Theological Fitness: Part Five

I went up the mountain (Monte Sano) here in Huntsville, Alabama to reflect on these questions from chapter five of Aimee Byrd's Theological Fitness. I  also reflected on recent input from the podcast “Mortification of Spin” where Aimee Byrd, Carl Trueman and Todd Pruitt have a “casual conversation”. August 19^th it was on “A Woman’s Place” with an interview of linguist Dr. Valerie Hobbs, who has been studying how Reformed people use words about the place of women. The podcast uses the term “complimentarian”. Aimee also has commented about a John Piper article. I basically go along with complimentarianism in the Reformed community, but had other opinions on my role before I joined the Reformed community and will reflect here about all of this and a little on how things changed when my husband had dementia.  Aimee also had been in a previous church setting before the Reformed traditions. Aimee's questions from chapter five are in red and my answers are in black. 

1. At what times of your life has your faith been most challenged? In the1980s I was a DCE (Christian Education Director) in two churches in another denomination. I felt I was where the Lord wanted me to serve rather than work in public school education. That denomination came to ordain women, and although I wasn’t ordained, I did have a ministerial license and some seminary classes. The second church where I served asked me to leave and to this day I have no idea why. It had a congregational form of government and there was no Presbyterian session held in my dismissal. I had to just find myself another church to serve and not to tell anyone what had happened in my leaving; a denominational official would not help with counseling or intervene in the church on my behalf and his advice was only “Carol, you wouldn’t want to split a church over this.” No help at all with my hurt or future. How did you respond? Needless to say I was very bewildered and hurt. How could believers do this to me! I felt I had found my calling above being a public school teacher.  I loved being a DCE.  What did you cling to? I remember clinging to certain Christian songs that I would play on a cassette over and over again in my car. I did not have a theology of forgiveness or hope for the future. I did not meditate on Scripture as I have come to do now. I did not know then that the LORD would bless me with two Christian husbands over the next three decades. I married for the first time at age 40! When that husband died of a heart attack, several years later I married my second husband and began thinking more theologically and entered the Reformed tradition—hence this blog where I asked two men for help with end-time views. Now both of these men early quit this blog. Then I would ask questions of my pastor and get good answers. Later my pastor told me how an elder had criticized me for asking questions in our Sunday afternoon classes. Aimee also recounts on the podcast that she was criticized for asking theological questions. 

2. Where do you think you stand in the theological milk-to-meat chart? I do not think I am milk anymore, but have grown a lot in my orthodoxy and orthopraxy. How has your level of theological knowledge helped or hindered your perseverance? My perseverance has increased because I am confident in the LORD’s working in my life over many trials. The last trial was having my second husband pass away from dementia. I learned to not question the LORD’s providence in my life as I had in the 1980s. He is in charge and can do what He sees fit. 

3. Does your church use any catechisms or creeds to teach you about the Christian faith? Both my Florida church (RPCGA) and Alabama church I am attending (Evangelical Presbyterian) weekly use the Apostle’s Creed and often the Westminster Confession. The repetition grounds me and helps me discern what might be error. If so, which ones does it use and how are they helpful?  If not, how would you articulate what your church believes about God, man, and salvation? Can you explain to others what the statement “Jesus is Lord” means? Jesus is LORD means to me that He is my Savior and Messiah, the One I look to as David did in Psalm 110. Now I am not on a scavenger hunt to find His will, but can daily trust Him to guide me. I do not need to have the Christian success story because He guides me through all the events of my life. Success is that one day I will be with my LORD in heaven. Jesus is LORD indeed. I now believe in His providence in the events that happen to me and take delight in thanking Him.

4.  How do you think learning about God’s Trinitarian nature affects the way we think of him as our Creator, Savior, and Sustainer?  His Trinitarian nature means that He is in charge of everything, is my Savior and takes care of the needs in my life. Out of gratitude for His justification, I press on with the Spirit's help towards my sanctification and the eventual glorification of my life when I see Christ in heaven seated at the right hand of God. Because of His grace, I can live confidently and don’t work my way to heaven, but delight to grow in that grace.

5. Hebrews 2:7-9 also touches on the incarnation. In referencing Psalm 8:4-6, the pastor to the Hebrews is proclaiming that Jesus was made even lower than the angels. Think about that. The angels are messengers of God; they serve him. But Christ came to serve us! If angels delivered a message to us, we would think it to be pretty important. What does our final Messenger indicate about the value of the message? This message relates to me and shows why Christ humbled Himself and was born on earth. Do you affirm the sufficiency of God’s Word revealed to us in Scripture, or do you find yourself looking for outside revelations?  There are no outside revelations to be had. Scripture is sufficient in and of itself.

    

6.  Of all the psalms, why do you think Psalm 110 is the most quoted in the New Testament? All Scripture is inspired and profitable, but Psalm 110 pinpoints the messianic reign of the One who is seated at God's right hand. I hadn't realized it is the most quoted, but perhaps that is why. 

About complimentarianism I have a few questions. Aimee’s colleague points out in a post called “Accidental Feminist or Vlad the Impaler” that women should not be ordained and that men should be the leader in the home. Although it wasn't my previous background I became relieved to have that head in my church and in my home. 

When, dementia struck halfway through my second marriage, suddenly I had to be in charge. Often I would check with my pastor or at least keep him involved when I took over; for example, I disobeyed my husband by removing guns from the house, but always checked with my pastor about this issue. Early on the pastor took the guns out of the house and my husband said he didn’t want to attend a church where your pastor took your guns. My pastor hadn’t been able to sell the guns and so they waltzed back into the house; the pastor said to have them locked up. My husband had some hallucinations as other Alzheimer’s patients do, and eventually I was able to sell these guns. I also had his doctor and a police officer help with this decision. I didn’t want him to hallucinate and shoot someone. 

I do believe that the husband is the spiritual head of the home, but when mental illness or dementia enters, a wife will need extra help. With belief in God’s providence in this matter, I knew that I had to step up to the plate. I was a helpmeet for him.

Eating a meal and thinking through chapter five at Monte Sano

Part Six of A Call to Christian Patriotism

We cannot know at this time how the USA Presidental election will turn out. Is there a prophet among us? Let's evaluate. Kenneth Copeland and Pat Robertson both seem to have to have predictions about 2012 as seen on YouTube. Copeland thinks that God is on America's side. Pat Robertson's take.  I do agree with Robertson that we need to pray. But I do not follow these two men, just find it amusing that they have to have predictions. Go to YouTube if you wish.

Tim Challies writes here on the distribution of wealth which he sees as an issue in this election. Being content is a Christian issue and the government cannot provide for all our needs and wants.

Muslims Worshipping in NYC

What I am concerned about in this post are the Muslims. A person can live in one country and have strong allegiances to Muhammad and the Arab concerns. This was true in World War II with many Germans still tied to their homeland. In our country we have all nationalities. Public schools let Muslim women (staff and students) wear burkas in the classroom, whereas in many school districts other students cannot have their head covered with a hood, hat or cap because these conceal earbuds that can be connected to an electronic device such as a game or a phone. I have read that anywhere from 2 to 7 million Muslims live in the United States even though Muslims hate the West and believe first and foremost in Sharia law. Over a dozen years ago before 9/11 The UMC had a resolution of tolerance here. Can we tolerate the potentials of some radical Arabs and Muslims within borders? One suicide bomber within our borders can do a lot of damage and feel he has been approved by his Islamic deity Mohammad.

Last Monday as reported by Reuters:

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday Israel has no roots in the Middle East and would be "eliminated," ignoring a U.N. warning to avoid incendiary rhetoric ahead of the annual General Assembly session.

Ahmadinejad also said he did not take seriously the threat that Israel could launch a military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, denied sending arms to Syria, and alluded to Iran's threats to the life of British author Salman Rushdie.

The United States quickly dismissed the Iranian president's comments as "disgusting, offensive and outrageous."

I need a president who will not quickly dismiss international problems or offer easy solutions.

There was a very interesting address by Obama at Cairo University in Cairo, Egypt in 2009. In this address he said many things and essentially has a humanistic conclusion:

I’m a Christian, but my father came from a Kenyan familu that includes generations of Muslims. As a boy, I spent several years in Indonesia and heard the call of the azaan at the break of dawn and at the fall of dusk. As a young man, I worked in Chicago communities where many found dignity and peace in their Muslim faith.

As a student of history, I also know civilization’s debt to Islam. . . . And when the first Muslim American was recently elected to Congress, he took the oath to defend our Constitution using the same Holy Koran that one of our Founding Fathers—Thomas Jefferson—kept in his personal library. [Obama gets applause here. ]

His speech covers many world tensions of the Middle East and Arab nations. More applause came after he dealt with Israel and Palestine. Ahmadinejad take note. Obama in 2009 speech says:

America’s strong bonds with Israel are well known. This bond is unbreakable. It is based upon cultural and historical ties, and the recognition that the aspiration for a Jewish homeland is rooted in a tragic history that cannot be denied. . . . On the other hand, it is also undeniable that the Palestinian people – Muslims and Christians - - have suffered in pursuit of a homeland. . . . The only resolution is for the aspirations of both sides to be met through two states, where Israelis and Palestinians each live in peace and security. . . .

There's one rule that lies at the heart of every religion -- that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. . . . We have the power to make the world we see, but only if we have the courage to make a new beginning, keeping in mind what has been written.  The Holy Koran tells us: "O mankind! We have created you male and a female; and we have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another." The Talmud tells us: "The whole of the Torah is for the purpose of promoting peace." The Holy Bible tells us: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." The people of the world can live together in peace. We know that is God's vision. Now that must be our work here on Earth.

The link to the above released from the White House seems to have been taken down and so you will have to email me to get that lengthy address. I did find it here originally.

In the current (9/1/21) Time magazine, Fareed Zakaria writes: "If pluralism and radical Islam have a future, stronger voices of tolerance are needed."  But we do not have the power to make the world what we want through tolerance. We do not have the power--God does.

These ten posts are going through Howard A. Eyrich's A Call to Christian Patriotism and reflecting on what he writes and the Scripture he uses. He uses the example of Paul with his plural citizenships (Jew, Roman and Christian) in Acts 22 and 23. Then Eyrich writes:

Unfortunately there are those in America who profess Kingdom of God citizenship and prostitute it for their greedy personal ends, whether money or power. But the Christian Patriot cannot react by slipping into being passive. We are under obligation to preach the Gospel. We are under obligation to worship God. We are under obligation to pray in public and private for those who rule over us. We are under obligation to be salt and light. And, if we imitate Paul as he bids us do, we are under obligation to intertwine our spiritual and temporal citizenships for the glory of God while trusting God with the outcome as he did (p. 77).

Eyrich goes on in the next session featuring John 21:14-25 to give these four priorities: loving God, humble service, submission to the Lordship of Christ, honor and obedience to those who rule over us. He notes that our ultimate ruler is the Constitution and its Bill of Rights (pp. 79, 80). Again he highlights generational transference of blessings that begin with a right view of God (p.83 and passages from Deuteronomy 5, 6, 30). Excellent! Buy his book! He concludes on p. 89:

O Christian Patriot, join your family in prayer! Over the last several weeks we have looked at the patterns God has established to transfer blessings. Study the prayers of the Bible! Engage our God on behalf of our nation that we might continue the legacy for freedom and be the engine of the Gospel to the rest of the world. Teach history so that your children learn from the past. Pray that by learning history they will not repeat its mistakes, but will commit themselves to be godly citizens who promote righteousness in both personal and public life.

If Muslims can pray publicly and their women wear a head covering for all to see, surely we need dedication as dual citizens of the USA and Heaven. Paul provides such a good example of balancing it all.