deliberate musings

Here’s an excellent and hard-hitting blog post especially for us who are young and serious about our church/theology. Even if you’re not fully in the same stream (I’m not a perfect fit) as Kevin DeYoung, it should still hit the bulls-eye.

There are two ironclad rules of Gen XYZ Americans: (1) They like to be trendy, (2) but only until everyone knows what they’re into is trendy. We want to be like everyone else but, at the same time, different. So we gravitate to whatever people are into as long as it doesn’t feel like everyone else is into it.

I believe God is at work in the under-40 generation, doing something doctrinally, ecclesiologically, and doxologically healthy among many youngish Christians. Further, I believe this work of God is being mediated through a remarkable network of like-minded pastors, preachers, and scholars. I don’t know when there have been so many folks, often friends, saying and writing more or less the same things about the gospel, the atonement, the Scriptures, the glory of God, the doctrines of grace, the centrality of the church, the importance of preaching, the roles of men and women, and on and on it goes. We are blessed with an inordinate and growing number of good teachers, good books, good blogs, and good conferences … But allegiance to our favorite conference or preferred tribe must always always be a means to further our allegiance to Christ. He must never be a means for recruiting more people to our tradition. The spotlight is always on the glory of God in the face of Christ.
So let’s be Christ-seekers, not trend-chasers.

Read the whole post by clicking here.

Eddie Vedder – Rise

I’ve been reading the book pictured above by Michael Wittmer, a professor at GRTS (I actually sat in on one of his classes when I did a visit). I’m only a few chapters in, but I’m am really liking it because of the thoughtful balance and charity given to those Wittmer disagrees with. I’m finding his writing is funny and sensitive to the dispositions and critiques that he encounters from varying perspectives. I am so far encouraged by how the author wrestles with the extremes in liberal and conservative expressions of the church; how they’re lacking to be either faithful to scripture or relevant to culture.

I’ve found that there are many movers and shakers that are good at just one angle of what I’m talkin’ bout (Willis), as if it was a matter of an ‘either/or’ question. I argue that it is instead a ‘both/and’ question, and too few strike that balance. So far, it seems I identify with Wittmer, who presents himself as a (basically) postmodern but yet (basically) theologically conservative voice; as a matter of fact, those that I rub shoulders with at Riv have a credo of being faithful to scripture AND culturally fluid at the same time…so it feels like we may swimming in a similar stream.

Everclear – This Land Is Your Land

I’ve been waiting to get some free time to buy & read They Like Jesus But Not the Church, by Dan Kimball…thus, I found this trailer intriguing:

I liked this article: Christianity Today – “Tony Jones and Collin Hansen find connections…discuss each other’s…movements.” Both of the movements, Emergent (Not necessarily “Emerging”, which could include both camps) and Reformed have been growing. I’ve been both intrigued and turned off more times than I can count by the happenings of the ‘church’ that is emerging.

Some highlights:

“An American Christian today is beset by globalization, pluralism, and postmodernism (three terms that I use interchangeably). In other words, the world is a confusing mess. I think that conservative, evangelical, Reformed theology offers sure answers spoken in tones of certainty by authority figures. Emergent Christianity, for better and worse, offers more ambiguous answers (and even more questions!) in tones of less certainty — but, hopefully, at least with what Lesslie Newbigin called “proper confidence.”

- For my two cents, Emergents tend to be aloof with some key areas of doctrine (hell, exclusivity…it seems possible that there is some heresy in the mix, not that there isn’t in mainline denominations and so on…), and are sometimes unwilling to speak up/silent about the pastoral mandate of defending doctrine. Hansen asks a great question, “How do we practice this biblical mandate to promote sound doctrine in a postmodern era?” It would also be nice to hear more of a 1 Corinthians 15 Gospel, clearly articulating what it is and isn’t. And, I think in some cases too, there is an over-reaction to modern epistemology, and a fear of offending liberal intuitions.

To offer a criticism for the ‘other side’; I see a quickness to quarrel, be combative, and vilify – ready to make straw-man arguments, or take someone’s quote out of context. Hansen said, “Theology that only makes you argue is a theology not worth arguing.” And Jones points out,

“Reformed theologians have earned a reputation for picking each other apart but not applying their theology. Hopefully the young Calvinists will heed this critique and further explore how the doctrines of grace foster a biblical mix of conviction and humility.”

Also, I do think some tend to take their modern epistemology too seriously, not really understanding post-modernity, and thus thinking epistemic humility sets the stage for a rejection of orthodoxy. It also seems that some very theologically conservative types seem angered at curiosity and ‘conversation’, and jump too quickly and too often from scripture to systematic categories, robbing God of His rightful mystery. I love that Hansen quotes J.I. Packer,

“The desire to oversimplify the Bible by cutting out the mysteries is natural to our perverse minds, and it is not surprising that even good men should fall victim to it.”

In short, I’ve read books, blogs, and heard many unfairly blast the ‘other side’. So, I appreciate the dialog between Jones & Hansen. I think that when there are real concerns, questions, objections, and so on, it is crucial not to simply speculate or project fear or stereotypes on others. This way, whether you accept or reject something, you will in fact be dealing with the merits of the issue/movement/person/whatever and carry credibility when persuading others about your conclusions.

1 Thessalonians 5: 21

As I understand, the past 10+ years has brought many changes in churches in North America and the UK; people re-thinking everything from practices, styles, and even theology…in response to the turn towards a postmodern epistemology/worldview.

This Emerging Church chart was put together by Michael Patton, who does the Reclaiming The Mind podcast. (Clicking around these sites will help explain terms like ‘emerging’, ‘emergent’, ‘postmodern epistemology’…or just use wikipedia) Though I do think the chart can give some insight, I have a few beefs and questions: 

B – It’s a very un-emerging assessment because it’s a modern/visual representation of something abstract.

B – Liberals go on the left and conservatives on the right, duh. 

B – Additionally, definitions can be tricky, ‘emergers’ (not ‘emergents’) can be all over the place – it’s not a uniform group, doctrine and practice very greatly.  

B/Q – Can and how do we really assess the center? Does that imply someone’s correct or common, or both? (If someone agrees with the guys under the ‘Emerging’ category, is he or she almost a heretic?)

Q – Hasn’t the church always been emerging from something, or did it start in a vacuum?

Q – What do you think about the chart & the topic?

…I found some interesting thoughts on this on Jesus Creed.