Friday, September 4, 2009
Basic Christianity
A short post by my friend Chad over at The Road to Emmaus to help us understand, as he puts it, "What it means to be Christ-Centered and Gospel-Saturated." And to be "Christ-Centered" and "Gospel-Saturated" is Christianity 101.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Cosmic Redemption--a brief post
Just some quotes and thoughts from a so-far excellent book by Michael D. Williams: "Far As The Curse Is Found: The Covenant Story of Redemption"
“The essence of the Christian religion consists in this,” said Herman Bavinck, “that the creation of the Father, devastated by sin, is restored in the death of the Son of God, and recreated by the Holy Spirit into the kingdom of God” (quote from, “Far As The Curse Is Found” by Michael D. Williams, pg. xi).
The above quote might be the most concise and profound statement regarding the purpose of God in Christ that I’ve come across. The only change I would make is substituting the term “death” with “Christ-event” (properly understood). I would do this because the Bible speaks of the restoration of all things in the terms of Christ as the fulfillment of all the Scripture. It’s not just His death but His subsequent burial, resurrection, ascension and enthronement as the King/Priest that the Scripture speaks of with regard to Christ. The “Christ-event” is the sum total of the Person and Work of Christ as the fulfillment of all the Scripture and it is this paradigm (not solely the “death” of Christ) that is the basis of God’s restoration of His creation.
With that in mind, however, Bavinck’s quote succinctly expresses the central theme and storyline of the Bible which, according to Williams, also forms the overarching literary structure of the Bible: creation-fall-redemption-consummation (ibid, pg. xi). And it is this theme that is so often missed by sincere Christians as they attempt to understand the Bible. As Bavinck points out, it is God’s intention to restore the fullness of His creation, not just mankind. The “Christ-event” is not just applicable to “man”, it is cosmic in scope. The curse has affected the entirety of God’s creation and Christ’s purpose to overthrow the curse is likewise universal—all of creation (though not every individual human being) will one day enter into Christ’s redemption so that the curse is nowhere to be found!
Speaking of the glory of Christ’s resurrection, Williams puts the cosmic nature of redemption this way: “God’s unstoppable goal is nothing less than the restoration of his good creation, the eradication, not of it (creation) but of the sin that has damaged it, even the triumph of the body over death itself” (ibid, pg. 2). As Christians, we need to see the Gospel in all its glory—Christ’s redemption restores all things to their created purpose and destiny. Again, not every individual person will be “saved”, of course; but Christ’s coming was to recover the entirety of creation, not just “man”. As the “Seed of the Woman”, when Christ crushed the serpent’s head at the Cross (with all that the Cross entails) it was to deliver not just “man” but the whole of creation from the curse of estrangement, sin…and death.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
The Greatest Mystery In The Existence Of Mankind Finally Revealed
Yes! That's right!! I have the answer to the greatest question that has never entered into the thought of man!!! Sorry Bob, the Ultimate Question is not about "Life, the Universe and Everything" (though it may come in at a close second!); and the answer is not "42". No...the Ultimate Question is why "Great Googly Moogly"?! And the answer is...
...because!
Well...no...it's not simply "because"; it's actually a two-part answer.
First of all, I've always liked that phrase since I first heard it uttered by that poet of poets, that master of elucidation, that genius of scalar musical inventiveness...yes, that's right...Mr. Frank Zappa himself. I admit, the music of Frank Zappa is one of my (supposedly) "guilty pleasures"; though, as those who know me will attest, I don't think there is much of anything about "life" to be particularly guilty about when processed through a proper grid. Some may not agree with me, but I believe that Zappa is a poster-boy for how a person can testify of his Creator through his own creativity as a cultural "image-bearer" while at the same time curse his Creator by not giving Him the glory and by not using his creativity to promote shalom. While there may be much to be questioned regarding Zappa the person and Zappa the music, I can appreciate the "goodness" of Zappa's music as I listen to it through the lens of our shared "humanness" as people created in the image of God. I enjoy listening to Zappa's creative use of his gift to manipulate sound waves in such a way as to make great music (to these ears, at least!). If I can see, appreciate and glorify God in the music of Zappa as I listen to it, then there is no biblical reason for me to shun it. Of course, so as to not make my brother stumble, I would refrain from playing Zappa in the presence of my "brother" if he were to be offended by it; but, "To the pure all things are pure"...and I still appreciate the musical genius that is Frank Zappa.
Anyone who can so naturally and fluently incorporate the phrase, "Great Googly Moogly" into a song and have it mean exactly what it's supposed to mean is...well...a "genius"! And "genius" can be celebrated by Christian and non-Christian alike!
The second reason I've adopted the moniker, "Great Googly Moogly" is in response to a friend of ours (Abinator) who despises exclamation points (!). She believes, among other things, that they are way over used! Can you believe that?! I've never ever seen them overused!! How else are you supposed to make your point emphatic except by the use of the exclamation point! She believes that the exclamation point is not simply over-used, but abused. Hogwash!! Great Googly Moogly!! At least I know that I'm not guilty of either of those charges!!...!
Anyway, in response to Abster I've adopted Great Googly Moogly because it so perfectly captures the "sense" of the exclamation point. Whether in frustration, exasperation, agitation, perturbation, trepidation or in stimulation, enthusiam or excitement, Great Googly Moogly is the spoken and literary equivalent of the (!) . And since I'm a walking (!), the personification of "frustrating" and/or "excitable", I thought GGM would fit rather nicely.
So, there you have it. The answer to the greatest mystery that no one has ever cared about! Ooops...sorry! Darn it, I did it again! Great Googly Moogly! Oh man...somebody stop me!!!!!!!!!!
...because!
Well...no...it's not simply "because"; it's actually a two-part answer.
First of all, I've always liked that phrase since I first heard it uttered by that poet of poets, that master of elucidation, that genius of scalar musical inventiveness...yes, that's right...Mr. Frank Zappa himself. I admit, the music of Frank Zappa is one of my (supposedly) "guilty pleasures"; though, as those who know me will attest, I don't think there is much of anything about "life" to be particularly guilty about when processed through a proper grid. Some may not agree with me, but I believe that Zappa is a poster-boy for how a person can testify of his Creator through his own creativity as a cultural "image-bearer" while at the same time curse his Creator by not giving Him the glory and by not using his creativity to promote shalom. While there may be much to be questioned regarding Zappa the person and Zappa the music, I can appreciate the "goodness" of Zappa's music as I listen to it through the lens of our shared "humanness" as people created in the image of God. I enjoy listening to Zappa's creative use of his gift to manipulate sound waves in such a way as to make great music (to these ears, at least!). If I can see, appreciate and glorify God in the music of Zappa as I listen to it, then there is no biblical reason for me to shun it. Of course, so as to not make my brother stumble, I would refrain from playing Zappa in the presence of my "brother" if he were to be offended by it; but, "To the pure all things are pure"...and I still appreciate the musical genius that is Frank Zappa.
Anyone who can so naturally and fluently incorporate the phrase, "Great Googly Moogly" into a song and have it mean exactly what it's supposed to mean is...well...a "genius"! And "genius" can be celebrated by Christian and non-Christian alike!
The second reason I've adopted the moniker, "Great Googly Moogly" is in response to a friend of ours (Abinator) who despises exclamation points (!). She believes, among other things, that they are way over used! Can you believe that?! I've never ever seen them overused!! How else are you supposed to make your point emphatic except by the use of the exclamation point! She believes that the exclamation point is not simply over-used, but abused. Hogwash!! Great Googly Moogly!! At least I know that I'm not guilty of either of those charges!!...!
Anyway, in response to Abster I've adopted Great Googly Moogly because it so perfectly captures the "sense" of the exclamation point. Whether in frustration, exasperation, agitation, perturbation, trepidation or in stimulation, enthusiam or excitement, Great Googly Moogly is the spoken and literary equivalent of the (!) . And since I'm a walking (!), the personification of "frustrating" and/or "excitable", I thought GGM would fit rather nicely.
So, there you have it. The answer to the greatest mystery that no one has ever cared about! Ooops...sorry! Darn it, I did it again! Great Googly Moogly! Oh man...somebody stop me!!!!!!!!!!
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