Persecution in the Name

If you're persecuted by everyone, you're obnoxious.
If you're persecuted by no one, you’re a coward.
- Anonymous
(someone told me it was either Ed Young Jr., or Sr., but I am not sure).

“I have told you all these things so that you will not fall away.  They will put you out of the synagogue, yet a time is coming when the one who kills you will think he is offering service to God.  They will do these things because they have not known the Father or me.  But I have told you these things so that when their time comes, you will remember that I told you about them."  - Jesus (John 14:6)

Grace and peace,

Patience

Scott McKnight on Jerry Johnson Live

Interview of Scott McKight with Denny Burk

Scott McKinight's blog Jesus Creed

The Emergent Village

Detroit claims home-ice advantage. . .

but will they make it very far?

The Detroit Red Wings once again find themselves in the top spot in the NHL earning the
Presidents Trophy with the most points earned during the regular season. They have earned this five times in the last twenty years. No other team has won it more than twice in the same time frame (see chart below). Is this team great or what?!?

Does this mean playoff success? Does it guarantee a trip to the Stanley Cup finals? Unfortunately, no. Only a handful of President's Trophy winners have gone on to take it all. But it does give plenty of reason to believe. And believe I do!

Hockey is my favorite sport for so many reasons: athletes with endurance, strength and tenacity; incredible stick handling, puck handling, and skating abilities (combining these three skills is a lot harder than it looks - try doing a slap shot sometime. No, try doing a slap shot on the ice in skates without stopping and while your opponent is shoving you to the ice! And thread a puck through a maze of players. And score! Imagine that.).

My favorite thing about hockey players is that even though they're combined skill set is higher than most any other sport, for the most part they are the most humble and professional athletes of all major sports. Detroit has had plenty of these legendary men in their uniforms, and one of my favorites is Steve Yzerman.

Let's Go Red Wings!!


Presidents' Trophy winners (last 10 years)

2005-06--Detroit Red Wings
2004-05--Lockout
2003-04--Detroit Red Wings
2002-03--Ottawa Senators
2001-02--Detroit Red Wings*
2000-01--Colorado Avalanche*
1999-00--St. Louis Blues
1998-99--Dallas Stars*
1997-98--Dallas Stars
1996-97--Colorado Avalanche
1995-96--Detroit Red Wings
1994-95--Detroit Red Wings
1993-94--New York Rangers*
1992-93--Pittsburgh Penguins
1991-92--New York Rangers
1990-91--Chicago Blackhawks
1989-90--Boston Bruins
1988-89--Calgary Flames*
1987-88--Calgary Flames
1986-87--Edmonton Oilers*
1985-86--Edmonton Oilers

*-Won Stanley Cup

New (?) Gospel of Judas

Not much I could add to this well done crtique viewed here....... Denny Burk

Grace and peace,

merely group therapy?

"So what will be the long-term consequences of this Marcionite approach to the Bible?
I think it will push 'the God who is there' back into the realm of the unknowable and make our god a mere projection of our own psychology and our worship simply into group therapy sessions where we all come together to pretend we are feeling great. God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – take that identity away and what do we have left? As the Old Testament is the context for the New Testament, so the neglect of the Old Testament leaves the New as more or less meaningless. As our reading, our sermons, and our times of corporate worship neglect and, sometimes, simply ignore the Old Testament, we can expect a general impoverishment of church life and, finally, a total collapse of evangelical Christendom. . . . We need to grasp once again who God is in his fullness; we need to grasp who we are in relation to him; and we need teaching and worship which gives full-orbed expression to these things – and this will only come when we in the West grow up, ditch the designer gods we build from our pick-'n-mix Bible where consumer, not Creator, is king, and give the whole Bible its proper place in our lives, thinking and worship. Think truncated thoughts about God and you'll get a truncated God; read an expurgated Bible and you get an expurgated theology; sing mindless, superficial rubbish instead of deep, truly emotional praise and you will eventually become what you sing. "

(Carl Trueman, The Wages of Spin: Critical Writings on Historic and Contemporary Evangelicalism (Mentor, 2004), p. 167-68.)

Wow, correct thoughts about God? See my previous post and comments....
Who needs theology?

Grace and peace,

Emergent reviews in latest CTR

The Criswell College has just published the latest Criswell Theological Review.

If you're interested in the Emergent Church or the church of the future on any level, this review contains some very interesting stuff: from an interview with Brian McLaren to an article from Mark Driscoll on a pastoral perspective on emergent.

A good friend and professor of New Testament at Criswell, Denny Burk, has posted about emergent reviews in the latest CTR, and has several links to other blogs and websites that are posting about the Criswell Theological Review. Check out his blog.

With my calling to go into full time vocational ministry and all my studying and serving leading me to love, learn, and understand God better, this is an utmost important topic. But considering my current work and study obligations, I am having difficulty finding enough time to absorb and digest the whole counsel of thought and opinions on the emergent church.

My introduction to the emergent movement began about 2 years ago with reading Dan Kimball's 'The Emergent Church'. I really ate this book up and was excited to see how much good that can come from understanding the next generation of beleivers / potential believers. Since that first book, I read through popluar books by some of the other emergent writers getting a lot of attention, like Donald Miller's, 'Blue Like Jazz', and Rob Bell's 'Velvet Elvis'. Very interesting and provocative books. I have posted briefly on some of my evolving thoughts, here, and another emergent link here .

From where I stand right now, I would like to see us move forward with unchanging emphasis on Biblical doctrines, and an ever evolving process of being Christ to the world, always increasing our commitment to serve God doing church to reach the lost. The latest tag for the C3 conference at my church, Fellowship Church, sums up some of my sentiment very well: God is. Church Evolves.

Side note: this is a wondrous and excitng time for my Christian spiritual growth. I feel extremely blessed and poised for impact in our culture as I continue to be involved in a church and school that are truly in the flow of moving with God as He continues to draw the world to Himself.

Grace and peace,