Theological Fitness: Part Ten

This is the last chapter, "Active Rest", of Aimee's fine book, Theological Fitness, and I am full of things to write for the Sunday after Easter--tomorrow. Of course not as many people will be in church the Sunday after Easter as the above graphic shows. And, those who follow "the regulative principle" will certainly cringe. My church in Florida of which I am a member does observe that principle. But I moved. How I am attending a Reformed church (EPC) that studies TULIP and the Confessions, but also does an Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday with foot washing, some years Good Friday, probably always Easter Sunrise and to top it off had a flash mob that joined the choir for the "Hallelujah Chorus" last week on Easter. Even though I am a senior citizen, I have never had the cross on my forehead and had my feet washed in a service until this year. My worship has been heightened! It is pure legalism if I look to those services for salvation, but I do not. Worship means ascribing worth to our LORD. The visual and physical expressions of faith are not my idols, but a way to celebrate the cross and resurrection. 

Hebrews 10:23-25

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope

without wavering,

for He who promised is faithful.

And let us consider one another

in order to stir up 

love

and good works,

not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,

as is the manner of some,

but exhorting one another,

and so much more as you see the Day approaching."

Having moved to a new city (Huntsville, Alabama) and meeting new people, I am so surprised by the "minimalist Christians"*, maybe also called "evangelical" by the politicians. They do not practice that assembling and accountability of the church. One new friend watches TV preachers religiously and only! 

Again, Aimee Byrd's questions from the end of her book are in red and my answers are in black. 

1. Has this chapter changed your thinking about proper rest?   For instance, when we consider how the Lord rested after creation, how does that affect your understanding of rest?  I notice that especially since I am a senior citizen I need to take advantage of Sabbath rest. Rather than feel guilty, I have finally realized, Sabbath rest is proper. 

2. What is the relationship between rest and fitness, both physically and spiritually? We recover physically and spiritually through rest. In other words how does something that seems so counter-productive factor in to our conditioning and stamina? Have you every seen the Gaither's on TV? Lots of those saints, I am afraid to say, need physical conditioning. We recover physically and spiritually through rest. 
3. What is your relationship to work? I am semi-retired and finishing up a seminary counseling dissertation on dementia caregiving.  How does the change of the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday under the new covenant represent the way we should think about work? We are looking for the rest to come as we celebrate His resurrection EVERY Sunday. Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Testament law. 

4. When you consider the rest that we have now and the eternal rest that is to come, does that make any difference to the way that you view your typical Sunday?   Having read Randy Alcorn's Heaven I look forward to the eternal worship of God.  What are your thoughts about how we should observe the Sabbath?   I need to wake up and make it special! Instruction in adult Sunday School or teaching of Sunday School, corporate worship and fellowship with believers specifically are part of my Sunday. Often I eat out after worship with believers from the church. My special day! 

5. Do you ever find yourself striving for validation from sources that could never satisfy? Absolutely! I have to guard against pride in areas of my life.

6. How do we strive for rest?  I think we need to plan for Sunday as we plan for our work week. We need to wake up Sunday morning and enjoy the day--it is a celebration of His resurrection just as much as an Easter celebration is a celebration. Every Sunday is special.   

7. How is being a "summoned being" related to being in a covenantal relationship with God? Not sure of the word liturgy, but really like what Aimee wrote on p. 183. 

Yet thinking about the emotion that validation brings, I remember that there is a reason for this longing--we will be validated in Christ. Once day, all those covered in his righteousness will hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant." We crave validation because we should. We hear that blessing every week in the covenant renewal ceremony of Sunday worship. But on that great day, we will hear God himself say that he is pleased with us. And he will be our great reward.

What, then, is the significance of theological fitness in this liturgy? 

What is this eternal rest that we anticipate? Is it merely inactivity? As we learn about the Sabbath, we see that Christ is our rest. In one sense, rest is a place. Verses like Hebrews 4:1, 3-5, 8 and 10 use Greek words that can be translated "abode"or "to colonize". The context here reminds us of the land of Canaan that was to be the Israelite's rest, as well as the rest of God after creation. On Sunday, Christ's covenant community assembles together in a local place for worship. Here we are given Christ and all of his benefits. (p. 183-184 of Theological Fitness)

Carol, here,

just as excited about the Sunday after Easter

*Heard that term at Ligoneer in February--see last blog post. 

Accidental Pharisees: Part Five IDOLIZING THE PAST

   Husaby Church in Sweden

My fascination for Sweden is almost an idolization of the past. I love reading about my Swedish ancestors. Unfortunately, it is my understanding (really hearsay) that the second and third cousins in Sweden do not exhibit much Christian faith. Maybe that is why my Scandinavian grandparents came to this country.

The subtitle for Part 5 on Idolizing the Past is WHEN IDEALISM DISTORTS REALITY. Here are some of my favorite quotes from part 5:

• I'm not sure why this is true, but passionate faith is often coupled with a zealous idealism and a romanticized view of the past. p. 114
• Their endless pursuit of the perfect marriage, the flawless family the ideal career, or the perfect church leaves them perpetually unsatisfied. . . . Cynicism is idealism on steroids  It has an eagle's eye for what is wrong and a bat's blindness for what's praiseworthy. The religious leaders of Jesus' day were classic cynics. . . . Today's spiritual elite are no different.  . . . they're masters at finding fault, especially with their three favorite whipping boys--the church, its leaders, and current culture. p. 115
• The good old days weren't always so great. [In Chapter 14 Osborne has documented this with New Testament, Calvin, etc. ] The sins and failings of today's church and disciples, though significant, are nothing new. They won't keep Jesus from continuing to build his church just as he promised. p. 131
• The longer I live, the more I recognize the importance of a proper attitude and motivation when confronting the sins and failings of others. p. 131 

The discussion questions from part 5 pages 135-136 in red and my answers are in black.

1. Do you ever find yourself guilty of idolizing the past? Yes.
a. If so, what are some of the "good old days" you find yourself longing for? The culture of the denomination I was in until 2000. And why? It was fun to be involved in the annual meetings, the decisions made and to know the leaders. Then I married my current husband and joined a wonderful RPCGA congregation that made me grow in faith in new ways.
b. What are some of the ways that looking at the past through "rose-colored glasses" might warp our perspective? Looking at a denomination keeps me from other growth in the faith.  Be as specific as possible. I try not to look back or to keep overly involved in the past. I have enough going on as a dementia caregiver and writing the seminary counseling dissertation on caregiving.

2. Part 5 discussed the three "whipping boys" that people love to disparage when comparing today to an idealized and idolized past--the church, church leaders, and culture. Which of these three are you most prone to criticize? The culture.  Why? I think that Ed Setzer said it best HERE when he discussed the Grammys. He made three points. 1. Culture has changed and is changing. 2. Christians will be increasingly uncomfortable in this world and will struggle to express that with grace. 3. There is great opportunity to show the difference Christ makes. 

3. After reading the chapters in this part, can you think of any great spiritual leaders from the past that you might be putting on a pedestal? Yes.  If so, who and how so? The Divines of the Westminster Assembly, the Puritans, Billy Graham who has had such a fine reputation in our country, and Francis Schaeffer, who has started warning the church fifty years ago with such books and films as How Then Shall We live.  Schaeffer's thoughts have been in my mind for a long time as I had the privilege of hearing Schaeffer in chapel when I was a student at Westmont College in Santa Barbara.

4. Why do we tend to remember only the good in our heroes? Maybe we think we can be like them by idolizing them.
a. How might this be dangerous to our spiritual walk? We need to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly (Col. 3:16).  Be as specific as possible. We need to let Scripture transform us, not just memorizing a secondary source about Scripture such as the Westminster Confession or studying the lives of the saints.
b. If someone asked you, "How can we learn from the past without idolizing the past?" what would you tell them? Hmm, have to work on an answer to that. Maybe I would be judging inappropriately.

5. Part 5 ends by summarizing the three great dangers that flow out of an inaccurate and unrealistic idolizing of the past.

• Thinking that the sins and failing of today are unique and rare.
• Lashing out in anger and disgust as if the sins of today are worse than the sins of yesterday.
• Attempting to help Jesus by yanking out the weeds we see growing up among the wheat in the church.

Which, if any, of these three are you most susceptible to? The first one. Why? I have been thinking about a prisoner who is getting a sex change operation. Albert Mohler featured this on his podcast on Jan. 24, 2014 and on his blog I found the link to the case HERE.  This individual originally a man is in jail for life for killing the wife. But this individual has rights, you know, so this transgender individual is in the process of becoming a "she" in a male jail. It just seems that we keep getting away from being sensible as a society and moving towards our "rights" that the tax payers have to pay for!!  It really all goes back to original sin that came into our world as recorded in Genesis 3.

I need joy in the present. Instead of the past, I want to look to the future. Randy Alcorn writes HERE:

When you live with eternity in mind, it infuses you

with a joy that sustains you in your daily life.

Part Ten of A Call to Christian Patriotism

It has been my pleasure to think through this election with Howard A. Eyrich's book, A Call to Christian Patriotism and I urge readers of this blog to use that book with its 52 studies in your church or in your family. I said that I would blog ten Mondays until the election using this book and with this last post I have.


The third and final debate happened last Monday. One source said here:

In the third and final presidential debate Monday night, both candidates did their best to convince undecided voters. But with just over two weeks until election day, does it even matter at this point? It didn't take long for the zingers to come out.

President Barack Obama, swung first, blasting Governor Romney for being weak on foreign policy.

"I know you haven't been in a position to actually execute foreign policy but every time you've offered an opinion, you've been wrong," the president said.

But Romney kept his cool and calmly yet effectively responded by saying, "attacking me is not an agenda. Attacking me is not talking about how we're going to deal with the challenges in the Middle East and take advantage of the opportunities there." . . . .

Still, at this late in the campaign, does the outcome of the debate even matter?

Very little, said Kedrowski [chair of the Wintrop University Political Science Department] who pointed out foreign policy isn't issue number one -- the economy is.

Presidents often do not get a second term when the economy is bad.

I would like the economy to not be the only issue.

Over on the Desiring God blog Jon Bloom writes here.

But we must keep things in proper perspective. The “work of our lives” is not advancing a superficial political vision for America. Our most vital work is to become God-entranced people who advance the gospel around the globe. We are to seek satisfaction in the Substance, the Sun, the Ocean. We are to ask, seek, and knock (Luke 11:9) until the reality of “Christ is all” (Colossians 3:11) takes a firm hold on our hearts and our minds are renewed (Romans 12:2) and we are abiding in Jesus (John 15:5).

So, as we approach the election and endure the media blitz and listen to urgent, fervent debate and analysis, let’s remember what really matters and where true peace (John 16:33), true prosperity (Romans 9:23), and true happiness (Psalm 16:11) come from.

Even so we must decide to elect the best candidate. Randy Alcorn writes that to vote for the lesser of two evils is to vote for less evil here.

Obama really seems to ignore problems with extreme Muslims. Benghazi is the latest. One blogger writes here.

What makes a great leader, or for that matter a President? Eyrich sites Nehemiah and Jesus Christ. We need to pray for our next President and support whoever it is. We need to pray for Hurricane "Sandy" on the Eastcoast of these United States. Eyrich concludes on lesson with this prayer:

Father, from whom comes every good gift, grant us leaders who will humble themselves before you and who will have the capacity to lead us in self-governing that seeks the benefit of all peoples. Lord, you made us a great nation to provide a great opportunity for the Gospel. Would you restore that greatness and protect that opportunity. And, Lord, would you help me to be willing to be your instrument to achieve this good. Amen (p. 138).

Part Nine of a Call to Christian Patriotism

Randy Alcorn (married to my cousin so I always read what he has to say)  has a take on the election here and here.

Some say Democrats are switching to Romney here.

Ellen Dollar writes here why she is a Christian Democrat.

Republican and The View celeb, Elizabeth Hasselback, wrote on Twitter about this debate of last week:

Why is Obama eagerly taking responsibility for the past 4 years in Iraq and Afghanistan- but NONE for past 4 yrs here!?!

Not all believe you should display a flag in church according to this Christianity Today article.

Three moments in the second debate were highlighted here.

The real debate is at the poll. Tonight the third debate will be held. I will listen and blog about it in my last post in this series on Oct. 29.

Howard A. Eyrich, author of the study book we are going through with these posts, A Call to Christian Patriotism, starts a session with a warming for the church is a warning for America.

Addressing our fellow citizens with the truth of our founding documents and the teachings of our Founding Fathers is likewise foolishness in an age of relativism and narcissism (p. 121).

Listen to the media. Many Pro Choicers don't want Romney. They want abortion on demand. Which candidate will give me more health care? And what is the national debt doing to our economy? As a Christian, who is retired and not rich, I prefer to rely on the LORD who has promised to supply all our needs. Relativism and narcissism indeed! Eyrich gives three tests to identify a false prophet ob pp. 121-122 and concludes this section with we win because Jesus is coming again to establish his Kingdom forever and ever (p. 122).

Dr. E. points out that the Christian life is learned. He takes off on a May 15, 2011 five-point sermon preached by Dr. Harry Reeder at Briarwood Presbyterian Church and applies it to the Christian patriot.

 First, the American life is transferred by intentional learning. The history and the documents that emerged must be learned. The principles embodied are not intuitive. Training in the cultural nuances of a demoncratic republic must be rooted in these documents The cause of "liberty and justice for all" must be framed by the Judeo-Christian heritage out of which it emanated. Second, since the American way is a matter of intentional learning, we must immerse our children, our families, our schools, and our immigrants in the founding documents and the historical context so that they might not be corrupted by the many attacks from the wolves (Acts 20:29-30) within and without. Third, we must have (and be) faithful teachers who walk the talk of historical Americanism and teach its content. Fourth, each of us must choose mentors and leaders who symbolize the best of America. Fifth, since the American Way is learned, each of us must take responsibility to become teachers of the American Way (p. 131).

 My favorite quote in this section is on p. 127--a prayer by Joe Wright  that is available on various web sites according to Dr. E.

Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, "Woe to those who call evil good," but that is exactly what we have done.

We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.

We have exploited the poor and call it the lottery.

We have rewarded laziness and call it welfare.

We have killed our unborn and called it choice.

We have shot abortionists and call it justifiable.

We have neglected to discipline our children and call it building self esteem.

We have abused power and called it politics.

We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and call it ambition.

We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.

We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and call it enlightenment.

Search us, O God, and know our hearts; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Amen.