DOES LIFE BEGIN AT 40 FOR MY FAVORITE ALBUMS?

Something hit me. In one of the Facebook Groups I'm in - The Daniel Band, for those who are curious - I saw a T-shirt pointing out this year is the 40th anniversary of the release of their debut album "On Rock."

I haven't paid as much attention as I should, I guess, to anniversaries of favorite albums - particularly, the Christian albums. In fact, some Larry Norman albums have hit the half-century mark (since I'm not a Larry fan, I missed it); Some of my other favorites (e.g. "With Footnotes" by 2nd Chapter of Acts and "What A Day" by Phil Keaggy) are closing in on that mark.

However, one thing about 1982 is that it stands out as having plenty of great albums. For example, an '82 LP not on my list of favorites happens to be the first gold record in CCM: "Age to Age" by Amy Grant. Some will say there are other albums that deserve to be on my list, and I won't argue except to say, "They're not my favorites." 

I also heard several great groups in concert, and I'm including them as well, mainly because most had not released an album. So allow me to give them in alphabetic order.

1. Anthem the Rock Band "Cuttin'Thru'". Great hard rock album (what would you expect from a group that identifies itself as "the Rock Band?") Many great songs on the project: "Cheap Thrill", "Free You," "Winners," "Don't Be Deceived" (a great song based on Galatians 6:1-8), and "Morning Star."
    
2. Daniel Band, "On Rock" (cover above). Another metal project. I heard them on the radio in '81, when Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa aired their live concerts on KYMS. At that time, I thought they were too hard for me. My mind changed hearing them a year later with songs like "He's The Creator," "I'm Sorry," "Free From Sin," "Undercover Christian" (with a killer keyboard intro), "Never Again," and "Spiritual Game" (a song that desperately needs someone to cover it and get it heard again!).
   
   
    
3. Joe English, "Held Accountable". Before becoming a Christian, Joe English played drums for a group you might have heard of - does "Paul McCartney and Wings" sound familiar? Joe released some great Christian music, and this is an example, starting with "Best Thing", ending with "The Best Is Yet To Come", and great songs in between such as "We Live When We Die," "First Love," "Voice Of Triumph," "Wake Up," and the awesome jam "Thief in the Night." Note - part of Joe's band was a keyboardist who also did some singing who later joined some obscure band called "Petra" - have you ever heard of John Lawry?
   
   
4. Farrell & Farrell, "Let The Whole World Know." A year previously, I went on a date (before I met Becky) to a music night at Knott's Berry Farm. One group she wanted to hear was Farrell & Farrell. I didn't have much of an impression before the concert; after the concert, I was a definite fan. And I enjoyed their live album (even though it was, unlike a lot of live albums, only one page). It included great songs like "All You Need" (look that song up on You Tube if you never heard it; definitely an unforgettable, though dated, song), "Boundless Love", "Make Me Ready," "Homesick Soldier," and the title track. In addition, two songs - "No Need" and "You Keep Me Holding On" were both superior to the studio version.
   
   
   
   
5. Richie Furay, "Seasons of Change." Some of you may recognize the name of the former member of the bands Poco and Buffalo Springfield. Now, he's a pastor. The pastor's heart is reflected in this project on songs like the title track, "Hallelujah," "Endless Flight," "My Lord and My God," "Rise Up, "For The Prize," and "Through It All."
    
6. Gabriel Band. This band formed, performed several times (including at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa), and disbanded in one year, but they are still one of my favorite bands. A reason for their disbanding was the music was so good it distracted from the lyrics. It included vocalist Ken Riley and guitarist Doug Doyle (who formed Common Bond), as well as keyboardist Pete Lomakin who later joined Idle Cure. You'll probably never get to hear songs like "He Is Lord," "The Step," "Shine The Light," "The Crusade Song", "Undercover Christian," "Spare Time," "Stand and Deliver" (where yours truly made a small contribution to the lyrics), "Share His Love," and "Stand on His Promise."
   
   
   
7. Jeff Johnson and Sandy Simpson, "Through the Door." Definitely one of the most unique albums in Christian music history, let alone 1982 (in case the cover isn't a clue). The artists take turns singing on this concept album with songs like "The Golden Key," "Stuck On Mars" (with a clever ending fitting for vinyl days about getting stuck), "The Jupiter Effect," "Someday, Sunday," and "Winding Road."
   
   
   
   
   
8. Malcolm & the Mirrors, "Red Alert." Some of you may ask if this refers to Malcolm Wild of Malcolm Alwyn, and you're right. The music has nothing in common. Good alternative project with songs like the title track, "Gotta Give," "Paint Your Windows Right," "Where Did All The Love Go," "Can't Live Without Him" (previously released on the compilation project "Back To The Rock"), "She's Gonna Go Through Changes," "Love Your Love," "Look Up! (His Coming Is Near)," and "Alright By Me."
   
   
   
   
9. Michael and Stormie Omartian, "Mainstream." Michael is a well known producer (including the Imperials, Debbie Boone, Benny Hester, Steve Camp, Rod Stewart, and Donna Summer among others) and loaned his keyboard skills to artists like 2nd Chapter of Acts. I had the honor of hearing them at a Knotts music festival, where they shared the stage with Sheila Walsh, Phil Keaggy, and Isaac Air Freight. The great songs include the title track, "The Calling," "Man Out Of Time," "Praise His Name and See It Happen," "Give It Up" (one song that always brings a smile to my face), "Believing In The Best For You," and "It Is Done."
    
10. Omega Band. I heard them over the air twice that year on KYMS, the first time opening for Sweet Comfort Band, and later for Undercover. I only know five songs by them, but four of them were great: "Heroes Always Die," "Gambling Man," "Right On Time," and "Jesus Is Lord."
     
11. Sonsong. Becky and I went to hear Benny Hester at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, and Sonsong opened for him. After the concert, it was "Benny who?" Again, a list of songs you'll never hear (unless they're performing in the Kingdom), but they had songs like "Without Faith," "You Got To Trust Him With Your Life," "Ostensible Christian," "Jonah," "Rich Christians" and "Two Eyes."
    
    
    
12. Tamarack. Unique entry here. They had released an album the previous year, two of the songs also appearing on the above mentioned "Back To The Rock" compilation, including the awesome "Here I Am." On the album, the six piece band included three vocalists: keyboardist Rob Watson, Cathy Spurr (her husband Dave also played drums) and Debbie McNeil. When I heard them a year after the album's release, Rob was gone, and the new keyboardist didn't do vocals. When they performed, they only did one song from their LP, "High Horse" (written by awesome guitarist Wayne Brasel). Later, I guess the group broke up and the Spurrs and McNeil reformed as "Spurr McNeil" and released a song called "Wounded Healer" - they performed that song.
     
13. Tobias. I also heard them at Hart Park in California (Undercover, Tamarack, and Gabriel Band also played there that summer). Again no album, so you won't get to here great songs like "Who Do You Think Made The World," "Split," and "The Lord's Reign."
    
    
    
    
14. Undercover (self-titled). What can you say about an album where the first song has a chorus saying, "You'll have to excuse us, we're in love with Jesus?" This is actually my favorite project by them, which follow "Excuse Us" with great alternative tunes like "Heal Me," "Francine," "Turn Your Head," "It's Official," "Look It Up," "Daddy-O," "Stop," "He's In Love With You," and "He Gives We Have."
    
    
    
    
15. Sheila Walsh, "Future Eyes." Another album that blew me away. On it was songs like the title track, "Here With Me," "Burn On" (the only song from this project that was on her greatest hits, far from the only song that deserved it), "Love In My Life," "You're So Important To Me," "Fear Of Silence", and "Mona Lisa." (I heard her in concert five times, and the last two songs were never performed; still awesome songs).

Did you enjoy that? Maybe you can look forward to next year's 40th birthday crowd!

SUNDAY HYMNS, PART 19 OF 22: JOY TO THE WORLD (ADVENT OF, YOU GUESSED IT, JOY)

At Arlington Avenue Baptist Church, Indianapolis, IN

Joy to the world! The Lord has come!

Let earth receive her King!

Let ev'ry heart prepare Him room,

And heaven and nature sing!

Joy to the earth! The Savior reigns!

Let men their songs employ!

Let field and flood, rock hill and plain

Repeat the sounding joy!

No more let sins and sorrows grow,

Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The wonders of His righteousness 

And wonders of His love.

NOTES ON THE HYMN

• I know. I didn't do the repetitions of the last line of each verse. Sorry.
• One of the best known songs of the Christmas season, but this actually is an advent hymn. In fact, it's based on Psalm 98 and is focused on the 2nd Advent (Christ's return) rather the 1st Advent (Christ's birth). 
  
• The third week of Advent is the Advent of Joy. So I spent a lot of time trying to decide which song would be most appropriate. A who tenth of a second. 
• I started this series with a Watts song. Time for another one. The only other author I had repeated was Charles Wesley. 
• By the way, did you know the music was written by George Frederick Handel? (I just saw a picture of him; to me, he looks like he'd fit in a hard rock band.) The music was adapted from the Messiah.
• The meter is the common meter (8,6,8,6). By the way, the other Watts song in my series - "Am I a Soldier of the Cross?" - is also common meter. So 
  

TIPTOE-ING THROUGH (AND AROUND AND ON RARE OCCASSIONS ON) THE TULIPS, PART 3 OF 3: THOUGHTS TO CONSIDER

Calvinist Charles Simeon on left, Arminian John Wesley on right.

Just three installments on Calvinism vs. Arminianism? True, the blogs are long, but is this doing the subject justice? 

Consider: My purpose is not to promote one theology over the other, because both are held by godly but imperfect men who have searched the Scripture. Rather, my goal is to help us realize that the other side of the debate is NOT the enemy. I believe the time is coming that we'll find ourselves sharing a jail cell with believers who differ in theology but share our love and devotion for Christ; thus, we need to encourage each other, not try to win an argument.

So allow me to give several bullet points of things to think about.

1. WHAT MODEL OF CAR WAS THAT?

    One of my college classmates was in a car wreck, so two other friends asked his roommate (interestingly, Tom Cousins, who introduced me to Calvinism vs. Arminianism) the important question: what make was the car? One thought it was one kind of car, and the other thought it was a different kind. Cousins laughed, and said it was a custom car, with the front end being one make and the back the other. In other words, both were right, but not completely.

    I've heard some use the argument, "We can both be wrong, but we both can't be right." Usually, they mean, "I believe I'm right, but I know you're wrong;" they really don't consider that I'm right and they're wrong as a possiblility. But they've missed two other options: 1) That neither is wrong, like my friends and the wrecked car, and 2) In eternity, it doesn't really matter who's right: We're to love one another.

2. ARE MY IDIOSYNCRASIES PREDESTINED?

    Remember the days when Baskins and Robbins was known as 31 flavors? Each month they had a selection of 31 varieties of Ice Cream, Sherbet, and Ices, and, of course, chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla. Do you know how many possibilities to mix and match for getting a two dip cone? I do: Five hundred ninety five! So how many choices do I have? Would you believe 10? On a good month, it might be 15, and a great month it would be 21!

    I'm sure you're scratching your head, since there are more flavors (31, and of course, chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla) than the largest number I gave. And why did I give three exact numbers? Well, let me explain.

    Before I walk in the store and get the list of 31 (and of course, chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla), I've mentally discarded any option with chocolate, strawberry and vanilla: I can get those anyplace! Plus, I know I won't be limiting myself to one flavor. Then I pick up the list and usually I find five flavors that interest me, which cuts it down to ten choices! On a good month I might have six attention grabbing flavors (15 choices), and maybe even seven (21 choices).

    Of course, just because I quickly eliminated 585 choices for me doesn't mean the guy behind me will choose two scoops of chocolate. It is just me; it's the way I'm made. But did I make myself that way? Let's look at Psalm 33:15-"He fashions their hearts individually, He considers (or understands) all their works."

    To the topic I'm dealing with, is it possible that those who are drawn to the Gospel are drawn because God fashioned their hearts to be drawn?

3. IS GOD THE MASTER SCRIPT WRITER OR THE MASTER CHESS PLAYER?

    I'll be honest. I shake my head in disbelief with the Calvinists who say that if God is sovereign, we can't have free will - even libertarian free will. 

    I'm impressed with the script writer who can work magic in story telling, but not as much as the chess player who watches you move and sees the next ten moves on both sides, allowing you to think you're making a great move as you're falling right into his trap. If God is sovereign as well as omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, He is fully capable of allowing free will without worrying about how it affects His plans.

4. IS THERE A THIRD CHOICE BESIDES FREE WILL AND PREDESTINATION?

    I believe there is: Granted free will. God allows us to make a choice between options He in His sovereignty has chosen. We're not the ones who make the list of what we can do - God imposed His sovereign limits to our choices, and maybe He's comfortable enough to let us decide between two or more choices.

    Let me take it a step further. Total depravity (believed by Calvinists and Classic Arminians) says we're not able to obey God until the Spirit draws us. Both sides also believe we have free will after salvation - does God predestine His children to disobey Him? The Arminian believes that when the Spirit draws us, He gives us the ability to obey His call, in addition to the ability to disobey we're born with. Is the Calvinist saying that when the Spirit draws us, He both gives us the ability to obey and takes away the ability to disobey, and then a second later, restores the ability to disobey that as believer we don't really want?

5. IS IT POSSIBLE BOTH ARMINIANS AND CALVINISTS OVERESTIMATE FREE WILL AS EITHER A RIGHT WE HAVE OR AS A BOGEYMAN FALSE GOSPEL?

    But first a question: Do you remember who did a '70's hit called "Best of My Love?" I believe it's by a group that starts with an 'E'? I really liked that song. Okay, back to the topic at hand.

    How much free will do we have in reality? Do you chose your first name, middle name, last name, nationality, birth gender, hair color, eye color, skin color, place you grow up in, your parents, your siblings, or your grade school teachers? Does your free will ever get defeated by the free will of opposing sports teams and political parties or criminals? How is your free will helping get low gas prices or picking up every item you want at the grocery store or your favorite menu item at your restaurant?

    One thing that makes me cringe are the "We have a free will/God's a perfect gentleman and won't violate our free will." I'm sure Saul of Tarsus would say an amen to that. What? He won't? 

    I mentioned in the previous point the concept of Granted Free Will. The reality is that any free will we have is given by God. It's not a natural commodity. God's will WILL be done. 

    Oh, you're wondering why I asked about "Best of My Love?" You're telling me that was the classic song by the Eagles? No way. That song's totally depressing. The one I enjoy is upbeat. Oh, I remember. I'm thinking of the disco song by the Emotions. Same title, same era, performed by groups starting with the letter "E". And totally different songs.

    Guess what, Calvinists who claim free will is a false gospel? When I hear people talk about free will, I hear two songs as different as the Eagles and Emotions songs. When some people say "free will", they mean "self-sovereignty," and I'm with the Calvinists on how wrong they are. But other times, "free will" is better seen as human responsibility, and that type of Free will has less chance of being a false gospel as the Indiana Pacers have of winning the Super Bowl. (For the sports challenged, the Pacers will NEVER will a Super Bowl, since they're a basketball team.)

6. WHILE DISCUSSING POSSIBILITIES, COULD BOTH CALVINISM AND ARMINIANISM HAVE THEIR PLACE IN THIS WORLD?

    Here's a thought I have. If witnessing to someone who believes he's the captain of his own ship, shouldn't we point out to him he isn't, and that God is sovereign over every area of his life? Likewise, when dealing with a secular pre-determinist who denies free will, would it be important to tell him that God holds him responsible for every decision he makes?

7. CAN WE "HONOR ALL MEN" (1 PET. 2:17) BY NOT CREATING CARICATURES NOT BASED ON REALITY?

    I'll admit I see more of this from Calvinists than the other way around, but I have no doubt Arminians can be guilty of this as well. I saw one Calvinist quote Hebrews 7:25 - "Therefore He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to Christ through Him," then claim that Arminians and two Arminian groups don't believe in the "through Him." At that time, I was in the Society of Evangelical Arminians, and asked them if they agreed with that characterizaton. The response was an unanimous NO!!!

    Another oft-used argument is Calvinists claim Arminians believe we have to give God permission to save us. Is that true? Probably with the more semi-pelagian territory. However, I disagree. God gives us invitational imperatives: "Come and let us reason together" (Isa. 1:18); "If you're thirsty, come to the water" (Isa. 55:1); Come all that are weary and heavyChar laden" (Matt. 11:28). "Come" is both an invitation but also a command. If we obey and come, He saves us. If we disobey the command and don't come, then we face the consequences of disobedience.

    Allow me to wrap this long but hopefully thought provoking blog with this story.

    One of my heroes of the faith is Charles Simeon, for several reasons, including the story I'm sharing which I first read in Warren Wiersbe's 50 People Every Christian Should Know: Learning from Spiritual Giants of the Faith; John Piper also mentioned it in a blog. Below is an account of a conversation between Charles Simeon and John Wesley, thanks to Simeon's biographer Handley Carr Glyn Moule (pp.79ff). Allow me to write it as a script so it's easier to follow.

Simeon:  Sir, I understand that you are called an Arminian; and I have been sometimes called a Calvinist; and therefore I suppose we are to draw daggers.  But before I consent to begin the combat, with your permission I will ask you a few questions.  Pray, Sir, do you feel yourself a depraved creature, so depraved that you would never have thought of turning to God, if God had not first put it into your heart?

Wesley:  Yes, I do indeed.

Simeon:  And do you utterly despair of recommending yourself to God by anything you can do; and look for salvation solely through the blood and righteousness of Christ?

Wesley:  Yes, solely through Christ.

Simeon:  But, Sir, supposing you were at first saved by Christ, are you not somehow or other to save yourself afterwards by your own works?

Wesley:  No, I must be saved by Christ from first to last.

Simeon:  Allowing, then, that you were first turned by the grace of God, are you not in some way or other to keep yourself by your own power? 

Wesley:  No. 

Simeon:  What then, are you to be upheld every hour and every moment by God, as much as an infant in its mother's arms? 

Wesley:  Yes, altogether.  

Simeon:  And is all your hope in the grace and mercy of God to preserve you unto His heavenly kingdom? 

Wesley:  Yes, I have no hope but in Him. 

Simeon:  Then, Sir, with your leave I will put up my dagger again; for this is all my Calvinism; this is my election, my justification by faith, my final perseverance: it is in substance all that I hold, and as I hold it; and therefore, if you please, instead of searching out terms and phrases to be a ground of contention between us, we will cordially unite in those things where in we agree. 

Why can't we have more conversations with each other like this on the topic of Calvinism and Arminianism?

 

TIPTOE-ING THROUGH (AND AROUND AND ON RARE OCCASSIONS ON) THE TULIPS, PART 2 OF 3 - BECOMING A "NOTA"

 

"Wesley/Watts Concert, Oct. 4, 1738" On that day, pastors/hymn writers Calvinist Isaac Watts and Arminians Charles and John Wesley conversed for an hour, then walked, sang, and conversed for another hour.

 

One unforgettable moment on-line was when on one post in a group one person stated, "Free will is a false gospel!" and another responded, "The Five Points of Calvinism are a false gospel!" So what did I do? I stood up to both bullies, because those two bozos were attacking my brothers and sisters in Christ, some of which are Calvinists, some are Arminians, and some don't identify as either, such as...

Actually, that leads me back to the student apartment I was in with Tom Cousins (in those days, my alma mater's men's dorm was one bedroom apartments with four occupants each). I told you he handed me the list of the five points of Arminianism and Calvinism, but I never told where I stood. (Review - the Arminian points were written first, and both sets following the death of John Calvin and Jacob Arminius.)

At that moment, I considered myself a 2.5 point Calvinist. I agreed completely with points 1 and 5 (respectively Total Depravity and Perseverance of the Saints). Like most of the faculty of the school, which I'm guessing were 4 point Calvinists, I did not agree with point 3 (Limited Atonement). However, I considered point 4 (Irresistible Grace) to be saying the same thing in different ways. Point 2 (Unconditional Election) was one I struggled with. I agreed with the concept of election: after all, that is clearly in Scripture. But the wording of that view made me uncomfortable, and I couldn't articulate why. 

As I stated in the previous installment, that was not a major part of my Christian life for years, until I moved into Indianapolis. True, I dealt with the related subject of the security of the believer, but the issue of how free-will and God's Sovereignty relate. However, since moving to the home of the 500, I've had several things influence my thinking. Here is a list of books and radio programs that caught my attention:

1. Listening to Grace To You (John MacArthur) and Renewing Your Mind (R.C. Sproul. I was familiar with MacArthur, though not in soteriology (doctrine of salvation), and had read some of his books. I had never heard of Sproul before. While these did not make a major impact, it got my mind thinking on the subject.
   
2. God's Lesser Glory: The Diminished God of Open Theism by Bruce Ware. Open Theism is a belief that denies true omni-science on God's part. While the main topic is theology, Ware introduced me to two concepts in the spectrum of soteriology: compatible free-will and Molina's middle knowledge. Again, this is more mind-expanding than mind-changing.
3. C. S. Lewis & Francis Schaeffer: Lessons for a New Century from the Most Influential Apologists of Our Time by Scott R. Burson and Jerry L. Walls. This book compared the theology and apologetics of Arminian Lewis and Schaeffer. Both authors lectured on Lewis and seemed to be more in agreement with him, and yet this book made me more of a Schaeffer fan. (Note - I had the honor of hearing Schaeffer speak.)
4. Four Views On Eternal Security (Zondervan's Counterpoint series). This book had four authors represent different views on eternal security - identified as Classic Calvinism (Michael Horton), Moderate Calvinism (Norman Geisler), Reformed Arminianism (Stephen Ashby) and Wesleyan Arminianism (J. Steven Harper) - with the proponents presenting the view and the other three responding. Before reading this book, I considered the views to fit neatly in a line with the two ends being the extremes of Calvinism and Arminianism and everything else being in between. This one-dimensional view was shattered - I see the debate now in a plain, not a line.
   
5. What Love Is This? Calvinism's Misrepresentation of God by David Hunt. Hunt wrote this book when people mentioned Sunday School teachers who tried to convince everybody Calvinism was the true gospel. I told you that I had thought the second point was Unmerited Favor; this book corrected that mistake. Now, I do not consider this book to say Calvinism is a false gospel like the person I mentioned above. He mentioned he had Calvinist  While I would not call myself Arminian, this book moved me to temporarily considering myself a non-Calvinist rather than a 2.5 pointer.
6. On-line Pages and groups "Reformed Thug Life", "Depraved Wretch", and "Arminian Memes Daily." I discovered and was blessed by the former two groups, but I realized I was getting just one side of theology, so I joined the third. I learned it would have better been called "Anti-Calvinist Memes Daily." Not what I needed. 
7. Arminian Theology: Realities and Myths by Roger Olsen. At this point, most of my knowledge of what Arminianism was came from Calvinists. So I decided to try to learn how Arminians describe themselves. This book was a big help. It seems he wrote it not to convert Calvinists into being Arminian, but rather to show that Arminianism belongs in the sphere of orthodox Christian thought as Calvinists do. He considered the views of Charles Finney and the latter Remonstrants not to be the classic Arminianism of Arminius, Wesley, and the early Remonstrants but more semi-Pelagianism. Olsen states classic Arminianism agreed with Calvinists on Total Depravity and that originally there was no definite position on security of the believer (meaning you can be a pro-eternal security Arminian). Finally, he also stated that while both Calvinists and Arminians are believers, they are different enough in belief that you can't be a hybrid (e.g. a Calminian); he allowed for a "neither" or not knowing what you are.
8. Jacob Arminius: The Man From Oudewater by Rustin Brian. A continuation of knowing what Arminianism really is. Did you know that Arminius lost his father early in life and a friend mentored him and sent him to school under Theodore Beza? How about that while he was at school Oudewater declared itself a Protestant town and thus Catholic mercenaries attacked, raping and killing the inhabitants (including Arminius' mother and siblings)? Was that evil carnage predestined by God or the depraved free will of evil men? That was the foundation of Arminianism.

So where does that leave me? Well, I never identified as an Arminian, though there was a time my theology would have made me Arminian. I'm probably still a 2.5 pointer. But I do feel God's Sovereignty is an important issue.

Another fact is that I believe most Calvinists and most Arminians are men who love God, believe the Bible is His Word, search the Scriptures, but still see through a glass dimly and as imperfect people this side of heaven are not perfect in theology. Same with any other debate between Christians. 

So now I consider myself a NOTA - None Of The Above. That absolves me of having to figure it all out - God never asked me to. Psalm 131 says, "Neither do I concern myself with great matters Nor with things to profound for me;" the free will/predestination debate falls into that category. In addition, it leaves me free to defend my fellow believers who are attacked, as mentioned above.

This does not prevent me from having thoughts on the subject. So there will be a part 3 of this series.

 

TIPTOE-ING THROUGH (AND AROUND AND ON RARE OCCASSIONS ON) THE TULIPS, PART 1 OF 3 - BACKGROUND

 

At Cool Creek Park, Westfield, IN

My hunch is the best known "family squabble" in Christianity is the Calvinist (Predestination)/Arminian (Free Will) debate. Of course, there are some in both camps who disown the other camp. 😭

If you asked me when I started Bible College my thoughts about Calvin, I'd reply that I'm not familiar with his presidency, but I knew he had a wry sense of humor. Yes, I had heard of Calvin Coolidge, but had no knowledge of John Calvin, or of Calvin Klein jeans or Calvin and Hobbes (the latter for good reason, since this was seven years before that comic started).

Two events that occurred in a day or two which introduced me to the subject. First, one of my professors teaching Old Testament Survey commented about a book and said it was a little too Calvinistic for the students. Shortly afterwards, one of my fellow students  said the teacher had no right to say that, and he handed me a booklet with the five points of Calvinism and the five points of Arminianism. (A little history - the Arminians came up with their points first, and the Calvinists' points were in response.) This friend, Tom Cousins, mentioned most of the college teachers were four point Calvinists, disagreeing with the concept of Limited Atonement. I'll tell you about my reaction in the next installment.

At this point, I'll ask you to fasten your seat belts, because this paragraph will travel from talking with my fellow student on a fall 1978 afternoon in Phoenix to mornings in Indianapolis in the late '90's. Here are the few developments in that theological tussle:

• In spring/summer '79, I learned Evie's song "Say I Do" contained some Calvinistic theology in it ("I guess Jesus didn't die for you.")
• In fall '79, I read the chapter on Calvin in Fox's Book Of Martyrs, which didn't deal much with the theology.
• During Christmas break, '80/'81, I spent part of the holiday with some friends whose father was a pastor who did not agree with Calvinism, saying Jesus didn't pick some to rescue while letting others drown.
• In Church History I in the fall of '85, I learned what Pelagianism was and thought it was similar to Arminianism. I also learned about Gnostic theology, and had the opinion that the "sparks of divinity" and dual pre-destination resembled Calvinism. Okay, please drop the stones - just my opinion back then.
• Same semester, another professor told us that he considered himself a four-and-a-half point Calvinist. I forgot what word he used to imply what was limited rather than atonement.
  
• In '95, I read a pamphlet about Calvinism from Calvary Chapel (I'm guessing it's written by Chuck Smith, but I'm not sure). One thing is the author thought the "u" in the TULIP acronym stood for "Unmerited Favor" instead of "Unconditional Election." (At that time, I would have made the same mistake without having read that pamphlet.)

I'll deal with the last 27 years in Indianapolis and how my views developed in the next two installments, but I'll give you a quick summary of my knowledge of this issue at that time:

1. I had no idea how Calvinistic most of my pastors at this point were - none dealt with the subject (or if they did, it went over my head). I did attend a couple of churches in predominately Arminian denominations, but even there it wasn't a major issue.
   
2. Due to a three year break from college and the revamping of the curriculum, I managed to escape college without taking either Romans or Soteriology (under the title "Doctrine of Salvation and the Church before I left and "Theology III" which also dealt with man, sin, and angels after I returned). As mentioned above, I took Church History I, which was pre-Reformation, but I didn't take the second semester.
3. Yes, this was the age before the internet, but I never heard anybody imply this was more than a family squabble. My belief was then (and still is) that both camps were true Christians.

It's at this point where I got introduced to this Civil Holy War.

SUNDAY HYMNS, PART 18 OF 22: O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM (ADVENT OF PEACE)

Cincinnati Zoo Nativity Scene

 

O little town of Bethlehem,
    How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
    The silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
    The everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
    Are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary,
    And gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
    Their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars together,
    Proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the King,
    And peace to men on earth!

How silently, how silently,
    The wondrous Gift is giv’n;
So God imparts to human hearts
    The blessings of His Heav’n.
No ear may hear His coming,
    But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still,
    The dear Christ enters in.

O holy Child of Bethlehem,
    Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in,
    Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
    The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
    Our Lord Emmanuel!

 

NOTES:

• This song is being posted on the 2nd Sunday of Advent - Advent of Peace. I mentioned last week about the differences between Advent songs (expecting Christ's coming) and Christmas songs (about Christ's birth). This is definitely a Christmas song, but I thought it would be appropriate looking at God's peace.
• Did you notice anything not completely typical about this nativity scene photo? It was a mild December day, and the person who kept the rabbit decided to let him out while she was cleaning up that area. I thought that the rabbit added to the peaceful look.
  
• You may have noticed, but "sin" is rarely mentioned at Christmas time (and not much if any more the rest of the year). What I like about this carol is it doesn't keep up with that (should I say sinful) tendency. It mentions in the third verse that we're "in this world of sin," and in the last verse it exhorts us to "Cast out our sin." 
• Speaking of verses, I consulted Cyber-hymnal to see if there were any besides the four I'm familiar with. The answer is "yes." The fourth verse is not included in my post, as it isn't in the hymnals I'm familiar with. You can click here to see the missing verse.
• One other bit of info on the Cyber-hymnal page (besides a picture at the bottom of the Church of the Nativity) is this about Phillips Brooks (who wrote the words to this hymn): "Brooks wrote about his horse­back jour­ney from Je­ru­sa­lem to Beth­le­hem, where he as­sist­ed with the mid­night ser­vice on Christ­mas Eve, 1865:
   
  
  'I re­mem­ber stand­ing in the old church in Beth­le­hem, close to the spot where Je­sus was born, when the whole church was ring­ing hour af­ter hour with splen­did hymns of praise to God, how again and again it seemed as if I could hear voic­es I knew well, tell­ing each oth­er of the Won­der­ful Night of the Sav­ior’s birth.'
  
  
  

INTERVIEW WITH ZHARLIE SAMBEKO AND FREDRIK BERGMAN OF SWEDISH BAND SOUNDLESS WHISPER

Soundless Whisper: clockwise from left: Nathanael, Fredrik, Mikael, and Zharlie (in front).

Okay, maybe there are countries that I like their music a little better. My favorite mainstream band is the Aussie Little River Band. One of my favorite Christian bands is Canadian quartet known as The Daniel Band. I've also been fond of Swedish bands like Europe, Abba, and Roxette. This year I've added two Swedish Christian bands to the list: Dark Valentine, who I interviewed earlier this year, and Soundless Whisper. 

Would you be surprised if I discovered them in the group Female Christian Rock & Metal? I didn't think so. Today, I have the privilege to interview band members Zharlie Sambeko (singer, guitarist, and songwriter) and Fredrik Bergman (keyboards, song arrangement).  

JR: Welcome to my blog. I would like to ask about how the band started and who's all in it. 

ZS: In 2010 we got a new pastor in our church and I wrote a ”rock-song” to play at his first service as our pastor. We had talked to him before and I included some thoughts on his vision for our church in the song. During this time Fredrik and I were in another band called Shadows of Paragon who play Christian extreme metal (we still are by the way). After doing this song in church we thought it was fun to play this style of music also, and decided to form a band.

We got a drummer and a lead singer, and I did back-up vocals, but after some time they both left the band. So we spent quite some time trying to find new members, and we ended up having Fredrik's brother Mikael as our new drummer. He is a very talented and experimental drummer, and taking him in, also meant that our sound changed quite a bit. 

Later we asked a friend who also is a great bass player, Nathanael, to join us. And Fredrik switched from bass to keyboard which also had an impact on our sound. We struggled to find a singer, and one day we went to a Petra concert in Sweden, and got the chance to greet the band, and we took the chance to speak with John, and gave him a CD with our demo songs and asked if he would do a guest performance. We said we would keep in touch, and later we found out that he really liked our songs and decided to do some guest vocals for us. I ended up taking the lead vocals on the rest of the parts/songs.

JR: How did you become a Christian? 

ZS: People may think I am crazy for remembering this, but I had a vivid memory and I must have been no more than 3 years old (because it was before my knee surgery I had when I was 4), and I remember it was Easter and my parents who were Christian talked about a Man who lived in Israel and He was a wonderful man who healed sick people and was really nice to people. I must have missed the part that it all happened 2000 years ago, because I thought He was living on earth today. On Long Friday they talked about Jesus dying…and everyone was sad…and for me it happened in real time. And that Sunday He rose from the dead! I the whole time I thought it was happening today, in Israel. And I remember my mom having a conversation with my older brother, about receiving Jesus into your heart  and I remember that I secretly joined in that prayer.

FB: I was raised in a Christian family. When I was 14 years old, I had a special encounter with God, and was immediately healed from my asthma/allergies. From that day, I became a believer independent of my family’s faith. 

JR: Would you like to tell us about your latest single "Dark Cage"?

FB: "Dark Cage" is one of the songs John sings on. It’s also the song we chose to make a music video for. It’s a catchy song with influences from both rock and metal. The lyrics are about a person who is going through depression, and John is the encouraging voice from God to that person. We think John did a fantastic job and we are thankful that he also chose to be part of our music video.

ZS: After hearing John’s testimony of how deep in drugs he was and how God sent people in a very specific time to save him from all that, we understand that he can relate to our lyrics and we think that also gives a deeper meaning to his presence in our songs.

JR: Who would you say have been mentors/influences/heroes (for a lack of a better term) both in your faith and in music?

FB: Both Zharlie and I have a background in a performance-oriented Christianity where God was righteous, but strict and demanding. Some years ago we found a deeper understanding of grace and freedom in Christ. There are many pastors preaching grace but it mostly comes from the Apostle Paul’s teaching on the balance of grace and faith. Musically, Petra have been a great influence and also a lot of metal bands.

ZS: When I was younger I listened to a lot of Christian rock and metal bands, anything I could get my hands on. Petra was one of them, and I always thought John Schlitt was an amazing singer. I remember I used to think ”it probably doesn’t matter what words he sing, it will still sound good”. I also really like Amy Lee and Evanescence - they have definitely inspired our sound. 

JR: Were there any memorable experiences in recording and/or performing? And have you had a chance to come to this side of the pond yet?

FB: We have played very few times live so far. We have focused on writing and producing the music. We have recorded and produced everything ourselves in our own studio. Years back, our teacher in music production used to say ”you never finish a mix, you just have to choose when to abandon it”. We have worked for so many years with this album that we actually feel that we DID finish it.

I didn’t plan to master this album myself because I felt that other people could do it better than me. One summer I sat and experimented a little bit with mastering, and during a couple of days I felt like God revealed knowledge about mastering in a supernatural way. Suddenly I realized that we don’t have to hire someone else to do this, but we can do it ourselves. For me this is one thing that leads me to believe that God really has a purpose for this album.

ZS: Studio memory: It was only a couple years ago we came to the conclusion that I was gonna do the lead vocals. I don’t really have a strong, powerful voice, so I spent hours in the studio trying different methods and trying to sing with attack and edge. It was also a challenge to find the right vocal style for the different songs. In "Anything is Possible" I felt that I didn’t want to follow the beat very exactly because it takes away some of the sensitivity and passion of the song, so in the beginning I am purposely a little off beat.  So I did a lot of experimenting between singing very softly - like in the beginning of "Love Will Heal", or in "Escape Those Dreams" - and trying to sing very ”angrily” like in "Dismayed", "Dark Cage" and "Stop Running".

I lived in California when I was younger, but I have never played in the U.S. Of course we would want to come there some day, if a door opens up.

JR: What's it like being a Christian band in Sweden? What challenges are there that may not be here in the U.S.? How have you dealt with COVID? And what are sources of encouragement you've had during these trials? 

FB: I imagine there is a bigger scene for Christian bands in the U.S. because you have more people and more Christian people who will listen. The Christian rock/metal scene was a a lot bigger in Sweden about twenty years ago than it is now. It’s impossible to only depend on local listeners, but through internet we have a chance to reach people worldwide and that’s what we try to do. COVID did not affect us so much, partly because Sweden probably had the lightest restrictions in Europe, but also because we mostly worked in our studio and we never needed to have more people than allowed. 

JR: Thank you for your time. What project(s) are you working on? How can we keep up with your ministry?

FB: We work on a lot of different projects from pop to extreme metal, but we try to prioritize to get more time for Soundless Whisper. Follow us on social media (like our webpage and our Facebook page) to keep up! 

ZS: I am working on a solo album that is sing/song-writer style. Hope to finish it 23/24 sometime.