The Blackthorn Project

I'm not a lover of bluegrass style music. But The Blackthorn Project defies my prejudices.
       These folks played at my church last weekend and were fabulous.
       Check out this song:

Yale Center for Faith and Culture

Yale University's Center for Faith and Culture has recently launched their Reconciliation Program. Miroslav Volf is a professor of theology at Yale Divinity School and is heavily involved in the Center.
       I mention this program because there are so few in the United States, at least from at least a nominally Christian perspective.

       Yale states this, "The goal of the Reconciliation Program is to promote reconciliation between Muslims and Christians, and between Muslim nations and the West, drawing on the resources of the Abrahamic faiths and the teachings and person of Jesus."

       An honorable pursuit, to be sure. I'd love to be part of those conversations.

A Liturgy of Peace - Tonight

Urban Skye in Denver is hosting "A Liturgy of Peace" for the four Thursdays of Advent.
The second of these is tonight, 5 and 6 pm at Pomegranate Place, 750 Clarkson in Denver. If you are in Denver I'm sure this will be a worshipful evening.

Those Who Dialogue Are Those Who Have Suffered

One of the best treatise or cases for inter-religious dialogue is found in the thinking and writing of Miroslav Volf, a professor at Yale University.
       Volf is a Croatian whose country (Yugoslavia) was torn apart by civil war in the early 1990s. Croatia was the first republic to breakaway, triggering the first of numerous secessions. Volf knows firsthand who is the enemy (Serbs) and how to hate.
       That is why his book Exclusion and Embrace is so stunning. It is autobiographical more than it is purely theological. It is a deeply personal reflection with Volf's struggle to enter into relationship with those who are truly "other" than him.

"Forgiveness flounders because I exclude the enemy from the community of humans even as I exclude myself from the community of sinners. But no one can be in the presence of the God of the crucified Messiah for long without overcoming this double exclusion—without transposing the enemy from the sphere of monstrous inhumanity into the sphere of shared humanity and herself from the sphere of proud innocence into the sphere of common sinfulness. When one knows that the torturer will not eternally triumph over the victim, one is free to rediscover that person's humanity and imitate God's love for him. And when one knows that God's love is greater than all sin, one is free to see oneself in the light of God's justice and so rediscover one's own sinfulness."

—Miroslav Volf, Exclusion and Embrace 

Richard Mouw on Dialogue

Fuller Seminary President Richard Mouw speaks candidly about the importance of inter-religious dialogue. His views are controversial in some circles.
       Those Christians who value evangelism over anything else fear that dialoging with other world religions compromises the Truth of the gospel.
       Those Christians who value dialogue and justice more than anything else fear that other world religions will be alienated by Christians who try to cram God down the throat of non-Christians.
Listen to how Mouw addresses this issue in the lead article from Theology, News and Notes.

"It is important to value both evangelism and dialoguing without reducing the one with the other. The two activities have a complementary relationship. Christians can engage in evangelization while at the same time hoping to gain new understanding through dialogue with other religions, so when "evangelism" and "dialogue" become the watchwords of two opposing camps, it leaves me very uncomfortable."

       It leaves me uncomfortable also. I have two concerns or critiques of we Christians in this regard:
1) I am concerned that we who value evangelism are fundamentally insecure in our beliefs so we refuse to listen people of other faiths. We become narrow-minded and end up having the attitude, "God said it, I believe it, that settles it."
2) I am also concerned that progressives who value dialogue jettison the uniqueness of Christ and His Kingdom. We can be so accommodating that we lose the core of our beliefs in Jesus.

The Challenge of True Dialogue

The most recent edition of Theology, News, and Notes published by Fuller Theological Seminary is about inter-religious dialogue. Fuller President Richard Mouw is a major proponent of such dialogue and has led the seminary into relationship with Catholics, Jews, and Muslims. Needless to say, Mouw and Fuller have been criticized for these efforts.
       Many of us in the Evangelical world feel that "dialogue" means "selling out" or compromising our core beliefs. On the contrary, it means the exact opposite. As theologian Jurgen Moltmann has said, those people who "merit" dialogue "have arrived at a firm standpoint in their own religion, and who enter into dialogue with the resulting self-confidence."
       Thus, I am reading this edition of TNN with great interest.  More and more I am convinced that I am to be in the dialogue amongst the Children of Abraham - Jews, Muslims, and Christians. Next week's blog entries will center on what I am reading in TNN.

Not all those who wander are lost

“All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, a light from the shadows shall spring; renenwed shall be blade that was broken, the crownless again shall be king.”
~ J.R.R. Tolkin, The Lord of the Ring

Danny Byram in Concert @ Lookout

Danny Byram is doing a Christmas Concert at Lookout Mountain Community Church tonight. Danny previously led worship at Lookout and has a great ministry, especially to the military. He's an awesome musician/songwriter as well.
The concert is free, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. If you are in Denver come on up the mountain.

From Jeff Shaffer in Santa Barbara

I read a fair number of blogs and Facebook updates. Few of them stop me in my tracks like this did from jeff Shaffer:
"if you got up at 4am on Black Friday to save money on a sale, would you get up at 4am to save a life?"
Thanks for "ruining" my materialistic worldview, Jeff! 
Check ouf Jeff's ministry amongst the homeless of Santa Barbara HERE. The title of the post is "Toys R Us or People R Us?" Warning: It may mess with you, in a good sort of way.

An Awesome Video on Muslims in America

This is a 4-minute video entitled, "I Want to Live in Paradise" by Kareen Salema about Muslims in America - their hopes, dreams, biases. It is incredibly inspiring.

Screening a Film - fun stuff

Tonight I went to a screening in Pasadena of the upcoming film, "The Adjustment Bureau" starring Matt Damon. The film is being made by Universal and Grace Hill Media, which has a connection to Fuller Seminary's film and theology department.
       There were about 300 Fuller students in this theater in downtown Pasadena. We watched the film and then Robert Johnston, professor of film and theology at Fuller, led a discussion which was fascinating.
       Basically the film addresses issues around predestination and free will, to what extent do humans have a genuine choice in life decisions and to what extent are events pre-determined. So it touches on the issue of Open Theism as well.
       I thought it was a pretty good film - not a typically cheesy spiritual film made on a low budget. In fact I am pretty sure this film had a very large budget. It will be released by Universal in late March or early April. It's worth it - a great discussion starter for sure.

Article: Narcissism from LeadershipJournal.net

Pastoral Narcissism | LeadershipJournal.net

From Philip Yancey's New Book

"Several years ago, a Muslim man said to me 'I have read the entire Qur’an and can find no guidance in it on how Muslims should live as a minority in society. I have read the entire New Testament and can find no guidance in it on how Christians should live as a majority.'" ~ Philip Yancey, What Good is God

THE Paradigm for Giving

I can testify that [the Macedonians] gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. ~ 2 Cor. 8:3-4
       I have reflected on this verse from the Apostle Paul many times, and in different cultural contexts. I come back to it again and again. Each time I do so I am more convicted about the spiritual poverty and immaturity of the Church in the West when it comes to stewardship.
       Consider these contrasts:
1. The Macedonians gave "far more" than they could afford. Westerners give from our surplus;
2. The Macedonians gave "of their own free will." Westerners give because of slick campaigns and appeals, and largely due to guilt - especially toward year end;
3. The Macedonians "begged" to give. Westerners are begged so that they give;
4. The Macedonians counted it a privilege to give; Westerners count it a responsibility.


For a great treatment of principles of stewardship which challenge the western mind, read The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn.

Visiting Universities with Steven

This week we have been in the Los Angeles area. We picked up Carly and friend Lauren at Westmont and spent Thanksgiving with good friends.

       Along the way we visited three universities - USC, Pepperdine, and UCLA - in anticipation of Steven heading off to college in a year and a half. It is quite the unique American experience to visit schools and hear their "schpeels" about why their institution is the best.
       I was impressed with all three schools we visited - USC has a rich school heritage in the midst of south-central LA, Pepperdine is one of the most picturesque places on earth being located in Malibu, and UCLA is like a small city of itself - some 50,000 students!
     This is an exciting and fulfilling season of life for our family. Carly is in her second year of university and thriving at Westmont. Steven is doing very well in high school and seeing many opportunities for him to go onto university.