ARE CHRISTIANS TREATING THEIR CULTURE AS A SUB-CULTURE?

 

 

 In a Facebook Group I'm a member of, I created a poll on favorite Christian novelists, including my favorites as well as those that are well known (Jerry Jenkins of Left Behind, Frank Peretti, Janette Oke). I set it so others could add to the list.

Additions to the list included usual suspects. I forgot C. S. Lewis, but his space trilogy and Narnia Chronicles qualify him. J. R. Tolkien and John Grisham also were inserted - their work is mainstream even though both authors were Christian, but both authors consistently have a mindset compatible with Chrisitianity.

But then, someone added a name that made me blink, and I asked about him. Turns out that the added author was an Anglican priest. I never had known that about Lewis Carroll, author of Alice In Wonderland. 

The person who added Carroll to the list and I then discussed what was meant by a Christian novelist - was it a novelist who wrote Christian fiction (which is where I was coming from when I started the poll) or a novelist who was a Christian. But then, he said I should be sure to read outside the Christian subculture.

That led me to think. Is Christianity a sub-culture? Or should it be our real culture, and seeing our involvement with the world as the subculture?

I'll admit -  Christianity is not known for original thinking. There are Christian novels and Christian music in most genres, but in each case the Christian artists adapt their art to a genre already created by the world. In fact, I believe it was David Hunt (though it might have been Martin and Deidre Bobgans of Psychoheresy Ministries) who said there's no such thing as Christian psychology, but Christian psychologists co-opt the approach of a secular psychiatrist.

On the other hand, what is the purpose of emulating another established genre? In art, it can be simply the Christian artist fitting into a particular box. Other times, the goal is evangelism. I remember interviewing a musician who said his band was debating on going hard rock or alternative/new wave, and when they saw another area artist effectively witnessing in the former market, that band then set their sights on those needing to hear the Gospel on the other side.

But this still doesn't solve the problem. Does our Christianity fit into our culture? Or is Christianity our culture and the world the sub-culture?

Some will say a hearty amen and get ready to Christianize the culture. That's not what I'm talking about. Unbelievers don't have the Christian culture nor should they be expected to. God's message to them is not to conform but to repent from their sins.

The other extreme - retreating from the world - is likewise an unacceptable option. I have a friend who suggested developing a Christian calendar. No, we are in the world to reach the lost.

However, the issue is who our identity is. Should my identity be based on my nationality, my race, my sexual preference, my taste in music, or even being an artist? Or should my identity be that I'm a Christian? And shouldn't my Christianity be the core where everything else fits, rather than trying to adapt my Christianity to a certain box?

In what ways would you say Christianity influences everything else? What are competing kings that tempt you to adapt to those lesser kings instead of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords?

 

REVIEW OF "TOD" BY TOD MOSES

 

I'm going to take a slight detour. Most of my reviews and interviews have been focused on explicitly Christian music/fiction/non-fiction. But allow me the opportunity to promote the latest project by my friend Tod Moses.

 

I've known Tod and his music for over three decades. Several of his songs have blessed me over the years, such as "Master In Disguise," "Learn The Lingo," "Chasing After The Wind," "Stand and Deliver," "Salt Shaker," "Higher Ground," and "Standing Behind Me." He's commented that I remember songs of his he's forgotten.

 

One other memory I want to mention involving Tod before getting to his latest project. I decided to put together a Christmas musical titled "Viewpoints," looking at Christ's birth from the views of different people involved like Mary, the Innkeeper, and the Shepherds. I asked several of my songwriter friends to help out., including Tod, who did a great song from the view of Herod. Afterwards, he said he'd like to help with another song. I had one composer back out, so Tod and I co-wrote a song from the view of the Priests who knew where Christ was born but made no move to join the Wise Men in seeing the Messiah titled "Do I Really Care?" That song is one of my favorites of the songs I've written.

 

 But enough about what happened in '93. Let's move to 2020, when Tod released his latest project, "Tod." Stylistically it's different from his other projects I listened to, including fronting the band Fujita 5 - this is a little more blues influenced. And while I'm not a blues fan, and while this and some of his more recent releases are more mainstream than Christian, I completely enjoyed this collection.

He has a pair of strong singles from the project: "Time In The Country" and "Can't Stand Another Day." Other songs that stood out were "Gone Missing" (also released as a single a few years back by Fujita 5) and "Sing On."

 

I've had several great conversations with him on music, Christianity, and other things over the years, and I have appreciated his friendship since we've met in '88.

 

Do you have any friends who are musicians? How have they blessed you?

Are Our Foes The Only Ones Who Need To Learn To Fight Fair?

 The Night Watch by Rembrandt

 I recall reading a review on the book Roman Catholic Theology and Practice: An Evangelical Assessment by Gregg Allison. The reviewer, a Catholic, gave it a one star review, stating that if you really want to know Catholic teaching, you need to go to a Catholic (either not realizing or ignoring Allison based his book on the Roman Catholic Cathechism). He then added that if you want to understand Protestantism ... you need to go to a Catholic.

Allow me to give a story from last week, taken from a different perspective. I saw a cartoon by a political cartoonist quoting Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York (popularly known as AOC) saying, "If we want to reduce violent crime, if we want to reduce the number of people in our jails, the answer is to stop building more of them."

Yes, that quote would make most people scratch their heads. But one person pointed out that was part of what she said. The full quote was: "If we want to reduce violent crime, if we want to reduce the number of people in our jails, the answer is to stop building more of them. The answer is to make sure that we actually build more hospitals, we pay organizers, we get people mental health care and overall health care, employment, etc. It’s to support communities, not throw them away."

Do I agree with the congresswoman's rationale and solution? No. I find it simplistic, overlooking the sinfulness of man. But when I read the complete thought, I wasn't scratching my head anymore. While I differ with her ideas, I get where she's coming from and thus am able to have more respect for her than from that brief quote. 

On theological lines, it dawned on me that my impression of Arminianism was colored by Calvinism. In some cases, it was where people considered themselves a balanced medium between "Strong Calvinism" and Arminianism, often branding themselves as "Moderate Calvinists." Then there was R. C. Sproul's answer to the question of whether Arminians were Christians: "Just barely." While Sproul allowed that most Arminians were Christians, others denounce "free will" as a false gospel, and one Calvinist making it clear that those who believe an Arminian may be saved is in error.

So what did I do? I was already influenced by the book Four Views on Eternal Security which included two Calvinist views and two Arminian views and made realize that the debate is not as linear as I thought. Then I read Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities by Roger E. Olsen and Jacob Arminius: The Man From Oudewater by Rustin E. Brian. Now, I know more about Arminianism and made me see the rumors of that theology's unorthodoxy are greatly exagerated.

When it comes to discussions on a view I disagree with, I like the view presented by author Andrew David Naselli. He said he likes to present his opponents arguments in a way that his opponent would say he gave an accurate representation. After all, those who disagree do so because they have reasons for their view. True, those reasons could be flawed, but then they think the same of my viewpoint. Besides, I'm not inerrant - I can be wrong just as much as they can.

Have you heard someone who does a good job of being fair to his opposition? Are there times when you make assumptions of somebody else's viewpoint and learned their opinion is not as off base as you thought it was?

FRIENDS, FOES, OR IN NEED OF OUR HELP: A LOOK AT "GODS" IN STAR TREK (THE ORIGINAL SERIES)

By NBC Television - eBay itemphoto frontphoto backpress release, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17205358

 

 Am I the only person who noticed there are several godlike characters and planets in Star Trek? 

I'll confess I'm a Trekkie. I can tell you the titles for each of the 79 episodes from the Original Series. I've seen almost all of those twice (two of my least two I've only seen once) plus all the movies with the original cast except Star Trek V, and I read all the adaptations by James Blish and J. A. Lawrence and the first two Star Trek novels (plus the novella in Lawrence's Mudd's Angels). My knowledge decreases after that, but I think the above is enough to show my knowledge.

One thing I've noticed is that the crew of the Enterprise come in contact with beings that can be called gods. Some of these are beneficial to Captain Kirk and friends, some are detrimental, and some aren't all bad but need help from us. How frequent? Twenty five episodes. That's almost one out of three.

Allow me to distinguish the difference between gods and Goliaths, because there are several "Goliaths" as well. A Goliath is a superhuman: they may be stronger or faster or be a planet destroyer, but they still fit into the mode of being a creation. The "gods" I mention have abilities that transcend mere people.

Let's take the episode "The Arena" as a way to distinguish the two. The Federation is in a battle with the Gorn. When we see the captain of the Gorn's ship, we see this large reptilian creature who would be the favorite in a hand to hand combat. A typical "Goliath". However, the reason Captain Kirk has to defeat the Gorn captain is that another race, the Metrons, stopped both the Enterprise and the Gorn ship, transported the captains for them to duke it out on a planet where they have what they need to create weapons. The Metrons fit into the "gods" territory.

I mentioned some of these gods aided Captain Kirk, in some cases in ways that Kirk didn't really appreciate (e.g. the Organians in "An Errand Of Mercy" or the above mentioned Metrons). More often, they were enemies. Note of interest- the Talosians were villains in the pilot "The Cage", but at the end of the two part episode "The Menagerie", they weren't so bad after all. Still, adding the Talosians to the good guy camp, only four fall into that category, compared to sixteen (again including the Talosians) as the bad guys.

There's also the typically human mindset of us needing to help an out-of-touch deity, which occurs in half a dozen episodes. Examples of this include the Kelvans in "A Rose By Any Other Name" and the Vians in "The Empath."

Is there a pattern during the three seasons? The number of "gods" faced aren't too far off: respectively 9, 7, and 10 per season. In the first two seasons, there were several goliaths as well (8 per season), but only three in season three. The first season had all four of the good guy "gods" and the other two seasons split the six that needed our help.

But then, the pilot "The Cage" and two of the first three episodes to air ("Where No Man Has Gone Before" and "Charlie X") had bad guy "gods". And if you go beyond the series, you've got a god needing help in Star Trek The Motion Picture, and Q fits the role in the premiere of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Am I meaning to pick on Star Trek? Not at all. You notice how many religious bad guys show up in TV episodes? Star Trek differs because of its genre.

Do you know anybody who views God as either a foe to be defeated or as a good being who really needs our help? Either way is a misrepresentation of the God of the Bible.

 

BOOK REVIEW - NOT A FAN BY KYLE IDLEMAN

  

Last Sunday, I posted a review for Alisa Childer's excellent book, Another Gospel?: A Lifelong Christian Seeks Truth in Response to Progressive Christianity. I also posted that review on the Indianapolis Library's webpage. It then recommended five other books because I liked that one. The first book they mentioned was from the opposite view. But on the list is one I read back in 2014 that I'd recommend.

 My wife and I subscribe to the bi-weekly newspaper of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, which is where we learned of Not A Fan -- not surprising, since the pastor of the church, Kyle Idleman, is the author. His theme is whether you are a committed follower to Christ regardless what comes your way, or are you a fan who will be there when things are good but aren't willing to give everything up to follow Christ.

The strength of this book is it is based on Scripture. Idleman's premise is founded on Scripture: the first section on certain encounters with Jesus, the second looks at Christ's call to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Him, and finally comparing our response with three would-be followers. Following most chapters is a story of a person to show what following Christ looks like.

I'm not speaking for Idleman himself, but the denomination he's affiliated with is more Arminian, believing one can lose their salvation. While the author might have that view, he doesn't mention it. The predominate theme of the negative reviews is that nobody will measure up to the standard Idleman lays out. The truth is if we're honest we can't meet God's standard while we live on earth. But I found this book an encouragement as well as a challenge -- while it highlights areas I can follow Him more, I also found areas of encouragement that I'm headed the right direction.

This book has been compared to David Platt's Radical; I'd make a case that it's more like John MacArthur's The Gospel According To Jesus, and Platt's Follow Me, since all these books are based on the Gospels. One difference with this book is that Idleman sprinkles plenty of humor there. You'll want to read his footnotes -- that's where he places some of his best jokes.

There are times we need an encouragement of God's unconditional love for us, but there are also times we need to examine ourselves, take spiritual inventory, and see if there's room for improvement. This is an excellent book for the latter.

This book came out in '11; have you read it yet? Also, are there times when God encouraged you to examine yourself, to see where you're at in the threefold command to deny self, take up your cross, and follow Jesus? 

BOOK REVIEW - LIVE NOT BY LIES BY ROD DREHER

 

Those who know me know I've been raving about Rod Dreher's previous book, The Benedict Option. In some ways, you could consider this an update, reflecting some of the changes in the past three years. This book came out the end of September of 2020, after COVID took over and prior to the election and its aftermath. There are some shared anecdotes as well as the emphasis on Christian community and to be prepared to live in a society becoming more hostile to the Christian faith.

While the message is similar, there's differences. In Benedict, Dreher's focus was on the Benedict Rule and how we can prepare for rough times by learning from the monks. This book's focus is more on the Bolshevik Revolution and the spread of communism in Eastern Europe and how Christians dealt with that oppression.

Dreher has a Catholic and Orthodox background, and there are things I as a Fundamentalist/Evangelical might debate him on. However, he paints a realistic picture of how our society is changing and not for the better, and he definitely gives food for thought. 

 

Are you prepared for Christians to become outcasts in our society? How important is community in your life, especially the faith community?

 

PRAYING FOR THE CHURCH: LOCAL, ASSOCIATION, AND UNIVERSAL

A globe in a fountain, International Learning Center, Rockville, VA

Becky and I had the pleasure of being here twice, both with events connected with the International Mission Board (IMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention.

 

Many of you know that Becky and I are in a Southern Baptist Church. Maybe a few less of you know that the Southern Baptist Convention will be taking place in Nashville June 13-16, 2021. 

Outgoing SBC President J.D. Grear has called for prayer and encouraging fasting on the the three Wednesdays leading up to the Convention. Today is Wednesday #2. There is an on-line prayer meeting. They also posted a prayer guide.

In the first paragraph, I mentioned I'm a member of a SBC church. You may notice I didn't say I was a Southern Baptist. I have no problem being one, but those who know me know I've considered myself a Christian first and a member of a Denomination second. A large part of my life have been in two Baptist groups: The SBC and the Conservative Baptist Association of America (in which I went to a Bible College). However, I've been involved in various different churches, including General Conference Baptist, Independent Baptist, Assembly of God, Nazarene, Calvary Chapel, and independent churches varying from mild Charismatic to Fundamentalist. 

Thus, I'm sharing the areas of prayer and would welcome prayers for the Southern Baptist Convention. But could these requests be applicable to your local church, whichever denomination it is? Could it be a guide to pray for your denomination even if it's a different one? How about for the entire body of Christ across the U.S. and even around the world?

Here are the three areas of prayer they're focusing on:

1. FOR GREAT COMMISSION MOBILIZATION. Under this heading, they're asking for prayer for their missionaries and church planters. They're encouraging college people/young professionals to give two years for the mission of God either here or abroad. And the best part: they're praying that every church would judge success by sending capacity and not seating capacity. In other words, their goal is for each church to actively be involved in missions.
2. FOR UNITY IN THE GOSPEL. "Pray that our Convention would reflect the beauty in the diversity of all peoples in our nation." They also ask prayer to stand steadfastly on the inerrant and all-sufficient Word of God while celebrating our distinctiveness in geography, style, and culture, valuing all image bearers (Gen. 1:26-27). And again an important point: That we love one another as Christ commanded as a witness to the world of our redemption and reconciliation by Christ.
3. PRAY FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT TO ANOINT OUR MEETING AND OUR MINISTRIES AROUND THE MEETING. This quote is not from the prayer guide, but I believe Billy Graham said it: "If the Holy Spirit was taken from this world, 90% of church work would continue unaffected." That is not the desire of SBC leadership.

Please pray for your local church. Pray for your association, and if you feel led, for the SBC as well. Pray for awakening in the Church around the country and the world.

But finally, let me ask you three questions:

1. What are you personally doing to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8)?
2. What are you doing to promote unity among fellow Christians? (I've heard it said often that unity is not uniformity - we should be unified with all who are seeking God's Kingdom.)
3. Are you seeking to be filled and led by the Holy Spirit, to live for the glory of God?
   

BOOK REVIEW: NIGHT FALL BY NANCY MEHL

 

This debut novel in Nancy Mehl's new The Quantico Files series is what you'd expect from Nancy: Intriguing characters, nail-biting suspense, and unexpected plot twists.

If you've read and enjoyed Nancy's previous trilogy, Kaely Quinn Profiler, you'll enjoy this book. Like the previous series, she focuses on the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI.

There are elements of the Christian Faith in this book, as you'd expect from a book published by Bethany House. For example, the villain is in a religious sect that has language and concepts that mirror Christianity, but in reality is an opposing kingdom at war with Christ. Like Nancy's other books, though, it fits in the story and does not come across as preachy.

As typical, I'd recommend this novel by Nancy Mehl. Don't expect to get to sleep easily after reading it, though.

What differentiates between a group like the Circle in this novel and Historic Christianity?