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.