There is a name for this in my parts - "Multichurching" - not a good scene...we are American consumers in all things - inlcuding church and religious stuff.

Link over at The New York Times
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In the fourth section of this chapter Packer removes any fog about his purposes in this book. He writes “This present chapter is, I confess, advocacy, barefaced and unashamed. In modern parlance this chapter is Packer’s “shameless plug” for the Puritan view of life.

Packer begins the chapter by discussing the mud which has been made of the name “Puritan” throughout the ages. He realizes that he may be climbing a wall of resistance in his readers who just might think that we have nothing to learn from the Puritans. Recounting the recent scholarship in Puritan life and thought, Packer makes his case that the opinion of these people as backward, repressed, darkened hangovers from medieval times has been removed in the area of the scholarship opening new doors to understanding a truly Puritan culture. Packer then contends that the main thing we have to learn from this people, who suffered and labored under extreme difficulty, is maturity. Maturity - a solid, weighty Christianity as compared to the light weight faith of contemporary North American evangelicalism; this is the gift of the Puritans to us today.

The middle of the chapter covers the several areas we can learn from these people who have gone before us. Packer expounds six themes: 1) An integration of their daily lives – seeing all of life as united in one purpose, the honoring of God with all that we are and do. 2) The quality of their spiritual experience – both theological and affective, head and heart, their joy was in God, and their mortification was at their sin. 3) Their passion for effective action – they felt it a Christian duty to reject idleness and laziness for a zeal for reform. 4) Their program of family stability – O for the devotion of the Puritan for “family order, courtesy and family worship” (Packer, 25) such are lost in our day of family entertainment, distraction, busyness in the name of activities. Packer’s cautious critique of the prayerlessness of evangelicalism was kind and gentle – the Puritans would be harder on us. Woe to us a prayerless people before the throne of God. 5) Their sense of human worth – each individual in the image of God – each individual racked and ruined by sin in great need of redemption. Though their view of human depravity is often reviled as pessimistic, their value of the human soul is great in contrast to today’s world saturated by Darwinian assumptions that declare us of little to no value beyond our so called social utility. And finally 6) An ideal for church renewal – and this flowing from reformed pastors, renewed to the calling of gospel ministry and prayerfully working for the good of his people.

The final section of the chapter focused on how the Puritan view of life is fine medicine for the ails of our day. Packer lists three groups as candidate for reform under the pious pen’s of the Puritan pastors. The first he calls restless experientialists, those who “…have fallen victim to a form of worldliness, a man-centered, anti-rational individualism, which turns Christian life into a thrill-seeking ego-trip.” (Packer, 31). For such the Puritans offer God-centeredness, the primacy of the mind, a demand for steadfastness and humility, a recognition that feelings go up and down and that God tries us in times when we are emotionally downtrodden, worship as the primary purpose of all of life, the need for regular self-examination, and the great purposes of suffering to help his children grow in the faith (Packer, 31). Strong medicine for needy souls. The second group mentioned are entrenched intellectuals, those whose need for absolute intellectual perfection in all matters of doctrine cause them to be a bit like a cadaver at the wedding feast of the Lamb…or in the midst of the wine filled party with Jesus at Cana. To these the calling of the Puritans to holy affections, practical theological application, and to a zealous love affair with the living God are a potent elixir. The final group mentioned are the disaffected deviationists, here I could not help but thing “Emergent.” These are those who began as evangelicals but due to a plethora of reasons, have left hurt and/or angry. They are the haters and self proclaimed victims of the evangelical subculture. They see evangelism as intellectually infantile, trite, and even deceptive in its offer of the “good life” as defined by the pop prophets of evangelical blessing theology. To these the salve of the Puritans is a lofty and large, and yes mysterious God. To these is offered a God of redemptive love, which “converts, sanctifies, and ultimately glorifies sinners” (Packer 33). To these is offered the salvation of God, the truth of suffering, spiritual conflict and sorrow, and the protection of God amidst the dangers, toils and snares. Overall, this chapter was effective as a shameless plug. No shame in offering a counterview to all sorts of our goofiness today. My experiential focus, my entrenched intellectualism, and my self-righteous disaffectedness can all use some salve. I look forward to the read.

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Packer begins this chapter with a discussion of Redwoods; large, stately majestic and awesome trees. Such are the Puritans – looming figures of evangelical spirituality towering over the landscape of Anglo-American church history. The introduction of the book primarily features Packer’s reasons for loving the historical Puritan’s and their legacy passed on in their writings. Packer lists seven things he counts as debts he owes to men like John Owen and Richard Baxter – men unworthy of mercy who left us gems of the faith for generations to come. The seven things Packer rips off are as follows. 1) A realization of our continuing sinfulness and the necessity of self-suspicion and mortification over our sin. 2) The Sovereignty of God and the particularity of redemption, 3) The value of discursive meditation; the meditative manner of the Psalms where a man talks to himself before the Almighty, 4) A vision for the pastoral office 5) To see how transient life is and to life in light of death and eternity, 6) A vision of the wholeness of the work of God – reformation/renewal, and finally 7) All Theology is Spirituality – the very practical nature of our Vision of God and his truth. To these I say, Amen! Theology is the thrilling of the soul with the beauty of God for our everlasting joy, satisfaction and hope in the midst of suffering. I need to have that hammered into the skull – no fearing the T-word. --------

I am reading a book by JI Packer (yes, that guy) for a class on personal spiritual disciplines. Part of the gig is to read and review chapters from A Quest for Godliness - The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life. I will roll out the chapter summaries here over the next couple of weeks.

If you find yourself thinking: "Puritans - Yucky!" This book is definitely for you.

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I don't know Michael Haykin - but I have a class under him in two weeks - I really look forward to meeting him. The reading list he gave us for the class is great - and this blog entry is pretty funny:

A short exerpt:

There will be some, I am sure, picturing themselves as brave souls going where few in our day have gone before—and so experiencing the adventure of the Christian life in all of its white-water intensity—who take up Barna’s suggestions and try to do Christianity without Church. In so doing, they will be sculpting their Christianity into the shape of our culture or sitting down to supper with the devil with a short spoon—either metaphor is frightening—and abandoning one of the key verities of the Faith.

There is no "churchless Christianity" this is a great myth of our times...

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Justin Taylor has links to several reviews of George Barna's "Revolution" - the reviews at the bottom by Ken Miller, Michael Haykin and Chris Treat look very interesting.

As to some other sort of kooky things Barna is in to - see my entry from June 2005...

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Continuing in the 50 best category, Wired Magazine has offered its list of the 50 best robots of all time - some real, some fictional.

My vote would be for Optimus Prime - autobot leader and Transformer from my kiddo days.

But I do agree with Engadet - What about Johnie Five?

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Is this just sick or what? I am all for swimming in a culture with people - connecting with people where they live etc...but is there some prostitution going on here before the world?

Have the money changers moved venue and now offer the gospel in the name of prize packages and giveaways? Why not just find some poor people in the church and give them a house?

A sad thing going on here...
http://www.newsobserver.com/24hour/religion/story/3006864p-11693734c.html

HT-Challies
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PC World has a fun article up about the 50 greatest gadgets of the last 50 years. Of course all such lists are pespectival in nature, but it is fun to see all the gizmos over the last 1/2 century.

Now, whether or not these have made life "better" is a deep and philosophical question. That we must save for other days...

Here is the list of these boogers that I have owned:

• Walkman
  
• iPod
  
• PalmPilot 1000 (US Robotics!)
  
• Atari Video Computer System (1977)
  
• Sony Betamax (1975) Yep, we bought one, but when it went the way of the T Rex we got a VHS :)
  
• Iomega Zip Drive (1995) - though I went with a Syquest EZDrive first!
  
• Play, Inc. Snappy Video Snapshot (1996) - used it with our VHSC camcorder to digitize video
  
• Milton Bradley Simon (1978) - this was the first Christmas that I found out the secret about Santa Claus
  

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What the Bible does say about the reality of divine judgment. Not a doctrine for rejoicing, rather for weeping...

No person ever should be flippant or trivial about the teaching of Jesus about Hell. Nor should one be silent or evasive either...

A helpful primer by John Sampson is found here

A quote from the post:

Dr. John Piper wrote the following, "Hell is unspeakably real, conscious, horrible and eternal-- the experience in which God vindicates the worth of his glory in holy wrath on those who would not delight in what is infinitely glorious." (God's Passion for His Glory, pg. 38)

PS - Don't buy the Bahnsen DVD featured on the site :)

HT - Challies

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People dropping funny little notes when returning their Netflix flix.

This one is great

HT - Challies

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Great link over at worldmagblog.com to an article by Doug Giles on contextualization - a great CS Lewis quote can be found there. Good advice to the older generation...

C.S. Lewis: “Our business is to present that which is timeless in the particular language of our own age. The bad preacher does exactly the opposite: he takes the ideas of our own age and tricks them out in the traditional language of Christianity. Your teaching must be timeless at its heart and wear a modern dress.”

HT World- Timeless ideas in a modern dress

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Newsweek has a story on a new HBO show featuring a family of 4. Not husband, wife and two kids. But man and three wives...

Link - Television: The Spouses of 'Big Love' - Who's Next - Newsweek - MSNBC.com

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Yesterday, our family flew to North Carolina to enjoy the Christmas Holiday with my wife's parents and brother. It was an early morning drive to the airport and then off on the Southwest flight to Raleigh. I had been a little sick the last few weeks, but had pushed through to continue work and family responsibilities - being there for my kids etc. On the flight, I guess infected sinuses and changes in air pressure caused some intense extreme pain in my face. Although lasting only a minute or so, it was some of the craziest pain I have had in my life. Later last evening I developed somewhat of a sinus migraine and attempted to go to be early - real early for me...what would have been about 7pm CST. I laid in bed and realized the intense connection of soul and body - my body was in extreme discomfort and I contemplated the state of my life, my calling before God, and where our family was in its growth and development. In thinking about such things there was nothing but a dark cloud before me - a haze amidst the blessings of God. I knew that my heart was not apprehending reality due to my headaches, but it was quite a learning experience to be so affected in body that I could not see like with any sort of clarity. I laid in bed for a couple of hours before rising again to be with my inlaws (I love my inlaws so it was easy to get up to spend some time). After some sinus - knock your butt out to sleep medicine, I did get rest. Then this morning I was still feeling quite bad, so I took most of the day to read the Bible, a great biography of Jim Elliot and turn again my heart to the contemplation of my life before God. Well, with the headache gone, I did find a bit more to be thankful for, a bit more to rejoice in, and a bit more peace. Yet, I still am not at rest completely. I tend to bite off way too many duties in life -perhaps to feel adequate, perhaps a desire to be needed or to be important. Either way, I felt a great peace today reading about God's sovereign hand in the life of Job and in the life of Jim Elliot. I felt a great kinship to Elliot - a man who was wrestling with calling, desiring to be great (and confessing the sick pride involved with that), and just wanting his life to be used by his God.

I guess this past 24 hours have been good. I guess I still want to be used greatly for the Kingdom of Christ...I guess I still need God to trample on my pride...I guess I still don't know what to do in the next five years of my life...but Elliots words helped me today.

He gives enough to know what to do for today. Yes, enough...even with headaches.

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All these words are not used very much today: honor, affections, glory, truth, grace, mercy, joy (and rejoice), Jesus, and esv – I plan to use them all a lot and make them cool for those I know. Join the crowd, sign the petition, use the lingo

• By the grace of God I am what I am
• Show honor to one another, what a cool way to treat folk
• The Truth will set you free!
• Jesus have mercy on me a sinner
• Rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory
• Read the ESV – it is cool
• Give us blazing, white hot, affections for you God!

Out --------

For all my dispy buddies out there - this is just too funny. Tooooo funny. Thanks Purgatorio! You crack us all up.

By the way - choose the ESV for your Bible Translation

Link - purgatorio: You Know You've Attained Dispensationalist Divine Status When:

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Very good post over at Theologica - please read this. This is very helpful

Link Between Two Worlds: Does the Date of Christmas Have Its Origin in Paganism?

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Joshua Harris has posted to his blog the reasons why his church is now having Sunday services on Christmas Sunday.

For many this is not an issue about "Christmas" but cancelling gathered worship for Christmas. I guess Harris has come to this conclusion:

Link - Josh Harris Blogs: The Wrong Decision

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Some articles written about the Today's New International Version (TNIV)

Link - 10-2.pdf (application/pdf Object)

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Just for fun - A very non-scientific power of change poll:

Christmas and Church

Will you be attending Church on Christmas Sunday?

Yes, but my home church is closed Yes, at my home church No, my home church is closed No, but my home church is open Church? Yeah, right

View Current Results

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Looking around this "childless web site" shows some interesting links - check out the following - Baby Not on Board | Links

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Intentional Childlessness - a sign of our times. In our day there is no shyness or shame when it comes to intentional self-centeredness and selfishness...such is our world where self is first in all things. A recent book by Jennifer L. Shawne is recruiting the world to not have kids.

• Do you think minivans are for losers?Do you secretly believe all babies look like squooshed worms?
• Do you actively avoid eating at establishments offering complimentary crayons?
• Does the thought of giving birth make you reach for the nearest martini?
• Do you ever wonder - Why have kids when I could just have fun?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you're ready for the wonderful world of unparenting. In Baby Not on Board (Chronicle Books), author and humorist Jennifer L. Shawne reveals what you can expect when you're not expecting, offering advice, wisdom, and support on topics ranging from throwing yourself an unbaby shower, coping with dreaded OPCs (other people's children), finding appropriate child substitutes for those innevitable weak moments, plus plenty of reasons why your life is perfect just the way it is.

Sure, having a baby is great, but NOT having a baby is really great. Congratulations and welcome to your fabulous childfree lifestyle.

If the world should take such advice the results would be catostrophic. In the malaise of predicted population bombs, consumeristic hoarding lifestyles, western culture somehow has bought into the idea that civilizations strength lies with the elimination of people. Less people means less ideas, less people to work, an aging population and shrinking revenue bases. Less people means that those who actually have kids, and their ideas and their civilization will cease to propogate and persist. What happens if Islamic fundamentalism continues to radically out procreate the secular west? We should watch Europe, a society which is not reproducing, with great interest in the next 50 years.

Al Mohler is scheduled to appear tonight on the CNN news program Anderson Cooper 360 to debate Mrs. Shawne on the cultural phenomenon of deliberate childlessness

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I received the question on POC blog a while back - I thought it worth an entry:

Question Do you think God Created any other universes? If he could create this one in seven days I think he would have done several others?

"Great question. THe hard part about the question of multiverse is that it is impossible for us to verify. Let me explain. Say God did create a bunch of other universes, lets for example say 10 of em. These universes would have their own space/time fabric, perhaps different physical constants etc. The problem is that we could have no knoweldge of them. We could not observe them because they would be uterly other. If God did create them, he would have to 'tell us so' because we could not infer them from this created universe. And to my knowledge God has not spoken in such a manner. 'Hey Reid, Universe ZENON is cool' - I have never heard anything like that from God - and if I did, I would think I was crazy before I believed it was God talking. What I do know is this - this universe has been created. Before it existed, prior to the big bang, nothing existed - then all things were brought into existence. So in my book, the cause of this universe must be: 1) uncaused 2) personal - decided to create 3)powerful and intelligent - well, look at this universe 4) timeless or eternal - for the creator existed before ther was any time - that is hard to even say - but 'before' here is metaphysically or logically before time. This God, visited this universe in the person of Jesus of Narareth (Read John 1) and revealed"

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Gospel for Asia President K.P. Yohannan has called for worldwide prayer for an Indian pastor and his family after Hindu radicals took over their home and church building.

"It is the first time in the history of Gospel for Asia that a Christian place of worship has been taken over by radical Hindus and turned into a temple," K.P. said. "This is a very serious matter, and one for which Christians all around the world need to be praying and fasting."
To continue reading...Hindu Extremists Desecrate Church - Gospel For Asia

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"Let us become like Christ, since Christ became like us. Let us become God's for His sake, since He for ours became Man. He assumed the worse that He might give us the better; He became poor that we through His poverty might be rich; He took upon Him the form of a servant that we might receive back our liberty; He came down that we might be exalted; He was tempted that we might conquer; He was dishonored that He might glorify us; He died that He might save us; He ascended that He might draw to Himself us, who were lying low in the Fall of sin. Let us give all, offer all, to Him Who gave Himself a Ransom and a Reconciliation for us. But one can give nothing like oneself, understanding the Mystery, and becoming for His sake all that He became for ours." HT - Sandy Young --------

This is a crazy story - BREITBART.COM - Pregnant Skydiver Survives Face-First Fall

HT (JivinJehosophat)

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Melinda Penner over at Stand to Reason Blog weighs in on the Christmas issue...

Link - No Church on Christmas?

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Now for those who know me, I'm not a big fan of certain types of "singles" ministry that goes around in some parts. You know, "Hi I want to get married, lets all act weird now" sorts of gigs.

But this looks like a great conference for Singles...plus, they people behind it are pithy. This is from their "Save the Wheel" Campaign:

Like the wheel, Truth never changes. You can’t reinvent or improve on Truth. This is the Wheel: unchanging Truth established by God.

Here is the skinny on the conference:

* History
* Speakers
* Travel & Lodging
* The Details
* Register
* Testimonies
* The Stuff

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A great poem and hymn by William Cowper (1731-1800)

God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform; He plants His footsteps in the sea And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

To hear the hymn see William Cowper - God Moves in a Mysterious Way

• Other Works by Cowper
• Bio on Cowper

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Oh Alvin - you silly fundamentalist. See a pithy treatment of the word "fundamentalist" by renowned philosopher Alvin Plantinga.

HT The A-Team Blog :: Plantinga on Fundamentalism

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Time Magazine is running a piece on their web site on the recent discussions about closing church on Sunday - Christmas Sunday.

Link - TIME.com: The Fight Before Christmas

HT - Justin Taylor - Theologica

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I want to begin this post by saying that I am thankful for Christian bookstores. It is an unbelievable blessing to be able to purchase Bibles and good books with such ease and convienience. But then again, there is something that makes me a little nasueas when I walk into some of these places.

Usually I am an online book buyer these days - but today, I needed two books of Christian biography. Usually I would guess that the bookstores would not carry much in the way of biography, theology, biblical studies, etc. But this person, Jim Elliot, is a big name so I took my chances at the local bookstore. Thankfully, they had the two books I needed - so again, I'm thankful for the Christian bookstore. But then...I was nauseated a bit.

When I look at the stuff the Christians are reading today, it makes me want to bang my head into the wall. Such me centered stuff that says so little about God - his excellencies, his works, his beauty, his calling, the radical call to suffer and have hope in a great mission of making disciples, living in communities of depth and truth and compassion so that God is glorified in his church. Here are some of my observations:

• There was a Purpose Driven life book bound in leather, with gold pages, looking just like a Bible. Makes me wonder if some have actually made the switch
• There is so much junk out there in the name of Jesus. Did he say "Go forth and be consumers of Jesus Junk" - We are so American that I fear we all get drowned in all the stuff we buy - even in Jesus name.
• One of the top selling Bibles at this store was "The Message - Remix" - Praise God for Eugene Peterson and his labors, his works are a great gift to the church. Yet the Message is not even a translation of the Bible. It is a devotional paraphrase, not the word of God. I am thankful for such an uplifting paraphrase in our day - but nauseated that it is actually a best selling "Bible" - at least at this store it was.
• We seem to be addicted to Max Lucado (no offense to Max as his books have blessed many) while Jonathan Edwards or the works of Thomas Aquinas or Augustine or Bunyan or Spurgeon are scarecly found. I can't say anymore about the light weight reading we do. We American evangelicalism appaer to be joined to easy, how to, self-improvement, just smile at Jesus, how much the universe is about me...literature. How can such a church suffer for great and precious promises and a mission amidst broken people?
• T-shirt section - Well let's just say that I prefer not to even write about what I saw there.
  

So, I thank God for bookstores, the freedom we have and the ease of access of Christian Literature (even Jim Elliot biography)...but God help us that we would not be a consumeristic, trite, trivial, light weight, and silly people.

Lost in such a morass is silence, solitude, meditation, prayer, study, thought, growth in virtues such as patience, longsuffering, self-control - and when these go - so goes our transformation, the reorientation of our desires, the joys unspeakable, and the hope of eternity. And the mission labors and sputters and chokes amidst our trivialities.

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My friend Dale Fincher at Soulation has a great article up on the new Narnia flick. Dale is as well read on Lewis as any I know and has a keen mind for dramatic works. He offers a great perspective to the movie that I have yet to see among the rave reviews. His perspective is that the movie is good, but the Aslan of the film is a bit two-dimensional and sorely lacking compared to the Lion of Lewis. And even more so in comparison with the Lion of Judah.

A good read - just rotate the PDF once opened. A_Tame_Movie.pdf (application/pdf Object)

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Justin Taylor has an interesting discussion on the phenomena of Christian churches not holding services on Sunday morning, Dec 25th.

Many out there are making a huge deal about this, Taylor's post links to two sides on the issue...

Link - Between Two Worlds: Sorry, We're Closed

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Chuck Colson writes a short post on how many of evangelicalism optimisms are misplaced in a world of suffering. Colson would like to know that many younger believers have punted long ago on "the perfect life" this side of eternity.

This cursed world is cursed, and dark. It hurts - this generation knows this well. Oh, that only we would find shelter under the wing of God who has cursed this world because of our sin. In Him we find freedom from our depravity and hope in every darkness. For after the last of the tears have fallen - redemption of all things will come. It will not be winter forever - the promised resurrection awaits.

Link My Soul's Dark Night - Christianity Today Magazine

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Many are familiar with the vampire novels written by Anne Rice. Some of you may have heard of her recent return to the Roman Catholic Church out of decades of wandering in existential thought and unbelief. There is an interesting interview with her on Christianity Today's Web Site.

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There is an interesting post over at Uncommon Descent on the relationship of science to the humanities. Is our culture scientifically ignorant due to the teaching of the humanities or is or culture scientifically ignorant due to its anti-intellectual, anti-truth, anti-knowledge worldview that has flowed from the educational establishment.

For one, I would argue that our culture is woefully ignorant of both science and the humanities. We don't know calculus and we do not know Plato and we do not know Shakespeare. We know the bus (aka Jerome Betis), playdo, and Britney Spears.

It is not a high time for the American intellectual. Secular, Christian, or otherwise.

Link -
Uncommon Descent -- If only people knew more science

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I am writing in response to Al Mohler's recent commentary Darkness At Noon: A Post-Christian Age. Mohler's essay is a reminder of the world we live in today. A world where truth is maligned, Christ ruled illegal, pop culture is base and perverted, and lives live huddled behind locked doors, clinging to stuff we do not need. In reading the essay, I could not help but cry out. "Yet brother, we have a blessed hope." So many who are embroiled in the culture wars need to remind us all that we do not live in a universe ruled by darkness, ruled by secular encroachment, ruled by post-Christian powers. No, our universe in ruled by a good and Sovereign God. Dr. Mohler has reminded us all of this in many ways. I just want to encourage everyone that God is not thrwarted by secularism, that the light of Christ still shines brightly, ever more brightly in the midst of the darkness.

He still rules, converts, leads and transforms souls. He uses his people to love the hurting, care for the oppressed, preach good news to the captive. Here is our call to alert. It is this: Love them! Share Jesus with them! Bless the Cities and Highways and Byways with the fragrant aroma of Christ. To some, it will be the smell of death...yes, even to the cultural warriors arrayed on many fronts. But to others, even to the cultural warriors arrayed on many fronts, it will be the aroma of Life!

Yes, there are dark signs today. Yet there have been dark clouds since the ship wreck which happened in Eden. There are dark signs in every age - ours included. But the redemptive purposes of God shall stand through every age. The time of the church triumphant is not yet at hand, nor will it be brought about by politics or rhetoric, but only by the moving of a gracious God. To Him we pray as we yearn, think, study, preach, love, serve, work, and are ever hopefull...while it is still called today.

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More on the importance of loving God with our minds.

Link - Theological Education That Transforms, Part Two

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The Sevens are going around the blogsphere...

Seven things to do before I die (in no particular order)

1. Plant a bunch of churches
   
2. Perform both my daughter's weddings to decent men
   
3. Stay married to my wife
   
4. Write a big thick book - I mean a really big, thick one - not a boring one, but one with some girth
   
5. Teach the gospel to some of my friends' kids
6. See Va Tech win a national title in football - and not fall into idolatry
7. Own a Harley

Seven things I cannot do

1. Speak Esperanto - but I know those who have attempted to learn
   
2. Bench 400lbs
3. Drink Coffee (unless Caramel Frappuccino counts)
   
4. Laplace Transforms
   
5. Wear pants with a 32 inch waist
   
6. Travel through worm holes to other galaxies
   
7. Stop eating pizza
   

Seven things that attract me to my spouse

1. Her quiet wit
2. Her tenacity (in sports, in shopping for a good deal, in quietly matching me in an argument - man I love that - or do I hate it...no, I love it!)
   
3. How cute she is coaching soccer
   
4. She is smokin good lookin
   
5. She is kind to our girls when they are sick...and me too.
   
6. She has a sharp mind
7. She accepts my complexities
   

Seven things I say most often

1. Crud!
2. I'm a fat piece of $^^#%# (hang ups from my wrestling days when I was 4% body fat)
3. Using the word "Jacked" with 5 different meanings
   
4. Daddy loves you
5. Heavy sighs when I am burdened (well, not exactly words, but it counts)
6. Let me read you something
7. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that
   

Seven books or series I love

1. Desiring God by John Piper
   
2. Can Man Live without God by Ravi Zacharias
3. Orthodoxy by GK Chesterton
   
4. ESV
5. The Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards
   
6. On Bullshit by Harry G. Frankfurt (a great piece of philosophy by a Princeton Prof)
7. Proslogion by Anselm of Cantebury
   

Seven movies I would watch over and over again (no particular order)

1. Braveheart
2. Lord of the Rings - any of em
   
3. Star Wars - any of em, even Attack of the Clones
4. Its a Wonderful Life
5. The Sound of Music - yeah, but only because my Mom hooked me on it
   
6. Fletch
7. My Big Fat Greek Wedding - in honor of my buddy Jim Krouscas
   

Seven people I want to join in too (most don't have blogs...)

1. John Hardie
2. John Piper
3. Sandy Young
4. Jim Krouscas
5. Doug Gotcher
6. Mark Driscoll
7. Jeff Schulte

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In a little book of 174 pages (it is one of those small-sized books, I read it in a little over an hour) CJ Mahaney has given us all a great gift. Mahaney in a fun self-depricating tone goes about his task of writing a book on being humble. After all the "expert" on humility seems disqualified to write upon it. The many people who know this man speak of the reality of his life as one rightly tested and seasoned to write such a book.

The first part of the book is refreshingly theological. Now, for those who are afraid of the "T-word" do not be alarmed. The tone is pastoral and the writing very approachable here...don't expect a boring dissertation. Part I deals with the wonderful quality of humility and contrasts it with the insidious nature of pride. Chapter 2 - The Perils of Pride, is a gracious cutting into the soul, revealing to us the sickness of pride that lurks, erupts and deceives all of us.

The second part of the book looks at the greatest person of humility in history - the person of Christ. Mahaney writes as one close to the person he is describing from the pages of the Bible. He is not a distant observer of the humble servant King, but one who has walked with the Savior for some time. It is such a refreshing thing in our day of sound bites and religious slogans to see one love Christ with heart and admiration...as well as respect for the Cross. His writings on the cross in other places echo here as well.

During the first two parts I just felt. "CJ, I'm with you dog, I get it, I hear you, I am a sick prideful dude...and Jesus is our solution, his cross is the great pride defeater...so I need some practical help, I need to know some stuff I can do to fight the beast of Pride!" Well, if I had purused the table of contents I would have know that Part III was called The Practice of True Humility

This third section of the book is a gem of practical example and council along with a simplicity that is missing today. So ofter we think the solutions to the issues of our soul are found in counseling, working through issues, etc. Now, these have there place, but what concerns me is the neglect of "Prayer, study of Scripture, Christian Friendship" as great formers of the soul. Mahaney goes to great steps to give us the goods from his own life...how he tries to walk humble with his God. As I made it through the final chapters I kept thinking "Man, it would great to have a little cheat sheet summary of this stuff" Well, wouldn't you know they provided just that with a summary listed on pages 171-172 under the title How to Weaken Pride and Cultivate Humility (Links and parentheticals are mine).

Always

1. Reflect on the Wonder of the Cross

As Each Day Begins

1. Begin each day acknowledging your dependence on God and need for God
2. Begin each day expressing gratefulness to God
3. Practice the Spiritual Disciplines - Prayer, study of God's Word, worship. Do this consistently each day, at the day's outset if possible
4. Seize your commute time to memorize and meditate on Scripture (spoken from an author who lives in the Washington DC metro area)
5. Cast your cares (worries, etc) on him because he cares for you.

As Each Day Ends

1. At the end of the day, transfer the glory to God
2. Before going to sleep, receive the gift of sleep from God and acknowledge his purpose for sleep.

For Special Focus

1. Study the Attributes of God - Go here for a starter
   
2. Study the Doctrines of Grace - Go here for a starter
   
3. Study the doctrine of Sin - Go here for a starter
   
4. Play Golf as Much as Possible - (Well, I will have to pass on that one, but some of you will delight)
5. Laugh often, and laugh often at yourself

Through Your Days and Weeks

1. Identify evidences of grace in others
2. Encourage and serve others each and every day
3. Invite and Pursue correction
4. Respond humbly to trials

More than anything, I needed to read this book at this time in my life. God's timing I suppose. I can be so caught up in me sometimes it is just sickening. Many thanks to CJ as he points out our sickness and offers the Scriptural remedy:

Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:5-7

Sola Deo Gloria

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I can see how this could benefit people in some cases, but it sure is weird and I can imagine some very weird applications of this sor t of thing down the road.

Link - First Face Transplant Patient Recovering - Yahoo! News

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Now that I have finished up two seminary classes and a boat load of reading. I have a week or two of holiday reading to get to. So this week I hope to get to these little black books

God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God's Love As the Gift of Himself (Hardcover)
by John Piper

Humility : True Greatness (Hardcover)
by C.J. Mahaney

While I am reading these little black gems, I really need to quit looking at this one:

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This is just funny, too funny

HT Purgatorio - purgatorio: You Might Be Emerging If...

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Tonight I was taking care of my little girls while Mom and a friend went out to a movie. It was fun to wrestle, play with trains, read books, and do ballerina dances. One of the girls battery powered trains (Percy from Thomas the Tank Engine fame). Kayla, my oldest, came running to me to see if I could fix Percy for them. Well, it wasn't a lot to do, but I told them that "Daddy will fix it." To this short promise, my 4 year old darted off into the other room exclaiming "Daddy fix it, Daddy fix it, Daddy fix it!"

Such trust, such jubilation gave me a serious pause. My first thought was a bit hopeless. I thought of all the crap in the world, all the pain, all the disappointment, all the sin, all the things people do to each other and I thought...I can't fix it. I just can't. I admit I was in a bit of a melancholy mood coming off a tiring two weeks of ministry and longing for some rest. But then it hit me. I can't fix everything...But Daddy can fix it.

¹⁸For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. ¹⁹For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope ²¹that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ²²For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. ²³And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? ²⁵But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Romans 8:18-25

Though this present age is filled with pain...Daddy will fix it. This is our hop