Does it all end this Saturday?

Harold Camping and Family Radio's shenanigans are usually so far out there that I hesitate even to comment on them--and this year's is no exception. But I was at the barber's recently, and one of the barbers joked about it "all ending this Saturday." She, too (yes, this barber was a "she") was joking about it--but I was surprised to hear mention of it at the barber shop (Anthony's on Penn Street in West Reading).

It reminded me that people do hear about these things. And while on one hand it brings Christ's name undoubtedly into disrepute when people make wrong-headed predictions about very serious and significant events. But on the other hand, it also provides opportunity to point people in the right direction--winsomely, but with a humble boldness. It is the same with Rob Bell and his denial of hell (behind which is, even more significantly, a denial of God's perfect justice. Can you worship God if he is not perfectly just? Does God's love mean anything without his justice? The unfathomable glory of the gospel is that it combines God's perfect justice--and yes, his wrath--for sin and sinners with his perfect love in the work of Jesus Christ).

This is a time to think: if someone asks me about these things, what do I say? What do I believe--as in, what do I trust in? And can I speak that winsomely and clearly when someone asks--without seeming reactionary or defensive? Let's "be prepared to give a defense to anyone who asks for a reason for the hope that is in us" (1 Peter 3:15). After all, God is always at work.

Shallow Small Group

Here's for a laugh:

Should We Rejoice at bin Laden's Death?

Last week I had a conversation over lunch with several pastor-types, and the question came up: should Christians rejoice over Osama bin Laden's death? The answers varied, mostly from "no, we should not rejoice, it is gloating" to "yes, but only moderately so."

I agree that we should never gloat--even over the death of someone whose deeds are so very reprehensible. At the same time, there is cause for some rejoicing. We may rejoice that justice has been done; we may also be sad that this man, who bore the image of God (as many have reminded me) had become so evil, and so trashed God's image that he destroyed others made in God's image.

Over on her blog, Barbaranne Kelly has a few choice links to comment on bin Laden's death. Of those, John Piper hits the ambivalence best, I think. Emotions are, and should be, mixed (as they often are in this already-not yet world, where the kingdom of God and the "present evil age" [Gal. 1:4] intersect).

On a side note, this has been a rare time when in the larger media the word "justice" is used in the sense of "retributive justice." In our postmodern world many do not like to admit that anyone "deserves" punishment. That our culture can only see it in a truly despicable, and evil person is unfortunate; that they still see it is cause for hope, nevertheless.

Please Hold Me to This

Over on the Reformation21 blog, Carl Trueman has been reflecting on the "conservative Reformed mega-pastor" and theology conferences. I'm not opposed to theology conferences, and realize I will never be a "megapastor"or a famous conference speaker--that's OK, 99% of pastors will not be. But in his reflections he hits on the necessity of personal ministry in this post. If I am your pastor, please hold me to this. I want to know you, and be known by you, as much as humanly possible (so does Pastor Ross, and so do our elders). If we're missing this, please let us know.

Easter in China

The Chinese term for "Easter" is "fu huo jie," literally, "resurrection festival." So much more descriptive than "Easter."

Well, a friend of mine in China took some video of a Resurrection Festival service there, and posted it on You Tube. Take a look at it here. It is at the Gangwashi church in Beijing (I worshiped there in 1995, and the building hasn't changed that much).

How do we find out?

So Osama bin Laden was shot today, on the other side of the world. There is justice in that, and while we can be glad that it happened, we also know that ultimately justice rests with God. But because of the book I'm reading (see previous posts), my thoughts also turned to how we find out these things.

I first read about bin Laden by going online to find out how the Phils did last night. There I read that during the ninth inning the crowd began to chant, "USA, USA" as people saw the news on their smartphones, etc, and spread the news around.

Consider that in 2001 that would not have been likely. Smartphones were a thing of the future. In 2001 you would have had to bring a portable radio to the ballpark to get that news--and it would not have gotten out.

In fact, until almost 1850 (160 years ago), nothing traveled faster than a horse--not a person, not information. The war of 1812 ended on December 24, 1814. In January 1815 a battle was fought with hundreds killed, and two thousand wounded and captured; in vain. The news of the end of the war did not reach the US until February.

Or, consider Pearl Harbor in 1941. My parents were both alive then. How did people find out about that? Mostly by radio, as they waited for telegrams and other transmissions to arrive. No one ran to their TVs to "see" it. (My parents were both Amish, and did not have radio or electricity or automobiles. Many Amish believed that the war planes flying overhead--from the air base in Annapolis, MD--were enemy planes come to attack. Seems strange now, doesn't it!)

On 9-11, however, think about where you first heard of the attacks, and what you did? Probably you ran to the TV, because that was where the information was. But now, 2011, the information comes not even over the computer, but to our own pockets, wherever we are.

Life has changed very much for us. How has that affected us? What does it to our hearts? More on that later.

Questions to ask of Technology

Between unquestioning embrace of every new digital gadget, and unquestioning rejection of every new gadget, there is intelligent, proper thinking about new gadgets. Tim Challies, in his book (see previous post) suggests two sets of questions--and while I can't pretend to reproduce everything he writes, this may get you thinking:

1. What human trait, sense, or experience is enhanced by this new technology? (usually, for new technologies nowadays, it is our ability to communicate)

2. What existing technology is made obsolete by this new one? (for example, the automobile makes blacksmiths unnecessary; the computer may make TV obsolete)

3. What old, abandoned technology does this technology bring back to mind?

4. What unintended opposite effects might this technology have? (for example, cell phones that enhance voice communications diminish face-to-face interactions)

Here are some questions to ask of your technology:

1. Why were you created?

2. What is the problem to which you are the solution, and whose problem is it?

3. What new problems will you bring?

4. What are you doing to my heart?

In the end, every question leads up to the last one: What is it that draws me to this new gadget? Is it a desire to be the "first" to show off this new device? Am I driven by a desire to find bargains, and do I hope this device will help me (or be the bargain I crave)? Why do I really want this device?

New Book on Technology

I have come across a book on how technology has affected faith and life. That is a huge topic--the classic is Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death. This promises to be good. You might want to check out the blog post for it here. I plan to get a copy, and will post more, I hope.