Archive of August 2009
Kind of Bloop
An 8-bit tribute to Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, organised on the very interesting website Kickstarter by Andy Baio. (Via John Gruber.)
Are you living in any kind of sin? Are you following the course of this world, and neglecting your soul? Hear! I beseech you, what I say to you this day: “Behold the cross of Christ.”
See there how Jesus loved you! See there what Jesus suffered to prepare for you a way of salvation! Yes: careless men and women, for you that blood was shed! For you those hands and feet were pierced with nails! For you that body hung in agony on the cross!
You are they whom Jesus loved, and for whom He died! Surely that love ought to melt you. Surely the thought of the cross should draw you to repentance. Oh, that it might be so this very day!
Obama’s Death Panel Claims First Victim
As everyone’s chipping into the furore over healthcare (well, as much as Twitter can be construed as everyone, anyway) I thought I’d link to a new article reporting the first victims of Obama’s healthcare reforms in the US. I also particularly enjoyed this translation of an open letter from Gordon Brown.
This couldn’t have come at a worse time for me personally, as I’ve been doing too much political thinking recently to prevent myself from reading every single article about this issue, despite the fact that they all use exactly the same quotes.
The Billion Dollar Gram
I’ve no idea if the figures are accurate, but this graphic is compelling if they are.
Fry’s English Delight
For those who like language as much as Stephen Fry (and also like Stephen Fry), his latest radio show is excellent. (Also featured, my mum’s cousin Bethan.)
Watching Movies to the Glory of God
There are many films made today with non-Christian or anti-Christian worldviews (unsurprisingly). So what to do?
The biggest problem facing the Christian church is not that these types of films are made; after all, anyone who experiences secular society is going to be surrounded by contrary worldviews all day long. The problem is that not all Christians use their minds to the glory of God, and thus give in to un-Christian ways of thinking, bit by bit. If Christians are to make any difference, they are best advised not to join its mindless ranks. This doesn’t mean abandoning the world for solitude, but it does mean observing it critically so we can wisely invest our time and attention in the right areas.
More wisdom on this issue over at Reformation 21. If you’ve ever gone into a cinema wanting to switch off and stop thinking, or if you’ve avoided a particular film because “Christians shouldn’t watch such things”, or simply watched a film once(!), it’s probably a useful read.
We all have our creation stories
A wonderful entry from Glen Scrivener from a while back on science and revelation.
If you have a story about the world that says everything came about via material means then test matter. Yes indeed that’s testable. But it’s not the only thing that’s testable. What if your story about the world says ‘Everything came about via the Word who was with God in the beginning and then became flesh and dwelt among us.’ Is that testable? You betcha! Every bit as much as the ‘science’ story. It’s just that you test this story in ways appropriate to its nature.
One of my pet peeves is the idea that science can be used to disprove God. It can’t – it’s talking about a whole different set of things. It’s philosophical or metaphysical naturalism that says the material realm is all there is, and therefore God does not exist. This is a philosophical rather than a scientific thesis – and good luck trying to prove something with philosophy.
Jesus in Japan
God … hasn’t changed. He is still looking for people to help bring the good news of Jesus to the Japanese. Could you be one of them?
Speaking of Evangelicals Now, there’s a great introduction to the history of Christianity in Japan in the latest issue, written by an OMF missionary. (Long term readers will know I spent three months in Japan with OMF in my gap year, and retain a great interest in the country.)
Deuteronomy at EpilogueTV
These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)
I got a bit behind with the whole Bible in three months thing – but as I said at the time, the three months bit wasn’t the point, and I’m still going. Just covered this part of Deuteronomy, and then came across this cartoon. (Check out EpilogueTV for more, or subscribe to Evangelicals Now.)
Risky Faith in Suburbia
A short series Marcus Honeysett did a while back that I’ve just got round to reading:
Small groups ought to be spiritually, biblically risky places all the time. The default position of the human heart is to run away from doing the work of the gospel. The default position of Christians in suburbia is to assume that church provides for spiritual comfort. Gospel church is the precise opposite. (from part 2)
I tend to go to church looking for spiritual comfort, and there’s a degree to which I can receive it. The Christian life is a challenge, however, and I should be prepared to feel uncomfortable.
Risky faith has disappeared to be replaced with suburban consumer faith. (from part 3)
I’ve grown up hearing much talk of “going outside your comfort zone”, which has been taken to mean doing something outside your experience for a short period (overseas mission trips, for example). Maybe the fact that we have a “comfort zone” at all is a symptom of suburban Christianity; maybe we should be living outside it more continuously. (I’m looking forward to Relay!)