Apr
19
Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave–a review
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Lynard Skynard sang That Smell. You remember that one, don’t you?
Whiskey bottles, and brand new cars, oak tree you’re in my way
There’s too much coke and too much smoke
Look what’s going on inside you.
Ooooh that smell, can’t you smell that smell
Ooooh that smell–the smell of death surrounds you.
I should have read or sung that when I preached on Proverbs 9 last Sunday night (available at fpckosciusko.org). I owe Eddie Thomas thanks for bringing the Skynard song back to the forefront of my mind. A lot of what I said in the sermon about temptation and the voluntary slavery of sin was drawn from an excellent book by Dr. Edward T. Welch, Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave–Finding Hope in the Power of the Gospel (Presbyterian and Reformed, 2001).
Welch exposes the addict’s condition: a worship disorder that leads him/her to heed to the call of the ’strange woman’ (to use the language of the early chapters of Proverbs) and begin a slowly developing courtship. Going into her house leads to a horrific discovery: ‘the dead are there…her guests are in the depths of Sheol’ (Proverbs 9:18). Her feast of pleasure is a banquet in the grave.
This book is a valuable resource, even if you are not an addict of some kind or ministering to an addict. Addicts are not a category to themselves when it comes to sin. Rather, Welch reminds us, ‘there is no “us” and “them” with addictions. The descent should feel familiar to us all…Having known something of the voluntary slavery [to sin] ourselves, we are more patient with those who are ensnared. We are also more eager to partner with them and lead them to Jesus Christ, the One who liberates them and carries us out of the pit’ [66].
Since my initial read of the book last fall, I find myself coming back again and again to this book in both my preaching and one-to-one ministry. Welch is straightforward in his assessment of the 12-step model that governs most treatment programs, acknowledging the model’s strengths and also unsparingly critiquing the self-reliance and self-righteousness that the 12-step model fosters. He provides a number of helpful ways to confront, listen, and bring our thoughts back again and again to the gospel, giving special emphasis to the vital role the Church plays in being a place of healing and ministry through the ordinary means of grace. Welch is especially skillful in bringing the reader to consider the addictions in his/her own life, widening the scope far beyond drug and alcohol dependence. He writes in the preface:
Theology makes a difference. It is the infrastructure of our lives. Build it poorly and the building will eventually collapse in ruins. Build it well and you will be prepared for anything. The basic theology for addictions is that the root of the problem goes deeper than our genetic makeup. Addictions are ultimately a disorder of worship. Will we worship ourselves and our own desires or will we worship the true God? Through this lens, all Scripture comes alive for the addict. No longer are there just a few proof texts about drunkenness. Instead, since all Scripture addresses our fundamental disorder of worship, all Scripture is rich with application for the addict. [xvi]
In his commentary on Galatians 5:4, Luther asks, ‘What do you do when you are caught in some sin? If your answer is, “I’ll do better next time,” then you have no need of Christ…Instead, despair of your own righteousness and trust boldly in Christ.’ Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave echoes Luther’s answer and equips us to engage into the fierce and painful battles against sin that all of us face.
Apr
16
For Good and Evil–a review
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Federal and state income tax returns are due tomorrow for most of us in the U.S. Jesus has told us that we must ‘render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s’ [Matthew 22:21]. I think it’s a good time to talk about Charles Adams’ book For Good and Evil: The Impact of Taxes on the Course of Civilization (Lanham, MD: Madison Books, 1993). Adams is a former tax attorney turned author and college professor who has written a number of books over the last twenty or so years about the history and philosophy of taxation. For Good and Evil is his attempt to write a history of taxation, beginning with the three roots of modern Western civilization–ancient Greece, Rome and Israel. Adams’ thesis is that behind most of the great events of history–the rise and decline of empires, liberty and slavery and war–is a tax story.
Most interesting is his sweep through biblical history highlighting the tax issues that are clearly evident in the texts themselves. Also, his chapters on ‘The Rocky Road of Early American Taxation’ shed light on the colonists’ struggle with Britain (and Britain’s rather reasonable case that the taxes they sought to collect in America were modest and were to be spent entirely in the colonies for their benefit and security) and the War Between the States (why tariff and tax collections trumped states’ rights and slavery as reasons to load the cannons) are worth the price of the book. The book’s final section, ‘The Monster That Laid the Golden Egg’ tells the story of how modern American and European governments discovered and clumsily implemented the most lucrative and powerful means of taxation in world history–the income tax. Much of it will make you angry, especially if you carry English or Celtic blood in your veins.
No matter where you stand politically, no matter whether you think you pay too much or not enough in taxes, For Good and Evil provides a compelling, witty tour of the history of taxation. I think of Alexander Pope’s couplet from the 18th century: Who ever hopes a faultless Tax to see /Hopes what ne’er was , is not, and ne’er will be.
Mar
28
Multitasking exposed
Filed Under Christian Living, Culture, Reading | 1 Comment
Or, Animadversions on the Folly of Attempting to Manage the Cacophony of Multiple Digital Devices in the Midst of Accomplishing Other Vital Tasks. The Sweet Dropper has been in high gear with Puritan references and quotes lately, so I thought I would stay in that vein by giving a 17th-century type of title to this post. What’s worth noting here is an article from the 25 March New York Times that relays the results of recent studies by neuroscientists, psychologists and business/management analysts, which suggest that multitasking doesn’t increase your efficiency, but actually decreases your efficiency. From the article:
“Multitasking is going to slow you down, increasing the chances of mistakes,” said David E. Meyer, a cognitive scientist and director of the Brain, Cognition and Action Laboratory at the University of Michigan. “Disruptions and interruptions are a bad deal from the standpoint of our ability to process information.”
The human brain, with its hundred billion neurons and hundreds of trillions of synaptic connections, is a cognitive powerhouse in many ways. “But a core limitation is an inability to concentrate on two things at once,” said René Marois, a neuroscientist and director of the Human Information Processing Laboratory at Vanderbilt University.
Even in a small town like Kosciusko I see people, especially younger folk, doing this all the time–driving while on the cell phone, talking while texting, listening to an mp3 player while reading, etc. In my study at FPC I find myself trying to multitask a lot–and I’m less and less satisfied with the results. The results of the studies relating to age and the ability to multitask were fascinating as well [Read the article to find out more.]
It is one of the glories of the sovereign Lord that he can multitask. He is attentive to his people at all times. He who keeps Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. Who has not been overwhelmed at the thought of his ability to hear prayers from believers all over the world simultaneously? Of course, this is all the more remarkable to us because we are neither omniscient nor omnipresent, confined by the whole time-space continuum thing. And maybe that’s the spiritual point in all of this–you and I are creatures. There are limits on our knowledge and presence and abilities. Only God can do all his holy will. He is sovereign. We are not. I think about something Jesus said to his friend Martha: Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed… [Luke 10:41-42].
NOTE: During the composition of this post, I did not try to do anything else–no checking emails, listening to music, answering phone calls, etc.
Mar
14
The Real Problem with Our Children
Filed Under Books, Christian Living, Family, Reading, Youth Ministry | Leave a Comment
I’m thoroughly enjoying our Men’s Book Study on J.C. Ryle’s book, Holiness. This week we discussed Ryle’s first chapter entitled, Sin. The whole chapter is a tour de force on the subject of the heinousness of sin. In the middle of the chapter, Ryle pauses to discuss original sin and uses the following illustration:
The fairest babe, that has entered life this year and become the sunbeam of a family, is not, as its mother perhaps fondly calls it, a little ‘angel’, or a little ‘innocent’, but a little ’sinner’. Alas! As it lies smiling and crowing in its cradle, that little creature carries in its heart the seeds of every kind of wickedness! Only watch it carefully, as it grows in stature and its mind develops, and you will soon detect in it an incessant tendency to that which is bad, and a backwardness to that which is good. You will see in it the buds and germs of deceit, evil temper, selfishness, self-will, obstinacy, greediness, envy, jealousy, passion, which, if indulged and let alone, will shoot up with painful rapidity. Who taught the child these things? Where did he learn them? The Bible alone can answer these questions! Of all the foolish things that parents can say about their children there is none worse than the common saying: ‘My son has a good heart at the bottom. He is not what he ought to be, but he has fallen into bad hands. Public schools are bad places. The tutors neglect the boys. Yet he has a good heart at the bottom.’ The truth, unhappily, is diametrically the other way. The first cause of all sin lies in the natural corruption of the boy’s own heart, and not in the school.
Our only hope, for ourselves and our children, is in Jesus Christ.
Dec
18
Blogging the Bible
Filed Under Apologetics, Evangelism, Reading | Leave a Comment
Slate.com deputy editor David Plotz has recently begun a project called Blogging the Bible: What Happens When an Ignoramus Reads the Good Book. Plotz, who calls himself ‘a proud Jew, but never a terribly observant one,’ came upon the idea while bored to tears at a synagogue during his cousin’s bat mitzvah. In despair he picked the Torah on the pew rack and began reading in Genesis and became fascinated at what he thought he knew and what he had never been told. He is now reading through the entire Old Testament and blogging about it as he goes along.
Plotz is no biblical scholar, and his wit borders on irreverence at times, but I find it strangely compelling to read how he reacts to the Old Testament texts. He reads not to point out inconsistencies or prove/disprove a system of belief; rather, in his words,
My goal is pretty simple. I want to find out what happens when an ignorant person actually reads the book on which his religion is based. I think I’m in the same position as many other lazy but faithful people (Christians, Jews, Moslems, Hindus). I love Judaism; I love (most of) the lessons it has taught me about how to live in the world; and yet I realized I am fundamentally ignorant about its foundation, its essential document. So, what will happen if I approach my Bible empty, unmediated by teachers or rabbis or parents? What will delight and horrify me? How will the Bible relate to the religion I practice, and the lessons I thought I learned in synagogue and Hebrew School?
Plotz interacts with readers, Jewish, Christian, and others. It merits checking with from time to time. I’ve known people who have done this sort of thing and found themselves transformed in the process. Reading the Scriptures, even the Old Testament, is like letting a lion out of his cage for a while. You just don’t know what will happen next. When anything really interesting happens, I’ll update you.
Dec
14
Joyce M. Horton - Ave atque vale
Filed Under Ave atque vale, Family, Reading | 2 Comments
Stonewall Jackson considered it a great blessing to die on the Sabbath day. Another valiant saint left the church militant for the church triumphant this past Lord’s Day, Mrs. Joyce M. Horton (1919-2006) of Clinton, Mississippi. She was a great friend of the Christian family. I cannot claim to have known Mrs. Horton well, but in the times I met her, there was always something of the savor of Christ about her. It could be well said of her what was said of Sibbes–that heaven was in her long before she was in heaven. I have friendships in circles that she influenced deeply, and I know that they will agree. Here is a lovely tribute from her obituary in the Jackson Clarion-Ledger:
‘Mrs. Horton’s passion during her years on this earth was to serve the One who created and redeemed her. In addition to the daily instruction of her six children, she taught Bible studies in her home, in local churches, downtown Jackson, in prisons, and through the Christian Women’s Club, in addition to speaking at conferences across the country. She taught the child’s version of the Westminster Shorter Catechism of the Presbyterian Church to two generations of children in her local church, and presented seminars to other churches on how to teach it. In 1979 she published the material of these seminars as How to Teach the Child’s Catechism to Children, widely-used today for training teachers in the US, Britain and Australia. At the age of 60, Mrs. Horton began a thrice-weekly Bible study for female prisoners at the Rankin County Correctional Facility and continued teaching for fifteen years, until ill health forced her retirement. During that time she taught a group study in each building, individually visited each maximum-security inmate, quelled a prison riot, rescued a relapsed ex-offender from a crack house, and by precept and example taught uncountable prisoners to love and obey her Savior. The effect of her teaching and influence on the inmates gained her unlimited access to the prison, even during “lock-down,” when no outside visitors are permitted. In 1999 she received the Presbyterian Church in America’s “Urban and Mercy Women in Leadership” award, which included a grant to her prison ministry.
‘In 1963, Mrs. Horton’s husband became one of the founding board members of Reformed Theological Seminary. For many years she prepared and served a back-to-school spaghetti dinner for students each September, and ministered to the wives of students through Bible studies, annual garden parties, personal counseling, and friendship.
‘Joyce Horton’s survivors include her husband of nearly 65 years, Frank, of Clinton; her children: Beverly Biggs of Crystal Springs; Joyce Herring and her husband Wayne of Memphis, Tenn.; Frank Horton Jr. (Bud) and his wife Jennifer of Brandon; Frosty Howell and her husband Michael of Montgomery, Alabama; Bob Horton and his wife Leigh Anne of Gadsden, Ala.; and Mark Horton of New York; her sister: Sandra Aeschliman and husband Richard of Atlanta, Ga.; her brother: Frank Matthews of Grenada; 19 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews, grand-nieces and nephews, and her self-proclaimed “black child,” Pauline Rogers of Natchez, one of the beneficiaries of Mrs. Horton’s prison ministry. Her life and her heart also embraced the, “company of the redeemed, whom no man can number.”‘
Mrs. Horton’s book How to Teach the Catechism to Children is still the best book of its kind. Teaching sound doctrine to children was important to her because she had embraced liberalism while she was in college. After she and Frank married, she embraced Reformed theology and never let go. Her life leaves a legacy of teaching ‘the trustworthy message as taught’ to many others. As she wrote in the preface to her book, ‘I take comfort in the fact that God can use a crooked stick to accomplish His purposes.’
And for believers, vale is not the final word. More fitting is the German farewell, auf wiedersehen–’until we see again.’