Good Bad Language?

So, what about the trendy use of off-color, edgy, explicit, scatalogical, even obscene and arguably profane language in the pulpit (here is a somewhat safe example -- I could link to far worse clips)? Advocates argue, as in this clip, that the Bible uses this sort of strong language, therefore it is okay for us to use it in the pulpit.

There's just one important difference I'd like to point out: whenever this sort of strong language is employed in the Bible . . . . nobody laughs.

Big difference.

Jesus came "to seek and save that which was lost". While I completely agree that God has a sense of humor I rather think Mark needs to take a second look at Jesus' use of humor, sans the deconstructionist, post-mod, eisogetical glasses.

Pineapple Trees

As I watched the YouTube clips of Todd Bentley's hijinks I was reminded of pineapple trees. As a young boy growing up in Hawaii I used to love to sneak into the neighbors' yard and pick beautiful, ripe pineapples from the low-hanging branches of the trees.

Wait a minute, you say, there's something wrong with your claim: pineapples don't grow on trees!

Ah, but what if I were to take you to a man's back yard and show you a pineapple tree? Would that change your belief? Would you suddenly say, "Oh, well I guess pineapples do grow on trees!" OR would you (I hope) say, "Something unnatural is going on here--pineapples don't grow on trees naturally."

What if I then sought to convince you by showing you an orchard of pineapple trees? How many pineapple trees would it take to convince you that the nature of pineapples had changed?

I would hope the answer is obvious to you: NO number of "pineapple trees" is sufficient, because pineapples don't spontaneously change their essential nature. Pineapples don't grow on trees, and a pineapple orchard is just a sham on a larger scale. In fact, if you examine those "pineapple trees" closely, you would spot the duct tape pretty quickly.

So with the Holy Spirit. The Bible clearly describes the fruit of the Spirit; and Scripture does not include loss of control, gibberish and noise, chaos, violence, or human self-aggrandizement in the catalog. In fact, those characteristics are present in other descriptions--those of the demon-possessed.

So many, so tragically many Christians today are drunk on a cocktail of equal parts Biblical illiteracy, gullibility, and 100-proof tolerance that they can't recognize a fraud as obvious as the Lakeland "pineapple trees". What's worse is that those aren't pineapples taped to that tree; pineapples aren't deadly.

15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16 “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?
17 “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
19 “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 “So then, you will know them by their fruits.
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’
23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

- Matthew 7:15-23 (NASB)

Sing to Myself a New Song

Douglas Wilson has a tremendous article on sacred music in his blog today. Here's an excerpt to whet your appetite. Be sure to stop here and read the entire post.

"As we sing, certain characteristics should be obvious to all who hear the singing. Our congregational singing should have at least the following characteristics. First, it should be reverent. The flippancy with which some address God is truly frightening. "The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble! He dwells between the cherubim; let the earth be moved! The Lord is great in Zion, and He is high above all the peoples. Let them praise your great and awesome name -- He is holy" (Ps. 99:1-3). We should note the KJV translation of awesome -- terrible. Moreover, this requirement to be God-fearing was not an Old Covenant thing -- notice Paul's teaching in Philippians, which is to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (2:12). Do not sing to the Lord with your mind somewhere else, or while entertaining various jolly thoughts. Worship of God needs to be acceptable, which means it must be offered in reverance and godly fear. This is because God is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:28-29)."

Amen!

Lead, Kindly Light

As I struggle with temptations to slip into a pragmatic, man-centered approach to ministry--one which asks questions like:

"How can I convince people to come back to church week after week?"

"How can I get people saved?"

"How can I make people love the Bible?"

"How can I make people grow in the Lord?"

I think of the words of the old hymn, written by a man whose conscience had been smitten upon an awareness of his own self-reliance:

Lead, kindly Light, amid th’encircling gloom, lead Thou me on!

The night is dark, and I am far from home; lead Thou me on!

Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see

The distant scene; one step enough for me.

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou shouldst lead me on;

I loved to choose and see my path; but now lead Thou me on!

I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,

Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years!

So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still will lead me on.

O’er moor and fen, o’er crag and torrent, till the night is gone,

And with the morn those angel faces smile, which I

Have loved long since, and lost awhile!

Meantime, along the narrow rugged path, Thyself hast trod,

Lead, Savior, lead me home in childlike faith, home to my God.

To rest forever after earthly strife

In the calm light of everlasting life.

Perhaps this hymn strikes home because I am studying 1 Thess. 1:5, and recognizing how it is not my words that are effectual, but the Word of God accompanied by the work of the Holy Spirit. Keep your methods. Keep your schedules and plans and conniving sciences of manipulation. Give me Christ, lifted up in the pages of Scripture. And let Him have His way.

The Eye-Candy Church

Had a thought hit me this morning: In the New Testament the Church is the Bride of Christ. In American Christianity, the Church is Angelina Jolie--smokin' hot but shallow and flighty. We have gorgeous facades, all the latest in buildings, creature comforts, music (as artificially enhanced as, well, Angelina Jolie). But while she (we're talking about the Church again, now) may look drop-dead gorgeous on the outside, where is the commitment to her Groom? We're so embarrassed by Him that we've tried to pretend we're married to someone else. Our Groom "has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him" (Is. 53:2). So, what do we do? We pull a Brad Pitt mask over Him, to try to cover that unsightly marring; and dress Him in an Armani suit because those blood-stains just won't do in the social circles to which we aspire.

The jesus (little "j") of Joel Osteen, Bobbie Schuller, and Billy Graham (before you get mad, watch this) is a jesus who has been sanitized for worldling consumption. Here's an idea: let's speak of our Groom the way a loving, faithful Bride enraptured by her great Love would, instead of apologizing that He is not socially graceful. Let's present the pierced, bleeding, dying Savior to the world without shame. And while we're at it, we should point out to the scandalized worldling that, "Hey, He was wounded for YOUR transgressions. Those scars are BEAUTIFUL!"

Or, we could just continue our advanced studies in the Gomer School of Marital Fidelity.

Don't Waste Your Time in Worship

When I was in Bible college I came across a book that completely changed the way I looked at corporate worship. Originally written in 1978 and now long out of print, the little book Don't Waste Your Time in Worship by James Christensen continues to challenge me. Here's how the book starts:

"To worship God meaningfully is a supreme accomplishment. For a finite person to be in communication with the Infinite is not something done on the run. Nor is it a reality when approached flippantly or grudgingly.

For the community of faith to corporately magnify the Lord, and to adequately praise Himis an activity that requires spiritual perception, preparation, and concentration.

After thirty years as a Christian minister, I am convinced that many people who attend church do not really worship God at all. They waste their time. Furthermore, I am increasingly humbled by the awesome responsibility of leading a congregation in this intimate, soul-searching, and exalting experience."

Sacred Music Sans Message

I enjoy all sorts of good music. There are romantic ballads that can deepen your love for your spouse, patriotic songs that can rally the spirits of our countrymen, soaring arias that can instill a sense of awe . . . but just because I enjoy Foggy Mountain Breakdown in my car doesn't mean it belongs in church. Todd Friel with Way of the Master has written an article recently that is well worth considering:

Jesus Just Wants to Give You a Hug?

Over thirty years ago, the great philosopher Paul McCartney asked, “What’s wrong with silly love songs?” Having given this over three decades of serious consideration (OK, at least several months), I have Sir McCartney’s answer.

It depends.

If you want to fill the world with silly love songs, there’s nothing wrong with that. But if you want to fill the church with them, I say, “Stop it!”

Tune into your “get you through your day” Christian music station and you will hear grown men, whining like love sick puppies, “Nothing else can take your place, or feel the warmth of your embrace.” Who are they singing to? The One who holds the universe together by the power of His word, or a chick?

Take the Quiz
Here are six phrases from six contemporary songs. Can you pick which phrases belong to secular songs and which to the sacred?

1. All I need to do is just be me, being in love with you.

2. My world stops spinning round, without you.

3. I never want to leave; I want to stay in your warm embrace.

4. I’m lost in love.

5. Now and forever, together and all that I feel, here's my love for you.

6. You say you love me just as I am.

The first three are from a popular Christian band called Big Daddy Weave, the second half are from Air Supply.

More and more of our Christian music is sounding one note: Jesus loves you soooooo much. Do I doubt for a second that Jesus loves His children? Nope, but it depends on what your definition of “love” is.

God “agape” loves His children. Agape love is not an emotions based, warm and fuzzy kind of love. Agape love is a self sacrificing, “I will help you despite how I feel” love.

William Tyndale was the first translator to use the word “love” for agape. Prior to the 16th century, the word “charity” best described agape. Leaving that debate aside, since Tyndale’s time, the English definition for love has expanded. Our modern day use of love ranges from a love for an object to physical love/sex (eros love). I love that new car. I love that girl. I love that God. That God loves me.

Not only do we use “love” in romantic ways to sing about God, we have added other romantic phrases to our Christian music repertoire: hold me, embrace me, feel you, need you. This criticism is not new, in fact, it has existed since Godly men began endeavoring to sing anything but the Psalms.

John Wesley considered an “amatory phrase” to be language that was more feelings based love than self-sacrificing agape love. John deleted “Jesus, Lover of My Soul” from one of his brother Charles’ collections because it was too romantic sounding.

Amatory Phrasing
Not only are musicians guilty of writing amatory phrases, but they are singing with amatory phrasing. Christian men sing with such romantic longing and neediness it makes me want to scream, “Man up!”

Christian women are singing with such throaty breathiness you would think they had just run from their home to the studio. To whom exactly are they singing? Brad Pitt or the Savior?

There are two consequences to this “Jesus is my boyfriend/girlfriend” music. Needy, emotional women continue to need more counseling, self help books and conferences where they can spread their wings and soar. Men simply are not showing up for church. It is my belief they simply can’t stand the mood manipulating worship times designed to help them “feel the Lord’s embrace.”

Musical Mermaids
Without theology in music, we are offering fluff that will not comfort when bridges collapse and test reports are negative. Songwriters could provide true hope if they would write about the sovereignty of God rather than crying about “how safe I feel when Jesus is holding me.”

Charles Spurgeon had the same criticism of “Hymns for Heart and Voice” published in 1855. He condemned the hymns as being “little better than mermaids, nice to look at but dangerous because they cannot deliver what they promise.”

Is there anything wrong with being reminded that our God is our help from ages past? Of course not, the Psalms are loaded with promises of God’s comfort. But unlike the Psalms (and theology based hymns), contemporary music is void of the reason why we should not worry. We do not worry not because someone purrs that we shouldn’t fret, but because God is our shelter in the stormy blast and our eternal home. Our comfort comes from knowledge, not caterwauling.

If you enjoy a silly love song now and then, knock yourself out. But leave them where they belong, in the world or in the bedroom, not in the church.

Assembly-Line Evangelism

"Ours is the technological age, when enormous harvesting machines bring in wheat or maize. There is no such thing as a parallel in the kingdom of Christ. The method He stipulated in the Great Commission is to be followed to the end of the age. We are to make disciples."
- Erroll Hulse, The Great Invitation: Examining the Use of the Altar Call in Evangelism, p. 164

When the Church Gets Long in the Tooth

Douglas Wilson posted this on Blog & Mablog this morning:

"'For example, the biblical pattern of evangelism was not at all like our modern method of picking off the devil's stragglers, but rather a pattern of bringing the good news to household after household' (Mother Kirk, p. 236)."

I couldn't help but think that the reason the church only goes after stragglers now is that she's just not as quick on her feet as she used to be.

Why Not? part 2

You have GOT to see that this is the real strength of the praise & worship push.

Why Not?

"John the Baptist Gummy Locusts". I love it. Coming soon with the DELUXE Jerry Falwell Faith Partner Home Communion Kit.

A Prada Bible Belt (and matching purse and shoes)

Came across this article in the Christian Post this morning. Here's an idea: let's forget about our Baptist roots and focus on coloring our highlights.

"Texas Baptists elected their first female president in a narrow vote on Monday.
Retired missionary Joy Fenner was elected by a 900 to 840 vote during the annual meeting of the Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT) – the largest state Baptist convention in the country. She defeated second-generation candidate David Lowrie by one of the smallest margins in BGCT history."

Isn't Christianity so much simpler since we decided we knew better than God? Hey, it's not like it's His Church or anything, right?

Jumping Over the Stumblingblock

If you missed it, here's an interview with Joel Osteen and counterpoint by Dr. Horton. Ya know, I don't care if the guy preaches to more people than God, shouldn't we at least balk a little when he says, "There's a lot better people qualified to say, 'Here's a book that's going to explain the Scriptures to you'." If you're not qualified to explain the Scriptures, Joel, then how are you qualified to be a PASTOR?!?!?

"I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction." (2 Tim. 4:1-2, NASB)

So, just how does that compare to Joel's comments?

Cooties in the pulpit

If the church of, say, the Reformation era, was a majestic eagle then the church of today is Beaky Buzzard. Take the example of the 7-year-old preacher and the 9-year-old "prophet" in this video. I only WISH it were a joke.

So, how can you be "the husband of one wife" when she still gots cooties? I guess since the kid "got saved" when he was 3, and he's now 7, that means he's not a "new convert"?

"It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.
2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money.
4 He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity
5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),
6 and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil.
7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil." (1 Tim. 3:1-7, NASB)

Keeping Our Focus

While preparing for Sunday morning's sermon on Ephesians 4:11-16 I came across this statement in a commentary:

"The first concern of the leadership of the church should be for the filled seats, not the empty ones. When a young preacher complained to Charles Spurgeon that his own congregation was too small, Spurgeon replied, 'Well, maybe it is as large as you'd like to give account for in the day of judgment'." (MacArthur, John. The MacArthur NT Commentary: Ephesians, p. 154)

What an excellent perspective, first from John MacArthur as he reminds us that we were given as gifts to the church and therein lies our first duty; and then from C. H. Spurgeon as he reminds us that the larger the congregation, the greater the responsibility. We must break out of the "double your pleasure; double your fun" view of church growth, and get back to the Biblical view:

"Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment." (James 3:1, NASB)

Just Take a Look at ME Now

Back to my adventures in The Church That Trump Built. I noticed something else sriking about the service. It's a common feature now in larger auditoriums (autidoriae?) and, I think, a symptom of a theological DVT in the church today.

On either side of the platform, suspended from the ceiling, was an enormous monitor displaying the lyrics for the praise songs (with appropriate floral backgrounds) as we entered. Later, as the preacher took center stage, the cameras zoomed in on him. Sitting half-way back and to stage left, I still had a pretty good view of the man; but found myself constantly distracted by the massive Oz-like apparition to either side of him. That's when a thought struck me, and I've been mulling on it ever since: just why in the name of Charles Stanley do we need two jumbotrons in a church?

"Well," someone says, "it's so the people in the balconies [there were two] can see the preacher." But that would be my point: why do we have to SEE the preacher? Isn't he up there to proclaim the truth of the Word of God?

If this were a rock concert I could see the need for a clear view: you paid to be entertained, and you don't want to miss the show. But since when is church about being entertained? Let me suggest that we went astray at some point (I blame it on Finney, but then, I blame most of our modern churchianity on Finney). For decades Fundarnmentalism has been more about the centrality of the preacher than the centrality of preaching, and that has been the movement's fatal flaw.

Don't see the difference? Look up on the big screen(s).

Worship: the Musical

This is why I'm blogging now: spent Sunday night with friends at one of those Bible-Belt uber-churches. By the time the saccharine, mood-lit, look-at-me music performance was done, and it was time for the pastor to take center stage, I expected to see Michael Crawford in black cape and half-mask. "The Paaaaastor of the Opera is theeeere . . ."

I am certainly NOT opposed to large churches. They can accomplish things that small churches simply can't. But surely there is a line we cross somewhere before climbing onto the second escalator to get to the upper balcony. Or maybe it's before installing the second jumbotron big-screen (more on that later).

It tends to put a bit of a damper on my worship when I'm sitting in a church thinking, "I could plant half a dozen churches on their printing budget alone!" But, hey, the full-sized daycare had really cool playgrounds. Hey, shoppers, join today and get a 2% discount on your tithe for the first 30 days (with paid membership, some restrictions apply, see store for details).