Another word on the last word

This is my second post on Brian McLaren's book The Last Word and the Word After That - see earlier here.

I finished the book in June before going to Cambridge, but haven't had time to post further since then, until now!

I find the narrative style of this book and others in the New Kind of Christian Trilogy both engaging and frustrating. It is an easy to read kind of book, even if the characters are one dimensional serving clearly defined narrative roles. I continually want to say things like, 'Yes, I know some evangelicals have treated people badly, but we aren't all like this'. See McLaren presentation of Dan's treatment by the church leadership and Jess' experience at Campus fellowship in chapter 4. You can't dismiss evangelical Christianity by picking on its worst examples and tarring the whole with that brush!

I do like and appreciate McLaren's questions and challenges, see earlier post.

I really liked the exchange on pages 178-179
[Neil tells Dan] "Truth be told, these are the people I know with."
"'Know with'?" I [Dan] asked.
"Haven't you noticed how learning and knowing are ultimately communal experiences, social experiences?" he [Neil] asked in reply.

Yes, I give thanks to God for communities in which I have learned and in which I continue to learn.

A last word then. I'm not sure what this book actually concludes about hell. I think McLaren seems to suggests that whether you believe in hell or don't doesn't really matter so long as you don't make hell the main thing in your scheme of Christian doctrine. I suspect that if you began in a different place from this narrative, let's say a consideration of justice, you might end up with a different answer.
I'm hoping to read Rob Bell's book Love Wins sometime soon so no doubt will have further to post on this in future.

Tyndale House and Fellowship

First week in July I was at the Tyndale Fellowship Old Testament Study Group, two days studying Deuteronomy with 30-40 other evangelical scholars.

This was my first time at Tyndale and first time in Cambridge - I really enjoyed both.

I bought Tom Noble's book on the history of Tyndale Research for the Academy and the Church Tyndale House and Fellowship The First Sixty Years. I enjoyed this book and it is good to commend a book by a friend of St Ninians Stranraer.

The principle that led to establishing Tyndale House and Fellowship was good and remains sound today - there is a need for evangelicals to engage in rigourous biblical studies. It is good that those associated with Tyndale House over the years: e.g. FF Bruce, Howard Marshall, Jim Packer and David Wright (to name just a few) have all demonstrated in first rate scholarly work that it is possible to combine a submission to Scripture as God's word with an academic engagement with biblical studies, and other disciplines.
It is too easy for evangelials to retreat into church history or systematic theology and abandon academic study of the bible, but this must not be allowed to happen.

The work of Tyndale House, the Tyndale Fellowship is of great value to the church and should be supported by all who love the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ who made himself known in his word.

John Stott 1921-2011

Last Wednesday at the evening celebration at Keswick we were told of the death that afternoon of John Stott. I'm not posting a full tribute to John, I never met him and never heard him preach or teach. For tributes see here - at the All Soul's web site; here - LICC web site; or here - Langham Partnership International web site.

In my opinion John Stott has been the most significant evangelical leader of the twentieth century and I want to offer a few comments of thanks for his ministry.

John Stott: a careful bible student - John Stott's contributions to the Bible Speaks Today series should be well known and well used by preachers and bible teachers. They display a slow and careful reading of the text of Scripture, set in its context and then applied to our lives today. Stott regularly pursues words through lexical study and concordance study to bring a full and clear sense of the word into his exposition of the passage.

John Stott: a reader of our culture - John Stott promoted double listening, a listening to the Bible as God's word and also a listening to the world, the culture so that the preacher might speak God's word into their culture with precision and power. The Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other is a lesson we need to learn.

John Stott: passionate about mission - all his life John Stott served in the church, but he cared not only for the church but for the world. His influence in the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity (LICC), his work with the Langham Partnership and the Lausanne Congress display a care for all people, in all places to hear the good news of Jesus Christ as Lord of all.

John Stott: a faithful church servant - John Stott served in the church and was committed to the denomination into which God called him. He courageously, and wisely, stood up against calls to separate from the CofE and so encouraged others to continue to serve within such denominations.

John Stott: the evangelical leader - I think my favourite book of Stott's is Evangelical Truth, Stott accurately describes the evangelical heritage of the CofE, and with necessary changes also the CofS! Sub titles 'A personal plea for unity' Stott writes:
Today, however, many of us evangelical Christians acquiesce too readily in our pathological tendency to fragment. We take refuge in our convictions about the invisible unity of the church, as if its visible manifestation did not matter. In consequence, the devil has been hugely successful in his old strategy to 'divide and conquer'. Our disunity remains a major hindrance to our evangelism. (page 141)
O for a leader to speak these words with power into the lives of evangelicals in our day.

It is good for us to give thanks to God for such servants as John Stott has been among us. But we will best remember John Stott by our faithfully serving the same Lord as he served in all his ministry and life.

First Word on The Last Word

I'm reading Brian McLaren's The Last Word and the Word After That, which I know will cause some of you to stop reading already ... your loss then!

In his commentary on the text I found the following which I offer with only one brief comment of my own:

Regarding homosexuality and the polarization it is causing in the Christian community, I would ask two sets of questions, one of each side:

If you take the "conservative" position, assuming you are right, how do you believe homosexual people should be treated? Should they be constantly shamed? Made to live in secret or hiding? Deprived of basic human rights, equal pay, housing, and so on? Accepted, but on some second-class status that would treat them differenly from other people? And if you cannot accept homosexual people in your midst, can you accept those who do, or must you reject (on some level) both homosexual people and those who accept them?

If you take the "liberal" position, assuming you are right, how do you recommed we decide what is right or wrong sexually? Does "anything go," and if not, how do we decide how to identify any sexual behaviour as wrong - on what basis? What are the personal and social consequences of a lack of moral clarity on sexual issues, and how can those consequences be avoided or dealt with? And if you accept and affirm gay people, how will you deal with those whose conscience will not allow them to do so? Does your acceptance of gays require a rejection of those who do not agree with you, and if not, how will the difference be dealth with? (page 254-255)

My brief comment: does anyone else think having meetings in Scotland to answer these questions would be better than the meetings we are presently organising and being invited to?

Tom Wright For Everyone

Stephen Kuhrt has done us a great service in this short book on Tom Wright.

Yes, it is too early to offer a fully rounded reflection on Tom Wright's work, however, this is a very valuable book.

I especially like Stephen's focus upon the impact the theology of Tom Wright has had upon the local church. This is where all good theology should impact. Many who read this blog will find the final three chapters of this book helpful and challenging.

In his chapter summarising Tom Wright's theology, under the heading 'Gospel', Stephen writes,
According to Wright, the gospel does not refer to the means by which individuals can be 'saved' and 'go to heaven when they die'. It refers to the royal proclamation that in and through Jesus, declared by his resurrection to be Messiah and Lord, YHWH the God of Israel has become King and begun his processs of putting his world right. Wright shows how this understanding is completely consistent with the original use of the term 'good news' in Isaiah 40:9 and 52:7, with its implicit challenge to that term being used in a similar way by pagan emperors. An integral part of this gospel proclamation is that through the coming of God's Spirit everyone, without restriction, is summoned to be part of this renewed world that he is remaking. (page 48)

I think this is an excellent summary of what Wright means by the 'gospel' and shows how Wright then goes onto rework our Christian hope, our understanding of justification, the implications of creation and redemption. Make no mistake, Tom Wright's theology is a big project, dealing with the big themes of our Christian faith.

Stephen Kuhrt's book is a good one. If you read it I hope it inspires you to go on and read Wright: both Tom and NT!

Christ is ascended on high

Lord God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
to you be all glory and praise.

Father God,
from everlasting to everlasting,
enthroned in glory beyond imagination.
Fill the temple of our bodies
with the glory of your holy presence.
Humble us before the beauty
of your uncreated majesty.
Receive our praise,
O God, our King.

Lord Jesus Christ,
a dying Saviour,
and risen Lord.
Our eyes did not see you ascend to your Father,
by faith we see you there,
at his right hand,
your Father and our Father.
From your throne of glory,
extend your reign over all creation,
may your Kingdom come.
Accept us as citizens of your Kingdom,
guide our service in your Kingdom,
lead us in your triumph.
Receive our praise,
O Christ, our King.

Holy Spirit,
Lord and giver of life,
promise of the Father,
gift of the ascended Son.
Make us one with our King
as you work in our hearts.
Reveal the power of the King
in our sin weakened lives;
display the glory of the King
through our renewed and forgiven lives.
Make known to us Christ,
enthroned at the Father’s right hand.
Receive our praise,
O Spirit, our King.

The Journey

The Journey is the eighth album by Stuart Townend, one of the most popular Christian hymn writers of our generation.

Those who know his most recent albums:
2 disc The Best of Stuart Townend
There Is A Hope
Creation Sings
will be in for a surprise with this set. There are none of the loud electric chords, none of the easy to learn by average congregation songs that we've grown to know and love. This disc is indeed a journey, a journey into at times folk, celtic, cajin, roots styles of music. The style may be different but it's still worship.

The second track 'O my soul, arise and bless your maker' is a wonderful version of a track which appears on disc 1 of the Best of Stuart Towned. Given a lively, fresh make over this is a super track.
Then 'By Faith', which I awared worship song of the year 2009. Compare this version with that on Awaken The Dawn by Keith and Kirstyn Getty and you'll see the difference. Gone are the striden, marching beats of this confident song to be replaced with a happy accoustic rhythm which I don't think does justice to the song.

I like 'Vagabonds' and and 'You rescued us' and really enjoy the reworking of the old favourite 'It Is Well With My Soul'. The Celtic influences come out strongly on 'Christ Be In My Waking'.

All in all a good set, but different from previous discs.

Read what Stuart has to say about The Journey - here.