The Christmas rush is in full swing around our home and in our community. My dad responded to one of my posts and asked if I am old what that makes him! My answer-smarter than me! It seems as though I run in circles from Thanksgiving to Christmas and wonder where the time has gone! And then- WHAM- it's all over but the cleanup!
So, in the midst of the rush I am reading and thinking and formulating my thoughts regarding why I am a Calvinist, and I promise after Christmas to return to that theme- It helps that I promised my congregation a thorough discussion of those doctrines during our Sunday evening services after the first of the year.
In the meantime- keep running! More circles!
STEVE
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
Calvinism
I have promised in this blog to explain what it means to say I am a Calvinist. A little history may be in order-
Jean Calvin (1509-1564) has been characterized as "possibly the most important Protestant theologian of all time" (Jonathan Hill, The History of Christian Thought [Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2003], 194), and "the father of the Reformed tradition" (Dillenberger and Welch, Protestant Christianity [New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1954], f.n p.26). Much more could be said about Calvin, but this is not the time and space for that discussion.
What is pertinent is to acknowledge that unlike other writers and reformers, Calvin's writings have carried on for hundreds of years- and are still eagerly read and studied today. While an imperfect human being, his insight into the truth of God's Word is worth studying. His most significant book, The Institutes, is a massive writing, about as long as the Old Testament plus the four gospels. His commentaries on various books of the Bible are still published and read. Even though he is regarded as a theologian, none of his writings are really a systematic theology. But since the 1554 edition of the Institutes was published, others- most notably in the 20th century-Karl Barth- have sought to synthesize Calvin's understanding of the nature of God, the nature of God's creation, the nature of salvation, and the implications of what it means to be a Christ follower.
So, to identify myself as a Calvinist means at least this: his understanding of these basic doctrines seem to me to be those that adhere most closely to the Word of God. One last thought- being a Calvinist is not an endorsement of all that Jean Calvin said or did, but it is a helpful description of the basic framework of what I understand God's Word to say.
Much more later...
Jean Calvin (1509-1564) has been characterized as "possibly the most important Protestant theologian of all time" (Jonathan Hill, The History of Christian Thought [Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2003], 194), and "the father of the Reformed tradition" (Dillenberger and Welch, Protestant Christianity [New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1954], f.n p.26). Much more could be said about Calvin, but this is not the time and space for that discussion.
What is pertinent is to acknowledge that unlike other writers and reformers, Calvin's writings have carried on for hundreds of years- and are still eagerly read and studied today. While an imperfect human being, his insight into the truth of God's Word is worth studying. His most significant book, The Institutes, is a massive writing, about as long as the Old Testament plus the four gospels. His commentaries on various books of the Bible are still published and read. Even though he is regarded as a theologian, none of his writings are really a systematic theology. But since the 1554 edition of the Institutes was published, others- most notably in the 20th century-Karl Barth- have sought to synthesize Calvin's understanding of the nature of God, the nature of God's creation, the nature of salvation, and the implications of what it means to be a Christ follower.
So, to identify myself as a Calvinist means at least this: his understanding of these basic doctrines seem to me to be those that adhere most closely to the Word of God. One last thought- being a Calvinist is not an endorsement of all that Jean Calvin said or did, but it is a helpful description of the basic framework of what I understand God's Word to say.
Much more later...
Monday, December 10, 2007
Late last week Presidential candidate Mitt Romney shared his perspective on how faith- his faith- shapes his values, and presumably makes him an ideal candidate for President. I did not hear the speech but have read the speech (it is available on his website (http://mittromney.com/News/Speeches/Faith_In_America). I am troubled about his assertion that Jesus is - "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of mankind. My church's beliefs about Christ may not all be the same as those of other faiths. Each religion has its own unique doctrines and history." There is a distinct difference between an evangelical understanding of Jesus and a Mormon understanding. Of course, a politician will try and stress what links people instead of that which divides.
Perhaps even more troubling is the faith he describes. It is almost as though he describes a faith in the idea of what it is to be an American. I stumbled across remarks by James K. A. Smith, a professor at Calvin College here-http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/blog/2007/12/james-ka-smith-the-god-of-amer.html. Smith writes that "from where I sit, it looks like Romney's "own" faith is faith in America. Americans needn't worry about Romney's Mormonism because, at the end of the day, the faith that trumps all others is "Americanism."
Is Americanism truly a faith which saves? Or is Americanism simply a 'faith' that unites us as a people?
I have been deliberately reading several books and blogs about what it means to be a missional church. I stumbled across this sentence in Missional Church, edited by Darrell Guder (published in 1998 by Eerdmans):
most churches "behave as if the church's goals and the goals of the nation-state were entirely compatible...Whenever the church has a vested interest in the status quo- politically, economically, socially,- it can easily be captivated by the powers, the institutions, the spirits, and the authorities of the world.( pp. 112-113).
I certainly don't have all the answers, all I seem to have are questions. But I am committed to discovering God's purpose for the church He has called me to serve- and that requires more than simple faith in American ideals and principles. It calls for a radical faith in God- who has revealed Himself perfectly and finally in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Steve
Perhaps even more troubling is the faith he describes. It is almost as though he describes a faith in the idea of what it is to be an American. I stumbled across remarks by James K. A. Smith, a professor at Calvin College here-http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/blog/2007/12/james-ka-smith-the-god-of-amer.html. Smith writes that "from where I sit, it looks like Romney's "own" faith is faith in America. Americans needn't worry about Romney's Mormonism because, at the end of the day, the faith that trumps all others is "Americanism."
Is Americanism truly a faith which saves? Or is Americanism simply a 'faith' that unites us as a people?
I have been deliberately reading several books and blogs about what it means to be a missional church. I stumbled across this sentence in Missional Church, edited by Darrell Guder (published in 1998 by Eerdmans):
most churches "behave as if the church's goals and the goals of the nation-state were entirely compatible...Whenever the church has a vested interest in the status quo- politically, economically, socially,- it can easily be captivated by the powers, the institutions, the spirits, and the authorities of the world.( pp. 112-113).
I certainly don't have all the answers, all I seem to have are questions. But I am committed to discovering God's purpose for the church He has called me to serve- and that requires more than simple faith in American ideals and principles. It calls for a radical faith in God- who has revealed Himself perfectly and finally in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Steve
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Calvinism
I promised to provide sort of an overview of Calvinism. Perhaps the place to start- as with any theological discussion- is a brief overview of fundamental convictions. These are from an article by John Frame, a theologian whom I recently discovered in his book, The Doctrine of God (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2002). The article is posted at monergism.com under articles regarding Calvinism. Anyway, here are the core convictions:
(1) God is a person, infinitely wise, just, good, true and powerful, the ultimate reality,
exclusively deserving religious worship and unquestioning obedience, who made the world out of
nothing.
(2) Man, made in the image of God, willfully disobeyed God's command, and thereby
became worthy of death. From that time on, all human beings save Jesus Christ have been guilty
of sin before God.
(3) Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man. He was (literally, really) born of a
virgin. He worked miracles. He fulfilled prophecy. He suffered and died for our sin, bearing
its guilt and penalty. He was raised physically from the dead. He will come again (literally,
physically) to gather his people and to judge the world.
(4) Salvation from sin comes to us not by our good works, but by receiving the free gift of
God by faith. Saving faith receives the sacrifice of Christ as our sacrifice, as our only basis for
fellowship with God. And such saving faith inevitably motivates us to obedience.
(5) Scripture is the word of God, which makes us wise unto salvation.
(6) Prayer is not mere meditation or self-improvement, but a genuine conversation with
our creator and redeemer. In prayer we praise God, give thanks, ask forgiveness, and
make requests which bring concrete changes in the world.
These statements might be called "the fundamentals of the faith.
(1) God is a person, infinitely wise, just, good, true and powerful, the ultimate reality,
exclusively deserving religious worship and unquestioning obedience, who made the world out of
nothing.
(2) Man, made in the image of God, willfully disobeyed God's command, and thereby
became worthy of death. From that time on, all human beings save Jesus Christ have been guilty
of sin before God.
(3) Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man. He was (literally, really) born of a
virgin. He worked miracles. He fulfilled prophecy. He suffered and died for our sin, bearing
its guilt and penalty. He was raised physically from the dead. He will come again (literally,
physically) to gather his people and to judge the world.
(4) Salvation from sin comes to us not by our good works, but by receiving the free gift of
God by faith. Saving faith receives the sacrifice of Christ as our sacrifice, as our only basis for
fellowship with God. And such saving faith inevitably motivates us to obedience.
(5) Scripture is the word of God, which makes us wise unto salvation.
(6) Prayer is not mere meditation or self-improvement, but a genuine conversation with
our creator and redeemer. In prayer we praise God, give thanks, ask forgiveness, and
make requests which bring concrete changes in the world.
These statements might be called "the fundamentals of the faith.
These are not specific to Calvinism as such, but are shared by most evangelical Christians around the world today. There are some gaps in these statements- for example, Frame agrees that Jesus is coming again, but there is no reference to when this coming will be (i.e. pre-post-a millennial for those of you who are theologically savvy- I'll explain these later as well.) And there is no word about the character and content of the church- which I have some things to say later as well.
But these statements do mark out a place to begin. So, more later....
I'll be out of town the next couple of days, so it will likely be next week before I get back to posting.
STEVE
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Wednesday
Every week several pastors in our community meet for an hour or so of prayer and fellowship. Yesterday as I was sharing some discouragement- lack of growth in numbers- one of my fellow pastors made a comment that has kept me thinking. When I asked what can we do to reach people his answer was simple- be the best Christians we can be. All we can do is continue to love the Lord, love one another and allow God to bring the increase. Then my wife and I watched the Billy Graham special about Ruth Bell Graham last evening-we had missed it over the weekend but one of my church families taped it. Listening to her family and close friends discuss her life and the impact of her ministry, I was reminded that simply allowing Christ to be real in us may be the best strategy for reaching our friends and neighbors with the gospel.
So, love the Lord. Love one another. Let God bring the increase! May God richly bless you and bring into your life people who need to know the love of Jesus.
On an unrelated (?) note, the lyrics to a song by Casting Crowns (a great group of musicians) reads like this:
So, love the Lord. Love one another. Let God bring the increase! May God richly bless you and bring into your life people who need to know the love of Jesus.
On an unrelated (?) note, the lyrics to a song by Casting Crowns (a great group of musicians) reads like this:
Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense
Deep water faith in the shallow end
and we are caught in the middle
With eyes wide open to the differences,
the God we want and the God who is
But will we trade our dreams for His
or are we caught in the middle
Are we caught in the middle?
Notice the phrase- The God we want and the God who is. Listening to that song this morning as I walked I was again reminded that so often the God I want and the God who is are two different things. The God I want is One who meets my every need, who removes every difficulty, who provides like a genie handing out free wishes. The God who is does provide my every need-not necessarily my wants. The God who is allows difficulties in my life because He is more interested in what He can do than what I have to offer. The God who is bears no resemblance to a genie granting wishes. Rather, the God who is has a purpose and plan that He is working to fulfill- and He has given me the privilge of participating in a small corner of His world. Oh, that I can live and be the man He has called and gifte me to be!
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Update
I hope to describe what Calvinism is over the next few posts. So, keep your eyes open.
In the meantime have a GREAT rest of the day!
Steve
In the meantime have a GREAT rest of the day!
Steve
Welcome
A few months ago I began seriously reading blogs- particularly those authored by Southern Baptist pastors/teachers. It occurred to me that a perspective from one whose ministry has been almost exclusively in the Northwest Baptist Convention would be helpful.
So, here I am-
Pastor of Community Baptist Church, Winston OR. ( We are located 119 miles north of the border between Oregon and California, about 3 miles southwest of I-5). I began my ministry here in 1991. Previously I pastored in Salem OR, and Allyn WA. Before that I served as an associate pastor in Longview, WA and Burlington WA. Even before that (yes, I am that old---ask my children!) I served a couple of churches in the St. Joseph, MO area as youth and music leader.
I have two children, Josh and Megan. Josh is 25 yrs old, married to Kalaya (Rust) and is currently a Staff Sgt. in the US Air Force, stationed at Ellsworth AFB in South Dakota with the 34ths Bomb Squadron (B-1 bombers). Megan is a senior at Corban College in Salem, OR. Next semester she will be studying in Washington DC with the American Studies Program and serving as an intern on Capitol Hill.
My wife, Cindy, and I have been married since 1976 (yes, she was old enough to marry- but still the youngest, prettiest, wonderful woman I've ever known!)
Enough for today- but stay tuned.
I graduated from Western Washington University in 1979, Golden Gate Baptist Theological seminary with an MDiv in 1987 and hope to graduate by Dec 2008 with a DMIN from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
I am a Calvinst theologically- and I came to calvinism after seminary- but that's a topic for another day!
So, here I am-
Pastor of Community Baptist Church, Winston OR. ( We are located 119 miles north of the border between Oregon and California, about 3 miles southwest of I-5). I began my ministry here in 1991. Previously I pastored in Salem OR, and Allyn WA. Before that I served as an associate pastor in Longview, WA and Burlington WA. Even before that (yes, I am that old---ask my children!) I served a couple of churches in the St. Joseph, MO area as youth and music leader.
I have two children, Josh and Megan. Josh is 25 yrs old, married to Kalaya (Rust) and is currently a Staff Sgt. in the US Air Force, stationed at Ellsworth AFB in South Dakota with the 34ths Bomb Squadron (B-1 bombers). Megan is a senior at Corban College in Salem, OR. Next semester she will be studying in Washington DC with the American Studies Program and serving as an intern on Capitol Hill.
My wife, Cindy, and I have been married since 1976 (yes, she was old enough to marry- but still the youngest, prettiest, wonderful woman I've ever known!)
Enough for today- but stay tuned.
I graduated from Western Washington University in 1979, Golden Gate Baptist Theological seminary with an MDiv in 1987 and hope to graduate by Dec 2008 with a DMIN from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
I am a Calvinst theologically- and I came to calvinism after seminary- but that's a topic for another day!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
