Long, Dry Summer

"The days are coming," declares the Sovereign Lord, "when I will send a famine through the land - not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it." Amos 8:11-12

While it is important to understand the historical setting of this ancient prophesy it is worth asking whether such a thing could ever happen again in our day. I know that some would find it hard to believe given all the books that have been published, all the conferences have been organized, all the coalitions and bands of brothers that have been formed. But still, for all that, I cannot help but wonder if this is not largely a day of spiritual famine where there is much learning but little power; and even where there is learning, it is impractical and does not connect with those who are looking for answers. Even the bigwigs are not take seriously except by their own fans. For all their books and messages, when you boil it all down, there is little substance. They repeat the same tired old things over and over and then wonder why no one is listening. There is no freshness or what in times past was called 'unction,' no sense that God is speaking in new and fresh ways that are consistent with the established givens of biblical revelation. No amount of hype or worship music can make up for this deficiency. When God owns his word it is undeniable, and when he remains distance, there is nothing we can do but pray and ask him to be gracious. I cannot speak for the world because I have not traveled around it, but in this part of world it is dry.

Of course, God can change this situation in a moment. He can give strength and energy to his word and bring it home to the heart with life-changing power. This is what we need. This is what we should seek. It is difficult to live in a dry and dusty place where there is little water. We need something that comes from without, a divine visitation that focuses our minds and hearts on what it truly important. Kingdom building is tedious work if God is not in it, but his presence makes all the difference in the world. And this is what we need more than anything else. We need to see the difference that the gospel makes in people's lives which is far more than the proliferation of books, sermons and church groups that measure up to what are often artificially created standards. Never have some segments of evangelicalism been so educated and organized, and never have they been so barren. Let's pray for rain.

Such Good Little People

It has been almost a month since the Apple iPhone4 became available in Canada, or so the story goes. Truth of the matter is that it has been almost impossible to find one unless you are buying an unlocked phone from the Apple Store. Retailer Best Buy advertises that the iPhone4 has changed everything, again, and that it is available in their store - but alas there is not a phone to be had. It's hard not to believe that this is intentional on Apple's part, part of a strategy to hype the phone and maintain interest in the phone as long as possible - but I will never know for sure and big corporations always spin the facts to their own advantage. My question is at what point does it become false advertising to say that the phone is available at specific stores when it fact it is not. But I suppose the real point is the passivity of consumers. We just take it like good little people and wait for our wealthy benefactors to bless us when they get around to it. Oh the woes of the little guy.

This may also explain the passivity in Ontario, at least, when it comes to the HST (Harmonized Sales Tax). In British Columbia that are signs of "rebellion" (at least by Canadian standards), but in Ontario everyone has rolled over and allowed the government to increase our tax burden yet again. Sometimes I wonder what it will take before someone says "enough is enough." I also wonder how long this kind of thing can go on - how long can taxes go up and up and up before the entire system unravels. I am not trying to be conspiratorial for the simple reason that over the years I have heard so many nut cases propounding conspiracy theories - conspiracies that are nothing more than the products of their unstable personalities and overworked imaginations. I do not believe everything is doom and gloom, nor do I think that history will come to an end until God has accomplished all he is going to do. But I do wonder what lies ahead for the world as we know it especially when so many are content to sit on the sidelines as spectators. So whether it is the iPhone or the HST it would be nice to hear someone make a little noise or at least to start asking questions like: "Hey, what's going on here? And, who came up with this brilliant idea?"

Proverbial Wisdom

Something to ponder...

"One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."

Proverbs 18:24

Expanding Our Horizons

When I speak in churches I am sometimes asked for reading recommendations or I am asked what I like to read. I usually respond by asking the questioner to tell me about their reading preferences and I have found their responses interesting. Now don't get me wrong, I am always happy to hear that people are reading or are at least interested in reading. That is important in a day when reading is becoming a lost art and the ability of people to read well in public is more the exception than the norm. One thing that concerns me, however, is that too many are reading from a narrow group of authors. If they read anything at all it is always the same group of names that are trotted out. Again, I am glad that people are reading anything, and I understand that everyone has their favorite authors, but I do think that the pool of authors is too shallow and tends to tell them over and over again what they already know and want to hear, rather than challenging them to think and grow in their understanding of the Bible and the world around them.

It is important that individual Christians learn to think for themselves. We must not delegate the responsibility to think and to apply the word of God to a group of men who crank out book after book that basically says the same things over and over from a slightly different perspective. Christian leaders in particular need to read widely and to talk advantage of the wealth of materials that are available. Once we have our basic moorings it is our own interaction with our surroundings that makes us interesting and helps us break new ground in our own situations. Parroting the points of others will never excite anyone. Just as we need a personal relationship with God so we need to seek wisdom to do what is right in our own unique situations. So by all means read your favorites, but every once in a while, read someone you have never read before, challenge yourself, think. stretch and grow.

Bobbleheads

Ever seen a Christian bobblehead? They do exist I'm told. A sign of the times. Why anyone would want one I don't understand but alas there are many things I don't understand about the state of the church today. The problem is that there are too many bobbleheads that wag their heads at the latest musings or tweets or blog posts of people who say absolutely nothing of any substance or significance once you stop and think for a few seconds about what they have said. No wonder people in churches are restless and those on the outside are not the least bit interested. People should not have to check their brains at the door when they gather to worship nor should they be subjected to the musings of those who themselves need therapy. I heard of one such individual who recently preached for 3 hours! That is incredible enough. What is more incredible is that anyone sat there and politely listened to such a self-centered rant!

We are to love the Lord our God with all our minds, hearts, souls and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves. This, according to Jesus, sums up the law and the prophets. Such worship is more than abstract thought and certainly more than emotional manipulation. It can only be produced by a work of God's Spirit that cannot be faked or manufactured. It happens when people are humbled by the grace and mercy of God, when they realize how much they do not know and they desire to learn and then to put into practice what God's says in his word. People like this are real and attractive to others, even those who do not agree with them. I am convinced that many today are looking for spiritual reality and they are not finding it in those who advertise its presence. In today's world we don't need more bobbleheads but disciples who are prepared learn and grow as they seek God with all of their minds and hearts.

'Prophetic' Reflections

This morning in church the scripture reading was from the prophet Habakkuk. As I listened I thought about how little is known about the Old Testament prophets, the times in which they lived and the burden of their message. This lack of awareness needs to be addressed because the prophets have important things to say about issues that are still being debated today. Even though the prophets spoke years ago there are basic human problems and conflicts that human beings have always struggled with, and they have something significant to contribute to our understanding of life.

Biblical revelation is the most amazing thing. It is simple enough for children and yet so profound that the greatest scholars will never learn all that there is to know. It can be read and studied with great profit but never exhausted. There are always new things to learn, new connections to make, new applications that shed light on our path.

When the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy he told him to "devote himself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching" (1 Timothy 4:13). Careful reflection on the nature of scripture will make evident the wisdom of Paul's instruction not only for Timothy but for us today.

Calm Resolve

The world is an interesting place. Last evening I was watching television and came upon a program about Pearl Harbor. It contrasted Pearl Harbor, the movie, with Pearl Harbor, the reality. Personally, I found it very interesting and as I watched I could not help but think how that world had changed since those days when America and Japan were at war with one another. I thought about all the Japanese cars and products that have become commonplace today and reflected on the reluctance of my parent's generation to initially purchase Japanese goods given the military conflict they had lived through. It was all quite understandable, and the change in attitude since those days, quite remarkable.

After that program was over I surveyed the array of news channels at my disposal, everything from CBC to CTV here in Canada, the BBC World Service in the UK, and CNN, MSNBC and good old Fox News in the United States. As usual they were all abuzz about the latest goings on in the world. Talking away like there was no tomorrow about all of the troubles in the world, and in the case of some of the American stations, so wrapped up in their own politics that you would think the rest of the world did not exist. Then I thought about Pearl Harbor again. I imagined what that would have been like if it had happened today. The news coverage would have been incredible and justifiably so. But time goes on, the present set of movers and shakers will pass from the scene just as people have in the past most of whom will not even be remembered by history. Life is like that. Such is this world.

I mention these things because it helps us keep things in perspective. We need to remember that kingdoms will come and go, nations will rise and fall, and yet life will go on as long as God ordains it. We should be involved in life and try to make a difference but we need to do so with a calm and steady resolve that is not easily shaken. The world is full of alarmists and sensationalists. They do little, if any, good. Rather those who understand that their times are in God's hands and who act accordingly, are not only able to move forward, but they can enjoy the ride.

Of Making Books... No End

According to the Official Google Blog, last Sunday, there were 129,864,880 books in the world. If you want more information as to how they came up with that figure you can find it here. However, by anyone's calculations that is a lot of books! And, of course, the number is increasing every day. But this statistic makes me wonder how many of these books have actually been read. Along the same lines, a few weeks ago I was listening to a CBC podcast and someone said that the average academic journal article is quoted less than once, which the presenter saw as an indicator that few people are reading these articles and that academics are increasingly writing for one another more than anyone else. So we live in a world full of books and journal articles, more and more with each passing day, most of which will never be read in spite of all the time, energy and money that goes into their production.

But amid the pessimism I think it is important to remember that some books and articles will be read. Some will exert a great influence on people today and in days to come. What makes the difference? Who has the best chance of being read? And more importantly, who is most likely to influence people for years to come? The key is to write about important subjects, to write well, and to write in a way that people can understand. Those who do this are much more likely to get a hearing and to have their thoughts and ideas discussed and debated not just for a day or two but on into the future. This is also true when it comes to Christian books. So few stand the test of time. So few say something that needs to be said and say it well. Too many are just written to increase an author's visibility in the Christian marketplace or to enable the author to say that they have written a book.

Good books are wonderful and we have all enjoyed them. But they are not easy to find. I don't want to waste my time reading someone's half-baked ideas about anything and I suspect that others feel the same way. As with the rest of life, it is ultimately not quantity but quality that counts. Many years ago a biblical writer who has been read with profit over and over again put it this way: "Not only was the Teacher wise, but also he imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and search out and set in order many proverbs. The Teacher search to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true. The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails - given by one shepherd. Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body" (Ecclesiastes 12:9-12).

Thoughts on Application

Practical application of the truth to life is something else that could be done better. Too many presentations follow the predictable make a point, tell a story, pattern. Stories and illustrations are necessary and enjoyed by audiences and should be utilized in our presentations. But we must also convey information and find creative ways of getting concepts into people's heads so that they actually learn something over time. Preaching can be a spectator sport. It is possible to listen but grow more and more ignorant of the Bible. Just because a message is based on the Bible does not mean it is opening up the text and making it plain to those who are listening. One reason why accurate, relevant practical application is elusive is because it requires hard work. It is in the application of truth that we see if we really understand the truth. Accurate application requires a canonical awareness. It requires us to see the text in light of the rest of scripture and to apply it in a way that is consistent with and informed by everything else.

This is another way of saying that practical application involves a good grasp of both biblical and systematic theology. The two theologies go together and biblical theology properly understood is a type of internal biblical systematics that shows us how everything coheres in Christ. Systematics takes the findings of biblical theology and builds on them and attempts to apply biblical truth to the rest of life. Congregations will rise no higher than the instruction they are regularly receiving and instructors will not be able to take people where they need to go unless they know how to get there themselves. The mere mention of biblical and systematic theology can induce sleep but that has nothing to do with the disciplines themselves and everything to do with the presenters. Today we must find ways of doing both that are accurate, interesting, and to some degree invisible, in that people are learning without necessarily getting lost in the theological lingo that dazzles but often obscures the truth.

Eschewing Straw-Men

Continuing from my last post, I think one thing that we need is a more accurate and positive presentation of biblical teaching. If we are critiquing someone's position our reconstruction of that position should resemble what the other person really believes and not just what we think they believe. This may seem obvious but it is not always the case.

It is easy to construct a flimsy 'straw-man' and then knock him down. That kind of analysis gets us out from under the intellectual burden of actually wrestling with and understanding what others are saying. But in the end 'straw-men' do not aid understanding nor do they help us engage in a constructive conversation with anyone. How are we ever going to make progress in bringing Christians together and in interacting with those outside of the church if we do not listen carefully to what they are saying and then respond in light of what they are actually saying.

Overstatement and simplistic argumentation are the tools of those who are more interested in protecting or growing their share of the 'religious marketplace' than they are talking to other people as human beings. If we are not ready to speak accurately we should refrain from speaking at all until we are properly prepared. This is especially true the larger our circle of influence because we have the ability to shape the thinking of so many. The temptation to make ourselves look good at the expense of others is something we need to resist and outgrow. As James says we should be "quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry" (1:19).

Summer Reflections

This summer has been an interesting one for me in terms of theological reflection. When we are young we sometimes think we know all that there is to know and we can see so clearly where we think others have gone wrong. As we grow older with a little more of life under our belts we begin to see that things are not always as crystal clear as we imagined in our younger days and we are more aware of the agendas that color and influence what people, including ourselves, do and say.

The same kind of dynamic can be seen in parenting. Parents who take their responsibilities seriously are often much harder on their first child then on subsequent children. With the first child they are so concerned to do things right and to make sure they keep the child from all of the things they regret about their own upbringing. But the passage of time has a way of calming parents down and experience enables them to see that each child is an individual and must be treated as such. What worked for one will not necessarily work for another. Children cannot be sheltered from all that is wrong with the "big, bad world" and must be allowed to make mistakes and make their own decisions as they are able. Children cannot be forced into a narrow mold without doing lasting harm that may not show up until years later. Time and experience have a way of helping us to see the broader picture and to realize that there is often more than one way to live a life which is acceptable to God.

Working as I do in theological education I am forced, more than most, to think about the world and the state of the church. Such reflection is a mixed blessing. On the one hand there are many wonderful things going on, there are books, conferences, churches, outreach, humanitarian endeavors and much more. But at the same time there is a party spirit, an old boys club kind of mentality, a them-versus-us attitude that is often counterproductive because it enshrines outdated positions and prejudices that need to be examined afresh in the light of scripture. Because, regretfully, I do not know enough about other branches of Christianity, I will restrict my comments to what is commonly called 'evangelicalism.' Here, we are more divided than ever. There are competing visions of 'what should be' and 'how church should be done.' There are no end of programs but at the end of the day it is difficult to determine if they are about true Christianity or personal kingdom building and having the bragging rights as 'one of the largest churches in wherever!' Things seem stagnant, preaching is predictable and visionary leadership lacking.

The real question is where do we go from here? That is something I want to explore in future posts.