Church Is For Messy People

We tend to get dressed up for church. Depending on your denomination, getting dressed up might look like wearing a suit and tie or a dress. Or, getting dressed up might look like wearing your best pair of jeans and a collared shirt. We clean up before going to church. We shower and we brush our hair. We want to, at the least, look like we have it together. For the most part, we don’t go to church wearing yoga pants or sweatpants. We don’t roll out of bed and go straight to church.

I distinctly remember one Sunday when a man said to me something like, “When I look around, I see all these people who have their lives together. Meanwhile, my life is a mess.”

MORE Church Is For Messy People

Reformation or Revolution? A Review of God and the Gay Christian | Canon and Culture

Imagine a book with a thesis that calls into question 2,000 years of established Christian theology and biblical exegesis. It recasts basic principles of biblical anthropology and human embodiment. It also puts two millennia of faithful obedience to divine revelation on the side of injustice and ignorance. Now, Christians are accustomed to either non-Christians or liberal Christians making claims of this nature, but not from individuals supposedly nestled confidently within the evangelical camp.

This week a book making such claims is hitting bookshelves written by a young author named Matthew Vines.

Reformation or Revolution? A Review of God and the Gay Christian | Canon and Culture

God, the Gospel, and the Gay Challenge — A Response to Matthew Vines – AlbertMohler.com

Evangelical Christians in the United States now face an inevitable moment of decision. While Christians in other movements and in other nations face similar questions, the question of homosexuality now presents evangelicals in the United States with a decision that cannot be avoided. Within a very short time, we will know where everyone stands on this question. There will be no place to hide, and there will be no way to remain silent. To be silent will answer the question.

The question is whether evangelicals will remain true to the teachings of Scripture and the unbroken teaching of the Christian church for over two thousand years on the morality of same-sex acts and the institution of marriage.

The world is pressing this question upon us, but so are a number of voices from within the larger evangelical circle —  MORE:

God, the Gospel, and the Gay Challenge — A Response to Matthew Vines – AlbertMohler.com

Easter Sunday is Over, Now What? - Easter (Full Article)

Perhaps you are asking that this week as you return to your day-to-day responsibilities.

If there’s one thing that the past few days’ focus on Christ’s cross did, it’s remind most of us how unfocused we’ve been on the death and resurrection of Christ. We look back with grief over the way we yet again allowed the blood of Christ to slip to the periphery of our lives and let many other lesser things in to replace it. Why did we let it happen again?

More importantly, how can I stop it happening again? Here are eight directions to help you live a cross-centered life:



1. Have Easter every week

MORE:  Easter Sunday is Over, Now What? - Easter (Full Article)

Good news in the fight against abortion | the Cripplegate

If Wendy Davis and Planned Parenthood are the face of the pro-abortion movement, then there may yet be hope that this is the last generation for legal abortion in the United States.



First some background: Yesterday the 5^th-Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court ruling and allowed Texas’ new restrictions on abortions to remain in effect. This case will certainly be heard by the US Supreme Court, and is probably the most significant case in the struggle to end legal abortion.

The case started last year when abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell was found guilty of eight counts of murder for botched abortions. Essentially, Gosnell ran what was described by a grand jury as a “house of horrors” where young women were drugged, labor was induced, and if any babies were old enough to survive delivery, they had their spines cut with scissors. He continuously infected patients with STD’s, reused dirty instruments, and misused drugs. Cats roamed the halls, and the place was a urine and blood-soaked mess.

More: Good news in the fight against abortion | the Cripplegate

The Fault Lines Before the Evangelical Earthquake – Trevin Wax

The recent controversy surrounding World Vision USA’s decision to open employment to same-sex couples and the organization’s subsequent reversal reveals the fault lines in evangelicalism today.

For the evangelicals distraught by World Vision’s initial decision, the controversy was never about the legitimacy or worthiness of people with differing views of marriage doing good work around the world. We should applaud good deeds of relief and compassion wherever we see them and wherever they come from. No, this particular controversy was about the meaning of evangelical.

Can an institution with an historic evangelical identity be divided on an issue as central as marriage and family and still be evangelical? Related to this discussion are questions about the authority and interpretation of Scripture, cultural engagement, and institutional power. All sides of the debate recognize that the definition of evangelical is at stake, which is why some are now publicly casting off the term altogether.

More:

The Fault Lines Before the Evangelical Earthquake – Trevin Wax

A No Holds Barred Review of Noah : The Movie (2014) | Watch Your Life and Doctrine Closely…

All right.

Up until yesterday, I had heard a whole lot of hype about the Noah movie and honestly, couldn’t care less. It’s a Hollywood production and, like The Passion of the Christ, I thought it would be an attempt by some biblically illiterate celebrities (for example) and a theologically lobotomized director/producer (for example) to atone for all the trash that they’ve unleashed upon the world at 24 frames per second (or now 48). There’s a huge difference between films made by Christians and films made by “Hollywood Christians” (the difference being a biblical worldview vs. an explicitly pagan worldview hiding behind re-defined biblical terminology), and I generally ignore all the “Christian/religious” media that emerges from Hollywood. To use a biblical term, films made by “Hollywood Christians” are generally moronic. (For the sake of clarity, I use the phrase “Hollywood Christians” as a catchall for everyone who would self-identify as some form of “Christian”).

MORE:

A No Holds Barred Review of Noah : The Movie (2014) | Watch Your Life and Doctrine Closely…

The midrashiest midrash that ever was midrashed. . . . . [a spoiler-free “Noah” review] | Denny Burk

Shall I tread where angels fear to tread and give an evaluation of Darren Aronofsky’s Noah movie? Well, I guess it depends on what you mean by angels. In the movie Noah, the frilly feminine harp-stroking caricatures have given way to a cross between Ben Grimm, Peter Jackson’s Ents, and Gumby. I guess we can chalk that one up to the mystery of the Nephilim. But I digress. What about the movie? Is it any good? Should Christians go and see it? Should anyone go and see it?



Before offering my opinion, I should warn you that I think Jackie Gleason’s role in Smokey and the Bandit may be the finest performance in the history of cinema. I don’t think that tells you much about Smokey and the Bandit, but it does tell you something about me and my aesthetic sensibilities. So I can’t blame you if you take these reflections with a healthy grain of salt. Caveat lector!

MORE:

The midrashiest midrash that ever was midrashed. . . . . [a spoiler-free “Noah” review] | Denny Burk

Warm Yourself at the Fires of Meditation | Desiring God

We were made to meditate. God designed us with the capacity to pause and ponder. He means for us to not just hear him, but to reflect on what he says.

It is a distinctively human trait to stop and consider, to chew on something with the teeth of our minds and hearts, to roll some reality around in our thoughts and press it deeply into our feelings, to look from different angles and seek to get a better sense of its significance.



Warm Yourself at the Fires of Meditation | Desiring God

World Vision Reverses Decision To Hire Christians... | Christianity Today

Only two days after announcing it would hire Christians in same-sex marriages, World Vision U.S. has reversed its ground-breaking decision after weathering intense criticism from evangelical leaders.

"The last couple of days have been painful," president Richard Stearns told reporters this evening. "We feel pain and a broken heart for the confusion we caused for many friends who saw this policy change as a strong reversal of World Vision's commitment to biblical authority, which it was not intended to be."

MORE: World Vision Reverses Decision To Hire Christians... | Christianity Today

Marriage, Divorce, and the Church: What do the stats say, and can marriage be happy? | The Exchange | A Blog by Ed Stetzer

Love is in the air, and that means church signs are awkwardly communicating the love of Jesus, teenage boys are cowering before their girlfriends' fathers, and married couples are waiting two hours for mediocre Italian food while their kids terrorize their babysitters.

However, for some, Valentine's Day isn't all chocolates and roses. It is a difficult day for some as it reminds them of a recent breakup or difficult divorce.

When it comes to marriage and divorce, people are drawn to shocking statistics.

But what do the stats really say? Do Christians divorce as often as the rest of the world or even more? Is happy marriage even possible? How can anybody actually be happy in marriage?

MORE: Marriage, Divorce, and the Church: What do the stats say, and can marriage be happy? | The Exchange | A Blog by Ed Stetzer

TGC Mobile | Article | 9 Things You Should Know About Fred Phelps and Westboro Baptist Church

The nearness of God is my good,” says the psalmist.

Though the wicked prosper, though evil carries on, though the circumstances of God’s people are bleak, everything makes sense in God’s presence (Psalm 73:17). There the embittered soul is revived. The beastly attitude is tamed. “Nevertheless,” the psalm goes, “I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me into glory” (Psalm 73:23–24).

From start to finish, God is with his people. It’s what makes us distinct (Exodus 33:14–16). Where we go, he goes. Always. The nearness of God is our good (Psalm 73:28).

But then there is Psalm 74.   MORE:

TGC Mobile | Article | 9 Things You Should Know About Fred Phelps and Westboro Baptist Church

Refusing to Photograph a Gay Wedding Isn't Hateful | Denny BurkDenny Burk

Conor Friedersdorf does not agree with Christian views on sexuality. He doesn’t think homosexuality or premarital sex is a sin. He supports legal gay marriage. Nevertheless, he believes it is wrong to accuse Christian business owners of being bigots for refusing to participate in gay weddings. He also defends Ross Douthat against such ugly accusations. Writing for The Atlantic, Friedersdorf argues that “Refusing to Photograph a Gay Wedding Isn’t Hateful.”


This is the kind of fair-mindedness that I hope we see more of from the other side of this debate. It seems that voices like his are becoming fewer and fewer. In the excerpt below, notice once again that the Christian photographer was happy to photograph gay people. She just didn’t want to participate in a same-sex wedding ceremony. Friedersdorf writes:

 MORE: Refusing to Photograph a Gay Wedding Isn't Hateful | Denny BurkDenny Burk

Taking a Back Seat at CPAC | Web Exclusives | First Things

Pot was in and social conservatism was out. That is the best single sentence summary I can give after three exhausting and sometimes mind-numbing days at last week’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

The gathering is a media favorite partly for its colorful characters. One tall attendee—wearing Wrangler jeans, a cowboy hat, and a shirt boldly emblazoned with “Ask Me Why Cops Say Legalize Pot”—was known as the Lone Reefer, but he was hardly alone. The CPAC straw poll inquired about marijuana attitudes, and 41 percent of the 2,459 participants favored its legalization for recreational use, with another 21 percent for medicinal purposes. In the poll’s main event, a question not on pot but on the next POTUS, the libertarian leaning Kentucky Senator Rand Paul dominated with 31 percent of the vote (Ted Cruz was a distant second at 11 percent).

 MORE: Taking a Back Seat at CPAC | Web Exclusives | First Things

What will be the terms of our surrender? | Denny BurkDenny Burk

Ross Douthat has penned what I believe to be the most insightful analysis of what has happened in our country over the last week. He correctly observes that the debate over gay marriage in our country is all but over. Despite some regional holdouts, majority public opinion has moved in favor of recognizing gay marriage. And it’s only a matter of time before a majority of the holdouts—primarily in the South—move that way as well. The Supreme Court’s Windsor decision last summer ensures that legal gay marriage in all fifty states is a fait accompli at this point. MORE:

What will be the terms of our surrender? | Denny BurkDenny Burk

Jesus, Friend of Sinners: But How? – Kevin DeYoung

Everyone who knows anything about the gospels—and even those who don’t—knows that Jesus was a friend of sinners. He often drew the ire of the scribes and Pharisees for eating with sinners (Luke 15:2). Jesus clearly recognized that one of the insults hurled against him was that he was “a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!” (Luke 7:34). As Christians we love to sing of this Pharisaical put-down because it means that Jesus is a friend to sinners like us. We also find ourselves challenged by Jesus’ example to make sure we do not turn away outsiders in a way that Jesus never would. MORE: Jesus, Friend of Sinners: But How? – Kevin DeYoung

Caesar, Coercion, and the Christian Conscience: A Dangerous Confusion – AlbertMohler.com

Several states are now considering legislation that would provide explicit protections to citizens whose consciences will not allow an endorsement of same-sex marriage. The bills vary by state, as do the prospects for legislative passage, but the key issues remain constant. Millions of American citizens are facing a direct collision between their moral convictions and the demands of their government. MORE:

Caesar, Coercion, and the Christian Conscience: A Dangerous Confusion – AlbertMohler.com

Why People of Faith Can Embrace the 'Noah' Movie

There has been no shortage of headlines in recent weeks about Paramount Pictures' upcoming feature film Noah – with a fair amount of the coverage speculating about how closely or loosely the movie adheres to the story of the title character as found in the Bible.

Unfortunately, those who have felt compelled to criticize the film in these stories haven't actually seen it – so it's difficult to understand what exactly they're criticizing. I have seen Noah – in fact, I've been working on it for the last two years as the filmmakers' biblical adviser.  MORE:

Why People of Faith Can Embrace the 'Noah' Movie

Since Jesus Ate With Sinners, Do I Have to Eat at the Strip Club’s Buffet? – The Gospel Coalition Blog

Do you know that strip club down by the airport? You've probably never been in there. You likely have no interest in going in there. The only reason you even know about it is because your uncle, the one you have to pick up from the airport every Thanksgiving, makes a joke about the sign that says they have an all-you-can-eat buffet. (It's a lame joke made lamer by the fact that he tells it the same way every year.)

There's something you probably don't know about that buffet: Jesus would have no qualms about sitting at the bar eating scrambled eggs. In fact, Jesus probably wants you to go in there and join the patrons eating cold bacon.

You might be thinking to yourself, "Um . . . what?" Yeah, I was surprised too. But that is the argument many Christians have been making lately. Oh, they don't make that argument directly. But that is the implication of their argument (whose logic they often fail to follow to its conclusion).

Since Jesus Ate With Sinners, Do I Have to Eat at the Strip Club’s Buffet? – The Gospel Coalition Blog

Baptist Press -Moore: Gay marriage issue dominating - News with a Christian Perspective

NASHVILLE (BP) -- Same-sex marriage's dominance is growing rapidly even in surprising places, so much so that churches that refuse to endorse such unions soon will be considered bigoted, Russell D. Moore has told Baptist state leaders.

Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), addressed gay marriage and other cultural issues in a Feb. 12 question-and-answer session with Baptist state executive directors and editors. The joint session took place during the annual meetings of the Fellowship of State Executive Directors and the Association of State Baptist Publications in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Moore, who answered questions via Skype, was scheduled to be at the meeting but was unable to attend because weather problems resulted in cancellation of his flight.

Same-sex marriage commanded much of the attention during the session.

Baptist Press -Moore: Gay marriage issue dominating - News with a Christian Perspective