Wednesday, November 22, 2006
THE FOUNTAIN
See this movie. It's absolutely beautiful. Artistically, it's stunning. The score is amazing. It will make your head spin.
It tackles issues like death, human spirituality, love, and more through 3 parallel stories about a man who seeks immortality. It's very thought provoking. I would highly recommend it.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
LICENSE
As of last night, I am officially licensed for the ministry. I can now marry you or bury you in a legal manner. Whichever you like. So, here's a minister for hire. Any takers?
On a related note, I am no longer the Interim Minister of Students at Western Heights Baptist Church, I am simply the Minister of Students. Pretty exciting, I know. It's still part-time, but I feel like I have some more ownership in my job now. Let's see what happens...
On a related note, I am no longer the Interim Minister of Students at Western Heights Baptist Church, I am simply the Minister of Students. Pretty exciting, I know. It's still part-time, but I feel like I have some more ownership in my job now. Let's see what happens...
Monday, November 13, 2006
THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE
Last night at our youth worship service we were talking about salvation. Specifically, what does God save us from, and how are we saved? And, of course, the ever-pressing question(s) was brought up: If God is so good, then why can Jesus be the only way to God? What happens to people who are brought up Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, or whatever else? It's not really fair for a good God to send people to Hell when they were trying to live the best life they knew how based on the faith they grew up with. Why is Christianity so narrow-minded, and why is it that we think that only we have it all right?
I told my group that throughout church history, there have been four basic responses to this question. We went thirty minutes over talking about it.
1. The conservative view. This is the view that most conservative protestants take based on John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, for no one comes to the father but by me." There is no other way to God but by Jesus Christ, end of story. This view is consistent with the New Testament, but it doesn't seem to do justice to God's grace. If one takes this view, there are many problems that come with it - as illustrated above.
2. The Catholic view. This view was adopted by the Catholic Church at Vatican II in the 1950's. Under this understanding, God offers grace and salvation to those who couldn't know Christ based on their circumstances, yet lived a life worthy of the gospel. The problem with this view is that the New Testament writers don't address the question, so it is not completely based in scripture, but rather in tradition and the doctrine of God's grace. It does, however, promote God's goodness.
3. Pluralism. This is the idea that all religions, in their own way, lead to God. In other words, Jesus is one of many ways to get to God. The good thing about this view is that it takes away the problem addressed above. There is no issue if Jesus is merely one of many ways to the Father. Everybody's happy, now. The problem is that it has no basis in scripture whatsoever. It denies the authority of Christ's teaching in the New Testament.
4. Universalism. This is the idea that everyone will be saved through Christ at the end of time. Christ's atoning sacrifice is a sacrifice for all people. This idea is based in the New Testament, but it is a very liberal and unorthodox interpretation. It testifies to God's grace, but it completely diminishes God's justice. Universalism, along with pluralism, would be considered heresy by most Christians.
If I have to make a decision, I would probably take the Catholic view. But that's only if I have to decide. I just think it's a bad question to ask. The bottom line is that there's no way we can know. We can either take what we think is most consistent with scripture or what best fits our ideas of God. Either way, we're standing on shaky ground. Yes, I believe in the infallibility of scripture, but people's interpretations of scripture vary to extreme ends. If we're confronted with this kind of question, we should offer our best explanation, but in humility, because we can't know. We're not God.
I would say, rather, that we shouldn't focus on this kind of question. We should focus on our own commitment to Christ. We should live for God and love people, regardless of what religion they are. Nor should we mindlessly try to 'convert' peoples of other faiths because of our interpretation of John 14:6. This kind of attitude is offensive and ineffective. Rather, we should show people what it means to follow Christ. If they accept it as their own faith, then great! If not, it's not our job to convince them that they're wrong based on theological presuppositions.
The best interpretation of John 14:6 that I've heard is from Rob Bell in Velvet Elvis...
I told my group that throughout church history, there have been four basic responses to this question. We went thirty minutes over talking about it.
1. The conservative view. This is the view that most conservative protestants take based on John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, for no one comes to the father but by me." There is no other way to God but by Jesus Christ, end of story. This view is consistent with the New Testament, but it doesn't seem to do justice to God's grace. If one takes this view, there are many problems that come with it - as illustrated above.
2. The Catholic view. This view was adopted by the Catholic Church at Vatican II in the 1950's. Under this understanding, God offers grace and salvation to those who couldn't know Christ based on their circumstances, yet lived a life worthy of the gospel. The problem with this view is that the New Testament writers don't address the question, so it is not completely based in scripture, but rather in tradition and the doctrine of God's grace. It does, however, promote God's goodness.
3. Pluralism. This is the idea that all religions, in their own way, lead to God. In other words, Jesus is one of many ways to get to God. The good thing about this view is that it takes away the problem addressed above. There is no issue if Jesus is merely one of many ways to the Father. Everybody's happy, now. The problem is that it has no basis in scripture whatsoever. It denies the authority of Christ's teaching in the New Testament.
4. Universalism. This is the idea that everyone will be saved through Christ at the end of time. Christ's atoning sacrifice is a sacrifice for all people. This idea is based in the New Testament, but it is a very liberal and unorthodox interpretation. It testifies to God's grace, but it completely diminishes God's justice. Universalism, along with pluralism, would be considered heresy by most Christians.
If I have to make a decision, I would probably take the Catholic view. But that's only if I have to decide. I just think it's a bad question to ask. The bottom line is that there's no way we can know. We can either take what we think is most consistent with scripture or what best fits our ideas of God. Either way, we're standing on shaky ground. Yes, I believe in the infallibility of scripture, but people's interpretations of scripture vary to extreme ends. If we're confronted with this kind of question, we should offer our best explanation, but in humility, because we can't know. We're not God.
I would say, rather, that we shouldn't focus on this kind of question. We should focus on our own commitment to Christ. We should live for God and love people, regardless of what religion they are. Nor should we mindlessly try to 'convert' peoples of other faiths because of our interpretation of John 14:6. This kind of attitude is offensive and ineffective. Rather, we should show people what it means to follow Christ. If they accept it as their own faith, then great! If not, it's not our job to convince them that they're wrong based on theological presuppositions.
The best interpretation of John 14:6 that I've heard is from Rob Bell in Velvet Elvis...
... Jesus' teachings aren't to be followed because they are a nice way to live a moral life. They are to be followed because they are the best possible insight into how the world really works. They teach us how things are.
I don't follow Jesus because I think Christianity is the best religion. I follow Jesus because he leads me into ultimate reality. He teaches me to live in tune with how reality is. When Jesus said, "No one comes to the father except through me," he was saying that his way, his words, his life is our connection to how things truly are at the deepest levels of existence. For Jesus then, the point of religion is to help us connect with ultimate reality, God. I love the way Paul puts it in the book of Colossians: These religious acts and rituals are shadows of the reality. "The reality... is found in Christ." p. 83
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
HAVING A VISION
Today, the pastor of Harris Creek Baptist Church spoke in our leadership class about having a vision. Ministers should have a personal vision, and that personal vision should inspire them to lead churches to have their own vision for themselves and for the community. This is something I've been trying to tackle this sememster. What is God's purpose for me? What is my vision for life? Yeah, I'm supposed to follow Christ. I got that. But what exactly does that entail? What must I pursue? What am I passionate about? What kind of ministries do I want to be involved in? More answers lead to more questions.
It's so easy to get stuck in the day to day ruts of life. If you don't have a vision, then how can you live with daily goals? I'll be praying about this kind of stuff now and in the near future.
P.S.
I'm usually not one to brag, but I got a 98 on my Intro. to Theology test. Woot Woot.
It's so easy to get stuck in the day to day ruts of life. If you don't have a vision, then how can you live with daily goals? I'll be praying about this kind of stuff now and in the near future.
P.S.
I'm usually not one to brag, but I got a 98 on my Intro. to Theology test. Woot Woot.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
VOTE OR DIE
I didn't vote. Does that make me a bad person or just a bad citizen?
Excuse number one: I procrastinated and didn't get my voter registration card in on time.
Excuse number two: There wasn't anybody I really wanted to vote for. It would have been, for me, a game of pick your poison that I didn't want to play.
Excuse number three: I'm a bad citizen.
Excuse number one: I procrastinated and didn't get my voter registration card in on time.
Excuse number two: There wasn't anybody I really wanted to vote for. It would have been, for me, a game of pick your poison that I didn't want to play.
Excuse number three: I'm a bad citizen.
Monday, November 06, 2006
CHURCH AND EDUCATION -OR- THE LACK THEREOF
I went to Mesquite this past weekend so I could watch my little brother play some football. He's a quarterback for the Mesquite High School Skeeters. Friday night, he had a game winning drive with 2 minutes left on the clock, but then the other team came back with a 60 yard run on 4th and 1 to undo said game winning drive. It was a good game and I was really proud of my little bro. It was a good weekend because I got to spend some time with my family.
I also got a chance to talk with my sister. She is in her first semester in college, and she has a religion course (this is at a public community college). They're learning about the Exodus from Egypt, and the professor is talking about possible scientific explanations behind the ten plagues. For example, when the river turns to blood, it is really a red algae that turns the water red, and "Red Sea" is probably more accurately translated "Sea of Reeds." I was kind of surprised because this teaching is really tame compared to most secular arguments. Most secular places will tell you that the exodus never really happened because there is no archeaological evidence for it, that it is just oral traditions passed down over generations. So it's a good thing my sister wasn't just thrown to the wild beasts. Nonetheless, she was shaken up a bit, and I was glad to see that she was being stretched. She had never been exposed to this kind of thing, but it made sense to her, and I thought she was handling it really well.
But my mom, on the other hand, could have had a heart attack. "Well that just takes away from the miracles!" (said in strong Arkansas accent). She couldn't believe that someone was saying this kind of stuff about the Bible. I tried to explain that God can and does work through nature to bring about His purposes, but I don't know how much of what I was saying she believed. I didn't really want to get into the historicity of the Old Testament, and I didn't want to get into the genre of the literature. I could have gotten into the first few chapters of Genesis and how they are not literal to explain my point further, but I think that would have made her head explode. I think baby steps are the key here.
I wonder, though, if we as leaders in the church do a disservice to people when we don't expose them to this kind of thing. For instance, we don't teach that there were pagan cults before the time of Jesus whose gods were born of a virgin or raised from the dead. What happens when they go to college and learn this stuff from secular, and even religious, universities instead of in a community of faith. When I got to Baylor, I had to totally rework my theology because of the things I learned, but there are others who completely lose their faith. Dr. Bart Ehrman, who is a world renowned biblical scholar, is a classic example. Ehrman grew up in a very conservative church that taught a strict doctrine of inerrancy of scripture. When he discovered that this teaching was probably wrong, he totally abandoned his faith. He calls himself a 'happy agnostic,' now.
Especially in dealing with younger generations, I think it's important to teach them the hard things about scripture. Things that can challenge the faith. When they learn within the community, it can be very healthy, but when they're thrown to the dogs without any sort of prior knowledge, who knows what can happen? We set them up for failure when we don't educate them. Luckily for me and my sister, we already had a strong, yet flexible faith. My world was stretched, but not broken, when I learned that, historically, Jericho was destroyed well before the Israelites got there.
In dealing with people who will never really encounter and deal with these kinds of ideas, on the other hand, I'm not sure how vital it is to point these things out to them. Especially older generational types who have a very strong faith in the Bible - which is a GREAT thing.
The most important thing to remember in all of this, though, is that the Bible is true. It teaches the truth about God, and it teaches the truth about how God relates to people. Most importantly, it reveals the good news of Jesus Christ, which is the foundation of our faith.
I also got a chance to talk with my sister. She is in her first semester in college, and she has a religion course (this is at a public community college). They're learning about the Exodus from Egypt, and the professor is talking about possible scientific explanations behind the ten plagues. For example, when the river turns to blood, it is really a red algae that turns the water red, and "Red Sea" is probably more accurately translated "Sea of Reeds." I was kind of surprised because this teaching is really tame compared to most secular arguments. Most secular places will tell you that the exodus never really happened because there is no archeaological evidence for it, that it is just oral traditions passed down over generations. So it's a good thing my sister wasn't just thrown to the wild beasts. Nonetheless, she was shaken up a bit, and I was glad to see that she was being stretched. She had never been exposed to this kind of thing, but it made sense to her, and I thought she was handling it really well.
But my mom, on the other hand, could have had a heart attack. "Well that just takes away from the miracles!" (said in strong Arkansas accent). She couldn't believe that someone was saying this kind of stuff about the Bible. I tried to explain that God can and does work through nature to bring about His purposes, but I don't know how much of what I was saying she believed. I didn't really want to get into the historicity of the Old Testament, and I didn't want to get into the genre of the literature. I could have gotten into the first few chapters of Genesis and how they are not literal to explain my point further, but I think that would have made her head explode. I think baby steps are the key here.
I wonder, though, if we as leaders in the church do a disservice to people when we don't expose them to this kind of thing. For instance, we don't teach that there were pagan cults before the time of Jesus whose gods were born of a virgin or raised from the dead. What happens when they go to college and learn this stuff from secular, and even religious, universities instead of in a community of faith. When I got to Baylor, I had to totally rework my theology because of the things I learned, but there are others who completely lose their faith. Dr. Bart Ehrman, who is a world renowned biblical scholar, is a classic example. Ehrman grew up in a very conservative church that taught a strict doctrine of inerrancy of scripture. When he discovered that this teaching was probably wrong, he totally abandoned his faith. He calls himself a 'happy agnostic,' now.
Especially in dealing with younger generations, I think it's important to teach them the hard things about scripture. Things that can challenge the faith. When they learn within the community, it can be very healthy, but when they're thrown to the dogs without any sort of prior knowledge, who knows what can happen? We set them up for failure when we don't educate them. Luckily for me and my sister, we already had a strong, yet flexible faith. My world was stretched, but not broken, when I learned that, historically, Jericho was destroyed well before the Israelites got there.
In dealing with people who will never really encounter and deal with these kinds of ideas, on the other hand, I'm not sure how vital it is to point these things out to them. Especially older generational types who have a very strong faith in the Bible - which is a GREAT thing.
The most important thing to remember in all of this, though, is that the Bible is true. It teaches the truth about God, and it teaches the truth about how God relates to people. Most importantly, it reveals the good news of Jesus Christ, which is the foundation of our faith.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
NEXT SEMESTER
Well, I'm all signed up for classes next semester. The bad news is that I have straight 8 am classes. Gross. The good news is that they are good classes.
I-Term:
The first week in January I have a week-long, 9-5 course over the Baptist Identity. This one sounds fun.
Monday and Wednesday:
8 am. Scriptures 4 with Dr. Todd Still. We go through the New Testament from Romans to Revelation.
10:30 am. Greek Readings: The Thessalonian Letters with Dr. Todd Still. I'm skipping over Greek 2 because I took Greek in undergrad. Let's hope I have enough discipline to study over Christmas break.
Tuesday and Thursday:
8 am. Christian Worship with Dr. Terry York. This is a required course. I have no clue what it's going to be like.
10:30 am. Discipleship in the New Testament with Dr. Hulitt Gloer. Dr. Gloer is amazing, and the content of the class looks great. I think I have to right my own epistle, but we'll see how it goes.
So far, seminary classes are wicked awesome. Let's hope I feel the same way after next semester when I have successfully completed 30 hours of class.
I-Term:
The first week in January I have a week-long, 9-5 course over the Baptist Identity. This one sounds fun.
Monday and Wednesday:
8 am. Scriptures 4 with Dr. Todd Still. We go through the New Testament from Romans to Revelation.
10:30 am. Greek Readings: The Thessalonian Letters with Dr. Todd Still. I'm skipping over Greek 2 because I took Greek in undergrad. Let's hope I have enough discipline to study over Christmas break.
Tuesday and Thursday:
8 am. Christian Worship with Dr. Terry York. This is a required course. I have no clue what it's going to be like.
10:30 am. Discipleship in the New Testament with Dr. Hulitt Gloer. Dr. Gloer is amazing, and the content of the class looks great. I think I have to right my own epistle, but we'll see how it goes.
So far, seminary classes are wicked awesome. Let's hope I feel the same way after next semester when I have successfully completed 30 hours of class.
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