal Confession on Humanity Before the Fall

Jeff Lash — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:34:24 +0000

When we think of human beings, it is natural to begin with the way things exist currently. Human beings are flawed and broken. We see this born out in our everyday experiences. However, it has not always been this way. In the beginning, God created humanity in perfection. The imperfections and brokenness that we experience now did not exist then. So what were human beings like prior to the Fall? With little data to work with, we will need to venture into the theological realm where conclusions can be inferred from Scripture. So here is my attempt to do so…

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I believe that God made humanity in his own image. In need of nothing, God created human beings for the splendor and revelation of his own glory. He intended for them to glorify Him by means of their image as well as their actions. God fashioned them as the works of his hands and gave them physical bodies, formed from the dust of the earth. He made them living beings by breathing life into their bodies. He created them male and female and declared them to be good. God created humanity to live forever without pain or suffering.

I believe that God created the first human beings perfect by nature from the very beginning. He gave them a will and the freedom to exercise it in order to make moral decisions. By virtue of their holiness and righteousness, human beings made choices that were perfectly aligned with the will of God. They worshipped God alone and honored his name.They loved one another and put aside their own desires in order to express it. In this way, God brought divine command and natural law into unity with humanity’s creation. Every person had the ability and desire to do what God commanded.

I believe that God made human beings for relationship. Humanity received this trait from God, who exists in a perfect union of triune community. As a result, men and women reflect the image of God through loving relationships. Since God created human beings, they can only find the basis for their humanity in a right relationship with Him. Natural human beings experienced unbroken and unmediated relationship with the Creator based on perfect obedience to his will. Human beings were also made for relationship with one another. Woman was created for man out of the need to complete the fullness of humanity. They were bound together in marriage by a perfect union of love devoid of abuse or unfaithfulness. Additionally, humanity lived in perfect community. They lived among each other without hatred, malice, lust, and covetousness. They selflessly took care of each other’s needs in a spirit of generosity.

I believe that God made humanity for the earth and the earth for humanity. God blessed human beings with the ability to bear children and called them to be fruitful by filling the earth with more of their existence. He gave the other living creatures of the earth the same calling, and thus he connected our existence to the existence of the world. God established human beings as stewards over the earth from which they were created. As governors, they ruled it with wisdom, love, and justice according to the will of God. As caretakers, they worked the ground in joy and fruitfulness. God consecrated the seventh day of the week as a holy day of rest to commemorate his work in creation. Therefore, humanity enjoyed a divinely-inspired rhythm to life by working six days and resting on the seventh. In doing so, they honored God by remembering all that he had done, celebrating his work, and representing his rest on earth.

I believe that God gave humanity a glory that is unmatched in all of the created order. Human beings are the only creatures to be endowed with the image of the Creator. As image bearers, God made them representatives of His kingdom on earth. As the pinnacle of his perfect creation, humanity made God known through their flawless decisions and actions. Their stewardship of the earth was a mirror image of the care and concern that God has for his people. Humanity was given a day of rest as an expression of God’s desire for intimate communion with them. God’s glory was manifest with clarity and beauty through the creation of humanity. All of these things were God’s desire for man from the beginning.

Happy Reformation Day

Jeff Lash — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 02:54:59 +0000

In honor of Reformation Day, here is a clip from one of my favorite movies and an interview with Dr. Michael Haykin on Luther’s 95 Theses. And in the spirit of the Reformation, may we always be reforming.

And for my pumpkin carving enthusiasts…