“How can Christians of differing theological viewpoints cooperate?”

Recently, I was accepted into a Reformed seminary. God has blessed me with a wonderful opportunity to learn and to grow. And I can't wait. The seminary required me to write two essays, and I'm sharing one of them with you. It isn't likely that I will be blogging again in the near future- I'm sure most of you guessed that by my prolonged absence. In the end, I hope this post will be edifying to you and a satisfying conclusion to my blog.

Picture Credit: Google Image Search

In every Christian, there is a mixture of truth and error; no man holds the “corner on the truth market.” In Proverbs 27:17, God declares to His people, “Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.” Discussing theology with other Christians can clarify one’s own position, push one to better understand the scriptures, and demonstrate one’s error that was previously unseen. Living along side other Christians and discerning their theology in their lives forges a stronger theology in our own lives. We can learn from their strengths and weaknesses, as they can learn from ours. If not for these experiences, our iron would not be sharpened; we would remain dull indeed.

As Christians, when we deal with one another, it must be out of humility and kindness. Firstly, we must recognize that we did not come to the faith out of our own intelligence; we did not reason ourselves into the faith. Faith only comes from God as a gift. Therefore, any theological conviction, while it may be held firmly, should also be held graciously. We should not despise our brothers for their lack of knowledge or puff ourselves up for what God Himself has revealed. In our conversations with unbelievers, it is often said that we should not add offense to the gospel for it is offensive enough. How much more should we display that restraint with our brothers!

Secondly, the fruit of the Spirit is not a personal preference. In our actions and reactions, the glory of God should govern us. The apostle Paul, in Romans 8, announces that God predestined believers “to become conformed to the image of His Son.” All of our thoughts, words, and actions are to be conformed to the image of Christ – even to the point of lowering ourselves. In Philippians 2, Paul charges believers to “have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.” Following the example of our Savior, we must empty ourselves and must, as Paul directs further in Philippians 2, “with humility of mind regard one another as more important than [ourselves].” Therefore, in obedience to God, we must “love our neighbor as [ourselves]” (Mark 12:31). This love of neighbor will be evidenced in the kindness we give to our fellow believers in our conversation and fellowship. A mutual dying-to-self will take place in the midst of this cooperation.

However, cooperation must not end in the compromise of truth. We should not cooperate for cooperation’s sake. The truth should not be sacrificed on the altar of unity. In Matthew 28:19 & 20, Jesus commands the disciples, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations… teaching them to observe all that I commanded you." Furthermore, the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks in question three, “What do the scriptures principally teach?” It answers, “The scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.” In short, doctrine is important. Our theology is not a trifle to be ignored or swept under the rug. Making an idol of cooperation will not sharpen anyone’s iron. Instead it will curse those who hope in it.

In this matter, as in many others, there is a Biblical tension. We must cling to the truth as it has been revealed in the scripture. It must be our source of theology and doctrine. And, it must be our guide in cooperation with our fellow believers. If we are kind and humble, our discussions with our Christian brothers can be a great blessing; our lives can demonstrate the power of God to one another. True, godly cooperation can result in growth in grace and in faith. And that is a goal for which is worth striving.

*All scripture references come from the New American Standard Version.

Booklist: July 2012

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
The Psalter: The Only Hymnal? by Iain H. Murray
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Hmm. What can I say about the books I read in July? Well, suffice it to say that while dystopia-themed novels may be popular teen lit right now, it appears that most of them are poorly-written trash. Delirium is one such example. In spite of all the garbage in the dystopian genre, I keep hoping for another gem. Another Hunger Games or Divergent. But alas, with odd, mutated Bible stories, Oliver's novel was not to be that gem. While Oliver may have been a disappointment, Murray was not. His essay on required song in worship is excellent. I highly recommend it for anyone who desires to understand that hymns are to be sung. Back in the realm of fiction, I finally finished Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye.  I've wanted to read it for years because it so poignantly describes the sixties mentality. For that reason alone it should be approached with caution - prevalent cursing and innuendo are other concerns. While Salinger certainly did provide moments of amusement (sometimes laugh-out-loud hilarity), his character Holden Caulfield is not someone with whom I would choose to keep company often.

Indecision at Its Finest

Bookshelves

Some dear friends moved away this week. I'll miss them. Unfortunately, being several states away means I won't see them very often. Before they left, in their typical generous fashion, they gave me two bookshelves. This girl couldn't have been more excited.

What a chance to organize! Homeschooling, history, theology, economics, law, further education, and fiction are all grouped by topic. Whew!

Of course, George likes being able to reach the top of my desk more easily. There are priorities.

DVDs too. All neatly shelved and together. It makes my eyes happy.

A Girls' Coffee Trip

Can have interesting results...

Beach Trip: Reads

What do five girls do at the beach? Good question. I'm so glad you asked. But you do know that those five girls includes me, right?

Yeah. I thought so. We read. (And other activities, I promise those of you who are already worrying about my sanity.)

This year, the Lord providentially sent a tropical storm down (er, up?) the coast. Lots and lots of rain. Perfect weather for reading. Not perfect weather for visiting the beach. So, this particular day was mostly spent inside curled up with various read materials and lots of good conversation.

Recognize that book? See my May Booklist.

Quote of the Day

For my fellow Whovians:

"Tracked you down with this. This is my timey-wimey detector. It goes 'ding' when there's stuff. Also, it can boil an egg at 30 paces, whether you want it to or not, actually, so I've learned to stay away from hens. It's not pretty when they blow." ~The Doctor

Picture Credit: Google Image Search

A Place for Invective in Polemics?

"Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17

Debate. Discussion. Argument. Exchange. Reasoning. Polemic. Exciting words for some. Discouraging words for others. A mixture of personality, experience, and setting can determine our attitude regarding these synonyms. Another determining factor is kindness. Should charity be a critical element of discussion? Remember 1 Corinthians 10:31? "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." And Galatians 5:21? "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit." Obedience to God brings glory to Him. Then, if we are Christians, we must show forth the fruit of the Spirit in our lives whether eating, drinking, or debating.

In history, there are many examples of men of the faith who debated men of the church and men of the world. Luther. Calvin. Dabney. Machen. Bahnsen. Etc. Read any one; you can observe their skill in polemic. Dictionary.com defines polemic as "a controversial argument, as one against some opinion, doctrine, etc." or "a person who argues in opposition to another; controversialist." In their vocations, God gave them great gifts of eloquence, forthrightness, and wisdom. It is surely not a overstatement that God providentially used these men and their proclivity for debate to witness to the world.

So what circumstance in debate can detract from our witness or the demonstration of the fruit? Consider invective. Dictionary.com defines invective as, "an insulting or abusive word or expression." Martin Luther is famous for his withering insults. Even today, you can let Luther insult you. See this link. Calvin, so I have been told, is not an exception. (Calvin scholars, do you agree? My experience with reading Calvin is limited. Soon to be rectified!) As the story goes, Dabney stated the the ad-hominem attack was the only one a Darwinist would understand. In this modern age of internet debate and discussion, it seems to be in vogue to follow the example of our forebears and verbally abuse our opposite.

But all of these men were sinners. Should we follow the example of Luther, Calvin, and Dabney? Is invective a gift or a curse? What do we gain by mocking our enemy? Or reviling him? Do our points become better, stronger, or more irrefutable? Do our words become more eloquent or better timed? More importantly, did the impassioned derision lift up the name of God? Or did it detract from the witness? Did it sharpen a man's iron while displaying the fruit of the Spirit for the glory of God? That's the litmus test. If words cannot pass it, then they don't deserve to be spoken, typed, or thought. It's a question we would do well to consider before putting pen to page.

In the end, denouncing someone as a willfully-ignorant, monkey-brained wastrel isn't helpful. It doesn't demonstrate kindness, and it doesn't bring glory to God. Our arguments will never regenerate someone for that is God's work alone. Remembering this, we should demonstrate humility and kindness. For our great intellectual prowess didn't bring us here. God, by His grace, did.

Picture Credit: Google Search   

Wonder and Beauty

I had to share this. It's too wonderful not to.

Color

If you asked me about my favorite color, I would probably answer green. But, truth be told; I don't have a favorite color. Or better still, it changes with my mood. And my mood right now is autumn. And orange!

I know, some of you are still hoping that this post isn't about fashion. Maybe she'll bring it around to a philosophical twist? No such luck. Between work, reading Pittacus Lore, and watching Doctor Who (Allons-y!), I haven't made much time for my philosophical side. Don't worry. Subjects are brewing. The Regulative Principle. Ethics of Polemics. Batman and Symbolism. Perhaps even a post on Star Wars. Maybe. We'll see what strikes me.

In the meantime, enjoy another post with fashion. I'm sure most of you are glad this isn't a pensive ramble. So, wear some color. Go bold, and then tell me about it.

Literary Art

I want one. Check out the Etsy shop here. 'Cause you want one too now, don't you?

Ready for Fall and Fashion

Yesterday morning was crisp and lovely. It had me longing for fall weather and fall fashion. Sweaters, boots, jeans, and vests.

Isn't this vintage one perfect? And orange too!

 

Last year, I purchase the lovely above from Old Navy. And I can't wait to wear it again... 

Ah. Argyle too! Bring on Fall and Fashion! (Don't forget football!)

The Doctor on Books

In short: READ.

A Knotted Friendship Bracelet

I'm not a crafty person. But, every once in a while, a craft comes along that I enjoy. Mellissa sent me a link for this bracelet, and then we made them at camp. Fun!

Try it out.

A Compact is Meant for Records

Sometimes, in order to save gas money, you attempt the impossible. Reaching for the stars, you decide that five girls can fit in a compact car with a week's worth of luggage. And with determination and gusto, it actually happens. This is the stuff of a beach trip.

Armed with friends, tunes, and excitement, we set off.

Not forgetting to stop for coffee. It was an early morning.

With help from road signs and some fabulous hospitality from Mrs. W, we finally arrived!

At the beach!

Booklist: June 2012

None of my reading in June was particularly thrilling or worthwhile. Though, if you happen to be a fan of the Hellboy films, then the Hellboy graphic novel might be up your alley - an almost perfect translation of the film to the page. And I admit that I enjoyed it. Though, the film has a much more powerful message about choices and redemption made by a father's love. In contrast, The Vow is much more satisfying than the its film adaptation. A true story of Christians keeping their word - a vow made before God. The Rope Trick simply wasn't as interesting as Alexander's Prydain Chronicles, but I have more of his children's literature to peruse... so I haven't given up hope of another gem. In general, books are better than their film counterparts, but, as seen above, it isn't always the case. And How to Train Your Dragon is one of those exceptions that proves the rule. Filled with crude humor and disrespect for adults, HTYD fails the litmus test for children's literature.

June 2012
The Vow by Kim Carpenter
Hellboy: Seed of Destruction by Mike Mignola
The Rope Trick by Lloyd Alexander
How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell

George's New Blanket

A fuzzy blanket keeps a kitty drowsy and content.

Nugget T-Shirts

The girls and I dreamed of making "Nugget" t-shirts ever since the MECHE skits... "Wouldn't it be fun to wear them to the beach?" Swiftly agreement was reached that said "Nugget" t-shirts would be a group project. Any excuse to get together, right?

The week before the beach trip, we gathered at the Kincell home for the big moment... But how exactly does one print on a t-shirt? In my ignorance, I was planning to write free-handed on my t-shirt. Kiri, however, was more practical. And stencils were printed. 

Step 1: Print stencils and cut the letters out.

Step 2: Pose for picture with your new stencil. (Check!)

Step 3: Secure stencil to t-shirt. (Scotch tape worked well.)

Step 4: Paint two coats of black paint over the letters.

Step 5: Wait 10 minutes and peel off stencil (This was done with much trepidation! ;)

Step 6: Wear aforementioned "nugget" t-shirts to the beach and take pictures. (Double Check!)

And lots of smiles for all.

What would a "nugget" t-shirt photo op be without a foot picture?

I love the background of this photo; my hair became entangled in Dee's clip... Memories!

Quote of the Day

~John Hodges in his lecture "Philosophical History of Beauty"~

Concerning the misuse of emotion (i.e. laughing at slasher films and crying during Hallmark commercials) :

"Because if you can see the image of God dismembered and not be moved, something's wrong. You should be angry about that; you should be revolted about that. There's something perverse about that. If you can be moved to tears by things that are sentimental hogwash, you see, then you're off base - you're off balance. What need to be able to do is re-calibrate our emotional sensibilities, our relationships in our emotions to things that are genuinely worth being upset about or worth not being upset about. That's wisdom."

Concerning the absolute of beauty:

"The modernist position in aesthetics I think is spelled out pretty well by Kant: 'There's nothing that's absolute, but we can yet know beauty based on our subjective responses.' And most people in our day hold that position - whether they are Christians nor not.  So I think Christians need to take a stand at that point and say, 'No. That's not all there is.' The pre-modern position described by [Jonathan] Edwards has been all but forgotten in our relativistic age, and it's the source of beauty is the nature of God Himself. In any other area of thought, we would be the first to hold to absolutes. Why not here? Rethinking our position on beauty may seem abstract, or theoretical, and without practical use. But, I want to argue that doing so will give us a new insight into a lot of things: man's nature, general revelation, common grace, creativity, worship, art, the gifts that God has given the people to be salt and light in the culture. All those things will be revamped, rethought, I think, far more multifaceted, if we take up this chore."

The Intrepid Ball: ♫Let 'Em Dance♫

Yes, this is dreadfully late, but - better late than never... Right?

Before the dancing begins, Daddy gives the etiquette speech. He reminds us of proper behavior and decorum in the ballroom. For the Intrepid Ball, he prepared a devotional informing us of the godly, self-sacrifice of the men of the Titanic. At the time, the sacrifice of these men was broadly acknowledged to be due to the influence of Christianity. For the Savior, Jesus Christ, died to self, purchasing a people for Himself - for all eternity. In our lives (even in the ballroom), we should demonstrate Christ-like behavior by dying to self for others.

After the etiquette speech, the dancing begins!

Twenty one dances in all.

It certainly makes for tired, but happy, feet.

And happy faces!

After the ball is over, we all talk about how we can't wait for the next one...