‘More about Grace Than Race’

By Faith magazine, the magazine of the Presbyterian Church of America, interviewed Anthony Carter recently on the book Glory Road, that he edited. Here is a sample:

Is Reformed theology a harder sell in the black church than in the white church?

The difficulty is the entrenched tradition of church in the African-American community. I don’t know if people understand just how entrenched traditionalism is. To try to buck that system and introduce people to a more biblical understanding of Christianity, and then to label it “Reformed theology”—people are going to resist that. However, I think that this generation—the younger generation—is less resistant than the older one. One of the positive aspects of post-modernity, if we call it that, is that people are willing to question traditions. Within the African-American context that’s a good thing, because the traditionalism of the church, I think, has blinded people to the truth of the gospel. That’s not just true in African-American communities, that’s true across the board in America, that the traditionalism of the established mainline churches has blinded so many people to the truth of the gospel. This next generation, with its willingness to question the status quo, is more open to the true message of the gospel, not only proclaimed, but lived out.

Alicia Keys Let Herself Go

This has nothing to do with anything, but I thought you should see for yourselves.

Arctic Cold and National Security

Unless you live in California or Hawaii, you are probably experiencing bitterly cold temps here in the US. Such cold has probably burst some people’s pipes, swerved others’ cars, and ruined others’ crops. Here in Ft. Worth, I woke up to a wind chill that was below zero. I left two feet of MD/PA snow for sub-zero temps in Texas?!?

Here in the US you have probably also noticed that we’ve had a bit of a national security problem lately. The Salahi’s crashed the Presidential party and even got close enough to take a picture with him. The Christmas bomber almost succeeded in exploding a loaded plane. And too many people are breaking out in shooting rampages.

What are we to make of these things? Is there a connection between the two? I think there is, and it is found in Psalm 147:12-20. The psalmist speaks here of national security:

For he strengthens the bars of your gates;
he blesses your children within you.
He makes peace in your borders;
he fills you with the finest of the wheat (13-14)

And the psalmist speaks of arctic cold:

He gives snow like wool;
he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.
He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;
who can stand before his cold? (16-17)

What is the connection? Notice the repeated references to God’s Word:

He sends out his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly (15)

He sends out his word, and melts them;
he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.
He declares his word to Jacob,
his statutes and rules to Israel (18-19)

In other words, the same God controls both national security and arctic cold, and he does so with his word! He speaks and borders are secured. He speaks and temperatures plummet below zero. He speaks and the snow and ice that paralyze whole communities melts and evaporates effortlessly. How powerful is God’s word!

Notice that the psalmist ends with a remarkable note that this same powerful “word” is then disclosed to the people of Israel, which sets her apart from any other nation (19-20). Therefore, national security and arctic blasts are also connected to the sovereign, electing grace of God in making his ways known to a particular people. The same word that can protect a nation and split trees with ice is the same word that makes a people holy before the Lord. Is there any wonder, then, that the psalmist begins this stanza with praise?

So the recent arctic cold and national security breaches are really both reminders of how desparately we need the Word of God to save us. We cannot overcome our enemies; we need his Word to deliver us. We cannot stand before certain forces like winter storms; we need his Word to deliver us. We need his Word to be powerful when we are so weak. So as you hear about another crasher, or another winter storm, remember again that God is mighty to save.

83 Things I Wish the Black Church Would Stop Doing

Here is Eric Redmond’s recommendation for Milan Ford’s new book, 83 Things I Wish the Black Church Would Stop Doing:

83 Things needs to be a stocking stuffer. Do not get dad another tie, shirt, sweater or 3-pack of socks. Mom does not need another scarf, gloves and hat set. Your adult son does not need a gift card to a video games store and your adult daughter already needs to go through her closet and weed out her has-not-been-worn-in-24-months-outfits (and shoes) and go clothe a whole shelter of homeless women. No, your Cousin Mookie – known to others as Deacon Johnson, Trustee Williams, or the man who holds the door for everyone on Sunday morning - needs 83 Things. Your Aunt LeLe (which would be anything from Linda to Maleah to Lee Ann to Alexis) – known to others as Deaconess Jones, the choir director, or that mean, bad-weave-wearing-lady in the church everyone tip-toes around – needs 83 Things (and a wig).  Your co-worker at the Word of Faith or Prosperity Gospel church across town needs this from his/her Secret Santa at the office. (If you do not have Mookies and LeLes in your family or ethnic community, think hard about the people who work around you, look more like me than they do like you, and go to church. That is who needs this book from you.)

The book also has a website.

Veith on Tiger Woods and the Media

From Cranach:

Our culture pretends to be free and easy about sex, but we really aren’t. I was kind of astonished that all of Tiger Woods’ multitudinous endorsement ads have been pulled from prime time TV after his auto accident provoked some nine women (at last count) to admit committing adultery with the golf superstar. Our culture remains capable of moral disapproval over sexual sins! On the other hand, our culture remains pruriently interested in hearing the salacious details of those sexual sins, as evidenced by the current media frenzy over the matter. We are repelled and compelled at the very same time!

This is a very insightful note on American media and society at large. We want to pass judgment, but we also want more of the juicy details! Could it be that the same lust that has nearly ruined Woods’ marriage is also at work ruining our consciences?

‘Christmas Worship Medley’

If more people sang like this during the Christmas season, perhaps more would talk about King of Kings than the imaginary character in the red suit!

‘How Can the Ark of God Come to Me?’

David asks this question after Uzzah touches the ark (2 Samuel 6:6-9 and 1 Chronicles 13:9-12). The answer, however, is different in both accounts. Chronicles emphasizes David’s appointment of Levites to carry the ark into the city of David as Moses commanded (1 Chronicles 15:1-15). Samuel emphasizes David’s sacrifices of oxen and fattened animals after every six steps (2 Samuel 6:13).

This difference in solution actually communicates a difference in message. By stating that the answer was appointing the Levites, Chronicles shows that Uzzah’s error was actually about the people’s disobedience of carrying the ark on a cart (cf. Exodus 25:12-14; Numbers 4:1-20). By stating that the answer was sacrificing oxen and fattened animals, Samuel shows that Uzzah’s error was actually about the people’s unholiness before God.

So how could the ark of God come to David? It could only come through obedience to the law of Moses (1 Chronicles) and through consecration (2 Samuel). Praise the Lord that Jesus, our Great High Priest, has accomplished both on our behalf so that we could come boldly before the throne (Heb. 4:14-16)!

Why Was David Dancing (2 Samuel 6)?

David saw Uzzah drop dead when he touched the ark.

David sacrificed oxen and fattened animals after every six steps toward the city of David.

In other words, David saw how holy God is– one who came so close to his ark that he touched it dropped dead. And David saw the mercy of God on him and on the people of Israel– every ox and every fattened animal that was slaughtered could have been him and anyone else in Israel.

David danced before the holy LORD with all his might when the holy LORD drew near in mercy. Has he not drawn near to us in mercy through the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ (i.e., not every six steps– a much better sacrifice)? Why then are we still seated?

‘Glory Road’ Website

The lovely folks at Crossway have just released a new website for the book, Glory Road: The Journeys of 10 African-Americans into Reformed Christianity. With the worlds of Cone, West and Dyson, and of Dollar, Jakes and Long eclipsing the gospel from the view of many African-Americans, everyone needs to know these ten brothers as they point us back to the Son.

Praise Him and Lift Him Up!

I forgot about this Gary Oliver song. I’ve never heard an Hispanic church sing it before. It’s great to hear nations singing to my King!