John's Beheading

For RCF this week we are discussing the beheading of John the Baptist, Mark 6:14-29

It's an odd thing to consider that some of the most disturbing things that occur in the Bible often happen in the context of what we might consider to be opulent, or even beautiful. I think we so often wish to cast these episodes in dimly light corridors and alley ways because we don't want to feel that tug. The pull on our heart that would draw us into the room, into the party, and ultimately into Herod's very harrowing sin. But, Mark makes the setting of Herod's party very explicit for us doesn't he?

But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 For when Herodias's daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests.

There we have it. Herod's party was quite the spectacle. We actually meet Herod surrounded by the cultural elite of the day. As Mark continues the picture of Herod in the midst of this opulence comes into stark focus. While his step-daughter (also former niece) dances for his entertainment, Herod and the rest of the men are so stirred that Herod promised to give her anything she wanted. But now we see, that for all of his wealth Herod was actually quite out of control.

"And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23 And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her.27 And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison."

Interesting....having been made a huge, and quite public vow Herod's stepdaughter ran to ask her mother what to ask for. This is where this passage gets really nasty, notice the literary context preceding Herod's party. Mark goes into detail about why John was in prison, and how Herodias felt about his presence. She was not happy that Herod listened to John, and sought opportunity to be rid of him, and then we see the fatal "but" in v. 21. "BUT an opportunity came when..."There was a plot here! Herodias knew her husband well, and desired John's death so much that she used her own daughter for leverage! 

John was in jail because his conviction of God righteousness angered Herod and his ill-gotten wife. Prior to this we encounter John living simply in the wilderness. John was beheaded because Herod, though mystified by him, couldn't even muster the slightest conviction in lieu of a request that was reprehensible to him. What an odd pairing of characters! Herod shows us that repentance is the only thing that will spare us when judgement arrives. Throughout this passage Herod is portrayed as a man conflicted by diverging desires, what he ought to do, and what he wants to do. His opulent party was fertile soil for his betrayal of John, and likewise, if we live solely according to our whims and desires, will do violence against our conscience, the Lord, and his Kingdom!

Thankfully we have the historical perspective of the cross, and resurrection of Jesus to hold us steady. We are not victims, but reconciled enemies!

To remind us that God used our evil by drawing it upon himself for our salvation. Praise God that his Word, and Holy Spirit whisper truth into our hearts, transforming them. Because, apart from those, none of us are any better than Herod.

When Pigs Swim

So, the RCF text tonight is the first several verses of Mark chapter 5. The famous story of Jesus' encounter with the demon-possessed man known as "Legion", and I honestly have to say that every time I come across this passage I scratch my head and ponder "What the heck just happened." Honestly, it's weird. Jesus just made it across the sea, and is apparently traipsing through a graveyard when he encounters this poor guy that is possessed by a whole bunch of demons.

Interesting tidbit #1
The demoniac ran up to Jesus and fell at his feet and this is where the conversation between the demons and Jesus occurs. Jesus apparently doesn't skip a beat about what needs to happen because Mark says in v. 8-9 "For he {Jesus} was saying to him {Legion}" the verb saying is in the present tense, thus indicating Jesus in the midst of casting the demons out.

Interesting tidbit #2
The demons negotiate with Jesus. This just freaks me right the heck out. Former heavenly beings in the presence of the Son of God, while fully recognizing who he is do not repent but desire to be delivered into another vessel to continue their destruction of the area. On that note, Gerasenes (the town outside of which this event occured) might not be the best place to invest in real estate.....or livestock as the story goes. Anywho, of all created things equipped to recognize and submit to the glory of Jesus Christ one would think that those who prior to their rebellion lived in the daily presence of the Trinity might relent from evil....but no. This "Legion" had once existed in God's infinite presence and now occupies their time by inhabiting some poor Gentile, forcing him to live in a graveyard and torture himself. They're frightened by Jesus, but not so much that they stop being jerks. When it was becoming clear that they couldn't resist the authority of Jesus they pull the sour grapes move of possessing a herd of pigs which they promptly drive crazy....making the herd (some 2000) run into the sea and drown.

Say what????

I've been thinking about this a lot today because I'm "teaching" on it tonight....one of the things I've realized is that the oddness of this passage stems a lot from my "post-modern/post-enlightenment" perspective of the world. I admit that the bartering of the demons frankly confounds me, and I'm not too sure what they hoped to achieve. But even more odd than that is the mere existence of these creatures. I go through my life happily ignorant of what is happening around me unless I can see, and quantify what I experience. But Kant was wrong about our situation. The lack of visible evidence of something does not automatically relegate that thing into the realms of abstraction and thought. Western thought tends to move in straight lines, with a linear beginning and end (which is nice to think about). But I wonder if the world is more complex than we think it. I wonder if eternity is pressing in all around us as people. I wonder what is really behind the choices I make. Who is really whispering in my ear.

The age old cartoon image of angels and devils on each shoulder seems childish at first, but upon reading this passage I sit here in my office with the hair on the back of my neck standing up. I find myself wondering what a guy would have to do to become tenement housing for a multitude of demons. My gut instinct is that one would have to be quite the piece of work to attract that kind of attention, but as I think about it more and more the adage "the road to Hell is paved with good intentions" keeps coming to the forefront of my mind.

Interesting tidbit #3
 The demons confess Christ's lordship....with stunning insight and accuracy. Yet they are not saved....at least they aren't if being cast out by Jesus is any indicator. We read in epistles like Romans and Ephesians that we are saved by grace through faith. But as we go about our days our faith sometimes looks more and more like a work we perform rather than an inheritance we've received. The most frightening thing about this passage perhaps is the sheer understanding that there is some veiled entity that only desires to torture and destroy us, and the world around us. I don't know what to do with people not liking me, much less am I comfortable with some invisible force bent on my destruction. Even though the handiwork of such a creature is evident all the time in the worst things we read in the news or see as we travel to work and to our homes. But I would rather see those things as the consequence of people's actions....because I can do something about that. I would rather think of those things as social ills, and consequences of polity....or even sin in the church. Because I vote, and preach. But, if Mark 5 is true, salvation through faith only comes by Jesus' personal intervention in something.....so, I have to sit.....and pray with great vulnerability. Knowing that Christ is far more powerful than this evil that masks itself in our headlines and relationships....this observed, but itself unseen, will bent on destroying all of us.


Maybe I should have taught this last week before Halloween...

Good Friday?

This is going to be difficult to read (it has already proven difficult to write) because in it, I have to acknowledge the presence of sin, and the corresponding displeasure of God. In a culture of moral relativism, and self-reflective justification Good Friday is an inconvenient burst of light. I say light, because of how it illuminates two very important truths. One, that God is so determined to redeem his creation that he would suffer a horribly unjust, insulting, painful, and isolating death to see it's deliverance. Two: that we, as a mass of humanity, were, and are so bent on living in the darkness of our own righteousness that we were willing to kill God himself because the light of his perfection illuminated the thoughts and motives of our hearts.  You see, what we have at the cross is the Lord taking on the sum of our offenses against him, and turning his own judgment upon himself. Thankfully Jesus righteousness was fully able to preserve him from abject destruction at that moment. Thankfully, God in his goodness had set that plan in motion at the Garden of Eden. Since we have then such a great sacrifice on our behalf, should we not then (since we are free from sin's bondage) take that energy with which we previously pursued sin and pursue Christ's righteousness at our disposal?

Sad, but Sadly Not Surprised

  I was sitting in my office yesterday, arranging music for Sunday when I heard about the shooting in Connecticut; when I came home my wife informed me of the stabbing in China. Earlier this week the Eugene Register Guard ran the following headline "Horror in Clackamas" in regards to a shooting in a Portland area shopping center. Thinking about it now I can't help but notice that the one thing lacking in my response to these events was surprise. I don't think I've been desensitized by television, or video games, nor am I apathetic to the suffering of these people. So that being the case, why am I not surprised about gunmen opening fire in Colorado movie theatres, or Portland shopping centers.

  I am not surprised at these things because the Church in America has, by and large, ceased to talk of things like sin, and redemption. In our attempts to "live in peace with our neighbor" we have denied them the promise of the Gospel by not showing them their need for Jesus Christ. In our culture of indulgence we have denied the truth of Scripture by avoiding passages and texts that confront our social and cultural understandings of faith, and morality. In short, we have left the religion of Jesus, and pursued the religion of Self. I think this has happened in two major, and vary insidious ways.

 We, instead of looking into the moral implication of our faith, have been tickled and drawn after causes of social justice, and matters of economical equality. Rather than speaking of the crucifixion, resurrection  and ascension of Jesus Christ we banter over wells in Africa, or low cost huts for the American Homeless. Don't get me wrong, the Church ought to be concerned with these things. But, they are a means to an end. Not an end in and of themselves

  On the other hand, when we do tend to speak of sin we do so in some pretty interesting ways. We're quick to speak of cultural sins, but we balk and defend ourselves when confronted with our own issues. Rather than engaging our neighbors with the promise of the Gospel many of us have retreated. Taking a faith that is durable, and meant to be used and wrapping it in bubble wrap and cellophane to protect it from outside corruption. We have retreated into blind political allegiances, into home schooling, into self-gratifying displays of the Pentecostal gifts, into theological obfuscations of a simple Gospel, into denominational pissing matches, and the prosperity Gospel. When it comes down to the brass tacks of our faith (our sin and deliverance in Jesus Christ) we would rather stay silent and give somebody a latte with a pretty design in it. We would rather extol the benefits of classical education. We would rather hand out a bowl of soup; warming a stomach, and ignoring hearts full of sin and shame.

  These horrifying events have happened because we (you, and I...the Church) have used these things to avoid our own sin. While we sit back, bemoaning the sinful state of our culture, Jesus sits before the Father bemoaning our sin, and interceding for our reconciliation. God is near to the lowly, and contrite of heart because they acknowledge their need for him. It is tempting to swiftly condemn these individuals, and their actions without seeing their reflection in us, and our reflection in them. But that is no solution.

[23] “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. [24] You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

[25] “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

[26] You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

(Matthew 23:23-26 ESV)

Well, fall is officially here. It's not because the foliage is turning brilliant shades of red and yellow, nor is it due to that familiar crisp turn in the morning air. I can tell fall is here because I am insanely busy! RCF starts up again on Tuesday night and I have to say that I am quite excited for this year's group and what will occur at the UO because of it, and my plan for this year's teaching seems quite apropos. All of this year's RCF teaching will echo this refrain: "Why are you a Christian?" and "How would the people around you know you're a Christian?"

We'll be starting the year off reviewing 4 fundamental truths about Christianity
  1. The Inspiration, and Authority of Scripture.
      With this subject we'll look at some passages out of 2nd. Timothy, and Peter's letters to examine if our  
       is truly biblical in it's nature, or if we negotiate with the Word...embracing what makes us feel good, and
       denying those things that challenge our complacency.

  2. God's Plan, and means of Salvation
      If we truly believe that we receive our faith through the grace of Jesus Christ, how does that effect our
      attitudes towards the world, and our own merit?

  3.The Church, and God's plan for worship
     I have this hunch...that God ordained the church to grant believers a designated space in time where they
     relate to God rightly through his word and sacraments. That being so, believers sealed in the Holy Spirit
     ought to have an increasing affection and desire for organized worship with the saints. I also suspect that
     the Church's role in the the world is analogous to the Holy Spirit's role in the lives of individual believers.

  4. How to live with Christian Integrity
      All believers should be engaged in the redemptive pursuit of all those around them. Because God is our
      Creator, his word applies universally to all people, at all times, and in all places. That being the case we
      should not be ashamed, or afraid to call people to apply God's truth to their lives in whatever way we
      can.

After those four teachings RCF will be studying the book of Jonah to see how God's grace extends past the boundaries we expect him to establish.

So, that's the plan. Please pray for me as I study and preach the word on the campus of the University of Oregon. That I would be faithfully repentant of my error, and leading RCF in a like manner. Also please be praying for Becky and I as we tackle a whole lot of stuff at once. Becky is doing a medical transcription program online while working from home. I wont go into everything, but just say that we're busy! Please pray for our marriage and communication as we endeavor to be faithful in the areas that God has called us to serve.

~Matt, Becky, and Scout
   

A brief update

Hi everybody,

   This is just a brief little snapshot of our rather busy lives. Case in  point, the picture above was taken at Easter....and I'm just now using it. RCF is officially "out of session" but we are about to meet and discuss C.S Lewis's "The Great Divorce" here pretty soon. I know one major thing that stood out to me on this latest reading of that book was the disposition of the people in the bus queue, and on the bus. If we look at the church as a vehicle that leads to Glory, the first few chapters are very humiliating for us (or they were for me at least). Considering the backbiting, gossip, and power plays I've found myself wonder where I've contributed to such an illustration. Ultimately I think I was surprised by my surprise. The Church is a community of broken people working out their salvation (and some who aren't working it out). That being the case it's no wonder there are factions, and strife. Let's just thank God that Christ is our Head, and that his plan for us will never be thwarted!

  Personal updates:
     The Perrets are heading back to Louisiana, which leaves me to sort out Sunday morning worship. So please be praying for Becky and I as we pursue that aspect of leadership. We're sad to see our friends move on, but excited to hear about what God has planned for them.

  School is in the works, although I feel like I'm going down the rabbit hole to get there. LCC is not very forthcoming about how to apply to classes....which makes me frustrated. But on a good note; after working at the Red Barn for three months I've been promoted! In about two weeks I'll be taking over management of the Deli and coffee bar.
   Busy, busy, busy!

~Matt

So, elephant in the room. It's been ages since a lot of you have heard from me. Rest assured, Becky, Scout and I are all well (although Scout gets a little emotional from time to time). Many of you have probably already heard that I starting working a part-time job on top of doing RCF. The Red Barn is a great place to work, and I'm already starting to settle in and see the Gospel effect my co-workers. On that note, I have a greater appreciation for what zoo animals endure every day. The first two weeks of my job there felt a little like a "pick the conservative Protestant's brain" session. But, I made it through, and retained my job...which is obviously a bonus!
  So, we've been trucking through 1st. John in RCF this quarter, which I must say has been incredible. I owe a lot of observations to Martyn Lloyd Jones..(his commentary series is called "Life in Christ"). It's a lot of work to read but well worth the time. The one thing that has stood out above everything else has been John's fundamental concept of the Gospel. Most of us, if asked what the Gospel was about, would likely speak of eternal life, justification by faith, Reformed theology buffs would no doubt extol the virtues of Christs expiating sacrifice on Calvary...with a dash of chatter regarding the active, and passive obedience of Jesus. John brushes all that aside. According to John. The Gospel is about having fellowship with God....now. Bearing that in mind, our Christian life no longer falls into academic or hypothetical elements regarding some sort of cold doctrine, or theological treatise. It shifts the premise to a more relational position. Everything from what we do with our day, how we think about our neighbors, to how we engage in politics becomes wrapped in that greater theme of preserving, and enjoying our fellowship with the Father.

1 John 1:1-4

    One of the most compelling feature of John's first epistle is his complete lack of any identification in his introduction. What's interesting about it is that John, doesn't really seem able to contain himself throughout his first letter at all. It reads a lot like Mark's Gospel, or Ephesians chapter one. An overwhelming abundance of good things spilling out over the page. What John does say by way of introduction is a brief, albeit abstract, proclamation of the Gospel concerning the Word of Life. In verse one we see that Jesus Christ was infinite "That which was from the beginning", that Jesus was declared in the Old Testament, and experienced in the world "which we have heard, which we have seen, John then goes on to mention that the 12 Apostles had a unique experience with Jesus. Everybody around Jesus at the time saw him, and heard him physically. But John says that they not only saw him but they also looked up him. That is to say, they saw him as he truly was. One thinks of the transfiguration, Isaiah's vision and calling, Peter's experience in the boat, or the revelation of Thomas while he felt the wounds of the risen Christ.
    John doesn't even leave it at that he goes on to say that Jesus was made manifest, which is to say that he took on a specific, identifiable form, and that the 12 were able to touch him. Jesus was no floating ethereal spirit. He became a man of flesh, and blood. Now, he didn't become manifest idly. He came with the expressed purpose of restoring fellowship between God, and his people. Now, what's really interesting about this fellowship is the language that John uses to describe it. First off, he always uses plural pronouns...we, our, us. What we can take away then is that John is not referring to some sort of "me and Jesus" experience, but a verifiable event that he, and the rest of the church stand behind. Nor is his mention of fellowship some sort of nebulous, pie in the sky thing to consider abstractly. It is fellowship with the church, as the church has fellowship with God. It's concrete, and visceral. It's palpable.
     Becky and I went to a Wilco concert a few months ago, and because I'm a true music lover, I am still sitting happily in the afterglow of it.....because it was awesome. The band had their sound engineered very deliberately. It was poised right at the edge, leaning over as far as it possibly could before causing feedback. I literally felt the air being displaced by the sound coming out of their stage setup. I've never experienced anything like it. The sound coming off of that stage was palpable....it had a dimension, and texture, a dynamic force behind it. That's the kind of fellowship that John is talking about, the sort that has an empirical dimension. The sort that people notice when they're around it, that's the ethos behind the first 4 verses of 1 John.....great joy derived from palpable fellowship with God. What an amazing thing!
     But we would be remiss if we were just excited by this passage and not challenged by it. Here, John tells us, we can have the same fellowship with God that he had. Even more wonderful, that because of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection we are caught up into the fellowship within the trinity. So, what we have got to ask ourselves is this: "If our fellowship with God can be the same as that of the Apostles.....is it?" Would people say that your faith, your Christianity is palpable?

A quick update

Hey All,


  Just dropping a little note off to assure you all that I still have a pulse, and draw breath. Life is good, but quite busy right now. Newsletters are a work in progress, as is Doulos '12, and the RYM Pacific Northwest Summer Conference.
The quarter went quite well as far as RCF is concerned. We're actually wrapping up the Sermon on the Mount tomorrow night at our Bible study, and moving on to John's epistles for next quarter. Please be praying for Becky and I as we continue to be in communication with Oregon churches for support. Becky specifically, as she grows her etsy shop, and does transcription work. Pray for me as I study 1-3 John and try to fit his round letters into a square outline, I'm also still applying for a lot of part time jobs, and working on the whole University entrance thing. Pray for us as parents, that we would continue to support each other, and remain on the same page. Caedence is doing great, but the apple hasn't fallen too far from the tree.....meaning that she's cute (Becky's genes), but crazy (my genes).

Thanks!

Life Post-Sunday

Rather than thinking of the church as a place where our hearts are filled to compensate for the spiritual deficit of the preceding week, we should strive to see it as a point of origin. A place, and community from which we are actually over-filled with the intention that the life of Christ in the Gospel would spill out of us onto the lives of people we see and converse with throughout the week.

If the church were not meant to be an advancing institution Jesus would not have said "Upon this rock [which is faith...not Peter] will I build my church, and the gates of Hell will not withstand it."

Avoiding V-Day Massacres

I had a very odd, and bad habit of hooking up with girls in the weeks that led up to Valentine's Day. Not because I was a romantic sap, but more because I was a dumb high school dude, that couldn't really think beyond the calender square I currently occupied. Knowing that I would never escape my boyfriend obligations of boxed chocolates, and teddy bears I grudgingly gave into the ceremony of it all. What I wouldn't give to go back in time, and smack myself upside the head. Advising cold showers for the next weeks until February 14^th was safely passed. Here is what I discovered through my mistakes: what was at first an cautious peek into the realm of committed dating suddenly was blown up into a full on committed relationship. We can laugh at it on one hand, but don't underestimate the significance of 4 bucks worth of carnations, and some candy can have on a relationship.

In hindsight I often wondered what would have happened if I had waited until March, and just tried to get to know the girl I was into better in the interim. Would we ever have dated, or would she have looked at the trench-coat (yeah...I was that kid), heard The Smashing Pumpkins, and walked away knowing that we really didn't have much in common at all? Maybe. I know how it did end, about four years later after a very awkward day in Berkeley California, when we sat down and watched “The Life Aquatic”. Something snapped in our minds and we realized that we couldn't get things to work out, because there was nothing to work with. Let me tell you, it was flippin painful. The memory of that night sullied that movie for years. So how did things get so bad that I was unable to enjoy a solid Bill Murray performance?

What happened at that moment can best be defined as emotional synergism. Feb. 14^th blew up like a spark landing in gasoline. The shot heard around the world if you will..... KA-FREAKIN-BOOM - an ill-conceived high school dating relationship messed us both up for years. Here's why. Each of us, in our own way, had an image of relationships being all about hand-holding, snuggling, and making out. We pretty much used each other to feel good about ourselves. And, because neither of us knew what we were looking for in a relationship it was all about “that other person digging me”. That mutual attraction seemed good enough. Long story short, we did find some common grounds, we both knew it wasn't going to work out, and now we're both happily married.....to other people.

I'm writing this to tell you to be cool, like the Fonz this Valentine's Day. Take a breather and get to know the people you're hot for before diving headlong into a relationship...or into the sack, and then into a relationship (which was more my style back in the day). I'm going to opt for the “advise-focused” ending rather than the “cheesy-metaphor” conclusion.

Dudes: If you're into somebody, this is your chance. Your chance to buy them dinner, see a movie, and respectfully walk them to their front door and leave after the night is through. Again...Be Cool!!! Mind you...a date is not hanging out in your dorm watching a movie, it's an event that requires you to wear something classier than yesterday's sweatpants, and to go somewhere with real plates where the food costs money. Open her doors for her, and pay the freaking bill.

Ladies:As a dude I can say that subtlety is not our strong point so saying “no” to us is kind of like talking to a 5 year old. Hinting ain't gonna do it. But, though stupid at times...we are sensitive. If a guy you don't like asks you out, it isn't creepy. It ought to be flattering, be clear but gentle and let the dude down easy.

Happy Valentine's Day...Be cool.

This is why RCF exists!

I don't normally cite other writer's work on this blog, but Ms. Powell states the necessity for RCF so clearly that I couldn't resist. Please read the following article.  ~Matt 

Why Young Adults are Leaving the Church

Kara Powell

The reasons 20somethings are giving up on Sunday morning

What does it say about our generation that 40 to 50 percent of young Christians fail to stick with their faith or connect with a church after high school? Most likely, you’ve experienced or been witness to this exodus of twentysomethings from the faith community. At this point, it’s not even surprising to watch young adults become disillusioned with church as they go to college, build a career, start a family or begin their “real life”. But can it be stopped?

We recently spoke to Kara Powell, executive director of Fuller Youth Institute and co-author of Sticky Faith, to answer just that. Drawing from her extensive research with Fuller Youth Institute, she gave us a little more insight into what it takes to find a faith that sticks.

Do you think young people are just leaving the church, or leaving faith? Or is it both?

Probably my best answer to that is to describe what Tim Clydesdale—who is a sociologist in New Jersey—refers to as “the identity lock-box.” What students tend to do after they’ve graduated from high school is place important parts of themselves in an identity lock-box, and their faith is often part of that. The good news is that you put something in a lock-box when it’s important to you. So there is some sense that students still value their faith at one level. But the problem is when your faith is in a lock-box, especially as a college student or emerging adult, you’re making so many important decisions about worldview, and marriage, how you engage in risk behaviors, and vocation, and calling, and all those considerations are made while your faith is locked up in that lock-box. So there is some sort of residual sense that students value the faith, but it’s not influencing their day-to-day, or even major decisions. Given the long-term impact of those decisions throughout their adulthood, it’s pretty disconcerting.

Do you think there are any misunderstandings or misconceptions that contribute to young adults leaving the church?

The students involved in our research definitely tended to view the Gospel as a list of dos and do-nots, a list of behaviors. We asked our students when they were college juniors, “How would you define what it really means to be a Christian?” and one out of three—and these were all youth group students—didn’t mention Jesus Christ in their answer; they mentioned behaviors. So it seems like [young adults] have really picked up a behavioralist view of the Gospel. That’s problematic for a lot of reasons, but one of which is that when students fail to live up to those behaviors, then they end up running from God and the Church when they need both the most.

Are these mindsets limited only to young adults, or does it affect all ages?

Oh, yes, absolutely, [they] aren’t making this up on their own. They’re getting this from adults. Another issue that is particularly relevant to church leaders across the board is the importance of intergenerational relationships. We looked at 13 different youth group participation variables in our study, things they did in the context of youth group, to try and see what would be the biggest levers for sticky faith. To our surprise, the participation variable most highly related to mature faith both in high school and college was intergenerational worship; helping them connect with adults of all ages is a vital part of building adult faith. What we’re seeing is that not only are [intergenerational relationships] transformative in the lives of the teenagers, but they make a difference in the overall church. Imagine what a church would be like, what the adults in church would be like, if they were infused with the vitality that comes with teenagers? At the very least, if they were getting to know a few teenagers by name so they could pray for them, how life-giving would that be for the adults in a church?

What is an ideal model for the relationship between different generations in the faith community?

The original churches in the first century were multi-generational, were multi-ethnic. Especially as youth ministries become more professionalized in the last 50 years, [we’ve] ended up segregating kids from the rest of the church. Having said that, there’s definitely a time for 6-year-olds, and 16-year-olds and 86-year-olds to be together on their own. We need to provide space for folks in similar life spaces to chat and share community, but balance is something we swing through on our way to the other extreme.

It’s a common story: Young adults stop going to church, then once they have kids they return. It’s not like that’s a new phenomenon. Do you think this generation is different—or will they return to church again in a few years when they start having kids?

About 50 percent of those who drift from church seem to return, and it’s often because when they get older they get married and have kids. We at the Fuller Youth Institute are still grieving over the 50 percent who don’t return, and even in the 50 percent who do return—you make those important life decisions as college students, and then there are consequences you live with even after you’ve returned to the faith. It seems like students are drifting at a slightly higher percentage than in the past, and as adolescence is lengthening, they’re staying away from the church longer. As age of marriage is being delayed, having children is being delayed, so it’s just more years under the belt apart from God and full of the heartbreak and disappointment that comes from living your life apart from God.

THIS ARTICLE WAS FOUND ON RELEVANT MAGAZINE'S WEBSITE, AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS   Why Young Adults Are Leaving the Church

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Why Care About the Incarnation


Merry Christmas everybody!!!!

Some News

We call this look the "Baby Corleone"

Hey All!

   Just a bit of an update. We're all doing well over here in Eugene. Alright...we're a little tired, and wondering if our daughter will ever stop eating so incessantly. But I'm chalking all that up to being first time parents. Becky and I seem to waffle between excitement, hilarity, and frustrated terror when it comes to our little girl. But she's super cute so it's all good. Anywho, I'm just posting to let you all know that since we have a little girl now, the obstacle that stood in the way of Becky's sinus surgery fills up a diaper at least 5 times a day. Which means that Becky is scheduled for surgery.....this upcoming Wednesday. I know what you're thinking, "Do they ever slow down?" Well, apparently not. Since Becky is on the Oregon Health Plan we figured that this was our best opportunity to do this, so we're going for it. Please keep us in your prayers. Pray for wisdom for the all the doctors involved,  health, rest and healing for Becky, and patience and grace for me as I juggle a baby, and a wife during her surgery recovery. Literally...I'm going to juggle them, in the air....I may throw a torch in as well.....or a chainsaw.....who knows. But we're certainly going to need Jesus for whatever happens. Thanks for your attention, and prayer.

Sincerely,

    The Allhands family

Covenant of Redemption: The Son Who Saves, and the Spirit who secures.

First things first here. This picture has absolutely nothing to do with the subject on hand, which is why I have selected it. If you type "calvary hill Jerusalem" into a Google image search you will find this image on the sixth page of options. Sure, there weren't many good pictures of Calvary. But this picture of a bear mounted cavalry charge makes it all worthwhile.

Soteriology

I feel that, in writing this I am trying to cram a storm into a teacup, and I suppose that it is true. According to the scriptures we see that the Son has always possessed the intention of leading us to glory through his incarnation. Skilled theologians of good conscience disagree as to whether said intention included man's fall into sin, or if it was a response to the fall. There certainly is a lot to be said about both sides of the argument, but it is clear in Eph 1 that, regardless of the fall, the Christian is "predestined for adoption in Christ". It also clear in the Gospels that the ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus was efficacious for the salvation of those who believe in, and call on his name. We ought to be sober and mindful at this point that though the Gospel is a universal proclamation, it does not imply a universal salvation. Here's what Calvin had to say: "Forasmuch as no man is excluded from calling upon God, the gate of salvation is set open unto all men. Then there is nothing that keeps us back from entering in except our own unbelief." (from Calvin's commentary on Acts).
   Bearing our predestination in Christ in mind we ought to turn then to the Gospels and examine his death and resurrection. If we, the elect, are predestined in Christ, then we died with him at Calvary, were raised with him from that death, and as Christ ascended bodily. So too can we depend on the restoration of our flesh at glory.

That ascension being a promise made to us through scripture calls each of us to a life of faith, and hope. But Christianity is not some sort cosmic escape plan by any means. The life we will live in Glory has it's beginning in our daily lives now, as it has already begun to be applied and sealed in us by the Holy Spirit. Our discussion surrounding the work, and merit of Jesus Christ on our behalf deals primarily with our justification (which is to say our forensic standing before God). Our interaction with the Holy Spirit is referred to as sanctification (the process in which the heart/or merit of Christ is both applied to, and realized by the believer). Like I said before, this salvation in Christ has a daily ramifications. Paul speaks of the Holy Spirit as a seal, or a deposit guaranteeing our salvation in Eph 1:11-13. While sanctification in and of itself does not lead to glory, it is an indication of our necessary justification through faith in Christ. Notice the language Paul uses in Eph 1:11-13:

[11] In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, [12] so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. [13] In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, [14] who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

(Ephesians 1:11-14 ESV)

Here's the kicker, all of the terms Paul uses in this passage are past-tense. Which indicates a passive relationship on the part of the church. He doesn't admonish the Ephesians to seal themselves in the Holy Spirit, or endeavor to gain their inheritance, he encourages them by saying they are sealed. That seal, as it works out in a day to day, real-time sense looks like obedience to the Father, contrition over sin, and repentance. This concludes my work on the Covenant of Redemption, sorry for collapsing two postings into one here, but I had to do it this way so I could focus on my teaching for RCF. 

Thanks for reading!

Thoughts on 9/11

There are a lot of things we can think about in regards to the upcoming 10th anniversary of 9/11. We could like at our nation's economic climate with anger, and condemn our government. We could look at our military campaigns overseas in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya with frustration. We could throw our hands up in disgust at organizations like TSA, and the Office of Homeland Security. We could gnash our teeth, taking matters into our own hands to secure our borders with armed civilian patrol. Or we could contribute to the blame game played between the political left and right as they attempt to conform us to their agenda.
It's hard to look at that list of possibilities and not see something that is both justifiable, and understandable. Because,  since 9/11 we have struggled economically, politically, and militarily. But, as Sunday will inevitably come, and we will inevitably recollect the the towers fell I want to take this opportunity as it has presented itself. Looking back on what happened ten years ago; rather than complaining about the economy (in a nation that is still comparatively rich), or grumbling about the government (the government that not only tolerates, but hears your grumbles) we ought to endeavor to honor those who have gone (and still go) before us. The emergency workers who responded to the chaos at Ground Zero, or the soldiers who have laid aside their families for the sake of liberty in countries like Iraq, and Afghanistan. Bearing this quote in mind "He who allows oppression shares the crime." Desiderius Erasmus. 

Covenant of Redemption: God The Son

    We live in a society that creates, absorbs, and understands printed images. Ever wonder why Andy Warhol's portrait of Marilyn Monroe, or the painting of the Campbell's Tomato Soup Can have such wide social recognition? They're enigmatic, and as such, represent a part of our greater common social experience as Americans. I'm sure we find that frustrating at times, but it's also very cool, and quite brilliant that simple images can bear such ramifications on our consciousness. Take Superman for example, we see that red and yellow S and automatically understand that powerful aide is on it's way to somebody in need. Think about that for just a second, in some way we all have impressed on our consciousness that we need somebody, somebody transcendent, to rescue us from danger and despair. I'm using this image of Superman as an introduction because I think it relates to Jesus in a very interesting way. When we think of Superman we don't imagine him eating dinner, or buying groceries. We think of him flying over Metropolis, or traveling through time by making the Earth spin backwards, it's as if he's always bursting out of a celluloid phone booth to save us from evil. We don't really separate super-heroes from what they do. We ought to have the same mindset when it comes to Jesus. Bearing that in mind, this blog about the role of the Son in the Covenant of Redemption is going to have two major parts: A Christological part (discussing the nature of Jesus' deity and humanity), and a Soteriological part (concerning how it is that the Christian is saved).

Christology

    Diving right in, we see throughout the epistles of the New Testament that the Son of God is not just eternal (which is human), but infinite (which is Divine)*. The first chapter of John's Gospel portrays Jesus Christ as being God (possessing unity), and being with God (having a distinct person) "in the beginning." Jn. 1. esv.  Where else do we find the phrase "In the beginning"? Genesis 1. That's an important detail to notice because on of John's major themes throughout his Gospel is the re-creation of man in and through Jesus Christ*. More to the point John gives us a picture of the role of Jesus as the Son of God prior to, and during the creation of the cosmos. We also see numerous mentions of Jesus prior to creation in Paul and Peter's epistles. Take Colossians 1:15-17 for example: 

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.

I'll be honest, I don't often picture Jesus the way that Paul describes him here. I'm on track with the whole image of the invisible God thing, but the rest of the content regarding Creation really kind of baffles me. That being said, there are a few things that I want to highlight; first being the phrase "Firstborn of all Creation". There are several ways to see this, and I think all of them hold water. The first that stands out, is the idea of Christ's position, or eminence. In the ancient world, firstborn's were the one's who received the family inheritance, they held a sort of power over their siblings, and a responsibility (as they grew older) for the family estate, they also held a ambassador-like status often. The second way of looking at it is pretty plain and simple. Jesus (the Son) is the first born; he precedes or pre-dates us. Simply put, we see that Christ is infinite, and sovereign. Also note that Paul calls him the firstborn of all creation (emphasis added), including both Earth (the cosmos), and Heaven. Paul is stating clearly that Jesus is more than eternal, He is a member of the infinite triune God. 

    As if all of that wasn't enough we've a few more things to consider out of this passage before we wrap up this discussion pertaining the nature of the Son of God. We can also note the sense of action, and possession of creation from Paul's christology in Colossians. "For by him all things were created"; The son is the acting part of Creation, I think this notion harmonizes John's Gospel and the Creation account of Genesis quite well. Looking back at the first few chapters of Genesis we see a pattern: God speaks, and things exist. Now, John's Gospel does a few interesting things for us in this regard. First, he refers to Jesus as "the Word", and then outlines that the Word possess unity to, and distinction from the Father simultaneously. If God's Creation involves speaking, we cannot overlook the way John portrays Jesus as the Word, especially when both are held in light of what Paul has to say in his letter to the Colossian Church. If all things were created by the Son, than the Son's description in John's Gospel as the word of God is profoundly important. It also adds depth to the notion of the Father's declaration as well. 

I'm going to pause here, and see if any of you readers any question about these concepts before we move on to soteriology.

*We don't often consider our eternal nature as beings, but we ought to. Our existence will continue to exist throughout eternity, but we at some point came into being. The differences between eternal, and infinite lies with the idea of creation. God is an uncreated being, he always has been, and always will be. Whereas you and I have not always been, but now that we are....we will continue to be.

*The Apostle John managed to encapsulate the redemptive history of God within the his Gospel. Consider the parallel between John 1 and the creation account in Genesis, John's structure to his Gospel also outlines how the Law served to point Old Testament Jews to Christ by using certain Feast Day, or Festival events to outline specifically how Jesus Christ fulfilled what the Old Testament law required, and anticipated. Information which I have gleaned from Ridderbos's commentary on John's Gospel

Covenant of Redemption: God, the Father.

I've realized a funny thing about the Trinity; it's really hard to see the work of one member without encountering the other two. So to clearly perceive the role of the Father we also have to encounter the Spirit and the Son. Philip the Evangelist encountered this plainly when he asked Jesus to show them{the 12} the Father. Jesus replied :"Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father... ." Jn 14:8-9a. Jesus was not saying that he and the Father are the same, but rather that the unity which exists within the Trinity is of such a nature that when you encounter any one member, that member represents the whole. How else could Jesus atone for our sins, if it were otherwise? So, in looking at the Father's declaration we will, ironically, consider some of the Christology passages in the New Testament Epistles. But to begin with, we have to consider the Creation, and God's curse following Adam and Eve's fall in the Garden.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

(Genesis 1:3 ESV)

     I think the Creation is one of the clearest pictures we have regarding the Father's declarative role within the Trinity. I don't know that I can add much more to illustrate this point without being redundant, so I'll leave it at this: God spoke, and stuff happened. In the first chapter of Genesis, all the things that God commanded into being "let there be..." immediately sprang into existence. That ought to be of great comfort to us doubtful folks. When we consider our Christian walk and ponder if we will make it to the end we ought to reflect back on Genesis and the hope of God's declaration. There was no bartering about what kind of light, or how bright it would be, not even when light would come into existence. We see God declare "Let there be light" and reality responds in submission to His authority. Not only that, but what God sees is good to his eyes. He didn't give us some half-baked creation. In it's original {pre-fall} state, everything that has been made met God's standard of goodness. Why it all seems messed up now is a completely different conversation, which we'll get to later.
     I can see a question that begs asking in light of what I've just said. "How do we know that it's God the Father declaring creation and not the Holy Spirit, or the Son?" Let's look back at the preceding verses of Gen. 1:

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2 ESV)

Before we get too far into it here we should pause and remember that the content of Genesis 1 is mysterious, and supernatural. That being said, I cannot provide a specific scientific or historical explanation about how this came to pass. I can, however, comment on it's plausibility. In my mind, creation comes down to a matter of will, and power. In order for existence to exist there would have to be something transcendentally powerful enough to make it so. Math testifies to this well, we all learn that 0 cannot multiply when we're in grade school. To put it more philosophically: "nothingness" cannot yield "something-ness" unless it's worked on by an external force with both the will to create, and the power to do so. 

      In verses 1 and 2 we see God, and the Spirit of God mentioned separately which, in my mind, draws one to see some sort of distinction in the two. Also, we see the Spirit of God acting in verses 2 [although I don't know the effect of the hovering], continuing on to verse 3 Moses refers back to God as the one that spoke things into being. Using the diction [albeit the translated diction] of Genesis, the lack of a qualifier to the term God (such as the Spirit of God) points us back to that which precedes the "Spirit of God" within the text itself.

     We see the members of the Trinity further distinguished from one another in Genesis 3. Bear in mind, that in Genesis 1 we have seen God, and the Spirit of God mentioned in regards to creation. In Genesis 3, the third member is alluded to in God's curse upon Satan(the serpent).

The LORD God said to the serpent,

  “Because you have done this,

cursed are you above all livestock

and above all beasts of the field;

on your belly you shall go,

and dust you shall eat

all the days of your life.

I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and her offspring;

he shall bruise your head,

and you shall bruise his heel.”

(Genesis 3:14-15 ESV)

     This passage is widely known as one that foreshadows Christ's victory over sin and death. Again we see a slew of declarations, the final one being that of an imminent triumph of one sent by God to war with the serpent. This is where this idea gets a little interesting, because it spans the whole scope of scripture. As history progressed the "offspring of the woman" was more and more defined. Moses mentions him in Deuteronomy 15:18 as the "Prophet" that reflects himself except with greater authority, and Isaiah prophecies about him in chapters 52-56. In both cases, we see accounts of a man sent with the purposes of redeeming that which was lost. This distinguishes the Son from the Father and the Spirit in that he is mentioned as a man (not a spirit) sent by the Father to be a champion for the redemption of God's people and creation.

He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. (1 Peter 1:20-21 ESV)

I'm going to conclude with these verses because it both concludes my previous thoughts, and connects them to my next installment regarding the Son. Remember what I said earlier about the actions of one member of the Trinity illuminating the work of the others? Bearing that in mind, notice the language Peter uses. Christ was foreknown, and made manifest. This language is receptive. To be foreknown is to be determined by the knowledge (or consciousness) of another. This is even more true of the following phrase: made manifest. Such phrasing implies that Jesus was determined and incarnated by another.

Declaration Delay

Hey everybody,
   I'm sorry to have to do this, but I'm going to have to push my blog back until next week, possibly the week after that. It's half way done at the moment, but I have some things to do to prep for Doulos (our church service project), so yeah. Have a happy 4th!

God's Covenant of Redemption....

I suppose for the sake of clarity it would be good to mention two things. First, that I believe that while the word "trinity" doesn't appear in the canon of scripture, we can in fact discern three distinct members of our one God in the Bible. So...God is, one nature in three persons. Second, I see the Bible as inerrant, and therefore authoritative regarding matters of the faith[1].

  Simply put, God's covenant of redemption (also called the "Pactum Salutis") is a foundational structure to his covenant of grace. Meaning that God had determined a plan for salvation according to his own counsel prior to the Creation. Within this plan we see each member of the trinity operating in distinct ways. We see that God the Father declares the Covenant; God the Son procures (delivers & ratifies) the covenant, and God the Holy Spirit seals or applies the covenant[2]. When considering this, we have to remember that the distinct members of the trinity are equals. We certainly can perceive differing functions between the Father, Son, and Spirit, but that difference does not point to a hierarchy, but the perfect dependency that exists within the Trinity.  I could say more on that note, but I don't think it will serve anything except to muddy the waters.

  It's interesting to scrutinize the ways we perceive the Creation. Often times I fall into the trap of somehow thinking that the incarnation of Jesus was decided in a dispensational way. That God's covenant with Abraham didn't pan out, so he sent the Israelites into slavery in Egypt to "teach them a lesson". That the Mosaic Law was God's way of giving humanity another crack at salvation. When we messed that up, he sent the Son incarnate to give us yet another shot. Thankfully, none of that is true. When we consider the eternal nature of the Pactum Salutis one if it's major implications is that the Old Testament Covenants and the Mosaic Law serve to establish our salvation through faith in Christ alone. According to the dispensational way of thinking, the ministry of Jesus is like a parachute. A pulling of the cosmic e-brake to keep the vehicle (us) from careening over a bridge. According to the Pactum Salutis Jesus is more like a music note that resolves the discordant tones that came before it.

Next week I'll go into more depth about how the Trinitarian roles play out in scripture.
 





1.Subtitles for Jeremy! I mention these things because I will undoubtedly refer to the distinct members of the trinity & their role in our salvation. I brought up the nature of scripture because I will be drawing out of it to under-gird my statements.
2. It is important to note, that while the Father's declaration occurs "outside of time" the functions of the Son and the Holy Spirit are seen in and throughout history as evidence of the Father's declaration.