I’m going to Mexico today for about a week. I’ll be back in the country on next Tuesday, so that most likely means no posts at least until that Wednesday, maybe even Thursday. Kristi’s Mom and Step-Dad are spending some time with Kristi and the boys, which Miles, Owen and Carson are very excited about! I’ll be traveling as part of a new ministry called For the Fame of His Name (website coming).

For the Fame of His Name specializes in church planting and support in the Hueateca Region of Mexico. I’ll be going to Tamazunchale to speak at a pastor’s conference. Our church has adopted a pastor in Jalpa, Mexico and I’m looking forward to being able to meet him in order to be able to better pray for him, his family and ministry. I will be preaching twice, once on “Leadership Held to a Biblical Standard,” focusing primarily on 1 Timothy 4:16, but drawing heavily on the entire book of 1 Timothy and “The Beautiful Servant Leader,” drawing primarily from Mark 10:41-45 and Philippians 2:1-10.

Please pray that I would be faithful to God’s Word, clear in my thought and speech, that the pastor’s would be edified and that, above all else, God would be glorified.

Go with God.

As you may or may not know, October 31st is not only Halloween, it is Reformation Day. It was on that day in 1517 that Martin Luther nailed his “95 Theses,” or points for debate to the castle church door at Wittenburg sparking what would become the Protestant Reformation. Though Luther is widely regarded as the spark of the Reformation, it was John Calvin whom many considered to be the theologian of the Reformation, codifying many of the doctrines that live on to this day in the Protestant Reformed tradition. Yesterday we examined Calvin’s relationship to the so-called “Five Points of Calvinism.” Today I want to examine one of the common charges that comes up with the mention of Calvin’s name.

Mention the name John Calvin to many and they picture a dry, dusty academic who was only concerned with esoteric doctrines removed from practical living. Others will tell you that he was the greatest theologian to have ever lived and still others will tell you with disgust that he was nothing more than a horrible murderer. Murderer? Really? The truth is that few incidents are open to as much speculation and contention as what took place between John Calvin and Michael Servetus.

Though a series of circumstances, Calvin found himself living in Geneva, a city he had originally only intended to pass through on his way to Strasbourg. By request from William Farel, Calvin soon found himself at the center of the religious and legal life of Geneva. Unlike Modern America, the separation of church and state was unknown at this time and though Calvin was part of the clergy, he was also trained as a lawyer and also exerted great civil influence. After being expelled from the city after the issue of excommunication came to a head with man of the city’s elite, Calvin returned to Geneva in 1541.

Upon his return to Geneva, one of Calvin’s first concerns was a series of ordinances that placed the government of the church in Geneva in the hands of the Consistory, whose members were the pastors and lay elders. Since there were give pastors, the lay elders held the majority of the positions in the Consistory, but Calvin’s influence was such that the Consistory usually followed his advice.

Over the next several years, the Consistory and the city government repeatedly clashed. The church, under Calvin’s promptings sought to influence the lives of the city’s citizens, who were also members of the church. By 1553, those who opposed Calvin’s authority in Geneva had come again to power in Geneva and Calvin’s political position was precarious at best.

It was during this time that the famous (or infamous) scene with Michael Servetus took place. Servetus was a Spanish physician whose physiological studies greatly contributed to medical science. But he was also the author of a number of theological treatises. Among other things, he argued that the union of church and state that happened after Constantine’s conversion was a great apostasy. He also vehemently argued against the doctrine of the Trinity and he was being tried as a heretic by the Catholic Inquisition in France. In fact, he had recently escaped from an Inquisition prison when he found himself passing through Geneva and was captured. The only reason he was not executed in France was because he escaped.

Servetus was quickly arrested and as the chief theological official, Calvin prepared a list of thirty-eight charges against him. Some who opposed Calvin’s authority sided with Servetus, arguing that since he had been condemned by the Catholics as a heretic, he should be seen as an ally in the Reformation. In response, the government sought the advice of various Protestant advisers from Switzerland. All who were asked agreed that Servetus was a heretic, not only by Catholic standards but also by Protestant standards. This put an end to the opposition’s case and Servetus was burned to death. Though it matters little to some, Calvin actually argued for a less cruel form of death: beheading.

At the time and now, Servetus’ death was severely criticized. His death has become for many, a symbol of the rigid dogmatism of Geneva under Calvin’s influence. Surely there are grounds to the argument that the judgment was harsh and that Calvin played a large role in the proceedings. However, we must not lose sight of the brutal fact that Geneva was acting no differently than were both Protestant and Catholics all over Europe. During that time, when church and state were often combined, there was little tolerance for heresy and it was often punished by death.

Servetus had already been condemned as a heretic by the French Inquisition which had not burned him only because he had escaped. Those wishing to condemn Calvin as a murderer must extend their criticism, for it is certainly applicable elsewhere. The Catholics had already condemned him to die and advisers from Switzerland were consulted on the matter. Calvin was certainly involved in Servetus’ execution, but to call it murder betrays a weak grasp on historical theology at best and outright slander at worst.

While we may not agree with what was done, Calvin was acting squarely within his tradition. It was commonplace, not just for church and state to blend together, but for those those deemed heretics to be put to death. While we no longer put heretics to death (we sell their books alongside everyone else’s), neither do we take doctrinal precision as seriously. Servetus’ death reminds us just how seriously Calvin, the French Inquisition and others took Scripture and their fidelity to it. While we may not defend their methods, we can commend their zeal, even if you feel it was overboard, misplaced or both.

But just as we cannot fully condemn Calvin for his role in Servetus’ death, neither can we gloss over it as though it is unimportant. The death of anyone must always be taken seriously and this incident ought to cause us to think deeply about the relationship between church and state, particularly in light of the New Covenant. But we must strive to be good students of history, actually looking at the facts rather than accepting opinions.

As we celebrate Reformation Day, me take both God and His Word seriously, learning from those who have gone before us, both from their successes and their mistakes.

• Read The Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin
• Read The Story of Christianity by Justo L. Gonzalez.
• Learn about the Reformation Day Symposium at Challies.com.

This year’s Fellowship of Reformed Churches annual conference is fast approaching. The Fellowship of Reformed Churches (FRC) exists as a platform for like-minded Reformed churches to come together for communication, cooperation and community. We desire to see God glorified through the proclamation of His Word, unity of His people, and the spreading of His name through the local church: To this end, we host an annual conference to encourage and support God-centeredness in all local churches. Below you will find two separate conference images. Please feel free to use them. You may even “hotlink” them if you desire. If you want something different, perhaps a different size or something, just let me know and I’ll work with you any way possible (or please ask if you don’t know the code to make an image a link):

 

Please make place to join us for this years Fellowship of Reformed Churches conference. This year’s conference will be Saturday, November 17th, from 8:45am-3:45pm at the Leadership Development Center on the campus of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. We will focus on the theme “The Character of God in Everyday Life” and I’m very excited about our time of worship together this year. We will be exploring how the character (or attributes) of God are applicable to a variety of “real life” situations. Theology, as we hope to show, is not just for the ivory tower, but immensely practical. This year we will be hearing from Eric, “Gunny” Hartman, Pastor of Providence Church of Garland, TX, Bill Lovell, Pastor of Trinity Hillcrest Church of Dallas, Doug Helms, Pastor of Rock Creek Baptist Church, and Craig Cabaniss, Pastor of Grace Church of Frisco.Please consider helping us to promote this year’s conference.Please tell your friends, please mention it at your church, on your blog or even rent a billboard. We need help making this year’s event the most successful yet.

• Visit the Fellowship of Reformed Churches official website
• Learn more about this year’s conference
• Meet this year’s preachers
• View the 2007 conference schedule
• Register for this year’s conference

The late Jerry Falwell, on Friday the 13th, April, 2007, in a Liberty University chapel service, called Calvinism heresy. The Concise Dictionary of Christian Theology defines heresy as: “a belief or teaching contradicting Scripture and Christian theology.” Ergun Caner, current Liberty president once said: “Calvinists are worse than Muslims.”

What is this causing such ire? I thought we were Christians, why take a name other than Christ’s? Who is Calvin that he has an “ism” and what does this “ism” have to do with the so-called “Five Points of Calvinism,” which others call the “Doctrines of Grace?” As we approach Reformation Day, I thought it might be helpful to examine a bit of the history behind these famous (or infamous) “Five Points.”

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his “95 Theses,” or points for debate, on the door of the castle church at Wittenburg sparking what would later come to be known as the Protestant Reformation. The Catholic Church taught that not only could they dispense grace, they could sell it in what they called indulgences. This sparked Luther’s historic move and he wanted to publicly debate that and other issues.

Luther didn’t intend to leave Catholicism, he wanted to reform it from within. That’s why it was known as the Reformation and why you hear of Reformed theology and “Protestant” because they were protesting the abuses and doctrinal errors of the Catholic Church. Luther died in 1546 in Esleben, the city of his birth. Though Luther is considered the spark of the Reformation, it was John Calvin who is considered to be the theologian of the Reformation, codifying many of its doctrines.

Calvin was born in Noyon, France in 1509. Exactly how Calvin came to break with Rome is unknown. Unlike Luther, he wrote little about his soul’s turmoil. But he did resign his ecclesiastical posts in 1534, wanting to quietly study the Scriptures and write about his faith. Some of these writings became The Institutes of the Christian Religion a two-volume treatise on a wide variety of doctrines. Through a variety of circumstances, Calvin found himself in Geneva furthering the Reformation. He wrote, preached and lectured in Geneva and saw his own theological shadow loom large over the growing Protestant landscape. Calvin died in 1564. But how did we move from Calvin to Calvinism, especially the “Five Points” that have come, for many, to summarize Reformed doctrine?

After Calvin’s death, much Protestant theology became centered in the Netherlands. Jacob Hermandzoon whose name was Latinized into Jacob (or sometimes James) Arminius, a distinguished Dutch pastor and professor whose theological training agreed with Calvin and the theology of the Reformation, soon found himself at the center of a theological storm. He was trained in part by Theodore Beza, Calvin’s successor in Geneva but soon returned to Holland where he gained recognition for his preaching in Amsterdam. Because of his good theological reputation, the church leadership of Amsterdam asked him to refute the opinions of Dirck Koornhert, who particularly rejected the Reformed doctrine of predestination,. Arminius studied his writings and, with a view to refuting Koornhert, compared them to Scripture, early Christian theology and Reformed Theology, and after a struggle of conscience, he said that Koornhert was right.

Arminius soon became professor at the University of Leiden in 1603 and his opinions became a matter of public debate. A colleague, Francis Gomarus, held to predestination in the strictest sense and the two soon clashed. The issue was not if the bible teaches predestination, they agreed that it does; they debated the basis of predestination. For Arminius, it was God’s foreknowledge of those who would have faith in Christ, while Gomarus held that faith itself was the result of predestination. At the height of controversy, in 1609, Arminius died and political and economic considerations were soon added to the controversy. The Dutch struggle for independence from Spain was long and bitter and independence was not assured. Many merchants wanted improved relations with Spain but were opposed by the clergy who feared that ties to Spain threatened doctrinal purity. The clergy sided with Reformed Theology, while the merchants with Arminius.

In 1610, the Arminians issued five points of doctrine to be adopted official church positions. This was called a “Remonstrance” and those issuing it soon became known as the “Remonstrants.” The first ambiguously defines predestination, affirming that God determined before the foundation of the world that those who believe in Christ will be saved. The second, that Jesus died for all people, although only believers receive the benefit of His passion. The third denies the charge of Pelagianism, that people were basically good in the eyes of God. In response, they said that people can do nothing good on their own and that God’s grace is absolutely necessary. The fourth rejects both Arminius and Gomarus, saying that people can resist grace and the last argues that it is possible to fall from Grace, or to “lose” salvation.

In 1618, the Dutch Estates General called an assembly to review these points and end the debate. At this time, the idea of a separation of church and state had not yet been implemented, so it was the Estates General calling for a review of doctrine. That assembly, the Synod of Dort, met from November 1618, to May 1619 and included 27 delegates from Great Britain, Switzerland and Germany with almost 70 Dutch delegates, of which nearly half were clergy or professors of theology. The first sessions were devoted to administrative matters and ordered a new Dutch translation of the Bible. But the main purpose was the ongoing doctrinal and economic dispute. The Synod condemned Arminianism, offering five points of their own in response, which have become known as the hallmarks of orthodox Calvinism (though Calvin himself was dead, his influence lived on). Though they were given in a different order, we recognize them by the acronym TULIP.

• TOTAL DEPRAVITY

Not that we are as bad as we could be, but human nature was so corrupted at the Fall that we cannot and do not come to God on our own. Genesis 6:5 tells us that after the Fall, every intention of the thoughts of our hearts is evil, only continually. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that we can’t trust our own hearts. Jeremiah 13:23 says that like a leopard cannot change its spots or an Ethiopian the color of his skin, we who are accustomed to doing evil cannot do good.

Romans 3:9-12: None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.

• UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION

God’s choosing of the predestined is not based on God’s foreknowledge of our response but the inscrutable will of God.

John 6:44: No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

Romans 9:15-16: For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

• LIMITED ATONEMENT/PARTICULAR REDEMPTION

Not that Christ’s atoning work was deficient, but that Christ died with a specific eye to save the elect. In John 10, Jesus says that He gives His life for His own sheep and in Ephesians 5:25, Paul says that Christ gave up His life for the church:

John 10:26: you do not believe because you are not part of my flock.

• IRRESISTIBLE GRACE

When God draws us to salvation, we will respond. Romans 9:19 asks: “Who can resist His will?”

Isaiah 43:13: Also henceforth I am he; there is none who can deliver from my hand; I work, and who can turn it back?

• PERSEVERANCE/PRESERVATION OF THE SAINTS

Those whom God chooses will persevere in grace and will not fall from it. Although this perseverance is not the work of the believer, but of God, it gives us trust in salvation and steadfastness in doing good even though we still wrestle against the power of indwelling sin.

Romans 8:35-39: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Immediately after the Synod of Dort, severe measures were taken against the Remonstrants, including a sentence of death and a life imprisonment. Almost a hundred Arminian ministers were ordered to leave the country or face life in prison and those attending Arminian churches faced huge fines.

What can we draw from this? There are several aspects to consider, regardless of whether or not you are convinced of the “Five Points of Calvinism,” each of which centers on the idea of our relationship to doctrine. Surely there are more, but here are ten points of consideration, some with further mediation:

• Our doctrine must be God-centered

Whether or not you agree with the “Five Points of Calvinism,” it is important that you see that there was an intentionality to keep a high view of God rather than man at the center.

• Our doctrine does not define us; Christ does
• Our doctrine must be consistent
• We cannot say “Don’t give me doctrine, just give me Jesus”
• We are expected to consider challenging doctrines

One of the things that keeps people away from discussions about doctrines like these is that they can be intimidating and we often shrink from challenges. But Scripture expects us to rise to the challenge. Ephesians 4:14 says that we must know doctrine so that we aren’t fooled and tossed around likes waves in the sea:

Hebrews 5:12-14: For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

The writer to the Hebrews says that, just like a child moves from milk to solid food, we must, in our Christian lives, move from the elementary principles to the more advanced. This means that we must be much in Scripture, we must be much about the business of thinking hard about hard Scriptures. This flies in the face of so much of what passes for Modern Christianity which tries to downplay difficult doctrines and tries hard to make everyone feel comfortable. It’s not comfortable to be stretched, but that’s exactly what needs to happen because when we’re stretched, we change. This of course, takes for granted that doctrine is important:

2 Timothy 1:13: Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

This is part of our job as churches, to provide ways and encouragement for people to move, from the elementary principles to ever-increasing things of difficulty. This means not only intellectually, but we are to be making progress in our fight against sin. We need to be thinking about Scripture, persisting in memorization, reading difficult books, thinking more about the things of God and fighting more against sin.

• Our lives and our doctrine cannot be separated

Notice that in the developments leading up to the Synod of Dort, people’s theological convictions affected every other area of life. Theological convictions were intertwined with political and economic considerations. In 1 Timothy 4:16, emphasizing this, Paul tells Timothy: keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching.

As much as we try, what we believe about God and the Bible and sin and salvation and everything in between, has tremendous implications on the rest of life. We need to overcome the notion that we are segmented people, as though we can believe one thing one area of life without it affecting other areas. We are whole people and our lives cannot be segmented.

• We must strive to love even those with whom we disagree
• We must strive for humble orthodoxy

It can be a dangerous thing when people begin to believe certain doctrines passionately. It can be a good thing, but it can also be the cause of much division because for many, theological precision is accompanied with pride. There are necessary issues over which we break fellowship. These are what we call issues of orthodoxy. If you get them wrong, you will not be saved. The deity of Christ and the Trinity are prime examples. However, many of the issues that get us most upset are more matters of personal preference than questions of orthodoxy. As we take care to make sure our doctrine is correct, we must also take great pains to make sure our hearts are not puffed up. Paul warns us that:

1 Corinthians 13:1-2: If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

Paul says that he could have all knowledge, but without love, it is for nothing. I wonder how many of us who have spent much time wrestling with difficult theological issues need to hear that startling truth again? In case there’s any question, Paul says:

2 Timothy 2:23-26: Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

We must develop the wisdom and discernment to know the difference between orthodoxy and foolish, ignorant controversies. We must not be quarrelsome, correcting in gentleness with the hopes that God would grant our opponents repentance. When was the last time you were in a doctrinal debate and prayed for your opponent’s repentance? Our doctrine must drive us to love God deeper which in turn should cause us to love others more fully.

• We must keep a long-term perspective

It was 102 years after Luther nailed his points to the door and 55 years after Calvin’s death that the Synod of Dort codified the Five Points. We want instant gratification and yet it doesn’t always happen. We wrestle with difficult doctrines not just for the immediate church, but also for generations to come.

As we approach Reformation Day, we do well to consider the lasting doctrinal implications of the Reformation but we must also consider the lasting practical lessons for there are many. On an issue such as the “Five Points of Calvinism” that can be quite contentious, we do well to keep in mind that doctrine is meant to teach us about and increase our love for God. On issues that do not compromise orthodoxy, we must be generous and humble. We must be sensitive that others who love the Lord as much as we do just might disagree. As we celebrate our doctrinal heritage, may be celebrate our God even more.

• Read The Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin
• Read The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination by Loraine Boettner
• Read Chosen by God by R.C. Sproul
• Read The Story of Christianity by Justo L. Gonzalez.
• Learn about the Reformation Day Symposium at Challies.com.

During the recent NANC conference, one of the speakers made the comment that over the past few years, he’s conducted a personal experiment of randomly asking professing Christians: “When you get to heaven, who do you look most forward to seeing?”

This is something I’ve thought about as well, based on some previous conversations with people over the years, especially as a pastor. One of the things for us to think about is that when many of us are asked that question of who we want to see when we get to heaven is that many of us immediately think of family and friends who have passed on ahead of us. This is not necessarily bad, but the more I think about it, family and friends, no matter how close they were, should never be our first answer.

The more I think about it, the more I’m becoming convinced that our “off the cuff” answers reveal much about our hearts’ desires. It’s true, after all, that what comes from the mouth is an overflow of the heart (Matthew 15:18). So what does it reveal when our first answer is not that we can’t wait to see Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2)? Consider how Scripture describes Christ (Colossians 1:15-20):

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Hebrews 1:3 says: “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” Jesus Christ is the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:44-47) and “He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men (John 1:2-4).

Without Christ there is no salvation and yet our first thought is often that we’d like to see family. I don’t think it’s that most of us would say that we’d rather see our family than Christ, it’s just that we think of our family before we think of Christ which reveals more than I think we’d like it to.

Our churches need to do a better job at cultivating true spiritual affections and appreciation for Christ. Christ is not an add-on to our sermons, He is not the key to our “better lives,” he is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega (Revelation 22:13) in whom all things hold together. Christ is our treasure, Christ is our hope, our cornerstone, yet we are so easily distracted and we so readily believe that there are other treasures to be had and other foundations upon which we can stand. Though it might seem like a simple question, our answer to “Who do you most want to see when you get to heaven” carries quite a bit of weight with it.

When you get to heaven, who do you most look forward to seeing?

• Read The Incomparable Christ by John Stott
• Read A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards
• Read The Glory of Christ by John Owen

Once again it’s time for the biggest, baddest, beautifulest, bewitchingest, beguilingest, bewilderningest, brutest collection of links you can handle! Be forewarned, link overload is close at-hand! Welcome to the Weekly Town Crier, where I collect for you some of the things that, for one reason or another interested me enough to pass along. Remember, just because I link something here does not necessarily mean I endorse what’s on the other end of said link. It just means that it caused me to pause a bit and to think a bit, and I hope the same is true for you.

See what I hear at Last.fm.

Sign up for eMusic, find lots of DRM-free downloads and help me earn free downloads in the process. Everyone wins!

Browse this list of 10 ways to find cheap and/or free legal music online.

Read this piece which reports that former The Smiths guitarist and current Modest Mouse guitarist Johnny Marr is going to be a college professor.

Read this commentary on the recent Rush Limbaugh letter hoopla.

Read as the New York Post notices that “religious conservatives” have hard electoral decisions ahead.

Read about TX Governor Rick Perry endorsing Guliani for President because “he believes the former mayor is the only Republican who could win in 2008″ and that he believes Guliani will help overturn Roe v. Wade.

Read about the city hall of Bloomington, IN banning a Ten Commandments display while housing Buddhist artifacts.

Read about the city of Philadelphia ruling that the Boy Scouts must pay a fair market rent of $200,000/year for its city owned headquarters because they do not accept homosexuals because: “City officials say they cannot legally rent taxpayer-owned property for a nominal sum to a private organization that discriminates.”

Read as J.K. Rowling “outs” Dumbledore.

Read the Worldnetdaily piece which reflects: “In announcing Dumbledore’s homosexuality, Rowling was truly attempting to legitimate herself as a deep thinker and profound author, an artist with more to offer than Quidditch and appallingly unsubtle alliterative names. It wasn’t enough for Rowling to author the most successful book franchise in modern history – now she wants to be Philip Roth.”

Read as Guliani tries to reassure the Family Research Council and conservative voters: “telling religious conservatives not to fear him for his stand on issues such as abortion or expect he would change purely for political advantage.” That sure calms my nerves.

Read/watch about the Rhode Island “artist” who recently received probation for building a secret apartment and living at a local mall.

Read about the woman who recently received a disorderly conduct ticket for cursing at the toilet in her own home.

Read the New York Times piece about the “evangelistic” use of Halo 3.

Read/listen (to) this interview with John Piper on N.T. Wright and justification.

Read about the Indian official who died after being attacked by a gang of wild monkeys.

Read this USA Today piece which notes that the number of public school teachers sexually abusing children is steadily growing.

Read Barna’s recent study which found that “most” Americans take famous Bible stories at face value.

Read about LA Senator David Vitter backing off of his push to help fund the Louisiana Family Forum, which has long challenged Darwinian theories of the origins of life.

Read about Senator Sam Brownback dropping out of the presidential race.

Please pray for the Johnson family.

Read the Yale Daily News piece about the Maine “church” that has replaced some of its liturgical content with the music of U2.

Read Newsweek’s recent interview with presidential hopeful and growing conservative favorite Mike Huckabee.

Download some live soundboard recordings of Doug Burr’s recent appearance at the Fort Worth Modern Museum of Art, which my wife and I had the pleasure of attending (see my interview with Doug Burr here and review of On Promenade here).

Read about scientists who feel that they are close to being able to control hurricanes.

Read about the “Christian, Jewish and Muslim scholars and clergy from around the country met in Los Angeles this week to “wrestle” with what one rabbi described as the “dark side” of the three faith traditions.”

Read about California legislation which could ultimately ban the terms “Mom and Dad” from public schools as discriminatory.

Read in the Guardian Unlimited about Sweden’s government making it illegal to teach religious doctrines as if they were true.

Read James White’s thoughts about growing religious intolerance and the coming persecution.

Read this piece about Ole Anthony and the Trinity Foundation which asserts: “Ole Anthony is a heretic and a hypocrite and it saddens me to have to say this.”

Read about the man who found a 3.92 carat diamond while digging in a Arkansas diamond park.

Read the Washington Post editorial that argues that Mitt Romney’s “Mormon faith should not be an issue in this presidential campaign. Period.”

Read Philly.com’s piece about the Republican Party’s “Gulinani Dilemna.”

See these “artistic transformations” of many Pez dispensers.

Read Christianity Today’s piece which wonders whether or not there might be too many churches.

Vote in Christianity Today Music’s year-end Reader Survey poll and register to win 15 CDs!

Read Christianity Today’s review of the newest album from Steven Curtis Chapman, This Moment.

Read as Christianity Today finds “Glimpses of God” in the newest album from Bruce Springsteen, Magic.

Order John Davis‘ (formerly and recently again of Superdrag) second solo CD Arigato!

Read Al Mohler’s thoughts about our modern culture trying to ignore the concept of evil.

Read New York Magazine’s profile of Sufjan Stevens‘ new orchestral piece.

Read about what happens when Willow Creek, one of the country’s most influential churches says they were wrong in their philosophy of ministry.

Read as Tony Reinke offers some thoughts on writing book reviews.

Read as Dave Zimmerman, IVP book editor offers his thoughts on writing books (htx2=JT).

Beware of The Golden Compass.

Read as Matthew Hall notes that Philadelphia was recently “beat with the ugly stick.”

Praise God for “Pretty Sparkles.”

See/hear Jeremy Casella on tour.

Read Gunny’s thoughts on the Rockies and the World Series.

Encourage my wife to post more at our family blog.

Read and be encouraged as Doug’s brother, a missionary in Japan shares his thoughts on “Sharing Your Faith Without An Argument.”

Take Note as Timmy points us to John Piper’s new book on Justification for only $5.00!

Read as Denny Burk points to a recent Newsweek interview with Richard Land on the possibility of a third party.

Read Newsweek’s interview with Land.

Read as Robert Sagers wishes Russell Moore a happy birthday by saying something or other about Mike and Ikes.

Read/Pray as Mark Overstreet enjoins us to pray for Dr. Gary Cook, President of Dallas Baptist University, who was recently diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML).

Read about the differences between Obama and Gospel singer and former homosexual Donnie McClurkin.

Read Fox “News‘” report on Obama’s dilemma.

Read another report on the rise of Huckabee.

Read about Mitt Romney being under pressure to explain himself. His current “tough on abortion” platform seems to be paying off with conservative voters, but do you remember that this is the same man who, as MA governor, once swore “that he’d never change the state’s laws permitting abortion and eagerly courted pro-choice groups for their support.”

Read about the continuing trend of bands licensing their songs, not to commercials, but to video games.

Read about the couple who recently exchanged their vows in the “7 Floors of Hell Haunted House.” Hopefully it’s not a taste of what’s to come!

Read about the first-edition, hard-cover, autographed copy of the first Harry Potter book that recently sold at auction for $40,326.

One of the aims of this blog is to explore the Gospel’s implications for and impact on all of life. Redemption is not just for the soul but the mind and the creative aspects of life. I regularly try to set aside some time and space each Friday to encourage the exploration of creativity. I try to do this by linking to the photography of Joe Kennedy, Will Turner, Timmy Brister, Steve McCoy, Joe Thorn, along with the Friday Flickr Group in which they participate. In addition to that I have a regular rotation of poetry, visual art and music. The poets, artists and musicians in question may or may not be Christian. The main criteria is that they pursue their craft with excellence and in some way have encouraged me to think biblically about creativity. You may or may not initially see the connection. If not, please ask. Otherwise, enjoy.

Last Friday night, my wife and I, along with some friends, had the chance to go to the Modern Museum of Fort Worth for what they call “The Modern ‘Till Midnight.” They open the museum, obviously until midnight, but they also have bands play. We had the chance to see our good friend Doug Burr and also Peter and the Wolf. Other bands, including St. Vincent actually played, but those were the only two we actually saw. In addition, the museum featured the closing weekend of their exhibit of the amazing sculptures of Ron Mueck (featured here) along with paintings by Mark Rothko (featured here) and Barnett Newman. I was literally in awe to see paintings by Rothko and others. My wife was not quite as moved and is convinced that she could do the same quality of art. I’m not so sure, as much as I love her.

Newman is today’s featured visual artist. Newman (1905-1970) was an American abstract artist. As a contemporary of Mark Rothko, Newman became known as one of the most prominent abstract painters though he was often underappreciated during his own lifetime. Many of this paintings featured fields of color separated by a thin stripe that he referred to as “the zip.” Although his paintings were abstract, he did give titles to many of them which hinted at themes he might be addressing. Many of this titles included Jewish and even Christian themes with titles such as “Abraham” and “Stations of the Cross.”

At the museum’s exhibit, there was a plague on the wall that said that Newman felt that “true” art had to be abstract because art is about “pure ideas.” An interesting concept that I’m not sure I agree with. What do you think? Today’s featured painting is “Concord” from 1949.

• Read Wikipedia’s Barnett Newman page
• Visit the Modern Museum of Fort Worth’s website

Today features quite a bit of music, hope you don’t mind. First up, we have a band building off of last week’s feature of Psalters. Playing off of that hippie vibe, this week’s band is a band that recently relocated from Fort Collins, CO to Portland, OR, called The Lighthouse Band (thanks blah blah). I don’t know much about the band other than that it seems to center around a husband and wife team. In keeping with Psalters, the band has many bongo moments reminiscent of Rusted Root and sometimes the Grateful Dead, all the while with a nice folk feel. I typically try to avoid linking to Myspace downloads because they’re usually poor quality, but that’s all I could find to link to, so that’s where these downloads come from. Enjoy.

• Visit the official Lighthouse Band website
• Visit the band’s Myspace page and download four free tracks

In honor of this week’s recent interview with Bill Mallonee (see here and here), I wanted to remind you that he’s offering two free albums right now on his website. One album, Summershine, is an outright free download, no registration, no purchase, no-nothing necessary. Granted, it’s a bit different from most of the other Bill Mallonee and Vigilantes of Love releases, drawing heavily on Britpop influences, but don’t let that fool you, it’s a great album through and through.

The other release, Blister Soul was the fifth Vigilantes of Love album. Released in 1995, the album was alternately noisy and quiet, featuring quite a mix. This album is free when you purchase any other album from Bill’s site. All you have to do is e-mail your receipt in to get the free download code. This means that you can get three albums for the price of one! Come on people, it doesn’t get any better than that!

Lastly, in the Bill Mallonee camp, as you may or may not know, Bill encourages the taping and trading of his live shows. The primary stipulation is that you don’t sell or profit in any way from the recordings. I don’t know if you’re familiar with the Live Music Archive, but it’s a great online resource for archiving live concerts. There was recently a new live concert uploaded from September 27, 2007 in Birmingham, AL at the UCF House. It’s a great quality show featuring a lot of great tracks with terrific performances. If you haven’t heard Bill’s recent live performances with Muriah, this is a great introduction.

• Visit Bill Mallonee’s official website
• Download Summershine
• Download Blister Soul
• Download Bill’s 09/27/07 Birmingham show

I realize that I have featured Doug Burr several times now, but believe me, it’s well worth it. If you don’t have his new release On Promenade, please get it, you won’t regret it. Lullabyes apparently recorded Burr’s set at the Modern ‘Till Midnight set the other night, so I wanted to pass that on for your listening pleasure. It’s not the full set from what I remember, but it’s still good.

• Visit Doug Burr’s official website
• Order on Promenade from Velvet Blue
• Download Slow Southern Home
• Download Graniteville
• Download Always Travel Light
• Download Thing About Trouble
• Download Last Promenade