Thinking Theologically about Memorial Day

An excellent post from Kevin DeYoung. His conclusion:

In some parts of the church, every hint of patriotism makes you a jingoistic idolater. You are allowed to love every country except your own. But in other parts of the church, true religion blends too comfortably into civil religion. You are allowed to worship in our services as long as you love America as much as we do. I don’t claim to have arrived at the golden mean, but I imagine many churches could stand to think more carefully about their theology of God and country. Churches should be glad to have their members celebrate Memorial Day with gusto this Monday. We should be less sanguine about celebrating it with pomp and circumstance on Sunday.

Tebow Ad: A lot of Hoopla Over Nothing?

Well, the Super Bowl ad featuring Tim Tebow and his mom was the source of much discussion over the past few weeks in the Christian and secular media. Here's the ad, in case you missed it:



What did you think? It seems to me that the pro-choice advocates who were so adamant in their opposition to this ad are probably kicking themselves today. My guess is that the stir this ad caused over the past few weeks did far more to benefit the pro-life cause than the commercial itself, which didn't even mention abortion.

So leave a comment and let me know what you thought of it...

Encourage CBS to Stand Firm

CBS is taking a good deal of heat for its decision to air a commercial during next week's Super Bowl in which Tim Tebow's family talks about their decision not to abort their son, who has gone on to win College Football's most prestigious award, the Heisman trophy (Read more about Pam's decision not to abort Tim).

If you'd like to encourage CBS, you can send them a comment on their website.

Some Thoughts on Pat Robertson

During just about every national or international calamity, televangelist Pat Robertson makes headlines with some insensitive remarks about why that particular calamity occurred. This week's earthquake in Haiti gave Robertson another opportunity. Here's what he said:



Someone in my congregation asked me how I would respond if a news reporter asked me to comment on Robertson's remarks. Here's what I wrote back in response:

The Bible is pretty clear that earthquakes, and other natural disasters, are a part of this world because of sin. After Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, God cursed the entire creation and “subjected it to futility” (Romans 8:20). So earthquakes exist because of human rebellion against God. But it’s not just the people of Haiti who are at fault; it’s all of us, because Adam acted as our representative, and so we are all guilty (Romans 5). It seems as though Pat Robertson ignores this reality in his public comments following every calamity. He basically did the same thing after 9/11 and Katrina. It is always somebody else’s sin that is the problem, and he never publicly seems to own up to his own sin as being a part of the problem with the world.

That is probably why so many people can’t stand him. Sometimes Christians are called to experience hostility from the world for the sake of Christ, but it seems to me that Robertson experiences hostility because of his own arrogance and insensitivity, not for the sake of Christ. In his public comments, he does not demonstrate a contrition and humility that flow out of understanding how desperate his own situation is because of sin, and knowing that salvation by the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ is his only hope.

In Luke 13, Jesus was asked about a calamity in Galilee, and His response is insightful for this whole situation. Jesus said,

“Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem?

So I think if Jesus was asked about the earthquake in Haiti, He might say, “Do you think that the people of Haiti were worse sinners than all other human beings? No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” That is God’s word to us, I believe, in the face of the pain and horrors of this world. Earthquakes exist because we live in a fallen world in which humans have rebelled against our Maker.

The people of Haiti are no more guilty than I am. Yet Jesus came into the world not only to speak eloquently about calamities, but to experience cosmic calamity on the Cross. In His crucifixion, Jesus willingly took upon Himself the judgment of God that we deserved for our sin. Through faith in Him, we can receive forgiveness of sins and be reconciled to God, needing no longer to fear His anger and condemnation. When we have come into relationship with God through Jesus, we can have hope that even the biggest storms and calamities of this world will ultimately work for our good, because that is what He has promised to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

So in the face of the devastation in Haiti, Christians are called to love and sacrificially serve those who have been affected by this earthquake. And, like Jesus, we are called to remind everyone that their earthquake will come one day as well. Through repentance and faith in the crucified and risen Christ, we can be rescued from the coming wrath that will make this earthquake seem like an amusement park. He is our only hope.

What do you think of Robertson's remarks (or mine)? Leave a comment and let me know...

Brit Hume on Tiger Woods

I suppose many of you have seen or heard about this, but in case you haven't:



It's cool to see someone tell it like it is even though they know it's not going to be popular.

I just love redemption stories

What a great story:



The man in the interview, James Bain, was released from prison today after thirty five years of incarceration for a crime he did not commit (if reading via feed reader, you may need to click through to the blog to see the video). DNA tests showed that he did not kidnap and rape a 9 year-old boy in 1974. You can read the rest of the article here. He appears to be giving God all the glory and is not embittered toward anyone, saying that the state of Florida owes him nothing; he is the one indebted to God for His mercy.

Of course, that means the actual criminal has never been punished for this crime. But Jesus will see to it that this wrong is one day put to right as well:

"Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land." (Jeremiah 23:5).

In Christ, that righteous branch has come. And He will come again, to put right every wrong in this sin-stained world.

The Manhattan Declaration

Last week in a comment Matt asked me to weigh in with some thoughts on a document recently released called the Manhattan Declaration. To my fault, I did not get back to him, so I thought I'd make a post about it (sorry Matt!).

Essentially, the Manhattan Declaration is a document written by evangelical, Catholic and Orthodox Christian leaders affirming their support of the pro-life cause, traditional marriage and the right to freedom of religion. What has made the document somewhat controversial is in Evangelical circles is the question of whether it is right for an Evangelical to work for these causes by signing off on a document with other branches of Christianity that have a fundamental disagreement about the Gospel.

To read both sides of this debate, you can read this post from Al Mohler (who happily signed the document) and this one from Alistair Begg (pictured at right, who declined to sign, though he is supportive of the three causes that the document defends).

Of his not signing the document, Begg writes:

In accord with others who have chosen not to sign, my reservation is not with the issues themselves, or in standing with others who share the same concerns, but it is in signing a declaration along with a group of leading churchmen, when I happen to believe that the teaching of some of their churches is in effect a denial of the biblical gospel.

However, Mohler writes:

I signed The Manhattan Declaration because it is a limited statement of Christian conviction on these three crucial issues, and not a wide-ranging theological document that subverts confessional integrity. I cannot and do not sign documents such as Evangelicals and Catholics Together that attempt to establish common ground on vast theological terrain. I could not sign a statement that purports, for example, to bridge the divide between Roman Catholics and evangelicals on the doctrine of justification. The Manhattan Declaration is not a manifesto for united action. It is a statement of urgent concern and common conscience on these three issues -- the sanctity of human life, the integrity of marriage, and the defense of religious liberty.

My beliefs concerning the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox churches have not changed. The Roman Catholic Church teaches doctrines that I find both unbiblical and abhorrent -- and these doctrines define nothing less than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But The Manhattan Declaration does not attempt to establish common ground on these doctrines. We remain who we are, and we concede no doctrinal ground.

I have deep respect for both of these men, but based on what I know of the document, I would probably side with Mohler (pictured left) on this one. My personal conviction is that signing a document with others whose view of the gospel is heretical does not necessarily affirm or give approval to their false gospel. I think the issues are significant enough that co-laboring with others whose view of the gospel is deficient is worth our effort, and need not compromise our passion for the gospel.

That said, I haven't actually read the document myself, so maybe if/when I do, I will see certain statements pertaining to the gospel that so alarm me that I would be unable to sign it. But I'm thinking if Mohler was willing to sign it, I don't think I would find any of those.

If you've made it this far in the post, you probably have an opinion too. What do you think? Is the Manhattan Declaration a compromise of our esteem for the biblical gospel? Or is it an opportunity to work with others whom we disagree with for the sake of the common good of our nation?

Let me know what you think...

Richard Dawkins' Poster Children

Jim W will like this one:


"The two children chosen to front Richard Dawkins's latest assault on God could not look more free of the misery he associates with religious baggage. With the slogan 'Please don't label me. Let me grow up and choose for myself', the youngsters with broad grins seem to be the perfect advertisement for the new atheism being promoted by Professor Dawkins and the British Humanist Association. Except that they are about as far from atheism as it is possible to be. The Times can reveal that Charlotte, 8, and Ollie, 7, are from one of the country's most devout Christian families."

Read the whole thing.

A Little Taste of Shalom

On this blog I try to keep regular reminders to groan, because with all of our American comforts and luxuries, we sometimes are numb to the fact that this world isn't the way it's supposed to be. We know that, but I try to help myself feel it by posting my Don't Forget to Groan posts.

As important as it is to remember to groan, it's also important to remember that what we are groaning for is shalom...that is, the way things ought to be.

While this "webbing together of God, humans and all creation in justice, fulfillment and delight" will never be perfect until Jesus returns to make all things new, we do get little glimpses of it in this life. I found one such glimpse in this video of some unexpected reunions between children and their fathers as they return home from deployment. There's something glorious about seeing reconciliation happen, isn't there? It is, I think, a little foretaste of that awesome day when the entire cosmos will be reconciled to its Maker:

The Tower of Babel, Part 2?

This is a remarkable story:



It's a symbol for all humanity, says the reporter toward the end of the video.

But a symbol of what?

UPDATE: Looks like because of some glitch, if you're reading this in a feed reader you'll have to click through to my blog site in order to see the correct video (if you're looking at a video of a woman learning karate, that's not the right video!)

David Letterman & the Gospel

At the Gospel Coalition blog, Russell Moore has a great commentary on last week's news of the extortion threat to Late Night talk show host David Letterman.

The upshot:

"Let’s remember the gospel, and learn from Dave Letterman how scary blackmail can be. As the accusations come at us, let’s acknowledge the truth of the satanic claims. Let’s find ourselves in Jesus. And let’s point to a bloody cross and an empty tomb where those accusations were verified and crucified...

"And let’s remember not to be paralyzed by cosmic blackmail. The satanic powers have the evidence against us; yes, they do. But every accusation comes before an Advocate with a still conscience in his chest, scabbed-over spike-marks in his hands, and a crushed snake skull at his feet."

Even an atheist would have to admit this is an...interesting...coincidence

John Piper:

I saw the fast-moving, misshapen, unusually-wide funnel over downtown Minneapolis from Seven Corners. I said to Kevin Dau, "That looks serious."

It was. Serious in more ways than one. A friend who drove down to see the damage wrote,

On a day when no severe weather was predicted or expected...a tornado forms, baffling the weather experts—most saying they've never seen anything like it. It happens right in the city. The city: Minneapolis.

The tornado happens on a Wednesday...during the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America's national convention in the Minneapolis Convention Center. The convention is using Central Lutheran across the street as its church. The church has set up tents around it's building for this purpose.

According to the ELCA's printed convention schedule, at 2 PM on Wednesday, August 19, the 5th session of the convention was to begin. The main item of the session: "Consideration: Proposed Social Statement on Human Sexuality." The issue is whether practicing homosexuality is a behavior that should disqualify a person from the pastoral ministry.

The eyewitness of the damage continues:

This curious tornado touches down just south of downtown and follows 35W straight towards the city center. It crosses I94. It is now downtown. The time: 2PM. The first buildings on the downtown side of I94 are the Minneapolis Convention Center and Central Lutheran. The tornado severely damages the convention center roof, shreds the tents, breaks off the steeple of Central Lutheran, splits what's left of the steeple in two...and then lifts.

What might this mean? Read the rest of Piper's article for his Bible-based conclusions.

Don't take a minute for granted

This morning I got on Facebook and saw a puzzling status update from a girl I went to college with:

(Name) is thankful that I wasn't at the gym tonight. Thank the Lord I was with my family instead. Please keep praying for all who were effected by this tragedy.

I had no idea what she was talking about, until I read this article on Foxnews about the murder of 4 people last night at an LA Fitness club outside of Pittsburgh.

It's a stunning and tragic reminder that we do not know what the next hour of our lives will bring. These words from James written 2000 years ago are relevant every day of our lives:

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

Life is a mist; we don't know when the Lord will not will that we 'live and do this or that'.

So take nothing for granted today, and make the most of every good gift that we have in this unstable world we live in. And for those of you who know Christ, what a great opportunity to praise Him for comfort that we have in knowing that for the believer, death is not dying.

Without God, without hope in this world

That is what Ephesians 2 says. And it seems like Michael Jackson is another illustration that God does not lie. This from an article on the Foxnews website:

Jackson was going to extremes to stay on top of the pop music heap, and to fill a void in his life, said the insider. “Michael was worried about losing his popularity and his relevance. Even when he was at a personal high, he was terrified of losing his edge. He felt very alone. Michael had no close friends around him and he always harbored miserable feelings with his father.”

Paul wrote that having nothing, he possessed everything. Perhaps the slogan of Jackson's life was just the opposite: having everything, yet possessing nothing.

What a sad story.

You can read the entire article here.

MJ, Farrah, you and me

Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett; two people who had all the admiration and affection of the masses. They also had all the money they could ever dream of.

Yet yesterday, it all meant absolutely nothing. Their popularity and wealth could not help them escape that great enemy called death. John Piper wrote:

"Farrah Fawcett (62), Michael Jackson (50) and 150,000 others: 'A flower of the field; the wind passes, and it is gone.'"

There is only one deliverer from death; and his name is not money, or fame.

Let's grieve their loss, and celebrate what a great hope is found in Christ.

(Justin Taylor weighs in with a great little reflection on Jackson's death.)

A twisted kind of pleasure

A classic example of the kind of thing I wrote about yesterday, quoting C.S. Lewis on the dehumanization of our enemies:

As news reports surface that Governor Mark Sanford, a Republican from South Carolina who supposedly was a potential candidate for President in 2012, has been guilty of an adulterous affair, one high-school classmate writes on his facebook page:

"Another GOP candidate bites the dust!! 2012 is almost shaping up to be too easy!"

There is something very sad about rejoicing in the heartache and sorrow that a family is experiencing, simply because it advances your own political interests.

I think C.S. Lewis was right; this has to be a symptom of living in a world of pure hatred.

Was George Tiller Prepared to Face God?

I trust many readers have heard the reports out of Wichita that George Tiller, the well-known abortion doctor, was murdered yesterday at his church.

As Christians, we ought to strongly oppose this kind of violence, no matter how violent the victim himself was. Paul clearly instructs Christians to leave vengeance to the Lord (Romans 12:19), and this cold-blooded killer did not do that. Taking life as a protest to the taking of innocent life is wrong, and these types of acts are likely to be set-backs to the pro-life cause, as the media often highlight these stories instead of the many cases where pro-life advocates lovingly serve women who are considering or have had abortions.

In any event, what struck me in CNN's report of the murder was this quote from Operation Rescue founder Randall Terry. In condemning the murder, Terry went on to say, "We grieve for him that he did not have time to properly prepare his soul to face God."

I found this interesting, since Tiller was murdered while serving as an usher in his church, Reformation Lutheran Church. Terry assumes that because Tiller killed unborn babies, that his soul was not prepared to meet God. I take that to mean that Terry assumes Tiller was not genuinely a Christian, though he served in his local church.

Perhaps this is a right assumption; I am inclined to agree with him. I certainly would have strong reservations about welcoming George Tiller into membership in my local congregation. But is it possible that Terry is wrong in assuming that George Tiller was not prepared to face God yesterday morning? Could Tiller have been a Christian and continue to perform abortions for a living?

If Tiller had been a habitual gossip instead of a habitual murderer, would Terry have made the same remark? Is it right to condemn one sin as making a person unprepared to face God, while another sin (say, self-righteous condemnation of people who perform abortions) is not so bad that it makes us unprepared to face God?

I don't have definitive answers to all these questions; I'm just thinking aloud about these things. Readers, I am curious to know your thoughts...

Remembering Memorial Day

I know Memorial Day was yesterday, but my wife sent me this link today. In fact, here is the loving, gentle way in which she exhorted me get this posted on the blog:

Okay, I know it's your blog and all, but I think this link might be a good post for people to be visually reminded of what the holiday is all about. I won't be offended though if you disagree. :o) I'll still love you.

After looking at the post, I was happy to oblige. Collected at this link are a handful of photographs for remembrance, acknowledging some of the men and women who have passed in conflicts from the U.S. Civil War through Iraq and Afghanistan today.

A Primer on Stem Cells

The Crossway blog has an interview with Scott Klusendorf, the president of Life Training Institute. He trains pro-life advocates to persuasively defend their views and has just written a book called The Case for Life, in which he aims to equip those committed to life to engage our culture regarding these challenging issues. This book is especially timely in light of President Obama’s executive order repealing the policy that limited federal tax dollars for stem cell research.

Especially disheartening in Obama's announcement was his statement of the need to separate science from ideology, a statement that would lead to complete anarchy if followed to its logical conclusion. In in his interview, Klusendorf answers this question about Obama's statement:

6. President Obama said that ideology should not interfere with science. What do you make of that claim?

Well, the claim that ideology should not get in the way of science is itself an ideological claim, and a highly controversial one at that. I found this the most troubling part of his speech. If he is correct that scientific progress trumps morality, one can hardly condemn Hitler for grisly medical experiments on Jews. Nor can one criticize the Tuskegee experiments of the 1940s in which black men suffering from syphilis were promised treatment, only to have it denied so scientists could study the disease. Pro-life advocates are not anti-science. We are not anti-cures. We just insist that scientific progress must be tied to moral truth.

Read the rest of the interview here.

Piper on the Imprisonment of Madoff

Over the weekend John Piper wrote a little reflection on the imprisonment of disgraced billionaire Bernard Madoff. It begins with these words:

A few months ago he was worth over $800 million. Now, at age 70, he sits in this prison cell, 7.5 by 8 feet, with a sink, a toilet, and a bunk. Bernard Madoff went there last Thursday after being under house arrest in his $7 million penthouse since December.

This, Piper says, is a great demonstration of God's mercy to Madoff and you and me. Read the rest here.