THE SHACK…Review Coming and some links in the meantime

As soon as I have some free time I intend to write my review of The Shack. I promised my Twitter followers that it was coming yesterday. Sorry, all of my free time this week is going to painting and flooring.

In the meantime, you can read Bob’s great review here.

Also, if you did not catch Driscoll’s series on prayer it is really good. Even though it won’t literally earthshaking for you as it was for Ryan, it is still really good. And here is a video for his new book, Death By Love.

matt

On Becoming a Good Daddy…

In preparation of impending fatherhood I have started reading a wonderful book entitled Grace Based Parenting. Vicky thinks I should focus on books that will prepare me for how hard it is going to be with twin babies. I find that idea to be quite superfluous. I mean, I don’t need a book to tell me how much getting kicked in the balls will hurt. Nor do I need a book to tell me how to brace myself for getting kicked in the balls. No, when kicked in the balls, it’s best to ride out the pain and find the best way to move forward (or get off the ground). So I am focusing on books about how to be a good daddy. I’ll just binge on the how-to stuff when the babies get here.

Grace Based Parenting has been both wonderful and hard to read. It has been wonderful in that it has filled me with much hope and excitement about what being a parent means. You get to teach a kid how to be a human, and really, you get to love them and teach them how to love. This has me bouncing off the wall like a hypoglycemic kid at a candy store. It is hard in that it warns us of all the ways that we can jack up our kids. And let’s be honest, there are a lot of jacked up kids in the world. Just take a trip down to the mall on a Saturday and you’ll see both jacked up teens as well as parents preparing their toddlers to be jacked up teens.

The premise of Grace Based Parenting is that “grace” based parents will helped their kids develop into mature adults who bless society instead of developing into jacked up drains on society. Or to make a more timely reference, it helps us raise Mandy Moores and not Lindsay Lohans. As a future father of a daughter I can say that a daily trip to TMZ.com greatly inflames my desire to be a parent who uses “grace” as a primary parenting tool.

Grace Based Parenting contends that grace is the best philosophy for parenting in that love is freely given not earned or withheld based on performance. We get this concept from God who, instead of dealing with us as we deserved, lovingly sent Jesus to take our place on the cross, and through his blood, cleanse us of all our sin. Because of this grace of God we receive only love and favor from God instead of his wrath and punishment. This grace provides the basis for our development as children of God.

Here’s a practical thought about being a Grace Based Parent: what would it mean for a child if they knew that nothing they did could make us love them any less?

In processing how to become a Grace Based Parent, I have encountered a MAJOR problem: I cannot say that I am a grace based husband. This is weird considering all that Vicky and I have been through in over five years of marriage. We had to see a counselor our first year just to get through, and then the next few years seemed like a tough climb We have been two passionate, immature people seeking to learn how to become one with one another as we traveled through life.

How we could have continued to grow and yet I still see myself as lacking so much grace in how I interact with my wife?

The answer: we have learned how to accommodate each others sinful behavior, instead of giving grace to each other.

My wife has subtlety learned how to accommodate an over-zealous, know it all, bossy, hot-head who must tell everyone around them how everything should be. In some amazing way she has found a way to subvert a hypo-critical theological and grammatical neat-nick. And I have learned to have fewer outbursts, apologize quicker, all the while subverting repentance and change. We aren’t holier or better people, we’re just more accommodating. And a marriage based on accommodation will lead to Accommodation Based Parenting, not Grace Based Parenting.

My prayer is that as I am learning methods to help me be a good father that those principles will find their first fruits in my behavior as a husband. That I would learn to repent of being a selfish control freak and learn to create an environment where grace enables my wife and I to best enjoy each other and God. I pray that you would also consider the ways that you have decided to accommodate instead of being sanctified in your relationships. I pray that we all would commit to repenting of our sin and eagerly showing grace to each other instead of finding ways to hide it, or accept the ways that others accommodate for it. God has dealt with our sin in Jesus, now we get to live in the freedom that grace supplies.

matt

Interpretation and Application

I have written before on the issue on interpretation and application. However, as I continue to progress in my class, my understanding continues to become more refined. As stated before, I believe one of the biggest pastoral hermeneutical issues of contention is the mixing up of the science of interpretation and the art of application. Take this diagram for example:

The best way to summarize this diagram is to say that interpretation is a science and application is an art.

The science of interpretation deals with a text written by a specific author to a specific audience completely apart from us. The data itself is objective and our attempts to understand what the author was saying to his audience is objective. In interpretation the goal is to find out what the authors meant to say to his audience. This makes statements such as, “This is what this passage MEANS to me,” silly (in general), ignorant (in sharing) and dangerous (in teaching).

Most of our issues with interpretation, though, come from applying the art of application to the science of interpretation. This is an understandable mistake considering the fact that we read the Bible with the goal of application to our lives (note: I do not mean for this to take away from the fact that we read the Bible to interact with God. However, that interaction when done must find it’s way to application because any time we interact with God, our lives are changed).

In the art of application we seek to take the truth/principle we have resolved in the science of interpretation and apply it to our lives and the lives of others. A great example of this is how we take the principle that Jesus died for our sins and apply it to our lives and the lives of others. The ways that we do this surely can never be exhausted. In this case we should often hear, “This is how I apply this truth to my life.”

Perhaps the most common form of interpretation/application confusion is when a passage is used allegorically. Often we use the truths of a passage as an allegory for our lives or the world we live in. Sometimes we do this correctly (interpretation first, allegory second), often we do not.

David Martin Lloyd Jones once preached a sermon on the passage of Jesus and the three coming down from the Mount of Transfiguration. There was a father who had brought his son to the JV apostles and they could not get the demon out (side note: can you imagine how they felt. Left like the desperate girls on the bachelor while Jesus and the three go on a special date, only to fail at the one ministry opportunity while they were gone. My wife had a similar experience. When she was baptized, she was the only one of her friends who didn’t come out speaking in tounges. She felt spiritually inferior for years.). If you remember, Jesus said that this kind [of demon] could only come out through prayer. Jones summarized, “the demon is too deep, it can only come out through prayer.” Jones then went on to use that summarizing truth/principle and apply it allegorically to a city. Thus making the point that in certain cities, spiritually speaking, demons are so deep that only prayer can move God to pull them out.

Now, is that what the passage MEANS? Of course not. Jones gives us a wonderful example of the difference between the science of interpretation and the art of application. He did not say, “Well, I think the passage MEANS that demons are to deep within a city and they can only come out through prayer.” No, there really was a demon possessed boy, there really was a concerned father, there really were a bunch of confused disciples with low self-esteem and there really was a Savior willing both to heal and teach at the same time. Paul himself uses the story of Jacob and Esau in an allegorical teaching point in Galatians, but even he is clear to point out he is doing so to prove a different point. Therefore, we should not then have freedom for multiple interpretations of Jacob and Esau.

Now this brings us to a certain point of contention in regards to the clarity of scripture. If we believe that the Bible is both grammatically clear in general and aided by the Holy Spirit for believers, then this process (the diagram) seems a bit arduous and contradictory. I mean, consider all the time and work that goes in to the science of interpretation and the art of application. That would take some time studying and conversing with others, how is that necessary if we have the Holy Spirit.

I would argue that such reasoning puts more limitations on the Holy Spirit than does the process laid out in the diagram. Such reasoning is so culturally conditioned it’s quite laughable. As if the Holy Spirit is like a magic lamp that we simple need rub in order to reveal scripture instantaneously. Or he is a microwave we simple put our Bible passage in, and within minutes we have a warm and tasty interpretation. I see no evidence in scripture, however, in which we are led to believe that the Holy Spirit works in such a way. I do see plenty of examples, on the other hand, of meditating on the scripture day and night, waiting on God to speak and working long and hard to understand God clearly.

It is therefore my conclusion that the reason we often convolute the science of interpretation with the art of application is because we put the same instantaneous expectations we have for our culture, given to us by our culture, on the scriptures. If we would but humble ourselves and take the posture of interpreters we have as examples in our Bible, perhaps we would more clearly hear from God and not convolute his Word.

matt

CHEATING!!!

Hey so remember when teachers told us is school that when we were cheating we were only “cheating ourselves.”

Turns out they were right. I can vividly remember cheating on all my major grammar assignments in junior high and high school. I had to relearn what adverbs and pronouns were in college. And right now (GOD BLESS WIKIPEDIA) I am teaching myself a class on syntax.

In following the examples of how we did it in school. I have created a glossary, written out the definitions and examples, and am trying to memorize them. Some examples of my glossary include:

– noun
– pronoun
– infinitive
– gerund
– predicate
– direct object
– indirect object
– predicate noun
– predicate adjective
– participle
– adverb
– article
– demonstrative nouns
– prepositional phrases
– antecedent

Dammit!!! I should have listened.

matt

McLaren, Driscoll, Juno and Famous Black People

Vicky says it has been too long since I have blogged. Not believing her I decided to check and yeah, it’s been a while. So I thought I would catch up in 3’s:

3 Books I’m in right now

– Everything Must Change by Brian McLaren

– Introduction to Biblical Theology by Klein, Blomberg, etc.

– World Biblical Commentary – 44 – Colossians, Philemon by O’Brien

Mostly school and a little fun from BMac.

3 CD’s that are rocking my world right now

– Fort Nightly by White Rabbits

– In Rainbows by Radiohead

– Juno Soundtrack

3 Issues that have been on my mind

– Abortion

thanks to the following: NPR – possibly the worst thing I have ever heard on the subject, I had to turn it off before I completely lost it; Obama – the man and I have very different idea of what “justice” means; Juno – great, great, great movie. Unfortunately, what it does for pro-lifers it does the same for teenage fornicators. Adam Carola – he’s been especially preachy lately, great for perspective on commentary against the church)

– Politics

thanks to the following: Vicky – she’s a junkie for sure; Time Magazine; Jonathan’s blog; Matt Drudge

– 14 kinds of Grace

thanks to Mark “300 books” Driscoll. I mean really, was mentioning over and over again that you are going to write that many books necessary to helping me understanding grace? Really? Still great, but really?

3 Things That Might Change This Year

– The city I live in  (I know, when will it stop)

– The amount of people I live with

– The amount of healthy churches that meet it bars in Las Vegas

3 Things About This Blog

– We get roughly 25-30 hits a day for people searching for “famous black people” thanks to my post on The Bible Experience. And with Black History Month coming up I expect that number to increase. Sorry people searching for famous black people, you’re stuck with two white guys.

– Ryan’s in his last real semester of Seminary. Go ahead and send him some encouragement. I am really proud of him. Who would have though Dawson Leary in Seminary and Joey a manipulated Scientologist. Times have changed.

– Last year we had a little over 13,000 blog hits which was aided supremely by the Washington Post linking here. This month we had a little over 3,000. So expect a healthy dose of posts about more famous black people over the next few weeks. We’re shooting for 50,000 this year.

Peace Out – matt

Back in School

Here’s an excerpt from a recent conversation I had with a good friend:

Good Friend: “Hey Matt, want to go to the Rebel game on Wednesday night?”

Me: “Um, I think I’ll pass. I need to study.”

And may I say for the record that I would have never said such a comment in undergrad. And the Rebels were TERRIBLE when I was attending. Maybe it’s the fact that I just shelled out over a thousand dollars of my own money for a class, or maybe it’s the fact that I absolutely love my class on Biblical Interpretation; I’m not sure.

What I do know is that I have a 4 page Historical Background Study due next week and I am totally geeked up about it. And for those of you thinking, “Aw, you’re so cute, tell me how excited you are when your in the middle of Hebrew”, you may be right, but don’t steal my joy.

It’s getting late though, time for a whiskey sour, a Colossians manuscript and some constant play of IN Rainbows by Radiohead.

Matt

—————-
Now playing: Radiohead – Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
via FoxyTunes

Cheating on my own blog

Ryan and I had a conversation a few days ago that pretty much consisted of us patting ourselves on the back for co-blogging. Here were our reasons why co-blogging is the best way to blog:

– You don’t have to carry the weight of always having to post. For example this is my first post in about two weeks, but my co-blogger has picked up the slack.

– You become less important. It’s not your blog, its both your blog. The other person can always put you in check for any abhorrent post.

– Unlike multi-blogging, co-blogging doesn’t overflow the blog with a million posts like Scot McKnight does (side note: I am reading The Jesus Creed right now. It is good).

– You constantly get emails from your co-blogger saying things like, “Did you see the search terms that brought some one to our blog.” Followed by you checking the stats and nearing spitting coffee all over your computer screen.

– If no one reads, you can act as if you are just having a conversation with a friend. Which makes the inside jokes that much funnier. Like the name of our blog, probably the biggest inside joke we have.

All that to be said, I wanted to thank Ryan for carrying the load the last few weeks, and also confess my blogging indiscretions.

Apparently I wrote three guest blogs on Devin Hudson’s blog.

Actually I wrote the first draft of the Core Values for FIVE20, the church venue we are starting in a bar located in Downtown Las Vegas. Devin has posted them on his site. Check them out and feel free to comment on both this post and his to let us know what you think.

Sorry Ryan, you’ve been so caring and this is how I treat you.

matt

Snow Patrol and the Shelf

I have been utterly enthralled with Snow Patrol lately. Most of you are familiar with their smash hit, Chasing Cars, but might I introduce you to my favorite two songs. Set Fire to the Third Bar is just so hauntingly beautiful, and Shut Your Eyes is also wonderful.

Set Fire to the Third Bar

Shut Your Eyes

Oh yeah, THREE BOOKS I’M READING RIGHT NOW

An Old Testament Theology – Bruce Waltke
– Just outstanding. A flow of narrative, exegesis, commentary and teaching. A must have for both reference and personal enrichment. Bravo Mr. Waltke. Bravo.

The Irresistible Revolution – Shane Claiborne
– Arguably the most challenging book I have ever read. I find myself cheering on my brother, being deeply convicted by his faith in action, refreshed by his perspective of Jesus, and wincing at his lack of sound doctrine. Read carefully, but please read.

James – James brother of Jesus
– Ryan and I had a pretty good discussion about James the other night. For the second straight time, I have felt God clearly speaking directly to me through the book of the Bible I am studying. I say this in contrast to simply learning. This is a good book, it is teaching me to care less about teaching the right thing, and more about loving and doing the right thing. Also curious is the absence of penal-substitutionary atonement (note: I expect Ryan to rebut this in the comment section, but that doesn’t put it in the text. Example:if he or I were to preach James as a sermon, the other would call the other one out for missing the atonement as the central point to our teaching). I have spent many nights wrestling with this, desiring to let the word of God determine my theology.

Also, I am preaching The Parable of the Sower to High School students this weekend. I am filling in for a friend last-minute, please pray that I would be filled with the Holy Spirit.

matt

Shelf/Ipod/Fridge

For those of you who don’t know, Shelf/Ipod/Fridge is a chance to share what you are reading, listening to, and drinking. I would encourage all loyal readers (and even marginal for that matter) to write a shelf/ipod/fridge post as well and link to it in the comment section of this post (Jake, since you have a iphone you have no excuse not to participate). If enough people participate we could make this a monthly endeavor, sharing our different tastes, and turning our voyeuristic online endeavors to somewhat of an actual community.

Shelf

The Legacy of Sovereign Joy by John Piper

– Just finished this phenomenal mini-biography of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin. Simply to hear the stories of conversion, the struggles (Luther’s bad mouth), and love for God that these great reformers was such a great encourage to continue to “contend for the faith.”

Getting Things Done by David Allen

– I am rereading this wonderful book on organizational principles. It has revolutionized how I view organizing my life. I am rereading it becuase I am having a hard time sticking to the implementation of these principles. This is a book I will probably read two or three times a year until I am able to master these great tools for productivity.

JPS Commentary on Ecclesiastes by Michael Fox

– Other than having to read this book backwards (with the JPS you literally read from the right to left, except for the page itself) I love this commentary. I have relied primarily on the WBC series, but was pleased with what I read about this in the two reference surveys I have (Commentary and Reference survey are basically entire books that serve as annotated bibliographies for Bible commentaries). It is great to be as honest with hermeneutics as Solomon was in addressing life under the sun. What a splendid battle it is to study Ecclesiastes.

Ipod

Black Holes and Revelations by MUSE

– Progressive rock at its best. I always say that I like my emo with a lot of rock, but I’m not even sure MUSE is emo. Just check out the link, they’re wonderful.

Under the Iron Sea by Keane

– Keane lands somewhere between MUSE and Coldplay. Note: I cannot stand Coldplay, so Keane is my limit for piano led whiny Brittish pop/alternative rock. That being said, Under the Iron Sea, is one of 3 albums I have gotten in the past few years that I can listen from beginning to end. Listening to them simply makes me happy, and in a good move. Plus, its one of 5 cd’s I own that I can listen to with my wife.

Greatest Hitz by Limp Bizkit

– Yes I am serious, and yes this is proof positive that I graduated high school in 1999. But, after picking this up recently I was amazed at how many songs were still really good. I mean, if you had asked me in 2000 whether I thought Korn or Limp Bizkit would still be on my player in 10 years, I would have not hesitated to say Korn. Yet Counterfeit, Nookie, Re-Arranged, N 2 Gether Now, and Rollin’ all blared out of my window yesterday. Note: yes I did turn it down when at stop lights, I don’t want people to know how much of a loser I really am.

Fridge

Only had one beer in my fridge over the last month, so I’ll modify this one a bit.

Fat Tire by New Belgium

– Sometimes you just have to go back to old trusted beers. Fat Tire never disapoints as a amber, slightly bitter Ale. And, I am eagerly anticipating their fall seasonal to be consumed shortly.

Cabernet Sauvignon  by Chateau Ste. Michelle

– Probably the best deep red you’re getting for around 10 bucks. And for my money, this dry-red is great with a juicy red steak, or kicking back on your porch smoking a…

Tobacco Pipe by Romeo and Juliet

– Yup, I have taken up pipe smoking. While it is working and making me feel smarter, I have not quite gotten used to how to correctly keep the tobacco lit. It is quite fun learning though. If anyone has any suggestions on what kind of tobacco to smoke please comment. I am most interested in a very aromatic blend

Spurgeon on a Christ-Centered view of Election

MANY persons want to know their election before they look to Christ, but they cannot learn it thus, it is only to be discovered by “looking unto Jesus.” If you desire to ascertain your own election;—after the following manner, shall you assure your heart before God. Do you feel yourself to be a lost, guilty sinner? go straightway to the cross of Christ, and tell Jesus so, and tell Him that you have read in the Bible, “Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out.” Tell Him that He has said, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Look to Jesus and believe on Him, and you shall make proof of your election directly, for so surely as thou believest, thou art elect. If you will give yourself wholly up to Christ and trust Him, then you are one of God’s chosen ones; but if you stop and say, “I want to know first whether I am elect,” you ask you know not what. Go to Jesus, be you never so guilty, just as you are. Leave all curious inquiry about election alone. Go straight to Christ and hide in His wounds, and you shall know your election. The assurance of the Holy Spirit shall be given to you, so that you shall be able to say, “I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to Him.” Christ was at the everlasting council: He can tell you whether you were chosen or not; but you cannot find it out in any other way. Go and put your trust in Him, and His answer will be—”I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” There will be no doubt about His having chosen you, when you have chosen Him.

“Sons we are through God’s election,
Who in Jesus Christ believe.”

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