Calvin's Institutes, Battles edition: pp. 494-503, vol. 1

In Book 2, ch. 15 of the Institutes, Calvin goes hammer and tong against anyone who thinks Christ owes them an easy time in this life. Because our lives are full of misery, Christ can be king only if his promises are heavenly and eschatological; otherwise, he is no king at all. From pages 498-499:

 [T]he happiness promised us in Christ does not consist in outward advantages.... No our happiness belongs to the heavenly life!

Thus it is that we may patiently pass thorugh this life with its misery, hunger, cold, contempt, reproaches, and other troubles – content with this one thing: that our King will never leave us destitute, but will provide for our needs until, our warfare ended, we are called to triumph.

Union with Christ our Prophet & Priest (Calvin's Institutes, Battles edition: pp. 494-503, vol. 1)

In Book 2, ch. 15 of the Institutes, Calvin explores the familiar-to-presbyterians analysis of Christ's redemptive work through the categories of prophet, king, and priest. He employs the doctrine of the believer's union with Christ in a couple of surprising ways to show how Christ's offices of prophet and priest are carried out in the Church today.

"[Christ] received anointing... for his whole body [i.e., the Church] that the power of the Spirit might be present in the continuing preaching of the Gospel." (p. 496) That is, Isaiah 61 is fulfilled not only in Luke 4, but, by virtue of the Church's mystical union with Christ, every time the Gospel is preached: in this sense, the prophetic office continues.

Then notice how he develops the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers: "Now, Christ plays the priestly role... to receive us as his companions in this great office (Rev. 1:6). For we who are defiled in ourselves, yet are priests in him, offer ourselves and our all to God, and freely enter the heavenly sanctuary that the sacrifices of prayers and praise that we bring may be acceptable and sweet-smelling before God." (p. 502) Calvin finds our priesthood exercised primarily in corporate worship, performed in heaven, the Temple/Tabernacle's archetype (Hebrews 9). Moreover, we are priests because we are united to our Great High Priest.

A destination taco

Some foodies dream of pilgrimages to France; I dream of fast food. I had been unable to get the Doritos Loco Taco out of my mind since its advent was first proclaimed by Taco Bell a month ago. So I tried one the other day, and I am here to tell you it tastes like a Taco Bell taco on a Dorito shell. Yup. Just like that.

Sigh.

Now if Good Times would only come out with their cheeseburger-served-between-two-grilled-cheese-sandwiches...

Do This

Last night I completed the first draft of a paper for a symposium, in which I argue the Church must give heed to liturgy and catechism if her members are to have healthy families and withstand the world's temptations. This morning First Things ran an essay by Peter Leithart arguing for a restoration of the Eucharist to a central place in the liturgical life of evangelicals.

Great minds and all that...

Retraction

As an avid user of Apple computers and products since 1992 (largely because they work and I can use them), I listened with interest to a January 2012 story on This American Life on working conditions in Chinese factories which produce Apple products. I was riveted, however, by this week's episode, which details the fabrications in that story. The show's host, Ira Glass, has an uncomfortably honest conversation with monologuist Mike Daisey. As far as I can tell, no pauses or hesitations were edited out; the raw emotion is pretty difficult to take.

Since its inception, This American Life has produced compelling radio. Now the production staff has taken an unmitigated disaster for its reputation and not only mitigated it: they've turned it into a triumph of the form they've done so much to pioneer.

Tempted

"Squeeze" comes after "Springsteen" and before "Sting," which gives you some idea as to where I am in my project to convert my old audiocassettes into mp3 files. Hence, Tempted, which is perhaps Squeeze's greatest greatest hit (if you follow me) has been stuck in my head for about a week now, and I still can't figure out the lyrics.

Yes. I know it's about someone being tempted. I did, in fact, go to college.

My trouble lies in the song's narrative. This isn't I Am the Walrus; clearly, there's a story here being told through all the clever wordplay. I just can't put it together.

So. Please produce a stanza-by-stanza analysis. Bonus points for witty literary references and comments on Elvis Costello's contributions as a producer and vocalist.

A happy vernal equinox to you

Because Tom Lehrer is a genius, that's why.

Modern Church Service

A member of our congregation sent me a link to this YouTube parody of the average evangelical worship service. It's funny, but also raises once again a fairly basic question: if modern evangelical worship has locked itself into extremely predictable rituals, why not return to the richer rituals developed by the Church over the last 2000 years?

Life in the Spirit

The Beeson podcast this week offered up a 1993 lecture by Gordon Fee on the role of the Holy Spirit in Paul's doctrine. Fee has some intriguing observations as to why the Spirit, so integral to everything in the New Testament, has tended to be forgotten in the doctrinal life of the Church. He argues, with some persuasiveness, that the eventual displacement of adult conversion with infant baptism as the predominant means by which members are added to the Church has the inevitable consequence of making a personal experience of a new coming of the Holy Spirit rather rare.

Thankfully, though Fee is an Assembly of God minister and does (wrongly) call for a revival of extraordinary charismata, he argues that the institutional life of the Church is itself a work of the Spirit and also calls attention to the importance of hymnody for personal experience of the Spirit's presence in the life of the Church. All in all, a very helpful contribution for someone (sadly) outside the Presbyterian world.

World's Greatest Thank-you Note. Ever.

Let's hear it for good manners!

Racer 5

I am not ashamed to admit I will try a beer for no other reason than an attractive label. When I was at Denver's Falling Rock Taphouse with Pa Curmudgeon last summer, my inner six-year-old couldn't help but notice the very Speed Racerish Racer 5 IPA taphead. I've been back several times and had Racer 5 on each occasion. It may not be the greatest IPA ever, but the logo makes it a thrill. Since it comes from a California brewery, I've only ever had it on tap. Someday, I hope to pick up a six-pack, although that would probably mean setting foot in California again.

In the meantime, Bear Republic has an online gift shop with a good assortment of Racer 5-emblazoned caps and t-shirts. Just in case you were wondering what to get me for this Lenten season.