A little over a month ago, I finished a book by Mars Hill Bible Church (Grandville, MI) pastor Rob Bell. I would like to make a few comments.
I recommend Velvet Elvis to anyone who has been a Christian for longer than about three years.
Bell makes several statements and suggestions which are extremely counter-orthodox. For example, in the fifth chapter of Velvet Elvis, Bell explains what he sees as the correct understanding of Jesus use of the term "Gates of Hell." He claims that a large crack in a cliff at Caesarea Philippi was a place surrounded by much superstition and cult activity, and thus the cliff was referred to as the gates of hell. Whether or not the history is correct ( I have no reason to believe that Bell is incorrect), the assertion of the sections seems to be that hell may not be an actual place, but rather a cultural response to local beliefs. Also, throughout the book there is not one reference as to how a person actually finds new life (if there was such a reference, it was either too vague or too foreign to recognize).
For such reasons, I do not think Velvet Elvis is healthy for young believers to read.
However, I highly recommend the book to those of you more grounded in your doctrine! Much of Bell's book was extremely helpful to me.
A large portion of the book is dedicated to what might be called a social gospel. In many circles (including my own broad circle) the social gospel is somewhat looked down on; people maintain the promotion of works and needs waters down and or hinders the "true" gospel. Bell, I think, masterfully integrated the two. He explained that following Christ leads to evangelism, discipleship, and social reform; helping people individually and communally overflows from seeking Christ.
Perhaps Bell leans harder on "social issues" than many conservative evangelicals, but what he promoted in Velvet Elvis deeply affected the way I think about such aspects of being a Christian.
Chapter four was by far my favorite chapter of the book. Titled "Tassels," the chapter is a thorough examination of the Christian's life being focused on God as opposed to self.
I should add that I have listened to Rob Bell (Sermon Podcasts -free subscription) for a few months now, and I have found him to be much more conservative and committed to expository preaching (though neither traditional nor familiar) than many believe. In fact, in endnote (footnote) 24, Bells suggests reading "everything John Piper has ever written...."
So while Velvet Elvis should be read critically, we cannot throw the baby out with the bathwater!
I hope all of you attain a copy of the book and read it thoroughly! May growth ensue: Velvet Elvis.
(I am looking forward to reading Bell's second book, Sex God, this summer.)
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 2, 2008
Philosophy of Life
I am excited to articulate my personal philosophy of life. However, I should note that I never want to set anything in stone, concerning my walk with Christ—which is life as a whole, for me. I desire to continually be reforming my life to the image of Christ, and not to allow my self to become stagnate or even comfortable. In essence, this is my philosophy of life: reformation of my life and transformation of my mind.
I think that theology must shape my life if I am to be faithful to Scripture’s call to Christocentricity; how I view God is fundamental to who I am and who I become. I believe that faith in God is essential for salvation, and that salvation can only take place through the atoning work of Christ crucified. My philosophy on this matter, then, is to abide in God’s grace, and to live a life of repentance and faith in Christ. I believe that in His infinite wisdom, God chose to save me by no merit of my own, whatsoever. Knowing this I must continually be humbled by my utter dependence on and in Christ, and never stop thanking and praising Him for His love and grace; thanking and praising Him with words and actions.
Seeking God to the best of my ability will greatly affect my view of ethics. Ethics, for me, is not (or should not be) about what or what not to do. Rather, ethics is the outworking of an internal relationship with God. My opinion is that if I have a healthy, growing relationship with the Father, major and minor decisions are worked out naturally though a Christ-shaped mind.
I think missions should be a primary focus in every Christian’s life. I think a common misconception of missions is that missionaries, foreign or abroad, are full time, vocational mission workers. If I give money to support missions work, I am participating in the work just as much as those who are carrying out the physical work; all of the money I earn is a gift from God, and giving part of it to furthering the Good News and discipleship only seems fitting and natural.
So I arrive at my goal—not arriving at my goal! My life philosophy is also, and more correctly, my theology: to live a life reformed, and reforming.
I think that theology must shape my life if I am to be faithful to Scripture’s call to Christocentricity; how I view God is fundamental to who I am and who I become. I believe that faith in God is essential for salvation, and that salvation can only take place through the atoning work of Christ crucified. My philosophy on this matter, then, is to abide in God’s grace, and to live a life of repentance and faith in Christ. I believe that in His infinite wisdom, God chose to save me by no merit of my own, whatsoever. Knowing this I must continually be humbled by my utter dependence on and in Christ, and never stop thanking and praising Him for His love and grace; thanking and praising Him with words and actions.
Seeking God to the best of my ability will greatly affect my view of ethics. Ethics, for me, is not (or should not be) about what or what not to do. Rather, ethics is the outworking of an internal relationship with God. My opinion is that if I have a healthy, growing relationship with the Father, major and minor decisions are worked out naturally though a Christ-shaped mind.
I think missions should be a primary focus in every Christian’s life. I think a common misconception of missions is that missionaries, foreign or abroad, are full time, vocational mission workers. If I give money to support missions work, I am participating in the work just as much as those who are carrying out the physical work; all of the money I earn is a gift from God, and giving part of it to furthering the Good News and discipleship only seems fitting and natural.
So I arrive at my goal—not arriving at my goal! My life philosophy is also, and more correctly, my theology: to live a life reformed, and reforming.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Worldview: how we perceive the world around us
How do we perceive the world around us? More specifically, how do we perceive, and in turn react to, the culture around us?
The way we perceive the world in which we live is referred as our worldview. Still, the term is more specific. Our worldview dictates how we react to and position ourselves in culture.
Better said, our worldview is the framework by which we tie everything together, understand society, and find our place in it.
Allow me to explain.
(As a note, those of you familiar with Dr. Jimmy Scroggins and or those in that general circle will find that the following is very much like the "upper floor/lower floor" philosophy.)
The philosophy of the two spheres is not something that someone would claim proudly. Sadly, however, we see this permeating our christian society. This philosophy claims that somethings are not associated with God, Christianity or other "personal" beliefs.
I tried to upload a diagram which I made, but alas, it did not work. Try to picture that there are spheres (circles) around these groupings.
Public (week)
Politics
Science
Work
Private (weekend)
Church
God
Family
The idea is that these two spheres never come in contact with each other. That is to say, that what I do with my personal or private life has no bearing on my public life. Example: In the the 2004 presidential elections John Kerry was asked a question concerning abortion, in his reply he made the statement that he, himself, is against abortion but that he can not allow his personal beliefs to affect the way he makes political decisions.
Further, on the liberal side of neoevangelicalism we find those who "believe the Bible" but do not "allow" their personal beliefs to influence what they see as the "truths" of science (pardon all of the quotations)("").
These are both good examples of a faulty worldview.
On the other side, a positive world view would be that of one sphere. That is, all of our decisions/ beliefs emit from the same, Christ-centred, position.
Life
Family
God
Politics
Work
Church
Science
If we are to truly follow Christ in our christian walk, we must not allow the philosophy of the two spheres to permeate our thinking. We must see the whole of culture as it is lit by God's Word. Indeed, we should view the whole world through a lens that is colored with nothing less than the blood of Christ.
How we do this is not as easy to answer. But, as always, we must search the scriptures, study wise writings (books), follow Godly advise and be in a constant state of prayer to even come close to walking as Christ did.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
The way we perceive the world in which we live is referred as our worldview. Still, the term is more specific. Our worldview dictates how we react to and position ourselves in culture.
Better said, our worldview is the framework by which we tie everything together, understand society, and find our place in it.
Allow me to explain.
(As a note, those of you familiar with Dr. Jimmy Scroggins and or those in that general circle will find that the following is very much like the "upper floor/lower floor" philosophy.)
The philosophy of the two spheres is not something that someone would claim proudly. Sadly, however, we see this permeating our christian society. This philosophy claims that somethings are not associated with God, Christianity or other "personal" beliefs.
I tried to upload a diagram which I made, but alas, it did not work. Try to picture that there are spheres (circles) around these groupings.
Public (week)
Politics
Science
Work
Private (weekend)
Church
God
Family
The idea is that these two spheres never come in contact with each other. That is to say, that what I do with my personal or private life has no bearing on my public life. Example: In the the 2004 presidential elections John Kerry was asked a question concerning abortion, in his reply he made the statement that he, himself, is against abortion but that he can not allow his personal beliefs to affect the way he makes political decisions.
Further, on the liberal side of neoevangelicalism we find those who "believe the Bible" but do not "allow" their personal beliefs to influence what they see as the "truths" of science (pardon all of the quotations)("").
These are both good examples of a faulty worldview.
On the other side, a positive world view would be that of one sphere. That is, all of our decisions/ beliefs emit from the same, Christ-centred, position.
Life
Family
God
Politics
Work
Church
Science
If we are to truly follow Christ in our christian walk, we must not allow the philosophy of the two spheres to permeate our thinking. We must see the whole of culture as it is lit by God's Word. Indeed, we should view the whole world through a lens that is colored with nothing less than the blood of Christ.
How we do this is not as easy to answer. But, as always, we must search the scriptures, study wise writings (books), follow Godly advise and be in a constant state of prayer to even come close to walking as Christ did.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Friday, October 19, 2007
Where are We?
What is our culture?
This question has many answers. There are those who would say that the culture in which we live is our general community. That is to say that those immediately around us form our culture.
To a certain extent I think this is true.
It is certainly true that those around us form a culture. Most everyone refers to different regions of the world, nation, and even major cities as having a specific culture. European culture, American culture, Yankee culture, southern - which is clearly God-ordained - culture, beach and or river community culture, and downtown culture are all phrases we hear in regards to the term culture.
All of the above are valid uses of the term culture, and indeed regions do contain different "cultures."
I would like to discuss a much broader culture. The culture in which you and I live, for the most part, encompasses all of the US, Canada, and Western Europe. This is what is referred to as Western Culture. Western Culture, or civilization, has a rich, deep, history which is deserving of many years of research and study. But, despite my inclination to dwell on Western history as a whole, we will hone in on a later period in Western history.
In AD 1500 one of the most important movements in world history began: the Reformation. Out of this period came some of the greatest Christian thinkers and theologians of all time. Coinciding with this movement was - the reformation and this are my favorite periods of history - the Renaissance. The Renaissance produced a rebirth of thought for the culture of that time period.
Consequently, AD 1650 launched what is known as the Modern Era. Here we see the (perceived) autonomy of man. Human reasoning was (and is) king.
Then, in 1975, what is referred to as a paradigm shift occurred.This pushed us into the Postmodern Age. It is in this Postmodern Age that you and I find ourselves. We are now in an age where we find no truth. Indeed if I feel that something is true it may or may not be true to you!
In this age of relativity of truth, the Christian and his doctrine run completely contradictory to contemporary beliefs. However, this is not to say that all Postmodern thought is bad. Conversely, there are many aspects that are to be commended and utilized.
It should be noted that in the upper echelons of American and European universities the Postmodern age is considered to be over. In the minds of those select members of academia, we have now moved into the Post-postmodern age. There is also a small contingent that claims that we have moved into the Transmodern Era rather than a Post-postmodern age (the difference of which we may discuss later).
Despite these different levels of thought, you and I, as well as the rest of the world, will be living in the effects of postmodernity for the remainder of our, and most likely our children's, lives.
So here we are! This is the world in which we find ourselves. Many times we hear people claim that they wish they lived in a certain time period or that the "Christian walk" would be easier if they lived under different circumstances. This is faulty, even sinful, thinking. We should not think of our position in history as a negative aspect of our lives. Rather we should be honored that God has ordained a few of us to participate in His plan in this our unique age.
This question has many answers. There are those who would say that the culture in which we live is our general community. That is to say that those immediately around us form our culture.
To a certain extent I think this is true.
It is certainly true that those around us form a culture. Most everyone refers to different regions of the world, nation, and even major cities as having a specific culture. European culture, American culture, Yankee culture, southern - which is clearly God-ordained - culture, beach and or river community culture, and downtown culture are all phrases we hear in regards to the term culture.
All of the above are valid uses of the term culture, and indeed regions do contain different "cultures."
I would like to discuss a much broader culture. The culture in which you and I live, for the most part, encompasses all of the US, Canada, and Western Europe. This is what is referred to as Western Culture. Western Culture, or civilization, has a rich, deep, history which is deserving of many years of research and study. But, despite my inclination to dwell on Western history as a whole, we will hone in on a later period in Western history.
In AD 1500 one of the most important movements in world history began: the Reformation. Out of this period came some of the greatest Christian thinkers and theologians of all time. Coinciding with this movement was - the reformation and this are my favorite periods of history - the Renaissance. The Renaissance produced a rebirth of thought for the culture of that time period.
Consequently, AD 1650 launched what is known as the Modern Era. Here we see the (perceived) autonomy of man. Human reasoning was (and is) king.
Then, in 1975, what is referred to as a paradigm shift occurred.This pushed us into the Postmodern Age. It is in this Postmodern Age that you and I find ourselves. We are now in an age where we find no truth. Indeed if I feel that something is true it may or may not be true to you!
In this age of relativity of truth, the Christian and his doctrine run completely contradictory to contemporary beliefs. However, this is not to say that all Postmodern thought is bad. Conversely, there are many aspects that are to be commended and utilized.
It should be noted that in the upper echelons of American and European universities the Postmodern age is considered to be over. In the minds of those select members of academia, we have now moved into the Post-postmodern age. There is also a small contingent that claims that we have moved into the Transmodern Era rather than a Post-postmodern age (the difference of which we may discuss later).
Despite these different levels of thought, you and I, as well as the rest of the world, will be living in the effects of postmodernity for the remainder of our, and most likely our children's, lives.
So here we are! This is the world in which we find ourselves. Many times we hear people claim that they wish they lived in a certain time period or that the "Christian walk" would be easier if they lived under different circumstances. This is faulty, even sinful, thinking. We should not think of our position in history as a negative aspect of our lives. Rather we should be honored that God has ordained a few of us to participate in His plan in this our unique age.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
We Begin
Where do Bible-believing Christians fit in today's culture?
Do Christians have a place in today's culture? Perhaps we are to blend in with all other "religions." Wait! Are we not to be salt and light to a dying world?
Our question turns: how are we to bring light into this 21st century Western culture? Are we to stand on the street corners and proclaim damnation on all who do not attend church wearing dark suits? Surely not. The answer is to wear the world's mask, making sure that we are accepted in to its society. Then, at the last possible moment we admit that we are religious and hope that those around us might, possibly, maybe, want to become religious with us. Maybe a happy medium can be found? Perhaps there is an even better way.
These are the questions that we must ponder. Furthermore, we must not stop with pondering, we must press farther into the phase of engaging culture.
May God add His blessing and wisdom as we contemplate Culture and the Christian.
Do Christians have a place in today's culture? Perhaps we are to blend in with all other "religions." Wait! Are we not to be salt and light to a dying world?
Our question turns: how are we to bring light into this 21st century Western culture? Are we to stand on the street corners and proclaim damnation on all who do not attend church wearing dark suits? Surely not. The answer is to wear the world's mask, making sure that we are accepted in to its society. Then, at the last possible moment we admit that we are religious and hope that those around us might, possibly, maybe, want to become religious with us. Maybe a happy medium can be found? Perhaps there is an even better way.
These are the questions that we must ponder. Furthermore, we must not stop with pondering, we must press farther into the phase of engaging culture.
May God add His blessing and wisdom as we contemplate Culture and the Christian.
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