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by on 5.27.09

the pleasure of anger

I just completed the first volume of The Collected Letters of C. S. Lewis, a set I picked up a few weeks ago. The set is the first two volumes of three, the third just came out recently in hardback and isn’t yet included in the paperback version. The books are about 1000 pages each, so it is quite a task to read, but I found the reading so fascinating, I couldn’t put it down. Even the early letters,when Lewis was still a boy, reveal keen intellect and interesting insight (and breadth of reading).

The first volume also reveals the mind of a totally lost man. His conversion comes at the end of the first set of letters, but one has to say that he exhibits the pride and malice of a lost man in all his educated sophistication through the years prior to his conversion.

I’ll not debate the quality of his conversion, certainly he uses terms unfamiliar to us. It is quite clear that a real change took place in his life and he left us with many valuable works as a result.

In one of his letters, he makes an interesting observation about the pleasure of anger.

The pleasure of anger — the gnawing attraction which makes one return again and again to its theme — lies, I believe, in the fact that one feels entirely righteous oneself only when one is angry.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Christian Living, Fundamentalism, Quotables, Spiritual Life
by on 5.26.09

a bit more on the ‘exodus’

An article from Associated Baptist Press discusses the movement away from ‘Conservative Evangelicalism’ that appears to be happening in that ‘other camp.’

Stetzer said the Social Gospel was based on a "post-millennial" theology that believed it possible to establish God’s kingdom on Earth. A main reason it lost influence, he said, was introduction of philosophies and theologies that moved some mainline churches away from positions that conservatives viewed as orthodox Christianity.

Today’s younger evangelicals are different, he said, in that they reject teaching that undermines fundamental tenets of Christianity and instead "believe they are placing an emphasis on fulfilling all of the commands in Scripture and ministering to others rather than an eschatological imperative."

I don’t know what to make of this as far as CEs are concerned, but I wonder if the movement leftwards away from fundamentalism isn’t part of a broader movement leftwards in general. This appears to be occurring all over Christendom and is a ‘sign of the times’ more than anything else.

If there is a connection, it suggests to me that there is really nothing wrong with Fundamentalism per se, but we are in ‘the apostasy’ and the faltering footsteps from within our own ranks may be part of a general movement.

I offer this as a suggestion not as conclusion, lest any should misunderstand.

don_sig2

Filed Under: Evangelicalism, Fundamentalism, Issues
by on 5.26.09

more on the ‘exodus’

In a recent post, all five of my readers (plus a few others!) discussed reasons why it appears that many younger people are departing from fundamentalism. I was struck by the excellence of the answers. Some of the reasons given were surprising to me.

Today, Ellis Murphree posts a blog with his take on the subject. His answers are similar to what was posted in the comments section to my post.

I attempted to summarize the reasons my commenters gave in an excel spreadsheet. My categories are pretty subjective, but help me to think through what was said.

The reasons some might be leaving that didn’t surprise me are these:

  1. Personality issues: these are what flow from the ‘pastor as dictator’ big BaBtist model of church leadership
  2. Standards issues: these are reasons that flow from the complaints over alleged legalism and Pharisaism
  3. Versions issues: clearly this battle has soured some on fundamentalism in general (unnecessarily so IMO)
  4. Calvinism/Puritanism: while I earlier agreed with the notion that this isn’t the issue, it is a factor, but perhaps not exactly as one might expect
  5. Lack of innovation/deadness: This may be a true charge to some extent, but seems more of an excuse than a reason – if there is a lack of innovation… innovate!

Now, two reasons in particular really surprised me:

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Fundamentalism, Issues
by on 5.25.09

Dr. Luke on mobs

Does this passage remind you of… oh, I don’t know… anything in the current ecclesiastical scene?

Acts 19:32 So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the assembly was in confusion and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together.

Maybe it’s just me…

don_sig2

Filed Under: Fundamentalism, Issues
by on 5.25.09

So… who is DMD referring to?

Our friend Dave references “a blogger” who answered his question regarding appreciating Piper without having one’s fundamentalist convictions questioned. That blogger, according to Dave, answered the question:

Here’s his answer: “So I would answer the question, No.”

He carries on discussing this as if that is all there is to the answer. He never links to the unnamed blogger so that you can read the context and judge for yourself if DMD is representing him fairly (bad netiquette, Dave).

As you know, it is possible that Dave could be referring to my answer given on this site. We don’t know for sure, because the quoted portion above isn’t exactly like my answer.

However,  Dave does offer a quote from the comments section that is word for word from my comments:

And I really think it may be unbelievable because in the comment section that follows, the same man writes, “Well, I am not saying don’t appreciate the good that such men do, although we may debate what is good and what isn’t.”

So … let’s make these points:

  1. It really isn’t legitimate to attack another blog without providing links so that readers can evaluate context.
  2. It has never been my position that it is wrong to use or appreciate the work of men with whom I would not join in ministry partnership with.
  3. My complaint on this point is that so-called fundamentalist educators, pastors, leaders have been guilty in recent years of unreserved enthusiasm for men with serious ministry flaws. My answer to Dave’s question wasn’t a bare “No” as he suggests. I gave reasons for it which he conveniently ignores.

I’d be interested if Dave would have the courtesy to deal with the entire argument, not misrepresent what was said for his own purposes.

don_sig2

Filed Under: Doran, Fundamentalism, Issues, Personalities
by on 5.22.09

an important question

I’m not going to make my blogging simply a point-counterpoint with Dave Doran, but he asks an important question today that does get to part of the current controversies roiling Fundamentalism.

Is it possible to appreciate this man’s [Piper’s] heart for the Word, expository preaching, people’s souls, and God’s glory without being questioned about one’s fundamentalist convictions?

I think the answer is no, given Piper’s notable errors on matters that are fundamentalist convictions. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Doran, Fundamentalism, Issues, Personalities, Piper, Separation
by on 5.21.09

I agree with DMD

Dave, I hope you aren’t suffering from any health issues when I make that statement.

Over at Dave’s new blog, he says this:

And if that weren’t bad enough, by making Calvinism the central issue, he distracts us away from the real question that should be in front of us. What we really need to ask, it seems, is this, “If young men can find Calvinism within fundamentalism, then why are they leaving?” The answer to that question is where the message should have gone. And the answer to that question is far more complex that Pastor Sweatt seems willing to allow.

You can read the whole post here.

I agree that Calvinism isn’t the problem. I agree that we need to talk about why some are leaving. Dave seems to think that maybe the notion that  young men are leaving isn’t true, but I’ll leave that up to him to demonstrate. (In some ways, I think the problem is that some are not leaving, just agitating and stirring up trouble. But I digress.)

I can think of a number of reasons why some are leaving fundamentalism. Some are the ‘fault’ of those leaving and others are the ‘fault’ of those staying. I wonder how many of the reasons are really new reasons. I know many of my classmates and compatriots at BJU who are no longer fundamentalists. People have been leaving for a long time. The reasons haven’t changed much.

Perhaps the only thing that has changed is the numbers of those leaving? Not sure about that. Certainly the loudness of leaving seems to be much greater these days.

And although Calvinism isn’t the central issue, there is a tide of Reformed theology sweeping the Church these days. It isn’t confined merely to Fundamentalism, but it is causing problems in Fundamentalism. It is, however, not the central issue in causing leave-taking, I am convinced.

So before I wax eloquent, I wonder if my five readers might care to contribute their suggestions for reasons people are leaving Fundamentalism?

Maranatha!
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3

Filed Under: Fundamentalism, Issues
by on 5.19.09

why FBF?

Scott Aniol asks:

Pastor Harding (or others),

I am honestly curious about this: what are the benefits of joining the FBF? What reason would a young, separatistic, Calvinistic (or Arminian, for that matter) brother have for joining?

If he wants to go to a FBF conference because he’s interested in the topics or speakers, he can regardless if he is a member.

If he wants to read or even write for Frontline, he can regardless if he is a member.

I’m just really, honestly wondering what value there is in joining.

Here are my reasons for being a member of the FBFI: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Fundamentalism, Issues
by on 5.6.09

I have a question

or two…

Lighthouse Trails reports and a news report and the Mars Hill church calendar confirms that Mark Driscoll (yes, him again) will be speaking at Robert Shuler’s Crystal Cathedral on June 14.

There is no word from the CE camp as yet whether this means there is an expansion in the Gospel Coalition.

In the meantime, certain leaders seem to be sorta, kinda, almost, but not really calling for a new kind of Christianity that is not evangelical or fundamentalist but is conservative.

Conservative Christians believe that their task is to reclaim a full-orbed, historic, biblical Christianity. Their task is made difficult by the unfavorable environments of fundamentalism and evangelicalism. It is complicated further by the fact that conservatives are trying to reconstruct a heritage that was not handed to them intact.

Presumably, the crowd that tends to be in the Gospel Coalition, who are also a lot of the same people in Together for the Gospel, and who also tend to show up at the Shepherd’s Conference would be the conservatives from the evangelical side of the equation. Those conservatives from the fundamentalist side of the equation are getting … what? bolder?

I said I had a question… [Read more…]

Filed Under: Fundamentalism, Issues, Separation
by on 4.24.09

quick report on NW regional FBF conference

My wife and I spent most of the week in Monroe, WA, at the Northwest Regional Conference of the FBFI. The host church, Monroe Baptist Church, pastored by John Stima were wonderful hosts for one of my favorite events. You can check their Sermons page for audio files, they should be available by Sunday or Monday, I am told.

Our main speakers were Dr. Bob Jones III, chancellor of Bob Jones University and Dr. John Vaughn, president of the FBF. Both men did outstanding jobs. Dr. Bob in particular gave us a series of three messages on the theme of meekness, very powerful, very convicting, and much needed by us all. Four of our area pastors also spoke, pastor Stima of Monroe Baptist, pastor Brian Ernsberger of Lincoln Park Baptist in Wenatchee, WA, Dr. Tom Nieman, former pastor of Galilee Baptist in Kent, WA, and yours truly. On Tuesday, my wife and Mrs Jones led a Ladies Seminar which was very well received and well attended.

The meeting was one of our best ever. (My wife says I say that every year.) The men who serve together in the Northwest are a great encouragement to me and this meeting is really one of the highlights of the year for me. It helps us to get together and talk about issues and needs, to encourage one another, to look into the Word, to sit under sound preaching, and to pray for one another and the various works represented.

I would encourage you to seek out the regional FBF meetings around the country and participate yourself. I am sure you will find a blessing and encouragement for the ministry if the others are anything like ours. (I have only ever attended one other regional FBF meeting, in Northern California, but I was similarly encouraged there.)

Maranatha!
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3

UPDATE: Here is a picture from the last evening service:

NW FBF - Monroe Baptist, Monroe, WA

NW FBF - Monroe Baptist, Monroe, WA

UPDATE: The audio files are now up on the Monroe Baptist site. I am downloading them as I type! Bonus! You can get Dr Bob’s messages from last Sunday, also preached at Monroe Baptist for their 10th anniversary.

Filed Under: Fundamentalism, Issues, Pastoral Theology, Sermon Summaries
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