Morning. Coffee. Communion. Musings.

In Mark 2 there is the account of the paralytic being brought to Jesus by being lowered down on a bed through the roof. Unexpectedly, Jesus, seeing the faith of the man, forgives his sins rather than immediately healing him of his paralysis. Personally, I can understand the questions of the Scribes when they ask, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (2:7). To claim to do what only God himself had the right, prerogative, and ability to do was to blaspheme – unless it was true. (Incidentally, one of the ways we see Jesus’ divinity is not by simply looking at his verbal claims to be God. If we only focus there, we miss much! Over and over again in the Gospels, Jesus is acting out certain qualities and attributes that only apply to Yahweh himself!)

How will Jesus prove to them (and us) that indeed this man's sins can be forgiven at his word?

“Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins—he said to the paralytic— I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home. And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We never saw anything like this!’ (Mark 2:9-12)

It seems strange, but in this account, the ‘easier’ thing for Jesus to say to the paralytic was ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ It’s easier to say because it’s harder to back up. What proof could Jesus offer to a skeptical audience that the man’s sins had in fact been forgiven? If Jesus could do the harder thing – in this case healing the man physically – then there could be little doubt that the ‘easier’ thing also happened. (Physical healing is ‘harder’ in this case because it would have immediately exposed Jesus as a fraud had he told the man to walk, and then the man failed to do so. Then the claim to forgive would also be falsified.)

Jesus did heal the paralytic (who “immediately” got better, Mark tells us), which reminds us that Jesus is indeed God with the authority both to heal and to forgive. Lord, may I not be a skeptic of the overwhelming power of Jesus!

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Morning. Coffee. Communion. Musings.

Every year when I read through the latter chapters of Exodus, I always have to remind myself what the point is of recording all of the (seemingly) minute details of the construction of the tabernacle and associated items to be used for worship.

All of the elements of worship in the Old Testament were to be considered holy or devoted and consecrated to the Lord. This is at least one reason why all this detail is provided for us. It’s a reminder that our perfectly holy God is to be worshiped through holy means. To allow for anything else would signify that God is not supremely interested in upholding his own holiness. Indeed, he is the one who always defines how we, his creatures, will worship him. Contrary to many of our modern notions of worship, there are certain ways that we must relate to God in worship – ways he gets to define, not us.

So over and over again in Exodus, Moses is commanded exactly how to prepare the elements of worship by which the people will approach God, and the designs are followed exactly.

"According to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the people of Israel had done all the work" (Ex 39:42).

"This Moses did; according to all that the Lord commanded him, so he did" (Ex 40:16).

God’s right to define our means of worship does not change when we move from Old Testament to New Testament - from old covenant to new covenant. But what does change is the nature of the means of that worship. No longer is worshiped centered on a holy tabernacle or temple with holy instruments. Worship is now centered on the person of Jesus Christ, the “Holy One of God” (Mark 1:24). The only worship acceptable to God comes through Jesus Christ. When we remove Jesus from the picture, true worship of the true God does not happen.

Lord, help me to always place Christ at the center of my thoughts and affections, so that I may offer acceptable and pleasing worship to you!

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Morning. Coffee. Communion. Musings.

The phrase “the fear of the Lord,” which is used often in the Old Testament especially in the Psalms and Wisdom literature, encompasses a wide range of responses toward God. At once it can mean a trust in God, obedience toward God, hope in God, and a healthy and sober reverence of God in his majesty and glory and holiness. According to the book of Proverbs, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight” (Prov 9:10; cf. 1:7). For the nation of Israel, the “fear of the Lord” was the essence of what it meant to be in covenant relationship to God!

But I’ve always been fascinated by how Psalms uses the “fear of the Lord” as the means by which God’s people are rescued from all other fears. For example, take a look at Psalm 34:4, 7, and 9.

"I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears...The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them...Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!"

How does one fight fear with fear? I remember being extremely helped by Ed Welch in his book Running Scared on this subject. Welch gives this example. Let’s say you have a tremendous fear of the water. Nothing will ever get you in to step into a pool, a lake, or the ocean – not even in the shallow end. This is a real fear that many people experience. BUT the very minute that your child is drowning in that same pool, you immediately forget your fear of the water in order to save him. Your fear of the water is displaced by a greater fear – the fear of losing your child. Fear can be displaced by a greater fear!

As followers of Christ, when we have a proper fear of the Lord (i.e., seeing the depth of our sinfulness in light of God’s holiness, recognizing that our eternal destiny lies in God’s hands, and realizing that nothing in life matters more than our standing before Him) all other fears, while still real, are pushed to the periphery and cannot play a controlling, idolatrous role in our lives. God, instill in me a deeper fear of you!

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Morning. Coffee. Communion. Musings.

I am struck this morning by how similar the mocking of the crowd present at Jesus’ crucifixion is to my own scoffing at the cross of Christ. Note the two verbal mockings recorded for us in Matthew 27.

"You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." (Matt 27:40)

"He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, 'I am the Son of God.'" (Matt 27:42-43)

At the moment, at least 5 things come to mind from these statements regarding my own response to Jesus’ death, and how I mock Jesus in my own way.

(1) I mock Jesus when I turn the truth of who he is, what he came to do, and what he has promised into fodder for my own petty complaining about my life and its comforts.

(2) I mock Jesus when I come with an agenda of my own that does not proceed from what he achieved for me on the cross.

(3) I mock Jesus when I demand that he perform for me and do so whenever I want.

(4) I mock Jesus when I view the cross as anything other than the power of God to save.

(5) I mock Jesus when I forget that he was, in fact, NOT ultimately forsaken by the Father, but was raised to new life (27:45-54).

Instead, today, may I be like the centurion, who was so powerfully moved by Jesus’ atoning work, that I am filled with awe at the Son of God!

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“Biblical faith is not stoic; true Christianity is dyed with all the colors of human emotion. But you cannot reduce the gospel to dynamic emotional experiences with God. As the Holy Spirit indwells us and the Word of God impacts us, most of the changes in our hearts and lives take place in the little moments of life.”
(How People Change, Timothy Lane and Paul Tripp, 9)

I love Jonathan Edwards. More than anyone I have studied, Edwards strikes a beautiful balance between, on the one hand, analyzing the reality and importance of encounters with God and corresponding affections, and on the other hand, not allowing perceived God-encounters to go untested by Scripture, which must always test and judge our experiences.

In his famous work flowing out of the Great Awakening, Religious Affections, Edwards gives us two lists. The first is a list of signs, events, experiences, or religious phenomena that neither prove one way or another that an ‘encounter’ is truly a work of the Holy Spirit. They are ‘signs of nothing.’ The second list, according to Edwards, consists of biblical truths which validate an encounter with God and his grace as genuine. They are ‘signs of authentic affections.’ I hope that by providing these lists here, you are inspired to read America’s most famous theologian. (The first list is taken from Sam Storms’ excellent rendering and interpretation of Edwards - Signs of the Spirit. The second list is my own wording mixed with Storms.)

Signs of Nothing
(1) Nothing is known for sure from the fact that affections are intense or are raised high in the heart of a person.
(2) Nothing is known for sure when the affections of the heart have a great influence on the body.
(3) The fact that people are inclined to talk at length about their spiritual experience proves nothing.
(4) The way in which people come to have their affections awakened proves nothing about whether those affections are of God or of the flesh.
(5) When people experience religious affections because a Scripture text suddenly came to mind, it proves nothing.
(6) The mere fact that certain religious affections are characterized by love is no proof that the Holy Spirit is their author.
(7) Often people experience a wide variety of religious affections that seem naturally to accompany one another. But this proves nothing as to the spiritual origin of them.
(8) The order of sequence in which one experiences religious affections proves nothing certain about their origin or nature.
(9) One might think that fervency in the normal affairs of worship and religious duty would be a sure sign of gracious affections. But this is not the case.
(10) Not even the vocal praise of God is a sure and certain sign of gracious affections.
(11) Merely having a deep and profound assurance that one is saved [or had a sincere encounter with God] proves nothing about the authenticity of one’s faith.
(12) That true Christians are impressed by the external behavior and attracted to the lifestyle of another person proves nothing concerning the nature of the latter’s religious affections.

Signs of Authentic Affections
(1) Affections that are truly spiritual and gracious arise from supernatural and divine operations on the heart.
(2) Gracious affections lead to an attraction to God, his Word, and his ways for their own sake, and not because of any self-interest.
(3) True affections spring from seeing the beauty of holiness, which characterizes God and his ways.
(4) True affections arise from the mind’s being spiritually and sovereignly enlightened to understand divine things.
(5) Affections that are truly from God come with a deep-seated conviction of the truth of the glory of the Gospel.
(6) A true encounter with the living God produces humility.
(7) Gracious affections produce an actual change in the very nature of the soul.
(8) A true encounter with God produces and promotes the same love, humility, forgiveness, and mercy we see in Jesus Christ.
(9) Authentic affections soften the heart and produce a tenderness of spirit and sensitivity toward sin.
(10) Gracious affections have a beautiful symmetry and proportion and balance.
(11) When a genuine encounter and genuine affections are experienced in high degree, they only serve to intensify one’s longing for more. Conversely, false affections rest satisfied in themselves.
(12) A true encounter with God always bears the fruit of holiness in a person’s life.

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"Initially we hear God calling us to ministry, and we make covenant with him to follow the trail toward pastoral ministry. We undergo a process of preparation, sometimes rigorous and difficult. In it we learn to listen to Scripture, to listen to a person and to listen to God. At ordination the church formally recognizes our call and blesses us with the power of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. We begin our ministry, and we encounter many things. We work hard and have some successes and some failures. We find through difficult experiences that we have been made for this work. Our hearts are filled with compassion for people, love for the gospel and endurance for the painful parts of the job. We feel God at work in us.

Then one day, for unknown reasons, God just isn’t there anymore. The Presence that has guided and strengthened is gone. Our covenant with God feels broken and void. The Scriptures stop comforting. Every page condemns! We continue to read out of obedience, but the Word becomes the letter that kills.

Pastoral skills become worthless.

The church is no longer a warm, nurturing environment where friends gather. The church expels us from the secure womb. Evil rages against us. The boundaries of the church are not walls keeping evil out but a boxing ring keeping evil in, so that it can come back and strike us again and again and again. We can’t run.

I’m up a tree. High, far out on a fragile limb I cling. I climbed out there because God said he wanted me there and that he would be with me. Now the limb is cracking off the trunk. God isn’t there anymore.

The picture changes like a dream. I am not out on a limb, but strapped to a tree. I am hanging from a tree. I am dying on a tree.

Pinched in God’s vise, dangling helpless, I am made into the bait of God. But for whom?

Nobody pretty wants me now. The world wants winners. Nothing succeeds like success. Look good to attract the good-looking. Die to attract the dying. Suffer to know the being of suffering. Cry out to know Jesus’ crying out. Hear the blood of the innocents screaming; searing pain rises from blood-soaked dirt.

Only now am I a parable of Jesus Christ."


from The Art of Pastoring: Ministry Without All The Answers by David Hansen

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David Hansen's book, The Art of Pastoring is challenging me more than any book has in a while. I thought this gem on worship was too good to pass up. Enjoy!

"Maintaining worship as a vertical dialogue with God in which we eschew entertainment and press our minds and bodies into service is a battle against one of the public's deepest felt needs.

Boredom is so extreme in our day that people feel they are dying. Boredom makes people feel as if their central nervous system is winding down and shutting off. People will pay any amount of money to relieve boredom for the same reason that they will pay any amount of money for a pacemaker.

People want singing that excites and envelopes, special music that impresses, sermons that warm the heart, testimonies that make them cry and miracles that make their skin tingle.

Worship as entertainment, defined as the ritual excitement of the central nervous system to temporarily relieve boredom, is a shortcut to the believer's soul-deep satisfaction of serving God through vertically oriented worship. Entertainment is passive and is an effect wrought upon the participant by 'worship leaders.' Worship is active and requires effort expended by a thankful congregation of believers on behalf of a holy and merciful God, initiated and led by the Holy Spirit.

If we entertain our people, our church will grow. If we lead in worship, our church may shrink until it is composed of a group of people who want to worship. Then the church has a chance to grow based on the precedent of worship. The church that worships will have many visitors who never come back, and a few who cannot stay away."

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For all my fellow music lovers out there, here are 30 gems from 2009 - my personal favorites of the year. (In alphabetical order by artist.)

“Light Blue Lover” by Assembly of Dust

“Ten Thousand Words” by The Avett Brothers

“How Your Heart Is Wired” by Bell X1

“I Got Mine” by The Black Keys

“Furr” by Blitzen Trapper

“I Wonder Who We Are” by The Clientele

“New Caves” by Deep Sea Diver

“Oklahoma City Woman Blues (Veracruz)” by The Deep Vibration

“The Walls Are Coming Down” by Fanfarlo

“Mykonos” by Fleet Foxes

“The Ruminant Band” by Fruit Bats

“Hallelujah” by Future of Forestry

“Two Weeks” by Grizzly Bear

“Belated Promise Ring” by Iron & Wine

“I Don’t Know” by Lisa Hannigan

“Airport Surroundings” by Loney, Dear

“Never Had Nobody Like You” by M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel

“Blood” by The Middle East

“Backfire” by Mute Math

“People Got A Lotta Nerve” by Neko Case

“Scream” by Nico Stai

“I Want You!” by Peter, Bjorn, and John

“1901” by Phoenix

“These Are My Twisted Words” by Radiohead

“You Are The Best Thing” by Ray LaMontagne

“I Trust You To Kill Me” by Rocco DeLuca & The Burden

“Orion & Dog” by Sea Wolf

“Parachute” by Shugo Tokumaru

“Bull Black Nova” by Wilco

“I Know What It’s Like” by Yonlu

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I posted this as a note on Facebook:

Thanks to Luke Heinsch for the inspiration for this post :-) These are the albums that have been most influential in my own life and in my musical development (or lack thereof) in the last 29 years. I don’t necessarily think these are the BEST albums in history, but they are the ones that have most impacted me. I’ve tried not to include Greatest Hit albums or compilations except in one case. For me, many of these albums are all about association with a certain time or period in my life. I’d love to hear yours! (In alphabetical order by artist.)

(1) Ryan Adams, “Heartbreaker” (2000) – His first solo album is still his best. Simple in every way, but extremely powerful. One of today’s best songwriters. Full of emotion.

(2) The Allman Brothers Band, “At Fillmore East” (1971) – Live music has never sounded better. Southern rock has never sounded better. And the blues have never sounded better.

(3) Joseph Arthur, “Redemption’s Son” (2002) – This was in my CD player all summer long in 2003 when I was in Minneapolis. Listen to the title track and turn it up loud. I love the personal wrestling that shows through in Joseph’s lyrics on this album.

(4) Shane Barnard, “Rocks Won’t Cry” (1998) – Aside from my brother, no one has influenced me to pick up a guitar more than Shane. I got to see him perform a lot of this album around coffee shops in Lubbock, TX when we were both at Texas Tech. This album gave me hope that there was still some good music left in the Christian genre.

(5) The Beach Boys, “Pet Sounds” (1966) – This album is the Beach Boys at their peak (well, Brian Wilson at least). Moving past their “surf music” sound, this album is a masterpiece in every way, musically and lyrically.

(6) The Beatles, “Revolver” (1966) – I could list every Beatles album here. Modern music wouldn’t be the same without them. Modern recording and production wouldn’t be the same without them. John and Paul are at their peak here with the group, and George has some killers too (though his best was yet to come).

(7) Coldplay, “A Rush Of Blood To The Head” (2002) – Ballads have never sounded so amazing. “Politik” still melts my face when it’s played loud. And “Green Eyes” is one of the greatest unknown love songs of recent years.

(8) Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, “Déjà vu” (1970) – Who would have thought that a follow-up album would be just as good as their debut? You want harmonies? This is the standard. Possibly the best supergroup of all time.

(9) Death Cab For Cutie, “Transatlanticism” (2003) – I wrestle between this and “Plans,” but chose this album because of its bigger scope and for its kicking, opening track, “The New Year.”

(10) Nick Drake, “Pink Moon” (1972) – As far as I’m concerned, the modern singer-songwriter genres started with Dylan, Van Morrison, and Nick Drake. On one listen, this album will totally depress you. On the next listen, you’ll smile and want to go driving through the mountains in a convertible with the top down.

(11) Bob Dylan, “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” (1963) – The master songwriter. I could list a lot of Dylan here too. I chose this album from his pre-electric days because of its brutal honesty in musical style and lyricism. Plus, the album sounds great, even when the guitars are terribly out of tune.

(12) Gideon’s Press, “Bound For Nineveh” (2000) – Think a mix of Rush, Yes, and Phish. This Christian band now lives in Austin and goes by the name The Illustrated Band. It didn’t leave my CD player at all during my junior year of college. Possibly some of the best drumming I’ve ever heard. Check the current band out on Myspace.

(13) Iron & Wine, “Our Endless Numbered Days” (2004) – No one is able to capture the full realm of human emotion and experience in words and music better than Sam Beam. All his albums have impacted me, but this one especially. There is not a wasted second on this album.

(14) The Justin Cofield Band, “The Days of Love” (2008) – Some of the most creative songs from the realm of Christian music in a number of years. Sounds amazing. And I’m not just saying that because my brother plays lead guitar! These guys are great friends.

(15) Kyle Lent, “Songs For A Rainy Day” (2003) – This is my brother’s first solo album. When it came out in 2003, I gave out a number of copies to my co-workers at Desiring God Ministries, and WE ALL agreed it was the best thing we’d heard all year! Download the whole album for free, and check out Kyle’s other work, at www.kylelent.com

(16) Magnet, “On Your Side” (2004) – Norwegian artist Even Johansen is an extremely gifted composer and musician. This is a mix of singer-songwriter, electronic, and folk. It’s an absolutely beautiful album. Certain songs really move me. Make sure to check out the first song, “Everything’s Perfect.”

(17) Tom Petty, “Wildflowers” (1994) – Tom is the quintessential rocker. Amazing lyrics. Catchy tunes. He’s a personal favorite. He recorded this with most of the Heartbreakers, and it has the added bonus of being produced by the famous Rick Rubin. In my opinion, and I know my brother agrees, this album has the best sounding acoustic guitars ever captured on tape.

(18) The Raconteurs, “Consolers Of The Lonely” (2008) – Is rock and roll still alive? It is here. Jack White is probably the best thing to happen to rock and roll in the last five years. This album is all energy. They span the genre continuum from metal to punk to classic rock to blues to country.

(19) Radiohead, “OK Computer” (1997) – No offense to Nirvana, but this was my favorite album from the 90’s. This is an amazing concept album which has a lot of depth to it – in themes, lyrics, and especially music. From one of the most creative and progressive bands since the Beatles.

(20) The Rolling Stones, “Sticky Fingers” (1971) – It’s hard to come down on just one Stones album. But I picked this one because it sees them at their early 70’s peak. The Stones were on top of their game in every way. If you want an album that defines the genre of blues rock, this is it.

(21) Simon & Garfunkel, “Old Friends” (1997; Compilation) – Two voices and a guitar have never sounded so powerful. This one was impossible to choose just one album, so I’ve listed their amazing compilation from the late 90’s. Some of their very early stuff on this set is incredible. Listen to the opening track, “Bleecker Street.”

(22) Sufjan Stevens, “Greetings From Michigan, The Great Lake State” (2003) – Sufjan, with his quirky sounds and ideas and concepts, is quickly becoming one of my favorites. “Illinois” is a great album too, but song-for-song, this forerunner is simply amazing.

(23) Teitur, “Poetry & Aeroplanes” (2003) – Teitur Lassen hails from the Faroe Islands. Do you know where that is? This was another in the rotation from my Minneapolis days. A great album that really seems to capture human longing in relationships. Brilliant.

(24) U2, “The Joshua Tree” (1987) – The best rock album from the 80’s, hands down. How can one band have an album full of hits like this? And then do it again and again? In my mind, 100 years from now, there will be two names at the top of the “Fathers of Rock” list: The Beatles and U2.

(25) Van Morrison, “Astral Weeks” (1968) – One of the greatest albums ever made from one of the most creative singer-songwriters. There is no big hit on this album. The album as a whole is the hit. It’s a unique mix of folk, jazz, and stream of consciousness playing and singing. There had never been anything like it before.

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Reading in George Marsden's biography of Edwards this morning, Jonathan Edwards: A Life, I was reminded that even these great heroes of the faith struggled just as much with their own growth and sanctification as the rest of us. As he recorded in his spiritual diary in his early and mid-20's, Edwards disposition toward the Lord swings back and forth (often from day to day) between "high thoughts" of the excellency and beauty of Christ and the decay of melancholy - careless about his religious disciplines and affections.

Years later as a more mature convert, looking back on this pendulum of spiritual highs and dreadful lows, he makes the following insight concerning the difference between his later Christian life and his early life.

In his later years he had "a more full and constant sense of the absolute sovereignty of God, and a delight in that sovereignty; and have had more of the sense of the glory of Christ, as a mediator." (Marsden, 54)

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Wow! I certainly meant to update this a little more often. I need to come up with some sort of schedule. Right now, I thought I'd give you a list of my 20 favorite songs that I discovered this past year that I think you should hear. (Listed in alphabetical order by artist)

1. Anathallo - "The River"

2. The Avett Brothers - "Shame"

3. Arizona - "Heath"

4. Bon Iver - "Re: Stacks"

5. Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons - "Home in the Woods"

6. The Deep Vibration - "Oklahoma City Woman Blues (Veracruz)"

7. Dr. Dog - "From"

8. The Great Unknown - "Not Listening"

9. Greg Laswell - "How the Day Sounds"

10. Horse Feathers - "Curs in the Weeds"

11. Kristoffer Ragnstam - "Swing That Tambourine"

12. La Rocca - "Half Speed"

13. Matt Hires - "Honey Let Me Sing You a Song"

14. Miou Miou - "A Lete de la Saint-Martin 68"

15. Modern Skirts - "Soft Pedals"

16. Noah and the Whale - "Death By Numbers"

17. The Notwist - "Boneless"

18. Sigur Ros - "Vid Spilum Endalaust"

19. Soccer Team - "Traffic Patterns"

20. Whitley - "I Remember"


Runners-Up: Carney - "Testify," Death Cab for Cutie - "I Will Possess Your Heart," Denison Witmer - "Life Before Aesthetics," Fleet Foxes - "White Winter Hymnal," The Good Players - "David's Lamentation," Hayden - "Where & When," Jakob Dylan - "Will It Grow," Jamie Lidell - "Another Day," Josh Rouse - "Sad Eyes," Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson - "Rattlin' Bones," Mudcrutch - "Shady Grove," Pictures and Sound - "It's You," The Whipsaws - "Jessi Jane"

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"However, if the images [in the book of Revelation] are not timeless symbols, but relate to the 'real' world, we need also to avoid the opposite mistake of taking them too literally as deive of the 'real' world and predicted events in the 'real' world. They are not just a system of codes waiting to be translated into matter-of-fact references to people and events. Once we begin to appreciate their sources and their rich symbolic associations, we realize that they cannot be read either as literal deions or as encoded literal deions, but must be read for their theological meaning and their power to evoke response."

- Richard Bauckham, The Theology of the Book of Revelation


This is precisely where the "Left Behind" theology misses the boat on the book of Revelation.

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