by Lt. Col. John McCrae (1872-1918)

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved, and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

For the history of In Flanders Field: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Flanders_Fields.

Sobering.

We believe exactly what the Bible teaches about baptism:

• It washes our sins away.
• It is by immersion in water.
• It is for everyone of us.
• It is done in Jesus name.

I suppose I would add a few more short statements:

• It is a command of the Lord.
• It is for those who have repented to God.
• It is for those who believe on Jesus as Lord and Savior.
• It is how we publicly confess our sins.
• It is how we publicly make our profession of faith.
• It pictures judgment against sin by a flood of water.
• It visualizes the Gospel: the death and resurrection of Jesus.
• It is death to our old man, and life to our new man in Christ.
• It unites us with Christ.

So it is with Scripture.  If you have already worked your way to a position holding to the Bible as the words of God, then you will tend to give it the benefit of the doubt, assume it’s historicity, and trust it as a reliable source for life, teaching, and the truth about God and His people.  However, if you do not hold to the Bible as the words of God but merely as the words of ancient writers, then you will tend to see it as merely as a collection of ancient religious, historical, and poetical documents that get it right sometimes and get it wrong sometimes.  Your attitude towards God, politics, and religion will likely determine your place on that spectrum of how right or wrong you see the Bible to be.

This issue affects the work of Palestinian archaeology as well (used to be called “Biblical” archaeology – i.e. archaeology in the lands of the events of the Bible).  Palestinian archaeology is heavily affected by individual archaeologist’s views.  The key factor is how an archaeologist views the historical reliability of the Old Testament.  Can it or can it not be used as an accurate source for the history of ancient Israel?  Minimalists hold that the Bible is basically untrustworthy as a source and anything in the Bible is to be held in suspicion until proved by outside evidence (physical artifacts, other records/source, etc.).  Maximalists hold that the Bible is basically trustworthy as a source and the Bible is to be given the benefit of the doubt and it should be used along with other evidence to give a fuller picture of the history of ancient Israel.

Over the past century and a half, Palestinian archaeology has slowly and steadily piled up a great amount of physical and documentary data for the study of the history of ancient Israel.  This effort overturned many skeptical arguments about the historicity of the Old Testament.  Most of these challenges concern the dating or geographic location of evidence (such as the ancient cities of Jericho and Ai) or the lack of physical evidence of events or peoples described in the Old Testament.  One instance of this is the Hittittes thought by many to be mythical since for centuries the only evidence of their existence was in the Old Testament.  In the late 1880′s this began to be overturned by physical evidence discovered in Kulteppe and Tell el-Armana, and later by discovery of a whole city.  Thus, it seems to many of us that all this work has generally shown the Old Testament to be accurate, though there are several significant challenges–that with each turn of the spade in Palestine another Bible story is dug up and brought to life.

One of the current cheif disputes in Palestinian archeology is over the existence of one of the foundational figures of Israel, King David.  A number of archaeologists doubt the very existence of David, or if he existed believe him to have been a minor cheiftain.  Again the main argument for their case is the absence of evidence for David or his kingdom.  Well, it appears that this too is slowly being overturned, and may in time be shown to be just another skeptical stopgap.

I commend to you this article, “Reclaiming Biblical Jerusalem” by Rachel Ginsberg, describing the work of Eilat Mazar, who claims to have found walls of King David’s palace, as well as its implications and consequences both for archaeology and even politics.  The significance of this discovery, if held up, can hardly be overstated.  Read it and ponder.  It also mentions by sidenote some sidelined evidence of another Old Testament event, the conquest of Palestine by Joshua, that is generally viewed skeptically for the same reason, absence of evidence (other than the OT).  Also, it needs to be remembered here that the issue of the historicity of the Old Testament affects not one, but three different religions all of which have continuing claims upon Jerusalem and consequently affect the contemporary politics of Jerusalem, Israel and the Middle East.

• Is this real?  The Yahoo Sports team thinks so.  Take a look at this amazing basketball shot.
• Is THIS real?  I’m a total skeptic on this one, but go look and see what you think.  Perhaps it will advance your sanctification.  Here it is: “Family sees Jesus image in Marmite.”
• Now this fact is real.  John Tyler was the 10th president of the United States way back from (1841-45) and he died in 1862.  Turns out, the grandson of John Tyler is still alive! That’s right, not the great-great, or great-, but the grandson of the 10th President is still around. That belongs in Ripley’s Believe-It-Or-Not.

“One of his great strengths was that he was not ashamed to ask simple questions.  Thus: ‘What makes the Blue Mountains blue?’ (A lot of people want to ask this but fear to reveal their ignorance.) He asked Paul Volcker, chairman of the Fed, ‘Why do we need the Federal Reserve at all?’ Volcker, six feet seven-and-a-half–half a foot taller than Reagan–sagged in his chair and was ‘speechless for a minute’.”

We don’t ask questions because we don’t want to look stupid or reveal our ignorance.  Not asking simple questions is a symptom of pride and pride is something that we’ve got to kill.  So ask simple questions and kill your pride.

I’m sitting here wishing that a lot more people in government, banks, and financial institutions had been asking Reagan’s kind of simple questions over the past ten years.  Questions like, “is it a good idea to lower lending standards that are the result of over a hundred years of experience?”

• Dave Ramsey is doing his part for the economic crisis: he refuses to be a part of this recession.  He is sponsoring a free nationwide event: http://www.townhallforhope.com/.  Don’t you wish our politicians would stop their fearmongering and give us real hope?
• Have you ever wondered about what is fair when paying speakers?  Here is a thought-provoking approach by Professor John Stackhouse: http://stackblog.wordpress.com/fair-payment-for-speakers/.
• If you search Amazon.com you are probably familiar with their reviews.  I have written a handful and have often wondered how useful they were.  Well, recently I found that they were indeed useful, because I was requested by an author to review his book on Amazon.com.  And it turns out that the Economist magazine has asked this very question, are Amazon.com reviews effective?: http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13174365
• Also, have you ever wondered what the Sabbath principle should look like in the Christian life?  When we read the Ten Commandments we pretty much know what to do with the other nine, but this is confusing to most of us.  Dr. Russell Moore has given this excellent message on what it means: Rest In Peace: Celebrating the Sabbath from an Empty Tomb.

Grace and Peace!

Are you a LOTR fan?  If you’re not you probably don’t even know what LOTR means.  Check this link for some cool paintings of The Hobbit.
http://quickhidehere.blogspot.com/2009/03/battle-of-five-armies-final.html

Remember the plane that landing the Hudson river?  Here is a really cool animation video of the landing.
http://www.boingboing.net/2009/03/02/recreation-of-hudson.html

Ira Glass has put out a couple of clips on effective storytelling.  Ira Glass is the host of the excellent broadcast This American Life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7KQ4vkiNUk&feature=related

So I commend to you Harrelson’s discussion over at BarnabasBlog: How Expository Preaching Changed Me.

Readers, if you have the time I would be interested to know your honest opinion: as a person on the pew do you enjoy a preaching/teaching method that works through passages of Scripture in sequence, in a series?

John Piper:“I hear so many Christians murmuring about their imperfections and their failures and their addictions and their short-comings. And I see so little war! ‘Murmur, murmur, murmur… Why am I this way?’ MAKE WAR!”

Ed Welch: “There is a mean streak to authentic self-control. Self-control is not for the timid. When we want to grow in it, not only do we nurture an exuberance for Jesus Christ, we also demand of ourselves a hatred for sin. The only possible attitude toward out-of-control desire is a declaration of all-out war. There is something about war that sharpens the senses. You hear a twig snap or the rustling of leaves and you are in attack mode. Someone coughs and you are ready to pull the trigger. Even after days of little or no sleep, war keeps us vigilant.”

Very true.  How many of us take the sin within us so personally and confront it with truth and passion and commitment to our Lord?

HT: Miscellanies

1. The religion of Medieval Roman Catholicism was very confused. If what is depicted in the Cadfael Chronicles is near authentic, then the Middle Ages were indeed dark. Prayer to dead saints? The Bible mostly ignored but for divination? These are not new observations but when one is placed in the daily events of that world it is mind-blowing. If for no other reason read the novel, and imagine living with that worldview day in and day out. Without a doubt, the Reformation was necessary and long over due.

2. This is what most modern skeptics equate all religion to: devotion to superstition. If, when one is reading the skeptics or talking to one, realize that there perception of us is not that different from our reaction to the devotees in the Cadfael Chronicles.

3. Sin is not eliminated by removing one’s self from the world. No, worldliness is already in the heart. This is a very interesting point of the Cadfael Chronicles, and I think a theme deliberately placed by Peters. These holy brothers are not very holy and while separated to the spiritual, normally they are not very spiritual. In fact, they are often quite carnal in pursuing what they deem to be spiritual.

4. The whole episode of applying sortes biblicae is deeply intriguing. For one, I don’t think this method is totally gone from the Church, in fact I think Christians of all sorts probably apply this type of thing in personal decision making. Honestly, I have on a few occasions been deeply comforted by randomly leafing through Scripture in a manner similar to this though I wasn’t using it to make a decision. Nothing wrong with that I suppose. However, Scripture was not given to us for this purpose. Scripture is to be read in its entirety and in context, interpreted and applied carefully. We are to be guided not by superstitious divinations creatively forced to apply to our situation, but by the truths of all of Scripture.

5. In spite of all that may be perceived as negative in the medieval mindset and showcased in this book, one foundation of that worldview seems to me to be bedrock for any Christian worldview: that God is ultimately in charge of all things, persons, and events, and is the source of all authority. I know that the doctrine of God’s sovereignty can be abused and misused but it is something that we have profoundly lost, for that is something that most Christians think little on and consider controversial.

6. Reading literature, by that I mean fiction, short stories or full-length novels, is a good practice for the Christian. It raises issues that provoke thought and it gives much more time for reflection than does television and movies. Though one should not read only fiction, one should not feel guilty for reading much of it and enjoying it. Good literature should have a solid place in the reading of the Christian.

7. Reading of all kinds is sheer joy and good for the mind!

Enjoy.

Follow this link.

Cletus, Take the Reel:

You can get plenty more at Google Video and YouTube.

Trueman provocatively challenges us to get over our culture’s coolness and cult of youth in To Baldly Go, of course, where no man has gone before. I think he’s dead-on, and the take away for youth ministers is that we are far too concerned with trendiness, coolness, and youthfulness rather than Jesus, the Gospel, and maturity.

Mohler reviews Dockery’s Renewing Minds

I haven’t read it, but it looks good. Mohler recommends Renewing Minds: Serving Church and Society through Christian Higher Education stating that it comes from one who has “earned the credibility to set forth his vision.” Dr. David S. Dockery is president of Union University. A University president having more than a plan to increase the endowments? Imagine that!

John Piper & Desiring God
Back to books. I don’t if you’ve ever heard of John Piper before, but I want to recommend his writing to you. He is the pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN, longtime author and national speaker, and founder of Desiring God Ministries. He has made a great stir through the years speaking on his understanding of the Christian life which provocatively calls “Christian Hedonism.” If you wonder just how those two words could possibly go together then you must read Piper! Fortunately, many of his books have been made available as free downloads on his website: Piper Online Books. You can also see Desiring God’s book recommendations at: DG Book Recommendations.

See his website at www.desiringgod.org.

Russell D. Moore on Proverbs
Dr. Russell D. Moore is the Dean of the School of Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also teaches Sunday School at the local church where he is a member. He recently went through portions of Proverbs outlining the Wisdom of God and many of its practical applications. The series is titled Walking the Line, I HIGHLY recommend them. Download them and listen with Bible, pen, and paper in hand. He also runs the Carl F.H. Henry Institute for Evangelical Engagement.

It has been 20 years since SCC debuted in the world of CCM with his first album, First Hand. In that 20 years, he has released 12 theme albums, 3 Christmas albums, 4 compilations, 1 live recording, and 1 new and upcoming album for a shocking total of 21. Add to that the many songs he has written or worked on for films (The Prince of Egypt, The Chronicles of Narnia, The End of the Spear, even We Were Soldiers…) and other projects, and the volume of output is simply amazing. He wrote much of this work himself displaying an impressive ability for combining deeply-felt, thoughtful lyrics with captivating melodies and cutting-edge pop, rock, and country sounds. The sales of his albums top 9 million and 45 of his songs have reached number one on the CCM charts.

In short, SCC has proved to be one of the most productive, consistent, and steady artists in the world of CCM. Of course, the CCM movement has stopped to thank him for this many times, rewarding him over the years with a record-breaking 51 Dove awards. In addition to that he has been awarded with 5 Grammys.

SCC’s music first appealed to me as road-burning music. Certainly, not Sunday morning music but songs for jamming down the highway. I had rarely listened to anything but southern and black gospel music, having been taught that anything with a rock beat was wrong. I can remember when that notion was forever destroyed for me: I was riding along with a friend and his father to some event and they popped in The Great Adventure, and that was it. By the time I had my own vehicle, it was windows rolled down jamming with The Great Adventure, No Better Place, My Turn Now, The Walk, Treasure of You, Facts are Facts, Let Us Pray, Land of Opportunity, Only Natural, Rubber Meets The Road, and others blaring from my poor boy’s factory car speakers. And it just kept getting better with the later great jam songs Dive, The Change, See the Glory, Jesus is Life, Fingerprints of God, Declaration of Dependence, Live Out Loud, Bring It On, Only Getting Starting, Whatever, and I Do Believe.

What drew me the most to SCC’s music however was the depth of meaning in the lyrics of his some of his slower songs. The first to grab my attention was Heart’s Cry, with these words:

This is my heart’s cry
I want to know the one who saved me and gave me life
This is my heart’s cry to be so close to Him that all my life becomes
A testimony of my Savior’s grace and love
This is my heart’s cry

Many of his songs have such a richness of meaning pointing to an obvious deep commitment to the Lord and much meditation on what worship and devotion to Christ is all about. For instance, ponder the words of this song, Much of You:

I want to make much of You, Jesus
I want to make much of Your love
I want to live today to give You the praise
That You alone are so worthy of
I want to make much of Your mercy
I want to make much of Your cross
I give You my life
Take it and let it be used
To make much of You

I would say that there is a depth of understanding of worship in that song rarely found in Christian music today. Other great SCC songs of this type include Hiding Place, My Redeemer is Faithful and True, His Eyes, Wait, His Strength is Perfect, Way Beyond the Blue, Waiting for Lightning, When You Are A Soldier, Miracle of Mercy, Be Still and Know, God is God, Savior, and Moment Made for Worshipping. The words of this last song, I can’t resist including here:

This is a moment made for worshipping
‘Cause this is a moment I’m alive
This is a moment I was made to sing
A song of living sacrifice
For every moment that I live and breathe
This is a moment made for worshipping

Between all the jam songs and the slow, deep songs are many great songs, some them ballads and some of them just easy listening. Songs such as The Mountain, Free, Burn the Ships, Remember the Chains, Walk With The Wise, In This Little Room, More to this Life, Love You with My Life, For the Sake of the Call, and Magnificent Obsession.

SCC hasn’t always written CCM music exclusively. One of his classic songs, I Will Be Here has become a wedding standard. His album, All About Love, was dedicated almost entirely to love and romance songs, being an album devoted to the love he and his wife share.

Easy to overlook, but worth checking out are his joint project songs. Of note is By His Wounds with Third Day, and I See Love with MercyMe.

When it comes to style I’m not exactly sure where SCC falls. He has proven capable of driving rock songs, energetic blues-influenced numbers, acoustic based worship songs (precursors of the praise & worship movement), orchestral sounds prefacing or behind songs, and all sorts of blended genres from alternative to country. The key stylistic influences are certainly country and rock, but it is obvious that SCC appreciates and enjoys a wide variety of styles. The oft-repeated criticism of CCM is that it is merely Christianized pop music copied a few years after the real thing and marketed for a clean, Christian audience. I believe SCC resists such criticism easily, whatever can be said of other CCM artists, cheap imitation would not survive 20 years. And through the years his sound has evolved considerably and when a new release comes out often it is with a new sound, and whatever the new sound is it is clean, tight, and well-executed.

How does SCC do all of this? I’m not sure-God is the One who provides such gifts. SCC’s got the voice, the musical ability, and certainly the passion, but the key, I believe, is his song-writing and his devotion to the God he sings about. His song writing demonstrates a grasp of the deep, wholistic nature of biblical worship and he crafts the lyrics so that it is communicated in words and images very relevant to the contemporary generation. His devotion is shown most completely in the some of the lyrics of the songs, some quoted above. Other little things demonstrate his devotion as well, like his habit of providing related Scriptures for every song in the liner notes of each album.

I also appreciate SCC for his consistency. As far as I know, he never attempted to crossover to mainstream rock and pop music which so many try to do. What he started out doing-making great music for Jesus-is what he is still doing today.

I appreciate and enjoy the music of SCC not in order to exalt SCC or indulge in some form of Christian rock idol worship, but rather because SCC has helped me through his music to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ in my personal thought life, worship, and prayer.

Thus, I commend to you the work of Steven Curtis Chapman.

For a full discography, see here.

Also, make sure to watch for his upcoming release Live in this Moment. He is also on tour this fall and in the Spring 2008, so check out the SCC website, and if he’s coming close to home go!