Christian Patriotism [Examiner.com]

Colorado will soon be celebrating our nation's birthday. And Christians will have a special reason to celebrate. Many of the Founding Fathers were Christians. And those who were not were indebted to the Christian culture.

But with the changes in the American culture since then, as seen Denver's PrideFest 2011, Christians are a minority. Our influence is minimal. And, at times, our patriotism is doubted.

Yet what is patriotism supposed to look like? Can a Christian be a patriot? [continued here]

Ex-Liberal Pleads with PCUSA

PCA minister, Brian Carpenter, has written a plea in the unofficial PCUSA magazine, The Layman Online. Pass it on to your theological liberal friends. Continue here.

This week's family-integrated church articles

This week was full of family-integrated church articles. 

For those interested in intelligent interactions on this issue I offer the following. The first is an article I hope many proponents of FICs can agree upon.

1. Uniting Church and Family  The proper relation requires the Gospel.

2. A Weed in the Church: A Review.  I may expand on this in detail.

3. Family-Integrated Church Series by Prof. Sam Waldron. Part 17 here. It is an irenic engagement.

4. Christian homeschooling conference: who is Doug Phillips? There is a lively exchange in the comment section. Unfortunately, it is not as productive as the discussion with Mr. Glick here. Many ardent supporters of this movement tend to jump the gun and assume that if you critique them then you are against parents having the primary responsibility of instructing their children. 

Colorado homsechooling convention: who is Doug Phillips?

"The upcoming Christian homeschooling conference begins this week in northern Denver.

And the topics covered in this conference include far more than the narrow issues of educating junior in the ABCs. Since the topics range from basic homeschooling issues to apologetics, economics and cultural issues, more discernment is required of the average parent.

But who has time to discover exactly what these speakers believe? What have they said that is relevant to what they will say?"

continued here.

Love of Technology

"Let me toss out the idea that, as our markets discover and respond to what consumers most want, our technology has become extremely adept at creating products that correspond to our fantasy ideal of an erotic relationship, in which the beloved object asks for nothing and gives everything, instantly, and makes us feel all powerful, and doesn’t throw terrible scenes when it’s replaced by an even sexier object and is consigned to a drawer.

To speak more generally, the ultimate goal of technology, the telos of techne, is to replace a natural world that’s indifferent to our wishes

 — a world of hurricanes and hardships and breakable hearts, a world of resistance — with a world so responsive to our wishes as to be, effectively, a mere extension of the self."

Jonathan Franzen, NYTimes, 2011

Review of A Weed in the Church

Here is my short review of A Weed in the Church, Mr. Brown's book defending family-integrated methodology.

I hope to have an extensive review later. For an analysis of family-integrated churches, here first then here.

There is no Richard Dawkins

New Rejoinder to recent Family Integrated Church comments

The original article, What is a Family Integrated Church?, garnered over 80 comments. 

Thus I thought it wise to write another article handling some of the issues brought up. It is published here. 

Family Integrated Church Dialogue

According to some proponents of family integrated churches, there has been little dialogue and much confusion. Well, in one corner of cyberspace, there is an intelligent interchange between a critic and a defender, here.

It is between the author of the article and a part-time worker and one-time intern at NCFIC and current member of a church plant under Mr. Brown's oversight (he also brought the article to Mr. Brown's attention).

Of note is the fact that the young defender carefully read the article and concluded: "So, in answer to your question, overall, the description was accurate and I greatly appreciate all the references. Some have slammed us and not even attempted to prove that it was so."

There are almost 80 comments overall, but another article, Lord willing, will be published summarizing the salient issues thus far.

May the Lord bring better clarity to those involved in this discussion.

America unites in Osama's death

Osama Bin Laden is dead.

And citizens of America, from Denver to Boston, rich and poor, liberal and conservative, discarded their moral differences and united. Celebrating and rejoicing with each other, Coloradoans welcomed the news, especially the politicians.

Senator Michael Bennet announced: "The architect of this attack was killed thanks to the competent and courageous efforts of American forces."

Likewise, Rep. Ed Perlmutter, declared: "This is a moment of justice. The United States took out an enormous threat to the safety and security of our country."

This is a moment of justice. And a sober moment for self-examination: why is everyone suddenly in favor of the death penalty?

Because when push comes to shove, those who reject God's law still must live by that law.

But now, the moral relativists and liberals welcome the death of a fellow human being! The irony is palpable.

Osama Bin Laden is dead.

And so is moral relativism--at least for now.

The Family Integrated Church

"Is your Christian education based upon evolutionary and secular thinking? It is if your church practices the usual age-segregated Sunday school according to a new church movement...."  

continued here.

Meyers, FV and the Missouri Presbytery

The latest decision concerning the complaint against the exoneration of Jeffrey Meyers is posted at Wes White's blog, here.

The Thorn: reasons not to attend this play

"Many Denver area churches are following some traditions of the high Middle Ages.

With a plethora of "passion plays" slated for this Easter, these churches are imitating their Roman Catholic counterparts. And this year one play stands out: The Thorn.

This Colorado-based production is described as an "extraordinary passion play-meets-Cirque-du-Soleil event" (Denver United). It was a local play originating at New Life church in Colorado Springs. And it is slated to play in Denver at the Magness Arena on April 22-23.

And I will not be there..."

[continued here]

A Review of Peter Enns’ Bible Curriculum [Wes White]

"...Further concern was raised over the fact that the publisher, Olive Branch Books, is part of Peace Hill Press which is directed by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise. Susan Wise Bauer is well-known and well-respected within the homeschooling community for her history series, The Story of the World, and book, The Well-Trained Mind. Olive Branch Books has released a statement in which it begs parents to read the curriculum for themselves instead of relying on secondhand accounts.

So, that is what I’ve done. I received my copy of the parents’ guide to Telling God’s Story, and I have now finished reading it. I also read Dr. Enns’ book, Inspiration and Incarnation, to help me understand his views..." [continued here]

Friday Funnies: Two-Fisted Pastor

 He's here to enforce the law!

Eritrea rejects UN aid

Fox news reported on the reasons why one of Africa's poorest nations is refusing most UN aid.

What does "The Institutional Church" mean? A Response

A fellow Christian blogger, Arthur Sido, has problems with the "institutional church." And he has graciously responded to my inquiry about his definition of the "institutional church" (over at pastor White's blog). This post is my humble attempt to better understand his concerns.

I suspect Arthur is unaware that his article is chockablock with assumptions and stereotypes. At least, it comes across that way to a reader (like me) who is not aware of his background and beliefs. So, I found his "what I believe" and read it. It, too, was chockablock with assumptions and stereotypes--or perhaps a language of description that I find unclear.

Even so, perhaps this dialogue will help express what is implied and draw both parties to more faithfulness to Christ.

First of all, he provides a tentative definition: "The institutional church, at its most fundamental, is the most visible and culturally recognizable manifestation of organized religion that finds its primary definition and purpose in the weekly Sunday morning meeting."

I find the phrase "the most visible and culturally recognizable manifestation" most curious. I take it he is allowing for other "visible and culturally recognizable" manifestations of "organized religion" besides Sunday worship. If so (say daily fellowship), then why can these other visible manifestations not be fundamental to an institutional church?

The definition then climaxes with a questionable assertion: the institutional church's "primary definition and purpose [is] in the weekly Sunday morning meeting."

Now Mr. Sido may define things and words any way he wishes. Of course, communication becomes quite hard if this ability goes unchecked. In this case, the definition simply misses its mark: if he wishes to mark all non-organic church organizations, such as, say, all Reformed churches, as "institutional churches," then he needs another definition.

The Reformed churches do not define the institutional church's primary mission, action or goal as the "Sunday morning meeting." The institutional church is but a part of the whole idea of the church visible.

To take only the Westminster definition of the church visible: "The visible church, which is also catholic or universal under the gospel (not confined to one nation, as before under the law), consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion; and of their children..." (WCF 25.2).

In fact, the visibility of the church is not confined to Sunday worship: "God is to be worshiped everywhere, in spirit and truth; as, in private families daily, and in secret, each one by himself; so, more solemnly in the public assemblies..." (WCF 21.6)

At the end of the day, I think Mr. Sido has something more specific in mind than the opening definition. He writes:

"Furthermore, the Protestant/Evangelical institutional church is by and large a modification of the Roman Catholic institutional church. The theology is radically different but the practices remain much the same: a formal and rigidly scheduled weekly gathering, mute observance by most of the church during that gathering, a ritualistic observance of the Lord’s Supper, a clerical class that is distinguished from the laity by extra-Biblical educational standards and that derives its financial support from the offerings of that same laity, and finally a focus on performance instead of mutual edification."

Now, since the opening definition does not work to identify Reformed churches, does this more extensive definition work better? It is closer if only because it clearly brings to the fore traditional anabaptistic arguments against certain elements of institutional churches--elements not necessary for any and all institutional churches. One can have an institutional church without financial support or ritualistic observance, for instance.

But then this all turns on how institutional, ritual, etc. are defined. The pejorative use of the words ritualistic, rigidity and formal all hinge on an understanding of what is proper worship. I do not know Mr. Sido's ideas about worship so it is hard to exactly evaluate.

If he believes that the Lord's Supper could involve cool-aid and cheez-its while people eat and wander about in their pajamas, then anything short of that could be labeled ritualistic, rigid and formal!

But there are more clues that some other idea of institutional church is at play here:

"Many of these institutional churches meet each week, go through the religious rituals and pay their bills but accomplish little else...In fact, the best measure of the spiritual state of someone is what happens outside of the church meeting. It is ironic that in the one place that Western culture agrees is “the church” is the same place that you are least likely to see the church functioning as it should."

I strongly suspect that our author is critiquing Christians that "play church." They come to church on Sunday, follow the motions, smile politely and pay their tithe and so feel good about themselves while accomplishing little for God's kingdom during the week. To that I say amen!

If that is his driving concern, then the institutional church is not the problem. The external form is rarely ever the root problem rather it is the internal problem of sin. If Mr. Sido concedes that organic churches can also "go through the motions" then he concedes the whole case and must critique the church organized (institution) upon different grounds.

His opening definition is insufficient to mark all my test-cases, Reformed churches, as institutional churches in the pejorative sense. His paragraph-long descriptive, on the other hand, seems to fit depending on what view of worship he believes. And if his true goal is to denounce superficial Christianity then we may well be closer in thought than either of us realized.

US interest, Libya and the Bible

He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a dog by the ears.

Proverbs 26:17

CIA analyst questions involvement in Libya

NPR dabacle: does this surprise anyone?

The Washington Times reported more on the undercover tapes. This time quoting the co-worker with Mr. Schiller, Betsy Liley.

But seriously folks...whose mind will be changed but such revelation? Perhaps a number of average Americans. But those with influence to cut NPR funding, will they understand the bias here? Not just the science angle but the birther movement (with its own problems) is silenced by NPR.

If it's about the "debate" (like climate change) why not cover it? It would be a very large debate! The why is unknown. But the fact is known.