The UmBlog

I want to start with a long quote from this 13th century mystic. It can be read online here , but the physical book is a worthwhile purchase. I will quote this in full, because it's the struggle in my own faith journey to letting go and letting God. Someone imagines that he can rid himself of his negative qualities by means of his own labor and striving. When he struggles and makes every effort possible only to be disappointed, God says to him, "You thought it would come about through your own power and action and effort. That is the law I have established, that is, that whatever you have you should expend it in My Way -- only then does My grace arrive. "We say to you, 'Travel this infinite road with your own weak legs.' We know that with your weak legs you will never be able to accomplish the journey -- in a hundred thousand years you would not complete even one stage of the journey. But when you make the effort and collapse and fall down, unable to take anoth...

This was part of our service this morning and it made me cry. It is intense. G.O.S.P.E.L. from Humble Beast Records on Vimeo .

Even the full title of this book jazzes me, The Deep Things of God: how the Trinity Changes Everything by Fred Sanders. This book was one of my favorite Christmas presents. I like it so much I want to share it with everybody who wants a little more philosophical depth to their understanding of the gospel. I've been reading Sanders for years now at the blog, The Scriptorium . He writes well and loves God. I love that this book is a celebration of evangelicals and their trinitarian theology, but he does not need the filoque clause to distinguish the Holy Spirit, so even an Orthodox Christian can enjoy this book. Sanders is not ashamed of his evangelicalism, and he wants evangelicals to not be ashamed. He wants us to know our trinitarian credibility is real, so he limits himself to (almost) only reference Protestants, from Tyndale to Calvin to Wesley to Edwards to Watts and Warfield and a bunch of people I never heard of. I'm really glad to meet some of these people in my reli...

I think religious conversations can be very pleasant with anyone other than conservative Christians and militant atheists. A cocktail party full of Buddhists, Hindus, Daoists, liberal Christians, even unorthodox christian splinter group members, Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons, and perhaps Jews and Muslims, could all discuss religion dispassionately, but adding a conservative Christian to the mix is like tossing a grenade into the crowd. Why? Because everyone else has room in their theology for everyone else in the afterlife , or the non-afterlife. A conservative Christian takes Jesus' words conservatively, that no one comes to the Father [which means not just sitting on God's lap but all the heavenly afterlife stuff] except through the Son, JC himself, see John 14:1-7. The flip side for this is that those who reject Jesus go to hell, described by Jesus several times , with plenty more detail in John's Apocalypse, see Rev. 20:11-15. Every other belief system either lets ever...

I'm almost done with a new anthology from RZIM, Beyond Opinion, Living the Faith we defend , Cover via Amazon 2007, edited by Ravi Zacharias . In the chapter by Danielle DuRant titled, Idolatry, Denial, and Self-deception, I was intrigued enough but her thoughts that I wanted to put them here for the viewing public's consideration. What is idolatry? It is "treating what is not ultimate as though it were ultimate, making absolute what is only relative," says Emory professor Luke Timothy Johnson . Whenever we deem a particular relationship or goal an absolute necessity - I must have this - we are in danger of idolatry. According to Martin Luther, whatever your heart clings to and relies upon, that is your God. "An idol is something within creation that is inflated to function as a substitute for God,: suggests Dick Keyes. Since an idol is a counterfeit, it is a lie. Deception is its very identity...Tather than look to the Creator and have to deal with His...

It is my contention that Mormonism is not consistent with itself, with the Bible, or with the gospel it claims to restore. An easy shot is the prohibition of alcohol. Jesus drank wine and was accused of being a drunk (Luke 7:34). Joseph Smith died in a lynching on a night he was drinking and smoking . So the word of wisdom is inconsistent with Smith's own lifestyle, Jesus's lifestyle, and the gospel of freedom. Colossians 2:20-23 20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

We are content owners of a Dell laptop running Vista. It was a free hand-me-down from my mother, who upgraded to a new laptop running 7. In fact I am typing on the Vista machine right now. We are enthusiastic iMac owners, but we don't sniff at free. But I had to protect this machine from the villains of the world wide web. I don't really worry about the wild web with my Mac, but with this Vista machine, I need to focus on defense. In fact, I had a dream this morning about getting a computer virus that took over our computer. I felt powerless and subject to the whims of someone who only wanted to use me. I didn't like that feeling. Back in reality, when I received this machine, I got rid of the paid security software and downloaded the free one from the maker of the software, Microsoft's Security Essentials . It and the software check for updates regularly and keep it protected from my enemies. The regular happy operation of this machine is dependent on those regular u...

I started this blog 5 years ago right before Good Friday. I like what I wrote then, so I'm re-posting it, my 2nd post of the Umblog. Image by Biały via Flickr Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. This is the Good News! This is why this terrible death is celebrated as Good. These are things worth thinking on today, the last words of Jesus on Good Friday. "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34) -compassion "Amen I say to thee, this day you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43) -hope "Woman, behold your son...Behold your mother." (John 19:26-27) -family "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46) -spiritual suffering "I thirst." (John 19:28) -physical suffering "It is finished." (John 19:30) -victory "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." (Luke 23:46) -faith

I feel guilty about not posting in a while. I've been reading another good book, but I'm only half way through it. It's about slavery in New England. But since Resurrection Day is coming, I thought this video was worth sharing. First seen at Evangel .

My brother and I both have January birthdays. In the past few years it has been our tradition to get together to see a guy movie. In the past we've enjoyed shows like Cloverfield , but this time we both regretted seeing The Book of Eli . I didn't want to spoil the movie for myself, so I didn't research it too thoroughly. I watched a preview and thought the action would be good. I like Denzel Washington . I knew the movie was about the Bible. I knew there was an interview with Denzel about his faith in Christianity Today. I thought that this might be one of those movies Image by Getty Images via Daylife that tries to do some pre-evangelism by speaking the cinematic language of our culture. I kept hoping this despite the growing evidence over the first hour. Eventually I gave up. The theater was full, but I'm not sure what message they heard. I will be spoiling the movie because I don't think it's worth saving or watching. I have the same problem with this movie...

The good news for every year starts with Jesus. As Paul writes to Titus, his protege in Crete. 3 Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled by others and became slaves to many wicked desires and evil pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy. We hated others, and they hated us. 4 But then God our Savior showed us his kindness and love. 5 He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit. 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us because of what Jesus Christ our Savior did. 7 He declared us not guilty because of his great kindness. And now we know that we will inherit eternal life. Titus 3 (NLT) Hear it read aloud . Image via Wikipedia

John 1 The Prologue to the Gospel 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. 1:2 The Word was with God in the beginning. 1:3 All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 1:4 In him was life , and the life was the light of mankind. 1:5 And the light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it. 1:6 A man came, sent from God, whose name was John. 1:7 He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that everyone might believe through him. 1:8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. 1:9 The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was created by him, but the world did not recognize him. 1:11 He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him. 1:12 But to all who have received him – those who believe in his name – he has given the right to becom...

What would drive me, strong, brave, intelligent, to read the superficial, thick, vapid teen novel, Twilight by Stephanie Meyer ? Was it because I happen to enjoy romance novels? Is it because I Cover of Twilight (Twilight, Book 1) can't resist a loquacious, materialistic, vapid author who never met a noun with multiple adjectives she didn't like? Did I long to re-live the emotional quagmire of adolescence from a dysfunctional, emotionally unstable, female viewpoint? No. No. Rather, I happen to parent a young adolescent daughter who has a voracious appetite for novels after cutting her teeth on Rowling's Harry Potter series over and over again. She is perpetually in search of something equal to Rowling's opus in the adolescent market. A popular 500 page novel based on the occult life of a teen girl in high school has come onto her radar, mostly due to the cinema success and a few breathless recommendations by her fellow readers. Therefore, I decided to preview the book ...

This morning I read Galatians 1 which opens with 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age , according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Some theologians make a strong case for God's purpose is to redeem this world. But verses like this makes me think, he did come to redeem, but not everyone or everything. According to His will , some will be rescued and some won't. So God redeems individuals. The influence of the individuals can, and often do, improve the culture in which they are part. Sometimes, the culture destroys them. But no matter how many are redeemed, this present age will always be evil . But one day this age will end, when Jesus returns. If you aren't redeemed by Jesus, then he'll treat you like an enemy according to His Word; 2 Thessalonians 1, 7b when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty a...

It's time for some true history on Francis of Assissi. Thank you Mark Galli . Francis of Assisi is said to have said, "Preach the gospel at all times; when necessary, use words." This saying is carted out whenever someone wants to suggest that Christians talk about the gospel too much, and live the gospel too little. Fair enough—that can be a problem. Much of the rhetorical power of the quotation comes from the assumption that Francis not only said it but lived it. The problem is that he did not say it. Nor did he live it. And those two contra-facts tell us something about the spirit of our age. I highly commend the rest of this article .

My friend Justin McRoberts came over once and ate peanut butter and jelly at my house with my family. We are tight. We disagree alot over political things, but he is my brother in Jesus and tells great stories and sings great songs. He has a great story on his blog about sitting next to an autistic guy on a flight to Chicago and what that guy taught him about community. I have another friend who is also a musician. Justin has an acoustical folk sound but Ryan AKA Serious Griggs raps for Jesus . He partnered with a great brass rock band and added his talents which has a great video. Joe's Jottings has a great post on the difference between religion and gospel.

Paul tells the Athenians as recorded in Acts 17:22-34. So Paul stood before the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious in all respects. For as I went around and observed closely your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: ‘To an unknown god.’ Therefore what you worship without knowing it, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives life and breath and everything to everyone. From one man he made every nation of the human race to inhabit the entire earth, determining their set times and the fixed limits of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope around for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move about and exist, as even some of your own poets hav...

Please stop and watch for 2 minutes and 47 seconds... HT: Stuff Christians Like

I’m jumping ahead to the most bizarre aspect of the epic love poem. It starts with passion that becomes miscommunication which leads to violence against Beloved but ends in adoration of Lover. As usual I am using the NET and the italics are their suggested speaker identities. I’ll keep my comments short interspersed but make a controversial suggestion after the reader sees the context. The Lover to His Beloved: 5:1 I have entered my garden, O my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my balsam spice. I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey; I have drunk my wine and my milk! The Poet to the Couple: Eat, friends, and drink! Drink freely, O lovers! This follows the standard tone of this poem. Farming metaphors for physical intimacy. Their passion is unbridled. Their freedom to each other is at its maximum. The Beloved about Her Lover: 5:2 I was asleep, but my mind was dreaming. Listen! My lover is knocking at the door! The Lover to His Beloved: “Open for me, my sister, my ...