Sabbath Reflection

First Sunday in Advent

Studying Religion

More college students are taking classes in religious studies. This comes as no surprise to me, a religious studies major. Religion electives are highly popular at UNC by people of all faiths, and people of no faith at all. I cherish my 13 classes+ of Religious Studies. It's a wonderful, interdisciplenary field mixing history, sociology, literature, psychology, and more. I think that most evangelical Christians I knew in college who took religious studies classes treated them as a mission field. I always considered the source (it's a secular university, not a church) and dove right in, eager to understand scholars perspectives on various issues. I took so many Judaism classes without asking questions like "Why don't Jews believe in Jesus?" that there was a professor and several students who thought I was a secular Jew for a few years. Once people got to know me, I never hid my beliefs. I just didn't see the classroom as a good place to evangelize. I found that I earned the respect and friendship of students from a variety of backgrounds, instead of just hanging out in the holy huddle of evangelical RS majors. I think every Christian in a secular university ought to take a Religious Studies class or two. It's good for you.

Okay, I admit, one reason I linked the article is because it quotes one of my professors, Chris Smith, who is a kick-butt sociologist of religion.

On Technology

The nice guys at Time Warner ... they really know what they are talking about. I have called them about three times, everytime my wait was less than 1 minute.

Now, on the other hand, when I called the people at Netgear, I waited about 10 minutes to talk to someone. Then the person with whom I was talking couldn't understand me enough to take down my email address (why Netgear wanted my name, phone number, email, etc... I don't know), and had poor standard American English diction. It was impossible. She had me restarting (read: unplugging and plugging in) both my cable modem and wireless router OVER and OVER and OVER again. Finally, about 50 minutes later, she had me reset my router. This finally worked. The cable modem was working fine without the router, but when I plugged the router back in, it couldn't detect the internet nor my IP address. Resetting the router seemed to make it work.

However, that only worked for about 30 minutes. At that point, I cleared all my wireless settings on my laptop, re-did them, and now it works.

Shesh ... this is beginning to drive me crazy. That and after resetting my router, I have four new authentication codes to write down. Grr...

A Comment That Turned Into A Post

NOTE: To all those who are either in direct ecclesiastical leadership over me, or to those who feel spiritual enough to presume that they are, I am writing this late at night and just throwing out some random thoughts. Please take with a grain of salt. If that doesn't work, try a twist of lime and a shot of taquilla.

I was about to write this as a comment on Brian's blog, but I figured it was way too long. You should perhaps read his post on Newman first.

It seems that we are stumbling down the same path.

Have you considered what constitutes "The Church"? Rome claims it is behind a city and office, Constantinople claims the history and unity of Bishops, Cantebury claims ... well, Cantebury, and Protestants claim Doctrine.

Frankly, I see the points in all. I also see Newman's point. I do hold to a, sort of, prima scriptura where I take the reading of the Scriptures and the majority tradition of Church History.

However, this question of what defines "The Church" is a sticky one. Perhaps it is simply a philosophical question from the viewpoint of a linguist. What makes a true "American". One residing within these borders recognized by the US gov't, or someone who truly holds to the ideals and foundations of this nation. I think there are some in the former group who are not in the latter, vise versa, and some who are in both ... i.e., three camps.

I really haven't reconciled this. I don't think that I could walk from the fellowship of Redeemer (that is, the church or any of her plants should we move closer to one: I do hold to a parish view) in we were to stay in Austin, but when I come to the thought of moving, I'm frightened.

Do I seek to find a church which is "biblical" (what does that mean?) Where I and my family can hear the gospel preached and commune with God? Where I can serve and be served?

Technological Revolution

In two hours, we went from a desktop and dial-up internet service, to a desktop-laptop combo with a cable modem and a wireless router. Whoa!

A Couple of Thoughts

1. Central Market is great. I really pity folks who live outside of Texas. Right now, living here is great. A cold front just rolled through, which means its about 40-50 degrees. Cold enough to put on a pair of jeans, shirts, and a sweater, grab a cup of coffee, and your set. Also, we have RunTex, BlueBell, TexMex and more. If you're a pastoral-like fellow, looking for a call, drop me a line and I'll forward you onto the Pastoral Search Committee of Redeemer Presbyterian Church: the best PCA church that'll welcome you as a member. Oh wait, where was I?

Oh yeah, Central Market is great. Today, Kristen picked up some San Francisco Blend coffee. Make a cup in the french press, add a little milk, sugar, and caramel, and you're good to go!

2. Drinking said coffee too late at night, will keep you up all night ... and spawn weird, drawn out, and random posts.

The Benefits of Being a Teacher

I slept in late today to begin my Thanksgiving holiday week, and then got up and read the whole newspaper (minus the classifieds.) And what do you know? There, hidden in the back, George Grant was mentioned in Dear Abby. Cool, huh?

Will The Real Bush Please Stand Up?

Via Andrew Sullivan:

US President George Bush is "totally at odds" with his media image, Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Menzies Campbell said today.
Mr Campbell, an opponent of the war with Iraq, spoke out on the ePolitix website about his discussions with the President during the state visit.
He said that they discussed directly issues such as Iraq, the Middle East, Guantanamo Bay, Kyoto and trade sanctions.
"He is personally extremely engaging. He has a well-developed sense of humour, is self-deprecating and when he engages in a discussion with you he is warm and concentrates directly on you.
"He looks you straight in the eye and tells you exactly what he thinks."
Mr Campbell, stressing that the President was "totally at odds" with his media image, went on: "I was not persuaded by what he said, but I was most certainly surprised at the extent to which the caricature of him was inaccurate.'

Maybe, just perhaps, some Americans could rethink their opinion of our president? Maybe a particular Lutheran wife who feels called to the ministry of reconciliation? Just a thought.

Could America's Monolingualism Be Our Problem

You know the joke:

What do you call someone who knows three languages: trilingual
What do you call someone who knows two languages: bilingual
What do you call someone who knows one language: an American

Well, it the midst of reading an article about this Pro-9/11 toy being sold on the streets of Gaza and Ramallah, I noticed an interesting comment: [T]he attacks ... were seen as a victory for Palestinians. Oddly enough, Palestinian spokesmen deny this (in English). But Palestinian media (in Arabic) says otherwise. Perhaps if we took the time to learn foreign languages, particularly those used by our enemies, we'd be better off. However, this usually isn't a popular tactic. Go to any academic German department, read the history of their department. It will always talk about the department closing down during WWII because we didn't want German taught in American schools. What a stupid response.

Sabbath Reflection

THE SUNDAY OF FULFILLMENT
"Lo! He comes with clouds descending,
Once for favored sinners slain;
Thousand thousand saints attending,
Swell the triumph of His train:
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
God appears on earth to reign.

Every eye shall now behold Him
Robed in dreadful majesty;
Those who set at naught and sold Him,
Pierced and nailed Him to the tree,
Deeply wailing, deeply wailing, deeply wailing,
Shall the true Messiah see.

The dear tokens of His passion
Still His dazzling body bears;
Cause of endless exultation
To His ransomed worshippers;
With what rapture, with what rapture, with what rapture
Gaze we on those glorious scars!

Yea, Amen! let all adore Thee,
High on Thine eternal throne;
Savior, take the power and glory,
Claim the kingdom for Thine own;
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Everlasting God, come down!"

I'm a "Southern Girl," as Rick would say

I admit it. I have a true affection for my alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. There's so many things to love about UNC, it's the oldest public university in the nation and it has a rich and proud heritage. But the single greatest manifestation of my devotion to my alma mater is my obsession with Carolina basketball. Tonight is our season opener, the beginning of what we hope shall be a long and prosperous tenure of Roy Williams, alumnus of the university and the great hope of our team to come. I have been sitting listening to the familiar voices of Woody Durham and Mick Mixon on streaming audio and now the team is leaving the tunnel. Let's go, Carolina!

Font Boredom

My computer had a big problem, and when it got reformatted and fixed, it came back with only the very basic fonts, you know, the ones that make Garamond seem exciting. In college, I wrote all my papers in High Tower Text. Professors like High Tower Text, and it's easy to recognize when you are leafing through a stack of 20 papers to find yours. I miss High Tower Text. Does anyone know of legit ways to get good "normal" fonts, free or cheap?

Marriage: "Civil Rights of Man" ?

Andrew Sullivan has, of course, been covering the Massachusetts ruling on gay marriage. Now you can ask my wife, I don't fall in perfectly with mainline conservatives on this issue. I don't exactly see what jurisdiction the government has in saying anything about marriage. Not that marriage is a sacrament, but it is an aspect of the Church, no? Wouldn't that be like the California Supreme Court ruling that Baptists have to let babies be baptized? On what authority? Who gave the power of giving in marriage to the State? What is this line of BS about marriage being one of the "basic civil rights of man" -- kata Sullivan? What's next? Communion being a basic civil right of man?

Sosa's MVP goes to Pujols, not Bonds

ESPN.com:

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- If Sammy Sosa had a vote for the NL MVP, he would've picked Albert Pujols over Barry Bonds.

"Bonds had good numbers and has a name in the game, but Pujols deserved the award more than anybody," the Chicago Cubs star told The Associated Press on Wednesday night after returning home to the Dominican Republic.

Bonds got 28 of 32 first-place votes and 426 total points from the Baseball Writers' Association of America in results announced Tuesday.

Bonds hit .341 with 45 home runs and 90 RBI. The San Francisco outfielder became the only player to win three consecutive MVP awards, winning his sixth overall.

Pujols finished second, receiving three first-place votes and 303 total points.

The St. Louis slugger's .359 average led the majors and he had 43 home runs and 124 RBI. Sosa said his countryman's accomplishments overshadowed those of Bonds and others.

"No player in the National League stood out more than Pujols in 2003," Sosa said.

This homecoming is special for Sosa because baseball commissioner Bud Selig and other Cubs players will hold a celebration Saturday to honor Sosa for becoming the first Hispanic player to reach 500 homers.

Sosa, who turned 35 on Nov. 12, hit 40 homers this year. His total of 539 puts him 10th on the career list.

What a load of crock. Okay, Cork-ey. Sure Pujols had a better BA than Bonds, but his homers were fewer. As for the RBI's, well, let's see Pujols RBIs number when pitchers stop pitching to him. Bonds is the most feared player in the game. Bonds also carried an entire team, which was supposed to be in a "reloading" year after their WS lost. The Cardinals were supposed to be "kickin' butt and takin' names." In the end, it looks like the Cards were kickin' their own and looking for names of new players.

Like him or hate him, when the game is on the line, you either want him on your team ... or you walk him. Now that is valuable.

Linux

Kristen and I were considering getting a laptop in the near future (read: between now and when we get one). One thing we do want is to have a DVD drive, so we can watch DVDs. We don't have a TV, don't really want a TV, but do want to be able to watch DVDs, so a DVD drive seems best. However, those who owe the DVD encoding, don't wish to share this knowledge with those who would like to make DVD software for Linux -- this hasn't stopped all Linux users, but I'd want to be ethical.

However, other than the DVD, does anyone have any praise or condemnation of Linux?

Man Pleads Guilty To Watch OSU-UMICH

From ESPN.com:

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A Columbus judge says he'll let an inmate stay in jail instead of moving him to prison right away so he can see the Ohio State-Michigan game on TV this Saturday.


Jeff Renne told Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Richard Sheward yesterday that he would plead guilty as long as he could stay in the county jail through the weekend. Inmates at the jail can watch TV, but it's off-limits at the Orient reception center, where they are held before they're moved to one of the state's prisons.


Renne was charged with forgery. He says if the Buckeyes win on Saturday, he'll still be "on cloud nine" despite being in prison.


Judge Sheward says he granted Renne's request because it's Michigan week and he thought he should do his part for the Buckeyes.

Hell Freezes over at Wheaton College

The smartest baptist evangelicals are now permitted to dance. Might Bob Jones University be next?

Class Notes

My class entertains me greatly. We've been studying Greek and Latin roots in Vocabulary, and I decided to teach them the Greek alphabet. In just two days, they have become really into Greek. They know the alphabet. They want to transliterate everything into Greek. It's very amusing.

Church Greeters

For a good while I've felt weird about having church greeters. It's nice having the Ushers to tell you when you can sit and to had you the liturgy, but greeters are there just to smile, shake your hand, and say, "hello". I could never figure out why it felt odd. I continued to re-greet the greeters, and Kristen and I even serve as greeters when the church calls us to, so I overlook the oddness.

But, I think I figured out why it feels odd. A church is supposed to be a family, going to church should be like going home, it should be homey. Back in the day, there were butlers and maids to greet you, take your coat, offer you a drink, etc.. Nowadays, we don't have that. You go to a good friend's house and sometimes you don't even have to knock. You can simply walk it, pour yourself a glass of wine, and join the group. That's how it was for Kristen in North Carolina, that is how it is in our Home Fellowship Group. Bill has often looked at me and said, "Now Mike, I'm not going to ask you anymore." After a few seconds of thinking, I realized he was talking about the wine. I was now a part of the group. I wasn't a guest, I could take wine at my leisure and not wait to be served.

We don't have greeters in our homes anymore. You find greeters in Wal-Mart ... that's why it felt weird to me in church.

B.T.A. and George Grant

Since I did decently on the analytical portion of the GRE, Kristen and I have been considering whether I should take the LSAT and go to law school. That, coupled with the possibility of looking at Lynchburg, VA as a future place to live, has been a source of much teasing as I joke with Kristen about going to Liberty Law School.

Well, I remembered Dr. Grant blogging that his good friend was the dean at the school, so I decided to check it out. Upon looking at the "Welcome from the Dean", the source of their friendship became clear. They must be members of the B.T.A. -- Bow Tie Association. Actually the picture of Dean Green is pretty good, which makes two guys who can pull off the bow tie.

Friends

I miss Rachel and Rick a great deal all the time, and wish we could just jet off and see them. Since they've been engaged, it's been even worse. At least we have telephones!

CBN?

A favorite professor of mine extends his academic endeavors past the walls of academia ... and the chat rooms on espn.com. He writes a quasi-regular article (that is, you know an article is coming, but not the day -- hmm, sounds the Second Coming. Okay, okay, okay, sorry ...) in the Austin American-Statesman. In his most recent column, which he told me cut a portion that he found important to his argument, he took on the issue of God(s) and War. In his discussion of General Boykin he refers to CBN.

Will someone, who does have a T.V., please enlighten me about CBN. They aren't necessarily heretics like those at TBN, right? Are they wacky, extremely Zionist, dispensational, Christian fundamentalists?

GRE

Some time ago ... or about two weeks, I took the GRE and have had negative feelings about it every since. I actually had good reason to be doubtful about it. First, I really didn't prepare that well, which is my fault, and I really didn't care that much. Of my top schools, only three (Indiana, Colorado, and UChicago Div.) require the GRE, yet my others (Div: Yale, Harvard, Duke, Emory) don't. Also, the handy-dandy computerized GRE gives you the results of two of three tests: the Verbal and Quantitative (i.e., Math). Those had low results. Looking at my percentiles, I actually did better on the Verbal than Math ... by percentile. By raw score, my Math was about 90 points better. However, the score was rather low, I felt a little bad, but tried not to dwell on it.

The third test, the analytical writing, I had no idea about. I felt pretty good about it, but then again two summers ago I felt good about my Const.Law papers, and my TA's felt differently. The Analytical sections used to be something similar to the games section on the LSAT. I suppose they want to measure you're ability to analyze -- hence the name. Now, they have turned it into two essays, of which the prompts I cannot tell as I signed a statement saying so. However, one takes the form of a one-line statement:

Example: Augustine was a fricken genius and the Catholics and Orthodox need to take him more seriously.

At which point, you would need to write an essay taking some sort of position, supporting it, answering potential counter-arguments, etc...

In the second essay, you are presented with an argument of about two or three paragraphs. It usually has something to do with graduate school, being a graduate school exam. Here you are to critic the argument, take note of strong and weak points, evaluate the logic.

Both of these essays are out of 6 points. If you download the PowerPrep software the ETS gives you, they have a section with examples of each type of paper, from 0 (poor) to 6 (highest). Then, the two scores are averaged. Since this requires real graders, you have to wait a few weeks to receive the scores. My arrived today. I received a perfect 6.0, scoring the 95th percentile. This made me feel A LOT better. Like I actually got something out of the GRE, besides a humbling courtesy of the Verbal and Math sections.

Regarding Two Peter Leithart Posts

First, this post:

Obedience, Scripture says, is better than sacrifice. By analogy, moral purity is better than ritual purity. This analogy plays a big role in the gospels.

Then, I wonder, should those disgruntled with the ECUSA look past the ritual unpurity -- in their eyes -- of the Catholic Church in favor of Rome's moral purity -- or at least their willingless to call sin "sin" and do something about it?

Second, this post:

Jim Jordan suggests that Daniel 2-7, written in Aramaic, is a fulfillment of the promise/threat of tongues (from Isaiah), and that this passage authorizes translation of Scripture into various languages. Which leads to several thoughts:

1) As Jordan points out, translation was not done until the intertestamental period, and is still not done by Muslims. Refusal to translate seems to be particularly connected with old world/old covenant systems (like Islam). The written word is kept close, hidden away, but with the coming of the new covenant the written word is spread abroad in many languages. This fits with the characterization of the post-exilic period as an "ecumenical age," the age of the oikoumene.

2) The postmodern suspicion or critique of translation seems to be a reversion to a pre-Pentecostal mentality. For instance: The linguistic tribalism celebrated by Stanley Fish and other postmodern theorists. As I noted in an earlier post, Babel has become a dominant postmodern metaphor; which is to say, the reversal of Pentecost is a key postmodern theme. Social and linguistic fragmentation is inevitable when the Spirit withdraws, for the Spirit is the one who marries one to another.

For the first time, I think I'm in disagreement with Dr. Leithart, or maybe only Jordan. While I think that translations are permissable and perhaps helpful, I think that working from the original language is best and I do have grave suspicions about translations. When you work with a translation, you are interacting with a translator, not the text or original writer. The more I read of Paul's letters the more I think that most translations miss a tremendous amount. Even the "scholarly" NRSV is crap. In reading the Greek or Latin (for other church writers, e.g., Augustine), you can see the words which become weighty theological terms. Also, what authority does a translation have? In regards to Jordan's point of Daniel 2-7 being written in Aramaic, what's the point? And the NT was written in Greek ... ooh. Maybe this means we won't live Hebraic, covenantal lifestyles, but I don't see how a portions of scripture being written in different languages is a mandate for translations?

Blogging and Martin Luther

The following conversation took place at a book study we attended this morning. Names have been changed to protect those involved, except for us!

[speaking about the authority of elders]

Kristen: What if you posted something on your blog, something simple and true like "baptism means something." An elder reads it and tells you to take it down, what do you do?
John: You take it down.
Kristen: Even though it's true?
John: It's not that big of a deal, it's just your blog.
Ted: So, if you were Martin Luther, John, you would have recanted?
John: No, well... blogging is different than the 95 theses.
Ted: The door in Wittenberg and blogs? I don't see the difference.
Mike: Luther's blog was the door of Wittenberg?!

Senioritis

Yeah, it sucks. So there. I would write more ... but, well, I won't.

Poll

Does it matter how big the elements you take are during communion? I always take a rather small piece of the bread, while Mike prefers a larger one. What's your preference?

[Editorial Note: when she writes small, she should really say microscopic. ~Mike]

Sabbath Reflection

The strife is o'er, the battle done;
The victory of life is won;
The song of triumph has begun:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

The powers of death have done their worst;
But Christ their legions hath dispersed;
Let shouts of holy joy outburst:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

The three sad days are quickly sped;
He rises glorious from the dead;
All glory to our risen Head!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

He closed the yawning gates of hell;
The bars from heaven's high portals fell;
Let hymns of praise His triumphs tell!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Lord, by the stripes which wounded Thee,
From death's dread sting Thy servants free,
That we may live, and sing to Thee:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Our Apologies

We're turning into pretty awful bloggers. At least we have interesting and busy lives. Unfortunately, between all the daily grind and having dial-up, we're just not very prolific here these days.

We saw the Matrix Revolutions, Friday. It earned the bad reviews, though I still think people ought to go see it in the theatre... for closure. I think that the main "spiritual" thing I got out of it was that all the evangelicals who felt like the first Matrix was Christian are going to cry. And that all the W. bros did was steal the imagery of lots of different religions, strip them of their meaning, and try to make them Buddhist.

Potential for Greatness

So much potential for great good things is around me right now. I want to sing and shout and pray and cross my fingers that everything works out!

Denis Haack on The Passion

In Denis Haack's editorial column in the most recent Critique:

Last month I was scheduled to lecture at The Art House in Nashville, the home and studio of Charlie and Andi Peacock. My flight arrived earlier than necessary so I could spend some time with them, but that was not to be. The young woman who met me at the airport flew down the highway, because she had to get me to The Art House in 30 minutes since that was when Mel Gibson's movie, The Passion, would be shown. He would be there to answer questions and solicit feedback on the film.

Yes, I did shake hands with Mel Gibson, and no, I do not usually have such experiences. And yes, I enjoyed it. Meeting Gibson, I mean. The Passion, in contrast, though a remarkable film, is not exactly enjoyable.

The copy we were shown is unfinished, but that isn't what I'm referring to. Gibson explained that editing still needed to be done. Some of the color needed retouching, the sound track was incomplete, and special effects had to be added. This actually made the viewing more enjoyable to me, since it was the first time I viewed a film before the final editing had been done.

Nor when I say it was not exactly enjoyable am I referring to the charge that The Passion is anti-Semitic. It is not.

Nor do I mean that it is not artful. On the contrary, The Passion sets a new standard for depictions of Christ in the arts. Only in the paintings of Ed Knippers have I experienced as powerful an artistic expression of the crucifixion.

The Passion is not exactly enjoyable because it so truthful about the cross.

The film opens with Jesus' arrest in the Garden, after wrestling in prayer over the task his Father has set before him. Like an unblinking eye, the camera forces us to watch, moment by agonizing moment, the torture Christ endured on our behalf. This is not the first flogging I have watched on the scree. The whipping that the character played by Denzel Washinton endured in Glory, for example, remains seared in my memory. But there the camera blinked. We saw a few lashes, and then to our relief the camera panned away. In The Passion the lashing went on, and on, the Roman soldiers wearing themselves out in the effort, and then on some more. LIke we were there.

I have warned more than once in these pages that Christians today tend to sentimentalize the faith. We brush over embarrassing parts of Scripture, and speak of the cost of salvation lightly. Sentimentalizing the gospel is to gut it of its power, its relevance, and its attractiveness. Before the final credits of The Passion rolled I was filled with a deep horror about how I have sentimentalized the cross and what my Savior went through so he could be my elder brother. It was hard to pay attention to the discussion that followed.

Mr Gibson said that his goal in making the film was to help people feel regret. "We don't feel enough regret," he said.

I can't speak for the others in The Art House that afternoon, but this is one reviewer for whom that goal was realized. And though it wasn't exactly enjoyable, I am more grateful than I can possibly express.

------------------

I've completely plagarized Denis' article. If he should read this and complain in an email, I'll take it down; however, I read and had to share it. I will add that Critique is not available by subscription, but you can be added to their mailing list. Donors are adding automatically. To receive Critique, send your mailing address to: Ransom Fellowship, 1150 West Center, Rochester, MN, 55902 Everyone on Ransom's mailing list also receives Notes From Toad Hall, which is Margie Haack's newsletter. I highly recommend both as they both benefit Kristen and I.

You can find more information at: http://www.ransomfellowship.org

Catholic - Orthodox relations

I may one day end up eating my words. I told Wayne Olson that if the Catholics and Orthodox could united together and condemn the theology of the Reformation, I would really have to reconsider my believes.

Apparently, they have come together to agree on filioque. I haven't taken the time to read it, but I did read the news report from Touchtone and the discussion between a Catholic and an Orthodox regarding the statement.

I will come clean and say that I really agree with the Orthodox on this. I really don't know whether the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son or just the Father. What I do know is that the original creed stated that the Holy Spirit came from the Father. I'm not too sure about the theological consequences of this decision is, but it is interesting nonetheless. However, I do agree with Fr. Reardon that there cannot be reunion between the two unless the Bishop of Rome wishes to acknowledge himself as "First among equals" as opposed to "First Above All, Only Vicar of Christ , et c."

Yet, we will see what becomes.

Does Augustine Advocate PaedoCommunion?

Maybe Tim Gallant has already taken note of this, and I really should read more contemporary reformed writers, but I came across this in my "World of Late Antiquity" reading:

Chapter 26 [XX.]-No One, Except He Be Baptized, Rightly Comes to the Table of the Lord.

Now they take alarm from the statement of the Lord, when He says, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God;"82 because in His own explanation of the passage He affirms "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."83 And so they try to ascribe to unbaptized infants, by the merit of their innocence, the gift of salvation and eternal life, but at the same time, owing to their being unbaptized, to exclude them from the kingdom of heaven. But how novel and astonishing is such an assumption, as if there could possibly be salvation and eternal life without heirship with Christ, without the kingdom of heaven! Of course they have their refuge,whither to escape and hide themselves, because the Lord does not say, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot have life, but-"he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." If indeed He had said the other, there could have risen not a moment's doubt. Well, then, let usremove the doubt; let us now listen to the Lord,and not to men's notions and conjectures; let us,I say, hear what the Lord says-not indeed concerning the sacrament of the laver, but concerning the sacrament of His own holy table, to which none but a baptized person has a right to approach: "Except ye eat my flesh and drink my blood, ye shall have no life in you."84 What do we want more? What answer to this can be adduced, unless it be by that obstinacy

Chapter 27.-Infants Must Feed on Christ.

Will, however, any man be so bold as to say that this statement has no relation to infants, and that they can have life in them without partaking of His body and blood-on the ground that He does not say, Except one eat, but "Except ye eat;" as if He were addressing those who were able to hear and to understand, which of course infants cannot do? But he who says this is inattentive; because, unless all are embraced in the statement, that without the body and the blood of the Son of man men cannot have life, it is to no purpose that even the elder age is solicitous of it. For if you attend to themere words, and not to the meaning, of the Lordas He speaks, this passage may very well seemto have been spoken merely, to the people whomHe happened at the moment to be addressing; because He does not say, Except one eat; but Except ye eat. What also becomes of the statement which He makes in the same context on this very point: "The bread that I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world?"85 For, it is according to this statement, that we find that sacrament pertains also to us, who were not in existence at the time the Lord spoke these words; for we cannot possibly say that we do not belong to "the world," for the life of which Christ gave His flesh. Who indeed can doubt that in the term world all persons are indicated who enter the world by being born? For, as He says in another passage, "The children of this world beget and are begotten."86 From all this it follows, that even for the life of infants was His flesh given, which He gave for the life of the world; and that even they will not have life if they eat not the flesh of the Son of man.

From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series I, Vol. V

View from Peniel

I posted too soon. Right after I posted, I noticed that Peter Leithart had some interesting insights into some of the things that I struggle with. While he doesn't deal with the topic exhaustively, it's only a blog post.

They Really Did It

The ECUSA made an unrepentant sinner the bishop over churches which are supposed to call sinners to repentance. What should one do? If I was in his flock, perhaps I would put a mirror in front of him when he preaches, that way he'll be preaching to himself.

If I was a Catholic priest, I'd start a major "bring Anglicans into Roman Catholicism" campaign using somewhat of the following: "We recognized our own sexual sin, we didn't turn away, we're dealing with it, not celebrating it." Something to that extent. Sin is rough, but we must deal with it as a church, come home to Rome. I do know of some who are leaving for Rome, but not I ... not yet.

So, what will I do? I'm not sure. I suppose I'll pray for the unity and purity of the Church, but I'm not too sure. I'm not too sure what I like or dislike about various traditions. I feel home with Rome, but I have issues. I have issues with all the major traditions, and I don't know what to think. Is this simply a tension that the Church must deal with until we are purified in heaven? Tertullian wrote that heresies are our punishment from the Fall, but I don't know that I necessarily consider all the other traditions as heresies. They are Christian, I think. I consider Wayne Olson a brother, just as JT or Daniel Silliman.

It is times like this that I feel really dumb and very small. But perhaps that is what I should feel, maybe that is the feeling the Church lost at different points and how we ended up in this mess. Maybe I should cast a similar vision as Dr. Garver's ecclesiastical vision: serve faithfully in my local church, visit the sick, etc ...

Then again, my sober thoughts could just be inspired by that torturous event last Tuesday known as ... GRE.

Urban Living*

We live in the city. The real city, not some suburb. I can (and have, and do) walk to work. Mike takes the city bus so he can read and cut down on traffic stress (and pollution.) When we want ice cream, we can walk to Dairy Queen. We can also walk to the drugstore and numerous restaurants. It is less than 2.5 miles driving (and much shorter as the crow flies) from our apartment to the Capitol building. When I think about our general "neighborhood," I think about the artsiness and vibrancy. It takes me about 15 minutes to get to the suburbs from here. I have to go there, you know, for those chain stores like Target and Bed, Bath and Beyond. But I'm glad we live right where we do, in one of the 20 largest cities in America.

* This post is brought to you due to insomnia.