Praise the Lord and Pass the Gun Scope

I heard an interesting story on NPR the other day about a company that supplies gun scopes to the US military. What’s peculiar about these scopes is that they engrave a Bible verse on the scope, next to the serial number.

Christians in America often mix patriotism and Christianity. This example of Christ Above Culture is particularly troublesome when these scopes are used in the war against Islamic terrorism. It almost implies that the battle is between Muslims and Christians. Although some Muslims have phrased the battle in this way, most American soldiers do are not fighting because they are Christian.

How to Apologize, according to Wired

Of all the things I read, I think I enjoy my subscription to Wired the most. Every year they publish an entire issue featuring brief articles telling you “How to” do various things. Usually these things are very geeky and are actually answering questions I wonder about- further proving my geekiness.

Occasionally they include a more serious “How to”- although its hard to take it seriously surrounded by so much sarcasm. For instance this year they have a great description on How to Apologize. Its a great description of how to make a clear, concise apology.

Even Trump is Insecure

My wife noticed something a couple weeks ago while we were watching The Apprentice. Not only has it been true for the last couple weeks, but looking back I think he’s always done it after he fires someone. He turns to his advisors and asks them (in one way or another) if he made the right decision.

It is funny that one of the most confident men in the world has to find validation as much as I do. He has to have someone tell him that he was right. They say that the most dogmatic and overconfident people are really trying to despirately overcompensate for their insecurities.

The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg

This book has been on my unofficial reading list for years. In fact, I started to read it while I was in seminary, but couldn’t finish it because I just didn’t “get it.” I found it once again in my local used book store, bought it, and haven’t been able to put it down since.

Wikipedia describes the book as a Gothic novel because of its use of demons and melancholic tone. As a Presbyterian minister- educated in the theology of the lead character- I disagree. It is a story of a supralapsarian who divorces his own justification from the work of Christ in such a way that he becomes an antinomian.

Being that the previous sentence contains many words only found in a seminary education (and a Presbyterian seminary, at that) let me explain what that means.

Review: Five Views on Sanctification

This book has been on my shelf for a while- actually since seminary (which would make that almost 10 years). Although I have started it a couple times before, I am glad to say I finally finished it. I am also glad to say that it was worth the wait.

Blog Action Day: Justification and Poverty

I could cure poverty myself if I had a dime everyone told me that the Bible says,

God helps those who help themselves.

This is a proverb by Benjamin Franklin from Poor Richard’s Almanac, not the Bible. The reason so many people mis-attribute it to the Bible is because it justifies their lack of interest in the marginalized in society- especially those overwhelmed by poverty. If God, their logic goes, will only help people who help themselves, I don’t have to either. It becomes the fault of the helpless person and they are relieved of any obligation to help.

The Power of “I am sorry”

A couple weeks ago there was a powerful story in Newsweek where a woman described some conflict in her family and the difficulty of apologizing. This reminds me of how much I need to constantly remind myself of my justification by faith in Christ so I can also find the strength to apologize.

Ted Haggard Post-Ministry

I was reading in Newsweek the other day about Ted Haggard, former head of the National Association of Evangelicals and pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs. He is the “former” president and pastor because he was “outed” by another man for having a homosexual affair.

I empathize with his story because I have also felt let down by the church when I was at my weakest point. It seems this has happened to me too many times. No I wasn’t the president of a national organization or pastor of any mega-church but it still hurt when the church treated me as a leper when I hurt the most.

Christ, Culture and John Updike

Today I learned that John Updike passed away. This saddened me because he was one of the few serious authors I enjoy reading. I am still thinking about and regularly empathize with Rabbit, Run. His talents will be missed.

I mention this in my blog not because I heard he has been attending an Episcopal church in the last few years, thereby somehow tying him into Christ and Culture, but because I had to read one of his novels in seminary- In the Beauty of the Lilies. This novel is a brilliant insight into the church of the 20th century. It starts with a preacher who is unable to speak only to be replaced by his wife. It continues into dutiful and boring worship in the middle of the century. It concludes with an investigation of alternative spirituality, telling a similar story to the Branch Davidians. Any historian of modern Christianity should check this out.

Grace, Karma, and Bono

Urbanphile posted a great quote from Bono on his blog about the uniqueness of grace as a Christian concept. Although I usually refer to Bono in this blog as he relates to Christ and Culture- for example, Christ and U23D and Bono at the National Prayer Breakfast- it is nice to hear him mention the Gospel too.

All this is getting me really excited about U2’s new album (No Line On The Horizon)- coming out March 3rd.