While over 127,000 Die, The Generals Fiddle

The disaster in Myanmar just keeps getting worse and worse- and not because of continued natural disasters (though that’s on the cusp too). Rather, the people of Burma continue to die because their leaders are utterly and foully unconcerned. The Associated Press reports

The International Red Cross said in a new estimate that the death toll may already be between 68,833 and 127,990 — considerably higher than the government’s latest official count of 38,491 dead, announced Wednesday night on state television. The Red Cross said it made the estimate by adding figures gathered in affected areas by other aid group and organizations and extrapolating the total. An estimated 2 million survivors are still in need of emergency aid, but U.N. agencies and other groups have been able to reach only 270,000 people affected by Cyclone Nargis so far.

Such ghastly horror- man made at that.

Mummified, Er, I Mean Meme-ified.

Though I admire the young Peter Kirk, and think him witty and sometimes wise (especially when he agrees with me), I have to respectfully decline his invitation to join the ranks of the weird worship song meme generation.

I do this for two reasons: first, I have not a bit of tolerance for 99% of the rubbish pawned off in modern churches as ‘worship and praise’ music. It’s all just weird to me so I don’t listen to it. And if I’m at a denominational meeting where they foist the garbage on us, I go to the loo until it’s over. Second, if I were to follow Peter in listing verses from the Psalms I would be in agreement with his assertion that those lines are weird. I don’t find them so. I find them, instead, profound.

So, that’s why I must tearfully decline, mit brennenden Sorge…

The Theology of Prayer

The most enthralling section of Brunner’s Dogmatics 3 is the one on the theology of prayer. He says some really wondrous things in it like

Beten ist glaube in-actu, den Glauben tun, Glaube als ein bestimmtes Tun im Leben der Ekklesia oder des Gläubigen.

And

In Jesus Christus hat uns Gott seinen Namen als einen anzurufenden geoffenbart.

And

Er, Jesus Christus, ist allein die Legitimation und Begründung unseres Betens.

And

Darum ist das Gebet der Prüfstein des Glaubens und die Theologie des Gebetes der Prüfstein aller Theologie.

And finally

Der höchste Glaubensakt ist das ‘Rechnen’ mit dem Gott, der auf das Bitten seines Kindes hört und es erhört.

On The False Distinction Between The Visible and Invisible Church

Emil Brunner writes

Dieser doppelte Kirchenbegriff ist dem Neuen Testament völlig fremd.  Es gibt dort nur die eine Ekklesia, die zugleich geistlich-unsichtbar — nur dem Glauben verständlich - und leiblich - für jedermann erkennbar und sichtbar ist.

Brunner is right in his assertion.  Naturally, the problem with the assertion that the Church is comprised of both visible and invisible elements allows men to excuse their lack of spirituality by claiming that ‘faith only has to do with one’s own relationship to God and nothing else’.  Private spirituality, in other words, is utterly foreign to the New Testament.

Dever Isn’t The ‘Bad Boy’ of Archaeology: He’s The ‘Closet Minimalist’ of Archaeology

Bishop Wrong has a link to an interview of Dever (one of those YouTube things) in which the interview-er describes Dever as the ‘Bad Boy’ of archaeology. But Dever isn’t that at all. Rather, he plays centrist to evangelical crowds and minimalist to academic crowds. Hence, he’s a ‘closet minimalist’. Billy The Dever, I urge you- come out of the closet and confess your minimalism!

Two Rivers Baptist Church Excommunicates Members

Though the Baptist and Reflector uses the word ‘ousts’ most will be more familiar with the word ‘excommunicate’.

One week after an attempt to oust 71 members of Two Rivers Baptist Church here failed by four votes, the church voted again following the May 11 Mother’s Day service. After hearing that the 71 plaintiffs should not have been allowed to vote on May 4, according to Robert’s Rules of Order, the 71 members were dismissed by a show of hands vote. The 71 members being considered for ouster were plaintiffs on a lawsuit filed against church leaders last year over questions of how church money was spent and access to financial records. A business meeting was called after the May 11 service so deacon chairman Carlos Cobos could officially report the May 4 vote, according to an article in The Tennessean on May 12. The paper reported that David Mills, a former trustee and deacon chairman, challenged the decision which allowed the 71 plaintiffs to vote. Members then voted by a show of hands to not allow the votes of the 71 plaintiffs to count. They will be removed from the church roll.

The message which the Church sends to its membership? Don’t question authority. There’s something very un-baptist about this. Yes, something very un-baptist indeed. Perhaps they need to read the quote of the day which I’ve just posted from Brunner. Perhaps they need to read the Bible…

Quote of the Day

Die Christusgemeinschaft realisiert sich durch ein gemeinschaftliches Handeln der Gemeinde und in der Gemeinde. — Emil Brunner

Pimping the Gospel

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is in and of itself sufficient to draw people to salvation. “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men to myself” declares Jesus in the Gospel of John. I firmly agree, which is why I get so very annoyed when I read about Churches that sell the Gospel, sell it out, manipulate people to gain it a hearing, and act in a way that is deeply offensive and un-theological. The First Baptist Church of Snellville, Georgia is guilty of exactly that. The Associated Press reports

So much for spaghetti suppers: The First Baptist Church of Snellville is fueling its membership drive with a sign in front of its sprawling campus proclaiming “Free Gasoline.” There’s a catch, of course. The offer is a not a giveaway. Instead, each time newcomers or members attend a church event during a Sunday-to-Wednesday revival they get a pink raffle ticket for a chance to win one of two $500 gas cards.

The Church doubtless thinks that it is helping the cause but in fact all they are doing is cheapening the gospel by selling it for a gas card. What’s the Gospel worth? Apparently down in Georgia, just $500.

Perhaps the folk there are unaware of a simple fact: people who come to church for gas don’t come to church for Christ. And when the raffle is over, those who came just to get some gas will be gone like the gas itself. Are there no theologians in the Church there to call this what it is? Is theological astuteness now a thing of the past in Snellville?

The Gospel is not for sale.

Volume Three

May 14th, 1960.  That’s the day that Emil Brunner published the last volume of his Dogmatics.  The three volumes that comprise his magnum opus offers the interested student of systematic theology the sort of provocation that Brunner is famous for and no one reading those three volumes can possibly step away from them unconvinced that Brunner was the brightest star in the theological firmament since Zwingli.  In a fit of retrospection, I’ll be posting little tidbits from that volume as time permits today.  Hopefully those who haven’t yet read Brunner will be induced to do so.  And those who have will be provoked to return to his side to hear wisdom again.

Ok, The Welsh Are As Odd As the Australians…

You can’t make this stuff up. Why would you? It’s just too weird.  Be sure to read the last sentence… which is also indicative of weirdness.  It really is a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.