Sola Scriptura

Piggy backing off of my previous post on VanHoozer's idea of creative fidelity, I thought that I might add to the conversation by connecting it to his quote on the reformers classic Sola Scriptura... VanHoozer writes...

"Sola Scriptura returns, then, not by positing the Bible as a textbook filled with propositional information but by viewing the Bible as a script that calls for faithful yet creative performance."

How can we continue to push away from this modern understanding of Scripture only as propositional truth, found in information posted within the text (otherwise known as the enlightenment textbook)? VanHoozer brings us along in this quote, calling us away from only practicing thought through the lens of Sola Scriptura, and more into action. And again, he calls us to creative fidelity within our action. Thus Sola Scriptura no longer means that absolute Truth in thought is ONLY found in the words of the Bible (the script), but is also connected to creative and faithful action from letting the Truth of the Word seep through our pores. While overall conservative in his approach, even writing upon the often left behind idea of Sola Scriptura, VanHoozer reconnects us with the past and pushes us into the present. A beautiful balance!

Inge

Poor Brandon Inge is upset... The Tigers third baseman in 2007 is upset because there is no spot for him to play in the Tigers lineup this year. Quoting him from an article posted on ESPN...

"I just want to play every single day. I love this organization and the Detroit Tigers are in my blood, but there's not a starting role for me. I will never be a cancer around this team and I don't plan to be a distraction."

Without even dissecting the words of the article, we can see that there is something not quite right about the combination of all those words... The article was filled with such jargon. You can check it out at...

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring2008/news/story?id=3248553

The bottom line, Inge thought that he had "arrived" with his 6 year 24 million dollar deal. He thought that he was on the "in" with the Tigers. However, when one's numbers are .236 with 14 homers and 71 RBIs in a lineup full of fantasy first rounders, there is not going to be much space for "Mike Heath-like" statistics. And oh yeah, Inge also asked the Tigers to trade him and they didn't (But the TIgers are in his blood!). Hmmmm... I wonder if it isn't so much that the Tigers didn't trade Inge, and it was more like they couldn't. I would imagine that other teams would want a little more out of 6 million a year.

Prosperity Gospel and Jason Hepner

My fellow intern Jason shared this metaphor with me the morning during our intern meeting with our mentor Craig Hall. We were talking about prosperity gospel and sharing our reflections upon the disaster of it.

Farty Preacher

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American Teen

Whitney and I ventured to see American Teen last night in Pasadena. It was a preview movie, meaning that it has not yet been released and the creators of the film are looking for feedback from audiences. It was, however, released at Sundance a couple of weeks ago and got raving reviews.

Essentially the film follows the lives of 4 "cliche" high school students through their senior year in a small midwestern town in Indiana. While all will undoubtably find their story and the stories of others within the stories of the four whom the film focuses upon, something else stood out to me in the film. It was the most hidden and disheartening part of the overall story.

There were no adults in the lives of the students.

Well, there were adults... But they were hardly "in" the lives of the students. In a best case scenario, the adults were peering into the lives of the students from a safe distance. Sometimes they casted their "wisdom", which was more similiar to casting heavy stones, upon the fragile students, but they were essentially void from the lives of these beautiful people working through numerous layers of personality in pursuit of wholeness. The climax of this hidden theme comes through Hannah's mother. Hannah is the free spirit in the film. The student longing to leave Indiana for California. Hannah's mother is mentally unstable and when dealing with Hannah's decision making process to move to California tells her that she is not special.

"You are not special!"

I encourage everyone to support the film. Let it sink into your soul. How can we continue to help fix this problem?


This you tube is from the creator of the film... Nanette Burstein.

The Biggest Small Day

No... The title does not imply Valentine's Day... Instead today is the biggest small day of the year because it marks the day that pitchers and catchers report to spring training. I love this day. Watching video of this day brings sensory explosion. The first glance at green grass (which was more powerful when I lived in Michigan!), the sound of the crack of the catcher's glove, and the mysterious smell of pine tar, dirt, sweat, ben gay and Kodiac. I can almost feel the seams of a baseball in my hand as I ponder the senses of the first day of spring training. This year is especially exciting as many are predicting that the Tigers will go 162-0. That is, if their bullpen holds up. It the bullpen stinks then they might only be looking at 150-12.

VanHoozering

Here is another from VanHoozer. This quote seems to be a perfect bridge in helping people to understand the connection between modernity and post-modernity.

"The turn to performance in postmodernity-toward the idea of an incomplete, fluid work in progress- is simultaneously a turn away form the idea of the finished, complete work in itself."

As many have said many times before, this postmodern generation is more attuned to a right sense of action (or performance) than a right sense of thought. This performance is recognized as ongoing, rather than as complete... A right sense of thought can easily feel complete. A right sense of performance will not feel complete as there is always more to do. This movement (from a complete sense of thought to an ongoing action/performance), however, in itself is a finished work. Vanhoozer provides us with a spiralized connection between two ever distancing cultures, while maintaining the integrity of the current postmodern mindset. These sorts of uniting quotes will be increasingly important as the divisions between modernity and postmodernity grow ever wider.

Michael Stipe with Coldplay

Last week I had a Hebrew midterm to take early on a Monday morning... Unfortunately at 10 PM on Sunday night, a crucial time to be studying, Coldplay appeared live on PBS at the Austin Music Festival. It was well worth putting studies aside to take in this live Coldplay concert. A special surprise appeared in the form of Michael Stipe (REM) singing a song from his epic satire Saved. I have hunted this song for a while and to finally have this song, sang by Coldplay and Michael Stipe, has been a gift. I'll post the lyrics below the Youtube.



I picture you in the sun wondering what went wrong
And falling down on your knees asking for sympathy
And being caught in between all you wish for and all you seen
And trying to find anything you can feel that you can believe in

May gods love be with you
Always
May gods love be with you

I know I would apologize if I could see your eyes
cause when you showed me myself I became someone else
But I was caught in between all you wish for and all you need
I picture you fast asleep
A nightmare comes
You cant keep awake

May gods love be with you
Always
May gods love be with you

cause if I find
If I find my own way
How much will I find
If I find
If I find my own way
How much will I find
You

I dont know anymore
What its for
Im not even sure
If there is anyone who is in the sun
Will you help me to understand
cause I been caught in between all I wish for and all I need
Maybe youre not even sure what its for
Any more than me

May gods love be with you
Always
May gods love be with you

Creative Fidelity and Bliss

Kevin Vanhoozer has created what may be the first systematic theology for a post-modern generation. I know, I know... To even pair the word systematic with post-modern is "sinful" in many circles, but I promise, Vanhoozer's book won't bite. In fact, it may be very helpful to many who plan on moving forward with the Gospel in the post-Christian West. The book is called The Drama of Doctrine: A Canonical Liguistic Approach to Christian Theology, and is filled with tasty morsels of truth, I mean Truth, no truth... whatever. The book is filled with mmmmmmm.

I hope to be filling this blog with quotes over the next weeks from Vanhoozer's book. I have wanted to post quotes from his book for a while, but have not yet received an opportunity.... Until now. This simple line was from my reading this afternoon.

"The process of translating the gospel into different cultures displays both constancy and creativity: in short, creative fidelity- passing on the gospel."

So many lean in one direction or the other. CreativitY OR FidelitY. How does a balance of both manifest today in America? This may be one of the most important questions as we move deeper into the depths of humanity and God's dream for it.




By the way... The reason that I have not been able to post as often as I would like over the past month has been because of Hebrew... Yeah, the language. I am in a ten week intensive right now with the original language of the Old Testament. It is so overwhelming that it had me out of bed this morning at 5:30 in the AM, working through the different verb paradigms and strange suffixes for an 8 AM quiz! I took a picture of my bliss for your entertainment.

Yael Naim

If you have seen the latest commercial from Apple, you already know Yael Naim. With her catchy song "New Soul" blowing up all over the world, it should also be made known that Yael's entire CD is also a magical piece of art. She was born in Paris, grew up in Israel, and is now pursuing a musical career back in Paris. Half of her songs are in Hebrew, but similar to Sigur Ros, doesn't slow down the power of the music for people who only speak English. I think that a fair and weighty evaluation of her will land her in a similar category to Sufjan Stevens. They both have a playful way about their performance, and both also tap into a mysteriously spiritual space of tone. Please check her out if you get a chance.

NEW SOUL


PUPPET


TOXIC

Carrie Underwood's Latest

PAINFUL

Apocalypse Now and "The 12"

Okay... So I have been a procrastinator when it comes to viewing old films... I have heard the phrase, "For every new book that one reads, one should read two classics." This makes sense to me on a literary level... But movies??? After watching 2001: Space Odyssey, and now having viewed Apocalypse Now last night... It may be true. What if we watched two classics for every new release that we watch? How would this change our lives? Maybe it comes down to this...

There were probably 12 movies this year that I watched that were paradigm altering in my life, and in the life of the communities that I participate within. There are probably about that many movies every year... Give or take a couple... That have the flesh and blood to change our lives. Now... I probably watched a movie every other night in 2007. That means that I watched probably 150 movies that were anywhere from entertaining, to thought provoking, to a waste of two hours of my life. What if instead of watching those 150 movies (that will never affect the way that I think/live), I would have instead participated within the 12 paradigm changing movies of 1954 or 1967 or 1978 or 1988 or 1994... I think that you get the idea. I wonder how our world would be different if we all focused on the 12 of years past, rather than wasting our time swimming on the latest 2 hour Michael Bay pile of ______? I bet things would change.

2001 Space Odyssey

Whitney and I watched a classic movie lsat night as we baked bread (an emerging interest in our lives!). Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey is a film now hailed as a classic. Wikipedia summed up the movie by saying...

"2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 science fiction film directed by Stanley Kubrick, written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke. The film deals with thematic elements of human evolution, technology, artificial intelligence, and extraterrestrial life, and is notable for its scientific realism, pioneering special effects, and provocatively ambiguous and often surreal imagery, sound in place of traditional narrative techniques and a very minimal use of dialogue.
Despite receiving mixed reviews upon release, 2001: A Space Odyssey is today recognized by critics as one of the greatest films ever made; the 2002 Sight & Sound poll of critics ranked it among the top ten films of all time.[1] It was nominated for four Academy Awards, and received one for visual effects. In 1991, it was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in their National Film Registry.
The film set a new standard for science fiction special effects for both film and television."

I was surprised by two facts that appeared on the outside out the Netflix envelope in which we received the DVD. Firstly, I couldn't believe that the film was made in 1968. Shooting began for the film in 1965, and was released before we landed on the moon. I would imagine that the progressive film captured audiences in new ways (visual and audio) when it first came out 40 years ago. I was also surprised when the film received a G rating. No doubt, the most stunning G movie ever!

After the movie was finished, Whitney and I looked at each other and tried to interpret the film. Well, we did no get very far. So I researched a quote from Kubrick

"You're free to speculate as you wish about the philosophical and allegorical meaning of the film—and such speculation is one indication that it has succeeded in gripping the audience at a deep level—but I don't want to spell out a verbal road map for 2001 that every viewer will feel obligated to pursue or else fear he's missed the point."

We enjoyed the film and will enjoy viewing it again in the near future.

Smiling Addiction

I am in a media class right now with Craig Detweiler at Fuller and was inspired by this simple and short music video/film. Three simple acts... an ever intensifying second act... and a tragic third act/ending. Simple and brilliant.

Fuller Pride

While we may not have a football team, or a rugby team, we (Fuller Seminary) do have an American Gladiator... And he just took the lead for the best time in the Eliminator for the hottest (overrated) show in America!!!...

http://www.nbc.com/American_Gladiators/contestants/andy_konigsmark.shtml

121

121:1 shiyr lamma`aloth 'esâ' `êynay 'el-hehâriym mê'ayinyâbho' `ezriy

121:2 `ezriy mê`im Adonay `osêh shâmayim vâ'ârets

121:3 'al-yittên lammoth raghlekha 'al-yânum shomerekha

121:4 hinnêh lo'-yânumvelo' yiyshân shomêr yisrâ'êl

121:5 Adonay shomerekha Adonaytsillekha `al-yadh yemiynekha

121:6 yomâm hashemesh lo'-yakkekkâhveyârêach ballâyelâh

121:7 Adonay yishmârekha mikkol-râ` yishmor'eth-naphshekha

121:8 Adonay yishmâr-tsê'thkha ubho'ekha mê`attâhve`adh-`olâm



Psa. 121:1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
Psa. 121:2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psa. 121:3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
Psa. 121:4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

Psa. 121:5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
Psa. 121:6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

Psa. 121:7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
Psa. 121:8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

Aguilera's New Song

Who is she singing to?



It's not so easy loving me
It gets so complicated
All the things you've gotta be
Everything's changin
But you're the truth
I'm amazed by all your patience
Everything I put you through

When I'm about to fall
Somehow you're always waitin
with your open arms to catch me
You're gonna save me from myself
from myself, yes
You're gonna save me from myself

My love is tainted by your touch
Cuz some guys have shown me aces
But you've got that royal flush
I know it's crazy everyday
Well tomorrow may be shaky
But you never turn away

Don't ask me why I'm cryin
Cuz when I start to crumble
You know how to keep me smilin
You always save me from myself
from myself, myself
You're gonna save me from myself

I know it's hard, it's hard
But you've broken all my walls
You've been my strength, so strong

And don't ask me why I love you
It's obvious your tenderness
Is what I need to make me
a better woman to myself
to myself, myself
You're gonna save me from myself

In the middle of the mundane of studying Hebrew yesterday (my primary school work for the next 9 weeks) I was captured and taken in by a favorite and sometimes forgotten artist. Lauryn Hill. Check out this performance at 6:00 minutes in...



The conquering lion shall break every chain
The conquering lion shall break every chain
Give him the victory again and again and again and again
Give him the victory
The conquering lion shall break every chain
The conquering lion shall break every chain
Give him victory again and again and again and again and again and again
Give us some victory ya, oh, ya
The Conquering Lion shall break every chain, every chain, every chain
Conquering Lion shall break every chain
Give us some victory we need some victory, we need some victory
Again and Again and Again and Again, give give give some victory
Oh, Oh,the conquering lion he'll break every chain, everyone of your chains,
everyone of your chains
The conquering lion he's gonna break all of those chains if you just let him
Give Give him the victory again and again and again and again…
Oh, give him the victory

Aging Optics

I postponed it for as long as I could, but the the optometrist finally forced me behind lens'!

Slavery in Security

When Israel was delivered from Egypt, they experienced freedom. Yet, they did not encounter freedom for "freedom's" sake. (Paul Pace) Donald Bloesch writes it best.

“Freedom is not the antithesis of obedience, but the means by which we realize obedience. We become free as we decide to obey, and in obedience we discover our freedom. Bultmann upheld not a freedom from authority, as in the Resaissance conception, but a freedom under authority- that which is realized in obedience. Bultmann insisted that genuine freedom involves responsible decision. It “is always freedom gained in responsibility and decision, and therefore it is freedom in insecurity. To be a free person means to let out self-contrived sercurities and cling only to the promise of the divine mercy that is apprehended solely by faith. To be free is to be ourselves- to be true to the destiny appointed to us by God.”

Israel was freed from slavery in order that they might be free to be slaves to Yahweh.

With this in mind, I have been reflecting upon American slavery today. In the land of "freedom", where is our liberty oppressed? Many angles could be taken upon this question, but one has recently stood out to me.

Security.

More than a trillion dollars are spent in the world every year on security and you guessed it, the United States is leading the way. Americans spend more on security that any other country in the history of humankind. In fact, if countries number 2 through 25 on security spending are all added together, they still don't add up to what America spends on securing our nation every year.

What does this mean?

Outside of the fact that ten percent of what the United States spends on security could meet all of the world’s needs, or 100 million dollars a day is spent in the USA keeping bombs ready to blow, I think that Martin Luther King was on to something with this quote.

“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.”

With all of the money that we spend on securing our freedom, are we actually enslaving ourselves to the ideal of being safe?

Is our obsession with safety a clue that we are ultimately driven by fear?

Can a drive from fear lead to Good?

Who are the scary ones? An interesting question to ask humanity outside of the United States. (Or to those living in cave systems in Afghanistan.)

Why are Americans driven by such a fear?

Psa. 20:7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

Jeremiah 34:15-17(a) Recently you repented and did what is right in my sight: Each of you proclaimed freedom to your own people. You even made a covenant before me in the house that bears my Name. But now you have turned around and profaned my name; each of you has taken back the male and female slaves you had set free to go where they wished. You have forced them to become your slaves again. “Therefore, this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed me; you have not proclaimed freedom to your own people. So I now proclaim ‘freedom’ for you, declares the LORD—‘freedom’ to fall by the sword, plague and famine.

Gal. 5:13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful natured; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”

James 1:25 But those who look intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continue in it—not forgetting what they have heard but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

1Pet. 2:16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover–up for evil; live as God’s slaves.

We are destined to be free people. Fully ourselves. Fully in the grasp of our Creator. In our individualistic sense of American freedom, we, as a country, have become slaves to "self serving security". We are sleeping with an idol, and the inward preserving nature of this idol is harming us and others throughout the world.

Ultimately, we become what we follow. What might a reshaping of out policies on safety mean for us? Mean for the world? Mean for the Kingdom of God?

Top Ten of the Holidays

Quality craftsmanship on a new bookshelf that I built.















Golfing 36 holes at Lantana.
Spending quality time with family and friends in Texas.
















Time to pray.
The Great Debaters. (Don't miss this film.)
The Rose Bowl Parade.

A Michigan victory over Florida.
Kinetic Christmas Party.
















The 1st Annual Warnes Christgiving Party.
















Spending quality time with Whitney.





















Our next quarter at Fuller begins on Monday and the craziness will once again begin. Intensive Hebrew and a Media and Ministry class. Both should be intriguing. We will also be moving forward at GPC as I have decided to accept their invitation to stay at the church. It should be a fun ten weeks!