This just in from the Onion News Network (a favorite news organization of mine)

Musical Instruments in Worship – James B Jordan

From our Reformation Covenant Church Family Camp

Here is another talk that Jim gave at camp that provides some of his general thoughts about music in the church.

Abandon Earth or Face Extinction, Stephen Hawking Warns -- Again

It’s always fun to interact with the big thoughts of some of the greatest thinkers of our time.  One such commonly acknowledged mental giant is the British astrophysicist, theoretical physicist and ostensible philosopher/prophet: Stephen Hawking.  In a recent interview with Think Big,  Hawking warned that the long-term future of the planet is in outer space.  The interview is provided to us in the video link below.  Sadly, his voice is slightly garbled due to “our technical ability to change the environment for good.”

Now, being the mental midget that I am, its probably the height of foolishness to display my ignorance so publicly and against such a tremendous intellect as his – I just can’t help myself.

My thoughts, such as they are, can be seen in bold below.

Stephen Hawking: I believe that the long term future of the human race must be in space. It will be difficult enough to avoid disaster on planet Earth in the next hundred years, let alone the next thousand, or million.

Well, at least (like me), he has a long term view of the human race. But unlike me, the earth is central to humanity’s survival and blessing. Jesus has not given up on either man or earth, and will sustain both by His gracious will and power. I too believe that space is a place of man’s dominion activity and will indeed occupy areas of space that we cannot now contemplate.

The human race shouldn’t have all its eggs in one basket, or on one planet. Let’s hope we can avoid dropping the basket until we have spread the load.

The analogy seems a strange one, and although I have no desire to stretch it too far,what is it exactly that he intends for us to spread? I’m guessing that it is the eggs that we are blessed with, and not the chicken waste that we wish be rid of. But he seems to be saying that we should not be placing all of our hope for survival as a race on the resources of earth, and yet what resources are we likely to find in space? It seems to me that, for the most part, much of what we will need for survival in space will have to be brought with us. Maybe I’m missing something.

I see great dangers for the human race. There have been a number of times in the past when its survival has been a question of touch and go. The Cuban missile crisis in 1963 was one of these.

OOOOhhhh, aaawwww! [I can't get it our of my head that in the first sentence he sounds like some fortune teller speaking from out of a trance] Great dangers that require our leaving the earth to survive! That sounds bad. What evidence is there that the human race has been in danger of extinction? Oh, yes – the Cuban missile crisis. I should have thought of that. Even in retrospect, it’s hard to see that 1963 was such an ominous time that we should remember it as a watershed moment for the human race. Such events are that scary only to those what place their hope in men, rather than Jesus, who has all been given all authority on earth and in heaven and will bring humanity and the earth through to a glorious future.

The frequency of such occasions is likely to increase in the future. We shall need great care and judgment to negotiate them all successfully.

Really – why? Certainly we have many more crisis to negotiate through – but will these necessarily be more frequent? Is it merely that they have happened in the past? Is it because we have more destructive power and weaponry and less restraint than before? Will we see an increase of world extinction possibilities because men are less careful and less able to negotiate with our enemies?

But I’m an optimist. If we can avoid disaster for the next two centuries, our species should be safe, as we spread into space.

What a relief! I was beginning to think there was no hope when such a great mind is predicting that we will have more frequent crises times than before. If we can leave all the bad people on earth, maybe we can be safe in space. What a relief to know that we can so effectively parcel out the good from the bad and send the good elements of our “species” to the peaceful environs of space. Or did he mean we should send the bad ones into space? I’m not sure. But at least their is hope, if we can only make it though the next 200 years. By the way: why 200 years? What happens after that? But at least he’s optimistic.

If we are the only intelligent beings in the galaxy, we should make sure we survive and continue.

What if we aren’t the only intelligent beings? Does that mean we will not survive? Oh, maybe he means that since we are the only intelligent beings we just need to work harder to survive – since we can’t expect any help from anyone that is not of our world. Maybe we should consider that God is an intelligent being, and we should pray to Him for survival, and trust His promises that we humans will indeed continue! Oh, yeah, I forgot, there is no God! Or at least, not a God that is not bound by the laws of science.

But we are entering an increasingly dangerous period of our history. Our population and our use of the finite resources of planet Earth, are growing exponentially, along with our technical ability to change the environment for good or ill.

Here we go again with the increasingly dangerous and more frequently crises prone prognosis for the future. What happened to the optimism? Our over population problems (read: modern myth) and resource gobbling habits are a serious threat – but I wonder if the science and technological abilities of man (in which he so ardently trusts) can indeed provide solutions to many of the planetary problems we face?

But our genetic code still carries the selfish and aggressive instincts that were of survival advantage in the past.

Now we get to the nub of the problem for humanity – Genetics! Poor us – we have not found a way yet to manipulate the code sufficiently to eradicate our selfishness. If only the The Human Genome Project (HGP) could be relied upon to tame our aggressive instincts, we wouldn’t have to abandon the earth for space! If only we could stop the evolutionary process so that we didn’t need to use the same survival tools we did when we were more primitive. But then again, maybe the evolutionary process needs to continue and our genetic codes do not need to be modified because the survival of the fittest will assure our safety and continuance.

No sense in seeing our problems as based in sin and rebellion to God who reveals His wrath against those who suppress the truth in their unrighteousness. That would involve admitting that there is a God that is not bound by scientific laws. No sense in that!

It will be difficult enough to avoid disaster in the next hundred years, let alone the next thousand or million.

Things are getting worse already. I thought we had two centuries to avoid disaster – but now only 100 years? Lions and tigers and bears, Oh,  my!!!

Our only chance of long term survival, is not to remain inward looking on planet Earth, but to spread out into space.

Okay, good – we are back to hope again for long term survival.  Our hope is to spread out into the black beyond! May be can leave Cuba and our genetics here! That’s got to be what he means, right?

We have made remarkable progress in the last hundred years. But if we want to continue beyond the next hundred years, our future is in space.

What’s with the magic number of 100 years? Are we doomed to not making any more progress here on earth in the next 100 years? Has the progress of the last century simply ceased? Or do we just need more room to do experiments in?

That is why I’m in favor of manned, or should I say “personed,” space flight.

Yikes – He almost made a politically incorrect gaff. At least he caught himself at the last moment so that we can be assured that he’s not a  misogynist, sexist pig!  Maybe inequality is the great evil on earth that threatens us with extinction! I can’t see anything else in what he said that would lead me to share his concerns!

But then again – I have only a little bird brain compared to his brilliant insights!

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. ” (Romans 1:16–25, NKJV)

Creation of Adam

Ostensible [Neo-Evangelical] Conservatives Temper Longman & Peter Enns both have a difficult time with the biblical record of creation  – and while wanting to be faithful to the Bible (we should seldom try to read motives into other peoples’ statements – but I do so with a judgment of charity) they are in effect more faithful to the world’s conception of reality than Paul or Luke or Jude.

Open questions about whether the Bible actually means to teach that Adam was a literal father to all mankind (a highly “literalistic way of reading Genesis ,” oh, my – not that!), or whether there is possibly an evolutionary process, and the word Adam just stands for “mankind” in general? Hmmmmmmm. What else could be an open question?

Does God Talk to Us Through Fiction? Unpacking a Non-Literal Interpretation of the Bible

If there is real reason to doubt that God created a literal Adam from whom all mankind descended isn’t there also reason to doubt the Bible’s claims about the second Adam – Jesus the Christ, the God- man? Perennially, this has been the crux of the matter. Is Jesus who He claims to be? Is Jesus who the Apostles and the NT claims Him to be? If not, we remain in our sins for He could never be the biblical sacrifice for our sins, nor could He forgive sins. If Jesus is not God in human flesh – we have no hope in this world or in eternity. But if He is the God-man He is the Lord of all as the Creator-God, and the Lord and sustainer of all things. As J. Gresham Machen said in “On the Deity of Christ”:

But now is Christ our Saviour, the one who says, “Thy sins are forgiven thee,” revealed as very God. And we believe. Such a faith is a mystery to us who possess it; it seems folly to those who have it not. But if possessed it delivers us forever from fear. The world to us is all unknown; it is engulfed in an ocean of infinity. But it contains no mysteries to our Saviour. He is on the throne. He pervades the remotest bounds. He inhabits infinity. With such a Saviour we are safe.

Baalism says the Sun married the Mud and the world came up. Egypt said so to. So does modern “science.” The difference is that what were personal forces back then are now impersonal forces. And that ain’t a dime’s worth of difference.

Back in the early 1990′s I had the opportunity to review a book by Doug Wilson (which I did not like in any way) called, Law and Love: Constructive Criticism for Reconstructionists, (Moscow, Idaho: Ransom Press, n.d.) A short booklet which makes three objections to Reconstructionist writings, i.e. in regard to tone, humility, and exegetical method (namely – The Interpretive Maximalism of James Jordan), and offers Biblical counsel in each of these areas. From what I remember of the book, and subsequent conversations I had with Doug about the issue not long after it was published – he had grave concerns about Jordan’s biblical hermeneutic. From his perspective, at the time, he didn’t see how Jordan’s interpretations of various passages and the connections he was making between passages were limited by any meaningful rules of interpretation. Thus, a maximal approach, as he called it, could potentially make a text say whatever the interpreter decided, without regard to what the biblical author intended to communicate.

Doug has obviously changed his perspective on Jordan’s works, especially, Through New Eyes.

Through New Eyes

by James B. Jordan

Jordan wrote an article for the Biblical Horizons Newsletter that explain some of what he understood  Interpretive Minimalism to be: No. 9: What Is “Interpretive Maximalism”?

I understand the value of Doug’s analysis of Interpretive Maximalism and Interpretive Minimalism, but it is certainly true that those who would advocate Interpretive Minimalism also find things in the text that simply are not there – usually “religious” stuff as moderns understand “religion” or psychological lessons. Interpretive Minimalism interpretations of the OT text, for example, can be quite fantastic and imaginative when it comes to pulling out psychological lessons from stories.

The Minimum and Maximum labels are only marginally helpful because it makes them even, like both have an equal amount of usefulness and problems. It also implies some kind of middle ground that’s to be preferred. We should want to get it all, even if it means grabbing some weeds with the fruit, because the difference between the two methods of interpretation is that Minimalism doesn’t want to get it all, but the “too far” of Maximalism will only grow for a time before it withers away. Interpretive Maximalism solves its own problems.

Once person interacting with Doug’s video said: “If were changed the terms to One Eyed Interpretation and Two Eyes (two new eyes) Interpretation there’d be a different response.”

I received information from Dennis Tuuri about “Q”, a group founded by a fella named Gabe Lyons to “reintroduce Christians to what had seemed missing in recent decades from an American expression of Christian faithfulness; valuing both personal and cultural renewal, not one over the other.”

The Mission of Q:

“Q” educates church and cultural leaders on their role and opportunity to embody the Gospel in public life.

We believe that exposure to old and new ideas is the best way to stimulate imagination for ways the Gospel can be expressed within our cultural context.

Q has annual conferences in major cities throughout the United States to promote Christian Cultural Awareness and to encourage Christians to effectively serve in their cities. Q 2011 will be in Portland, Oregon. A promotional video, Getting the Portland Vibe, can be viewed on their website. According to these guys, “Portland is Jesus’ favorite city!”

By making this post I am not endorsing this organization or event. Rather, I’m hoping to stimulate conversation about what it means for us to minister to cities. These guys are interested in creatively engaging with the culture of our cities in non-threatening ways. This may, indeed, be something we need to learn. However, it may also be, as one person I know said of it, “It’s just good old fashioned social gospel liberalism in a new dress. Gasp!”

We need to be wise to understand our times and preach the gospel into the culture God has placed us AND we need to be sure that we are actually confronting and renewing the culture for Christ. A good question to always be asking in enterprises like this is: Who is converting who?

I plan to spend some time reading some of their blog posts, essays, watching some of the videos to not only learn what they are about, but also to see if they have any creative ideas that we should be considering. Not only so, I’m interested in some of their styles, methods and approaches to things.

Maybe you would care to comment on some of the content of the site?

Here’s a few more glimspes of Amara’s 1st Family Camp…
David discovered Amara’s new favorite sport!

If you look at the Family Camp pictures you can see how happy she was anytime she got on that grass. After this, she didn’t want to sit with anyone. She wanted down!

This one is a little wonky at the end – the camera shows the recording as all right side up, but apparently it didn’t record that way!

Grammy has now released her top 80 Family Camp pictures.  Notice anything as a prominent theme, or her primary interest at camp??

Last night, at one point while looking at all of these pictures Grammy called out, “OOOOOOoooo I do love that child!”

Grammy is so fun!

It is always so much fun to be with children when they experience firsts in their lives. Oh boy! ice cream at the Tillamook Cheese Factory was fun. It was part of my 50th Birthday celebration!!!

She liked it so much she just attacked it!

What a messy fun time it was!!!

"Wow - Now that's what I'm talking about!"

Here is a wonderful statement by James Jordan (of Biblical Horizons) on Christian education. Not surprisingly, he emphasized that the goal of Christian education is to training children to be worshipers of God. There is a Biblical Horizons blog that Jim and other members of Biblical Horizons post their thoughts for wider circulation.

Jim will be joining us this year at our Reformation Covenant Church Family camp.

I really liked the concluding Final Episode of Lost, but:

Okay, I couldn’t resist making another political post – This is too fun to keep to myself. This will be most humorous for people that are somewhere near my age (nearly 50) – During that golden age of 60-70 television – Dragnet.  It was  a serious drama that had comedic moments – and now it is viewed as a humorous (almost a police spoof show) with seriously outdated moralism. Combine that with the plan of our President to reform the American health care system (now the law of the land), and voila, you have more fun than one blogger is supposed to have.

This hailstorm happened last Sunday, May 16th,  in Oklahoma.

Too often when we see something like this we are merely amazed and amused.

How easy it is in our modern world to fail to see that at all times and places God is the one who rules and uses all the universe for His purposes. God sometimes reminds us of His judgments in the world by sending us surprises like this.

Of course the great Exodus story includes THE hailstorm that all others are compared to so as to remind us forever to respond to God’s words with humility and submission to Him.  Notice in the story that there were some that came to fear the word of the Lord and responded accordingly, and others that refused to take seriously God’s word and suffered the consequences. Even when it is over, even when God’s rule and authority are evident to all, the hardhearted are not moved to anything but further hardening.

May God, when he shows forth His glory in such a way as this, grant fear and loving submission to all whom he softens with faith!

Exodus 9:

The Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, stand before Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews: “Release my people so that they may serve me! For this time I will send all my plagues on your very self and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with plague, and you would have been destroyed from the earth. But for this purpose I have caused you to stand: to show you my strength, and so that my name may be declared in all the earth. You are still exalting yourself against my people by not releasing them. I am going to cause very severe hail to rain down about this time tomorrow, such hail as has never occurred in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. So now, send instructions to gather your livestock and all your possessions in the fields to a safe place. Every person or animal caught in the field and not brought into the house – the hail will come down on them, and they will die!”

Those of Pharaoh’s servants who feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring their servants and livestock into the houses, but those who did not take the word of the Lord seriously left their servants and their cattle in the field.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Extend your hand toward the sky that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on people and on animals, and on everything that grows in the field in the land of Egypt.” When Moses extended his staff toward the sky, the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire fell to the earth; so the Lord caused hail to rain down on the land of Egypt. Hail fell and fire mingled with the hail; the hail was so severe that there had not been any like it in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. The hail struck everything in the open fields, both people and animals, throughout all the land of Egypt. The hail struck everything that grows in the field, and it broke all the trees of the field to pieces. Only in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived, was there no hail.

So Pharaoh sent and summoned Moses and Aaron and said to them, “I have sinned this time! The Lord is righteous, and I and my people are guilty. Pray to the Lord, for the mighty thunderings and hail are too much! I will release you and you will stay no longer.”

Moses said to him, “When I leave the city I will spread my hands to the Lord, the thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth belongs to the Lord. But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God”…

So Moses left Pharaoh, went out of the city, and spread out his hands to the Lord, and the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain stopped pouring on the earth. When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder ceased, he sinned again: both he and his servants hardened their hearts. So Pharaoh’s heart remained hard, and he did not release the Israelites, as the Lord had predicted through Moses.

As many in the Church today plant churches that are appealing to “seekers” we find that there are certain techniques that are important to success.  The following video provides a good church planting blueprint for the liturgical life of the church.

NOT!!!

Adam is a member of the Concert Choir at Veritas Classical Christian School.  This year they were chosen to go to the state competition for all of the A and AA schools in Oregon – They are now considered the 5th Best Choir in the Sate of Oregon!  Well done!!!

Adam was chosen to do a solo, which he performed wonderfully!

Amy video recorded the Veritas performance of five songs and can be see in the follow three videos.

This one includes Adam’s solo (he starts at 3:50) with the song beginning after about one minute and thirty seconds.  The Choir is directed by the young man that wrote the song, and who recently graduated from George Fox University in Music.