"Our Town" and the Heavenly Country

The other day on the way to the office I heard Iris Dement's song "Our Town" on the radio (You can see/hear it here). It is a song about a dying town, about a way of life disappearing. With Dement's blue grass voice, the violin, and the dulcimer, it evoked in me a strong nostalgia for a better day (Wendell Berry's novels do the same thing for me).
It occured to me, though, that what masks itself as a longing for child-like simplicity and a supposedly more innocent, less complicated life is a longing not for some distant past golden age. If you read history, you find that past golden ages were not so golden for the people who actually lived in them. They are only golden as subsequent generations romanticize about them, with a mix of forgetfulness of hard things. No, what we long for is not a past, but a future. It is the "better country," the "city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God." (Hebrews 11:16, 10)

Do you know what a TCK is?

You might want to... interesting article my sister pointed out to me here.
By the way, I am also a TCK (Germany). I guess I have this one thing in common with our new president!

John Calvin, Humorist

I'm continuing to read John Calvin's Institutes. Here's a rather pointed but humorous section, as part of his chapter opposing the use of images/icons in worship and in church buildings--you know, the statues that are barely clothed. He writes:
"The pictures or statues that they dedicate to saints--what are they but examples of the most abandoned lust and obscenity? If anyone wished to model himself after them, he would be fit for the lash. Indeed, brothels show harlots clad more virtuously and modestly than the churches show those objects which they wish to be thought images of virgins. For martyrs they fashion a habit not a whit more decent. Therefore let them compose their idols at least to a moderate decency, that they may with a little more modesty falsely claim that these are books of some holiness!" (Institutes, I:10:7)

Institutions vs. Individualism

David Brooks has an excellent article that goes against the grain of what our generation thinks, and is well worth the read. You can find it here. (If it doesn't work, you have to register. Go ahead. It won't kill you to do so. Even if you don't like the NY Times very much.)
As you read it, think of the institutions of your vocation; but you can also think of the church, and how it functions as an institution (we might prefer the word "body"), in contrast with the "tyranny of the individual" by which people find it difficult to attach themselves--and be committed to, and serve--their local church. And yet, it is easy to see that without the church, Christianity fails. Christ promised to build his church (Matt. 16) on the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:20) to be a body made up of parts (Eph. 4:11-16), not a collection of lone rangers.

New President, Foundation: Two Kingdoms

I've been trying to think about what to write about our new president. Lots of things come to mind, all rather random and disconnected order. There is no Shorter Cathechism for new presidents that puts it all very succinctly. But thank you for those who offered their thoughts.
Maybe the first thing to say is that Scripture, especially Jesus and the New Testament, focuses on the Kingdom of God, which, as Jesus said to Pilate, is not of this world (John 18:36). Let me go out on a limb and say that evangelicals on both the left (Jim Wallis) and the right (Pat Robertson, James Dobson) pay lip service to this, but then go ahead and forget about it as they seek to impose redemptive, kingdom ethics on secular government. Whether it is urging a form of socialism in the name of serving the poor (on the left), or urging laws against, e.g., sodomy (on the right), in both cases they are imposing on secular, non-redemptive government what comes from being redeemed--from having the "law written on the heart" (Jer. 31:33).
Now I do not claim to have it right, either. Not by a long shot! But my hope is that in writing about our new president, I will be able to keep the distinction between the redemptive Kingdom of God, and the non-redemptive, common-grace kingdom of man, intact. I know that creates questions of its own. But for my part, I am convinced that distinction, however difficult, has to be maintained.
Historical sidenote: St. Augustine (4th-5th centuries) wrote the classic on the distinction between the "city of God" and the "city of man", called The City of God. He wrote that after the "Christian" empire of Rome was overrun by barbarians, which forced him to rethink biblically the roles of church and empire. Luther also emphasized this distinction. John Calvin blurred the distinction, as did the Puritans, who sought in the New World to create a government that was also a church (to simplify a bit). Recently the late Dr. James Boice of Tenth Presbyterian urged the distinction in his book Foundations of God's City. D.A. Carson also stresses that in his recent book Christ and Culture Revisited, though that is not an easy thing to plow through.
Stay tuned for more.

Inauguration Day

It's inauguration day today. As one person said to me, no matter what you think of our new president's party or politics, this is a transformative moment. What are your thoughts? I'll weigh in with mine as the week goes by. Like your thoughts, some will like them, some won't. That's OK. We're trying to follow Jesus, and his kingdom is not of this world--it's where it intersects with the kingdoms of this world that it, after all, gets interesting.

Why do we believe the Bible?

Here is another gem from John Calvin on Scripture:
"... credibility of doctrine is not established until we are persuaded beyond doubt that God is its Author. Thus, the highest proof of Scripture derives in general from the fact that God in person speaks in it. The prophets and apostles do not boast either of their keenness or of anything that obtains credit for them as they speak; nor do they dwell upon rational proofs. Rather, they bring forward God's holy name, that by it the whole world may be brought into obedience to him."
Genesis begins: "In the beginning God..." It does not begin with a proof for God, but with the conviction that God is. And by continuing in that vein, God's Word brings us to obedience to him.

An Athiest in Praise of Missionaries

Ben Hopp's blog pointed me to this article. If you haven't seen it, it is quite fascinating. An athiest argues that missionaries have done more to transform Africa than anyone else (secular charities, NGO's, governments, etc.).

Psychics, Astrologers, and Money-Worship

Heard an interesting bit of research on Paul Harvey the other day. It seems there are some kinds of business that are booming--astrologers and psychics, now numbers 1 and 2 on the list of growing professions. And the question being asked of them most frequently is, "Where is the economy headed?" Paul Harvey remarks that people are turning to astrologers and psychics "since we stopped believing in money." Hmmm....

Closing

After many months of searching--that had stretched into years--that included a number of dead-end leads, there was a tip early last spring. Six acres of land in a residential area that had been set aside for a church, but the church wasn't able to follow through with their intentions. It had been on the market for two years, and for whatever reason there were no suitors. The price was rumored to be, frankly, extremely reasonable. Could it be true?
Tim, our realtor, and I met with the owner at the site on a windy Saturday morning. It was true--the land was for sale, and at a good price. The building team and trustees moved expeditiously to put an offer together. The offer was quickly accepted.
Nine months, five zoning hearing meetings, and countless phone calls and emails later, the land is ours. It took the efforts of a host of people, especially on the building team, and a lot of gifts and experience that God brought together in his good providence.
But here we are.
The land is ours.
Soli Deo Gloria!

More Gems from Calvin

"For until men recognize that they owe everything to God, that they are nourished by his fatherly care, that he is the Author of their every good, that they should seek nothing beyond him--they will never yield him willing service. Nay, unless they establish their complete happiness in him, they will never give themselves truly and sincerely to him." (Institutes, II:2.1)

"Here indeed is pure and real religion: faith so joined with an earnest fear of God that this fear also embraces willing reverence, and carries with it such legitimate worship as is prescribed in the law. And we ought to note this fact even more diligently: all men have a vague general veneration for God, but very few really reverence him; and wherever there is great ostentation in ceremonies, sincerity of heart is rare indeed." (Institutes, II:2.2)

A note on references to the Institutes: The Institutes are divided into 4 "books," each of which is in turn divided into "chapters," and each chapter is divided into "sections" (sections are around a page in length). Thus, "II:3.4" (or sometimes 2.3.4) denotes Book 2, chapter 3, section 4.

Knowledge of Self Leads to God

"From the feeling of our own ignorance, vanity, poverty, infirmity, and--what is more--depravity and corruption, we recognize that the true light of wisdom, sound virtue, full abundance of every good, and purity of righteousness rest in the Lord alone. To this extent we are prompted by our own ills to contemplate the good things of God; and we cannot seriously aspire to him before we begin to become displeased with ourselves. For what man in all the world would not gladly remain as he is--what man does not remain as he is--so long as he does not know himself, that is, while content with his own gifts, and either ignorant or unmindful of his own misery? Accordingly, the knowledge of ourselves not only arouses us to seek God, but also, as it were, leads us by the hand to find him."
--John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, I:1.1

Newton/Cowper Hymn

Here is the hymn I referenced yesterday, by John Newton ("Amazing Grace") and William Cowper ("God Moves in a Mysterious Way"):

I asked the Lord that I might grow
In faith and love and every grace
Might more of his salvation know,
And seek more earnestly his face

‘Twas he who taught me thus to pray
And he, I trust, has answered prayer;
But it has been in such a way
As almost drove me to despair

I hoped that in some favored hour
At once he’d answer my request;
And by his love’s constraining power
Subdue my sins and give me rest

Instead of this he made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart
And let the angry powers of hell
Assault my soul in every part

Yea more, with his own hand he seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe;
Crossed all the fair designs I’d schemed,
Blasted my gourds and laid me low.

“Lord, why is this,” I trembling cried;
“Wilt thou pursue thy worm to death?”
“’Tis in this way,” the Lord replied,
“I answer prayer for grace and faith.”

“These inward trials I employ
From self and pride to set thee free
And break thy schemes of earthly joy
That thou mayest seek thy all in me.

One-year Institutes

John Calvin was born July 10, 1509--which makes his birth 500 years ago. You could do worse this year than reading his most important work--the Institutes of the Christian Religion--in a year. If you would like to do so, and have a copy but need a schedule, here it is (PDF). If you don't have your own copy, and would like to do so on the Internet, you may do so here. What makes this especially remarkable is that it is done by Princeton Seminary. So even if you can't read it all this year, pray for those at Princeton Seminary who do. Maybe God will use John Calvin's writings to lead people who are skeptical about the Bible to John Calvin's Savior.

Humility

This New year's Day my family (humbly) gave me a great gift--a few uninterrupted hours to read this book on humility. And by the way, it was excellent. Here is the author's synopsis of the book:

Always

- Reflect on the wonder of the cross of Christ (MOST CRUCIAL!)

As each day begins

- Acknowledge your dependence on and need of God

- Practise prayer, study of God's Word, worship, at the outset of each day

- Seize your commute time to memorize and meditate on the Scriptures

- Cast your cares on him (see 1 Peter 5:6-7)

As each day ends

- Transfer the glory to God for whatever happened that day

- Receive the gift of sleep from God and acknowledge his purpose for sleep

For special focus

- Study the attributes of God

- Study the doctrines of grace

- Study the doctrine of sin

- Play golf as much as possible (if you play golf, you know why it is good for humility!)

- Laugh often, and often laugh at yourself

Throughout your days and weeks

- Identify evidences of grace in others

- Encourage and serve others every day

- Invite and pursue correction from others

- Respond humbly to trials.