Will, emotions and the gospel

Monday 30 June 2008 at 8:09 pm Major discussion on Voices on whether one is responsible for another's emotional world. I've posted a lot and can't save it all, but here's one tidbit. more...

Assumptions about progress, freedom, happiness and sexuality

Thursday 26 June 2008 at 9:05 pm

An interesting piece in Slate re-energized the homosexual discussion on Voices. The article was about an evolutionary basis for homosexuality.

I wrote the following in response to some of the discussion:

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The Speech I Didn't Give

Monday 23 June 2008 at 10:22 pm

Here is a speech I didn’t give. There were others that I didn’t give which perhaps I should have, and there were some that I’m sure others wish I hadn’t, but this one sticks with me.

Advisory Committee 10 brought to synod the work of the Judicial Code committee regarding a very frustrated but determined man in Canada. This man has identified and charged repeated violations of the church order against his local council and was using the channels available to him by the church order to attempt to bring his council into compliance. The advisory committee asserted that the charges made failed to meet the standard of being “substantial enough to warrant a hearing” and that therefore they should be dismissed.

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The "No News" Synod

Monday 23 June 2008 at 5:42 pm The billing for this Synod, as was repeated sufficient times to make me feel uncomfortable, was that this was to be an historic synod. The importance ascribed to it was of course the first synod in which women elders and pastors were seated and Thea Leunk was elected to be the Vice-President. Those certainly were new things, but beyond that this synod was in my opinion mostly a maintenance synod. Reports were heard, numbers we reviewed, votes were taken, but no momentous decisions were made. Even the presence of women on the floor which attracted so much press seemed to me from the inside to be ordinary and regular. Having women vote instead of just speaking didn’t suddenly create a new day within the CRC, it didn’t herald new ground broken, it was the same CRC dealing with the same things we’ve dealt with before and will deal with again. more...

Victims, salvation narratives and the gospel

Tuesday 10 June 2008 at 8:18 pm

Wrote this for Voices. Click "more" to see the piece.

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Kingdom Centered Prayer

Wednesday 04 June 2008 at 8:07 pm DJ Chuang has a link to some MCM recordings of talks Tim Keller given to his church. This is an outline of the first one on Kingdom Centered Prayer (pdf version) that I used for my council training. Good stuff. (html version) more...

Luther's prayer

Tuesday 03 June 2008 at 8:34 pm

Hope it isn't apocraphal like lots of Luther quotes, but it's a good prayer.

Martin Luther's prayer
Lord God,
You have placed me in your church. You know how unsuitable I am. Were it not for your guidance I would long since have brought everything to destruction. I wish to give my heart and mouth to your service. I desire to teach your people, and long to be taught your work. Use me as your workman dear Lord. Do not forsake me; for if I am alone I shall bring it all to naught. Amen.
- Martin Luther (1483-1546)
Amen

Keller and Kreeft on Tolkien

Tuesday 03 June 2008 at 7:34 pm I did a bit of mining in the Redeemer Sermon store and found a little seminar that Tim Keller gave on Tolkien. I've loved Tolkien ever since I first read the Hobbit and LOTRs in High School. I recently reread LOTR and enjoyed it far more. Peter Kreeft also has a bunch of audio on Tolkien. The one that might be missed is the one on language (I think that's the one, it's been a few months since I listened to it) but Keller in the Q/A time at the end of the second MP3 gets into this same area the Kreeft treats more extensively in terms of heraldic (sp?) language. Keller deals with some explanation of what Tolkien wrote in terms of explaining why Theoden spoke the way he did and why  modern couldn't and visa versa getting at the idea of how immersion in a worldview is necessary for creating art from that worldview. Really interesting ideas. pvk

Yet another new church promotion?

Monday 02 June 2008 at 8:18 pm How does one start a relationship through a video camera? more...