Jun

29

The Dangers of Religion

Filed Under Christian Living, Worship | Leave a Comment

We are embarking on a new min-series in our study of Amos on Sunday evenings.  We’re particularly considering how true religion can quickly erode into false worship.  We had so many great things going on last Sunday that I knew I’d be pressed for time in introducing the sermon series.  So I include below a summary of Amos 5:1-5 with a look specifically at verses 4-5.

Death by Religion 

Religion can kill you. No really, it can. In saying that, I realize that I have to do some denoting of what I mean by the term religion. The shorter OED defines religion this way,

Belief in or sensing of some superhuman controlling power or powers, entitled to obedience, reverence, and worship, or in a system defining a code of living, especially as a means to achieve spiritual or material improvement.

We might summarize this into a working definition of that which a given person or culture defines as their connection to the divine. The Muslim would see the Koran as prescribing a religion or a set of duties and beliefs that connect a person to Allah. The Buddhist would follow the Tripitarka for instruction on how to attain Nirvana. A Hindu would follow the Bhagavad Gita in order to arrive at one’s atman being in unity with Brahman. The Green Bay Packers fan is going to participate in certain pre-game rituals in order to commune with other Packer fans and entice a win on the field. All of these practices could fall under the general description of religion.

The problem is that not every religion brings life. In fact, only one religion brings life, the rest result in death. Through the revelation of the Bible, the Triune God has always laid claim to the only life producing religion (Deut 30:6, John 10:10, John 17:3). But we need not be too quick to assume that all that is called Biblical-religion is truly life-producing religion.

We see an example of this distinction in Amos 5:4-5 where the profit Amos, pronounces the word of God,

For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live; but do not seek Bethel, and do not enter into Gilgal or cross over to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into exile, and Bethel shall come to nothing.”

God, here, is making a distinction between life giving religion and religions of death. He defines life giving religion as seeking himself. Biblically speaking, the only connection Read more

Jun

26

Red Mountain Music

Filed Under Music, Poetry, Psalms, Worship | 2 Comments

Let me encourage you to sample and purchase CDs from the website of Red Mountain Music, a ministry of Red Mountain Church (PCA) in Birmingham, Alabama. Red Mountain has made a number of worthy contributions to the ‘hymn-rewrite’ movement, in which many great hymns forgotten over time or locked away in unsingable or obsolete tunes have been set to newer, simpler music. They call it ‘traditional text with truly contemporary music.’ Groups such as Red Mountain and Indelible Grace, along with individuals such as Chris Miner, are like restorers of antique furniture, who can bring out the true loveliness in an old piece and restore its usefulness.

Brian T. Murphy (who was a student at Auburn University while I was assistant pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Auburn–and he also helped us tremendously by playing piano for our worship services back then) writes on their web site:

…hymns ring true in a way that many modern songs simply do not. At times, it seems our ancestors had a stronger command of the language than we do. Their words drip with truth and paint pictures of the kingdom that make believers long for heaven. I cannot begin to describe what reading through these old hymnals has done to encourage the spirits of the musicians that play here. We find ourselves continually able to rest in the truth of these great lyrics, always with a sense that we are part of something much bigger than us or our little church. We are excited about this time in the church, and we are thrilled about this music.

gadsby.jpgThe peculiar contribution of Red Mountain Music has been the The Gadsby Project, a reworking of 14 hymns from Gadsby’s Hymns, published in several stages during the 19th century. The Gadsby hymnal contains the text of 1,156 settings of psalms and hymns, most of which were penned during the 17th and 18th centuries. A goodly number of lesser-known hymns by masters such as Isaac Watts, Charles Wesley, Joseph Hart and John Newton have been mined from this hymnal, and Red Mountain Music has done the Church a great service by reacquainting us with these songs of Zion.

unbelief.jpgI would also recommend their 2006 release Help My Unbelief, which continues in the spirit of The Gadsby Project by drawing from that vast resource. What is remarkable about Help My Unbelief is that it is a collection of hymns on the theme of doubt, struggle, longing, and crying out to God for help. These songs give expression to Christian struggles and laments in a brutally honest way in the biblical expectation that Christ meets us in the midst of the mess of our lives, and he does so as one who ‘will not break the bruised reed or quench the smoking flax.’ Help My Unbelief is a collection ‘for God’s prodigals and sojourners as they wait patiently for the Kingdom to come.’

Signature Phillip

Jun

26

Stock Up on Piper

Filed Under Books | Leave a Comment

John PiperI have a short list of authors, dead and living, who have been most influential to me in my growth as a Christian.  Near the top of that list is John Piper.  Dr. Piper is the pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN.  He is also an accomplished author and theologian.  What most marks Piper is his incessant proclamation that God’s glory and our enjoyment of God are inseparably connected.  It is a good thing that he articulates this bedrock of Christian truth so often because we need to hear it until it works its way deep into our souls.

All this to say, if you haven’t read any of John Piper’s works, you are doing your soul a disservice.  If this is true about you, do not worry, you have a chance to make amends.  Next week, on Wednesday and Thursday (June 27-28), all of the books that Piper has written will be selling for $5 each at the Desiring God Online Book Store.  That’s right, each and every book will be priced at only $5.  For most of his works, this is a discount of at least 75%.  Don’t miss out on this excellent opportunity to stock up on the best of Piper.  Books, also make great gifts.  Why not buy some Christmas or birthday gifts now?

If you are wondering which Piper books I suggest, the easy answer is: all of them.  But if you have to choose, these are the ones that have been most influential to me:

Tolle lege!

Signature Joe

Jun

22

Belated Blogging

Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

It has been awhile since I blogged over here at The Sweet Dropper. I apologize for my absence. To tell you the truth, I don’t have anything particularly interesting to say. So I decided to include two things from my week past. The first is a picture of Charlie, now almost three weeks old. The second is a quote by J. C. Ryle from our book study this past Tuesday morning. I hope you enjoy both.

“You often feel that your whole life is one great arrear, and that every day is either a blank or a blot. But know now, that Jesus can see some beauty in everything that you do from a conscientious desire to please Him. His eye can discern the excellence in the least thing which is a fruit of His own Spirit. He can pick out the grains of gold from amid the dross of your performances, and sift the wheat from amid the chaff in all your doings. Your tears are all put into His bottle. Your endeavors to do good to others, however feeble, are written in his book of remembrance. The least cup of cold water given in His name shall not lose its reward. He does not forget your work and labor of love, however little the world may regard it.”

Signature Joe

Jun

20

And now for something completely different…or not

Filed Under Apologetics, Evangelism, Islam | Leave a Comment

In stark contrast to the previous blog post about the Episcopal priest from Washington who has declared herself 100% Christian and 100% Muslim is this from The Boston Globe about Lina Joy. Here’s an extended quote to cut to the chase:

Malaysia’s best known Christian convert, Lina Joy, lost a six-year battle on Wednesday to have the word “Islam” removed from her identity card, after the country’s highest court rejected the change.
The ruling threatens to further polarize Malaysian society between non-Muslims who feel that their constitutional right to religious freedom is being eroded, and Muslims who believe that civil courts have no right to meddle in Islamic affairs.
“You can’t at whim and fancy convert from one religion to another,” Federal Court Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim said in delivering judgment in the case, which has stirred religious tensions in the mainly Muslim nation.
He said the civil court had no jurisdiction in the case and that it should be dealt with by the country’s Islamic courts.”The issue of apostasy is related to Islamic law, so it’s under the sharia court. The civil court cannot intervene.”
…Lina Joy, 43, was born Azlina Jailani and was brought up as a Muslim, but at the age of 26 decided to become a Christian. She wants to marry her Christian boyfriend, a cook, but she cannot do so while her identity card declares her to be Muslim.
In 1999, the registration department allowed her to change the name in her identity card to Lina Joy but the entry for her religion remained “Islam.”
Malaysia, like neighboring Indonesia, practices a moderate brand of Islam, but Muslims account for only a bare majority of Malaysia’s population and are very sensitive to any perceived threats to Islam’s special status as the official religion.
Malaysia has been under Islamic influence since the 15th century, but big waves of Chinese and Indian immigrants over the last 150 years has dramatically changed its racial and religious make-up. Now, about 40 percent of Malaysians are non-Muslim.

How about the line from the Chief Justice: “You can’t at whim and fancy convert from one religion to another,” about a conversion that took place over a decade ago!

In 1 Corinthians 10:21-22 the Apostle Paul declares in no uncertain terms, You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? In short, you can’t live a double life. Can you imagine the apostle’s reaction to a Corinthian elder (and yes, this is assuming Paul would not first question why he is talking to female elder!) who said, “I am 100% Christian and 100% a devotee of Aphrodite. At the most basic level, I understand the two religions to be compatible. That’s all I need. I look through Jesus and I see Aphrodite”? You don’t have to imagine his reaction. You just read it in the first sentence of the paragraph.

The story of the Rev. Ann Holmes in Washington and the story of Lina Joy in Malaysia provide a remarkable lesson about religion. For the former, religion is like a fashion accessory, putting a Muslim prayer scarf on the head five times a day and wearing an Episcopal clerical collar in between times. And it all feels good inside. For the latter, religion is a question of basic identity—under whose law will I live, whom shall I marry, where will I go, will I put myself and my family in jeopardy by standing for my faith against powers opposed to that faith, will I live or die?

In stating the issue this way, I do not doubt Rev. Holmes’ sincerity in her beliefs, but I do question whether she has any understanding of Christianity or Islam that does justice to either religion. She speaks of her “conversion” as a matter of identity, but that identity seems to boil down to the idea that you can be Muslim at breakfast, Episcopalian at dinner (in the South this is the meal eaten around noon), and Muslim again by happy hour (but I think you’d want to be Episcopalian at happy hour).

Call me when the New York Times reports on the imam who adopts Judaism as a supplemental faith.

Signature Phillip

Jun

18

“I am both Muslim and Christian.”

Filed Under Apologetics, Culture, Islam | Leave a Comment

These are the words of the Rev. Ann Holmes, ordained as an Episcopal priest more than 20 years ago and, until recently, director for faith formation at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle. According to a recent article in the Seattle Times,

…for the last 15 months, she’s also been a Muslim — drawn to the faith after an introduction to Islamic prayers left her profoundly moved…Redding doesn’t feel she has to resolve all the contradictions. People within one religion can’t even agree on all the details, she said. “So why would I spend time to try to reconcile all of Christian belief with all of Islam? At the most basic level, I understand the two religions to be compatible. That’s all I need.”

She says she felt an inexplicable call to become Muslim, and to surrender to God — the meaning of the word “Islam.” “It wasn’t about intellect,” she said. “All I know is the calling of my heart to Islam was very much something about my identity and who I am supposed to be. I could not not be a Muslim…I look through Jesus and see Allah.”

Let me suggest that the Rev. Holmes, who has just been hired by Seattle University as a visiting lecturer in New Testament (!?!?!), might find the welcome and acceptance she experiences in western Washington a bit less friendly should she do any traveling in the Middle East.

Signature Phillip

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