Table Talk

My Second Sermon

2009-10-07T20:39:00.001-06:00

(if interested, this is the text from my second sermon.)

Two Complaints or The Gospel according to Habakkuk.

(BTW - Thanks to Jay Bennett for some revision help)

[TEXT: Habakkuk 2:4]

We just sang:

Thy justice, like mountains, high soaring above
Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.

Open your pew Bibles to the book of Habakkuk and let us see see how Habakkuk responds to such grand thoughts of God's justice:

Hab 1:2 O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you "Violence!" and you will not save? Hab 1:3 Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. Hab 1:4 So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth.

You may have read our text from Habakkuk 2:4 on the front cover, one of the most quoted OT verses in the New Testament. But Habakkuk, believe it or not, does not start in chapter two, but begins with Habakkuk, registering a complaint with God. In fact, Habakkuk has two complaints before we get to 2:4. We are looking at these two complaints together tonight, as we take a quick journey through the whole book of Habakkuk.

Habakkuk begins his prayer, skipping any formalities, naming of grand attributes of God, or praising of God's name and goes straight to “Why are you not listening?!” I cry “violence” and why will you not save. Habakkuk lives near the end of the time of the kingdom of Judah. Israel has been conquered and taken into exile, and Judah alone remains. Judah had been known as the good kingdom compared to Northern Israel, but at this time Judah is worshiping Baal and Mannassah, King of Judah, had even sacrificed his own son by fire to foreign gods! It's a horrible situation in Judah. Habakkuk cries out to God, if you are Holy and Just, why do you not save us from this evil?!

We find ourselves among much evil. The scary part is when it comes from within the people of God, within the church. The recent approval of sexual perversion by multiple denominations in their own clergy. We saw a so-called revival meeting last year in Florida that ended with money stolen from participants and an affair by the main pastor leading it. We see sex abuse scandals involving clergy and children. We think of the middle ages when there was dishonest theft from the poor by the church to build a building in Rome.

Are we not tempted to shout with Habakkuk: “Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth.” What good is the law with all this evil?!

It may seem impious and irreverent to say such things. We like to critique the attitude of Biblical characters. But that's what makes Old Testament characters like Job and Habakkuk so interesting and relevant is they shock us with their honesty. They haven't learned to hide their doubts and even anger at God as well as we have. The words shock us, but they do not shock God. God is not at a loss for words.

In response to Habakkuk's complaint, crying to be saved from human evil, God assures him that His Justice is coming, in verse 6, he says He is raising up the Chaldeans, a tribe of the Babylonians, to violently seize their nation from them in God's Justice. God's wrath against sin and human evil will be shown in His Justice.

The end. Habakkuk's happy now, right?

Of course not! Habakkuk then files a second complaint and says:

1:13 You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?

Basically he says: “The Chaldeans will judge us?! That's not the answer I wanted! They are worse than we are!” What's the problem now? Habakkuk is realizing he's targeting the very ship he is standing on! Habakkuk is a member of the nation of Judah. And as a part of Judah, how can God allow a less righteous people come to punish a more righteous nation?!

Let's look at this dialog: First Habakkuk cried for salvation from human evil. Then, God's Justice acts and promises swift justice and wrath. Then, Habakkuk needs salvation from God's Justice.

Habakkuk appeals for deliverance. But, on what grounds? What grounds does Habakkuk appeal to God from, that God would spare Judah? “We're better than those guys.” We are more righteousness than them. Sure, I just admitted we are really evil. But we're not THAT BAD.

The guy who killed someone in the paper, he deserves justice. But us? We only kill my boss in my mind everyday when we see that idiot. We're not actually going to do it! The guys in the papers that had a string of bank robberies, they deserve to go to prison. We may just under-report my assets to the IRS. It's different. We are relatively more righteous than those other horrible people! I should live on account of my righteousness! Can't you grade on a curve, God!? It's only fair.

Habakkuk sits back and thinks he has God in a corner (2:1). God answers the second complaint, letting Habakkuk know the Chaldeans will have to answer His justice, but this is where we get the answer of 2:4, our text. This is the problem 2:4 comes to answer. God must explain to more-righteous-than-them Habakkuk what sort of righteousness God is looking for in man. Not a puffed up pride, as better-than-the-next-guy righteousness, but

Hab 2:4 "Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.
Notice what God did not say. The righteous do not live by man's righteousness. They do not live by being better than the next guy. He lives by faith.

Jesus has a nack for taking a hard teaching and making it offensive. In the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector going to the Temple to pray, the Pharisee prays: Thank you that I am not like this man, who openly steal from his people. The tax collector merely beat his chest and said, have mercy on me, a sinner. Luke's account tells us that Jesus has the audacity to say the one known to steal from his people openly, the tax collector, "went home justified." But the Pharisee lived better! In comparison, he was more righteous! How can a less righteous acting man be justified? Only the tax collector had pleaded for God's mercy in faith, rather than pleading his own righteousness.

God's Justice does not grade on a curve. You see the man who pleads his own righteousness does have a sort of faith. But where is that faith? In himself and his righteousness. “his soul is puffed up.” The righteousness God speaks of is different. It is marked by the righteousness of the object of faith, not the person believing.

When Habakkuk gets his third time to speak, well, the third time's a charm. Habakkuk first wanted God to save them from human evil because God is Holy. When God's Holy Justice answers with wrath against sin, Habakkuk needs salvation from God's wrath. But when God takes away the ground of Habakkuk's righteousness, Habakkuk finally gets it in chapter 3. In 3:2. He asks the Lord in fear:

Hab 3:2 in wrath, remember mercy.
Finally, Habakkuk asks for salvation from God's wrathful justice against human sin by appealing to God's mercy, rather than Habakkuk's righteousness. What that faith ultimately looks like is that faith does not plead one's own righteousness, but faith pleads the righteousness of Another, which Habakkuk is going to do. Isaac Watts wrote in a hymn: “The best obedience of my hands, dares not appear before Thy Throne, but Faith can answer Thy Demands, by pleading what my Lord has done.” Is it our obedience or Christ's we trust? Is it what we have done or Christ has done?

I argue that Habakkuk had faith in Christ's work. How can I say that, since Habakkuk lived before Christ? Indeed, but the God had covenanted with his people in order that mercy and grace might be shown, from Genesis 3:15 on, where the seed of the woman would “crush the head of the serpent,” the source of evil. This is what Habakkuk is appeals to in 3:13 where he expectantly says

Hab 3:13 You went out for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of your anointed. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked, laying him bare from thigh to neck.

Habakkuk has turned from himself to God's promise. As God has done before with defeating Pharaoh and will do with the Chaldeans and again definitively in the Promised Messiah. The ground of appeal had to be moved from a false righteousness to the promise of the seed crushing the head of evil. The ground of faith is the Righteous One and His promises. Habakkuk ends his prayer in 3:18, appealing to “the God of my salvation, The Lord is my strength” or the word can also be translated resources or wealth, or treasure. The grounds of Habakkuk's appeal have fully moved from his own power and treasure of righteousness to God's righteousness and mercy.

The Ancient Jew had to rest on God and His promises in faith alone, that He would save him. We are no different in essence on this side of the coming of Jesus. Where is Habakkuk's ultimate hope? “The God of my salvation” (3:18)

Where is our hope? In Jesus. In Yeshua. In the name that literally means: “The Lord saves.” Habakkuk trusts the “God of my salvation” just as we trust Jesus “The Lord saves.” Will God answer the problem of evil? Yes in Holy Justice. How can we be saved then from God's wrath in justice? How can God “in wrath, remember mercy?” being both Just and merciful? By God Himself taking on the wrath of God. Only by God Himself being the one that fulfills all righteousness under the law. Only in the God of our salvation. Only in Yeshua, the Lord saves.

From human sin, from the wrath of God's Justice, we fly to no other source when we come to the table. We do not trust our flesh to fulfill all righteousness under the law, but trust Christ's truly righteous flesh. We do not pay our penalty with our tainted blood, but plead Christ' truly righteous blood as payment. We come to exchange. Our righteousness, which at best is filthy rages, for true righteousness.

Come to the table to plead with our God with the words of the prophet: “in wrath, remember mercy, oh God of my salvation.” Amen.

Reflections: The Unforgiving Servant

2009-10-05T07:00:00.000-06:00

I thought I would post a couple of reflections from some Sunday School lessons. The second also comes from a lesson I did no Matthew 18:

A Practical look at the parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:23-35):

Matthew 18:23-35 - "Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.

But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, 'Pay what you owe.' So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."

First we should explain the parable. A servant, (doulos – bond-servant. Indebted to a master that works because of that debt) under authority of the master, has a LARGE DEBT. 10,000 Talents. One Talent is worth about 20 years labor. Thus, 10,000 Talents would take 200,000 years to pay off. Let's assume even a modest American salary ($40,000 a year). If Jesus told the story today, he could have just said $8 billion. It doesn't matter, the point is he can't pay it back. The forgiveness is not on the basis of ability to repay, it is shear mercy not to lock him up.

Then the servant, under the authority of the master, finds a fellow servant, also under the authority of the master, who owes him 100 denarii. This would be 100 days wages. Let's just assume it is a fourth of a year. This is not a small amount of money. Sometimes we say, this was absurd for person to hold a grudge over such a small amount. If someone owed you $10,000, you would not think it is a small thing. It is real, and the lack of it is felt by the servant. But the forgiven servant does not forgive, and has the other servant thrown in prison. The Master then is angered at the forgiven servant and gives him to the “jailor” which is actually better translated the “torturer,” to punish him “until he should pay back all the debt.” He cannot pay it back, so the punishment is life long.

Q: What is the purpose of parables?

Instruction or judgment. Perhaps both. Remember David and Nathan. Nathan tells a story, David judges the man in the story, and Nathan says, “you are the man!”

Q: Who is the Master? [God]

Q: Who is the forgiven servant? [Peter; or to apply it now: us]

Peter's question was “how many times do I forgive?” The answer: Forgive to the degree that you believe you have been forgiven.

The degree to which you forgive is the degree to which you believe you have been forgiven. If you believe you have been forgiven little you will forgive little. If you think your debt is small, you forgive small.

If you think that is hard, I think this is mild compared to the extent to which you are to forgive:

Have you ever forgiven someone but thought, “Yeah, I'll forgive you, but I hope you get hit by a bus.” or at least “I hope you fail at everything you do.” It's not only forgiveness, its asking that they may be blessed:

Luke 6:28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.

It is even harder than forgiveness. Those that wrong you: you are to pray for, not just that God would make them see how wrong they are, but that God would bless them, make them successful, and show favor to them. That's a very hard next step. To those we harbor painful memories and thoughts towards, can we ask for blessings for them?

I heard a pastor once say that he gave this advice to a woman that was deeply wronged by her husband. The pastor's advice? Pray for his well being. Pray that God will bless them. That's hard. And if we are just told to do this we should say “Why should we?!”

Think of what these actions have done in history: Stephen, in the midst of being stoned to death, asks God to forgive the people that are not just calling him names, not stealing money from him, not saying things behind his back, but in the middle of killing him: “God, forgive them.” Think of what that prayer did. It saved Paul. If Paul heard the prayer, I'm sure he was offended at it, but God heard it. Why did God choose Paul to be an Apostle, I think maybe it was because Stephen prayed for him.

Who else modeled this but Christ on the cross?: “Father forgive them.” What did that prayer do? It interceded for us.

The objection may be leveled that forgiving and asking blessing on those who are debtors to us, that have wronged us in painful ways, seems to be “but you don't know what they did, it was so bad that it is beyond forgiving.” But even before they asked for forgiveness, Jesus and Stephen forgave people who were tearing open their skin, and asked the Father to bless them.

This is the real question, if we think it is hard for us to forgive, let's ask: Do we believe that we have offended God less than that person has offended us? Do we believe that the full culmination of our sins as committed before God continually on a daily basis: sins of arrogant pride, of self-indulgence, of self-ish behavior, or ingratitude and of unbelief, (as every act of sin is in some degree an act of unbelief): do we believe these are less than what one person has done to us?

If we believe this, we have done one of two things: We have either elevated the sin of that one person out of proportion, which is less likely than the second: We have too low a view of our sin and too high a view of our merits.

The comparison is between two servants, two bond-servants indebted to a Master. One owing another servant functions under the canopy of a greater debt to the Master.

Who is your debtor? Who if justice was done for you would really get it? Who has wronged you so deeply you want them thrown in prison? It is not a small debt. Sin is not trivial. Your pain is not inconsequential.

But how great a debt have you been forgiven? If one is not willing to forgive someone else, I would suggest focusing on the first part of the story. The debt someone owes you does not compare to the one you owe God. How great a debt has been forgiven you? If you think it light, if you think it is a sin or two a day or a dozen or so a year, read through the Sermon on the Mount again (that's Matthew 5-7). Put your sin before you. That is the reason David said he was asking forgiveness is:

Psalm 51:3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

Is your sin before you? Is your sin in front of you, do you know it or is it under the carpet? If you put it before you, then you can say:

Psalm 51:4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.

Only when we know the greatness of our sin do we know the greatness of our salvation, and then we mourn over our sin:

Zech 12:10 - when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn

We look to Christ's suffering on the cross, not out of pity, but out of the realization that our problem of sin is so great that it took the death of the Son of God to atone for. The sins of others make us mourn but do our own sins make us mourn? They ought, for we know Whom we have offended and wronged.

Ultimately, this parable is a motivation behind instruction in the Sermon on the Mount: "be reconciled to your brother." This is a post-gospel law. If one has been forgiven one will forgive. If one does not forgive, it is either because they have not reflected on the greatness of their sin and pardon, or perhaps they truly are not a child of God. If we wish to forgive, we must do this by

1.Seeing the graveness of our debt to God

2.Seeing the greatness of our forgiveness in Christ, who has paid that debt on our behalf at great cost to Him, at the cost of separation from the Love of the Father, at being the receipient of the wrath of God owed to us, but paid to Christ.

3.Seeing the debts of others to you in light of our great debt and great payment made to God.

4.Thus to act Christ-like. As Christ-like in our willingness to forgive AT GREAT PAIN. This does not make forgiveness less painful. It remains painful. And in giving forgiveness, and suffering the pain of forgiveness, we understand better, experientially, the greatness of the gospel. We fill in the sufferings of Christ. We experience a small amount of the great salvation gained for us. The salvation won for us was not cheap, but expensive, not easy, but difficult, not painless, but painful.

We ought to Go and do likewise.

Reflections: Jesus and Children

2009-10-03T12:12:00.002-06:00

I thought I would post a couple of reflections from some Sunday School lessons. These two come from a lesson I did no Matthew 18:

Matthew 18:1-5: At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

19:13-15 - Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, 14 but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And he laid his hands on them and went away.

When the disciples ask a question about the greatest, Jesus uses a child as a model. Jesus uses a child to say “unless you turn/change/convert (all are valid translations of this word) and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Now Jesus did not mean act childish, the disciples were already good at this. “Who's the greatest?” already is a childish question. Paul says we grow up and put away childish things. It's almost as if it is like Jesus says: stop having the bad qualities of a child and get some of the good ones.

And Jesus gets a lot of mileage out of this example. The child offers an example for

1)Humility
2)How to welcome others
3)The responsibility we have to others (in the graveness of sin)

I once heard John Piper say that one of the traits he looks for in an elder is how they interact with children. Is the Christian Life a matter of one's individual piety and outward cleanliness? Or is it found in community and not the individual? For Piper, children were the ultimate test because they are needy, they can be annoying (as they were to the disciples later), and they can give you nothing back for the time you give them. They may, if an infant, sit there and look cute, but they will not return the favor. You don't take them out to lunch then they get the bill next time. A child may say thanks but then runs off to do his own thing.

So what I think Jesus is getting at in “becoming like one of these” is in rank and importance. It is not acting childish, though the innocent trust of the child is held up. It is humility, welcoming people like children who cannot give you something, and in not leading them into sin.

But as a side note before we get these traits in action in the rest of this chapter, I want to also show how this is a great argument for infant baptism. I'm serious. In other words, it is not entirely spiritualized that the kingdom community belongs to the children. In Matthew 19:13-15, the disciples may have only taken this as spiritual, and as people brought children to Jesus the disciples send them away. In Luke, it tells us that mothers carried babies to Jesus to touch. Children that could not come of their own accord, that had little knowledge of what was being done to them. The disciples did not see that children belonged in the new community that Jesus was making just as they belonged by circumcision in the community of Israel, as Jesus says that indeed they are members of the kingdom subject to his Kingship. Peter, I believe, gets it in Acts 2:38-39. When he invites the first Jews to new covenant obedience in receiving their Messiah and submitting to baptism, Peter says “for the promise is for you and your children.” Peter learned by this point children were included. Clement of Alexandria has a great line about this incident: “In Jesus' time mother brought their children to Jesus to touch, as they continue to do today in baptism.” There. My short case for infant baptism based on Matthew 18 and 19.

But I do think it is true. Having children as covenant members reminds us of the importance of community. We then see the dependence that child has on others. The community is not a social club where strong pious individuals, that are maintained by their individual personal piety come together. It is ground of the individual growing. Think of trees growing out of the building of the church, rather than trees growing out side of the church that stick a branch in the building. A child's dependence reminds us of our dependence. That a child is brought unable to help itself to have Christ touch reminds us of our helpless condition apart from being carried by the workings of the Spirit.

Why Presbyterian?

2009-09-04T06:00:00.002-06:00

The second part of the question that may be asked is if you are seeking ordination, why do so in the Presbyterian denomination. The list of reasons could be very long indeed. Just look through my blog, most subjects under "reformed faith" deal with why I am Reformed. The most foundational reason I have written before:

Confessional - I have written elsewhere that it is my conviction that the church is at heart a confessional institution, and that its confession is most important: of Christ and His work faithful to the word of Christ Himself and the apostles.

This conviction means my options are naturally limited. The two traditions that maintain the primary nature of the church as confessional are the Lutheran and Reformed traditions. I find both to be rich traditions, rightly recognized as true faithful churches to the confession of the Gospel.

My conscience, however, is better quieted in a Reformed congregation, as Reformed confessions of faith (like the Westminster Confession or the Belgic Confession) seem closer to Scriptural mandates than the Lutheran confession of faith as laid out in the Book of Concord. If I found myself in a region with only a Lutheran Church and not a Reformed church, my conscience would not be troubled to be a member and worship with the Lutherans. However, if I were to seek ordination, my standards of doctrine are a bit higher.

Other than being confessional, I wish for a church to strive to have:

* Proper view of the Church (confessional, means of salvation)
* Word rightly preached (in Law and Gospel)
* Rightly dividing law and gospel
* Rightly pointing to Christ and his means of salvation
* Preaching Christ as accomplishing Salvation
* Defining Faith as apprehending Christ's merits
* Rightly administering the sacraments
* Administering Church discipline.

* Believing in the Authority of God's Word
* Worshiping in accordance with God's Word.
* Not confusing contemporary fads for Biblical norms
* Not individualistic
* Not confusing the two Kingdoms
* Not accepting the traditions of men for God's word.

* Belief in the sufficiency of God's written word for matters of faith and morals
* Catholic
* Evangelistic

In practice, no church body is perfect. Reformed Theology especially acknowledges this by its insistance on teaching that even after the work of regeneration begins, the saint also remains a sinner until he or she is perfected by Christ in the eschaton. Yet, the ideals and confession (Westminster) of the Presbyterian Church best matches what I believe to be Scriptural demands.

I also appreciate the high standards of ordination that one must go through to be recognized as a minister in the PCA. One must be tested in Bible knowledge, Theology, History, be trained in the original Biblical languages, and know the Westminster Standards (the confessional documents of the English Reformed tradition). This assures that those ministering beside me would at least be professing orthodox theology.

The denomination I find myself in is the PCA. There are other Reformed denominations I find equally inviting such as the OPC or URCNA, or any of the other Reformed denominations in the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council. However, the PCA is as good a ship as any to fish from.

Discerning a Call

2009-09-03T07:00:00.000-06:00

How does one discern a call? Pastor Tim Keller, in his Q&A session, gives a helpful answer:

Download audio

Why I am Seeking Ordination

2009-09-02T08:00:00.002-06:00

As of May 1, I have started an internship that lasts for a year and is intended to prepare a candidate for ordination. Completion of the internship does not guarantee ordination, for ordination requires a church extending a call. So in a year, I will not necessarily be ordained but that is my intention, with a willingness to do something else if there is no need in the church.

My seeking ordination might evoke two questions: Why ordination? Why in your particular church? [or you may not ask, but I'll answer for my own conscience]

My original intention in attending seminary was to teach. My undergrad degree is in education. Yet, my desires were to teach at a higher educational level, either among high schoolers or in college. I had an interest in Theology as well as history, and had been encouraged that I had an ability to teach. So I attended grad school/seminary.

While at seminary, I began to question where I should teach. Thinking that I should do something distinctly Christian with my degree. I considered teaching History and Theology in a setting such as a foreign school. But then I had a paradigm shift. I was introduced to the Church.

After 5 months in seminary, we finally settled in a local church. While there, the church was presented as something different than what I previously conceived it as. Before, church was the voluntary. The voluntary association of individual believers working together but sustained by their individual piety. Instead, I was introduced to a vision of the church as the essential and necessary, not voluntary, the source of the proclamation of the gospel, and therefore the conversion and growth of the Christian. The first duty of the Christian therefore is to the church, not the organizations outside the church, which may help the church, but do not replace the church.

As I shifted from seeing the church as a human institution to a divine instrument of God's purposes on earth, this also forced me to revisit my plans. Instead of my original plan, I was led to present my feeling of giftedness in teaching to the church. There it may be evaluated and confirmed, or dis-abused. The greatest use of teaching is the teaching of the Word, specifically of the demands of the law and their answer in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I do not feel any entitlement to be ordained. I very well may not be ordained or not receive a call from a church body. Yet, I submit myself to the church first. If she requires me, I shall serve her by serving her Groom. If not, I shall worship in her, support her, and seek a vocation that suits my skills.

UK09

2009-07-09T07:52:00.002-06:00

We're getting ready to go to the UK on July 24-August 4. Michelle will sing in the choir and I will be doing odd jobs like recording audio, posting on an update blog, taking pictures while the choir is singing, handing out flyers while the choir does street singing, etc. Keep us in prayer. You can follow the updates on:

http://uk09.pcpc.org/

My new favorite song of the week...No one laughs at God...

2009-06-13T13:11:00.005-06:00

My new favorite song I just discovered this week, playing in the queue now. Regina is a Jewish song-writer, and this song is eerie and true. It makes me think of:

Ezekiel 20:39 "As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord GOD: Go serve every one of you his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts and your idols."

Psalms 59:8 "But you, O LORD, laugh at them; you hold all the nations in derision."

The only way people are able to laugh at God is when He is put to ridicule by His People:

Laughing With...
by Regina Spektor

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor

No one laughs at God when the doctor calls after some routine tests
No one's laughing at God when it's gotten real late and their kid's not back from that party yet

No one laughs at God when their airplane starts to uncontrollably shake
No one's laughing at God when they see the one they love hand in hand with someone else and they hope that they're mistaken
No one laughs at God when the cops knock on their door and they say "We've got some bad new, sir,"
No one's laughing at God when there's a famine, fire or flood

But God can be funny
At a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke or
Or when the crazies say he hates us and they get so red in the head you think that they're about to choke

God can be funny
When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie
Who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus

God can be so hilarious
Ha ha
Ha ha

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one's laughing at God when they've lost all they got and they don't know what for

No one laughs at God on the day they realize that the last sight they'll ever see is a pair of hateful eyes
No one's laughing at God when they're saying their goodbyes

But God can be funny
At a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke or
Or when the crazies say he hates us and they get so red in the head you think that they're about to choke

God can be funny
When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie
Who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus

God can be so hilarious

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war

No one's laughing at God in a hospital
No one's laughing at God in a war

No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor

No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
We're all laughing with God

Summer Reading List

2009-05-31T23:36:00.004-06:00

I'm planning on reading stuff I actually want to read this summer. But that is after I'm done reading my books for Summer class, then I will read books somewhat related to Pastoral work and Biblical Theology. A partial list:

Summer Class Books:

Dogmatics in Outline by Karl Barth

Dogmatics Volume 1.1 by Karl Barth

The Great Passion by Eberhard Busch

History of Christianity in the U.S. and Canada by Mark Noll

Pastoral Books:

The Contemplative Pastor by Eugene Peterson

Concerning the True Care of Souls by Martin Bucer

Instruments in the Redeemers Hand by Paul Tripp

Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments by Geerhardus Vos

Preaching Christ in All of Scripture by Edmund Clowney

Music Update.

2009-03-25T09:49:00.003-06:00

I updated the music on the right ->

These are the songs on my playlist these days.

Check out "Equally Skilled" by Jon Foreman. Foreman is one of the few artists out there (along with Derek Webb) that can adapt a Scripture passage for song without it sounding hoaky. Compare the words here with Micah 7.

Equally Skilled

How miserable I am
I feel like a fruit-picker who arrived here
After the harvest
There's nothing here at all
Nothing at all here that could placate my hunger
The godly people are all gone
There's not one honest soul left alive
Here on the planet
We're all murderers and thieves
Setting traps here for even our brothers

And both of our hands are equally skilled
At doing evil, equally skilled
At bribing the judges, equally skilled
At perverting justice
Both of our hands
Both of our hands

The day of justice comes
And is even now swiftly arriving
Don't trust anyone at all
Not your best friend or even your wife
For the son hates the father
The daughter despises even her mother
Look, your enemies arrive
Right in the room of your very household

And both of their hands are equally skilled
At doing evil, equally skilled
At bribing the judges, equally skilled
At perverting justice
Both of their hands
Both of their hands

No, don't gloat over me
Though I fall, though I fall
I will rise again
Though I sit here in darkness
The Lord, the Lord alone
He will be my light
I will be patient as the Lord
Punishes me for the wrongs I've done
Against Him
After that, He'll take my case
Bringing me to light and the justice
For all I have suffered

And both of His hands
Are equally skilled
At ruining evil, equally skilled
At judging the judges, equally skilled
Administering justice
Both of His hands

Both of His hands
Are equally skilled
At showing me mercy, equally skilled
At loving the loveless, equally skilled
Administering justice
Both of His hands
Both of His hands

Greatest rock band ever

2009-03-04T14:45:00.001-06:00

Has a new album out.

They were on Letterman.

A Stimulus bill for me.

2009-02-06T17:13:00.003-06:00

Go Thune! For the price of the Stimulus Package, instead the federal government could give a $10,000+ tax break for every family in America making less than $250,000 a year. Thune proposed just that:

Details here.

Hear his case here.

Bye Blago!

2009-01-29T17:38:00.001-06:00

Ill. senate votes 59-0 to remove Gov. Blagojevich

A Re-enactment below:

Blago

2008-12-12T14:08:00.002-06:00

John Stewart on our wonderful Governor. Best part - Fact: you have a 48% chance of going to jail if you commit a murder. with 4 of the last 8 Illinois Governors (50%) in jail, you are better off shooting someone than being an IL Governor to stay out of jail.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

(D-IL) Weed

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Remind you of anyone?

2008-12-10T23:29:00.001-06:00

Maybe this guy?

Illinois Pride

2008-12-09T09:11:00.002-06:00

Seems my old Governor is being arrested. 2 in a row. My Illinois pride runneth over.

[STORY HERE]

Yeah, I'm a dork.

2008-11-17T20:36:00.001-06:00

And I'm excited to see this:

my first allegiance is not to a flag, a country, or a man

2008-11-05T09:53:00.002-06:00

A King & A Kingdom by Derek Webb

who's your brother, who's your sister
you just walked passed him
i think you missed her
as we're all migrating to the place where our father lives
'cause we married in to a family of immigrants

my first allegiance is not to a flag, a country, or a man
my first allegiance is not to democracy or blood
it's to a king & a kingdom

there are two great lies that i’ve heard:
“the day you eat of the fruit of that tree, you will not surely die”
and that Jesus Christ was a white, middle-class republican
and if you wanna be saved you have to learn to be like Him

my first allegiance is not to a flag, a country, or a man
my first allegiance is not to democracy or blood
it's to a king & a kingdom

but nothing unifies like a common enemy
and we’ve got one, sure as hell
but he may be living in your house
he may be raising up your kids
he may be sleeping with your wife
oh no, he may not look like you think

Don't Vote

2008-10-31T09:30:00.003-06:00

If you ever are on Youtube, you have probably seen the Hollywood "Don't Vote" spot, telling us (by tricky reverse psychology!) to vote (I wonder for whom?!). I post it here, only to post the reply video which I think is better. Remember to vote. And the only way to get this point across is to talk to you like a child. [warning: Hollywood types have a hard time communicating without swearing due to its coolness]

You convinced us:

John McCain: Comedian

2008-10-16T22:21:00.002-06:00

John McCain at the Al Smith dinner. A funny guy and a class act. I love this guy. Best part was just how much McCain got Hillary laughing!

Part 1:

Part 2:

Info on the Economic Crisis

2008-10-05T21:57:00.003-06:00

This is an informative video on the economic crisis and its causes. The problem is that it is not easy to explain in a 30 second ad on TV, so few people will have the attention span to follow the story. Alas, Obama gets more support over a crisis caused by Democrats. More proof the world is not fair.

Sarah Biden?

2008-10-02T09:58:00.002-06:00

You have to love this article by Victor Davis Hanson, that wonders what would happen if Palin had done the things Biden has done in the campaign:

Should McCain replace Sarah Palin?

Iron and Wine / Swell Season Concert

2008-10-01T00:12:00.005-06:00

Michelle and I were able to go see "Swell Season" and "Iron and Wine" in concert on Monday. It was great! We typically only get about one concert every 6 months, and Michelle let me choose this one. Swell Season are the two artists from the movie Once, whose section both Michelle and I loved. Iron and Wine is Sam Bean, an acoustic artist I enjoyed, even as he made Michelle sleepy. I love slow acoustic music, so sue me.

The first three songs playing right now at the sidebar are by these artists. First one by Iron and Wine, then two by Swell Season.

What a Glorious Day that would be.

2008-09-27T21:25:00.003-06:00

I know this is meant to energize Obama's base, but it just gave me warm fuzzies all over!

Noah and the Whale: in a cab.

2008-09-19T09:22:00.004-06:00

The Black Cab sessons take an artist, stick them in the back of a cab and give them one take to play a song or two. I just love these two short songs by Noah and Whale. No reason, they are just fun. [their album]

2 year anniversary

2008-09-02T17:17:00.002-06:00

And if I can remember to put the seat down on the toilet, many more to come.

San Francisco Part 2

2008-08-20T09:27:00.012-06:00

AROUND SAN FRAN:

A large 50 foot high cross in the middle of Golden Gate park. You have to hike up a forgotten path to find it, but its there. Perhaps a metaphor?

We also went for a walk to Lombard street. I swear the road was on a 45 degree angle.

My proof.

Lombard Street

Perhaps the second most photographed street in San Fran. Makes you hungry for Rice a Roni, huh?

City Lights bookstore, the largest independent bookstore in the city.

Us near Pier 39. It is famous for its seafood. So, we ate elsewhere...

Us at an Ethiopian restaurant in Japantown where they had a live jazz band. Makes sense...

ALCATRAZ:

We found a modest house to mov into on the island.

Our new bedroom

Approaching "the rock"

San Francisco Part 1

2008-08-18T09:41:00.016-06:00

We just got back from San Fran and thought we'd post a few pictures (comments below the pictures):

CHURCH

We originally were going to attend City Church, a church whose sermons I get on itunes. But it was far away and we had not figured out the bus system yet, so instead we walked 3 blocks (up hill!) to Grace Episcopal. Why not worship in a beautiful cathedral on Sunday! We got the opposite of what I thought would happen. I expected great liturgy and a poor sermon. Instead, we got a great Christocentric message and some wierd Eucharistic liturgy about Hindus, Muslims and Buddists being our brothers. Whatever, it was pretty:

My favorite window. Calvin on one side and Richard Hooker on the other.

CAR RENTAL

We also rented a car for a couple of days. I talked Michelle into the Toyota convertable. I don't she minded too much. It allowed us to go over the Golden Gate Bridge, go up to Napa Valley and down to Big Sur.

Yes, it is almost always that foggy around the Golden Gate.

Big Sur was breath-taking. You just don't realize there are actually places that look like this, especially in the US.

Love this picture.

A cool little natural arch in the rocks

We stopped and watched some windsurfers on our way back.

Death...

2008-07-12T22:57:00.002-06:00

...was the sentence.

I'm so there

2008-07-02T11:15:00.001-06:00

Verdict

2008-06-05T15:18:00.002-06:00

The man who shot Mark Nix (Michelle's cousin) was found guilty. The sentence has not yet been pronounced.

See here and here for pictures of Mark.

Summer Reading List

2008-05-08T10:54:00.005-06:00

Done with Finals! Now for some reading that I want to do.

Thomas Cranmer by Diamond MacCulloch

Started this book already on the first Protestant Archbishop of Cantebury. Cranmer and Edward VI brought real reform to the Church of England resulting in the 39 Articles and a Reformed Church before the aftermath moved the church closer to a via media (middle way) position during the reign of Elizabeth I. I’m interested to see the development of this man that eventually gave his life on the stake for his devotion to the gospel in England.

Marriage in the Early Church ed by David Hunter

For a group from PCPC that will be going through it this Summer. This book is a collection of texts from Early Church Leaders on the subject of marriage

Van Til’s Apologetic by Greg Bahnsen

Under more of a conviction that sin has had major impact on our minds, I need to look more at Van Til’s approach to apologetics. I am a child of Thomas Aquinas and so why people do not merely agree with good reason puzzles me - and in fact why I often do not agree with good reason proves that reason may not be enough. Hence Van Til.

A Reformed Spirituality?

I am looking into teaching another course on the concept of a “reformed spirituality.” This is an oxymoron to some, but I hope to do enough reading and experimenting to have material to present a Biblical approach to spirituality in Spring of 09. Towards that end on my reading list is:

A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life

Christian Spirituality by Alister McGrath

The Life of God in the Soul of Man by Henry Scougal

The Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards

The Christian Life by Sinclair Ferguson

Worldly Saints: The Puritans as They Really Were. By Leland Ryken

Puritan Reformed Spirituality by Joel Beeke

Luther’s Spirituality

Streams of Living Water by Richard Foster

The Mystical Presence by Nevin

I also have this itch to go through Calvin’s Institutes from start to finish. I may need a group to help me though…

Music Update

2008-05-02T13:59:00.004-06:00

I've noticed I haven't updated my playlist (at the right) in a while, and how it was filled with music I'm not really into right now. So check it out for new favorites.

If anyone was interested in my musical preferances, I would have to say over the past year or so, my musical tastes have changed. Perhaps they have not changed so much as they have been able to be better fed by finding more independent bands, and discovering the glory of digital options for getting one song at a time, which is much cheeper than buying a $15 CD for one good song. That said, here are a few musical discoveries:

The Soundtrack for "Once" (by the Frames)

"Once" was a surprise movie hit, well, a hit for an indy movie. If you have not seen it, rent it. There's some language, but the music and raw acting is superb as it tells a simple story with music that pricks the soul - for example "When Your Mind's Made Up." See the movie, but more importantly: buy the soundtrack.

The band "Noah and the Whale"

No that is not a typo. The band does not have an official release yet, but the samples found online are beautiful. The song "Five Years Time" is a fun, goofy song that just makes you feel good. Others like Rocks & Daggers are also worth a listen.

The band "Beirut"

A band my friend Jacob got me into. They have a "world" feel, in that they use instruments American bands tend not to. Check out the Beirut - The Penalty to see what I mean. Somehow, the accordian works.

The website musicforants.com

This is really where I find most of my new music. They let you try a track for free, then if it is good I will find more by that artist on itunes or a used CD shop. Happy hunting and enjoy the new music on the playlist.

What's the weather like?

2008-05-02T13:42:00.000-06:00

Sorry, I couldn't resist

San Antonio / Alamo

2008-03-21T09:18:00.006-06:00

Michelle and I were treated to a weekend in San Antonio. Some pictures from the trip are below:

Hey, I remember that...its...um....yeah, the Alamo.

My parentals, come on we want some PDA!

My lovely wife and some strange guy next to her.

My wife could pass for a frontier person, right?

Not big really, just a small chapel.

Derek Webb

2008-03-09T23:35:00.003-06:00

We got to see Derek Webb, live in concert last night. It was such a great experience. Few songwriters can write songs that deal with the other 98% of Christian experience that is not the "everything is wonderful!" but the "living day to day" part of Christian life. I have Derek playing in the first 5 places on the side player now for you to enjoy. Buy his stuff, he's truly the last great Christian artist. A sample of his great confessional lyrics:

so could you love this bastard child
though i don’t trust you to provide
with one hand in a pot of gold
and with the other in your side?
i am so easily satisfied
by the call of lovers less wild
that i would take a little cash
over your very flesh and blood.

Ella

2008-02-20T23:40:00.003-06:00

A few nights ago, a customer of Michelle's gave us free tickets to a play. I chronicled the life of singer Ella Fitzgerald. The play was amazing with tons of Jazz music throughout. Maybe the old timers remember when Ella was still singing, but I had heard the name but never knew the story. I guess I need to look in the Jazz section the next time I am in Best Buy...

Primary

2008-01-31T23:37:00.000-06:00

Someone said something about the "Big Day" coming up. Yes, I thought...Super Tuesday! Oh, they meant the Super Bowl.

Still, any endorcements or predictions? From the picture on the side you may have guessed I'm a McCain man. Michelle has had nice things to say about Huckabee, though she has yet to register to vote. Anyone else want to declare?

Thought I would share one of my favorite McCain moments too:

Love Love Love!

2008-01-22T18:58:00.000-06:00

I love anything done in the vein of stupid goofy humor. I'm also a big Wes Anderson fan (if you have seen Rushmore or Royal Tenenbaums, you will note the style influence). So the combination in this music video was irresistable. And also anything with bad dancing, simple choreography, and a flute solo is A-OK with me.

Back in Texas

2008-01-08T09:12:00.000-06:00

Thanks for the hospitality in Illinois!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-24T13:20:00.000-06:00

Of Such...

2007-12-24T13:19:00.000-06:00

Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” (Luke 18:15-17)

Our 20+ pastor penned a sublime entry after his daughter went home. I encourage you all to go read it.

Pray for the Laffertys

2007-12-20T14:49:00.000-06:00

One of our pastors at PCPC, the one who taught our Sunday School class, just lost their new born baby to Edwards syndrome. Say a quick prayer that God will comfort them during their grief.

Andrew Peterson presents...

2007-12-03T18:41:00.000-06:00

A couple nights ago Michelle and I saw "Behold the Lamb." It's a concert with many performers (such as Andy Osenga and Bebo Norman) that tells the story of Christmas AS a story from Moses to Christ. Here's a couple of songs he sings in the show:

Gather Round

It Came to Pass

If you like them, Buy the CD. Or see a show.

Troyers' child too!

2007-12-03T11:49:00.000-06:00

The Troyers' (Neil and Amy) just had their baby!

Micah Joseph Troyer.

Blessed Mary's response to her visitor, on becoming the Theotokos

2007-11-30T11:17:00.000-06:00

For reflection during the season celebrating the first advent, awaiting the second advent: the prayer/psalm of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the news that in her womb she carried God the Word through whom all creation occured, and all new creation is occuring...

“ My soul magnifies the Lord,

And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;

For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.

For He who is mighty has done great things for me,

And holy is His name.

And His mercy is on those who fear Him

From generation to generation.

He has shown strength with His arm;

He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He has put down the mighty from their thrones,

And exalted the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

And the rich He has sent away empty.

He has helped His servant Israel,

In remembrance of His mercy,

As He spoke to our fathers,

To Abraham and to his seed forever.”

Quick Prayer

2007-11-19T23:18:00.000-06:00

Say a quick prayer for my friend Jay's wife Andrea Bennett. She will be induced into labor tomorrow (Tuesday Nov 20).

Jay Bennett is a pastoral intern at PCPC. (he keeps a lengthy blog here though, admittedly, not really on personal events, just theology.)

UPDATE: just got this email: "This Tuesday at 12:42 pm Joanna Faith Bennett was born." (He has a cool post here) Congrats Jay and Andrea!

How I sometimes feel about Vista

2007-11-14T23:59:00.000-06:00

I love the quality of my Compaq laptop, but Vista often makes me feel like this:

Parentals

2007-11-14T23:40:00.000-06:00

It was great to have the folks down for a few days! Stop by anytime! Though give a little warning as I need to make sure I have pants on when I open the door.

Defeated by Philadelphia!

2007-10-23T07:37:00.000-06:00

"For unattractiveness, Philadelphia just beat out Washington DC and Dallas/Fort Worth for the bottom spot."

Next year, we'll get them! The story says that those cities: DC, Dallas/Forth Worth and Philadelphia have the "least attractive people" and the least stylish. I of course have several concellations:

1) My wife has not reported to have been interviewed, so they may not know she has classed up Dallas yet.

2) God uses the foolish and unstylish things of this world to shame the wise and stylish

3) They included Forth Worth with Dallas, and if you've ever been to Forth Worth...well, enough said.

First Sermon

2007-10-18T12:44:00.000-06:00

Today, I had the rather terrifying experience of preaching my first sermon ever! Though, it was only to an audience of 10 preaching students. The text was over Proverbs 28:13:

"Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy."

My thesis: "seek prosperity in God's mercy, not by hiding your sins." My openning introduction was a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's "Tell-Tale Heart" a very short story that can be read here.

Music: New page element

2007-10-08T13:06:00.000-06:00

I added music on the side. Let me know if this is a good addition, a neutral addition or something that will keep you from checking this site at work. Just a collection of the songs frequenting my playlist while I study.

Return to Sender...

2007-10-03T16:35:00.000-06:00

Michelle will be going back to Illinois for the weekend. Take care of my wife, fill up the tank and I don't want to see any scratches in the paint!

Simpsons

2007-09-27T22:34:00.000-06:00

Yes, I like the Simpsons, perhaps to my family's puzzlement. But have you ever wondered: what would I look like as a Simpsons character? Of course you have. Now you can know with this tool:

here I am ->

<- And here's Michelle

Greek is hard.

2007-09-20T19:51:00.001-06:00

One Year: Austin

2007-09-08T07:15:00.000-06:00

Last week, Michelle and I celebrated our one year anniversary. We took a trip to Austin and went to the Oasis, a restaurant overlooking Lake Travis. We also saw some live music and Austin hill country. I keep meaning to post pictures, but when I remember, I'll post them here.

Austin/Texas hill country:

Longhorn:

Well, I didn't have as many pictures as I thought. Oh well...

Sox vs Rangers

2007-08-30T09:31:00.000-06:00

Michelle's cousin Megan was gracious enough to share some tickets to a Rangers game, even cheering with us for the White Sox as annoyed Texans attempted persuasion through higher decibels. The Rangers won 5-4, but it was fun nonetheless.

Fall Classes @ DTS

2007-08-18T11:10:00.001-06:00

Here's a short rundown of my classes for the Fall, with notable professors linked.

NT101 - Greek
Taught by Daniel Wallace, (DTS site; wikipedia site) who wrote a textbook on Greek Grammar and a great laymen's guide to issues in textual criticism (hint, hint Aaron). He also supervised the New Testament translation of the NET Bible.

HT101 - Church History (Ancient to 1500s)
Taught by D. Jeffrey Bingham. Bingham focuses on patristics, or the early church fathers [a subject I am very interested in right now if you notice my books I've been reading on the right column]. He wrote a pocket history of the Church.

PM103 - Preaching
Taught by Vic Anderson. Vic Anderson helped start a Theological Seminary in Ethiopia during the era of the Communist government. He can preach in Amharic, so hopefully he can teach me some English preaching as well.

ST103 - Anthropology and Sin
Taught by Dr. Burns.

CE101 - Christian Education

Which I do not know the prof yet.

Interested in Dallas News?

2007-08-18T11:04:00.000-06:00

If anyone is curious back in Illinois, The Dallas Morning News, the "Pantagraph of Dallas" if you will, has a great website: http://www.dallasnews.com/

You can also check our weather here, in the Summer to mock us, in the Winter to envy us:
http://www.dallasnews.com/weather/

Matt Damon = cool

2007-08-06T14:47:00.001-06:00

First off, Happy Transfiguration Day.

We decided we needed some cinematic entertainment and saw "the Bourne Ultimatum" this weekend. So cool. See the first two Bourne movies though or you will be a little lost. I think it also has some cool themes. Is our identity based on memory, deeds, existential will ("to will one thing")? Not that there is a lot of time to think about that as your nails dig into the arm of the seat as Bourne jumps across roof tops in Moracco.

God grades on a curve, so just be really really good.

2007-07-31T12:37:00.000-06:00

I (Jared) just finished the summer class "soteriology" at DTS. Soteriology is the study of salvation. And no, God doesn't grade on a curve. The class centered greatly on the meaning and function of the Atonement of Christ on our behalf. It is amazing that in the Middle Ages (according to Alister McGrath) there was a wide spread teaching of God expecting us to "do our best" (I forget the Latin) and then God would give us salvation. [they must have been missing some of the book of Isaiah].

In general, if you just remember the 5 solas (or alones), you'll be fine:

Saved by grace alone, (sola gratia)

Through faith alone, (sola fide)

In Christ alone, (Solus Christus)

To the Glory of God alone, (Soli Deo Gloria)

Revealed in the Scriptures alone. (Sola Scriptura)

Dallas "Aquarium"

2007-07-31T12:05:00.000-06:00

Though it was more like an arboretum, here are a few pics from our trip to the Dallas Aquarium a couple weeks ago with Bev and Tim.

[under the water are walrus(es?) and turtles.]

a glass tunnel where you can watch sharks swim around you. I hope Mr. Scott designed them. [The previous sentence is a dorky reference to Star Trek IV, arguably the best Star Trek film, which my wife informs me is hardly a compliment.]

[one of these days we will remember to bring our real camera rather than just my camera phone.]

Michelle's learning guitar

2007-07-07T10:58:00.000-06:00

In case you want to ask her how it is going...

Moved!

2007-06-26T15:04:00.000-06:00

We moved on Saturday! We are now living in Swiss Tower. Below is the view out of our bedroom window:

and this is our friend John Thomas, on a rolling cart DTS let us use for boxes, instead using it to roll down a ramp into the street. He was not killed or seriously injured.

Michelle joins Choir

2007-06-17T15:11:00.000-06:00

Michelle donned her robes for choir for the first time today. She says she LOVES being involved in music again. The choir is amazing, but even more so with my bride in it. In this picture, she is embarassed that I am taking her picture in front of everybody while they are leaving church.

Joining a Church

2007-06-10T14:08:00.000-06:00

Today, we became members of Park Cities Presbyterian Church. We "shopped" around in good American fashion, and decided that every church that tried to "fit our fancy" did not. So instead we settled for a church that was active in the community and the world in Kingdom-building for God, not us.

You can also feel the appreciation for those who have loved Christ before us. Sometimes at church, when Michelle and I wonder why something is done a certain way, I feel like the answer will be the congregation breaking out in song like the main character in the musical Fiddler on the Roof: "Tradition!"

Missing Family

2007-05-31T15:03:00.000-06:00

It was great seeing everybody. It is crazy to think how much more Elliana and Josiah will grow by Christmas. Thanks for the hospitality!

Too Much talk...

2007-05-20T23:00:00.000-06:00

Some pictures of the Nixes' beautiful daughter to tide them over until next week...

Spanish...Mexican Guitar

2007-05-13T16:40:00.000-06:00

Friday, we went to Monica's, a Mexican place. Michelle had a gift certificate she won in a drawing. So we were able to eat free food and have an authentic Mexican band playing as background music! Mmmmm...Texas culture...

My Fancy Book Learnin'

2007-05-12T15:26:00.000-06:00

This is a summary of my classes in a few lines (ordered from the least interesting class on top to the most interesting class on the bottom):

Spiritual Life: Don't sin. Seriously, don't. It's not cool. (and neither was the class)

Intro to Theology: Progressive Dispensationalism makes a lot more sense than classical Dispensationalism. Plus, Dispensationalism is a long word to type.

Bible Study Methods: Observation, then Interpretation, then Application. Miss a step and it's heresy for you!!!

World Missions: Christians must not be merely "evangelical", but "missional." It is impossible to divorce the gospel from culture (i.e. what Fundamentalism does). Also, the gospel is not determined by the culture (i.e. what Liberalism thinks). But the gospel must be incarnated into culture as God incarnated into flesh. (Perhaps some of this may be learned from the Emerging Church)

Done!

2007-05-12T13:59:00.000-06:00

Michelle is done with her first major test! She got 11 points over what she needed!!!

Jared is done with the semister. I may review later: what fancy book learnin' i did and stuff...

Power Outage!

2007-05-02T18:25:00.001-06:00

Power out at Dallas Theological's library! storms are Fun fun fun!

Pretending to be homeless

2007-04-30T09:20:00.000-06:00

We spent the weekend camping, out of range of phones, television and radio. So family, if we didn't talk to you this weekend, that's why.

On the trip, I (Jared) started reading The Poet and the Peasant. The book looks at Jesus' parables and how they have been interpreted. Analogy, philosophy, history and other interpretations have been tried in the past. The author takes a different cultural approach and looks at the parables through the eyes of peasants. People within the cultures of poor Middle Eastern peasantry (in Syria, Lebanon and Egypt) today can be told parables and immediately understand their meaning while we have to use every academic tool available to try and figure them out. But maybe camping and being temporarily homeless can help...

Update

2007-04-23T20:49:00.000-06:00

Some Quick items:

Looks like we are going to be home Saturday through Monday on Memorial Day weekend. Hope we see everyone. I think mom is planning a picnic or something. I'm great with remembering details...

Michelle is doing well in training. She's a more disciplined studier than me, so I think she will do well. She takes a test in a couple of weeks on what she is learning and she is currently educating me on stocks and annuities and stuff.

and finally Jared is currently reading:

"They Like Jesus but not the Church"

Looks at conversations and statistics about how my generation usually has positive reactions to Jesus, but negative ones about the church. Helpful to know that an apologetic focused on the person of Christ and studying Christ together with people may be better received than merely inviting someone to church and having the preacher do the work.

Michelle starts today!

2007-04-14T16:22:00.001-06:00

Be sure to ask her how it went!!!

Welcome Elliana!

2007-04-06T22:41:00.000-06:00

Aaron and Amy's new daughter is a 9 lbs, 9 oz baby! Elliana (not "Eliana as I previously posted) means: "God has answered me" or "my prayers have been answered."

Michelle's New Job

2007-04-04T17:56:00.000-06:00

Michelle will be starting work at Chase bank next Monday. Now she has no excuse for not knowing how to balance the checkbook...

Celebrity?

2007-04-02T15:53:00.001-06:00

A prized signed picture of Uncle Jessie. Yep, we're in the South.

Random Thoughts

2007-04-01T16:58:00.000-06:00

Don Miller, in Blue like Jazz, tells a story about a writer compiling some rather mundane data about Church leadership. Then, the writer sat down to ask the same questions to Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ. The answers from others had been pretty formulaic and the writer was kind of bored of them himself by now. Then he asked Bill Bright, "what does Jesus mean to you?" Bill Bright didn't say anything, he just started to cry.

Wow, I'm not there. Letters on a page are much easier to grasp. That's what I'm good at. But then Paul likes to rebuke me to my face: "the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."

R.I.P. Mark Nix.

2007-03-24T15:23:00.000-06:00

I wish we could have played Axis and Allies like we talked about.

Agape and Term Papers

2007-03-21T00:41:00.000-06:00

3rd story of the DTS Library looking at Dallas. Occasionally, you may have thoughts of the 5 million souls in the region. Maybe just of the five you saw on the half mile walk to school. Just sitting in a library, reading books about a man who never wrote a word and daily showed love to more people than I have today.

Lake Ray Hubbard

2007-03-11T22:11:00.000-06:00

Who'd a thunk it? They have lakes in Dallas!

Not a bad, cheap way to spend a Sunday. Perfect 60-70 weather still. have to enjoy it before it starts feeling like the inside of an oven.

Two months

2007-03-05T15:44:00.000-06:00

Two months ago, we left Illinois. I think we both have times when we miss it. Not when we are outside in the 60-70 degree weather. But we miss our friends and mostly our family. Thank you for your encouragement the past 2 months by email and by phone, we appreciate it. More to the point however, we miss our parents and our siblings and Micah, Rachel, Josiah, Joshua and Asher. We are now looking at coming back on Memorial day (and see what new niece Amy has for us)! We have to see if our free airline vocher (from Huricane John...God knew what He was doing...) can be redeemed then. Hope everyone plans to be around then.

What Jared's Reading:

If you are looking for a good book: Here's a quick read on Adoniram Judson, the first American missionary overseas.

And I posted a great sermon I heard by Sproul on Dead Theologians.

I have also been keeping up on Jeff's series by mp3. The last three have been amazing! Jesus just labels me what I am, a stupid sheep.

Elevated Rotating Restaurant

2007-03-04T19:48:00.001-06:00

Our city, from a high place...
[The elevated rotating restaurant in Dallas for our 6 month aniversary]

Taking a Break for Koreans

2007-03-01T17:19:00.001-06:00

Typical. Wouldn't you know it that when you go to take a break, in the same room 4 Koreans are having a push up contest. I'd have joined in but at 60 push ups, I prefered to keep my 15-20 record to myself.

Update: I was just informed I do not need to be Korean to participate, they are IPASS: International Push-up Association of Strong Seminarians...

Books and Bacteria

2007-02-17T11:23:00.000-06:00

Both Michelle and I have been sick, so neither of us have updated the blog lately. We're finally getting into routines, but miss family like crazy.

Also, no matter how much you like books, working in the library is not all that exciting...Though talk exists of the special archives with the unpublished works of Scofield. As we speak, I am uncovering a conspiracy theory involving a secret Protestant Opus Dei and the end times writings that DTS is hiding from the general public. Whatever can get you through the day...

(by the way, it is 56 degrees out right now...hahahaha)

Prayers

2007-02-01T19:46:00.001-06:00

Michelle's brother Brian is currently on his way to Afghanistan. Please pray for his safety and for what God can do through him and in his life in this season.

Update 2/4/07: Brian was able to call and say he made it there safe.

"Art"

2007-01-29T12:19:00.000-06:00

If you saw this along the side of the road, you may think this is a pile of steel junk. But put it in downtown Dallas, and you can charge people to see it at the Museum of "Art." Yes, this is a "sculture," the states of the US cut in steel and piled up on the ground.Can you get any better? Michelangelo you say? What, you call that sculpture?:

Well, yeah, I guess if you have "talent" then you might do something like that...

Stanley Toussaint in Chapel

2007-01-23T12:49:00.000-06:00

Thought I might give an example of chapel speaking at DTS. Today we heard Dr. Stanley Toussaint in chapel and here's the talk in MP3 audio or in video (this is from the same talk 2 years ago). He gives a great sermon on 1 Cor 2:14-16, 3:1-3. Toussaint identifies 4 kinds of people: natural man (lost), babes in Christ (who need milk), carnal Christian (those who have been given nothing but milk and never matured), and the mature Christian.

Trying yet another Church

2007-01-21T18:30:00.000-06:00

Tried First Baptist today. One thing about Dallas, this town has a LOT of expositional preaching. It is very refreshing. We have been in a Presbyterian Church, a Baptist church and a Bible church which all made us comfortable with the message. We probably need to choose soon so we can get to know people. PCPC is probably looking the best right now.

Michelle's New Job

2007-01-19T23:32:00.000-06:00

Radisson Hotel Dallas Love Field...where I will begin working as Medical Sales Manager on Monday 1/22. Yea!!! My main responsibility is to work with area hospitals/clinics to fill the 52 new suites (the 5 story shorter portion on the right of the photo) with visiting physicians and families of patients.

Friday Music

2007-01-19T23:21:00.001-06:00

A coffeehouse in a Presbyterian church called "Uncle Calvin's." Can you get any cooler? I submit not! Though Michelle thought the musician sounded like Neil Diamond.

Unemployment begone!

2007-01-19T17:15:00.000-06:00

As of this writing, both Michelle and I are now...EMPLOYED!!! We can afford food and rent! Praise God! Though sadly, we won't be able to do anymore vegging...He giveth and He taketh away.

Brown bag with Tony Evans

2007-01-19T14:09:00.001-06:00

Very cool. I went to an informal question and answer session with Tony Evans today after he spoke in chapel. Pardon me but I am a little star struck having seen Chuck Swindoll, Tony Evans and Howard Hendricks in the same week. I even got a little excited when Hendricks accidently called Mark Bailey "Ryrie."

First Day

2007-01-16T13:20:00.001-06:00

Dwight Pentecost kicking off Spring Semister in prayer. Mark Bailey was the speaker in chapel. But the highlight was probably my first class with Howard Hendricks. More later...

Dallas and freezing

2007-01-15T22:21:00.000-06:00

Imagine it is about to hit 32 degrees outside and it is rainning. Well, seems that in Texas that means you have a dramatic freek-out and shut down the town because no one knows how to drive on ice/snow. So, long story short: I start classes tomorrow, not today.

Galleria Mall

2007-01-15T16:51:00.001-06:00

The Galleria. Four floors of shopping, or on our budget...four floors of walking and looking.

DTS and Jobs

2007-01-11T14:57:00.000-06:00

Both Michelle and I are looking for jobs right now and would appreciate your continued prayers for something that won't drive either of us crazy.

DTS enterance exams are tomorrow (more for data gathering than placement). Also, I was offered a job in the Library for good hours and for pay (though I won't call it that good...). I was a little disappointed, when talking to a veteran, that a majority of students probably know what I was talking about if I asked them about dispensationalism. He compared it to eating too much of a food and getting sick on it...then you don't really want much of that food anymore. DTS may have been the center of Dispensational thought 20 years ago (and longer), but today, we're all just Calvinists now. Scofield must be spinning in his grave.

Well, I need to go to campus to now for a student ID. Might need a coat...oh wait, it's 66 degrees out. Nevermind...

DTS

2007-01-08T16:17:00.001-06:00

First day on campus getting stuff done. Holy cow, we are actually here...