Great New Music

My good friend Ben Coy was kind enough to give me a pre-release of his album that is coming out next Tuesday. I have been listening to it all morning, and it is honestly one of the best albums start to finish I have heard all year. It is a collection of old hymns with rewritten tunes and new hymns that Ben wrote. This is a description of the album and one of the bluesier tunes.



If you like it, check out Ben's website for more info.

An Open Plea to Evangelicals for the discontinuation of the use of 2 Chronicles 7:14 in reference to America.

As the election nears, it has become an important issue for the church. Folks on both sides of the aisle, both politically and religiously, have marshaled evidence on why their candidate is the Godly choice. This essay seeks to poignantly ignore all questions about the election and about any issues surrounding it. Rather, the intention of this essay is to carefully exegete a commonly (mis?)used passage with respect to America.

We have all seen pins, flags, banners, and other memorabilia emblazed with the following words: if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. These words come from 2 Chronicles 7:14 and in this case, the English Standard version. This verse is one of the most popular verses with regard to politics, it is even on the crest of the Presidential Prayer Team. Is this a proper use of this verse, or is it an example of eisogesis (reading our own views into a text)?

In the smallest of context, the verse comes as part of the Lord’s response to Solomon in a dream after he dedicates the Temple. The language of the passage is full of allusions to the Covenant nature of God’s relationship to His people. He has chosen to dwell in the Temple and has chosen to hear the prayers offered there. The passage requires a fundamental knowledge of two themes of the Old Testament that bear heavily on the interpretation of historical books.

Key to understanding the Old and New Testaments is the concept of Covenant. It is the overarching structure by which we see God operating toward mankind. Space does not allow a full exposition of Covenant theology here, but it is of note that it is the backdrop of all scripture. God made a series of Covenants in early Genesis leading toward the Abrahamic Covenant. In this covenant, God promised Abram a land, a seed (both singular and plural), and a blessing. Each of these became the backdrop for Israel’s concept of itself. They were the seed who was blessed by the gift of the land. Though each of these pointed the Christ – he was the seed of Abraham, the blessing to the nations and the inheritance of the elect – they also had near fulfillment in Israel. Israel, upon exiting Egypt marched (sometimes stumbled) towards the land where they would be blessed and have children.

As they move along this march again and again the theme of the “Land” is repeated. The generation who is charged with unbelief after the failure to have faith in the report of the 2 spies in Kadesh-Barnea are cursed how? By not being able to enter the land. When Moses sins, what is his punishment? He cannot enter the land. Once the people of God enter the land of milk and honey, God uses the land –which is to say the physical ground- to chastise his people. Again and again Israel’s disobedience is tied to the success of their crops. When Israel turned from Yahweh and went after the Baal’s and Astheroth, what were they doing? They were seeking better crops from the Canaanite god’s of rain and fertility, vital elements in an agrarian culture. God uses the land to bring them to repentance. The Hebrew word for this ground was c'(r>a; . This word was used for the dirt, not for the nation as a collective body.

Back to the verse at hand. When God responds to Solomon’s ritual dedication of the Temple, He renews the covenantal lease on the land of Israel. He says that when natural disaster strikes the physical land of Israel, if His people (the Jews) will rightly relate to Him, He will forgive them of their idolatry and restore the crops He has caused to cease.

So then how does this relate to us as Christians in America in 2008? First we must remember the way in which Old Testament promises come to us as believers.

God’s Covenant People (OT Israel) --------------> God’s Covenant People (NT Church)

&

he Elect of God (OT Circumcised of Heart) --------------> The Elect of God (NT Baptized in the Spirit)

We often times mistakenly draw the lines like this:

God’s Covenant People (OT Israel) --------------> God’s Covenant People (America)

&

he Elect of God (OT Circumcised of Heart) --------------> The Elect of God (NT Church)

If we properly bring this verse into the post-Cross era and listen to its words, it should sound more like this, “If my elect in the Church will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and repent of their sins, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sins and heal the church.” This verse is so important to us as the shattered kingdom of God. We need God to heal the wounds of heresy, idolatry, and unbelief that riddle our churches. We need God to hear from heaven and put the gospel back at the center of churches.

2 Chronicles 7:14 has been misused by every political party and by the church at large. May we engage in careful exegesis of the Old Testament.

Fantasy Football

Well, the first of my two drafts is over and here is how it shook out:

The 2008 Sabbath Breakers

QB: Matt Schaub, Aaron Rogers, and Jason Cambell

RB: Adrian Peterson (left), Marshawn Lynch, Laurence Maroney, Matt Forte, and Ray Rice

WR: Marques Colston, Chad Johnson, Calvin Johnson, and Lee Evans

TE: Antonio Gates, and Owen Daniels

IDP: Lofa Totupu

D/ST: Buccaneers

I am really exited about this team. This is for our churches 10 man ESPN league.

My other league drafts on Sunday night.

New Music

I was looking around on myspace and came across a band that a buddy of mine from college is in. They are really good and have an ep coming out next week. You should check them out. They are called U.S. Royalty and this is a one of their songs.

The PCA no longer wants new Ministers

In an interesting move, PCA general assembly headquarters in Atlanta released a statement today declaring, "They are no longer interested in ordaining new candidates". The move was unexpected and took a number of people by surprise.

One parishioner in rural Tennessee was overheard by a local pastor saying, "Good, all these kids going off to seminary wantin' to be changin' things won't be able to now".

A middle age pastor in Jackson, MS said to the local paper, "We have began implementing a policy that will make it next to impossible for anyone to get ordained. The only real chance you have is if you are transferring in from a sister denomination or have a rich father paying your way through seminary."

When an Atlanta official was asked about seminary, he said, "We will continue to operate our denominational seminary [Covenant] and encourage our churches to support local seminaries like RTS and CIU. The difference will be that these institutions will exist solely to make money and tease young men with the idea that they will be able to move towards ordination. They will be so heinously expensive, that we will really only cater to the rich."

It seems oligarchy was all the rage as established pastors throughout the denomination tipped back over-priced glasses of champagne with their wives; smiling and knowing they were on the inside.

All the fuss boils down to two policies: High seminary costs, and low support for seminarians.

A Prayer for the Stark Wedding

Eternal God, creator and preserver of all life, author of 
salvation, and giver of all grace: Look with favor upon the 
world you have made, and for which your Son gave his life, 
and especially upon Nathan and Julie whom you have now 
made into one flesh in Holy Matrimony

 

Grant that their wills may be so knit together in your will, 
and their spirits in your Spirit, that they may grow in love and peace with you and one another all the days of their life. 

 

Make their life together a sign of Christ's love to this sinful 
and broken world, that unity may overcome estrangement, 
forgiveness heal guilt, and joy conquer despair

 

As we celebrate this beautiful union and mystical picture of your love for the church, may we, Nathan and Julie’s friends and family enjoy this good food and good drink which you have graciously provided for us.

 

We ask all this in the holy name of Jesus Christ.

GravesEnd Podcast #3: Playtime and the Kingdom

The latest edition of the GravesEnd Podcast is up and you can listen to it by clicking here. In this episode Tim and I discuss the place of fun in the Christian mission and the way that the church has neutered the Kingdom's call to enjoying life.