In Favor of "Against..."

I just finished reading "Against Calvinsim" and I'm fully in favor of it!  The book, written by Roger E. Olson (one of my professors at Truett Seminary), is an excellent read.  During my time with him, I was moved by his deep and abiding passion for Christ and His church, and for the laser focus he brought to the study of theology.  Dr. Olson is a prolific writer who possesses an incredible command of the historical development of theology. As I read through this master treatment of Calvinism in all of its theological, logical, and practical weaknesses, I was reminded of how grateful I should be for having had the opportunity to sit under his teaching.  If you're ready for some reading that moves far beyond the fluff of "pop spirituality," I recommend that you sink your mental teeth into this little book.  Here's a taste of the thought-provoking stuff he offers

- "...somehow or other most evangelical Christian young people manage to latch onto...a picture of God (as a doting grandfather) and fail entirely to plumb the riches of either the Bible or Christian theology to deepen their understanding of themselves and God.  So many of the brightest and best become vaguely aware that something is missing in their spiritual upbringing, and when they hear the message of Calvinism, they latch onto it as their lifeboat from watery, culturally accommodated spirituality.  Who can blame them?"  (page 17) In the end, Dr. Olson shows that the "lifeboat" of Calvinism is full of holes.

One should note that Dr. Olson is fair and thorough in his treatment of Calvinism and its emphasis on preserving the "glory of God" at all costs.  He lets us hear from Calvin and from other historical (including contemporary) adherents of this theological "system."  But he is ruthless in his expectation that they handle scripture correctly and that they maintain logical consistency.  On multiple fronts, he exposes their inability to do either/both.

Why should we care?  Why bother reading this?  I suggest that his depiction (as quoted above) of the failure of our "pop religion/spirituality" and the renewed fascination with this system of theological thought should cause us to take note of it and filter it for truth.  If our "church kids" are being spoon fed a watered-down truth that, in the end, will leave them hungry, shouldn't we change the "food choice?"  But, we cannot fall into the trap of believing that, just because a bunch of high profile people and preachers are Calvinists that we are safe in adopting it as our new (old) way of thinking.  Remember, when it comes to truth, "close to being right" is, ultimately, "being wrong."

Hedgehogs?

I'm engaged! No, not like that. Teresa and I have over 30 years of marriage under our belts, so that clearly cannot be my point here. What I mean is that I am engaged in a mental tug-o'-war with Jim Collins' discussion of "Good To Great" (see my previous post). So far, I really like his research and the findings extrapolated from it. He's stretching my thinking at the intersection of business and church health. And that leads me to this appeal for reflection from you, the reader. "What might Crestwood Baptist Church be the best at?" I look around at all the churches in this area and wonder what causes people to choose one over another. Or, worse, why do some people choose not to attend any church? And, more to the point, I wonder what CBC offers (or might offer) that no other church in our area can offer at the same level? Preaching? No, there are many good preachers around here. Music? Well, maybe, but there are some churches who really excel in this area, I'm told. Youth Ministry? Children's Ministry? Equipping? Mission work? If you happen to be a little put off by the question, then welcome to my world and that mental "tug-o'-war" I mentioned. Is it wrong to seek to the the best at something when it comes to church? Allow me to reframe the question: Which area of our church life are you comfortable saying to God, "That wasn't important enough for us to emphasize and seek excellence in." It's worth thinking on and discussing.

Next Up!

Next up on my reading list is this book by Jim Collins. It was recommended to me by a friend in the church for 20 years.  It's not a "churchy" book.  In fact, it wasn't written with the church in mind.  But it has much to say to those churches and church leaders of our day who are content with the status quo.  I love this statement made on page 16:  "That good is the enemy of great is not just a business problem.  It is a human problem."  Yeah.  My experience tells me that it is a church problem, too.  Something tells me I'm gonna be uncomfortable before this read is complete.  

Let's Read

I try to be intentional about reading.  For most of my life, I couldn't really stand the thought of reading much of anything.  When I went back to school in 2005, I realized that I was doing considerable harm to myself and my congregation by taking a casual approach to the mental gymnastics that occur through reading. So, I now set a goal for reading each year.  This year, I plan to read at least 20 books of substance.  I'll use this space to reflect on some of them.

The first one (completed a couple of weeks ago) was the one pictured here.  It made it to the top of my list through the questions and suggestions of several church members.  I must say:  I really had to force myself to finish.  While I applaud Mr. Comfort for his passion in evangelism, I was thoroughly alienated by his frequent condescension of almost all modern evangelism techniques and (at best) questionable exegesis of key texts.  Interestingly, his entire premise (we should conduct evangelism the way Jesus did - by starting with the 10 Commandments) is unsustainable when you look at how Jesus reached people.  His consistent attack on "God has a plan for your life" as a valid "hook" for evangelism ignores key aspects of the gospel message.  Also, I found it interesting that he did not subject his own method to the long-term critical analysis (i.e., looking for "staying power" among so-called "converts") to which he so readily and frequently subjected other methods. A note to young believers:  Just because someone throws around Jesus' name and uses scripture in their presentation doesn't mean they're responsibly promoting Jesus' way or responsibly interpreting the text!

As negative as my perception  of this book is, I have to say that Mr. Comfort challenged me - and the Church - with the passion he carries for reaching lost people with a valid salvation message.  While I disagree with his ultimate conclusion as to the method one should employ, I wholeheartedly endorse his call to active involvement with people for the cause of Christ.  We all can take a lesson from him - and the Master - at that point!

First Markings

Well, here I go again. Years ago, I dabbled in blogging as a sort of experiment. I found it somewhat laborious because I had no real purpose in it. Now, I jump back into the blogosphere in a much more intentional way. With these "markings," I hope to accomplish a couple of things: 1. I want to dialogue with friends and family on thought-provoking issues and topics. I miss the discussions of previous educational pursuits that took me deeper in my faith and my thinking. 2. I want to provide a platform for discussions with fellow Christains, especially those of Crestwood Baptist Church, that help us understand each other better and that move us deeper into community as we serve together. So, here we go. Welcome to my blog. I hope it leaves an indelible "mark" on your thinking!