Pomo Calvin

Michael Jensen has a worthwhile post on just how postmodern Calvin really was.

Nothing but the Blood

Now that you’ve gotten over the misleading post title it’s time for some blogging silliness and all will be made clear…

The rules:

Put your MP3 player on shuffle. If you don’t have one, pick random CDs and tracks from your collection!

For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS:

IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY?

How deep the Father’s love for us (Red Letter)

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?

Peace (Northern Conspiracy)

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?

Babies Breath (Brave Saint Saturn)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?

All Creatures (Red Letter)

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?

Recall (Brave Saint Saturn)

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?

Author and Perfecter (Red Letter)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?

Softly and Tenderly (Team Strike Force)

WHAT IS 2+2?

Psalm 40 (E-Pop)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?

Dedication of St Patrick (Marshillbillies)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?

What have we done? (Northern Conspiracy)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?

Give me a new heart (Team Strike Force)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?

I’ll fly away (E-Pop)

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?

I fell away (Brave Saint Saturn)

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?

All along the road (Noise Ratchet)

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?

Filthy Roman Cross (Northern Conspiracy)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?

O praise him (David Crowder Band)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?

No depression (The Marshillbillies)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?

Moons of Mars (Noise Ratchet)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?

He speaks (Sons of Thunder)

WHAT’S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?

Disappear (Noise Ratchet)

HOW WILL YOU DIE?

Sound of Atone (Team Strike Force)

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?

Wonderful King (David Crowder Band)

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?

Till we have faces (Noise Ratchet)

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?

Only you (David Crowder Band)

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?

Manchuria (Pinback)

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?

A false sense of security (Rodeia)

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?

Thank you for hearing me (David Crowder Band)

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?

Tis so sweet (Marshillbillies)

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?

Nothing but the blood (E-Pop)

Now do the same and copy and paste it as a comment or on your own blog…

(HT – Andy)

Connect with Point Community Church

With everyone cracking into gear at work in this new year I thought it would be a good time to share what the majority of my time will be made up of this year (and for a few years to come) and how you can connect with the work.

This year Jacques Erasmus (the lead-planter) and myself (co-planter) are hoping, God-willing, to plant and establish Point Community Church in the Sea Point and Green Point areas of Cape Town. At the end of this month our first three gospel communities (we shamelessly plagiarised that name from the Crowded House guys) will hopefully be up and running. So in order to get connected with us or stay up to date with how we’re doing check out our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter.

Who is the Neo-Reformed Zealot?

Reading the NYT’s recent article on Mark Driscoll and Scot McKnight’s blurb on NT Wright’s new book I thought I’d compile two lists of where I think the ‘neo-reformed’ are at and why in many ways we present something of a weird paradox to the rest of the Christian landscape as they try to figure us out:

Neo-Reformed (Things people don’t like):

1. We believe in the supremacy of God and his glory in all things.

2. We believe in the 5 solas.

3. We still believe in the inerrancy, authority and sufficiency of Scripture.

4. We are Calvinists – duh!

5. We still believe that people who die without Christ go to eternal conscious punishment.

6. We believe that the gospel is a word – i.e. you can’t ‘preach’ the gospel with actions – you can only proclaim it and live consistently with it.

7. We’re still complementarians.

8. We think that it is possible to develop a truthful systematic theology.

9. We will not budge on the importance of penal substitutionary atonement.

10. Yes, we think it is still possible to be a heretic and yes, there are quite a few those around in the church today.

Neo-Reformed (Things people like):

1. We have a largely open-handed approach to culture.

2. We’re always keen to re-think current practices.

3. Mission is a top priority for us.

4. In light of #3, we have a passion for church planting.

5. We’re more accepting of outsiders than previous conservative groups.

6. We’re into social justice and mercy ministry in a big way.

7. We’re greener than previous conservative groups.

8. #1, #6 and #7 are based on the fact that alongside our doctrine of Total Depravity and the brokenness of our world we’ve attempted to recapture the beauty of humanity and the creation through our understanding of the Image of God and Common Grace respectively.

9. Our Gospel includes the restoration of all things (See Tim Keller’s ‘The Gospel in All its Forms‘)

10. And horror of horrors – a lot of us still think NT Wright is a pretty good author and theologian even if we don’t always see eye to eye.

Scot McKnight is Clearly Concerned about Us

How else can you explain his rather uncharitable comments about us ‘neo-reformed’ in his blurb on NT Wright’s new book? I must confess I’m a little ticked off.

If Every Preacher Would Read This…

If only we could rid our preaching of these habits - spot on Michael.