Dear Theophilus

“I know who made the environment and he’s coming back and going to burn it all up. So yes, I drive an SUV." - Mark Driscoll Prime example of why bad theology leads to bad practice. Also, great example of why he is such a polarizing figure and why we should be on the frustrated/dissatisfied side of that polarization. The part that frustrates me most about this is that even the founder of his own tradition (John Calvin) totally disagrees with this interpretation of the Petrine theology. This is a dispensationalist rendering of 2 Peter 3, not a Calvinist or Wesleyan view. 2 Peter 3:10 & 12 says, "the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed... because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire?" Calvin says, "What afterwards follows, respecting the burning of heaven and earth, requires no long expl...

The University I attend held a vision clarifying contest. Students could submit their ideas for how to interpret the school's vision statement. Here is my submission - submitted hastily (sorry the flow is not obvious). This essay was awarded somewhere in the top 8 - but not 1st, 2nd, or 3rd :) It has been long believed that engaging the culture and changing the world meant taking on power and influence. This has been recently labeled "the captains of industry" model and it suggests that if only enough Christians were equipped to leadership positions in the realm of politics and business, Christians would be able to leverage enough pull for the kingdom of God to shape the culture. The allure of this idea is that it is at least partially true. If Christians become the majority deciders and main policy makers, the world will be changed. The goal, then, is to have followers of Christ become CEO’s, legislators, school board members, governors, mayors, teachers, and admi...

I wrote the below for a friend and have been really chewing on it ever since. I think if I could have any theology balance our/my American evangelicalism, it would be this smattering - with its hints of Christus Victor atonement theory, death as God's enemy, and a reclaiming of the resurrection of the body as the ultimate hope for Christianity. " I believe in the ...resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen" (Apostles' Creed). "We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come" (The Nicene Creed). My understanding has only recently been developed. American Christianity tends to emphasize Jesus as the perfect sacrifice/atonement for the sin and evil in the world. But an overemphasis on this, though right, sometimes leaves out too much. This focuses too much on Jesus as divine and leaves out that Jesus is also human. A divine death and resurrection is sad, yet understandable. But Jesus as human shapes our th...

Much ink has been spilled to talk about the the crowds who, on Palm Sunday, laud Jesus as savior and on the next Friday call for his crucifixion. Suggestions have been put forward: maybe the Greek interpretation of "crowd" will show that the crowds are different on those days, or the people are just fickle, or even that it was God's will and so the people had to do this to fulfill scripture/will. For me, Palm Sunday makes sense. Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. The moment is pregnant with meaning. He simultaneously mocks the current political system, calls into question humanity's reliance on power, politics, and violence, and points to himself as the true king. Anyone can understand this. There are a million stories just like it. It is a powerful archetype. The newest prequel to The Wizard of Oz called Oz: the Great and Powerful is based on this exact premise. A nobody from no-where shows up, seemingly fulfills the long-awaited prophecy, challenges the...

Here are a few things Christians should consider before taking a stance on the gun control issue, in my opinion: Does God care if you have a gun if you are responsible? Probably not. Use it responsibly. Keep it locked up. Go hunting and be respectful in your hunts toward creation. Shoot clay pigeons all day (though Jesus might have something to say about how we spend our money here). You should be fine. Does God really care about your rights, constitutional or otherwise? It just seems to me that Jesus has a much bigger agenda, which expects something of his followers. Our job is to extend the Kingdom of God by being, first and foremost, good citizens of *that* Kingdom. "Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’ Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I w...

Half-Handed Cloud with "Plant a little Fir Tree" Stationed out of Berkeley, CA. http://youtu.be/1e1tBJ-HtWA Lyrics: "If you plant a little fir tree then we'll all be gifts beneath it If you want to know you're special, now there's proof cause you've got the gift of Jesus. ????? came them from the east, those wise guys how did they know that it would snow If you plant a little fir tree then we'll all be gifts beneath it If you want to know you're special, now there's proof cause you've got the gift of Jesus. Wise men were sent from the east from China, Korea, Japan, each sent a wise man. He landed on the earth all wrapped in skin they're the only ones to find him. Shepherds got there first to worship him then later came the wise men ???? for swaddling what we rise from spice that was meant to preserve Gold, Frankincense, Myrrh. If you plant a little fir tree then we'll all be gifts beneath it...

Some thoughts on the DNC tonight as I watched the speeches... John Kerry Kerry gets right to business but in a very accusative and argumentative tone. He seems rushed. Not a good start. “ Despite what you heard in Tampa, an exceptional country does care about the rise of the oceans and the future of the planet. That is a responsibility from the Scriptures—and that too is a responsibility of the leader of the free world.” THANK YOU!!! This is important and Romney got it wrong. “ It took President Obama to restore our moral authority—and to ban torture.” – This is very important. A lot of Christians talk about what Christians should care about… this is definitely one of those issues and unfortunately we don’t. “ Ask Osama bin Laden if he is better off now than he was four years ago .” – Tacky and unnecessary. I don’t like this at all. Something about which I am VERY proud of our country and President - “ President Obama promised to work ...