Render Unto Caesar

Well…I knew it was coming but being busy this week I hadn’t checked to see if it was up yet.  Robert Marus, a writer for ABP, is doing contributing to a six part series on religion and politics.  The first article can be found here. [And yes, I’m linking to this because he quoted little ol’ me.]  Of course, in true "guilt-by-association" fashion this will ruin me….to be quoted in ABP….along with Ben Cole.  The madness must stop.

Picture This

There is absolutely no fun being made of the Collins Building here in Sapulpa.  It is a building that houses many of our county government offices.  It is a respectable place where good people work.  Perhaps this photo can play a small part in the redemption of my little electronic den of iniquity.

A Little Levity Lightens The Whole Lump

In today’s installment we examine the future of the Southern Baptist Convention once it is entrusted into the hands of this guy.  [Update: Please pray for my wretched soul]

Clear Baptist Identity

For those interested in what a "clear Baptist identity" means within the SBC go here.

A Little Levity Lightens The Whole Lump

Despite Monday’s protestations you can rest assured, dear reader, that I press on undeterred.  And in an effort to be an equal opportunity offender I present you today’s installment.  In this episode a pack of lions move in next door to metrosexual Ben Cole.  Yes, the same Ben Cole who squealed like a girl in the San Antonio County Line restaurant when a gnat, nay, a fairy fly, almost indistinguishable to the human eye, landed next to his salad [though I’m certain he will tell us all that it was "in" his salad].

As you may know, and if you don’t I’m confident that Paige Patterson could dispel your ignorance, lions do not hunt.  Lionesses do.  Here we see the male neighbor warning our good friend Mr. Cole of his impending doom.

A Little Levity Lightens The Whole Lump

Just because I’m in a good mood…and because we are in VBS this week…I will be posting some of my favorite cartoons throughout the week.  Like this one where we find Ergun and Emir Caner flexing their muscles:

A Little Levity Lightens The Whole Lump

In this installment Al Mohler demonstrates administrative efficiency.

Picture This

The top pic is of my youngest (on the right) and her friend Ashlyn (obviously on the left).  We got to stop by and see Ashlyn and her family on our way back from San Antonio last week.  Aren’t they two of the cutest little girls you’ve ever seen?

The bottom pic is of a ‘41 Willy’s Coup.  Every year Sapulpa has a Rout 66 Blowout and a part of the festivities includes a car show in downtown Sapulpa on old Rout 66.  This was one of the cleanest, most immaculate cars on display (and I’ve always had a soft spot for the old Willy’s).  I was seriously fighting with the tenth commandment on this one.  By the way, it was for sale and if you’re interested call 800.835.8223 (how’s that for some free advertising!).

What I Dig About Jesus

I was tagged by Bryan Riley, David Phillips and Art Rogers.  The instructions were:

1. Those Tagged will share 5 things they dig about Jesus.
2. Those tagged will tag 5 other bloggers.
3. Those tagged will provide a link in the comments section here of their meme so that others can read them.

So here it goes:

1. That he lived totally unconcerned with what others thought about him.  He was comfortable in his own skin.
2. That he knew how to live in the fullness of the Spirit of God paving the way for us to do the same.
3. That he inspired people everywhere he went, whether through the stories he told or the things he did.  He still inspires people wherever he is found.
4. That in being the crushee he actually became the crusher of the enemy securing victory over death and hell.
5. That he has chosen to share all his stuff with someone like me.

I’m supposed to tag 5 others, so I will tag Terry Hall, David Cecil, Benjie Potter, the venerable Paul Burleson and Kevin Stilley (or that really intelligent wife of his, Susan).

Truth As Transformation

I’ve been reading Peter Rollins’ book How (Not) To Speak Of God.  [Funny side story: I was reading it on the plane to San Antonio last Sunday.  I happened to be sitting next to Danny Forshee and his wife.  Of course, on the front cover of the book is this statement from Brian McLaren: "I am a raving fan of [this] book . . . one of the most important contributions to date to the emergent church conversation."  Now, given the fact that one of the most disturbing motions made at the convention last week was from a guy who moved that the SBC disavow anything to do with the Emergent Church, including affiliations, the selling of emergent books and even citations from emergent leaders and practitioners - he stopped just short of calling for an all-out ban on the word "emergent" itself - this obviously made for an interesting situation.  I overheard Danny telling his wife that I was reading an emergent book and then he got out of his seat, got down on one knee next to the guy sitting in front of him and they spoke in hushed tones.  Soon the guy he was talking to was turning around in his seat to look at me.  Maybe he was admiring my fashion sense.  I thought it was all pretty funny.]

At any rate, Rollins makes an interesting point about truth.  He contrasts the prevailing Greek concept of truth with a more Jewish conception.  For Jews, he says, "The emphasis [on truth] is thus not on description but on transformation.  This perspective completely short-circuits the long-redundant debate as to whether truth is subjective or objective, for here Truth is the ungraspable Real (objective) that transforms the individual (subjective)."  Thus, truth in that framework isn’t primarily a matter of describing reality as it is a matter of being transformed by and living in the service of that which is Real (God).

In that light, then, the Scriptures can commend Rahab not in spite of her telling the authorities something that did not correspond with reality, but because she acted out what was true.  Other examples can be seen in the Hebrew women who hid Hebrew babies in Egypt despite the Pharaoh’s decree to put them to death and the story they gave to Pharaoh about why they did what they did.

Now, this is not a matter of truth being relative and it is not situational or utilitarian ethics.  They are instances where people acted in accordance with ultimate Truth.  As Rollins puts it, "Truth is God and having knowledge of the Truth is evidenced, not in a doctrinal system, but in allowing that Truth to be incarnated in one’s life….  To know the Truth is thus to be known and transformed by the Truth."

Modern evangelicalism seems to come more from the Greek perspective of truth…sort of a Joe Friday "Just the facts, ma’am" approach (anyone who says they don’t know who Joe Friday was will be backhanded into 1967).  In this view truth is more about mental affirmations.  But I have to agree with Rollins that, while truth is not void of a relationship with reality around us, it is ultimately in service to the one who is Truth and who transforms us not by our doctrinal systems but by the present reality of God in our lives.

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