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Cuba Gooding Jr: At First I Was Like...

Sorry, Cuba... You inspired me.

 

Toward a Theology of Sex, Pt 2

Towards a Theology of Sex, pt 2. This is taken from a two part sermon series we did a couple of years ago and owes much to Ben Patterson.

I'll post more this week on why I'm posting this now, what I hope Evergreen people and others here and what I hope nobody hears...

 

Summary:

When sex takes the form of a search for something, “are you the one? Will you give me what I need?” the search for love and unconditional acceptance, or even just the search for release, it breaks us even further.
But when sex comes as an expression of something that’s been found, as a living expression of the unconditional, never-ending acceptance that a husband and wife have promised one another, then it can become very much a part of putting us back together again…

Yet more sense on the gay marriage issue...

I posted last week something from the archives re my views on issues of marriage and the State, specifically as regards the current tug of war over definitions of marriage, Prop 8 and all the rest.

Here's someone (with no religious POV, as far as I know) who agrees with me- the only way out of this cultural quagmire is to get the State out of the "marriage" business altogether.

 

"While I don’t think that this is an easy path to adopt, it’s going to be the eventual solution.  Not only does it take government out of people’s private lives, it also means an end to a divisive and essentially meaningless debate — and it protects houses of faith and ends a potential government interference in matters of religion."

Read the rest here...

 

 

(ht: F. Turk)

Emerging Church Blast From The Past!

About three years ago I got into it with the Team Pyro guys a bit. Here was my take on things. Boy, I was mad :)

 

So how's this...

Okay Frank... tell me how I'm doing here...

 

The Theology of Sex, Part One

"One of evangelicalism’s biggest problems is we have no compelling sexual vision which makes sense of celibacy as a fulfilling calling. We have little or no sexual ethic except the glorified desire of Hollywood lopped onto heterosexual monogamous marriage. We have no theology of desire formation. It is “lust,” and enjoy it, only while married to one person. We have no concept of the “ordering of desire.” This is why our witness is so vapid among the sexual brokenness of our day." - David Fitch

I think Fitch may be onto something here, though I will say that this is rapidly changing. I think from the twin poles of places like Mars Hill in Seattle and Mars Hill in Michigan, this topic is being, uh, fleshed out. Rob Bell's Sex God went a long way (in a cool, lots of white-space-on-the-page way).

At any rate, here's my take- part 1. This is taken from a two part sermon series we did a couple of years ago and owes much to Ben Patterson and, as always Tim Keller.

 

 

 

This Fall we are doing all we can to focus on how the Gospel shapes us, both as individuals and as a community.  And while we'll get into that topic more properly 2 weeks from now, for this Sunday and next we're going to look at a topic near and dear to my heart... and probably to yours... Sex.

How many of you have ever heard a fantastic sermon on sex- one that just blew you away? Well, I wish I could say you were going to hear that today... :)

The elders asked me this summer to do this, and I was a bit, uh, hesitant, because to be honest- it can be embarrassing and uncomfortable and the fact is, no matter how we talk about this topic, no matter what positions we stake out, in doing so we'll be drawing some lines and someone will disagree and get their knickers in a twist. But it’s important. We are all sexual beings- it’s how we were made. Single, married, young adult, middle aged, 55 and up, after a certain age, we are all sexual beings. So let me say a couple of things as we start...

I recognize that occasionally, when we get to discussions of tough topics, preaching turns into a great spectator sport. We all want to see how Bob is going to get himself out of this one. Well- the short answer is- I guess we'll see.

Actually- the real answer is- I hope I don't. I don't want to get out of anything- But I do want to recognize that there are people here who are at all different places both in their spiritual journey AND in their views on sex.

So let me be upfront with you.

We're going to approach these two weeks both unabashedly pro-sex and unabashedly pro-bible. I believe, and am going to invite you in joining me in believing, that sex is a good gift from God and that He has definite ideas about how best to use that gift.

Now when I say that, don't either get too excited or too afraid- We're not going to spend a lot of time talking about don't do this and don't do that... Why?

 

End Times Anthem

Okay- Bonus points to anyone who

1. can take John Darby/Hal Lindsey/Tim LaHaye's reading of Revelation and put it into song

2. rhyme "whore" with "sore"- Gold star for the line "When Babylon the whore gets fried."

3. call Barack Obama "the Leopard King." That sounds totally badass.

 

And just for the record- even most good dispensationalists would say this guy's a few fries short of a Happy Meal™

Points off for turning the Good News into really, really bad (and weird) news. Sheesh.

(Update: This guy is a Catholic Dispensationalist. I think quite possibly the first in history. He's also the "Third Eagle of the Apocalypse" AND the "Co-Prophet of the End Times." Yeah.)

(Update 2: Use a condom, miss the Rapture!)

(ht: Aaron Stewart)

Great Music: Brackenfield

If you like the music of The Album Leaf or Explosions In The Sky, you need to check out Brackenfield. Great music- perfect for studying, quiet evenings... love it. Check it out:

 

 

Top Ten Dr. Seuss Book Titles That Sound Dirty But Aren't

1. Hop on Pop
2. There's A Wocket In My Pocket
3. Too Many Daves
4. The Seven Lady Godivas
5. Hunches In Bunches
6. Fox in Sox
7. The Foot Book
8. Come Over To My House
9. The Tough Coughs As He Ploughs The Dough
10. Gertrude McFuzz

Anne Rice and the Not-Yet-As-Beautiful-As-She-Will-Be-Bride

A number of years ago, Anne Rice, author of Interview with The Vampire and other books, became a Christian. For her it was a rediscovery of a childhood faith. The writer of numerous books of erotica and dark, occult fiction had found a home again in the Catholic church. But, apparently a short-lived home.
She's now renouncing Christianity.

She said on Facebook recently:
"For those who care, and I understand if you don't: Today I quit being a Christian. I'm out. I remain committed to Christ as always but not to being "Christian" or to being part of Christianity. It's simply impossible for me to "belong" to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group. For ten years, I've tried. I've failed. I'm an outsider. My conscience will allow nothing else."

When I read this, I knew that

a. A lot of "anti-institutional", free-range Christians would applaud
and
b. Anne was missing the same point many of them do.

In one sense, I'm glad Anne can distinguish between Religion and Jesus. Those two things need to be disconnected. But in another sense, I'm saddened that she's trying to disconnect Jesus from His Body, because those two things never are.

I want to have grace for Anne and I certainly wish her well. I hope she does remain committed to Jesus. But, in thinking about this, I can't help but think that yes- It would be wonderful if all of our families, groups, networks never had disagreements or problems- if all the folks in them were just as we wished them... but then how would we grow? Where would be the opportunity to grow in patience, forgiveness, love? To opt out on account of the difficulty in a community is to miss both the point of the difficulty AND the community- especially in a redemptive community.

What is Jesus trying to do in the world? Get individual butts through the goal posts of heaven? Or create a redeemed community to live in a renewed creation in relationship with the One who saved them? The point of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus isn't so much "me" as it is WE. And WE are a people in process.
Of course there are hypocrites and hostile people in the church... because there are people in the church. People on a long journey towards Christlikeness.

In some ways, when I read Anne's statement I think about someone looking at an elementary school and saying "I can't have anything to do with you people because you don't know astrophysics and advanced calculus."
Jesus calls sinners into the community He's creating, and all who hear and answer that call are in varying states of growth and character-change. To expect maturity the moment everyone walks in the door is both unreasonable and lacking in the very grace Anne seems to want the church to show to others.

"Quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious"... Well, what else could anyone expect? Did we not hear Jesus when He said, "I come to call sinners, not the righteous?" Did we think He was kidding?

Our job is to follow Him along side and as a part of the Community He is creating. And being thankful for the grace He daily shows us in our "in-processness" means showing that grace to others as well. Even others "in" the church. Because to love Jesus is to love the people He loves- both the "lost sheep" and the "found Bride" that He is in the process of making beautiful.

Grace on our part looks like trying not to be upset that He's still got a ways to go.