Boston Globe Article on Grace Chapel

Check out the article in the Boston Globe by Michael Paulson on Grace Chapel. He visited Grace recently and wrote about his experience. Read it here. GracePoint is briefly mentioned (though not by name).

Diane Frates, In the Arms of Jesus

Diane (Velten) Frates, 65,passed away on November 23, 2008 at Brigham and Women’s Hospital after a courageous battle with cancer. She was the wife of Robert P.Frates with whom she had shared 36 years of marriage.

Born and raised in Stoneham, Diane was the daughter of Alice E. Velten of Stoneham and the late Clifford A. Velten. Diane was a graduate of Stoneham High School,class of 1960. She was employed as a draftsperson for the Raytheon Corporation, RCA Corporation and the Inforex Company.

Diane enjoyed traveling and square dancing with her husband Bob. She was a member of the Northeast Regional Square Dance Club. She was skilled in many crafts, including painting, sewing, scrap booking and creating miniature room displays. She was a member of the Stoneham Arts and Craft Society of Stoneham and the White Mountain Painting Guild. Diane most enjoyed working on crafts with her grandchildren and nieces in her craft room at home.

Diane was a very loving person who attended GracePoint Community Church in Andover and the First Baptist Church in Stoneham. She loved singing the hymns and enjoyed talking about our beloved Jesus Christ. Diane was a very compassionate, loving woman who made a permanent impression on all the lives she touched. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her and knew her steadfast belief in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

In addition to her mother and husband, she is survived by her son Michael R. Frates and his wife Donna of Lynnfield and her daughter, Deborah Walker and her husband Christopher of Oakham. She is also survived by a brother WayneVelten and his wife Ann of Peabody; sisters, Joyce Turner of Wilmington and Janet McLaughlin and her husband Leonard of Billerica; three beloved grandchildren Madison and Nathan Frates and Ava Walker; six nieces and three nephews. She was the mother of the late John C.Brown III.

AIDS Awareness Event Nearby...

Just as a heads up to a great event you might want to go to, provided you have the time is a World Vision experience that is being put on at Grace Community Church in Chelmsford. This experience is a narrated walk through a typical African village. And it is put on from October 24th to October 27th.

World Vision puts on these events so that we might be able to experience what a typical African child encounters in life due to the AIDS pandemic. For more information from World Vision about what it is like, check here.

Come One, Come All

We're still looking for people to help out. Call Ryan (978-681-6483) if you'd like to help.

Benched

Benched from Brandon McCormick on Vimeo.

All Church Picnic This Sunday!

Come on out to our annual church picnic this Sunday after church from 12:30-4. We provide the food, you provide the fun! It's being held at Berry Pond in North Andover. For directions:

From Andover
From North Andover
From Haverhill

Go down Berry Pond Rd. and the entrance will be on your left.

GracePoint in Outreach Magazine

A few months ago an editor from Outreach Magazine was on the web looking for churches who were finding innovative ways to serve abroad. Somehow, he landed on GracePoint's website and our our Moldova project. He contacted Steve, asking if they could do a write up on us. Colleen Young gave him all the info and now we're published! The article is in their current September/October issue. Here is the text from the article:

"Traveling out of the Moldovan capital of Chisinau is like going back in time as paved roads give way to dirt, and shacks pass for homes. Two hours outside the city, one of many orphanages in this, Europe's poorest nation, is home to 100 children.

"Living a modest existence there—where showers are rusty and moldy and children use an outhouse because the bathroom is broken—the kids know when visitors from an American church arrive and run to
greet them.

"These kids have nothing," says Colleen Young, a member of the outreach team at GraccPoint Community Church (GracePointne.org) in North Andover, Mass., who visited the orphanage in January. Providing necessities and spiritual hope to the orphanage in Tocuz, Moldova, has become an outreach mission for the congregation of 100.

"Since its inception almost three years ago, GracePoint has partnered with missions agency Little Samaritan Mission (LittleSamaritan.org) to support orphans throughout Moldova. In the last two years, the church has focused on helping the orphans in Tocuz. One year, church
members filled backpacks with school supplies and other items. Most recently, the congregation stuffed clear plastic bags with gifts like flashlights, toothpaste and new winter coats. One church member donated a new pair of sunglasses for each child.

"'The kids loved them,' says Young, one of five GracePoint congregants who traveled to Moldova this year. 'They had never had sunglasses before.'

"The congregation also plans to pay for repairs on the bathrooms and showers. While the children cherish the gifts they receive, GracePoint's team intends to show them the love of Christ—not just be the 'Americans who bring things and leave,' Young explains. During their visit, the team played games with the children, studied the Bible, and prayed with and talked to them about reaching out to God when they feel alone. Back home, GracePoint members pray for the kids daily.

"'It is a country where the people feel forgotten, and having the love and peace of Christ will change their lives,' Young says."

A Quote on Difference Making

“You don't have to know a lot of things to make a huge difference for the Lord in the world. But you do have to know a few things that are great, and be willing to live for them and die for them. People who make a difference in the world are not people who have mastered a lot of things. They are people who have been mastered by a very few things that are very, very great. If you want your life to count, you don't have to have a high IQ; you don’t have to have a high EQ; you don't have to be smart, you don’t have to have good looks; you don't have to come from a good family or a good school. You just have to know a few basic, simple, glorious, majestic, obvious, unchanging, eternal things and be gripped by them and be willing to lay down your life for them, which is why anybody in this crowd can make a world-wide difference. Because it isn’t you, it is what you’re gripped with.”

-John Piper, transcribed from the audio of "Boasting Only in the Cross"

Every Member a Theologian

Thabiti Anyabwile answers the question, Why is being a theologian important for the average church member? Don’t we have seminary professors for that stuff?

"We love seminary professors, and are thankful for the gift that they are to the body of Christ. But theology is knowledge of God, and no professor can or should be asked to take our place in the privilege of knowing and savoring God! The great joy of Christianity is that we are actually brought into saving and everlasting knowledge of the marvelous Creator of all things. That knowledge of Him is “theology.”

"We’re all theologians. We’re either good or bad, hungry or lazy, grudging or joyful, accurate or sloppy theologians. But we are theologians. And I hope Healthy Member encourages the average Christian to not be afraid of the word “theologian,” to embrace it as their new birthright, and to take some practical steps in deepening their knowledge of God. For it’s as we know God more deeply, that our daily lives are changed more radically."

I would only add that every member is a theologian because even scholars and seminary professors are susceptible to fallibility. We should never look to any theologian or scholar or professor as distributors of perfect, truth. Our only guide should be the Bible. Acts 17:11: "Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so."

Thabiti Anyabwile has written a book called, What is a Healthy Church Member? I look forward to picking it up.

What is Real?

I'm not quite sure what to make of this. My mind keeps on racing toward the existential question, "What is real?" Mostly, I keep telling myself that this is all a hoax. Though it sounds like I am wrong.

Consumerism: It's Ok

"We are a nation of consumers, and there is nothing wrong with that."

-From a Discover Card commercial

Mr. Bean Goes to Church

Interestingly, this bit was written by a guy named Richard Curtis, who also wrote the screenplays for Knotting Hill, Bridget Jones, and, my favorite, A Girl in the Café. Curtis has also raised over a billion dollars for poverty and disease relief.

Are You an Activist or a Contemplative?

Mark Driscoll writes:

Which Are You?
The key is to discover whether you are more naturally a contemplative or an activist and then work on your area of weakness. In my years as a pastor I have found that most of us lean heavily toward the contemplative or the active disciplines at the expense of the other. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for people to read about Jesus in their Bible and only see His contemplative or activist scenes at the expense of seeing the healthy tension that Jesus lived in. As a result, when a contemplative thinks of Jesus they are prone to imagine Him sitting alone in the wilderness and silently reading Scripture and praying. Conversely, when an activist thinks of Jesus they are prone to imagine Him performing miracles, preaching, and casting out demons, never sitting down or taking a day off. The truth is that Jesus practiced every contemplative discipline and every active discipline (with the exception of lovemaking). To follow in His example means we must follow in His entire example.

Active Disciplines
Study
Fellowship
Speaking
Teaching
Activism
Work
Lovemaking
Evangelism
Service
Feasting

Contemplative Disciplines
Solitude
Silence
Meditation
Prayer
Sabbath
Chastity
Worship
Journaling
Fasting

Def: Credobaptism

Latin, credo “believe”

The belief that baptism should only be administered to those who are believers. According to credobaptists, baptism is a visible outward sign of confession, ordain by Christ in the great commission. Because it is a sign of belief, credobaptist do not practice infant or padeobaptism since an infants cannot believe. While the majority of church history practiced padeobaptism as a sign of the covenant, padeobaptist argue that the baptism of infants is unbiblical sighting examples in Scripture which, according to the credobaptist, limit baptism to believers.

For more information on credobaptism, see here.

This is also the view of GracePoint.

From: Theological Word of the Day

Fill-In Dad

From Anthony Bradley:

"Where is Michael Phelps' dad? Phelps' dad left him and his sisters when he was seven. One of his sister's tells that she would swim in the pool to escape the yelling and fighting between her mom and her dad.

"When Phelps was 11 he met Bob Bowman and the two have been together ever since. In the absence of his father, Bob Bowman became the man to offer Phelps what all boys need and no woman can provide: masculine validation and blessing from an older man to a younger one. It makes so much sense. Even with an absent father and being a child of a painful divorce, Bowman stepped in during a crucial point in Phelps' stage of development and bestowed upon him exactly what he needed."

Too Much Time on Your Hands

HT: Neatorama

8

In his pursuit of 8 gold medals, Phelps' best races by far were this one, and this one.

Salon on Rick Warren

Read the interesting article on Warren here.

On Wasting Your LIfe

"People often ask us why in the world we would waste our lives as missionaries. They forget that they, too, are investing their lives. And when the bubble has burst they will have nothing to show
for the years they have wasted."

- Nate Saint, shortly before he was killed in the jungles of Ecuador by the people group he was trying to serve

HT: Z

More on Zion Bible College

Maybe I am the only one who thinks this is interesting.

Zion Bible College has moved in and will, amazingly, begin classes on August 26th. Read the whole story here.

I Got Something Wrong

Someone asked me a really good question this morning after my sermon. And after looking at it, I discovered I got something wrong.

Her question was, why did the master affirm to the wicked servant in verse 26 that he had harvested where he had not sown and gathered where he had not scattered seed? Doesn't that make the master out to be a bad guy? What I missed was that this was sarcasm. The master uses the words of the servant against him. In essence, the master is saying, "Oh, so you think that I am a cheat and stealer? I see how you think of me." He finishes this up with the sarcasm and indictment in verse 27: "Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest." The actions of the servant reflect his wickedness, not the master's. Had he really believed what he said, he would have given the money to the bankers. I missed that.

Nevertheless, the point is the same. If you have a wrong view of God, you won't serve him. This only bolsters that point.

Go With the Flow

HT: Neatorama

Are Christians Still Persecuted in China?

Randy Alcorn answers this question here. The short answer? Yes.

Mark Driscoll on Harsh Language

A Quote on What Everybody Wants

"The desire for happiness is not in myself alone or in a few friends, but is found in everybody. If we did not know this with certain knowledge, we would not want it with determination in our will. But what does this mean?

"If two people are asked if they want to serve in the army, it may turn out that one of them replies that he would like to do so, while the other would not. But if they are asked whether they would like to be happy, each would at once say without the least hesitation that he would choose to be so. And the reason why one would wish to be a soldier and the other would not is only that they want to be happy. Is it then the case that one person finds joy in one way, another in a different way?

"What all agree upon is that they want to be happy, just as they would concur, if asked, that they want to experience joy and would call that joy the happy life. If one person pursues it in one way, and another in a different way, yet there is one goal which all are striving to attain, namely to experience joy."

St. Augustine, Confessions, 198.

Sara Groves et al

My absolute favorite "Christian" artists are coming to Massachusetts!! This is pretty rare as Mass natives are more likely to attend a band composed of rhinos than Christians. Oh well. I'll take it any way I can get it. The tour is called Art-Music-Justice with Sara Groves, Derek Webb, Sandra McCracken and others. October 5th at Gordon College. Let me know if you want to go!!

Watching TBN So You Don't Have To

Goodness, not me. This guy.

Colbert's Christian One Liner's

Over at the Stephen Colbert web page, there is something called a "Religionizer" that picks a religion for you if you are looking for one. Here are the jokes that come with Christianity:

Sweet! More Bible!
Warning: Stigmata not covered by HMO.
Pro: Salvation. Con: N/A
Jesus died for your sins, so you kind of owe him.
You’re now only 60% likely to burn in Hell.
Start planning your Rapture party now!
Admit it: it feels good to be right.
Jesus is now officially your co-pilot.
Feeling guilty? Get used to it.
Walking on the beach just got a whole lot easier.

HT: Think Christian

Ten Commandments of Email

From the Peacemaker Ministries Blog, the 10 Commandments for Email Communication:

1. Confirm that you are interpreting facts accurately to guard against emailing interpretations of the facts that others might find unfair or untrue. (Heed the 9^th Commandment; see, e.g., Exodus 23:1, Ephesians 4:25.)
2. If you have doubts about facts, meet with wise counselors and/or the potential reader(s) of your email to find spirit-led words for communicating the message concerning disputable facts or questionable motives. (Keep in step with the Spirit and do not provoke; see, e.g., Galatians 5:25-26. Be like Jesus and try to understand the temptations that caused the listener to do that which offended you; see, e.g., Hebrews 2:17-18. Do not impugn motives; see, e.g., 1 Corinthians 4:5)
3. Do not copy others on emails unless you are certain that the email is true, fair, and necessary. Be especially careful not to blind copy emails to people who might form judgments based on incomplete information or emotionally-charged statements. (Do not sow discord; see, e.g., Proverbs 6:19.)
4. Do not send emails with negative policy directives unless earnest efforts have been made to discuss the directives in person and each negative directive points to a positive alternative. (Follow the example of our Lord, who always showed positive alternatives. Use affirming language; see, e.g., Ephesians 4:29, Hebrews 3:13, Hebrews 10:25, etc.)
5. Exercise care when using email to develop or mandate new policies regarding emotionally-charged issues. (See how Paul empathized with the target of his communications, as in the book of Philemon, before suggesting solutions. Think before you write; see, e.g., 1 Corinthians 14:20. Focus on issues rather than people; see, e.g., Titus 2:7-8)
6. If responding to a negative email, keep emails brief and gentle. (Be quick to listen and slow to speak; see, e.g., James 1:19. A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger; see, e.g., Proverbs 15:1)
7. Do not assume that the person reading your email knows that you trust, respect, and value (at least some things about) him or her. (If you are writing about a negative issue, heed the wisdom of Apostles Paul and Peter who start letters about even the most egregious sins with warm and affirming language.)
8. Pray for wisdom about using logic to base your position on spiritual truths expressed with spiritual words. (See, e.g., John 1:1, 1 Corinthians 2:13, 1 Peter 4:11.)
9. If you send an email with incorrect information or information sent to the wrong person, make a Biblical apology. (See http://covenant.net/Articles/Confession.mht and the related verses in Proverbs 28:13, 1 John 1:8-9, Luke 15:11-24, Luke 19:1-9, and Eph. 4:22-32.)
10. Practice the Golden Rule. Ask how you would feel if receiving the types of emails that you send to others. Seek to uphold email standards that, if practiced by everyone in the Christian community, would show a desire to maintain the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace. (See, e.g., Ephesians 4:3 and Matthew 7:12.)

Dark Knight

Ray Ortlund, upon viewing the movie The Dark Knight:

Visually stimulating. Technologically impressive. Hollywood has fast-forwarded a gazillion years since my favorite films by Steve McQueen and John Wayne. But peel off the layers of glittering presentation, and what's actually there? A ripping good yarn. I grant that. But not much else. In fact, it comes down to a lie of human idealization being passed off on the public because they're supposed to be better off thinking the lie. That violates everything I believe. I learned nothing. I was not enriched in any way.

Immanuel Church cannot compete with Hollywood in terms of raw momentary impact. No church can. But that's one of the great things about church. It can be real. It can be entry-level discovery, for anyone, of the Lovely One who will amaze us forever.

I'm weary with the world's disappointing stimulants. I want more of Christ.

Though I reacted negatively at first to this "review," I can't help but think he's at least partially right. I often wonder if my sensibilities are not as offended at entertainment as they should be. Yes, we should engage the culture in order that we bring people to Christ. But where is the line? Unholy means never justify the glorious end when it comes to the gospel. Our actions must be a direct reflection of the gospel, not only a way to it. I suspect that we (read: I) do things in the name of cultural engagement and gospel witness when we are really only getting a pleasure fix. Though Ray's piece might be an overstatement, we should not avoid the basic teaching.

HT: JT

Def: Inspiration

(Latin in-, “in” + Latin spirare, “to breathe”)

The doctrine relating to the divine origin of Scripture, that it is a joint product of God and man. “Scripture is not only man’s word, but also, and equally God’s word, spoken through man’s lips or written with man’s pen” (J. I. Packer, The Origin of the Bible). The term comes from the Latin translation, and some English translations (esp. KJV), of the Greek theopneustos, found in 2 Tim. 3:16. Though the English connotes a “breathing in,” both the Latin and Greek imply a “breathing out,” specifically from God to the human authors.

For more on the history of this doctrine, see here.

From: Theological Word of the Day

"The Best Relay Race Ever"

I hope a few of you stayed up to watch the 400m men's relay race last night. Unbelievable. There are only a few other sports moments I have watched live that were amazing as that. I DVRed it and have watched it at least 15 times.

Watch the clip here. Also, there's a great article on it here. The Olympics rule.

Shepard Scale

After listening to this, you might just consider yourself insane:



HT: Neatorama

8/08/2008, 8:08, 8lbs. 8oz.

Fun story here.

A Quote on the Gospel and You

"Do you delight more in the fact that God makes much of you in the Gospel or that the Gospel frees you to make much of God?"

-John Piper

Steven Curtis Chapman on Adoption

Steve Curtis Chapman wrote an editorial at CNN on adoption. It is beautiful and pointed. He writes:

"Caring for these children is not the job of governments or institutions; instead, it is the job of families, people and communities. As Christians, our compassion is simply a response to the love that God has already shown us. Mother Teresa would constantly remind those who worked with her that the Bible clearly teaches that whatever we do for the least of these, we do for Jesus. So in a very real sense, caring for orphans is a chance to meet the person of Jesus in 'the guise of human suffering.' This is an invitation from the heart of God to know him and to experience his love."

He concludes:

"If only 7 percent of the 2 billion Christians in the world would care for a single orphan in distress, there would effectively be no more orphans. If everybody would be willing to simply do something to care for one of these precious treasures, I think we would be amazed by just how much we could change the world.

"We can each do something, whether it is donating, adopting, fostering, mentoring, visiting orphans or supporting families that have taken in orphans. You can change the world for an orphan."

Read the whole thing.

Lightning in Slow Motion

HT: Neatorama

The Chapman Family on Larry King

I posted the first segment below. To see the interview in it's entirety, Justin Taylor has embedded all the You Tube videos on his blog here. Though tremendously hard to watch, the faith the family proclaims is well worth seeing and learning from.

Def: Ordo Salutis

(Latin, “order of salvation”)

Refers to the successive order of events in the process or event of salvation. This order includes necessities such as predestination, regeneration, faith, justification, repentance, atonement, and glorification. Depending on ones particular stance on theological issues having to do with salvation, he or she will see these events in differing successions. For example, the Calvinist would normally place regeneration before faith in their ordo, while the Arminian would see regeneration as a result of faith. The Roman Catholic would see justification as an event and a process that takes place throughout the Christian’s life, while Protestants would see justification as a definite event resulting from faith. Therefore, the Roman Catholic and Protestant ordo would differ respectively.

From Theological Word of the Day

When Theologians Disagree

Check out this informative post from Justin Taylor, answering the question, "What if two theologians I respect disagree about Scripture’s meaning?" He writes:

"The answer to this is virtually the same as if the question had been, “What if two theologians I respect agree about Scripture’s meaning?” In either scenario, the proper response is to imitate the “noble Bereans” of Acts 17. These were Jews who listened to Paul and Silas proclaim God’s Word in their synagogue. We are told that “they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” In other words, they combined eager reception of teaching along with daily inspection to see if they were hearing was true.

"The fact that godly theologians, whom we admire, disagree on certain issues is not something that we should receive as a threat to our confidence, but rather we should view it as an invitation to carefully and prayerfully think. Take time to ask questions about what you are hearing or readings: What are the claims being made? What are the arguments? What are the assumptions? What are the implications? What are the relevant Bible passages?

"In 2 Timothy 2:7, Paul gives Timothy a command (“Think over what I say”), followed by a reason that is also a promise (“for the Lord will give you understanding in everything”). And James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom [if you have a pulse, then you fit in this category!], let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” So whether your favorite theologians agree or disagree, if you want to decide what you believe and to have wise understanding, then the biblical pattern is to ask, to think, and to believe. God will hear your prayer, bless your efforts, and give you help."

Chapman Family on GMA

A(nother) Quote on Hell

"There seems to be a kind of conspiracy, especially among middle-aged writers of vaguely liberal tendency, to forget, or to conceal, where the doctrine of Hell comes from. One finds frequent references to the 'cruel and abominable mediaeval doctrine of hell,' or "the childish and grotesque mediaeval imagery of physical fire and worms...

"But the case is quite otherwise; let us face the facts. The doctrine of hell is not 'mediaeval': it is Christ's. It is not a device of 'mediaeval priestcraft' for frightening people into giving money to the church: it is Christ's deliberate judgment on sin. The imagery of the undying worm and the unquenchable fire derives, not from 'mediaeval superstition,' but originally from the Prophet Isaiah, and it was Christ who emphatically used it.... It confronts us in the oldest and least 'edited' of the gospels: it is explicit in many of the most familiar parables and implicit in many more: it bulks far larger in the teaching than one realizes, until one reads the Evangelists through instead of picking out the most comfortable texts: one cannot get rid of it without tearing the New Testament to tatters. We cannot repudiate Hell without altogether repudiating Christ."

- Dorothy Sayers, in A Matter of Eternity, p. 86

Close to Home

On Thursday, July 24th, our whole area had torrential rains. In Andover, there was some serious flooding on Binney Street. Well, one of those flooded homes belonged to the Solt family who have most recently been a part of our mom's summer play group (for snapshot of the group, go here). You can read all about the flood on Binney Street here, including some of the Solt's comments on the flooding.

Flooding is tragic, but when it hits ones we know and care about, it is heartbreaking. So pray for them, first and foremost. And if you can give an hour or two to help them clean up (Jenny has already been over there helping them clean up and she's been cleaning kitchen ware that was soiled in the flood) or if you can assist them in replacing any of their possessions lost in the flood, call me at the church (978-681-6483) and I will get you in touch with them.

A Quote on Salvation

“God intentionally designed salvation so that no man can boast of it. He didn’t merely arrange it so that boasting would be discouraged, or kept to a minimum—He planned is so that boasting would be absolutely excluded! Election does precisely that.”

–Mark Webb

More Kitties

HT: Neatorama

LOLCats

Check out this very weird post from Joe Carter on something called LOLCat Comm. The picture to the right is one example.

Vacated

I am getting away for a few weeks tomorrow with my wife and daughter. I'm really looking forward to it. However, that means blogging will slow down quite a bit. I have some things scheduled to come out, but other than that, posting will be sporadic. But do not fear, I enjoy it too much to stay away for long. And especially if I come across anything bizarre, or deep, or interesting, or thought-provoking, you will surely hear about it here.

Humility

It's nearly impossible to say everything you want to say in a 35 minute sermon. And especially when it comes to this topic, I doubt a final word could ever be said about it. For that reason, here are some more thoughts and tidbits I picked up along the way while preparing:

1. Before I started writing anything, I read C.J. Mahaney's book Humility. Please read it! It is short--could be read in a few days. Though I went down a different road in my sermon than he does in this book, he is highly cross-centered and gives many helpful ways to combat pride and gain humility.

2. Speaking of C.J., here is a quote of his that mirrors the idea that the soul's desire for acceptance and love is the basis for pride (from Dear Timothy: Letters on Pastoral Ministry):

"...all day long, at the moment you become aware of burdensome cares, cast them upon the Lord, who cares for you. Where there is worry and anxiety; there is the pride of self-reliance. The humble man, though he may be responsible for many things, is free of care--he is care-free. His life is characterized by joy and peace, for it is impossible to be worried while trusting the Sovereign One."

3. Deepak Reju over at 9 Marks wrote a list of questions for pastors they should ask themselves to ascertain if they are really living lives of humility. I have modified them a bit for your use. I thankfully read them a few weeks ago. They helped prepare my heart:

• Where do you turn when you are carrying a heavy burden? Are there others in your life to whom you can turn and show your weakness?
• How often do you struggle with the pride of self-reliance?
• Can your life be described as joyful and peaceful?
• If I asked your spouse to describe your life, what would he/she say?
• Are you willing to ask others for forgiveness?
• Are you willing to ask your spouse and children to forgive you when you mess up?
• Do you find yourself always directing those around you, or do you take the time to really listen to what others have to say?

4. Here is a list of Manifestations of Pride by Stuart Scott. Read 'em and weep.

Distracting Ourselves to Death

Some really good "rules" here from John Mark Reynolds on how we can temper our use of those technological devices that clearly distract us and probably limit our mental capacity:

"First, no 'solitary media' on school days. If we watch a movie Monday through Friday, we are trying to make sure it is a family experience. In our family, anything we do together is active (discussion!) and not passive. At Lent the Reynolds go media free. Try it for forty days. You will hate it at first, but then (almost!) dread the end of Lent.

"Second, no earbuds with people (planes are an exception). When we are with people (especially folks we love), then we should talk with them. Life does not need a sound track and we are trying to limit our use of the Ipod to places (like the gym) where it gives us control of the music/audio we hear. The gym pumps music at us and the Ipod helps us avoid it. I must admit, however, that listening to the Brothers K in the gym and having the audio from the loudspeakers occasionally intrude leads to some fun moments.

"Imagine hearing Stacy’s Mom playing, while listening to Tolstoy’s description of Anna plunging into darkness through her misuse of passion . . . all the while running on an endless treadmill with CNN returning all the Obama fit to film. Quite educational really, an audio triptych of the new and old culture.

"Third, (and this is a hard one for me) with rare exceptions email needs to be checked twice a day and not more often. My phone should stay off or not be answered when in meetings with other people. (This seems obvious, but it is tempting to check email during meetings.)

"Fourth, my Google reader is fine for the 'news reading' time in the morning, but does not need to be checked again for the day.

"Fifth, my extended reading free time (longer articles or books) should equal my 'quick read' or video time. It does not matter, of course, whether the book is on-line (no Kindle yet for me!) or on paper, but the length and difficulty does."

See also Nicholas Carr's take on this subject, "Is Google Making us Stupid?" I think it is possible that I am getting dumber. Especially now that I use a reader, I process information so much more rapidly that I can't help but think the info gleaned is not "sinking in" like it once did. I think I will try and follow Reynolds' fourth rule.

Def: Immaculate Conception

The belief among Roman Catholics that Mary was conceived without original sin. Though not taught in the Scripture, Roman Catholics believe that this doctrine is a theological necessity in order for Christ to be born without the stain of sin. Protestants reject this doctrine citing insufficient biblical support. As well, Protestants would argue that the theological reasoning is problematic since Mary’s mother would have to be born without sin to protect Mary, and this would continue all the way back to the first woman. This doctrine was dogmatized by the Roman Catholic Church in 1854 in the Constitution Ineffabilis Deus by Pius IX.

From: Theological Word of the Day

Tuesday's Are For Music

At least this one is. I have been listening to a new "Christian" artist and commend her album to you. Brooke Fraser is a New Zealand native and her album is called Albertine. Buy it here or here. Really good stuff, almost the whole album. Watch her video below.

Homeschool Culture

Interesting thoughts here from Brian Sandifer in a blog post entitled "Homeschooling is NOT the Gospel."

Death Villages

A short, but good look into the horror that is the Sudan and Darfur. I was espcially moved by what the doctor had to say:

Woody Allen and Billy Graham

Fascinating, funny interview:



What's really interesting here is that Billy tries to make his case for belief in the biblical God on the basis of morality and Law (which was typical back then). That is, you shouldn't have premarital sex because God's law forbids it. Woody doesn't seem to get this at all. And I can understand why. Though Billy's position is hardly untrue, some people just do not respond to it. It makes little sense to them. Tim Keller has discovered this with the people of NYC. They don't respond to the typical emphasis of God's law and morality. What they do respond to is freedom. When asked the question, "Why should I refrain from pre-marital relations?" Keller would answer, "Well, if you do that, you will be beholden to it." Keller says that it is much easier to explain sin as idolatry. Why? Because they desire freedom above sinfulness. If you tell them that they are using sex in a way that imprisons them, they will stop to listen.

HT: KC

Batman Freaked Me Out

It's 2:35 AM and I am freaked out. I just got out of the film The Dark Knight about an hour ago, and now I can't sleep. This was a different kind of hero movie and a far cry from Tim Burton's original. It was really dark. Really. But, sadly, this drama is much more a reflection of what our world has become.

Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker had been so hyped up after his death that I doubted the on-screen performance could match it. It did. By far, the Joker was the scariest, best villain I have seen on screen. He was so convincingly scary that part of me hoped each scene he was in would be his last. I suspect the Joker will make an appearance in my dreams tonight.

This movie was highly complex. I need to see it about 5 more times to pick up on the narrative's nuances. It did feel a bit disjointed at times, but I can't help but think that was intentional. Evil does not come in a neatly wrapped up package. It is untamed, brash, and unscripted. That was this movie. Now if only I could get it out of my head.

This film is not for kids, and, even at PG-13, probably not for some adults.

Baby Marlee

Check out the new baby! Here is a note from the Pollock family:

"Marlee Ashlyn Pollock made her BIG debut into the world on July 9^th, weighing a generous 9lbs 11 oz and measuring 20 ½ inches long. Our precious new family member has completely captured our hearts. Her big brother Caelum is very proud of his new baby sister, and so far is taking the transition in great stride. Mommy and baby have rebounded well from Marlee’s 12 hour journey into Julie’s arms at the North Shore Birth Center. After a short stay at the Beverly Hospital to recuperate, the Pollock family is all together again, as Julie and Marlee returned home Friday. We look forward to introducing you to our sweet little girl soon."

Over-Achiever

Check out this story on my wife's sister. We're obviously very proud of her.

Get the Scoop on Movies

CT wrote up a good overview of the best sources that review/talk about movies. Here they are (I personally subscribe to EW and love it):

Entertainment Weekly
Informative, investigative, and intelligently written, EW is the standard bearer of entertainment magazines. If you want all of the inside scoop, go to Variety, but if you just want most of it, presented in a fun way without being gossipy or “fanboy,” EW has the write stuff — especially now with the sharp-witted Diablo Cody, Oscar winner for Juno’s script, as a back-page columnist.

MovieWeb, ComingSoon
Want to know what’s coming down the pike — not just in the next few months, but even a couple years from now? I rely on these two sites to keep me informed on upcoming releases — when they’re due, who’s directing, who’s starring, what’s the latest news on each, images, trailers, and so on.

IMDb
The Internet Movie Database has just about everything you could possibly want to know about any movie ever made. Want to know if 1961’s The Guns of Navarone won any Oscars? (It did: Best Special Effects.) Or who played Juror No. 11 in 1957’s 12 Angry Men? (It was George Voskovec.) It’s all here.

Looking Closer
Jeffrey Overstreet was the first critic on the CT Movies team when we launched in 2004 (he’d been writing Film Forum for CT for a while), and I’ve always appreciated his insights into the movies. I’ve learned more about how to watch a movie from Jeffrey than from anyone. His Looking Closer blog keeps me abreast of what’s happening in film, music, and more, and his thoughtful commentary goes the extra mile.

FilmChat
If I only went to one website a day to find out what I had to know that would be relevant to CT readers, Peter T. Chattaway’s FilmChat blog would be that one-stop shop. It’s comprehensive, but especially zeroes in on films, themes, and news relevant to a Christian audience. Bookmark it.

Tribal vs. Missional

Tullian Tchividjian posted on his blog an excerpt from a new book he is working on called Unfashionable. He writes:

"There’s a major difference between having a tribal mindset and a missionary mindset. The highest value of a tribally minded person is self-protection. They ask questions like: Since I feel the safest around those who are just like me, how can I protect myself from those who are different than I am? So they intentionally surround themselves with people who think the way they think, like the things they like, and despise the things they despise. As a result, they live with a sense of superiority, looking down on those who are not like them (for half my life I was convinced that surfers like me were far cooler than anyone on the face of this earth).

"In contrast to a tribal minded person, the highest value of a missionary minded person is not self-protection but self-sacrifice. A missionary minded person is a person that exists, not primarily for himself but for others. She is a person that is willing to set aside personal preferences in service to those whose preferences are different than hers. Missionaries are people who are willing to be inconvenienced, discomforted, and spent for the well-being of others. The Gospel of Jesus Christ demands that we be missionary minded, because the gospel is the story of God sacrificing himself for others."

Read the whole thing here.

HT: JT

A Quote on the Holiness of God

"We cannot grasp the true meaning of the divine holiness by thinking of someone or something very pure and then raising the concept to the highest degree we are capable of. God’s holiness is not simply the best we know infinitely bettered. We know nothing like the divine holiness. It stands apart, unique, unapproachable, incomprehensible and unattainable. The natural man is blind to it. He may fear God’s power and admire His wisdom, but His holiness he cannot even imagine. Only the Spirit of the Holy One can impart to the human spirit the knowledge of the holy.”

A.W. Tozer, in The Knowledge of the Holy

Flying

I get on an airplane next week (I don't do it nearly as often as some in our church). All I can think about is this:

Trees

The ten most magnificent trees in the world. I dig the Circus Trees. I wonder if I could plant one in my backyard.

Let's Hope it Sticks

C.C. DeVille is a Christian. If you don't know who that is, read this. Here is a video of some pastors interviewing him:



You can read more about their experience here.

HT: Z

An Interview With "Lost" People

HT: Said at Southern

The High Calling of a Mom

Piper answers the question, "How can eternity influence a mother's daily tasks?"

Priorities

Steve McCoy gave an update on his family over at his blog, Reformissionary:

"We finally got the schedule for Elijah's all-star games, not that you care. But we were very surprised to find out the first game is this Sunday morning at 9:30am. We knew he could have a Sunday game, but we never assumed it would be in the morning. We felt compelled to have him play since they only have a 12 player roster and at try-outs they said you have to be able to play all games (that was before the schedule came out). But we also felt compelled to show our son and those on the team that we have priorities that trump baseball.

"So I pulled Elijah in to my office and showed him the schedule. He looked at me puzzled by the Sunday morning game. I asked him what he thought he should do. He said, "Go to church." No fight, no tears, no depression, no struggle, no whining. He has his priorities in order. I'm very, very proud of my little boy, and this Sunday we will be missing an all-star game in order to worship the one who made the stars. Geez, that was cheesy."

Not cheesy at all. Right on.

On Behavior, It's Complex

David Brooks (as always) has a great, insightful column today called "Luxurious Growth." Read it. In a nutshell, Brooks explains that those who study genes are far less sure that they will figure out how humans tick. He writes:

"It wasn’t long ago that headlines were blaring about the discovery of an aggression gene, a happiness gene or a depression gene. The implication was obvious: We’re beginning to understand the wellsprings of human behavior, and it won’t be long before we can begin to intervene to enhance or transform human life.

"Few talk that way now. There seems to be a general feeling, as a Hastings Center working group put it, that 'behavioral genetics will never explain as much of human behavior as was once promised.'"

He continues:

"The bottom line is this: For a time, it seemed as if we were about to use the bright beam of science to illuminate the murky world of human action. Instead, as Turkheimer writes in his chapter in the book, 'Wrestling With Behavioral Genetics,' science finds itself enmeshed with social science and the humanities in what researchers call the Gloomy Prospect, the ineffable mystery of why people do what they do.

"The prospect may be gloomy for those who seek to understand human behavior, but the flip side is the reminder that each of us is a Luxurious Growth. Our lives are not determined by uniform processes. Instead, human behavior is complex, nonlinear and unpredictable. The Brave New World is far away. Novels and history can still produce insights into human behavior that science can’t match."

This, of course, is a simple insight into the mind of God. God is God, we are not. You see, God uses everything to bring about his purposes. 'Everything' is huge; far too huge to comprehend. Every circumstance, every happening, every occurence. The movings of molecules, of cars, of words, of hurricanes, of stars, all with the intended purpose of glorifiying him. Though modern humans might find this disturbing, it is not new. God never said we wouldn't be able to peer behind the curtain. He just never said we'd ever fully understand it. And so we react the only way those who have been overfilled with majesty do. With praise.

On Pain, Why?

Read Piper on "Why God Doesn't Fully Explain Pain." He writes:

"God cannot make plain all he is doing, because there are millions and millions and millions and millions of effects of every event in your life, the good and the bad. God guides them all. They all have micro purposes and macro purposes. He cannot tell you all of them because your brain can’t hold all of them.

"Trust does not demand more than God has told us. And he has given us immeasurably precious promises that he is in control of all things and only does good to his children. And he has given us a very thick book where we can read story after story after story about how he rules for the good of his people.

"Let’s trust him and not ask for what our brains cannot contain."

It Will Blend

Tony Snow Died Today

Tony Snow worked for Bush Sr., worked at Fox News and then worked for Bush Jr. He died today after a long struggle with colon cancer. Read his obit here, or watch the video from Brit Hume below. It is odd how TV brings people you've never met into your home and, consequently, into your heart. I was a rabid Fox News junky in my early twenties and always admired Snow. I liked it that he was a hard news guy, was politically savvy, was a dedicated husband and father, and played the guitar and flute. Cool. Thankfully, he is worshiping Jesus today. He wrote a piece for Christianity Today last year entitled "Cancer's Unexpected Blessings." I hope that, while you read it, you pray for his family.

Give, But Give Well

Check out this fascinating article over at CT on Rusty Leonard, a Christian financial planner. Read it here. Though he did not originally intend it, he is single-handedly shedding light on Christian ministries that misuse their funds (but also on those that do a good job). I hope you read it. He was featured on 20/20 a while back and I use his ministry website, Ministry Watch, as a reference frequently. He has helped me personally think long and hard before I support any Christian ministry. Though we are called to give with abandaon, one can do so with a seatbelt on.

Like, Totally

Doug Groothuis writes well today on America's penchant for the word "like." Obviously, many of us do not use the word as intended (for purposes of rhetorical simile). Why? Doug hits the nail on the head (in my estimation):

"Perhaps the reason is that people hesitate to state anything unequivocally, to affirm with conviction. Therefore, nothing is what it is (the law of identity), it is only 'like' something else. Resemblance or similarity is all we can commit to. This way, one doesn't have to affirm anything concrete about objective existence."

My first preaching teacher in seminary would always, after hearing a student sermon, criticize their use of the words "like" and "kinda." "Either you mean what you're saying, or you don't," he'd say.

A Quote on Hell

"In Matthew 10:28 Jesus says that no physical destruction can be compared with the spiritual destruction of hell, of losing the presence of God. But this is exactly what happened to Jesus on the cross-he was forsaken by the Father (Matthew 27:46.) In Luke 16:24 the rich man in hell is desperately thirsty (v.24) and on the cross Jesus said "I thirst" (John 19:28.) The water of life, the presence of God, was taken from him. The point is this. Unless we come to grips with this "terrible" doctrine, we will never even begin to understand the depths of what Jesus did for us on the cross. His body was being destroyed in the worst possible way, but that was a flea bite compared to what was happening to his soul. When he cried out that his God had forsaken him he was experiencing hell itself. But consider--if our debt for sin is so great that it is never paid off there, but our hell stretches on for eternity, then what are we to conclude from the fact that Jesus said the payment was "finished" (John 19:30) after only three hours? We learn that what he felt on the cross was far worse and deeper than all of our deserved hells put together.

"And this makes emotional sense when we consider the relationship he lost. If a mild acquaintance denounces you and rejects you--that hurts. If a good friend does the same--that hurts far worse. However, if your spouse walks out on you saying, "I never want to see you again," that is far more devastating still. The longer, deeper, and more intimate the relationship, the more tortuous is any separation. But the Son's relationship with the Father was beginningless and infinitely greater than the most intimate and passionate human relationship. When Jesus was cut off from God he went into the deepest pit and most powerful furnace, beyond all imagining. He experienced the full wrath of the Father. And he did it voluntarily, for us."

-Tim Keller, in "The Importance of Hell"

Def: Innerancy

Belief among many conservative Christians that the Bible does not contain any errors, historical, scientific, or otherwise. Although the term was not employed much until the twentieth-century, upon the rise of biblical criticism, inerrantists would argue that this designation became a necessary line of demarcation between liberals and conservative Christians. Many difficulties arise when defining inerrancy as one’s hermeneutic (method of interpreting the Scripture) becomes an issue. Some would hold to a more literal hermeneutic and define inerrancy accordingly. Others would opt for a less definite hermeneutic and describe themselves as “reasoned inerrantists,” believing that the Bible is true in whatever it is attempting to communicate, but believing that what the Bible intends to communicate is often difficult to understand.

See here for articles on “reasoned inerrancy.”

From: Theological Word of the Day

Doctrine and Theology Make Life Simpler?

"Theology and doctrine make life simpler. They protect us from reading verse out of context, restricting our diet to our favorite passages, and making decisions based on impulse rather than truth. They put meat on concepts we tend to use mindlessly like, glory, gospel, salvation, and love. They help us understand what we're actually doing every Sunday. What complicates life is not doctrine but ignorance of doctrine."

-Bob Kauflin, in Worship Matters

HT: Z

Crazy Cool

Read more about this award winning movie here.

HT: Neatorama

Podcasting...Finally

For those of you who have inquired, We are finally podcasting the messages from GracePoint. You can subscribe through the iTunes store here. Here is our podcast feed if you'd like to feed it elsewhere.

Also, you might have noticed the sermon player to the right. I won't be loading individual sermons as blog posts anymore. You can listen to them there when they are available.

So, there are three ways you can get your hands on the messages from GracePoint:

1. Go to our original pages here and here.
2. Listen to them at the blog with the supplied player.
3. Get a subscription in iTunes or use our feed directly.

On Providence (Not the City)

From the Heidelberg Catechism:

What do you mean by the providence of God? (Question 27)

The almighty and everywhere present power of God; whereby, as it were by his hand, he upholds and governs heaven, earth, and all creatures; so that herbs and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, meat and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, yea, and all things come, not by chance, but by his fatherly hand.

What advantage is it to us to know that God has created, and by his providence does still uphold all things? (Question 28)

That we may be patient in adversity; thankful in prosperity; and that in all things, which may hereafter befall us, we place our firm trust in our faithful God and Father, that nothing shall separate us from his love; since all creatures are so in his hand, that without his will they cannot so much as move.

HT: Piper

Antidotes to Contemporary Stupefaction

From Doug Groothuis:

1. Read old, challenging books.
2. Talk to people in situations with no background noise.
3. Pray through the Psalms.
4. Read the Book of Ecclesiastes multiple times until it sinks in.
5. Talk to older people and really listen to them.
6. Sit in silence, doing nothing for short or long periods of time (but not in a yoga posture).
7. Thank God for what cannot be taken away.
8. Write a letter (not an email) to a friend or family member.
9. See a worthwhile film and then talk about it with a group of people. Don't use the word "awesome."
10. Drive in silence--no radio, music, cell phones, etc.
11. Listen to John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" until you get it. But don't accept the theology of the liner notes.
12. Fast and pray for a few days (without telling anyone who doesn't need to know).
13. Pray written prayers from The Book of Common Prayer.
14. Read historical confessional statements such as The Thirty Nine Articles or The Westminster Confession of Faith or The Athansian Creed.
15. Do not interrupt people when you talk with them. Do not finish their sentences. Maybe they are looking for just the right word.
16. Weep with those who weep.
17. Stop watching television for one week. Note what happens to your soul.
18. Listen to a classic book on tape when you are driving.
19 Buy someone a book they wouldn't buy for themselves and ask them to read it.
20. Pray for strangers as they pass you by.
21. Take communion on a regular basis.
22. Look for opportunities to share the Gospel with strangers in creative ways. (I've done it in a public steam bath several times.)
23. Listen to Mars Hill Audio interviews.

Adoption

Many of the things I post on this blog come from another blog I read called Take Your Vitamin Z. It is the personal blog of Zach Nielsen, a worship leader in New Mexico. His first post this morning is on his family's decision to adopt a child. His only reason for not adopting, he says, is selfishness. May we all be moved to adopt quickly, saving as many kids as we can from certain despair and tragedy.

By faith and prayer our family has decided to move forward into the process of adopting a child into our family. We have four main reasons for this:

1. We want to model the gospel of Jesus as ones who have been adopted into the family of God (Eph. 1:3-10).

2. We desire to see James 1:27 lived out in our lives by caring for orphans. Why not care for one by adopting them and giving them a new life?

3. We want to see a culture of adoption raised up at the church where I work and as a full-time staff person we believe that it is very important that leaders model the values that we teach.

4. Our only real reason for not adopting is selfishness. If we can afford to support three kids I think we’ll probably be ok with four. The prospect of having an even crazier home, or getting up with another child in the middle of the night, or having enough energy to train and discipline another child pales in comparison with the overwhelming needs of an abandoned child who needs a loving Christian family. You could respond and ask, "Do you think that all those that choose not to adopt a child are selfish?" Certainly not, but it might be a good idea to ask yourself why don't you don't want to adopt? Of course there are good reasons, but if you are able and in light of the huge need in our world today, why not? I recognized the legalistic danger here. Adopting a child is not a Biblical command and we cannot place this conviction of ours on anyone else as a mark of true spirituality or something like that. But I think this danger is worth the risk in light of the need.

We are moving forward with All God's Children as our adoption agency. Would you pray with us that God would provide the means to see this desire fulfilled and that our family would be nothing but a blessing to an orphan child?

If I complain once today...

...it will be too much.



HT: Z