Shadows of Truth

In a somewhat related thread of thought to The Prevalence of Mormonism, I have been reading Louis Markos’ Lewis Agonistes and have had my view of postmodern neopagans (his classification, not mine) and the “religions” that they practice challenged.

Rather than a threat to Christianity and a hindrance to Christian evangelism, could not the postmodern quest for truth and unity with all that is natural and spiritual be a help? C. S. Lewis’ famed Argument by Desire apology is being displayed in the postmodern neopagan culture all around us. People, having shed their modern (scientific and naturalistic) worldview, have looked once again to the spiritual, thus adopting a postmodern worldview. Is this not a good thing for Christian evangelism? No longer to we have to argue for the spiritual to the masses because the masses already believe in the spiritual. Albeit a significant proportion have a misguided and erroneous belief, but still it is a belief.

Like the Apostle Paul did in Athens [Acts 17:22, ff.], harnessing this already-familiar belief and setting it right could be a good way of communicating Christian truth to those who already have a belief but which is misguided. Rather than we Christians carrying on that we have a monopoly on Truth, which I believe (regardless of how correct or incorrect it is) is very unloving and will harden hearts to the Gospel rather than soften them, Christians should recognise that there is truth (in varying degrees) in a lot of other religions.

(Now, before you start accusing me of the heresy of Universal Salvation, let me be clear that I believe salvation is through grace alone from God due to the penalty for sin being paid once and for all by Christ at Calvary.)

To put it another way: although elements of the truth may be found in a lot of different places, the complete truth is only found in Christianity in the person of Christ. The truth that is present in other religions is a reflection of the Truth of Christ. Followers of other religions who see this truth will not find fulfilment in any religion (even in the “religion” of Christianity) but only in Christ, the source of Truth.

For example, take the Magi (the “three wise men”) [Matthew 2:1-12]. These men (where did we get three from?!) were not Jews – they were most likely Zoroastrians from Persia. They most likely didn’t have access to the Hebrew Scriptures. But they yearned for truth and they sought that truth in the only way they knew how – by studying the stars and their sacred motions. They followed those stars and their yearnings, and were led to Christ. Once they arrived, they could have rejected the child and sought something more abstract, more esoteric, but they did not. Rather, they found that their study of the stars had prepared them to discover and embrace the concrete reality of the babe in the manger, and they accepted him [Markos' Lewis Agonistes, Chapter 3: Wrestling with the New Age]. (Compare all this with Aslan’s discussion with Emeth in Chapter 15 of The Last Battle.)

I’m stopping midflow here, I know… but I’m still mulling over these ideas and related ideas in my own mind.

The Prevalence of Mormonism

Whilst reading the Screen Preacher’s blog, I was directed to a Newsweek Society article entitled The Mormon Odyssey. The three page article alleges (no sources are referenced) a history of Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, and a history of the early years after his first “divine relevation,” the founding of the Church of Latter Day Saints and mentions some Mormon doctrine focussing on the God-given, yet prohibited, right of polygamy.

I have made my feelings on Mormonism clear before so I won’t repeat myself.

From reading the article, which appears sympathetic of – if not biased towards – Mormonism, it makes me nervous that the falsehoods that Mormonism holds true are so widely believed in the USA [12 million members, page 1 of said article]. 2008 US presidental prospect, Harry Reid (Democratic Leader in the Senate), is a Mormon. What happens when the most powerful nation on earth is led by someone whose eyes, which were made for seeing, have been blinded, and whose ears, which were made for hearing, have been deafened through the lies of Mormonism?

Speak To Me

I sometimes wonder if I’m doing something wrong when it comes to listening and waiting for God. In Exodus 3:4 God called out to Moses, and Moses heard Him. Throughout centuries past God apostles and missionaries reported having heard God’s call to them to go to different countries and proclaim the Gospel there.

But I have never heard God speak, to the best of my knowledge, and how do you know that a feeling is from God and not just a good decision or the right decision? (Is God behind every good and right decision?)

I think this is why I struggle with prayer so much: because, for me, it always seems like such a one way conversation. I talk; God hears. I believe; God acts. Maybe this is the way it is for everyone, I don’t know.

I am so envious (in a good way, if it’s possible) of people who I hear of and of whom I read about that pray for long stretches at a time. Not simply an hour or two, but who can pray throughout the night. Of those church Fathers who spent their final breaths on their knees in prayerful vigil only to be found in the morning by fellow monks/clergy still in the posture of prayer. It is even written of Jesus that He spent nights in prayer [Luke 6:12].

Those sort of people I stand in awe of. Those sort of people take my breath away.

I think I am quite a succinct sort of person. I detest “waffle” and saying the same things over and over again in lots of different ways; I prefer to say things once and to say things precisely. (This probably comes from my training at university in the Faculty of Engineering.) There is no way I could spend a whole night (twelve hours) in prayer because I would literally run out of things to say!

That brings me back to one way conversation point I have already made. I cannot prove it, but I don’t think that most of those who have spent nights in prayer spoke the entire time. I believe they were listening and waiting.

I know they were listening and waiting for but I don’t know how they knew what to listen for and when their waiting was over. Perhaps I am not articulating my thoughts at all well.

I want to hear God and know what His voice sounds like rather than simply depending on a feeling of peace or acknowledging all the doors that are open in front of me.

Why? The reason should be obvious but, if not, an example…

More than once I have thought of entering into ministry. More than once I have been asked to enter into ministry by more than a few people. But one of those who told me to give the ministry some thought gave me this advice:

The ministry is not for everyone; it is only for those whom God calls. I would advise anyone not to enter into the ministry unless they hear a clear call from God.

“Smart man,” says you. I wouldn’t disagree in the slightest.

Up until this point I haven’t heard God’s call into ministry, hence I am still a software engineer, but is this truly an absence of God’s call or my inability to hear Him? I think I am second-guessing myself, which is never good, but you see my quandary.

I want to hear God.

Do you believe it?!

For a child has been born–for us!

the gift of a son–for us!

He’ll take over

the running of the world.

His names will be: Amazing Counselor,

Strong God,

Eternal Father,

Prince of Wholeness.

His ruling authority will grow,

and there’ll be no limits to the wholeness he brings.

He’ll rule from the historic David throne

over that promised kingdom.

He’ll put that kingdom on a firm footing

and keep it going

With fair dealing and right living,

beginning now and lasting always.

The zeal of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies

will do all this.

Isaiah 9:6-7 (MSG)

God came! How awesome! Two thousand odd years ago infinity crashed head-first into our finite universe and dwelt with us, laughed with us, cried for us, healed us, made us truly see… and a short time later annihilated the Old Way.

“O Praise Him!” shouts David Crowder and Band.
“Thank you,” whisper devout nuns in convents across the world.
“Woohoo!” scream the kids in their Sunday services today.

“Amazing,” I say in disbelief… but I believe.

What do you say?

No Excuse

Facts

• The 1990s was the warmest decade, and 1998 the warmest year on global record (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC).
• The Earth is warming faster than at any time in the past 10,000 years (IPCC).
• The burning of coal, oil and gas has increased the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere by 30% over natural levels (IPCC).
• By 2100 the world could be 6ºC (IPCC) – recent research (e.g. at Oxford Univ.) suggests it could even be as much as 10ºC warmer on average.
• The summer of 2003 was Europe’s hottest for 500 years. The heatwave caused 28,000 premature deaths across the continent.
• Europe’s capitals have warmed, some by 2°C in the last 30 years. London’s average maximum summer temperature increased the most. This warming trend will increase the likelihood of more frequent and intense heatwaves, droughts and rainstorms (WWF-UK).

More Facts

• Lighting an average office overnight wastes enough energy to heat water for 1,000 cups of tea (BBC).
• A PC monitor on standby uses 51kWh per year of electricity (equivalent to 500 boiling kettles) (BBC).
• Two photocopiers and three printers switched off saves around five tonnes of CO2 per year (BBC).

[Source: Stop Climate Chaos]

“How can the Church help with this issue?” I have been asking myself that question for a couple of weeks now. The environment is something that, believe it or not, I care about and something that I think is being ignored here in Northern Ireland. We have our different coloured bins to aid recycling, which is a good start. But it is only a good start; we need to do more.

I remember a few months ago, Declan Curry was talking about this sort of stuff and I think he said something like: leaving the TV on standby – that is, just the wee red/blue light remaining on but no picture – costs about £100 per year and leaving a mobile phone charger plugged into the wall with no phone attached costs about £25 per year. (To the best of my recollection those figures are what he gave out. If I’m incorrect, forgive me.) Those figures made more sense to me than the kilowatt-hour or tonnes of CO2 figures. They were figures that I am familiar with; everyone is familiar with money. (Perhaps organisations seeking to communicate the issue of climate change should take note.)

The figures shocked me. I wanted to do something. My motivation wasn’t to save money (because I don’t pay an electricity bill yet); my motivation was purely for the good of the environment. I started to turn TVs and monitors off completely, not just leave them on standby. I began to switch multiplug extensions off overnight. I pulled mobile phone chargers out of walls when not in use. And I felt great about doing this. I even communicated the facts that Mr Currie had given me to people and told them what I was doing but I then got very disheartened because they didn’t seem as enthusiastic as I was. In fact, they didn’t even seem to care and that saddened me because, to me, it feels like we’re messing up this awesome gift God gave us.

I know that there will eventually be a new heaven and a new earth, but they are not here yet. Regardless, God took His time to create this earth and made us caretakers over it in the meantime. We need to look again at the job description of a caretaker because the vast majority of the world’s population aren’t taking care… and Christians have no excuse.

I wonder…

I came across this verse just there now:

However, he has given each one of us a special gift according to the generosity of Christ.

(Ephesians 4:7, NLT)

Each one of us has been given a special gift from God by His grace. I have been given a special gift – a spiritual gift – from God by His grace.

God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you. If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

(Romans 12:6-8, NLT)

Further proof! I wonder what my spiritual gift is…

It’s not Christmas yet!

I’ve been thinking a lot about Advent recently. To be honest, up until a few weeks ago I didn’t really know what Advent was for but then I read Lilly’s entry, which directed to me a good article on ChristianityToday.com. Advent is about personal examination and penitence, and about the looking back (and forward) to the coming of Christ.

It has been interesting and beneficial for me to use this time for contemplation, especially in light of how I’ve been feeling lately (i.e. stressed and rushed). This period of not celebrating should ensure that the actual celebration of Christmas this coming Sunday will be extra special.

You know… sometimes I with the Protestant church was a little less removed from the Roman Catholic church so that we had a little more contemplation and penitence during corporate services.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

Today saw the first civil partnership ceremonies in the UK being conducted in Belfast [BBC]. Only an eegit wouldn’t have foreseen that it would be a controversial affair. While the first couple (two women) were enjoying their hard-won civil partnership ceremony inside Belfast’s City Hall, hardline conservative “Free” Presbyterians were chanting, shouting, hurling abuse and generally doing everything but show the Christian love that they tout so much. (This denomination is anything but free… but that discussion is for a different entry.)

“But, Mark, the Bible says that homosexuality is wrong,” they say. I agree. It’s in black and white, and no one can argue. But it also says that we shouldn’t judge (or something with that sentiment). Yes, we can rebuke those of our brothers and sisters who share the same faith and accept the same moral obligations we do, but God alone is judge.

Do I approve of homosexuality? No, but that doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t love homosexuals. They are created in the “image of God”, just as I am; they are flawed, just as I am. Do I approve of homosexual weddings? I don’t believe the question is valid. A wedding is, by its proper definition, the union of one man to one woman under God that is consummated in the act of sexual intercourse when the two individuals become “one flesh”. Paul calls this a “mystery”. Homosexual couples can never have their union blessed by God, nor can they consummate anything because they cannot have sexual intercourse. Hence, the notion of a homosexual wedding is invalid.

Now then, what about a civil partnership? I see no problem with it (at the moment). It is simply a business contract between two consenting adults that is recognised by UK legislation. It is nothing more (and nothing less). The UK government has an obligation to, within reason, treat all UK citizens as equals. This helps them achieve that.

When talking with a couple of people about this issue they have said that we live in a Christian country and people should respect that it is Wrong (in a moral sense). Well, let’s say I went to holiday in Qatar or Iran (both Moslem countries). Should I face Mecca daily and pray to Allah? No. I believe it is unethical and, yes, unchristian (if that’s a word) to force someone to adhere to someone else’s set of beliefs. This is what the hardline, conservative “Free” Presbyterians miss…

Thank God that the mainstream Presbyterian Church in Ireland are taking the ethical route. Provided that the civil partnerships are simply business contracts under UK law, I have no problem. Although I do believe that they should not be permitted to occur inside sacred buildings (i.e. church buildings, mosques, synagogues, etc.). The government would be dangerously overstepping an invisible line if that were to occur. It would get even more dangerous for the government if they should threaten men and women with prison should they refuse to conduct such a civil partnership.

Yes, we are in desperate times and it seems that the world is getting darker by the day. But I have faith that God is in control; that He is just; and that He will protect His flock.

The Tempters Are In Trouble!

One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but how terrible it will be for the person who does the tempting. It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around the neck than to face the punishment in store for harming one of these little ones. I am warning you!”

Luke 17:1-3a (NLT)

That is a sobering and stark warning to all of us who bare Christ’s name. Although the Greek in this passage implies that the sin (skandalon) is such that it invokes apostasy on the part of the tempted, still… it makes you think. Little things that we don’t challenge in our everyday life… if people (especially young people) aren’t challenged, they will be tempted to repeat the sin again and again. Does that make us a tempter?

I’m going to prepare more thoroughly for Sunday night’s cell group…

Colossians 1:27

I am sitting in my living room with the TV on and switched onto a show that is basically a live feed from some church in England. The church service, if that is what it is, is something I’d really enjoy. The music is modern, the average age of those attending wouldn’t be that far above my own age, the musicians and singers are very talented. It has reminded me about something that Alastair (the student preacher at my church) had said and that I had set to the side of my mind to come back to later.

This sort of service is very much about the experience of the moment. Now, I know for a fact that the church I am watching hears a Gospel message from a very blessed preacher because I have listened to him. But the praise time is very much grounded in experience and dependent upon music to subtly touch people.

Don’t get me wrong: experiential (and experimental) worship is good… more power to it! But whenever we treat this sort of worship as the worship – whenever we begin that sort of time of praise with the words “let’s worship” – then we stand on very unsafe ground. It communicates the dangerous fallacy that worship is singing and, even worse, worship is singing that one enjoys. Songs like To Be In Your Presence, while having a good sentiment, implicitly communicate that God’s presence isn’t always with us and that we have to work (sing loudly and/or lift our hands high) in order to be found worthy enough to have His presence manifest itself within us. This is not true: God is always with us. Further, God is within us.

I love singing modern songs. I love playing sax in bands that play modern praise songs. I love church services that are experiential and experiment with things (under the guidance of the Holy Spirit). But we must always be aware that worship should be 24/7, worship is a lifestyle, love is a lifestyle, God is always with us (and in us) and that God is much more interested in the attitude of our hearts rather than in the altitude of our hands.

Colossians 1:27 NIV: To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.