Farewell Rob Bell Part Two

Earlier in the week, I emphasized some comments regarding Rob Bell.  Al Mohler and Southern Seminary recently weighed in, and as usual Mohler is filled with wit and perception.

What I Have Been Reading

Robert Louis Wilkens’ The Spirit of Early Christian Thought is a book that is readable for both pastors and laity.  Its primary aim is to demonstrate how the early church (Patristic) came to believe what it now believes.  It is a clear read on what the church really cares about.  The author highlights the lives and beliefs of Origen, Gregory, Augustine and Maximus.  This book is not overly technical and will inspire, encourage and solidify what should be most important for the church.  The Spirit of Early Christian Thought

Farewell Rob Bell Part One

You probably have been out of the country if you haven’t at least heard a snippet of Rob Bell’s new book Love Wins.  I won’t belabor with a lengthy diatribe.  I have linked some impressive responses, but suffice it to say Rob Bell is dangerous and heretical.
The following is an amazing exchange in a recent interview where Rob Bell gets taken to task and exposed for the fraud he is.

My friend and impeccable writer Tony Felich also responds. 

Another compelling article is written by Kevin DeYoung

EASTER MEDITATION #3-PASSOVER/LORD’S SUPPER-INWARD

Sometimes in Scripture, the disciples get it right.  In Matthew 26, when Jesus around the Passover Supper told them that “one of them would betray him”, the disciples responded with amazing humility.  Their question/response should be very much like our own when we approach the Lord’s Supper, “Lord, is it I?”  Matthew’s version hints that each of the disciples did a quick interview with Jesus, sincerely wondering if they were guilty.  Origen said that “they believed Jesus words over their own consciences.”  We too need to heed the lesson.  Granted the Lord’s Supper is a celebration, but it is so often presented glibly as “come and enjoy”.  But Paul echoes the disciples heart when he chided the careless Corinthians, suggesting that we “should examine ourselves”.  One of the lessons of the Lord’s Supper is the inward element.  While we come looking for Christ and others, we are to look to the Word and confess, “Is it I?”

Nuts and Bolts

If you are a resident of Kansas, you may have heard something of Phil Kline court hearings.  I won’t give my editorial comments; you can read for yourself in the following articles.  It seems that things have taken a peculiar twist.  As Kline is accused of retaining documents of adults that were Planned Parent patient’s seeking an abortion.  While he was State Attorney General, Kline was seeking to acquire information about George Tiller’s abortion clinic in Wichita assisting abortions to minors, which would be accessory to statutory rape.  It was during this effort to seek to prosecute Kline, that Tiller’s attorney’s acquired private information about the Kline case which seems to be the ground they are accusing Kline.  I realize this gets into confusing legal jargon, when the sad irony is that in all cases babies lives were killed, and that does not seem to garner the same passion for other legal issues. 

In other news, I find it curious about a young Iowa athlete who refused to wrestle a girl.  You can read about it here.  Al Mohler has provided some interesting commentary.

St. Patrick's Day

Patrick wrote about his passionate task to evangelize Ireland, “I cannot be silent about the great benefits and the great grace which the lord has deigned to bestow upon me in the land of my captivity; for this we can give to God in return after having been chastened by him, to exalt and praise His wonders before every nation that is anywhere under the heaven.” 

Update on School

I am preparing for yet another trip to Southern at the end of this month.  I will be spending a weekend there attending a seminar on Medieval Spirituality.  This seminar came together at the last minute, and will be a benefit to my schedule.  I will go back for an extending period in 
, but this weekend helps cut down the time.  I will turn in a five page critica b l review of a book we were required to read for the course (one of many).  I am looking forward to the time.  It shouldn’t be as stressful as May will be, so I am anticipating sitting back and soaking it all in.

MARTIN LLOYD JONES

A few weeks ago there was a special tribute honoring M.L. Jones.  Dr. Jones certainly has been an influence in my life besides countless others.  This video is a complimentary special of his life. In addition to this interview, one of my PhD advisors, Dr. Michael Haykin wrote about Jones’ contribution to his life.

CHRIST OUR PASSOVER (EASTER MEDITATION #2)-BACKWARD

The Lord’s Supper has a backward element.  Jesus tells us that when we take the Lord’s Supper we are to “do this in remembrance of me.”  When we celebrate our own family traditions we remember someone when we observe the tradition, so it is in the Lord’s Supper.  We remember Christ-all that He is and did. 

Recently, for soup night, I made Jerusalem Artichoke Soup.  It received an 11 rating, which is on the low end of the scale.  One tip is to have hot sauce on the table. 

Serves 4 (but I double the recipe)

4 tablespoons of butter

1 onion, chopped

3.5 cups of peeled and chopped artichokes

3.75 cups of chicken stock

1 cup of milk

1 cup of heavy cream

Generous pinch of saffron powder

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Fresh chives for garnish

Step One-Melt the butter in large pot.  Add the onion and fry for five minutes or until soft but not brown.  Stir from time to time.

Step Two-Add the artichokes and stir until coated in the butter.  Cover and cook slowly for 10 to 15 minutes, being careful not to let the artichokes turn brown.  Pour in the chicken stock and milk.  Recover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Cool slightly, then process in a blender or food processor until pureed (I have a hand held processor that is a great investment). 

Step three-Strain the soup back into the rinsed pan.  Add half the cream, season to taste, and reheat slowly.  Lightly whip the remaining cream and saffron powder.  Ladle the soup into warm soup bowls and put a spoonful of saffron cream in the center of each.  Scatter the snipped chives over the top and serve at once. 

More Bono

As I continue with more Bono blogposts.  Here is a compelling interview Bono did recently on the topic of grace versus karma.  It is worth the read.

What I Have Been Reading

“How to write a Journal Article in 12 weeks” is a book I read some months ago for doctoral work, and it is a helpful resource if one desires to brush up on their writing skills.  The writer who teaches at UCLA takes a very simple approach at getting an article ready for publication.  Basically the premise is that if you write fifteen minutes a day it will improve your writing over the long haul.  There is an enormous amount of helpful tips in this work.  I would heartily recommend this on the shelf of anyone serious about writing. 

AUGUSTINE

“Exult, Christian, you have gained by this bargain…what Judas sold, and what the religious leaders bought, belongs to you”.

CHRIST OUR PASSOVER (EASTER MEDITATION #1)-THE DOWNWARD

Yesterday in corporate worship we digested the Passover/Lord’s Supper passage of Matthew 26:26-30.  I made mention that the passage was full of so many rich teachings (like a stuffed tenderloin) that I could not possible exhaust the deep well of its significance.  So I decide that I would try to unpack one aspect of the Last Supper/Lord’s Supper truth in the lead up to Easter.
One component of the Lord’s Supper is the downward element.  Roman Catholic teaching emphasizes that we give God our gifts in the Supper, but that seems to be the exact opposite of what Matthew’s text highlights.  Just look at the actor and the action line.  “Jesus took the bread…Jesus blessed…Jesus broke…Jesus gave…Jesus took…Jesus gave thanks…Jesus gave.  The point is that Jesus is the host, serves the meal, and gives instructions.  If anyone is giving gifts in the Supper it is Jesus to us.  Isn’t that the point of the Supper anyway?  A visual drama of the gospel?  And in the gospel, God comes to us.  He makes contact with us first by offering Himself, serving us, and instructing us to eat and drink from Him (see John 6).  Indeed, when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we are celebrated the gospel.  We are celebrating the downward when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.  

Nuts and Bolts

 As spring draws near, I reflect on the winter that we have had.  So far I have received a total of twenty five inches of snow at my house.  I think twenty is the average.  We got dumped on a couple of times.  What is interested is reading the Global warming people (uh sorry-Climate Change) trying to explain this simple act of the Almighty.

Here are some pictures taken at various spots across the fruited plane during this winter.

In other news, one of my hotspots for Mexican (I that is saying something since I Mexican food isn’t one of my favorite) finally has a decision in a ruling of poisoning the salsa.

Update on Southern

I finally finished up eight post course assignments for a seminar I took last fall on Patristic and Celtic Spirituality.  In addition to these eight post course assignments, based on reading and engaging eight different books and articles, I had to do some pre-seminar assignments of another eight or so books.  I then while at Southern delivered two papers in this particular seminar: one on the “Odes of Solomon” and the other on Augustine’s View of the Psalms: Christ is the End.  I won’t know my grade for some time, but the everything about the course was outstanding.  I certainly deepened my walk with the Lord, and caused me to appreciate in very legitimate ways that era of Christendom which is often overlooked.

It is appointed to men to die once, and after this the judgment.