Always Reforming

Christmas is not about gifts (we all know that, right?). Christmas is also not about  that  feeling you get  this  time of year; or ...the pretty lights, Hallmark movies, and idyllic blankets of snow; or ...the table full of Grandma's home cooking; or even ...family. No, Christmas is not about family. Now, all those things are good and wonderful in their place, gifts from God to be specially appreciated this time of year, but Christmas is not about any of those things. Christmas is about Jesus Christ. Christmas is Christ's Mass, a high feast day (season, actually) dedicated to the worship and remembrance of Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah. Christmas is about Emmanuel, God with us, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity incarnate. Christmas is about the Word, tabernacled among us to save us from the guilt and corruption of sin. Christmas is about the Light of the World, come to dispel the darkness wrought by the Fall.  So, celebrate with your families.  Enjoy the food and festivit

Confession: I flirted with Full Preterism  (FP) for a minute back in the day. If you like to stay abreast of controversies within the conservative Reformed world, you have most likely caught wind of the goings on related to  Gary DeMar .  Once the well-beloved author, speaker, and President of American Vision, DeMar has recently becomes controversial, more for the things he refuses to say than for what he has actually said.  His critics can point to few statements made or views espoused, but have called him out for refusing to clarify his views regarding important doctrines like The Second Coming, The Physical Resurrection of the Body, etc.  In short, he has repeatedly refused to affirm the historic, orthodox positions on these matters, choosing rather to equivocate and misdirect. This would be a red flag for any theologian, but it is doubly dangerous when the aforementioned theologian's specialty is Eschatology.  The debate has mostly remained confined to the dark recesses of soci

The idea that everyone should vote, that every voice matters , is patently false.   We all know this.   We do not allow certain groups of people to vote because we do not trust that they would make wise decisions.  For instance, we do not allow thirteen-year-olds to vote because we know that they are generally not mature enough to weigh issues or evaluate candidates and make well-informed decisions.  Certain criminals are barred from voting  because they have demonstrated that they do not respect the rule of law and are not qualified to influence the political direction of our nation.   We are all fully aware and supportive of this principle--certain people should not vote.   So it should not be shocking to suggest that we should have some sort of objective standard, say, a basic civic literacy test that one passes before he can participate in the electoral system. But it's my God-given right to vote! you declare.  Okay.  I'll grant that, but it also your right to drive a car,

Cancel culture is easy. Cancel culture is the easy way out. Cancel culture is for the lazy and unmotivated. Cancel culture is for the weak of mind and faint of heart. It's easy to write someone off because he said a word, shared a social media post, or quoted an author. It's easy to assume guilt by association. It's easy to destroy a person's career or excise him from your life because he misspoke or holds an opinion that bristles the hair on the back of your neck. It's easy to pick sides and beat the tribal drum. It's easy to get offended or triggered. It's easy to hate. Getting along is much harder. Nuance is much more difficult. Forgiveness is far more complex. Maintaining relationships requires way more effort and sacrifice. Covering a multitude of sins with love is painful. Having conversations takes time.

For the last few months I have been studying the so-called New Perspective on Paul .  While there are, of course, disparate views held by proponents of the NPP, there are enough central tenets to categorize the NPP as a unique perspective within the history of Biblical exegesis.  I have found my study to be somewhat frustrating as I have failed to come to concrete convictions on some of the different issues that comprise the debate.  This post will be a shotgun expression of my thoughts on the subject with the goal of clarifying some of my own opinions. 1) I am generally dissatisfied with the way that modern Evangelicals and even many Reformed folks express the works/faith dynamic.  I affirm the Reformed doctrine that Justification comes by grace through faith alone, but I think that the arguments between Protestants and Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Church of Christ, etc. are often framed in improper categories.  Faith works.  It is more than assent.  Faith is by definition loyal

I don't generally get excited about biopics, but when I heard that Baz Luhrmann was directing one about  Elvis , I thought it was the perfect pairing.  The final result did not disappoint.  Luhrmann managed to recreate the bright lights and pandemonium of Elvis's career, while simultaneously bringing a "bigger than life" rock star down to Earth.  Despite Luhrmann's lurid directorial style and Tom Hanks' caricature of Colonel Tom Parker, the film, equal parts entertaining and emotionally engaging, humanized a man most of us know only as a brand .  I suggest we allow Baz to helm all future biopics of pop culture icons. While my wife and I both thoroughly enjoyed the film, when the credits rolled, we were both left feeling what can only be described as sad .   As music lovers we were saddened that such talent and personal charisma were wasted.  Sure, Elvis had a relatively long and accomplished career by most standards, but he passed at a youthful 42, meaning th

My father was never a wealthy man, monetarily speaking, but among the few valuable physical possessions he left were his books.  Back in the Spring I decided to read Van Til's Apologetic by Greg Bahnsen after discussing it with a friend.  I went on Amazon to buy a copy, but, after seeing the price, I remembered that my father had a copy, so I claimed it and dug in.  I'm glad I did. Reading this book, this copy of this book, was one of the most surreal experiences of my life, primarily for two reasons.  Firstly, my father conveniently marked in this book (see pics below) with various colors of highlighters, which allowed me to underline in black pen without disrupting his markings.  I typically prefer to buy fresh, unmarked copies of books so that I can mark them up myself, but there was definitely something cool about reading and marking up a copy of a book that my father had so heavily marked himself.  It was as if I were following a path trodden by my father decades before. 

It's that time of year again!  The days are getting noticeably shorter,  first day pictures are cluttering up our social media timelines, and those ugly yellow buses are making us late for work again.  A new school year has begun!  It's an exciting time--it's a scary time--as students, parents, and teachers embark on new adventures and experience new first s. It's also the time of year when people begin to notice that some kids don't get on those yellow buses every morning.  Strangers wonder why your kids are at the park during normal school hours or why they look confused when asked, "What grade are you in?"  It's the time of year that homeschoolers start to stick out (well, even more than they usually do). My goal here today is not to tell other parents how to raise their children.  That's not my job, nor, I suspect, would anyone listen anyway.  My goal is to offer a reasoned explanation of why our family chooses to educate our children priva

Back home For A moment Breathing in The sunset Bathing in This Marlboro sky Some things never change They say Speechless And Nostalgic Lost in clouds that Formed The landscape of  My life Some things never change I hope.

We are at a crossroads.  Our nation is at a particularly poignant point in her history, intellectually, legislatively, and morally speaking.  I believe that the next few years will have an effect (positively or negatively) on generations to come that few time periods have had. I happen to be reading a book right now that analyses the Presuppositional Apologetic of Cornelius Van Til, and I have found it to be incredibly helpful in understanding how to interact with unbelievers in the midst of our tumultuous political climate.  One of Van Til's emphases (developed by Bahnsen ) is the stark antithesis between the worldview of the believer and that of the unbeliever.  Regardless of the apparent points of contact we may seem to have in common, we truly see (or ought to see) everything differently.  Every single aspect of life, every fact , is colored by our greater worldview. Most people agree that 2+2=4, but we have different reasons for that conviction.  For the Christian, the fact

I work for a water treatment company, and one of the most common questions we receive is, "Do you perform free testing?" to which I invariably reply, "What kind of testing?"  We perform multiple kinds of testing, some of which are free and some of which are not.  The term  testing  is itself too ambiguous to be helpful.  So it is with the term choice . Liberals love to identify themselves as champions of choice , but they don't really believe in unfettered choice for individuals.  Nobody does, really.  In fact, Liberals, advocates as they normally are for big government, generally believe in limiting the choices of individual citizens far more often than Conservatives do.   Undefined  choice is a meaningless concept.  One is always choosing between one or more options, and some choices are immoral and/or illegal.  We all, even the most Libertarian amongst us, accept this fact.  If my choice impinges on the rights of my neighbor, then I am not free to make that

11 years since you became my wife, 11 years with the love of my life. 11 years since we said I do , 11 years of lying next to you. 11 years since oaths made before God, 11 years of defying the odds. 11 years since you gave me your hand, 11 years as the luckiest man. 11 years--what babies we were! 11 years and 4 babies later. 11 years shared learning to live, 11 years learning to forgive. 11 years of heartaches and crises, 11 years sharing our worries. 11 years of discovery, 11 years of putting up with me. 11 years with my lover, my friend, 11 years with my rock, my Godsend. 11 years of heart and home joy-brimming, 11 years is just the beginning.

Let's get some things out of the way.  Firstly, I was never a Trump guy.  I didn't vote for him either time, primarily due to ethical concerns.  Secondly, gas was artificially low towards the end of Trump's tenure because of the shutdown.  Too few conservatives remember or acknowledge that.  Thirdly, Trump sent out the first stimulus, much to his chagrin (I think).  Politically speaking, he had absolutely no choice. Nevertheless, we must give credit where it is due.  One thing Donald Trump had going for him was that he honestly cared about America's working man.  I know, I know...that's political sloganeering from time immemorial, but Trump's background, demeanor, and actions certainly appeared to demonstrate a genuine pride in America and concern for her citizens. That is more than can be said of Biden. One more thing to get out of the way.  When I say Biden , I'm really referring to his handlers--those people (whoever they may be) who are actually running

Whenever a mass shooting occurs, especially at a school, two questions go through my head: 1) What kind of prescription medication was the shooter taking? 2) What kind of family life did the shooter have? It seems like the majority of time I can answer these questions without bothering to read the coverage. Firearms are, fundamentally speaking, tools.  Tools do their masters' bidding, enabling those who wield them effectively to accomplish their goals or ends more efficiently.  These goals can be productive (building houses, preparing food, etc.) or destructive (theft, murder, etc.).  Throughout history firearms have been used for many productive purposes, especially hunting and self-defense (individually and nationally). This concept is not difficult to understand.  We all recognize it in our daily lives.  Many medicines and supplements are poisons if taken in excessive dosages, many household products can be deadly if not used carefully, many machines in factories can lead to inj

Originally written on 5/19/15. Your love is an ocean, Washing over me In never-ending waves, Potent, yet serene. Your love is an anchor, Keeping me secure Through the whirlwinds of life, Established and sure.

Modern culture, fixated on the ideals of self-actualization and personal happiness, tells us that a life of sacrifice, of living for others, is a life wasted.  Noble it may be, but self-denial is ultimately misguided.  Rather, self-gratification and self-realization, these are the greatest goods towards which the modern man, naturalistic and nihilistic, can strive. Our Lord Jesus imparted precisely the opposite mindset.  Pick up your cross and follow me , He instructed.  Greater love has no man , He said, than to lay down his life for his friends.  No, it is not in self-assertion or self-seeking, but in sacrifice and service to others, that we will find true fulfillment.  To find meaning, joy, and purpose we must prioritize the needs of others.  To find happiness we must spurn it.  Paradoxically, true self-advancement comes through deference.  To live we must die. I'll leave you with the words of St. Paul from Phil 2. So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from lov

I have written about abortion several times before (most recently here ), but the potential overturning of RvW would seem to warrant a fresh word on the subject.   Abortion is, simply put, heinous.  If the common methods of abortion were employed in the execution of capital criminals, human rights organizations would be up in arms.  Modernists have a particularly casual way of couching cold-blooded infanticide in confusing medical terminology and political slogans. The act of abortion is absolutely horrifying, but uglier still may be what abortion reveals about the hearts of men.  The Internet has been a dark place in the wake of this leak as pro-abortion liberals have shown their true colors.  When abortion was being debated 50 years ago, our medical and technological capabilities were significantly different.  While this certainly does not excuse the horrors our nation has perpetrated upon the unborn, it does explain the common notion that a fetus is in some sense subhuman, a blob,

It is no wonder that those who celebrate the Lord's Table quarterly (if that) have little use for a penitential season like Lent.  When our religion is entirely propositional and intellectual, it often becomes stripped from the reality of our physical bodies.  When worship is reduced to listening to a theological lecture and singing (or mouthing) some choruses, we have gnostically disregarded our bodies as nothing more than hapless bystanders before the throne of grace. Lent teaches us to say "No" to ourselves. Lent teaches us to be moderate, even in good things. Lent teaches us to worship the Creator and not His Creation, the Giver and not the gifts, the Provider and not His provision. Lent teaches us that we are dust, wholly weak and worthless apart from our Creator and Redeemer. Lent teaches us that something far greater than this world awaits us. Lent is a devotional tool that helps us apply the principles of the Bible.  It is a voluntary season of physical acts that

His hands, Pierced, His brow, Bloodied, His back, Striped, For me. Behold! What love, My gain was His loss, Behold! What love, That took the shape of a cross. His life, Spotless, His death, Brutal, His love, Unmatched, For us. Behold! What love, Our gain was His loss, Behold! What love, That took our place on the cross. His cup, Drunk, The Wrath, Appeased, His passion, Finished, For us. Behold! What love, Our gain was His loss, Behold! What Love, Who placed Himself on that cross. His tomb, Empty, His name, Gloried, My flesh, Risen, With His. Behold! What love, My gain was His loss, Behold! Such love, Compels me to bear my cross.

The Church is corporal.  It is not a corporation. The Church needs shepherds.  It does not need CEOs. The Church is grown by Jesus Christ through faithful Christians empowered by the Holy Spirit, not by business development techniques.  Sloganeering and strategizing have no place in the Church of Jesus Christ.  Of course, self-awareness, intentionality, and planning for the future are not unbiblical, but churches borrowing growth methods from secular sources is sure to have unintended consequences.  Improper methods are also often indicative of improper goals and an improper orientation. When clergy gatherings sound like board meetings, something is amiss. If anything is to be gleaned from the explosion of ephemeral megachurches, it is that proper discipleship requires the Gospel and the Sacraments, not concerts and consulting firms.  Organization is wise and proper, but resorting to modern business models often reveals a lack of faith in the Faith once handed down. Clergy and lay le

To sit, To focus, To slow down, To contemplate. To rest, To reflect, To find peace, To meditate. To write, To have time, To be still, To concentrate. To be, To make time, To enjoy, To ruminate.

Education is important.  Education is vital.  Education is paramount. This has been the universal opinion of tyrants, religionists, economists, and zealots of all persuasions.  In fact, the importance of education is one of the few things upon which virtually all philosophies can agree.  The intentional and systematic training of our children is obviously a good thing.  What could be more important than the formation of the minds of our young?  What is more powerful than the opportunity to shape the worldview of those who will one day lead our nation?  What is more lasting, more enduring, than determining the content and perspective of the education of those who will one day bury you? You may be surprised to hear me say, then, that my favorite hashtag is #abolishgovernmentschools.  You see, too many people (most of whom attended government schools) believe that opposition to government involvement in an activity is equivalent to opposition to that activity itself.  Nothing could be fur

Proponents of Capitalism, Socialism, Communism, etc. often level charges of greed at the adherents of opposing systems, and they're often all correct.  Greed, you see, is the precisely the problem.  It is ubiquitous; universal; like death and taxes, unconquerable.  Search as you may, throughout the world and the annals of time, you will find no political/economic system, no nation (industrialized or third world), and no heart, excepting that of our Lord alone, that is perfectly free from this evil of greed. The first step, then, to designing a proper and realistic political/economic system is to recognize the  presence and persistence of greed in the human heart.  No matter how much progress we create, how many committees we conjure, or how many slogans we coin, we will never purge this evil from our society.  It is irremediable.  It is irradicable. So, unable to eliminate this pock from the hearts of men and the institutions of our society, we seek to circumvent it.  We craft a s

The threat, The promise, Of change, The comfort, The curse, Of stagnation. How exciting! How frightening! This prospect of Standing on my Own two feet. The weight, The blessing, Of potential, The relief, The conflict, Of decision. How exciting! How frightening! This prospect of Standing on my Own two feet. Nothing ventured, Nothing risked, Nothing sought, Nothing lost, There is safety in comfort, But there is danger in safety, There is safety in stillness, But, ah, The opportunities that lie Behind this upheaval. How exciting! How frightening! This prospect of Standing on my Own two feet. And leaping...

To lose money, Unfortunate. To lose belongings, Disappointing. To lose a job, Manageable. To lose an opportunity, Defeating. To lose your way, Confusing. To lose a person, Irretrievable.

It's been almost a year, It feels like yesterday. It's been almost a year now, It feels like a lifetime ago.   It's been almost a year, And still, I dream of you, Back at school, Baseball games, Unfinished goals, I'm just a stupid kid again. It's been almost a year, And yet, I pull out my phone to text you Things I think you'd want to know, Meatloaf died, Faith Church closed, Michigan finally beat OSU. It's been almost a year, And how! The longest year of my life, And the quickest, too, Too much change, Yet not enough, Many, too many early graves. It's been almost a year? Wasn't it yesterday? It's been almost a year now? Are you sure it wasn't a lifetime ago?

When a church becomes nothing more than a therapeutic self-help institution, it loses the very thing for which it strives-- relevance .  If people want therapy, they have plenty of options--friends, lovers, counsellors, even the bottle--many of which are more fun and/or less expensive.  What people need from the Church is not therapy, but the Gospel.   Now, there may be instances where this life-altering Gospel alleviates the need for therapy.  When people are taught to seek first the Kingdom of Christ, other benefits--mental, physical, emotional, and financial--often accrue.  Nevertheless, that is not the primary role the Church has been called to fill.  The Gospel may occasionally replace therapy, but therapy can never replace the Gospel.

One of the most common exhortations throughout the Scriptures is to  stand firm, endure, etc .  The letters of Paul are particularly replete with this clarion call to hold fast to the Faith in the face of heresy and persecution.  One of the most famous, and perhaps most controversial, of these passages is found in 2 Thessalonians 2:15 : So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. Hmm... I think this is one of those passages that many people have read over time and time again without really comprehending what is being said.  As a member of a denomination that is historically tied to the Protestant Reformation, I am forced to ask:  How do Protestants account for this? The Reformers, disenchanted with the endless traditions of the Roman Catholic Church, established the Scriptures as their exclusive foundation for doctrine, practice, and worship.  They viewed themselves not as revolutionaries, but as rest

Originally written on 1/31/17. What an adventure! What an expedition! Exploring the dark recesses of my own soul, Afraid to discover, Yet afraid to leave Undiscovered The secrets that lie beneath this pale exterior. As my head is beset by grays, I begin to see Just how fine is the line between Genius and insanity. These words, These pages turned, These evanescent lives are nothing more Than my mortal fears personified for So few eyes to see. My dreams, They seem To vanish without hope of Realization. Do I dare to enter into my own Psyche? Do I dare to venture deeper into These shrouded ruins? These abyssal caverns hide what No eye need behold, These catacombs--uncharted--can they Bare to be exposed? Deep below the surface is where The best stories grow, I fear it takes pain and sorrow To produce a Poe. As my head is beset by grays, I begin to see Just how fine is the line between Genius and insanity.

The New Testament is not a monolith.  Rather, the New Testament is a collection of writings .  Whatever we say about the New Testament (or the Bible as a whole), we should be clear that Scriptures , not Scripture , is the more technical, as well as the more traditional, term.  With hesitation I use the pronoun it when referring to the New Testament according to modern convention and in the interest of convenience. The New Testament is not a book of dogma, nor is it a Systematic Theology.  Rather, these writings were addressed to different people in different contexts responding to very different, very specific situations.  When we read an imperative in the New Testament, we should not automatically assume that we are receiving a direct command.  In other words, the New Testament is occasionally  descriptive with no thought of being prescriptive .  The New Testament is not exhaustive.  It does not, nor does it attempt to, speak to every potential issue, whether ethical, liturgical,

First written sometime in the distant past. Heaping bowls of popcorn, Wiffle ball in the back yard, Vicious snowball fights, Church--every Sunday, Dr. Who, Diagnosis Murder, Tragedy, A scar down the middle of her chest. Potluck dinners after church, Glop, The state of Virginia, Cousins, Early Edition, The Marx Brothers, Strained relationships, A scar down the middle of our hearts. The old Maple tree, Broken swimming pools, The dog we never had, The cats we loved, TGIF, Sanford and Son, Lessons learned too early, A coffin in the ground. A big, green house, A big, gray house, A fireplace, A wrap-around couch, Martin Luther (in black and white), The Thin Man, Missed opportunities, A giant hole in our lives. Kool-Aid in the Summer, Russian Tea in the Winter, The warmth of a family, Emotional paralysis, Star Trek, Charade, Siblings, A lifetime ago.

Hectic days and Restless nights, A smelly spouse and Bickering kids, Endless laundry and Tear-stained PACEs, Baby,  I see you. Bodily fluids and Misplaced socks, Rearranged furniture and Dinner ideas, Rambunctious pets and Neighborhood kids, Baby, I see you. Christmas shopping and Christmas lights, Christmas hair and Christmas dresses, All that work for  A COVID Christmas, Baby, I see you.

Originally written on January 13th, 2015. Dear Momma, I've got a few things I need to say: I miss you and I love you, And I'm sorry I took you for granted, I was too young to understand How deeply I would feel your absence. Hey Momma, Sometimes I wonder: What would you think about The course I've chosen? Would you be mad that I got Your name tattooed on my back? What would you be like If you were still here? What would I be like If you were still here? Hey Momma, One thing I wish I could see Is you with your grandchildren, And I'm sad I never really got to know you, Not truly--not in your prime. Hey Momma, I miss you and I love you, And, oh, Tell Jesus Hi for me.

The shock, The peace, The revelation of My own mediocrity. Am I losing it ? Did I ever have it ? Mind [       ], Fingers restless, Writing about Nothing But my own Writer's block. The pain, The frustration, Mental impotence, Creative constipation. How vulgar! How common. Why can't I write  Like I did back then? Did I ever write Anything worth reading? The comfort, The complacency, The resolution Of giving up.

Allow me to begin with a clarification.  I really don't want to be that guy.  We all hate that guy--the guy who reads some book and suddenly changes everything he believes; the guy who reads one big, fat book and suddenly knows more than anyone else who ever read books, earned degrees, or practiced pastoral ministry.   I hope and pray that I am not being that guy.   Nevertheless, The Shape of the Liturgy is one of those books.  It is one of those books that has the potential to inspire a Copernican Revolution is one's theological universe.  This book, if one is determined enough to dig in and mine through the tedious details and footnotes, will expose the reader to historical facts, theological concepts, and liturgical practices of which the vast majority of modern Christians, Protestants especially, are completely unaware.  The author , an Anglican monk, opens up a world, strange and compelling, which most Christians don't know exists.    The Shape of the Liturgy is p