From Eden to Heaven

Tim Keller's Forthcoming Book

2007-08-31T04:49:00.000-07:00

For an unofficial sneak preview of Tim Keller's forthcoming book, check out this blog. Looks very interesting. You can even pre-order a copy at Amazon.

Total Church: Discussions on Community, Gospel, and Mission

2007-08-01T11:05:00.001-07:00

There are some great discussions going on regarding the relationship of community, gospel and mission at Creation Project.

Barriers for Postmoderns?

2007-06-27T08:46:00.000-07:00

Author of No Perfect People: Creating a Come As You Are Culture in the Church, John Burke claims that there are "five sociological barriers for postmoderns: tolerance, truth, trust, brokenness, aloneness." Would you agree? How have you experienced and redemptively engaged these barriers?

Ed Stetzer on Missional Fire!

2007-06-14T07:57:00.000-07:00

Check out this video!

Discipleship in Cities

2007-06-05T06:56:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest challenges in doing ministry, in my case University Ministry, in a city with 50+ campuses in its metro area, is the challenge of doing discipleship with students who are live and work and play 45 minutes away on public transit). But the challenges that this context poses are more than just one of distance. The draw for students to remain on their campuses with their own kind is surprisingly powerful in its sociological force. Add those attractive and repulsive forces to the challenge of proximity along with the sense of isolation that can often mark an urban context, and we find a soil that is almost hostile to discipleship. Investing in one on one, or what some are beginning to call "Life on Life" discipleship is astoundingly time-consuming and extremely difficult.

As of now, we have no answers. All we have is a need. Any thoughts here would be greatly appreciated!

Truth Under Deconstruction Conference

2007-06-04T18:05:00.000-07:00

I am considering presenting a paper entitled "Metatheology: Toward a Hermeneutic of Theological Unity" has been accepted for presentation at the Truth Under Deconstruction: Presenting Christ in a Relativistic World conference sponsored by the International Institute for Christian Studies, July 12-12, 2007.

One of my hesitations in accepting this offer is that I have to pay for everything to get to Kansas City. Is anyone else going to this conference?

J.P. Moreland, Norman Geisler, and Paul Vitz will all deliver plenary sessions.

Edging Christian Videos

2006-09-09T06:30:00.000-07:00

These are pretty good, sarcastic christian videos that attempt to expose legalism: http://vintage21.com/findex.html

GENTRIFICATION WITH JUSTICE

2006-07-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

I came across this article that deals a bit with urban revitalization and the phenomenon of gentrification. I found it to be particularly thought-provoking and I would love to get your thoughts on it, Jonathan, Tolivar, and anyone else out in the blogworld.

The Shadow of the Creator

2006-06-06T12:16:00.000-07:00

Good post Jonathan. I have yet to read Florida's work, though it is on my Amazon "Wishlist". And it is certainly pertinent, especially when we consider redemption not as an individualistic removal of a soul from a contaminated creation but instead consider redemption as the comprehensive re-creation of rhe entire contaminated creation beginning with the soul. It is redemption couched in creation ... or perhaps more precisely it is redemption as the crowning melody of the eschatological creation story.

How do we begin to train this generation of the church to live this? I guess that it must begin with teaching God's people to cherish the dignity of things created by God through ordinary human means (I'm not talking about teaching people to appreciate trees and mountains and stars, but teaching them to see the creative hand of God in things like literature, theatre, music, art, architecture, industry, economy, technology ... all of the "ordinary" stuff of life that still seems to stir the heart towards a deeper longing for the ultimate Creator whose shadow lurks in all of these things). I suppose it's essentially helping people see that God's redemption can not contained in the things of religion. That redemption is at least as comprehensive as the effects of sin (who was it that said that? ... insert proper citation here)

The Rise of the Creative Class

2006-06-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

Richard Florida has served the church well and he doesnt even know it. In his ground-breaking work, The Rise of the Creative Class (followed by the Flight of the Creative Class), Florida identifies the emerging economic force called the creative class. This class is a product of the creative captial generated by high tech industries, visual and aural arts (live music). By developing a creative index to statistically determine geographical centers of creativity, Flordia locates the cetners of creativity in the US and in the world in his second book. What's the big deal?

Well, the creative class exists alongside the working class (Detroit) and the service class (Las Vegas), both of which have a robust self-consciousness and political influence. The creative class, however, does not know it exists. Moreover, wherever these creative centers arise (Boston, D.C. Austin to name some from the top five), they also generate considerable economic inequality. The people of the CC are generally rather unaware and self-absorped. Flordia's aim is to provide teh CC with self-consciousness that will produce social responsibility. How can theses wealthy and successful people contribute to society constructively? How can they reconcile economic inequality? How can they be a transforming influence in the cities in which they live? These are incredibly important questions. And if you are reading this blog, then there is a good change taht you are associated with the creative class. How can we as church leaders, agents of reconciliation and redemption, engage and redeem the negative impact and influence of the CC? How can we shepherd people into thinking and living redemptively in their communities, using thier creative and economic capital for the social good. How can the church respond to the various issues rasied by Florida's book? This is something I hope to apply myself vigorously to, wherever God leads. Oh for the rise of the Redemptive Class!!

The Gospel is...

2006-05-30T11:21:00.000-07:00

See my response to the insightful discussion under the previous entry "What is the Gospel?" Perhaps summarizing the discussion rather nicely are Tim Keller's comments on the gospel. Keller perceives three main perspectives or facets to the gospel"

1) Normative Aspect (Gospel of Christ) - stresses objective, historic work of Christ

2) Existential Aspect (Gospel of sonship) - stresses our new identity in Christ

3) Situational Aspect (Gospel of the kingdom) - stresses the reversal of values in the new creation.

He writes: "WE need all three perspectives, though each perspective is not simply a 'part' of the gospel. For example, the 'kingdom' perspective contains the other two. If God is king, then salvation must be by grace, for if we are saved by works, something else will be our Lord an Savior. Or if we have a new identiy in Christ by sheer grace, then we must not look down at anyone else, and self-justification is the basis of racism and injustice. If you go deep enough into any one perspective you will find the other two."

Taken from his handout "Unintentional Preaching Models" at the Gordon-Conwell Ockenga Pastor's Forum 2006, which will form part of his forthcoming book.

What Is The Gospel?

2006-05-26T08:35:00.000-07:00

It has always been popular in Christian circles to tout "the gospel" as the answer to all our problems. For Jesus, it created problems. Jesus announced the good news of his fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah while reading the scroll in the temple (Luke 4). (There is a gospel goldmine sitting under this text. I might comment on it later.) Shortly thereafter the Jews tried to run him off a cliff. The gospel is persecution and Jesus.

This past week I was sitting next to a teenager on a plane and we were talking about music. When he found out I was a pastor, he said that Gospel music is cool. He then asked me what a pastor does. (It was a very interesting and disturbing conversation.) The gospel has become associated with a genre of music, a genre which sometimes truncates the gospel of Christ. Negro spirituals and bluegrass musicians frequently look to the gospel as a one-way ticket out of this world-to heaven. The gospel is fire insurance and earth escape.

A resurgence of gospel language--Tim Keller fame--is making its way into Christian vocabulary. Churches and people talk about being "gospel-centered." I don't think very many of them know what Keller or more importantly, Jesus, really meant.

N. T. Wright talks about the gospel being an announcement that the God of Israel has arrived in and through the person and work of Jesus. Some people use him to say that the gospel is about the reign of God (which is only part of Wright's fourfold gospel). These people say that the gospel focuses on the community of God, reconciliation between races, genders and social groups. The gospel is communal and cultural transformation.

What is the gospel? I recently asked the guys I disciple this question. I got some disheartening answers at first, but the more we talked about it, the more they qualified. About mid-way through our discussion, Dave arrived at John 3.16 (man, is that text misunderstood). We spend the rest of the time understanding John 3.16 in the context of Jesus' description of eternal life as obtaining a rebirth by Spirit and water (cf Ezek 36.25-7). But before I post our thoughts, what are yours? What is the gospel?

Are we there yet?

2006-05-26T06:40:00.000-07:00

This post is simply see if I am actually a bleep on this blogs screen. I will check it once I get done with this beast. Even so, let me encourage a great read while I am at it; see Wendell Berry's Life is a Miracle. He provides a great corrective not only to those in the modernistic/science/reductionist camps, but even to those in the religious and philosophical camps. The first two chapters really sum up the jist of the book, with the remaining chapters addressing, interacting, and critiquing Edward Wilson's Consilience. I will share some more thoughts on this later, but suffice it to say, I have really enjoyed this read. God bless and let the sharing begin.
Tolivar

From Eden to Heaven

2006-05-26T06:19:00.000-07:00

Our aim in this blog is to share thoughts that contribute to the redemptive movement from Eden to Heaven. As we participate in Adam's creation mandate, we hope that our unpolished thoughts on theology, literature, politics, culture and discipleship will be polished by one another as we comment and critique. We invite you to participate in this movement from Eden to Heaven, a movement which, by God's grace will produce lasting thoughts, works and affections that bring honor to the Triune Creator.