Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Typology & Conspiracy
Peter Leithart makes this intriguing observation on his blog: "Typology and conspiracy are competing theories of history." Read the entire (and brief) post at http://www.leithart.com/2008/08/23/typology-and-conspiracy/.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Why is God not named in Isaiah 32:9-18?
Isaiah's prophecy is hardly lacking in names for God, so it's somewhat interesting he is unnamed in Isaiah 32:9-18, especially given he's obviously the agent both of blessing and curse in the passage. This may simply be a curiosity, or there may be theological and literary reasons for not mentioning God explicitly. Obviously, I wouldn't be writing this if I didn't think there was some merit to the latter possibility, so here are my two theories.
In the text's first stanza, Isaiah 32:9-14, a prophecy of exile and desolation is pronounced against complacent women. They are complacent because they believe their well-ordered world will continue as always, and so the Lord God of Israel, whether he blesses or curses, is irrelevant to them. Consequently, the Lord may be unnamed in these verses because the complacent women are unable to discern his presence.
In the text's second stanza, Isaiah 32:15-18, we have a prophecy of the Messianic, or Church, Age as a reversal of the previously mentioned desolation. The Spirit is explicitly mentioned, but not as, for example, "the Spirit of God" or "the Holy Spirit." One must have wisdom to notice the Spiritual blessings he is bringing and their divine origin. This is appropriate to the time in which we live, during which the Holy Spirit is the most active member of the Trinity in the world. His work of making the Cross and Scripture efficacious to convict and convert sinners is often ignored by the world's powerful and influential, since it's unaccompanied by fireworks or displays of power; for them, God need not be named because they think he is not present. For the discerning, however, the Holy Spirit is transforming individual lives constantly, and in the process transforming the world by expanding the boundaries of the Church, the Kingdom of Grace.
In the text's first stanza, Isaiah 32:9-14, a prophecy of exile and desolation is pronounced against complacent women. They are complacent because they believe their well-ordered world will continue as always, and so the Lord God of Israel, whether he blesses or curses, is irrelevant to them. Consequently, the Lord may be unnamed in these verses because the complacent women are unable to discern his presence.
In the text's second stanza, Isaiah 32:15-18, we have a prophecy of the Messianic, or Church, Age as a reversal of the previously mentioned desolation. The Spirit is explicitly mentioned, but not as, for example, "the Spirit of God" or "the Holy Spirit." One must have wisdom to notice the Spiritual blessings he is bringing and their divine origin. This is appropriate to the time in which we live, during which the Holy Spirit is the most active member of the Trinity in the world. His work of making the Cross and Scripture efficacious to convict and convert sinners is often ignored by the world's powerful and influential, since it's unaccompanied by fireworks or displays of power; for them, God need not be named because they think he is not present. For the discerning, however, the Holy Spirit is transforming individual lives constantly, and in the process transforming the world by expanding the boundaries of the Church, the Kingdom of Grace.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
What's wrong with the Presbyterian Curmudgeon
| Disorder | Rating |
| Paranoid: | Low |
| Schizoid: | Moderate |
| Schizotypal: | Moderate |
| Antisocial: | Low |
| Borderline: | Low |
| Histrionic: | High |
| Narcissistic: | Moderate |
| Avoidant: | Moderate |
| Dependent: | Moderate |
| Obsessive-Compulsive: | Moderate |
-- Personality Disorder Test -- -- Personality Disorder Information -- | |
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
fancy weddings
I hope this pastor is a presbyterian: http://bizarrocomic.blogspot.com/. (Scroll down to "MGM weddings," and enjoy the insightful comments as well.)
Friday, June 20, 2008
If I Were a Bell
So I'm listening to the amazing rendition of "If I Were a Bell" from the first Miles Davis quintet (Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet). The tune comes from the archetypal American musical Guys and Dolls. As is the case with much straight-ahead jazz, the joy of listening comes, to a great extent, from intimate knowledge of the original, which allows one to better appreciate just how the players work with the piece.
So what happens a few years from now, when the only standards known to the broader public are the drivel belted out on American Idol? These songs have little in the way of notable melodic structure, serving merely as vehicles for oral pyrotechnics. The decline of pop music in the country does not bode well for the future appreciation of jazz, the greatest of American art forms.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Against gnosticism, for the Church year
Philip Lee has some interesting observations on the benefits of practicing the traditional liturgical calendar in the section "The Degnosticizing of Protestantism" in Against the Protestant Gnostics.
"The observance of the Christian year, which in some form or other has been practiced since ancient times, has always been an irritant to the gnostic spirit. It recognizes gnosticism's ancient foe, time, as having an important role within the Christian faith. ...The Christian year from Advent through Pentecost is a reminder that God has not approached His creatures in a general unidentifiable way, but in the particularity of space and time.
"The Protestant failure in celebrating Easter is closely connected to the Protestant failure to observe the Lenten season. ...Lent would be an admission that Christians, like all their fellow creatures, are not only captives of time, but in need of times and seasons. ...Without a particular remembrance of Golgotha in terms of the present, is there any wonder that Easter Sunday is unfulfilling for so many Protestants?"
"The observance of the Christian year, which in some form or other has been practiced since ancient times, has always been an irritant to the gnostic spirit. It recognizes gnosticism's ancient foe, time, as having an important role within the Christian faith. ...The Christian year from Advent through Pentecost is a reminder that God has not approached His creatures in a general unidentifiable way, but in the particularity of space and time.
"The Protestant failure in celebrating Easter is closely connected to the Protestant failure to observe the Lenten season. ...Lent would be an admission that Christians, like all their fellow creatures, are not only captives of time, but in need of times and seasons. ...Without a particular remembrance of Golgotha in terms of the present, is there any wonder that Easter Sunday is unfulfilling for so many Protestants?"
Lord's Day June 22, 2008
This Sunday at Park Hill Presbyterian Church, I'll be preaching on Isaiah 30:1-7 ("Does God Help Those Who Help Themselves?") at 11 a.m., and Luke 20:41-21:4 ("When Jesus Attacks") at 5 p.m.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Lord's Day June 15, 2008
This Sunday at Park Hill Presbyterian Church I'll be preaching on Isaiah 29:15-24 ("Laugh with the Saints") at 11 a.m., and on Luke 20:27-40 ("One Bride for Seven Brothers?") at 5 p.m.
Friday, June 6, 2008
The Presbyterian Curmudgeon is Mr. Eko
Your results:
You are Mr. Eko
Click here to take the Lost Personality Test
You are Mr. Eko
| You are neither a leader nor a follower. You are a Bible reader and are motivated by God's will. Many people have respect for you. |
Click here to take the Lost Personality Test
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
An upside to high gas prices?
While it hasn't happened yet in our congregation, I have heard reliable reports of faithful Church members opting out of evening services due solely to the increasing cost of gasoline. Given the distances which some must commute, sessions no doubt understand why a $30 price tag to attend worship is too much for some, with already tight budgets, to pay.
Of course, getting people out to evening services has been difficult for decades, if not longer. But with the slow-but-steady rise in gas prices over the last few years, I wonder if we won't soon have Church members struggling to make the trek to even just one service on a Lord's Day. Now, I don't think this means we'll be facing empty sanctuaries in the near future. However, I wonder if this won't change the way Christians, particularly theologically conservative presbyterians, choose their congregations.
In Denver, as in many American cities, it's fairly common for a presbyterian to drive past one or two (or more) Churches of like faith and practice on his way to his particular house of worship. This is because he joined the Church he liked the best, whether his preference was dictated by the preacher's style, the congregation's demographic, the hymnal, or whatever else. But if his personal preference would mean an uncomfortable hit to the wallet (since, of course, he's already tithing!), he might be willing to "settle" for a faithful presbyterian Church which may not press all his buttons but is closer to home. Assume most people are guided similarly, and soon we will have Church members living in each other's neighborhoods, with the unintended consequence of building relationships on weekdays, not just Sundays.
In other words, high gas prices may bring an end to the consumerist attitude too many take to choosing their home Church. If they can bring a revival of parish (locally-based) Church ministry, I may pray gas prices keep going up.
Of course, getting people out to evening services has been difficult for decades, if not longer. But with the slow-but-steady rise in gas prices over the last few years, I wonder if we won't soon have Church members struggling to make the trek to even just one service on a Lord's Day. Now, I don't think this means we'll be facing empty sanctuaries in the near future. However, I wonder if this won't change the way Christians, particularly theologically conservative presbyterians, choose their congregations.
In Denver, as in many American cities, it's fairly common for a presbyterian to drive past one or two (or more) Churches of like faith and practice on his way to his particular house of worship. This is because he joined the Church he liked the best, whether his preference was dictated by the preacher's style, the congregation's demographic, the hymnal, or whatever else. But if his personal preference would mean an uncomfortable hit to the wallet (since, of course, he's already tithing!), he might be willing to "settle" for a faithful presbyterian Church which may not press all his buttons but is closer to home. Assume most people are guided similarly, and soon we will have Church members living in each other's neighborhoods, with the unintended consequence of building relationships on weekdays, not just Sundays.
In other words, high gas prices may bring an end to the consumerist attitude too many take to choosing their home Church. If they can bring a revival of parish (locally-based) Church ministry, I may pray gas prices keep going up.
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