The Week-est Link, August 1, 2008

1. Have you heard about the Henry Center's CCI essay series for college students? If not, you should check it out, and pass on a few essays to some thoughtful students that you know.

2. As one who loves studying urban churches, and who loves to see urban churches with a vision for the city, I found Desiring God's plans for their new facilities interesting.

3. Readers of this blog know that I'm trying to think through how it is that all of Scripture testifies to Christ. I found this Reformation 21 article on how Proverbs speaks to Christ helpful.

4. Speaking of innovative urban churches, I've enjoyed checking out the website of Park Community Church. They've got vision, and they're making things happen in downtown Chicago.

5. You should check out this music video from Christian musician Brooke Fraser's video "Shadowfeet". She's got a cool style. Couldn't hurt to pick up her cd.

6. Do you want really cute headgear for your little girl? Yes? Check out Brilliant Bows. My friend Stephanie Rogers (wife of fellow TEDS church history student Mark Rogers) has a great home business going. I encourage you to support it.

--Have a great weekend, everyone.

New 9Marks eJournal on Marriage Is Online

The new issue of 9Marks looks very helpful. It covers a variety of topics including marriage, being a pastor's wife, and books on marriage. I have a brief review of Danny Akin's book God on Sex in this issue. Here are a few highlighted resources from the latest journal.

• This is a long list of evangelical books reviewed by a wide variety of contributors, including Tom Schreiner, David Powlison, Justin Taylor, and Jim Hamilton. This will be one of the best resources out there on the multiplicity of books on marriage. It's difficult to know what to buy and what to skip--read through the brief reviews for help (they're all less than 500 words).
• A compilation by several pastors on "30 Practical Ways for Pastors to Love Their Wives and Families."
• A thoughtful piece by CJ Mahaney on how the gospel influences masculine headship of families. Great selection from the piece: Gentlemen, here is a gift you can give to your wife this week. Set aside a few hours of uninterrupted time, and ask her to honestly evaluate your personal example of godliness and your leadership in the home. I dare you to ask her this question: Where do I need to grow in serving and leading you? For bonus points, ask this question: Where do I need to grow in serving and leading the children? This one conversation could initiate dramatic changes in your life.
• A Schreiner review of N.T. Wright's Surprised by Hope, which has made many theological waves.
  
• A pastor's wives forum filled with helpful answers to honest questions about pastoral ministry. Not to be missed, especially for women preparing for this role.
  

There's much more to peruse and benefit from. Yet another excellent journal by 9Marks.

The Week-est Link, May 2, 2008: Band of Bloggers Info

1. I don't know why I overlooked this in past "Week-est Links," but here it is: the link to the Band of Bloggers website. If you are a gospel-oriented blogger, go there and sign up to be added to the the network of bloggers. It's a great way to link up with like-minded writers and to be involved in a wider movement. You do not need to have gone to the Band of Bloggers event in Louisville in April 2008 to be a part of this exciting network. My friend Timmy Brister has started this all up, and it's going to be exciting to see what the Lord does to use his vision.

2. While we're on the topic of Band of Bloggers, make sure that you take 45 minutes or so to listen to the moderated panel discussion on "Christ-Centered Blogging." As those entrusted with the gospel, the panel sought to think through how one stewards this responsibility in the unique context of blogging. I moderated the panel and found the answers of the bloggers (Tim Challies, Thabiti Anyabwile, Abraham Piper, and Phil Johnson) to be provocative and instructive. Also, my friend Tony Kummer was in charge of the sound and did a great job, a fact I forgot to mention at the panel (sorry, Tony!).

3. Blog Gem: "Matthew Hall.Net" It would be difficult to find a more thoughtful Christian blog than Matt's. Matt, working toward a PhD in American Religious History, offers exceptional commentary on historical and cultural trends on his blog. He's not the most consistent blogger (being the producer of Dr. Mohler's radio show and the head of a rapidly growing home has something to do with it--not to mention his studies!), but when he blogs, you should note what he says. I love Matt's writing and look forward to seeing what the Lord does through him in the future.

4. Desiring God has a unique blog series unfolding right now on photography. It's nice to see a very popular blog expand to the realm of the arts. Check out the series.

5. A funny Salon piece on how online "booklists" allow us to construct false images of ourselves. I've noticed this before and attempt to point out, personally, where I'm an actual authority and where I'm an armchair authority. So far, it's a big zero in the first column and too many to name in the second...


...Have a richly relaxing weekend, everyone.

Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and the Catholic Church: Strange (but Happy?) Bedfellows

I became Catholic because of Dorothy Day and Flannery O’Connor.

Thus begins "Becoming Catholic," a personal essay written by Sarah Vanacore in a recent InterVarsity email newsletter. Vanacore, a grant writer and resident of an inner-city religious community, writes her story to share the reasons she left evangelicalism and embraced Catholicism. I want to briefly analyze her article and its placement in the IVCF newsletter. In doing so, I'm not throwing stones at Sarah Vanacore. I am writing out of concern for the direction of InterVarsity, a group I was involved with for four years as a student at Bowdoin College. IVCF seems increasingly cozy with Catholicism, and I am very concerned by this.

I want to make this post as concise as possible. I'm going to excerpt the most important parts of this piece. Here, then, are the reasons Vanacore became disenchanted with evangelicalism:

"By the time I entered college, I was disenchanted with the Christianity that I knew, with the rampant individualism that seemed to leave no room for the communal aspects of the Christian faith; with the reduction of things like Communion and baptism to symbols; with the splintering of the Protestant churches that I knew; and with the over-spiritualization of Jesus’ words."

Here is what specifically attracted Vanacore to Catholicism:

"Then I started reading Flannery O’Connor. I was attracted to O’Connor’s vivid, stark imagery that contrasted completely with the schmaltz with which I’d stocked the shelves at my high school job at a Christian bookstore. And I loved Dorothy Day’s commitment to the poor, to social justice, and to hospitality. I was spending most of my Saturdays hanging out with the Philadelphian homeless, and I was convinced that to be Christian, one must not just care about the poor, but know them as well.

So the Southern gothic writer and the fiery co-founder of the Catholic Worker drew me in. At the same time, I found that some of my friends were on the same journey toward Catholicism, and they encouraged me to look more closely at what I believed. What I found most compelling was the Eucharist: that the bread and wine were not simply symbolic of Christ’s body and blood but actually became them. On top of that, I loved the liturgy; far from stifling my faith, I found the liturgy gave it its full expression while still allowing for cultural and musical differences."

Here is Vanacore's current position:

"I live now in an intentional community, which in itself is a study in denominational reconciliation: we have Catholics (both cradle and converts), Mennonites, and some post-evangelicals who haven’t quite felt at home anywhere. I do believe that Catholics and Protestants can work together, that we can reconcile and stand together on our core beliefs. I believe we must, in order to cause any sort of change in this world."

Let us now examine these statements. Looking first at the reasons for Vanacore's disenchantment, one can understand them. Evangelical Christianity can definitely be much too individualistic, the ordinances of Christ can easily become rudimentary and unimportant to us, and Christians can certainly unnecessarily divide over silly things. All of these weaknesses can and do happen. Now let's consider Vanacore's reasons for embracing Catholicism. She writes that evangelical literature left her cold and that she loved the commitment of certain Catholics to helping the poor. Many evangelicals I know would resonate with these sentiments. So far, Vanacore's reasons don't seem to be deep doctrinal quandaries, but rather personal frustrations that many evangelicals share. These are the not the matter of which a departure from evangelicalism--from true, biblical Christianity--should be made.

From there, Vanacore does register a few doctrinal discrepancies with evangelicalism: she likes the Catholic view of the Lord's supper and she likes the liturgy. At the end of her article, she indicates that she wants to be a part of a movement of change. That, then, comprises her reasons for her departure from evangelicalism. Now that we've laid these things out, let's analyze them a little closer.

As I've noted, I think it entirely understandable that an evangelical grow dissatisfied with church splits and cheesy Christian books. I also think it's understandable to be frustrated with poor conceptions of key scriptural doctrines, like the Lord's supper, or with shallow, me-centered, poorly executed congregational music. All of these frustrations, however, do not in any way merit an embrace of Rome and its teaching. Evangelicals all across the country have reacted to the frustrations Vanacore posits by digging into their local churches and by seeking to change them for the better. There's a whole movement of young evangelicals, called the emerging church, which addresses many of the concerns Vanacore registers. One need not smile brightly at the prospect of reading schmaltzy Christian books to be a biblical Christian. Beyond this, though, I'm concerned by the worldview that seems to fuel Vanacore's decisions. She seems to understand faith as a pick-and-choose proposition in which, if one does not like certain aspects of a given religion, one is eminently justified in simply switching teams, as it were. Though it does not appear in this garb--no, it comes in the garb of "seeking ancient, authentic faith" or something like that--it's really just postmodernism with a good dash of American consumerism thrown in. If you don't like the Christian faith, just leave it. Don't do any deep doctrinal searching, don't have extensive theological discussion about the matters of disagreement between Catholics and Protestants, no, simply switch your flag. This is very poor--and very dangerous--worldview thinking. It treats the Bible as a malleable book one may read with self-directed glasses. At no place does Vanacore quote Scripture or reveal any deep doctrinal thinking about her decision. She simply posits what she didn't like about Christianity, notes what she liked about Catholicism, and seems to expect us to commend her--or at least, understand her--for her choice. I, for one, do not; I, for one, cannot. I tremble for her, because the Catholic Church does not teach the biblical truth on salvation, it teaches a false gospel.

One does not simply switch religions because one likes a certain musical style or bookseller list better. One does not simply observe which religion is most doing what one perceives religions should do and then take up that faith. One carefully studies the Bible, the Word of God, to see what God wants, to see what God teaches, and then carefully discerns which religion most fits that vision. Yet nowhere in this article do we have any sort of careful study noted. This really concerns me about IVCF. They have published this article. Why? It does not promote good worldview thinking, it does not show a concern for what God, not man, wants, and it tacitly--no, explicitly!--encourages evangelicals to rethink their commitment to evangelical Christianity based on their personal religious preferences. This is very troubling. This article suffers from a deficient understanding of Scripture, of evangelical Christianity, of current movements among evangelical Christians, and of man. We do not choose our religion based on what we like the most. We seek to discern what God wants and teaches, and we humbly, obediently, even fearfully conform to His will. I'd love to read Flannery O'Connor, and I hope to take Vanacore up on that proposition, and I'd love to develop a greater heart for the poor, but I fundamentally want to know what it is that God requires of me and then do that. That, and not any personal preference, is what must drive my thinking, my decisions, my very life.

Let us pray for IVCF and students like Sara who it seems to be influencing in a way of grave danger.

Preaching We Need: John Piper on Aging for God's Glory

"Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life." (Proverbs 16:31)

I want to take a few days this week and highlight a few messages that contain important truths, truths that the American church very much needs to hear. The first deals with a topic I occasionally bring up on this site: aging for God's glory.

Piper's message was given at the 2007 National Pastor's Conference sponsored by the parachurch imprint of Bethlehem Baptist, Desiring God Ministries. The conference's theme was the perseverance of the saints, and Piper himself preached a powerful message about how Christians should persevere in the faith as they grow old in a world that despises old age and views it as a season of life in which to focus almost entirely on oneself. I enjoyed the message, and I encourage you to listen to it in order that your desire to persevere in the faith would grow.

I was a bit disappointed that Piper did not do more cultural exegesis. His textual appeal and his materials from church history spoke powerfully to his point, but the message would have benefited from a lengthy section outlining the contemporary secular response to aging. Young Christians are saturated with culture, and preachers who reference the culture and situate their preaching in the cultural context do much to connect with their hearers and make their preaching more applicable and beneficial. With that said, a major shift has occurred in American life such that many people, including both men and women, invest much money and time in fighting the effects of aging. For example, my wife was watching ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" for a few moments last night and observed two older women who are currently competing on the show. One of these women, Bethany noted, has had numerous plastic surgeries, such that she looks much younger than she is. In general, most everyone looked about as young as possible. Does anyone else think it absolutely absurd that most every woman on tv (at least live tv) these days looks like she's been color-blasted bronze? I picture it like a car wash. A woman of normal skin color walks into a car wash-like facility, presses a button, and thirty seconds later walks out dripping gold from her toes. The effect is not appealing--it is ridiculous.

That aside, it is important that we Christians not do what this female star did. Where we might be tempted to hide the effects of aging, we should embrace them. Where we might deplore them, we should celebrate them, even as we recognize that these effects are the result of the fall. The Bible invests the aging process with dignity and grace, and we should do the same. But it is all well and good to talk about things on a theoretical level; many of us do well at that. But we must not stop there. Theology is meant to penetrate everyday life. So, let's close with some application for men and women. Men, as Carl Trueman has recently noted in a pithy piece, go bald to the glory of God. Do not be ashamed to bear the effects of aging. Strange though it may seem, balding is a sign of dignity, a mark of a life long-lived. Don't be ashamed of a receding hairline; don't fret over a perceived loss of attractiveness. Accept the processes of aging with grace. Women, think hard about not dying your hair as you grow older. Most dyed hair is pretty clearly fake. I understand that it's not easy to lose the trappings of youth, but remember, the signs of age are the marks of dignity. God has written aging into the codes of our bodies. Why should we fight him in this? Why should you buy into the culture's view of beauty, which sees gray hair as ugly and wrinkles as unappealing? Such thinking is a lie--and a much-believed one at that.

I encourage you, women, as I encourage the men (myself among them) to present the lost among us with a powerful countercultural witness. The way one deals with hair or wrinkles may seem inconsequential, but I assure you it is not, especially in a society like ours, frenzied as it is to appear as young as possible. In an age when Mom shops in the same stores as her daughters, and boasts a hair color just like her daughter's, and has a face as wrinkle-free as her daughter's, and pays a ton of money to achieve all this, go the easy (and cheaper) and graceful route. In a time when Dad dresses in the same jeans-and-t-shirt outfit that his son does, and sweats every time he passes a billboard boasting Rogaine treatment, it is right to show the world that true physical beauty does not buck against the aging process. Instead, it embraces it, and in so doing, embraces the God who is behind it.