FRIDAY FOTO: Jack-O-Lantern Time

Halloween, 2008

THURSDAY THINGAMAJIG: Phillies win it all

My sister from Philadelphia called last night. She just had to rub it in, didn't she?

First, the Cubs tank.

Then, the Red Sox can't finish the job.

The Phillies outlasted them all, even the Cinderella Rays. Oh well, congratulations. You folks have waited a long time too (though not 100 years).

Another long off-season for this baseball fan.

WEDNESDAY QWOTE: Lincoln's Second Inaugural

On March 4, 1865, John Wilkes Booth and a number of other conspirators stood in a great crowd and heard one of the most moving speeches in American history: Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address. As the nation neared the end of the Civil War, Lincoln's tone was melancholy and not triumphalistic. He expressed an uncommon realism about the short-sightedness and failures of both sides. However, he also stated in the clearest terms the evils of slavery and the righteousness of God's judgment that had fallen upon America for tolerating it. In a month, he too would give his life for this conflict.

The London Spectator said of this speech, "We cannot read it without a renewed conviction that it is the noblest political document known to history, and should have for the nation and the statesmen he left behind him something of a sacred and almost prophetic character." It is now inscribed on the Lincoln Memorial, along with the Gettysburg Address.

In the light of the cultural conflicts of our own time, which have raised so much heat and so little light, let us hear the words of our greatest President today...

Fellow Countrymen:

At this second appearing to take the oath of the Presidential office there is less occasion for an extended address than there was at the first. Then a statement somewhat in detail of a course to be pursued seemed fitting and proper. Now, at the expiration of four years, during which public declarations have been constantly called forth on every point and phase of the great contest which still absorbs the attention and engrosses the energies of the nation, little that is new could be presented. The progress of our arms, upon which all else chiefly depends, is as well known to the public as to myself, and it is, I trust, reasonably satisfactory and encouraging to all. With high hope for the future, no prediction in regard to it is ventured.

On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war. All dreaded it, all sought to avert it. While the inaugural address was being delivered from this place, devoted altogether to saving the Union without war, insurgent agents were in the city seeking to destroy it without war—seeking to dissolve the Union and divide effects by negotiation. Both parties deprecated war, but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive, and the other would accept war rather than let it perish. And the war came.

One-eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was somehow the cause of the war. To strengthen, perpetuate, and extend this interest was the object for which the insurgents would rend the Union even by war, while the Government claimed no right to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it. Neither party expected for the war the magnitude or the duration which it has already attained. Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with or even before the conflict itself should cease. Each looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes. 'Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.' If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said 'the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether'.

With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan – to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.

TUESDAY TRAVELS: Apples, Pumpkins, and Fall Colors

Went with some of the family down to Appleworks orchard on Sunday to get some apples, give my grandson some fun, see some fall foliage, pick out a couple of pumpkins, and, oh yes!, get some Amish popcorn. This has not been the most colorful autumn we've seen in central Indiana, but it was a beautiful day with plenty of scenic splendor to appreciate.

MONDAY MUSINGS: Reformation Day Thoughts

Yesterday, in the Lutheran church we attend, the congregation celebrated Reformation Sunday. With one strong voice we sang:

Did we in our own strength confide
Our striving would be losing
Were not the right Man on our side
The Man of God's own choosing
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He!
Lord Sabaoth His name
From age to age the same
And He must win the battle!

(Martin Luther, "A Mighty Fortress")

This matchless hymn, and a song the choir sang, "God Is Our Refuge and Strength," are both based on Psalm 46, which begins,

"God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea..."

Therefore, we will not fear. These words express the strong sense of confidence and assurance by which believers face the troubles and upheavals of the world around us. It is a given that such convulsions and even cataclysms will occur in this fallen world. However, the believer has a refuge. The believer has a God with him who presses strength into the depths of his being. The believer has an Advocate who is present and active to help in time of trouble. Therefore, we will not fear.

How disturbing it was then to hear about the most recent appeal to fear published by Focus on the Family Action. It is called, "Letter from 2012 in Obama's America," and it paints a frightening apocalyptic scenario that the organization says will likely occur should Barack Obama be elected president in the upcoming election—everything from terrorist attacks to the end of homeschooling to energy blackouts and rampant inner city crime because of gun restrictions. For a Christian organization to distribute fear-mongering propaganda like this is utterly counter to the great message of Reformation faith.

Please don't interpret these musings as support for Barack Obama. That is not my point. As a Christ-follower and pastor, I just cannot understand when professing Christian people completely jettison Biblical perspective in order to achieve political gain. The sole purpose of this letter is to scare good people silly so that they will vote for the candidate Focus on the Family Action believes is best for America. That is not acceptable behavior for people of faith.

Should we rewrite the words of Luther's great hymn and make them, "A mighty fortress is McCain"? Is he the real "right Man on our side"? Where is our trust? Do we really believe that one election that doesn't go our way can overturn the sovereign purposes of almighty God? Will the sky really fall? Where is the Biblical perspective? Where is the confident assurance that, no matter what happens, our God reigns and his purposes will be accomplished? From the strong foundation of faith, why can't we participate positively in the political process, giving hearty, confident affirmation to the candidates and positions we approve of, while maintaining a spirit of civility and respect toward those with whom we disagree? Are Christians really called to play "hardball" like this?

Such tactics betray the feebleness and wrong-headed nature of so much conservative evangelical American Christianity. The "culture war" mentality of fear and fear-mongering does not represent the Biblical perspective that says, "Therefore, we will not fear." I wish Focus on the Family Action would hear what God says to the world in Psalm 46.10—"Be still, and know that I am God." This command is not the soothing devotional invitation that many imagine. The real point of God's words here are more like—"Hey, you people that are stirring up so much trouble in my world, shut up and sit down and remember who is in charge around here!" We could use a whole lot more Reformation Day thinking and acting in this election season.

God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. (2Timothy 1.7)

pSunday Psalms: The Torah of the King (Pss 1-2)

Psalms 1-2: Doorway to the Psalms
In the final shape of the Book of Psalms, Psalms 1-2 form an introduction. These two psalms are meant to be read together, and as a unit they show us the nature of this book and the primary message it teaches. Today we explore the main themes that Psalms 1-2 introduce.

First, let's examine the psalms themselves and note some parallels between them that bind Psalm 1-2 together:

• Neither psalm has a heading. Headings begin with Psalm 3. This supports the idea that they are introductory.
  
• Ps 1 begins with "Blessed is the man..." while Ps 2 ends with "Blessed is the man..." This "frames" the two psalms into one.
• Ps 1 portrays those who "stand in the way of sinners" while Ps 2 speaks of the kings "taking their stand"
  
• Ps 1 warns against "the counsel of the wicked" while Ps 2 speaks of the rulers that "take counsel together against the Lord."
• Ps 1 speaks of "scoffers" while Ps 2 says that "the Lord scoffs" at those arrayed against him.
• Ps 1 commends "meditating" on God's Torah, while Ps 2 pictures the peoples "devising" (same Heb word) vain things.
• Ps 1 warns that "the way of the wicked will perish" while Ps 2 warns those who may "perish in the way."

Now, let's note what these psalms teach.

Psalm 1 describes how the Book of Psalms should be read:

• We are to read it as God's Torah, in which we should delight, and upon which we should continually meditate.
  
• Those who do are portrayed as dwelling in an Eden-like garden, experiencing God's blessing in the good land (compare 1.2-3 with Joshua 1.8).
  
• Those who fail to do so, who rely on the counsel of the wicked rather than God's Torah, will perish from that good land (compare 1.6 with Deut 30.15-20).

Psalm 2 sets forth the main message of the Book that we should receive:

• The Lord reigns.
• The wicked are engaged in a continuing war against the Lord and his rule.
• The Lord will conquer through his Son, the Messiah, who will be installed in Zion.
• Those who take refuge in him will be blessed.
• Those who fail to do so will perish.

The Book of Psalms is God's Torah about God's King. Originally these songs and poems were words that God’s people spoke to him in worship. Now they function primarily as God’s Word to us, to be studied and meditated upon, that we might follow our Father’s instruction (Torah) for our lives. The main message of this Torah is that we should learn to take refuge in the Lord who rules over all, and take hope in his promise of Messiah and ultimate victory.

As Moses gave us a Torah of five books about the covenant God made with his people on Mt. Sinai, so in the Book of Psalms we have The Torah of the King, a five-fold book about the covenant God made with David (2Samuel 7).

SATURDAY SPORTS WRAP: October 24-25

Grizzly Cubs' Season Ends
It was a disappointing end to the Franklin HS football season Friday night, as the Grizzly Cubs lost their rematch with Greenwood in the first round of the sectional tournament, 9-7. Once again the offense failed to cash in on their opportunities, while the defense held the opponent to three field goals. The effort was there, the game was close, but in the end, our kids came up short. We're awfully proud of them for keeping their heads up and working hard all season. (Photo from The Daily Journal)

Franklin Hangs On to Win
The Franklin College Grizzlies traveled to perennial rival Mt. St. Joseph on Saturday and surged to a 26-0 lead in the second quarter, and a win seemed secure. However, the Lions stormed back in the second half and FC had to hang on for a 40-35 victory. QB Chad Rupp became FC's all-time leader in touchdown passes, throwing the 79th, 80th and 81st TDs of his career.

FRIDAY FOTO: Yard Buddy

Squirrel searching out hidden provisions
October 2008

Photo by Michael Mercer

THURSDAY THINGAMAJIG: Political Humor (Not an oxymoron)

One of the funniest groups around is the Capitol Steps. Made up mostly of former Congressional staffers, they pick on everyone, and as they say, put the "Mock" in Democracy. Let's lighten up today and laugh a little, whaddya say?

WEDNESDAY QWOTE: On Being a Faithful Citizen

One of the great traditions represented in our American democracy is that of Roman Catholic social teaching. Every four years, the US Council of Catholic Bishops prepares a statement on Christian political responsibility, or "Faithful Citizenship." This insightful essay outlines what it means for followers of Christ to be involved as wise and faithful members of society, fulfilling their civic duties as an integral element of their discipleship. (Check out the website HERE.)

Today's quote comes from this statement.

"Unfortunately, politics in our country often can be a contest of powerful interests, partisan attacks, sound bites, and media hype. The Church calls for a different kind of political engagement: one shaped by the moral convictions of well-formed consciences and focused on the dignity of every human being, the pursuit of the common good, and the protection of the weak and vulnerable. The Catholic call to faithful citizenship affirms the importance of political participation and insists that public service is a worthy vocation. As Catholics, we should be guided more by our moral convictions than by our attachment to a political party or interest group. When necessary, our participation should help transform the party to which we belong; we should not let the party transform us in such a way that we neglect or deny fundamental moral truths. We are called to bring together our principles and our political choices, our values and our votes, to help build a better world."

The statement concludes with these points:

• Participation in political life in light of fundamental moral principles is an essential duty for every Catholic and all people of good will.
  
• The Church is involved in the political process but is not partisan.
• The Church is engaged in the political process but should not be used.
• The Church is principled but not ideological.

Furthermore, they call for "a renewed kind of politics":

• Focused more on moral principles than on the latest polls.
• Focused more on the needs of the weak than on benefits for the strong.
• Focused more on the pursuit of the common good than on the demands of narrow interests.

May these principles and others like them inform our choices during this election season!

TUESDAY TRAVELS: Endorsements around the country

Today, we travel around the country and give you links to newspaper endorsements for the presidential candidates. While it is debated how influential these endorsements are, they do give voters an opportunity to hear what news outlets around the country are saying to the voters in their regions. One of the more interesting endorsements in 2008 is that of the Chicago Tribune, which for the first time in its nearly 200-year history endorsed the Democratic candidate.

I encourage you to follow the links and read what folks around the country are saying. Perhaps we will all gain insight about the candidates, our country, and ourselves.

Newspaper endorsements for Obama/Biden...

• LA Times
• Denver Post
• Chicago Tribune
• Atlanta Journal-Constitution
• Boston Globe

Newspaper Endorsements for McCain/Palin...

• San Francisco Examiner
• Dallas Morning News
• New York Post
• Boston Herald
• Tampa Tribune

For a complete up-to-date list of newspaper endorsements, visit DemConWatch.

MONDAY MUSINGS: Politics week on otium sanctum

I am just about the most non-political person I know. I avoid talking about the subject because whenever I do, I get in way over my head and that always leads to trouble. I don’t think in political terms, I detest what it often takes to be successful in politics, and I fear the temptations that politics bring to those that choose to participate. If you were to ask me where I stand on the political spectrum, I would have to say that my positions at times reflect a libertarian streak, sometimes I’m more conservative than a far right Republican, at other times I’m more liberal than a far left Democrat, and then often I hold non-participatory convictions reflecting the Anabaptist tradition. No party would have me, and to be honest, I probably wouldn't have them either.

With that out of the way, this is an important realm of life and Christ-followers cannot simply stick their heads in the sand. It's election season in the USA and so I will devote my blog this week to the subject of politics, particularly the Presidential race.

For your own musing today, I will direct you to the websites of two political action committees that recommend voting for a certain candidate based on their own evangelical Christian convictions.

• Evangelicals for McCain. This PAC touts McCain's "common sense conservatism" and lists where McCain stands on such issues as the Ten Commandments, sanctity of life, fiscal responsibility in Washington, the Middle East, border security, and enviro-stewardship. Here you can find videos of McCain interviews on Christian networks like TBN.

• Matthew 25 Network. Taking their name from the parable of the sheep and goats in Matthew 25, this PAC endorses Obama. Their mission is to endorse candidates that they think embody the values expressed in that parable: promoting life with dignity, caring for the least of these, strengthening and supporting families, stewardship of God’s Creation, working for peace and justice at home and abroad, and promoting the common good.

From what I can ascertain, both of these web sites offer good information and a positive spirit of advocacy for their candidates without veering into the excesses of negative, attack campaigning.

Think on these things.

pSunday Psalms: The Shape of the Psalter

Last time we introduced the Book of Psalms, concluding with the observation that this is an organized coherent book with an overall message, not just a random collection of poems and songs.

Today we will share some observations about how the Book of Psalms is organized.

THE SHAPE OF THE BOOK OF PSALMS

• The Book of Psalms is composed of 150 psalms that are divided into five “books"—Book I (1-41), Book II (42-72), Book III (73-89), Book IV (90-106), Book V (107-150)
  

• The whole book has an introduction, composed of Psalms 1-2.

• The whole book has a conclusion, composed of Psalms 146-150.

• Each individual book ends with a benediction, by which the Lord is blessed.

• Books I and II contain mostly individual psalms of David.

• Book III contains mostly community songs.

• Book IV starts with a psalm of Moses. It contains mostly royal psalms and story-telling psalms.

• Book V returns to the psalms of David, beginning and ending the book with a collection of such psalms. This book is also dominated by praise psalms (111-118, 146-150), a giant acrostic wisdom psalm (119), and a collection known as the Songs of Ascents (120-134).

These observations (and many more could be made) show that Psalms is an organized work with patterns of authorship and psalm-types that may be discerned. It is my contention that these patterns have been arranged intentionally to tell a story and communicate a message.

We will begin unfolding that story in the next post. If you'd like to get ready for that, read Psalm 1 and Psalm 2 and ask this question: What is the message of these two psalms, and how might they serve as an introduction to the Book of Psalms?

SATURDAY SPORTS WRAP: October 17-18

Disappointing Finale
The Franklin HS Grizzly Cubs ended their regular season with a disappointing 14-6 loss to Martinsville. Franklin moved the ball well most of the night but couldn't seal the deal often enough. Adding to the pain was their final drive, when QB Dan Bechman threw a touchdown pass to Austin Clark, only to have it called back on a questionable holding penalty. Our son Isaac and all the seniors were recognized before the game. At least one more to go: next week's sectional matchup against Greenwood.

Another Big Day for FC
Franklin College traveled to HCAC rival Anderson University on Saturday and the number one offense in the conference showed its stuff in a 56-27 victory over the Ravens. Sr. QB Chad Rupp threw for 6 touchdowns and completed 26 of 37 passes for 398 yards. Two more TD passes, and Rupp will be the all-time record-holder for Franklin College.

The Grizzlies are now 3-0 in the conference and 5-1 overall. They travel to Mt. St. Joseph next Saturday.

FRIDAY FOTO

Skydiver preparing to land at Faught Field before the Franklin College homecoming football game.

October 11, 2008

Photo by Michael Mercer

THURSDAY THINGAMAJIG: Tragedy beyond words

Today's miscellaneous report comes from conservative news service CNSNews.com. I have known many families with Down Syndrome children over the years and have experienced the blessing of having these special needs people in our communities. However the days of Down Syndrome children in our midst may be numbered. Click HERE to read their report.

If this article is anywhere close to accurate in its numbers, our society may be tolerating hidden genocide of a specific kind through elective abortion.

This is horror and tragedy beyond words.

WEDNESDAY QWOTE: Eugene Peterson

Today's quote is from my favorite author, Eugene Peterson, from an interview with Richard Foster at Renovare, July 2006.

By the way, I just picked up my copy of EP's latest book, Tell It Slant, the fourth volume in his series of "conversational theology." I'm looking forward to being enriched by his always insightful words, which are consistently subversive of so much of the nonsense we hear today about the faith, the church, and the ministry.

"We are at a crisis in the American Church. I don't know enough about the rest of the world to speak about it, but our rhetoric is louder and more abrasive. Our relationships are shallower, more superficial. We have an enormous amount of energy in churches in this country, and I would like to do with my readership what I've tried to do as a pastor: get them to take their lives seriously in the wholeness of Christ, not for what they can get out of Christ. I would like to make a dent in the debilitating consumer mentality that has beguiled religion and faith in this country."

MONDAY MUSINGS: Blue Parakeet, part 5

FROM MIKE: Check out this post at Jesus Creed about the release of The Blue Parakeet.

This will be my final post on the book, and then I will put a review on Amazon.com. This book will be highly recommended.


The final part of Scot McKnight's helpful new book is a case study about the subject of women in ministry. Entire denominations have dealt with this contentious issue by appealing to the Bible. While Scot does not claim to give an exhaustive study of the matter in this book, he does outline an approach to reading the Bible that can help us approach controversial questions like this.

First, he gives personal background and stories to show how the issue of women in ministry has been a matter of disagreement in evangelical circles. He also sketches the main positions people have taken. These stances boil down to whether we are reading the Bible through the tradition (various forms of patriarchalism) or with the tradition (mutuality or evangelical egalitarianism). He advises the latter as the way that best understands this issue in the light of the whole Biblical story.

It knows the story of the Bible in which Jesus Christ makes men and women one again, in Christ and in marriage. And, in conscious dependence on the Spirit in the context of a community of faith that seeks to live out that oneness, it gives to women the freedom to discern what God has called them to do—whatever it might be, including preaching, teaching, and leading in the church. (p.161)

Secondly, in order to flesh this out, Scot looks at the Biblical material itself and discusses stories and texts concerning women in both Testaments, looking most intently at those passages that restrict women from exercising ministry in the church (1Cor 14, 1Tim 2, etc.). I think he argues convincingly that these restrictive passages must be read both in light of the whole story and in the closer contexts of the epistles in which they are found, and that when we do that, it becomes clear that Paul's restrictions in particular were based on situations in the early church that made limiting women's public ministries advisable.

He concludes:

...we are given a pattern of discernment in the Bible, a pattern that flows directly out of the Story, to listen to what God said in that world so we can know what God is saying to us through our world. (p.212)

pSunday Psalms: The Book of Psalms

STEPPING BACK TO LOOK AT THE PSALMS
For our Sunday studies and meditations on the Psalms, I will now step back and take a broader approach. Our first series on the Songs of Ascent (Pss 120-134) grew out of my own desire to review that collection, but before we move on to another portion of the Psalms, it would be beneficial to get a big picture of the entire book.

Few sections of Scripture have been as beloved over the centuries as the Book of Psalms. It is certainly a favorite part of the “Old Testament” for many Christians, for it speaks with a “New Testament” spirit of personal intimacy and relationship with God. Many New Testaments are published with Psalms attached, but I know of none that combines the NT with Leviticus or Nahum!

Eugene Peterson says that the primary Biblical material for teaching believers to pray is the Psalms. He also notes that, because prayer is elemental and not advanced knowledge, the prayers we find in the book are honest, true and personal. Indeed, if we read them correctly we will see that they are earthy, rough and painfully realistic. Psalms helps us face God frankly, in the unadorned reality of our humanness.

In addition to appreciating the devotional value of these texts, the careful Bible student will also note that the individual psalms have been put together into a BOOK that is highly organized and which communicates a message as a whole work. Though many have approached the Psalms as a collection of individual songs rather like a hymnal, in its final, edited form, this is not a haphazard collection of poems and songs.

BACKGROUND OF THE BOOK OF PSALMS

• The Book of Psalms is a collection of many different types of sacred songs and prayers, originally used in Israel’s worship.

• King David wrote many psalms (2Sam 23:1-7) and led the way in organizing the use of the psalms in the temple worship (2Chron 15-16). Under God’s direction, he set up the pattern described in Chronicles and reflected in the various notations we find in the psalm headings.

• The Book of Psalms was compiled during and after the Babylonian Exile. These prayers and songs that had previously been used in temple worship were now gathered into a new form that could be studied and meditated upon by God’s people.

• Therefore we can distinguish between individual psalms and the Book of Psalms. Each psalm is an inspired text of Scripture that stands on its own and may be read, prayed or sung for God’s praise and our edification (Eph 5:19, Col 3:16). However, we must also take the final form of the book seriously. Under God’s providential guidance, the individual psalms were organized into a Book with a coherent message.

• In my experience, this is not how we ordinarily think of the Book of Psalms. We tend to see it like a hymnal or collection of poems made up of “pearls without a string.” But I believe that the Book of Psalms can be read as a whole book, and that there is an overall organization to the individual psalms that can be detected and studied for our edification. Just as the Book of Isaiah is a collection of the prophet’s messages that have been put together and arranged to teach a coherent message, so the Book of Psalms takes the prayers, praises and worship materials of Israel and links them together to form a book with an overall theme.

SATURDAY SPORTS WRAP: October 10-11

FCHS SPOILS GREENWOOD HOMECOMING
On a perfect autumn Friday evening under colorful skies, the Franklin Grizzly Cubs won a close one at the homecoming of local Mid-State rival Greenwood, 23-21. The game featured five lead changes and nine turnovers. Franklin took the lead at the end of the third quarter and then survived a wild finish for the win. It was Franklin's first win since the second game of the season, and it sets up a rematch in the sectional opener on Oct. 24.

FRANKLIN COLLEGE DEMOLISHES BLUFFTON
The Grizzlies celebrated their homecoming by trouncing Bluffton, 63-3. Two sky-diving specialists descended and landed at midfield just before the start of the game, and then with the first kick Franklin took off and never looked back. Franklin was nearly perfectly balanced, with 488 total offensive yards, 246 rushing and 242 yards passing. The Grizzlies scored at least 2 touchdowns in every quarter.

Franklin travels to Anderson next week to face the Ravens, who surprised Mt. St. Joseph on Saturday, 10-9.

FRIDAY FOTO: Friday Night Skies

Colorful autumn skies over the high school football field.

Greenwood, Indiana. October 2008.

Photos by Michael Mercer

THURSDAY THINGAMAJIG: A bit o' history

I've been thinking about church history this week...

• We took our youngest son north to Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI for a college visit on Tuesday. He is interested in studying history and theology. We sat in on a wonderful class tracing history, philosophy and theology through the centuries.
  

• Today I began reading Phyllis Tickle's eloquent new book, The Great Emergence, which gives a big picture framework for understanding periodic major reformations in religion over the course of history.

• We've been attending a Lutheran church lately, and I've been brushing up on my Luther and Bach, too.

All this reminded me of a book on my shelf that I've neglected. I hope to peruse it this evening. It is by Mark Noll, called Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity. In this book, Noll identifies twelve key times in history when Christianity experienced important changes and transitions.

Could you name them?

I will list these turning points below, and it will be our assignment together to learn more about them, OK?

1. The Fall of Jerusalem (70)
2. The Council of Nicaea (325)
3. The Council of Chalcedon (451)
4. The Rule of Benedict (530)
5. The Coronation of Charlemagne (800)
6. The Great Schism (1054)
7. The Diet of Worms (1521)
8. The English Act of Supremacy (1534)
9. The Founding of the Jesuits (1540)
10. The Conversion of the Wesleys (1738)
11. The French Revolution (1789)
12. The Edinburgh Missionary Conference (1910)

Note: Extra points if you can identify the subject of the picture above!

WEDNESDAY'S QWOTE: Marva Dawn on Worship

Cartoon courtesy of www.mattglover.com

Today's words come once more from Marva Dawn's great book that deals with the "worship wars" in our churches. Like so many of us, she observes that the church in America has too often chosen to be "of" the world and not "in" the world—the opposite of what Jesus said we should be. And this shows in our worship, our music, and our sermons.

"How will we teach Christianity's specialness if the music in our worship services imitates the superficiality and meaninglessness of the general world and our sermons talk about subjects that those in the pew can learn from psychologists, sociologists, and the local television station? I am very interested in using modern music, as future chapters will demonstrate, but our music must contain the substance of the faith, the heritage of the Church's uniqueness, the character-forming truths of Christianity. Similarly, our sermons must be focused on the Word of God, which is the "special" domain of Christianity."

Marva Dawn
Reaching Out without Dumbing Down

TUESDAY TRAVELS: Earthquake in Kyrgyzstan

UPDATE: Video report from the BBC.

Click HERE for the NYTimes report on Sunday's earthquake in Kyryzstan that, as of this report, killed 72 people and leveled the mountain village of Nura.

And here is an UPDATE about the rescue effort that is underway.

Kyrgyzstan is a small country in Central Asia that was once a Soviet Republic. It is a poor country of mountains, horses, and shepherds. The people are nominally Muslim, but adhere mainly to their own folk religion.

I had the opportunity to visit there in 2001. Dear friends were serving in mission with an international team that was working on educational and agricultural development, as well as encouraging the small Christian community in Naryn, a town in the middle of the country.

I ask us to pray for the people affected by this latest earthquake, especially those in and around Nura. And lift up the Christ-followers there, that they will have God's strength to love and serve those in need.

MONDAY MUSINGS: Part Two

Too many musings to limit myself to one post today. Check out:

• Stephen Mansfield in USAToday on "The New Evangelicals." One observation regarding their political loyalties: "The new evangelical prays for all four nominees but commits unreservedly to none, choosing rather to speak of righteousness to each in the hopes of something more than a mere political victory in November."

• Internet Monk on how the stock of evangelicalism is way over-valued. A couple of his reasons:
  

• Evangelicalism is overvalued because its politically useful. (If I read another email telling me Sarah Palin is Esther I’m going to put a drumstick through my eye.)

• Evangelicalism is overvalued because it has too much music and too little Bible.

• Evangelicalism is overvalued because it constantly claims evidence that God is working through it to change the world, but the evidence in those places dominated by evangelicalism isn’t very convincing.

MONDAY MUSINGS: Blue Parakeet, part 4

Part Two: Listening
Many years ago, in his book Knowing God, J.I. Packer made an invaluable contribution to the church when he reminded us that there is a great difference between knowing about God, and knowing God. The Blue Parakeet takes up this theme in its second part, on "Listening."

Having helped us understand the Big Story by which we must read all the "wiki-stories" of the Bible, Scot McKnight next encourages us to remember another foundational principle. The Bible is God's story, God's book, and our aim in reading it is to listen to the one speaking to us so that we may deepen our relationship with him. He calls this "The Relational Approach to the Bible."

Reading the Bible is part of a personal conversation with God. It also involves us in the ongoing community conversation that God has had with his people over the centuries. We read with the tradition of those who have known God before us, both within the Scriptures themselves and in the subsequent history of God's people. Our goal is not simply to submit to the Bible's authority and obey, though that is clear. Preeminently in this relationship we learn to love. We delight in God's words and treasure them in our hearts. We stand in awe of his wisdom. We welcome his communication as truth, not so much as an intellectual category, but in the recognition that his words reveal reality and integrity and wholeness to us. They promote "shalom." They lead us to love God and others.

Part Three: Discerning
When you read a chapter like Leviticus 19, what do you do? Scot gives a quiz at the beginning of part three of his book, asking which of the commands in Lev 19 we think we should keep, and which we may ignore. It's a great test, because right in the midst of prohibitions against wearing garments made of mixed materials, etc., we are called to "be holy," and to "love your neighbor as yourself." And ALL are backed up, not by cultural reasoning, but by the words, "I am the LORD your God."

How do we know what to apply to our lives from the Bible? Well, one thing is clear—Bible readers, including you and me, have always picked and chosen which instructions we think we should follow from the Scriptures, and we have developed patterns of discernment that guide us in working this out.

What principles do we use to adopt and adapt the Bible? Given that the Bible is not simply a rule book that straightens out all our messy situations and questions, how do we discern? Scot sets forth specific issues raised by the Scriptures, including divorce and remarriage, circumcision, women's dress, cosmology, the death penalty, speaking in tongues, and being all things to all people for the gospel's sake. He does this mainly to prompt us to think about what it means when we say we approach these kinds of matters Biblically. The main test case is raised in the subsequent chapters—the ministry of women in the church—which I will talk about in future posts.

One of the main contributions of The Blue Parakeet is its call for us to own up to our selectivity. No matter how much we may proclaim "the authority of the Bible," or "the sufficiency of Scripture," most of us tend to ignore the processes by which we read and understand and apply its teachings. But the "how" question is so important!

Also, our arrogance in assuming that we know what we're doing when we approach God's words is astounding. I am thoroughly embarrassed by so many of the papers I wrote in Bible college and the "truths" I preached in my early ministry. I also remember reading early evangelistic sermons by one who has been acclaimed as one of the greatest preachers in the 20th century. In one of those messages, his great example of the sinfulness and need for revival among his people was that some of them had started taking daily baths!

Examples could be multiplied, ad finitum, ad absurdum. Thanks to Scot McKnight for calling us to think about these things at a fundamental level.

pSunday Psalms: OVERVIEW OF PSALMS 126-134

THE ISSUES WE FACE IN WORSHIP
When we read these Songs of Ascent together, a flow between them may be detected.

• The first three psalms describe the journey to Jerusalem, from the pilgrim's home (120), to the blessing he receives for his travels (121), to his arrival at Zion (122). They end with the pilgrim praying for the "peace" of the city (122.6-9).

• The second set of three retraces the same themes, from the standpoint of the pilgrim entering Jerusalem. He looks up from his troubles and lifts his eyes to God in trust (123), testifies to God's protection on the journey (124), and expresses his assurance in the security of Zion and God's people (125). The set ends with a blessing of "peace" (125.5).

• Psalms 126-134 describe various issues of life that are addressed for the pilgrim who is participating in the worship at Jerusalem.

What concerns does God help us face and deal with when we come together with His people, and stand before His presence and His Word?

• Restore your people! (Ps 126). Remembering what God has done in the past, we pray that God will bring full and continual renewal to his family.

• Give us our daily bread! (Pss 127-128). Acknowledging that we trust God ultimately for the daily blessings of life in our work and family, we seek his blessing. (Note once more the concluding blessing of "peace" at the end of Ps 128).
  

• Put the world to rights! (Pss 129-130). In these two psalms we pray that the righteous Lord (129.4) will deal justly with those who oppose him (129), and redeem His own people from their sins (130).

• We hope in the Messiah! (Ps 131-132). In Ps 131, David expresses his childlike faith and encourages Israel to hope in the Lord. Then in Ps 132, we respond to David's prayer, and recall God's covenant with David, praying that God will bless His King and provide for those who take refuge in Him.

• Blessed in the Lord's blessing (Ps 133-134). We celebrate the blessing of having worshiped in unity with God's people (Ps 133), and then leave the sanctuary with an antiphonal song of blessing (Ps 134).
  

The collection ends with the main confession of faith in these psalms:

"May the LORD bless you from Zion, He who made heaven and earth." (Ps 134.3)

SATURDAY SPORTS WRAP: October 3-4

Plainfield 24, Franklin 13
Grizzly Cubs break scoring drought, but fail to stop Plainfield's strong running game. Franklin will look to get back on the winning track next Friday at Greenwood.

Franklin College 30, Defiance 14
Grizzlies bounce back after last week's loss at Trine. In this week's Heartland Conference opener, Franklin scored on its first two possessions and controlled the ball the rest of the way for the win. Next week FC returns home to face Bluffton for homecoming.

Dodgers 3, Cubs 1... Dodgers advance
Dismal. Embarrassing. Season over. Baseball is not a hard game. If you don't pitch, field and hit, you don't win. The Cubs didn't pitch in the first game, field in the second, or hit in any of the three. See ya next year.

FRIDAY FOTO: Cubs on the brain

This shot was taken when my son Jesse and I went to a Cubs game in Cincinnati earlier this summer. This is Derek Lee at the plate. I remember that many Cubs swung at bad pitches that night and showed little discipline at the plate. That was an anomaly from the way they hit most of the season. Unfortunately, they are in one of those slumps again, if the first two games of the NLDS are any indication.

Of course, there is still hope, but it's the hope of what most would call a "miracle." Give credit to the Dodgers too. They are playing well at just the right time.

As for me, like most Cubs fans, I'm pretty sure the sky is falling.

THURSDAY THINGAMAJIG: It was the worst of times

(Photo from ChicagoSports.com)

"That wasn't good baseball. In fact, the last two games were probably the two worst games we played all year, from a walking and errors standpoint. It wasn't fun to watch, I can tell you that."

(Lou Piniella)

Superstitious fans will be invoking cosmic phenomena once more, and frankly, who can blame them? One of the best teams in baseball has completely fallen apart in the playoffs. The Cubs would have had a hard time beating a Little League team, the way they played in the first two games of the NLDS. And it wasn't just the walks and errors, painful and inexplicable as they were. It was also an uncharacteristic total lack of discipline at the plate and the absence of any kind of resilience or energy to fight back when down.

Folks, we're reduced to praying for miracles now.

WEDNESDAY QWOTE: Dodgers walk all over Cubs

Ryan Dempster walks seven.
In the fifth inning, he walks the bases loaded.
James Loney hits a grand slam.
Game over.
Cubs are down 1-0 in the NLDS to the Dodgers.

Sigh...


(Photo from ChicagoSports.com)

"We talked about the importance of throwing strikes before the ballgame. And their guys threw strikes and ours didn't. It hurts."

(Lou Piniella)