Back Porch Confessions

Question...

Are you mortgaging your children's future because 0f all the "rights" you have as an American?

ie. "right" to a $4 coffee, "right" to a new pair of shoes (even though you don't need them), "right" to an iPhone, the right to go out to dinner, etc., etc. - even though we can't afford to do any or all of these things as much as we do...

Thanks to Perry Noble for kicking me in the gut with this thought...

Posted by: Matt

Is Everyone A Calvinist?

So last night at the porch, I dropped a bomb in the form of a name...Mark Driscoll.  All of the porch folks know of him.  The opinion varies based on what we have read in the news or seen on television. 

I (Brad) have followed Driscoll since 2003 when I accidentally came across his church website.  For the most part I like the guy.  I love his heart for biblical doctrine (theology), church structure (ecclesiology) and cultural engagement with the gospel (missional).  He has proved that his style of seeker-insensitivity is as popular as ever while boasting one of the fastest growing churches in America...in Seattle no less.

The areas  in which Driscoll takes hits are both theological and cultural with   calvinism, views on alcohol and complementarianism (gender roles) within the home and church being the top three (in what I have seen).

The place where Driscoll has received some founded criticism was when he would say or do something with an aggressive (even defiant) attitude.  Several times, his mentors, such as John Piper and C.J. Mahaney, would call for repentance and humility.  It was good to see him repent of a sinful approach even if his position on issues were consistent.

I am interested in your opinion.  If you share, please give some reasoning and be thoughtful. 

posted by: Brad

Will The Church Be The Church For Homosexuals?

Wesley Hill, a celebate homosexual Christian has a pretty insightful article about the church being a place for homosexual Christians.

As one who thinks that this is another area where we are getting it wrong, I am looking for solutions.

Thoughts?

posted by Brad

Time Magazines "Ten Things"

Time Magazine has put out an article about ten ideas that are changing the world right now.  I am really surprised at #3.

posted by Brad

Now, more than ever

I've come to expect a few phrases in the offertory prayer each week, like "troubled economy," and "changed circumstances," and "hard times." They're all valid. It's true, we are living in a troubled economy, many of us with changed circumstances, and it certainly feels like hard times, compared to what we're accustomed. And I am certain that these phrases are indicative of what's landing in the offering plate, also. I get that.

This week, however, another phrase stood out to me. It's also a familiar one, frequently tossed around with the ones above: "Now, more than ever." As in, "now, more than ever," we need to be wise with our finances. Or "now, more than ever," we are grateful to be employed or healthy or living in a country still sitting on half the world's wealth or whatever.

But that's not how it was used in the offertory prayer on Sunday. It was used (something) like this:

"And Lord, in these troubled economic times, we need you now more than ever."

Really?

We need Him more now that our retirement plan is cut in half than we did when sin entered the world? Now, that we may face unemployment while still receiving benefits from the government, we need Him more than we did when The Word became flesh and dwelt among us? Now that we might lose the house we bought with money we didn't have...NOW, now that the economy and government are failing us, we need Jesus more than we did when he came to take the government upon his shoulders? We need Him more now than we did when He went to the cross? Really?

Do we ever need Him more than we did yesterday? Will we ever need Him more than we do right now?

I don't think the pray-er on Sunday gave it that much thought, or he might have said something like "we recognize our need for you now more than ever..." Or maybe that's what he meant to say. But then I wouldn't have had a blog to post. :)

Posted by: Amy

Perfect People

As per our conversation on The Porch, when is it okay to ask a person not to participate in a worship gathering? 

Maybe this goes along with Brad's last post about loving people...

I've been studying Leviticus this month (you know you're jealous) and, for the second time I am learning in detail about the complex and cumbersome system of sacrifice and atonement that God set up for his people in the desert.

It's gory and gruesome and serves so well to inspire in me a new depth of gratitude to Christ, if for no other reason than His removal of our requirement to be elbow deep in calf guts.

But I digress. This week's study was on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16) and the symbolism of the scapegoat, which is one of the most romantic themes in this great love story between God and creation.

As I studied, I was directed to Hebrews 9:22, which says:

"In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and
 without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."

I know what this means for me in terms of my own forgiveness of sin - that the shedding of Christ's blood was necessary and is sufficient to cover my sins.

But my mind wandered over to Colossians 3:13:

"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.
Forgive as the Lord forgave you."

And so I wondered, if forgiveness requires "the shedding of blood", and if we are to "forgive as the Lord forgave us", and  if "as the Lord forgave us" required some pretty significant amounts of His own son's blood - then are we doing our job? Might this mean that forgiveness - true forgiveness - should cost us something? Something equivalent to blood?

Posted by Amy

Tim Keller on Substitutionary Love

I was reading the chapter on the (true) story of the resurrection in "The Reason For God."  Here are a couple of quotes that stuck with me on my daily run.  I shudder to think of all that this means. 

Any Takers?

posted by: Brad

Catching Up

I am not sure if there have been many updates to this in a while.

Here is a link to a couple of video's that I saw yesterday.  I was going to put another one up but Kamp Krusty beat me to it.  I hope he adds the "Jesus is My Friend" to his blog of awesomeness. He should, considering that God is credited with being like a "Mountie."

posted by: Brad

Donald Miller

Donald Miller gave the benediction at the Democratic National Convention last night.

It was pretty good and yes, it had a focus on Jesus.

I linked to it on my blog.

posted by Brad