Preaching: Myth 1

Posted on September 24, 2009 by Jay F Guin

This post and the next few like it are based on article by David Fitch, “3 Myths About Preaching Today,” posted in “Out of Ur,” the Christianity Today blog. Fitch is a pastor at Life on the Vine, in Long Grove, IL.

I’ve not written much about preaching because, you see, I’m not a preacher. I’ve not preached since “High School Day” back when I was in high school (and woolly mammoths roamed the earth). For some reason, no one has ever asked me to speak from the pulpit again. But I think this article makes too much sense not to talk about.

Myth 1: If You Preach a Good Sermon the Church Will Grow Continue reading →

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Survey Request

Posted on September 23, 2009 by Jay F Guin

question-markI’ve been contacted by a student at Lipscomb looking to compile, for her master’s program, a list of Churches of Christ that have added either an instrumental service or a gender-inclusive service. Other than Richland Hills and Quail Springs, what churches should she add to her list?

(If you prefer to send information privately, my email is jfguin(at)comcast(dot)net.)

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MDR: A Question from a Reader

Posted on September 23, 2009 by Jay F Guin

I get emails —

Hi Jay,

While on a CofC discussion board regarding the subject, I happened onto a link to your article, “But If I Do Remarry…” I wanted to share my personal situation with you and ask you to prayerfully give me your counsel.

Although I was baptized while very young and always attended church services, while I was a teenager I began a relationship with a young man separated from his wife.  Of course looking back now, I see what a terrible sin that was, and to be honest, I really knew it at the time.  But my walk was with the world and not God at that time.  They divorced, she remarried, and he and I were married.

After I had children, I very much wanted to be restored to God and since then have grown substantially in my Christian walk. (Although my husband attends church services, he has never obeyed the gospel.) Having said that, I still struggle with whether or not I am forgiven since we are still married.  I have spoken with several church leaders, who have said they believe I am forgiven.  But for some reason, I cannot get past it.  I very much want to be a good wife and mother, and I also very much want to be within God’s will, and it is frightening to me that in the end, I may find that I wasn’t.

I would very much appreciate it if you would pray for the correct counsel to offer me.  Thank you so very much for your time.

You are unquestionably forgiven — and the last thing you should do is divorce your current husband. Continue reading →

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Faith Lessons by Ray Vander Laan: Living Stones

Posted on September 23, 2009 by Jay F Guin

RVL continues to consider what it would have been like for newly converted Greeks in the First Century. He reminds us that all the pagan religions promised a form of heaven to follow death. What made Christianity special?

The lesson continues at Priene. There was once a large temple to Athena, which offered a fountain of fresh water for visitors. We take water for granted and rarely think to thank God each time we drink or wash. The ancient pagans gave credit to Athena, but the Christians credited the God of heaven.

Pythius was the architect of the temple. He was a world famous architect. The temple was similar to the Parthenon in Athens, with extraordinary statuary. There would have been a statue of Athena over 20 feet tall. Continue reading →

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Bear Bryant: It Don’t Cost Nuthin’ to be Nice

Posted on September 23, 2009 by Jay F Guin

As we Alabama fans celebrate our good football fortune, it bears remembering how this state’s football tradition was forged.

At a Touchdown Club meeting many years before his death, Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant told the following story:

I had just been named the new head coach at Alabama and was off in my old car down in South Alabama recruiting a prospect who was supposed to have been a pretty good player and I was havin’ trouble finding the place. Getting hungry I spied an old cinder block building with a small sign out front that simply said “Restaurant.”

I pull up, go in and every head in the place turns to stare at me. Seems I’m the only white fella in the place. But the food smelled good so I skip a table and go up to a cement bar and sit. A big ole man in a tee shirt and cap comes over and says, “What do you need?” I told him I needed lunch and what did they have today? He says, “You probably won’t like it here, today we’re having chitlins, collared greens and black eyed peas with cornbread. I’ll bet you don’t even know what chi tlins (small intestines of hogs prepared as food in the deep South) are, do you?” I looked him square in the eye and said, “I’m from Arkansas , I’ve probably eaten a mile of them. Sounds like I’m in the right place.” They all smiled as he left to serve me up a big plate. When he comes back he says, “You ain’t from around here then?” Continue reading →

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Gravatars (those pictures by your name in the comments)

Posted on September 22, 2009 by Jay F Guin

Lately, I’ve had several complaints about the Gravatars — those computer-generated pictures next to the readers comments. This post will explain what they are and how you can select your own. (Some seem to think the computer is being very unfair to them in its choice of images. However, I’ve been impressed with the accuracy of some. But for the monocle, Zach’s Gravatar would look just like him!)

An “avatar” in Hinduism is a god taking human form to perform some task. The term was adopted for computer fantasy games to refer to the being shown on the screen who represents the person typing on the keyboard. (The term goes all the way back to the computer game Ultima IV, which I mention solely so the gamers who read this will be impressed with my knowledge of such things. The rest of you should pretend that I don’t know this.)

The term was later adopted for use in internet forums and blogs for the picture or symbol next to your name when you post a comment. It’s very common in internet forums for one’s avatar to be a cartoon character, character from a movie, or actual picture of the commenter from childhood. That is, an avatar does not have to be what you actually look like — and I entirely understand the desire to project oneself as Marilyn Monroe or Elvis Presley, as reality can be so, you know, real.

A Gravatar is a Globally Recognized Avatar. And people who blog on the major blogging services get a Gravatar when they set up their account. This Gravatar follows them around to other blogs and sites that cooperate, looking up their Gravatar using their email addresses to pull the images from a central database.

If you don’t have a Gravatar, it’s easy and free. You go to http://gravatar.com, click the “Get your Gravatar today” button, and follow the instructions. Then you can upload whatever image you want — and you will (at last!) no longer be represented by a computer-generated face.

If you want, you can change your Gravatar daily. Some commenters in the forums do just that.

Enjoy!

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Amazing Grace: “Plain Talk” Questions Born of Water

Posted on September 22, 2009 by Jay F Guin

grace2.jpgI get emails —

Jay-

I feel your comments about 1 Cor 1: 17 miss the mark and I don’t know what your statement about making a choice between faith only and faith and baptism means.

I have had faith only people cite this passage in support of their position!

I too believe that God will take into account the opportunity people have had in the past but find it difficult to understand how anyone in this country could hope for leniency on that basis.  Surely the failure to obey the gospel is more than a techicality.

In Christ,

Arland Pafford

Attached to the email is the text of an internet article by Br. Pafford criticizing one of my arguments regarding baptism made in Born of Water. I later re-stated this argument as part of the “Amazing Grace” series of posts, particularly at this post where this argument was challenged in the comments by others and defended by me. Continue reading →

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Election: Romans 11, Part 2 (“God gave them a spirit of stupor”)

Posted on September 22, 2009 by Jay F Guin

(Rom 11:7-8) What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, 8 as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day.”

This is, of course, a key proof text among Calvinists. Did God cause Israel to reject him? What does the Old Testament say?

(Isa 29:10-16)  The LORD has brought over you a deep sleep: He has sealed your eyes (the prophets); he has covered your heads (the seers). 11 For you this whole vision is nothing but words sealed in a scroll. And if you give the scroll to someone who can read, and say to him, “Read this, please,” he will answer, “I can’t; it is sealed.” 12 Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, “Read this, please,” he will answer, “I don’t know how to read.”

13 The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. 14 Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.”

15 Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, “Who sees us? Who will know?” 16 You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, “He did not make me”? Can the pot say of the potter, “He knows nothing”?

This prophesy of Isaiah speaks of God allowing the nations to attack Jerusalem (referred to as “Ariel,” meaning the Lord’s hearth, that is, his home). Continue reading →

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Election: Chapter 11, Part 1 (“God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew”)

Posted on September 21, 2009 by Jay F Guin

(Rom 11:1-2a)  I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew.

Paul now explicitly refers back to Rom 8:

(Rom 8:29-31)  For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Notice that Israel, as a nation, is lost for their lack of faith. But Paul says it’s certainly not because God rejected them. It is, of course, the natural question to ask: If God is in charge, and if Israel is, as a nation, lost, is that because God chose for them to be lost? Did God withdraw their election?

Paul says, all that being said, the fact remains that God foreknew Israel. How could he reject them?

(Rom 11:2b-4) Don’t you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah–how he appealed to God against Israel: 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”? 4 And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”

Paul refers to the account of Elijah. Immediately after defeating the prophets of Baal, he found himself in despair. God comforted him by assuring him that a faithful remnant remained. Paul explains that while nearly of all of Israel has rejected God, God has not rejected Israel. Rather, there is a faithful remnant who have faith in Jesus.

Hence, “election” doesn’t mean that all people elected are saved in the end. Rather, “election” means that the elect nation will be rewarded with glory, just as Paul said in chapter 8, but it may be only remnant of individuals who are glorified. Election of a nation does not guarantee glorification of the entire nation. Continue reading →

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What Would You Like to Read?

Posted on September 21, 2009 by Jay F Guin

I’ve been going at this for 2 1/2 years now. I’ve posted over1,300 posts, not even counting Grace Conversation. I hate to think how many words I’ve typed! (Over 1,000,000 would be my guess, actually. You’d think my fingers would be more sore.)

I notice that the posts on Church of Christ controversies attract the most interest (posts on sex do pretty well, too). Communion meditations are big. Deep theology (Neo-Calvinism, for example) produces far fewer hits.

I don’t want to driven by hit counts. Then again, if there’s a need out there I’ve overlooked and if it’s in me to address it, I’d like to address it.

And so, it’s time to ask the readership: what subjects do I need to cover?

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