July 4, 2008

The following is the commentary from our rifle competition held today:

We want to welcome you to our 9th Annual Independence Day Rifle Competition (affectionately also known as the Christ Church Shootout). We would like to encourage you to enjoy the day with us as we celebrate the historic signing of the Declaration of Independence 232 year ago.

We have now established a tradition of holding these competitions every year at this time, and it would likely behoove us to recount and reexamine just exactly what we are trying to do here. Any tradition, good or bad, can become stale or lifeless if we forget why we are maintaining it, and what we wish to accomplish by continuing it. For this particular day, it is a multi-faceted affair that we should be consciously aware of.

First, we would like to see ourselves as following in the path set out by the Founders themselves. To do this we must remember that the majority of the Founding Fathers, and the signers of the Declaration itself, were orthodox, reformed Christians of basically similar persuasions. Their faith in Christ, and their commitment of obedience to Him, informed all of their attempts at reconciliation with England prior to the decision to separate. Shortly after the signing of the Declaration, John Adams wrote the following:

“It (July 4th) ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is worth more than all the Means. And that Posterity will triumph in that Days Transaction, even although We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.”

So, John Adams saw this as a day that should be solemnized by acts of devotion to God, and enthusiastic celebrations. And he proposed this all the while having a realistic appraisal of what this course of action was likely to cost them. Indeed it did. If you have ever read the historic record of what happened to most of those who signed the Declaration of Independence you will have discovered that a very heavy price consisting of hardship, injury, and loss of property and life attended them. We should be grateful to God for their willingness to sacrifice so much.

Second, we would like to be celebrating together with you all, and not in isolation. Recall that Adams and the others did what they did with an eye toward the benefits to all of their posterity. They had something far greater than their own liberty in view, though that itself was important. They envisioned future generations that would reap the benefits of their sacrifice. Contrary to contemporary selfishness and narcissism, they sought (by the grace and providence of God) to accomplish something that would endure to all future generations. Put in the context of world history, this became extremely unique and relevant. Rarely, since the creation, has there been a place on this earth where the Gospel of Jesus Christ has prospered in this dimension and been accompanied by such an abundant blessing from God. We have much to give thanks for.

Third, we want to assess where we are in the light of history. As every group of covenant people before us, we have had our ups and downs, our victories and defeats. We need to honestly review where we stand before our God in relation to our contemporary situation. Interestingly, I recently heard the results of a survey taken by the Pugh Foundation concerning the religious persuasions of the American people. The conclusion was that in excess of 95% of all Americans claim to be theistic. They believe in some deity, or some concept that represents deity (however amorphic). Somewhere around 50% of the population makes the claim of being what the survey defined as conservative, evangelical Christians. However, a resounding majority of all respondents, and the majority of these conservative, evangelical Christians, conceded that there is more than one way to salvation and eternal life. So we see that the overwhelming majority of Americans embrace a sort of universalistic polytheism. Is it any wonder that our institutions reflect the same?

In conjunction with this, we should consider the historic record in the Bible itself. How has God dealt in the past with covenant breaking nations? Perhaps the record in Judges, Chapter 10, might have some bearing on this topic.

“And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Sidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the Lord and served not him. And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon.” (vs. 6-7)

So, in similarity to our nation, the Israelites had embraced a similar idolatrous polytheism. And the Lord’s response was heated anger, delivering them into the hands of their merciless enemies. It appears to have taken Israel 18 years of oppression before they figured out the root cause of their problems.

“And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, saying We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim. And the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand. Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen: let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.” (vs. 11-14)

This is, to our ears, a hard, hard saying. And yet this is one of the more tame rebukes contained in the Bible. God taunts them with their unfaithfulness, effectively telling them to go have a chat with Baalim. Do we have an image of a God Who can be repeatedly offended, and yet we expect Him, because of His declared graciousness, to continue to be merciful to us and not bring judgement upon us for our sins and rebellion? If that is our image, it certainly does not comport well with this passage in Judges, does it? So what is wrong here, our image or the text?

The record in Judges continues:

“And the children of Israel said unto the Lord, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day. And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the Lord: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel. “(vs. 15-16)

We see in the Israelite’s confession of their sins a willingness to suffer the chastisement of the Lord, with one implied exception. They would have this judgement not to come at the hands of their enemies, therefore their plea for deliverance from them. They do not claim a special exemption from God’s holy wrath; they merely trust that the Lord is indeed more just and merciful than the Ammonites.

Perhaps we would do well to imitate the faith, frail as it was, and the repentance of the children of Israel in this example. We need to put away our idolatries and return to the Lord of the Covenant and serve him only.

Fourth, all along we have been attempting to encourage the development of rifle marksmanship in our midst. Our goal is to meet the rifleman’s standard of being able to shoot to 4 minutes of angle. This translates into 4” at 100 yards, or 2” at 50 yards. Whatever your personal motivation in competing, this is an objective standard that can be met. Past competitions have proved that most, if not all, of us are still aspiring to the goal. Whether your particular concern is hunting, self defense, recreation, or a combination of these, we believe that this is something all Christian men should aspire toward. And we are pleased that a number of the ladies have similar aspirations. But it is far, far, more important for the men. We are not men because we know, or think we know, how to shoot. Rather, we would assert that because we are men, Christian men, we therefore should know how to shoot. And we aspire to do so well, to the glory of God. We do not link ourselves to the Scottish rednecks by mistake. There was a reason they were feared by those who sought to persecute them.

Fifth, and lastly, we want this to be an enthusiastic celebration similar to what John Adams envisioned. Noise and guns, pomp and piety, solemnity and joy, and bright illuminations should all be employed. So enjoy yourself, whether you compete or spectate, and give thanks to God, our Deliverer.

Liberal Fascism

We would like to take a moment to mention a very good book to anyone who stumbles onto this blog. The tome in view is Jonah Goldberg’s Liberal Fascism, published by Doubleday, and presently at the top of the “most read” lists. We would really classify it as a “must read”.

We have especially enjoyed Mr. Goldberg’s historical research as he methodically assembles the case that our present government, and political dialectic, is idolatrous in nature and practice. This is a position we have long held on theological and philosophical grounds, and Mr. Goldberg’s presentation unveils the history of this development. It is not apparent from the book if he embraces Biblical Christianity, but he is quite adept with ‘church speak’ and seems to have more than a passing understanding of Christian theology.

This is a book we had hoped that someone would have written, say, ten or fifteen years ago. But, it is here now. This is something that every professing Christian needs to read, consider, and then ask the question, “What do we need to do now?”

Well worth the price and time investment.

Political Liturgy

Well, here we are in the full swing of another year of national politics. Another opportunity presents itself to the populace to decide which aspiring priest of Baal they prefer to lead the national government into further moral turpitude. The liturgy is well established, with the prophets of the media predicting who the front runners are, or will be, and proclaiming who is electable and who is not. All of this is served up cafeteria style to the populace for their selective consumption. Never mind that there is not a dime’s worth of difference between the majority of aspiring priests. It is more of an issue of deciding if you want your pie ala mode or plain.

There is only one person that stands out above this crowd, and that is Ron Paul. Here is a man who wishes to break the backbone of the leviathan. I do not know if Dr. Paul is a man of true faith or not, but I have noted with interest his fortitude and perseverance over many years as he has battled over the significant issues of our time in the U. S. Congress. He has fought and fought, winning only occasionally. Like the old Timex watch, he has “taken a lickin’ and kept on tickin”. This is considerably more than we could say about his opponents.

So, why is it the Ron Paul will not be elected to the Presidency? The answer is very close to home. It is simply because his greatest opponents are conservative Christians who will fail to support him and his efforts out of a studied pragmatism. “He is not electable”, we proclaim, and then fulfill our own prophesies by voting for someone that emits a putrefying immoral stench. Then we complain about what the priests serve us at the cafeteria.

This, of course, is nothing new. Many of us discovered the truth of this matter twenty, thirty, or forty years ago. At the same time, as a result of our sometimes Quixotic attempts to speak against and remedy this problem, we discovered how deep the denial runs in the Christian churches of America. We seem to be unable to even conceive of how things might look if true reforms actually were to take place in the civil realm, and if elected representatives were really constrained to Biblical and Constitutional boundaries. Worst of all, many of us are terrified at the prospect of assuming the responsibilities of citizenship, being woefully unprepared to faithfully execute these responsibilities.

All of this mess should provoke us to a thoroughgoing repentance. This does not appear to be likely unless God, in His mercy, moves powerfully on and amongst His people. Perhaps He has relinquished us to the deaf, dumb, and blind condition we seem to adore. I hope and pray not. This is not to say that supporting Dr. Paul’s candidacy is the only sign of repentance. But if we are unwilling and unable to support a man who has shown the moral capacity to support the same standards that we say we endorse, simply on the basis of principle, then we need to shut up, sit down and enjoy our pie, ala mode or plain, and retire to our personal and/or ecclesiastical ghettos.

Knox Cited Again!

As Satan by craft has corrupted the most holy ordinances of God’s precepts (I mean of the first table, in the place of the spiritual honouring of God), introducing men’s dreams, inventions, and fantasies; so has he, abusing the weakness of man, corrupted this precept of the second table, touching the honour which is due to parents, under whom are comprehended princes and teachers. For now the devil has so blinded the senses of many that they cannot, or at the least will not, learn what appertains to God and what to Caesar. But because the Spirit of God has said, “Honour the king,” therefore whatsoever they command, be it right or wrong, [they think it] must be obeyed. But heavy shall be the judgment which shall apprehend such blasphemers of God’s majesty, who dare be so bold as to affirm that God has commanded any creature to be obeyed against himself. Against God it is that, for the commandment of any prince (be he never so potent), men shall commit idolatry, embrace a religion which God has not approved by his word, or confirm by their silence wicked and blasphemous laws made against the honour of his Majesty. Men, I say, that so do, give no true obedience; but as they are apostates from God, so are they traitors to their princes, whom by flattery they confirm in rebelling against God.

Only they which to the death resist such wicked laws and decrees are acceptable to God, and faithful to their princes…

This is excerpted from Knox’s Letter to the Queen Dowager, Regent of Scotland (Augmented Version) 1558.

Crypto-Romanists in the Garden

We recently came across an article that created some interest and concern that we felt compelled to comment on. The article in view here is a review of the movie Bella contributed by one Eric Rauch contained in the December 2007 edition of American Vision’s monthly publication Biblical Worldview. In the review, Rauch gives his positive critique of the movie, the content of which is adamantly pro-life, and quite effective in its presentation. Bella, he notes, was produced by a Roman Catholic film production company. However, interlaced with his critique of the movie itself is a not so subtle criticism of the abilities of Protestants to create good cinema.

Rauch complains that Protestants are hamstrung by their emphasis on and commitment to word based faith. This, he says, results in “dry, preachy, and surface-level films”. On the other hand, he admires the Romanist ability to communicate in symbols, ritual, and imagery. He provides some additional support in the form of quotes from a Dr. Thom Parhan, apparently an associate professor of film at Asuza Pacific University, who is likewise enthralled by these abilities which he argues are the result of three tenets of Romanists: an intuitive understanding of iconography, a grasp of the incarnational function of art, and their understanding of the sacramental nature of life. All in all, both men seem to argue for the perceived virtues and world view of Romanism over the dry, dusty, and narrow view of word-based Protestantism.

All of this is quite interesting, especially in view of the similar ideas expressed by Jeffrey J. Meyers in his book The Lord’s Service, in which he lays out his argumentation for what has become known as covenant renewal worship. In his book Meyers argues that rather than worship, and liturgical practices in particular, being informed by the revelation of the Word, our understanding of the Word needs to be defined by, and learned from, our liturgical practices. And where are these practices to be themselves acquired? Why, from Rome, Eastern Orthodoxy, and maybe some Lutherans. There does seem to be something odd going on here.

Historic Protestantism has always been focused on the Word. This is simply because the Bible itself is presented to us in such a fashion, and assumes both the Word Incarnate and the Word inspired as being the harmonious declaration of what God has given us to know about Him and His ways in this life. On the other hand, iconography and other image representations of Him are strictly forbidden. Why do we need some sort of “work around” for this sort of thing? If these men want to argue for the superiority of Rome and others in relation to imagery, ritual, and symbolism, they are going to have to prove far more than they have so far with their critiques of what they consider to be lackluster abilities of Protestants in art and idolatry.

God Owns the Blues

I simply need to deviate from the normal vein of commentary here to make mention of a fine packet of music that was given to me as a gift during the just passed Christmas celebration. What I am referring to is a two CD package titled Trimmed and Burnin & Slow Burn by Glenn Kaiser and Darrell Mansfield. If you are anything like me, the last time you heard or saw anything of Glenn Kaiser was when the Resurrection Band was still touring. Well, Mr. Kaiser has been busy in the interim, and this effort with Mansfield is a winner. The copyright on the back of the CD case says 2002, so I may be doing a bunch of catch up here, but I had no idea that anything like this was being done by Christian musicians.

Trimmed and Burnin & Slow Burn is an acoustic album with the artists performing a collection of Delta style blues. The catch is that the numbers are all what we would normally consider to be “gospel”. And that they are, but done in a wonderful and intense blues format. Kaiser and Mansfield are able to infuse this collection with an intensity and emotion that makes you believe the confessions of faith that underlie all of it. The vocals, guitars, and harp are all well done and demonstrate the skill of these two musicians.

But here is something important. The album makes absolutely no apologies for its church based, gospel roots. After all, historically speaking, the black churches in the South were the incubators for both the blues and jazz. This collaboration demonstrates this without the boring sentimentality of so much “gospel” music, and does so in an intense, masculine, and full-of-faith manner that draws the listener right in. This is quite refreshing, as most of our fellow Reformed brethren are seemingly captivated only by music written in the 16th and 17th century, denying practically that the musical expressions of the Gospel have made any progress or produced any variations worthy of our attentions since that era. So, I heartily recommend that my fellow saints in Reformedom give this one a listen. If this doesn’t affect you to the point that you can at least tap your feet a bit, and enjoy the soulful declarations of faith, then perhaps you should be a little concerned about being one of the frozen chosen.

Drinks on the House!

We want everyone to know that the coupon program for the purchase of digital television converter boxes is now under way. This program will provide the applicant with up to two $40 coupons (per family) to purchase converters for the new digital television transmissions that the Federal government has required to supercede the current analog transmissions in early 2009. We suggest that you hurry up and apply for yours right away. You can locate the program by connecting with www.hdtv.gov. This has got to be too good to be true! Imagine government subsidies of entertainment! Imagine not being able to receive any television images without a new converter!! Hmmmmm….