PG sounds

These are a few things I have been listening too:

1. She - by Round2
2. Bustin' out for Rosie - Tommy Bolin
3. Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine - The Killers
4. Mr. Brightside - The Killers
5. Smile Like You Mean It - The Killers
6. Somebody Told Me - The Killers
7. All These Things That I've Done - The Killers
8. Andy, You're A Star - The Killers
9. On Top - The Killers
10. Change Your Mind - The Killers
11. Believe Me Natalie - The Killers
12. Midnight Show - The Killers
13. Everything Will Be Alright - The Killers
14. Somebody Told Me - The Killers
15. In Your Honor - Foo Fighters
16. No Way Back - Foo Fighters
17. Best Of You - Foo Fighters
18. DOA - Foo Fighters
19. Hell - Foo Fighters
20. The Last Song - Foo Fighters
21. Free Me - Foo Fighters
22. Resolve - Foo Fighters
23. The Deepest Blues Are Black - Foo Fighters
24. End Over End - Foo Fighters
25. Still - Foo Fighters
26. What If I Do? - Foo Fighters
27. Miracle - Foo Fighters
28. Another Round - Foo Fighters
29. Friend Of A Friend - Foo Fighters
30. Over And Out - Foo Fighters
31. On The Mend - Foo Fighters
32. Virginia Moon - Foo Fighters
33. Cold Day In The Sun - Foo Fighters
34. Razor - Foo Fighters

Another Gospel, or No Gospel at All?

The increasing crisis in the Anglican Church and EC-USA is a sad situation, and it is not going to get better. It is further lunging Anglicanism headlong into schism. The ordination of women bishops is (going to be) another unwise step that puts the final nail in the coffin of the Anglican Communion as a united body, which has been a tenuous situation in the past few decades anyway.

More here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/07/12/ncofe12.xml

The timing of this new proposal about women Bishops is a further underlining of the mess that certain, fuzzyheaded Bishops have descended into, and another sign that they have lost the plot entirely. I am not even sure that I am against women Bishops per se, but it is the path they have taken that has brought them to pursue this course, and other more tendentious steps, that really should trouble any right-minded believer. There is a theological flabbiness gathering steam underneath these issues, a corrosive 'leaven that leavens the whole lump" and leads to a deadly weakening of the Church, and more than a hint of heresy and apostasy is still simmering on the stove.

A quote will suffice for you to see what kind of leaven is already baking in the ovens:

"The persistent claim of these movements [women's liberation and gay rights] is that a greater fulfillment can be achieved when one is freed from the mundane concerns of ordinary family life. The Playboy mentality, which sees females as bunnies, playmates or sensual toys, is joined by feminists and gays offering an alternative to family life. And it is not only that alternative lifestyles to marriage and family should be acceptable [among Protestant clergy], but more often than not, there is a desire to embrace the alternative lifestyles as positively superior because they do not lock the human spirit into humdrum sex, unrewarding labor, and the unexciting relationships that characterize family life."

Excerpted from Against the Protestant Gnostics (OUP) by Philip J. Lee:

http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/

One of the most telling indicators of false teachers and false prophets is that they will inevitably give themselves away by two things: 1. Immorality, (e.g., bishop Robinson living in sin with another man); and, 2. They will speak in contradiction to the revealed will (Word) of God, (i.e., the new revelation on homosexuality that Liberals espouse as being inspired by the same Spirit, who has clearly condemned the sin, but not the sinner). Take note that the first departure, usually flows from the second error, therefore, doing violence to Scripture - which always leads to darkness and bondage.

The most scurrilous behaviour of recent note must be the actions of the ultra-liberal Bishop of Connecticut, Andrew Smith, who broke into St. John’s parish without permission, and then proceeded to lock out the rector of this growing, and well-run parish in Smith’s Diocese, against the will of the congregation. While undertaking this disgraceful, “fascistic” work, the Bishop is reported to have broken into the Church computer, containing confidential files about members of the Church, and which is quite illegal. Tolerant, inclusive and loving? I think not! This terrible abuse of power is merely indicative of the depths to which these kinds of heretics (what other word can one use?) have sunken. As Bishop Allison noted so well, heresy always leads to cruelty.

More info here: http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2768

What we are seeing is, in reality, a conflict between those who have departed from the Faith for a perversion of Christianity, and which cannot now, in any meaningful sense, be called a Christian Gospel, and those who remain true. Those who continue faithful in the Gospel (and are accountable to it), and will brook no compromise with the Faith as supported by the Bible itself, and which is supposedly repugnant to the world, must make a stand for the truth for the sake of the world, even in spite of rejection. I would maintain that, so called, Conservative believers are not a breed of cave-dwelling, bible thugs, (notwithstanding the "bible-olatry" of some insecure souls, who pale before any intelligent questioning), but they are mainly orthodox Christians who recognize both the Gospel, and the need to present it a way that is intelligible; not altering it into something else. Take heed when men say all kinds of goods things about you and praise you! Lk 6:26; - You are becoming more like them (rather than Christ) than you realize!

What I am NOT talking about is: hating homosexuals, or unmarried people who engage in sex; this is about Christians who have shipwrecked their faith and are in the process of bankrupting the faith of others. A good question for the remainder of us always is; how do we reach out and share the love of Christ to all kinds of sinners, without falling prey to the above deviations from the Gospel? But that will have to be another post!

The so called, Liberals, are not proposing a (new, better, enlightened) version of Christianity, but a replacement of it. A wholesale accommodation to Western culture and mores - it is not the Gospel of the Son of God, who lived, died and was buried, and was raised to glory in a literal and historical sense. What they espousing is a saviourless humanism of peace and harmony, without scruples over what sin and truth are, in favour of some touchy-feely, wooly intellectualism, with just a few trappings of tradition; enough to keep them in purple and presbytery - for the moment. It is a hermeneutic of accommodation, not a proclamation of salvation in Christ alone. They are the blind leading the blind. It is no wonder their Churches are being deserted in droves.

What these Liberals affirm in man is not goodness; what the bible actually calls sin is being overlooked, without really offering people any real hope, freedom, and a new life in the power of the Spirit. They welcome people in sexually immoral lifestyles (which they condone), re-naming the behaviour as “loving”, while castigating the closed-mindedness of the Apostles, Fathers and Saints of the Church, and give such departures from morality a benediction from the corpus of Eastern philosophy and humanist ruminations, tinged with existentialism, while trying to atone for the guilt for the sins of the West, real or imagined. The only sin they recognize is intolerance; and the Gospel is its first target – tolerance? I think not. To borrow a phrase from Mark Driscoll: "Liberal Christians run the risk of loving their neighbors and their brothers at the expense of loving their Lord." http://www.christiancounterculture.com/articles/reachingout.html

However, Jesus is not a way, as they would suggest, but "the Way" - they have it backwards, and even, upside down. Their Jesus is not The Son of God, but a guru among the gods of the East, sanctified by psychology (which has its uses, otherwise) and as promulgated by Oprah (who probably does more good than many of their dodgy Bishops). They are scared to call sin, "sin"; they are loath to denounce false religion, terrorists, and display a silver-tongued eloquence in a spin of lies. Nevertheless, the articulate exposition of a fallacy does not make it the truth! One only has to compare Scripture with the tenets of this Christ-less faith. They say that they love Him, (Christ Jesus) and follow His example, but where are the standards of holiness; the denunciation and overt rejection of sin, the hatred for hypocrisy and stand for truth, and His warnings about hell? They do not believe these things; they are in opposition to the Word and message of Christ, for they have superceded it with another message. (They might as well work for the United Nations instead of misrepresenting Christ, His Gospel, and His Church). An imaginary saviour can only bring an imaginary salvation, so it is with the watered down Christ of the liberal mind. It is not a new Gospel; it is no Gospel at all.

Let's just review what the Apostles have to say about the enemies and false preachers of the Gospel (including the Gnostics, ancient and new!):

• Seeking to be wise them become fools, and substituted the Truth of God for a lie. Rom 1:22;

• “Another Gospel” is preached, but without Christ and His work at the core, our only hope for salvation and life. Gal 1:7; 1 Cor 15:1-6; 12-19;

• Seeking after knowledge, but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. 2 Tim 3:7;

• Having the form of Godliness, but denying its power. 2 Tim 3:5;

• They would consort with other faiths, playing the harlot with other philosophies, pretending to be Apostles of Christ. They would preach themselves, take advantage of others, and line their own pockets, rolling about in sentiment and fornication in the name of "love" and tolerance. Sounds very familiar. Mat 7:15; 24:11; 1 Cor 5:9; 2 Cor 11:13; Phil 3:17-19; 2 Tim 3:6; 2 Pet 2:1; 2 Jn 1:7;

• Jesus came, full of grace and truth. Jn 1:14,17; Both are needed, and ever should it remain the case.

For more details on the tide of heresy in ECUSA, you may read here:

http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2559

Converging Streams

Whether you are aware of it or not, there is a swelling movement of people seeking out a deeper quality to their faith that is often NOT found in (their) Evangelical and Charismatic Churches. Others, such a Richard Foster and Renovaré, have been ahead of the game all along. This is probably not the only thing going on, and I will not attempt to classify the causes. I just want to get down a few of my thoughts.

What we are seeing is a renaissance of the classical spiritual disciplines, formal spiritual direction, and a return to the liturgical and sacramental traditions of the Church. "Post-moderns" seem particularly open to the ancient ways of doing things because of their longing for mystery, and one suspects, a yen for solid ground under their feet, in such a wobbly cultural scene as we enter the 21st Century more properly.

This movement has been given the term "convergence". This means a coming together of the Evangelical, Charismatic and Liturgical rivers in the Church. Indeed, Renovaré is dedicated to the promotion of several of the streams in its work, including the things which I have mentioned, but adding, social justice, contemplative spirituality, etc., Sometimes we are put off by the language used, but many times, the terms are really familiar to us under other names. For example, spirituality means not too much to the average Evangelical, but they know something of "quiet times", and "discipleship", at least purportedly! Surely, every parish, congregation or community and house-group has some sort of "liturgy", and might even be plagued by deadness to some degree, as the liturgy is often accused of being!

These various streams might seem like strange bedfellows to some, and are probably most alarming to certain Protestants. However, it is not a cause for worry, as far as I can see, but a cause for joy. What we are witnessing is a movement of the Christian Evangelical and Charismatic mainstream of the often, fragmented, and slightly (ok, very) amnesic Church in the West, harkening back to it's roots, yet without jettisoning the very valuable developments that most of us have come to take for granted (to the exclusion of other things just as valuable). It is also not about becoming Roman Catholic, but there are things we can learn from them too. We will leave aside the atrocious departure from both tradition and scripture by certain of the mainline denominations, who hold to some form of liturgy in the more formal sense (to no avail!). I assume most people understand the term liturgy. It means literally, "the work of the people", and is a combination of the words, rituals and order of worship in the Church meeting or service, when Christians gather to worship the Lord, minister to one-another, and to hear His word.

You might say that there is a danger of going overboard and cherry picking that which we prefer, and I agree in part, but I am inclined to believe that God is really behind all of this. He is in the business of uniting us in Christ, and there is a great horde of things that we have in common, rather than things that separate us. Now, some pastors and teachers may have a problem with what I am describing, especially if they are lacking in their appreciation for Church History and are blinded by some denominational or party spirit. It is terribly unfortunate the lengths (and depths of animosity) that some people will go to in order to protect their doctrinal "milk", all to the impoverishment of their communities of faith, who in actuality, take their lead from these very leaders, and who may really want more solid food, if only they knew where to look for it.

I have always thought it was wise to take a long view of things, both practically and personally. In matters such as we are discussing today, I think it is also wise to take the proverb to heart, which says, "chew the meat and spit out the bones," or to borrow from Luke in the Acts, to be "wise like the Bereans", and to check things out for ourselves by searching the scriptures!

Now again, some might have issues with the above convergence because it seems to be a fundamental shift away from scripture, but in fact, what we are recognizing is a return to the apostolic days, when the Apostles hands were still guiding the Church before even the canon was closed. A little research will show you that such is the case. I point you to the writing of the Early Church Fathers, such as, Tertullian, Justin Martyr, The Epistles of Clement of Rome, the Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus, The Didache and the Sacramentary of Serapion.
Most can be found at: http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ These are some names to juggle!

Even without giving sway to everything we find in the fathers, for instance, some wacky methods of exegesis, we can and should, happily embrace a return to Scripture, Liturgy and Openness to the Spirit, without doing harm to the current form of the Church in terms of it's vitality, but on the contrary, we may immeasurably, be adding to its profundity of meaning, it's stability, and a superabundance of life. Amen to that!

God save the Queen

We remember them..

and we shall not yield to terror.

God bless Britain and the USA.

Triumph and Disaster

Some of the papers are calling the dastardly attack on London, so soon after the Olympic jubilation, "the day of triumph and the day of disaster", and announcing, "terror comes to London", and yet, we British are "Bloody but unbowed". I emailed back and forth with a friend yesterday who missed the Kings Cross bombing by minutes. He eventually got to work on a river taxi. Others were not so lucky, I'm sad to say.

It reminds me that the devil, who is the real author of evil, does not have a forked tail, a red jump-suit and little horns; he wears a nice suit and carries a briefcase, filled with semtex. These are fingerprints that will not be picked up by forensics, but which show all of the hallmarks of the enemy of souls. We also need to remember that things that happen in the natural world can indicate what is going on in the unseen one.

Some people are saying they cannot understand why people could do such a thing. I also struggle to understand on an emotional level how murder can be justified in such a case (or any), but from a theological point of view, the matter is much clearer. We do live in a fallen world; a world that the West has forgotten is in the grip of evil powers behind the scenes. This is not some medieval vision, but a true picture of the world that has a powerful, but not omnipotent enemy. Christians call this a spiritual war, but not against people as some crusaders terribly misjudged. It is a fight for good and right, and truth, in the pure light of God.

I am banking on the fact that God will turn this around. The enemy always seems to overplay his hand, and we shall see great victory come out of this monstrous act. My thoughts and prayers, and those of millions of other Christians are with the victims and their families. This little discussion will not assuage their pain in the least. Though I am sure that we all need to be reminded of how to frame such dreadful things.

The same Gospel that people deny is true, often rationalize their position with the old argument of disbelief; how could God allow such terrible things as the London bombing yesterday. It's the issue of theodicy and the problem of evil again. (The word, which supposedly was coined by the German philosopher Gottfried Leibniz (1646-1716), is derived from two Greek words (theos, God, and dike, justice), and has to do with the justification of the goodness and righteousness of God in the face of the evil in the world. http://www.leaderu.com/theology/theodicy.html)

I don't know why God let is happen, but I do know that this, under-estimated Gospel, tells us that there is genuine evil, and that God comes into the darkness and is able to bring light and hope. Some people even try to deny that evil exists, but this is no defense against the enemies of the good. They are laughing all the way down below, to a very dark place and well-deserved punishment, filled with delusions of frightful things that will not do anyone any good, especially they themselves.

Paul writes to the Romans that we should "expect the God of peace to soon crush satan under our feet." Rom 16:20; May it be so in this case in a big way. I would not want to be in the shoes of OBL and his cronies.