Evangelist Calls Apostles Sexist Pigs and Doubters

Transparency of failure, suspicion towards virtue and self-deprecation are as Christian as faith, hope and love. That's why Luke has no problem describing the apostles as sexist unbelievers in Chapter 24. Luke is a Christian. For him, irony and vulnerability are rather natural. What other religion openly admits that its founders lacked faith and virtue? Christianity dares not take its adherents too seriously. I think there are two reasons. One, Christianity is a gospel faith: the core of our belief and message is the idea that we can do nothing to deserve God’s attention, acceptance and love, but that God gives those things to us as an outburst of Divine love, by sheer grace. So, the greatest enemy of our faith is not failure to live up to God’s standards or doubt but the exact opposite: our seeming success to do so. If we believe that God owes us something because of our strong faith or moral success, we no longer believe the gospel of grace: God comes to you out of love and not out of obligation; Jesus died for you while you were and are a horrible failure; God loves you before you love Him; Jesus believes in you before you believe in Him. So, we have to look at ourselves with suspicion. We cannot take ourselves seriously because, if we do, we might believe that we deserve God’s acceptance.
Two, Christianity is a faith in Jesus: God limited Himself, allowed others to mock and hurt Him and died ridiculed by onlookers. So, like the apostles, we dare not make ourselves look good. Looking at Jesus, we realize that strength is hidden in weakness, life in death and Sunday in Friday.
Happy Easter! Christ is risen indeed!

Tim Keller at Northwestern

I went to hear Tim Keller at Northwestern in Evanston last night. It must be said that my respect for him borders on admiration. It seems silly to put Keller in the same category with Chesterton, Augustine and Chrysostom (to which, I am sure, he would object) , however his influence on me may have been greater than theirs. I discovered his sermons about 6 years ago while I was doing an internship at The Chapel in Michigan. I listened to The Gospel According to Abraham and was impressed with the depth of Keller's psychological insight and exegesis of contemporary culture. I have listened to many of his sermons since then and must admit that I have been thoroughly converted to his approach to preaching: Jesus-centered (every passage of Scripture is about Jesus), gospel-driven (believe the gospel and you will change) and culturally perceptive. There are plenty of free sermons on the Redeemer church site to get a good idea of his approach. http://sermons.redeemer.com/store/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID=11
So, I went to see Keller and got him to sign his new book The Reason for God. I just started reading it but I have a feeling it is going to be a very very good book -- maybe, as good as Mere Christianity. Anyway, I think very highly of Keller and it was great to hear him live.

Thanks

Thanks, everyone, for wishing me a happy birthday. It seems that it took me longer to get to 30 than some other people I know... I was surprised by a nice breakfast in bed this morning. I had to get up early to unlock the church for a group that meets in our building once a month on Saturdays. After I returned, I was told to go back to bed and go to sleep. So, with a lot of trickery (including some probing questions from my 7 year old last night) and a fair share of incredulity on my part, it was a surprise. Thank you all for nice comments on the blog. Gillian, thanks for making me feel special on my birthday.

Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday, everyone. Last night, our home group celebrated the beginning of Lent together at our house. We read some Scriptures, recited prayers and even sang a song. For some, it was the first imposition of ashes experience. All in all, everything went well.

Now, we enter into the Lenten season: a time of contrition and growth.

Putin Augustus

A peculiar resemblance has been noted. Russian President Putin looks a lot like Caesar Augustus who ruled the Roman Empire for over 40 years around the time of Jesus' birth. A coincidence?

Merry Christmas!

I pray that this Christmas season is a time of renewed hope for you and those who are close to you. As we reflect together on the mystery and wonder of the Incarnation, I am once again impressed with God’s wisdom and creativity. Faced with the problem of humanity separated from their Creator, God solved it in a divinely wonderful, surprising manner: He became human Himself. In the person of Jesus, God and humanity are finally united. Jesus is the God-man. In Him weary travelers return home. In Him eternity and time come together. In Jesus brokenness is healed and suffering is filled with joy. In Him love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other (Psalm 85:10). Does it not fill your heart with hope? What an amazing expression of Divine love! What an assurance of His commitment to us! God became vulnerable, limited, human because He loves us. Jesus experienced pain and pleasure, rejection and joy of the human existence. He became one of us, in every way like us, except for sin, so we can become like Him. As Kallistos Ware points out, Jesus shows us not only what a loving and creative person God is, but what we can become. He shows us what authentic humanity without sin looks like. By His perfect life and sacrificial death He liberates and spurs us on to become what God has made us to be: people reflecting God’s creativity and grace, full of wonder and hope.
Let’s welcome Jesus into our lives and marvel together at the good news of the One who was “pleased as man with man to dwell – Jesus, our Emmanuel”. Merry Christmas!

Advent Rocks!

I love Advent. It is a season of hope and anticipation. Advent is extending the minute before a child falls asleep on Christmas Eve to four weeks. What a great way to prepare for a Christmas celebration! Our church had our first Advent Sunday service yesterday and it was really cool. Responsive readings, Christmas carols, a special advent prayer, children collecting the offering, the Eucharist... a very meaningful time. After the service we had lunch together and our home group stayed to make cookies.