A Morning Prayer – June 30, 2008

Jesus. Help us to love you. How often we say – ‘we love you’ – with no thought to what that means. It is so easy to say those words. Yet, were it not for your love for me it would be ridiculous to make such a claim. If I cannot love my wife properly – if I cannot love my children, my friends, a stranger, or my enemy – then how should I think that I can love you? To love your perfection. To adore your holiness. To extol your beauty. To worship your sovereignty. I should not love these, but hate them. I should hate your perfection because your perfection brings light to all my failures, your holiness reveals my wretchedness, your beauty unveils my ugly, your sovereignty magnifies my impotence. Who would want such a friend? Who could feel at home before your throne? I cannot say, “I love you, Lord.” Except that you first love me. I have too much pride, arrogance, anger, and unforgiveness. I cannot say, “I love you” – lest you, by your mercy, move upon my wretched soul.

GravesEnd Podcast #3 – Playtime and Christian Mission

In an age when Evangelicalism has identified “fun” as, at best, nothing more than a respite from Christian Mission, Tim and Justin explore the relationship between the Kingdom of Christ and the pursuit of fun; not as simply a respite from Christian Mission, but as an activity that is woven into the Christian’s call to live as a Kingdom Citizen.

“Surprised by Hope” – N.T. Wright

For a healthy, reformed view of the “New Heavens and New Earth”, I would recommend “Surprised by Hope” by N.T. Wright. I’m reading it now and, boy, it’s so good.  Our theology of heaven is often confused with Greek mythology along with a plethora of gnostic ideas that we get from ‘Left Behind’ and other such popular works.  Wright is a little tricky on some of his theological views (like justification and his interpretation of Paul), but by and large you won’t find any of that in “Surprised by Hope.”   The book basically outlines for us a demythologized version of heaven that’s rooted in Biblical exegesis, and a robust, covenantal, eschatalogical view.  I recommend it highly.

Greatest NFL Players – Jersey #’s: 1-25

Here are what I consider to be the top 100 players in NFL History according to their particular jersey numbers. I’m going to do this in four different posts in groups of 25. I will have a picture of the jersey that I feel is the best player in each group. I know you are bound to take issue with these. That’s fine. Let me know what you think. Here are the first 25:

Favorite Lewis Quote #12 – Seekers

“‘You would not have called to me unless I had been calling to you’, said the Lion.” – The Silver Chair

The Evangelical church, especially of late, loves to use the term “seekers” when referring to those particular unbelievers who are interested in hearing about Christianity. Willow Creek and Emergent churches alike, love the terms: “Seeker Driven Worship”, “Seeker Sensitive Ministry”, “Seeker Friendly”, “Open to Seekers”. It sounds cool. I like the feel of it personally. I would love to believe that people are seeking – “We’re just seeking a church,bro…seeking the truth…just seeking in the hopes that someone will tell us what we long to hear.

The Idol of Christian Impact and Football

In my former post “C.S. Lewis and a theology of Christian Hope“, I had a pretty good comment exchange with my good friend DonBob. DB’s prodding helped me to develop some further thoughts along these lines that I felt were worth posting.

One of my primary intentions here at Sacrosanct Gospel is to attempt to clear away thoughts and ideas that often cloud or adulterate the Gospel of Jesus. I don’t suppose for a moment that I have a corner on this market so I look to friends, authors, thinkers, and theologians to help me along the road. John Piper, Tim Keller, Eugene Peterson and Mark Driscoll are some of my biggest allies in this regard. I also read a few dead guys like Edwards, Calvin, and Lewis. However, as I observe our modern evangelical cultural trends, it seems that some of those who currently defend the Gospel most heartily – namely Piper, Driscoll, and Macarthur – often get a little too zealous in their collective emphasis on missiology.

C.S. Lewis said, and I quote…

In keeping with my former post on why I love C.S. Lewis, here are a few of my favorite Lewis-isms.

12. “‘You would not have called to me unless I had been calling to you’, said the Lion.”

11. “In a circle of true Friends each man is simply what he is: stands for nothing but himself. No one cares twopence about any one else’s family, profession, class, income, race, or previous history…That is the kingliness of Friendship.We meet like sovereign princes of independent states, abroad, on neutral ground, freed from our contexts.”

C.S. Lewis and a theology of Christian Hope

I love C.S. Lewis. I can’t help it. About 20 years ago I read “Mere Christianity” and “Until we have Faces” and right then and there, I was hooked. The thing that I find most appealing about Lewis is the way he approaches life and spirituality. He loved to read, loved to teach, loved to debate, loved to think, and loved to study…but he also loved to imagine, loved a good story, loved to have beer with friends, loved to laugh, and loved to enjoy life. In short, Lewis saw work and play as simultaneous expressions of worship given to God. I have read very few authors, and met even fewer people, who keep as firm a grasp on this as Lewis. I am recently reading Jonathan Edwards and as I work through the material, I can’t help but wondering, “When did this guy ever lighten up?”

1958 NFL Championship Game

As a follow up to my previous post, I’m including a video from another blog I discovered. I was unaware that a new book – “The Best Game Ever” – has recently been released that defends the idea that the 1958 Championship is the best game ever. Take a look at author Mark Bowden as he recounts the televised matchup and its effects on the nation. I’m so glad to hear that my choice has been validated.

Click Here to watch the video

Top 30 NFL Games of All Time – Modern Era

I am an insatiable NFL fan. When I was twenty-one years old and I first started sensing a call into Christian ministry, my greatest concern was that I might have to miss NFL games. I am so thankful that God called me to minister in a Presbyterian Church where there are no Sunday Evening Services. In the fall, after a wonderful morning of worship, there is no greater feeling for me than to buy a bucket of fried chicken, pop a couple of cold ones, and kick back in front of my big screen to watch the greatest sport on the face of the planet. Jonathan Edwards and Calvin, being pretty serious guys, would probably disapprove. But I don’t hold it against them.

Tim Keller Resources – by Reformissionary

Sometimes I have found it difficult to find resources from one of my favorite pastors and theologians, Tim Keller. Keller is Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan New York. In my opinion, Keller is one of the most balanced Gospel believing Pastor/Leader/Prophets of our day. He has done excellent work in church growth and church reproduction, with a very unique perspective in how to reach and speak the language of 20-30 somethings, and secular intellectuals. However, Keller is not widely published, so it is difficult to find suitable resources for some of us guys who could really benefit from his knowledge. Well, a few months ago I stumbled onto a blog called “Reformissionary” – written by Steve McCoy. McCoy’s blog has a wonderful section dedicated to Tim Keller. Really great stuff.

Check it out by clicking here.

The Love of Christ and our Enemies – Matthew 5:38-44

It’s dangerous to read the Bible. Even more dangerous to believe it. In fact, if you are the kind of Christian who wants to stay nice and safe, then I would recommend reading something else. The Bible isn’t safe and is often terribly discomforting. Recently, I have been renewing myself in reading the Scriptures in a devotional way and as I’ve been doing this, I’ve been struck by the commands of Christ regarding love. As I study scripture and grapple with the call to love – not only the call to love God, my family and friends, but to love my enemies as well – I am overwhelmed. First of all, let’s just admit that It is difficult to understand the Love of Christ. It is ridiculously unfathomable and I am convinced that even if we did understand it, we could not begin to actually show the Love of Christ without the Holy Spirit working in us.

“Himself” – a hymn by A.B. Simpson

Albert Benjamin Simpson (1843-1919) the founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance was a leader of the church during his day. He wrote a beautiful hymn called “Himself” that is absolutely stunning in its clear emphasis upon dependence on Christ. In the sermon that preceded this hymn, Simpson writes…

“(I once thought) that the Lord would take me like the old run-down clock, wind me up, and set me going like a machine. It is not thus at all. I found it was Himself coming in instead and giving me what I needed at the moment. I wanted to have a great stock, so that I could feel rich; a great store laid up for many years, so that I would not be dependent upon Him the next day; but He never gave me such a store.