The Gospel Coalition

Dr. Alex Chediak wrote a review of my book Do I Know God? You can read it here.

In order to provide for integrity in ministry, Rick Warren issues 10 commandments for the staff at Saddleback:

1. Thou shalt not go to lunch alone with the opposite sex.*
2. Thou shalt not have the opposite sex pick you up or drive you places when it is just the two of you.*
3. Thou shalt not kiss any attender of the opposite sex or show affection that could be questioned.*
4. Thou shalt not visit the opposite sex alone at home.*
5. Thou shalt not counsel the opposite sex alone at the office, and thou shalt not counsel the opposite sex more    than once without that  person’s mate.  Refer them.
6. Thou shalt not discuss detailed sexual problems with the opposite sex in counseling.  Refer them.
7. Thou shalt not discuss your marriage problems with an attender of the opposite sex.
8. Thou shalt be careful in answering emails, instant messages, chatrooms, cards or letters from the opposite sex.
9. Thou shalt make your co-worker your protective ally.
10. Thou shalt pray for the integrity of other staff members.

[*The first four do not apply to unmarried staff.]

(HT: Steve Dumas)

My friend Jimmy Davis has an interesting post on this hot-topic question. He writes:

Are we to read the Bible as a story or as a systematic theology? It depends on whom you ask. The “emergent” types will emphasize the narrative character of God’s Word and some will eschew any approach to the Bible that systematizes its teaching into categories or creeds. On the other side of the table the “traditionalists” will fend for the faith by emphasizing doctrinal purity and a passion for propositional truth while sometimes missing the dramatic forest for the didactic trees. I often find myself defending one view or the other.

See what he has to say here.

My new friend Trevin Wax (his last name is one-fourth the size of mine) recently sent me some written material that he is working on in order to gain my feedback. It’s great stuff. But here is one paragraph that stood out to me as being especially insightful and clear: 

True Christianity is not merely life-changing; it is world-changing. Emphasize only the changing of individual lives and we will fail to call political systems, philosophies, and human structures to account under Jesus’ lordship. Emphasize only political systems, philosophies, and human structures and we will compromise in our work for worldly progress while people remain dead in their sins. But put the message of Jesus’ atoning death on the cross together with the biblical call to bring our world under the lordship of the Risen Jesus and we have an explosive message that rocks our world to its very core. It is the apostolic message of Christianity. 

My thoughts exactly Trevin!

My friend Kal Hendry (our head deacon at New City) has a pastor friend in New Hampshire named Chris Emerson who sent this devotional out to his friends this morning. I was challenged by it and I ‘m posting it here with the hope that you will be too.

I’ve noticed a growing modern phenomenon.  Perhaps you’ve seen it, too.  People ask me to call them; but when I do, they never answer their phone!  I always get their machine.  I have tried to call at various hours, hoping to catch them at a more convenient time.  After a while I don’t bother to leave messages, but I am trying to return their call. 

I sometimes hear people say later, “Oh, I let the machine screen the calls and just check messages.” The net result is that we will never speak directly, despite their request, despite my efforts.

This situation reinforces in me the awareness that one of the choicest experiences in life is speaking and being heard – and conversely, listening and understanding.  These days, with recording devices so handy, direct, face-to-face, voice-to-voice contact is becoming rare.

To speak and not be heard is frustrating, even painful.  To try to listen and hear nothing come back is also frustrating.  Anytime walls arise between people is sad, and I suspect that maybe our glitzy technology lends an air of acceptability to it.  But the bottom line is the same; we don’t talk.  Eventually, we can’t talk.  Screens become normal.

The Christ-event is God’s attempt at direct, face-to-face communication.  Jesus is theologically understood as God becoming one of us.  If God thinks such direct contact is important, so should we, perhaps not letting our technology interpose so many screens.

When we allow the Spirit of God to inhabit our souls, we find ourselves eager for face-to-face, voice-to-voice communication.  When the Spirit opens our ears and mouths, and when we meet others who are also open, genuine communication can happen.  We speak and are heard.  We listen and understand.  How sweet and precious it is. Perhaps even Divine.                                                                                        

Here is a helpful interview with Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck on their book Why We’re not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be). If you have questions about the emergent church or you don’t know much about it, I encourage you to read this interview and then buy the book.

What does numerical growth in a local church tell us about that church? Trevin Wax answers this question well.

It is really quite simple. Our culture is now in a postmodern mood. There is much that could be said about why this is, how it came about, and what its prospects are. But, leaving aside these larger questions, we can say that it has, despite its denials, produced a worldview–that is, a view of the world–which is relativistic.

Read the rest of Derek Thomas’ interview of David Wells here.

I hope that you have had the opportunity by now to read Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck’s book Why We’re Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be). It’s an excellent and enjoyable read from two very capable young writers who tackle the Emergent phenomenon with clarity, wit, and theological muscle. Here is a brief article on the book.

I’ve been reading Gary Haugen’s book, Good News About Injustice, and read this excellent quote a couple days ago by the late Carl F.H. Henry:

The Evangelical movement of the 18th and 19th centuries was spiritually and morally vital because it strove for justice and also invited humanity to regeneration, forgiveness, and power for righteousness. If the church preaches only Divine forgiveness and does not affirm justice, she implies that God treats immorality and sin lightly. If the church proclaims only justice, we shall all die in unforgiven sin and without the Spirit’s empowerment for righteousness. We should be equally troubled that we lag in championing justice and in fulfilling our evangelistic mandate.

A good reminder that the church’s mission is both spiritual and physical–seeking the salvation of lost souls and the restoration of a broken society.