We’re all muzzled oxen now
I suspect I don’t take as negative a view of all the social issues here and am not sure about all the analysis (though there is stuff to agree with), but the questions for the church concerning pastoral salaries, and the cultural conditions that have led to where we are, bear thinking about.
On coffee-sipping in the sanctuary
John Piper accidentally kicked up a twitterstorm about drinking coffee while you worship. Of course, coffee was never really the issue and here he explains why. I suspect Piper’s warning may well be right for the dominant American Evangelical culture he mainly speaks to (and this same emphasis is necessary for other church cultures like them). The counter is that some church cultures are deeply austere and need to hear more about freedom, joy and the accessibility of God as our father in Christ. Piper’s warning and analysis is spot on for cultures that do as he suggests but we must parse how helpful that same warning is in all churches where the emphases may have taken them in quite different directions.
How ‘evangelical’ are Iowa’s evangelicals?
Prof. Thomas S. Kidd: ‘Globally, most born-again churchgoers aren’t white and they certainly aren’t Republican, because they aren’t American. Still, journalists regularly report on nonchurchgoing white voters who say they are evangelicals. These folks are among the most devoted Trump supporters, in Iowa and across the country. Those who apply the term in a narrowly political and ethnic way might ask themselves if they, or the “evangelical” voters they query and write about, know what the word means. They might bear in mind, too, that the vast majority of the world’s evangelical Christians have never voted for Mr. Trump, or for a Republican, or in any U.S. election.’
The inconsistency of the secular worldview: consent is not absolute
I don’t usually link to Facebook posts, but John Stevens is making a habit of posting some lengthy but particularly helpful comments there. Here, he speaks about the consistency of logic surrounding a rather graphic legal case in the UK and uses it to show the inconsistency of our current secular worldview. As an aside, I did an A-level in Law, and one of few cases I can still remember is R v Brown, which is relevant to John’s comments and, with even rudimentary knowledge of the details, you will see why it stuck in the mind!
TV Gladiator: God set me free from my destructive lifestyle
Do you remember Gladiators? Of course you do! And you know it’s having a reboot right now, right? Well, Ace – from the 90s Gladiators – has become a Christian since the old version ended and shares his testimony in this one.
What is the most important thing taught in the Bible?
There are many contenders for important things in scripture, but this one (I think) gets the most important thing right. And we aren’t left to guess because the Bible tells us what it is.
From the archive: Not suitable for children
‘I have heard this kind of logic play out in other places. Worldliness, fundamentally, is defined as what is acceptable for children or whole families. I find that a highly limiting, problematic definition of worldliness. Whilst I don’t want to suggest that Christians can listen to and watch whatever – as if nothing represents a problem at all – I just think we need a better approach to sifting such things than this.’