Sunday, September 23, 2007
Last Post
Alas, this will be my last post on this blog. Why, you may ask? Because wordpress.com is better, that's why. All my past posts have been moved to http://mlindstedt.wordpress.com
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Mars Hill Bible Church "Theology"
I am struggling to find any value in Mars Hill Bible Church's statement of "theology." The main reason is because it does not say anything. I also noticed this when I read Velvet Elvis, a book by Mars Hill's pastor Rob Bell. There is so much flowery language in the statement that I feel nauseous after reading it:
When we begin to describe what we believe about God, we discover that he's been
writing a story of hope and redemption for all the world, and we have a role to play in this story.
We believe the Bible to be the voices of many who have
come before us, inspired by God to pass along their poems, stories, accounts,
and letters of response and relationship with each other and the living God. These words have been used to describe God and his character for
thousands of years, and we call this theology. Theology is one of the
best ways we can come to know and love God; it is also how we understand who God
calls us to be and what he calls us to do. Theology comes from the Greek words
"theos" and "logos." Theos means God, and logos means word. Words about God.
Theology is "words about God?" Wow, it does not get much more shallow than that. I cringe when I see people diminishing God so much. It is painful.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Suing God?
I am not sure whether to laugh or cry at this story from CNN.com
"LINCOLN, Nebraska (AP) -- A legislator who filed a lawsuit against God has gotten something he might not have expected: a response.
State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha said he sued God last week to make a point about frivolous lawsuits.
One of two court filings from "God" came Wednesday under otherworldly circumstances, according to John Friend, clerk of the Douglas County District Court in Omaha.
"This one miraculously appeared on the counter. It just all of a sudden was here -- poof!" Friend said.
State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha sued God last week, seeking a permanent injunction against the Almighty for making terroristic threats, inspiring fear and causing "widespread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth's inhabitants."
Chambers, a self-proclaimed agnostic who often criticizes Christians, said his filing was triggered by a federal lawsuit he considers frivolous. He said he's trying to make the point that anybody can sue anybody.
Not so, says "God." His response argues that the defendant is immune from some earthly laws and the court lacks jurisdiction.
It adds that blaming God for human oppression and suffering misses an important point.
"I created man and woman with free will and next to the promise of immortal life, free will is my greatest gift to you," according to the response, as read by Friend.
There was no contact information on the filing, although St. Michael the Archangel is listed as a witness, Friend said.
A second response from "God" disputing Chambers' allegations lists a phone number for a Corpus Christi law office. A message left for that office was not immediately returned Thursday.
Attempts to reach Chambers by phone and at his Capitol office Thursday were unsuccessful."
"LINCOLN, Nebraska (AP) -- A legislator who filed a lawsuit against God has gotten something he might not have expected: a response.
State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha said he sued God last week to make a point about frivolous lawsuits.
One of two court filings from "God" came Wednesday under otherworldly circumstances, according to John Friend, clerk of the Douglas County District Court in Omaha.
"This one miraculously appeared on the counter. It just all of a sudden was here -- poof!" Friend said.
State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha sued God last week, seeking a permanent injunction against the Almighty for making terroristic threats, inspiring fear and causing "widespread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth's inhabitants."
Chambers, a self-proclaimed agnostic who often criticizes Christians, said his filing was triggered by a federal lawsuit he considers frivolous. He said he's trying to make the point that anybody can sue anybody.
Not so, says "God." His response argues that the defendant is immune from some earthly laws and the court lacks jurisdiction.
It adds that blaming God for human oppression and suffering misses an important point.
"I created man and woman with free will and next to the promise of immortal life, free will is my greatest gift to you," according to the response, as read by Friend.
There was no contact information on the filing, although St. Michael the Archangel is listed as a witness, Friend said.
A second response from "God" disputing Chambers' allegations lists a phone number for a Corpus Christi law office. A message left for that office was not immediately returned Thursday.
Attempts to reach Chambers by phone and at his Capitol office Thursday were unsuccessful."
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Twisted Perspective
I came across a disturbing quote today while reading the sports section of the Daily Herald. Columnist Mike Imren, writing about O.J. Simpson's "fall," wrote:
Most troubling about all this is
how one man could go from being so beloved nationally
to being this horrifying human being.
Was Simpson fooling us back in the day
Was Simpson fooling us back in the day
by pretending to be a good guy?
Were we celebrity-gawking gullible?
Or was he good back then before becoming evil?
The wider question is,
The wider question is,
do all of us have some dark place deep inside that,
if lucky,
we successfully suppress?
Mr. Imren's words represent a major flaw in American thinking. We see stories of people like O.J. Simpson and are appalled that a human being cold be capable of such evil. But should we be? No way! We don't just have a "dark place inside;" we are thoroughly evil by nature without Christ. And living a life free from evil has nothing to do with luck, but it has everything to do with grace from an Almighty God. No one can "successfully suppress" evil by their own power. It takes acceptance of Christ's sacrifice in order to set us free from our bondage. That is the heart of the gospel. It is sad to me that this sort of thinking is so rampant in our culture. There is much work to be done brothers and sisters.
Sons of Korah
I had the privilege of hearing the music group "Sons of Korah" play twice this week. I heard them on Sunday at First Baptist Church of Wheaton and on Monday in chapel at Wheaton College. They really are a unique group, one of the few Christian groups that actually gets it right. They write music to the Psalms, so their music is literally straight out of the Bible. you can follow along in your Bible instead of staring with eyes glazed at a screen.
The group has a website: http://www.sonsofkorah.com/. It is worth checking out.
The group has a website: http://www.sonsofkorah.com/. It is worth checking out.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Remembering 9/11
As I walked from breakfast to my Geology lab this morning, I was greeted by probably thousands of miniature United States flags that had been stuck in the ground overnight. The flags represent each life that was taken in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, six years ago today. It was a powerful reminder of that horrific day, one that has left me thinking about how precious life is.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, I was on my way to school when the first plane flew into the World Trade Center. We were waiting to turn from East Loop onto Naperville Rd in Wheaton, with Klove playing in the car. They said that a plane had crashed into the WTC, but the information was sketchy at that point. As we got closer to school in St. Charles, we learned of another plane crashing into the other WTC tower, but the info was still not very clear as to the size of the planes. It was with this knowledge that I went through the school day. It was a weird day, it seemed as though my teacher was in and out of the classroom more than usual, but i did not really give it a second thought.
It was not until after school on the car ride home that I learned about the Pentagon had also been hit, and that another plane had crashed in Pennsylvania. The news reports were now very clear that the events had been acts of terrorism. When I we got back to our spacious (notice the sarcasm here) apartment in Wheaton, I turned on the TV and saw the devastation replayed over and over and over again. Those images will be burned in my mind forever. I remember thinking 'What on earth would cause someone to do something like this?" As the death toll rose and we learned who was behind the attack, the range of emotions that I was feeling was quite remarkable. In one moment I would feel deep sadness for the families of those who died, and in the next would feel anger towards the evil men behind the attacks.
9/11 is a day that causes an interesting paradox. In one sense, I will never forget what I saw and felt on that day, but then again I need to be reminded of those feelings every year on the anniversary. What 9/11 has taught me, more than anything else, is that we live in a fallen, broken world that needs Jesus. Jesus came to restore all things to God's original intent. As a Christian, I feel a weight of responsibility to fulfill the Great Commission and "make disciples of all nations." 9/11 is a reminder of just how far short we fall, because it is not just Islamic militants who perform evil in this world. It is everybody. Everybody needs to hear and experience the love of Christ. So we better get started , eh?
On the morning of September 11, 2001, I was on my way to school when the first plane flew into the World Trade Center. We were waiting to turn from East Loop onto Naperville Rd in Wheaton, with Klove playing in the car. They said that a plane had crashed into the WTC, but the information was sketchy at that point. As we got closer to school in St. Charles, we learned of another plane crashing into the other WTC tower, but the info was still not very clear as to the size of the planes. It was with this knowledge that I went through the school day. It was a weird day, it seemed as though my teacher was in and out of the classroom more than usual, but i did not really give it a second thought.
It was not until after school on the car ride home that I learned about the Pentagon had also been hit, and that another plane had crashed in Pennsylvania. The news reports were now very clear that the events had been acts of terrorism. When I we got back to our spacious (notice the sarcasm here) apartment in Wheaton, I turned on the TV and saw the devastation replayed over and over and over again. Those images will be burned in my mind forever. I remember thinking 'What on earth would cause someone to do something like this?" As the death toll rose and we learned who was behind the attack, the range of emotions that I was feeling was quite remarkable. In one moment I would feel deep sadness for the families of those who died, and in the next would feel anger towards the evil men behind the attacks.
9/11 is a day that causes an interesting paradox. In one sense, I will never forget what I saw and felt on that day, but then again I need to be reminded of those feelings every year on the anniversary. What 9/11 has taught me, more than anything else, is that we live in a fallen, broken world that needs Jesus. Jesus came to restore all things to God's original intent. As a Christian, I feel a weight of responsibility to fulfill the Great Commission and "make disciples of all nations." 9/11 is a reminder of just how far short we fall, because it is not just Islamic militants who perform evil in this world. It is everybody. Everybody needs to hear and experience the love of Christ. So we better get started , eh?
Monday, September 10, 2007
Notes From Piper
John Piper came to Wheaton College last week to speak at the Fall Special Services. Piper is an incredibly passionate speaker with vast knowledge of the Scriptures and appropriate reverence for the Lord Jesus. I have read two of Piper's books, Desiring God and Don't Waste Your Life (both published by Multnomah Books), but listening to him speak takes his teaching to a whole new level. Not only is he passionate and doctrinally sound, but he also is not afraid to take a stand on controversial issues, which unfortunately is something that many modern Church leaders are unwilling to do.
His series was entitled Treasuring Christ and the Call to Suffer and was delivered in four sessions over three days. I attended three of the four sessions, listened to the fourth online, and also attended the special Q&A session. Here are some of the highlights from the week from my notes.
-Suffering is essential to the Christian faith; it is not a question of if, but when.
-Our suffering, and everything we do, ought to make Christ look great.
-We should embrace suffering, contrary to what culture tells us.
-Everything must be less precious to us than Christ Jesus, so that if all is lost and we are left solely with Him, we can still rejoice and declare "It is well with my soul."
-Joy and suffering are inseparably linked in the Bible.
-When we suffer and display joy as a result, nonbelievers are intrigued; God gets the glory.
Obviously, I just tried to hit the major points of the week, but I would encourage anyone who reads this to listen to all four sessions by using the link below. Again, the series was entitled Treasuring Christ and the Call to Suffer.
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/ConferenceMessages/ByDate/
His series was entitled Treasuring Christ and the Call to Suffer and was delivered in four sessions over three days. I attended three of the four sessions, listened to the fourth online, and also attended the special Q&A session. Here are some of the highlights from the week from my notes.
-Suffering is essential to the Christian faith; it is not a question of if, but when.
-Our suffering, and everything we do, ought to make Christ look great.
-We should embrace suffering, contrary to what culture tells us.
-Everything must be less precious to us than Christ Jesus, so that if all is lost and we are left solely with Him, we can still rejoice and declare "It is well with my soul."
-Joy and suffering are inseparably linked in the Bible.
-When we suffer and display joy as a result, nonbelievers are intrigued; God gets the glory.
Obviously, I just tried to hit the major points of the week, but I would encourage anyone who reads this to listen to all four sessions by using the link below. Again, the series was entitled Treasuring Christ and the Call to Suffer.
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/ConferenceMessages/ByDate/
Friday, September 7, 2007
Academy loses one of its finest
"On Wednesday, September 5, 2007, Carol Riebock died during a liver transplant surgery and went to be with her Lord and Savior. Wheaton Academy mourns the loss of one of its truly great teachers. At the same time, we celebrate a life lived well in service of her King.
Taken from WheatonAcademy.org
Mrs. Riebock truly exemplified the qualitites of a Living Curriculum Teacher. She loved God, she loved her subject, and there is no doubt she loved kids. Her love of God and passion to study His Word was unmistakable. She lived to teach and considered it her calling, but loving kids was truly her trademark. Students knew that Mrs. Riebock would meet them where they were. Her insightful personal comments will be remembered by many of the students who have been privileged to have her as a teacher and friend. Almost every student that has gone through Wheaton Academy over the past decade and a half has had Mrs. Riebock in a Bible class and has been influenced by her life.
Mrs. Riebock was currently serving as Bible teacher and Bible Department Head but had also filled a variety of roles with vigor and enthusiasm during her eighteen years at Wheaton Academy. For many years she used her music and theater background to lead our music and drama programs. She has also been heavily involved in the drama productions at Wheaton Christian Grammar School. She served as the Wheaton Academy Chaplain during the early 1990's. She was a frequent class sponsor and avid spectator at student events. Known for her eclectic fashion style and sense of humor, Mrs. Riebock was one of a kind. No one who ever sat in or visited her classroom will ever forget her creativity. Many a Wheaton Academy student has had their worldview shaped and spiritual maturity enhance by Mrs. Riebock's Christian Thought and Culture class.
Mrs. Riebock's legacy lives on through her children, Corbett, Josh, Quinn, son-in-law Josh Burick and daughter-in-law Kristen Riebock. Each knows, loves and serves the Lord with a passion that was modeled by their mom. Our prayers and support go out to the family during this difficult season.
The Wheaton Academy community's loss is Heaven's gain! We grieve for the fact we will miss Carol's presence but take great joy in knowing we will see her again. We thank God for a life lived to the fullest in service of our King!"
Taken from WheatonAcademy.org
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Keeping Service in Perspective
Ah, yes, the social gospel debate rages on with no end in sight. I was reading through the Wheaton magazine yesterday and I came across a great quote from the President of Wheaton College, Dr. Duane Litfin: "We view justice and compassion ministries as buttressing our gospel witness, not replacing it." What he is saying is that salvation must always remain at the forefront of any missions endeavor. We must always help people spiritually or else, are we really helping them. We also must tend to people's physical needs, but I do not want to save someone from starvation and neglect to save them from Hell. What good does that do? None at all. The gospel, the true gospel, must always be at the center. It cannot be replaced by "justice and compassion ministries."
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