95 Theses and a Symposium

Jared nails a few points for discussion to the door of the Thinklings chapel in Franklin, Tennessee. Here are some:

10. The aim of devotion to Scripture is our transformation, not merely our information.

11. The American Christian and the churches that train him are adherents to the syncretism of biblical values and the self-idolatry of consumer culture.

12. This syncretism is suffocating the discipleship culture of our churches, which are mostly predicated on therapeutic gospels and self-help which make do not glorify God and which make the disciple the center of Christian faith rather than Christ.

13. The American Christian is often offended by or secretive about the message of the gospel, which puts him dangerously in league with those who find the message foolish and are perishing.

14. The Christian in the American Christian ought to affirm and embrace the cost of discipleship, but the American in the American Christian hesitates to deny himself because Self is his highest value.

15. The modern disciple is currently being spiritually deformed by leaders in the Church who do not make that which is “of first importance” the most important thing.

16. The modern disciple compartmentalizes his life and does not realize that even a large compartment for “faith” or “church” or “God” is not healthy discipleship. The American Christian’s schedule and routines reflect he believes his days belong to himself and not to God.

17. The American Christian finds Jesus’ command to sacrifice and serve abhorrent.

Note also the Reformation Day symposium at Challies.com for many, many good theological notes, and I’ll keep you posted on Jared’s upcoming Diet of Worms.

You Can Vote However You Like

Watch this group a sharp looking kids in Atlanta sing: “Obama’s on the left. McCain’s on the right. We can talk politics all night, and you can vote however you like.” I should look up the lyrics; I can’t understand most of them.

How Can You Protect Your Yard Signs?

A man in Chapel Hill, N.C., had a bit of trouble keeping his McCain-Palin signs in his highly visible yard, so he electrified them and put a camera up to watch them. He set the shock low so no one would get hurt and posted little warning signs. A bit later: “A neighbor trotting up with an Obama-Biden sign, grabbing a handful of volts as he touched a McCain-Palin sign, then fleeing at top 9-year-old boy speed.” The boy’s father was upset, saying the boy just wanted to see how the signs were put together. Perhaps the kid carried an Obama sign sleeve with him all the time as a safety blanket.

Do 50% of Marriage Really End in Divorce?

Here’s a podcast with interesting research into the popular claim that half of all marriage end in divorce. Where did that figure come from and is it accurate? As you will hear, the research isn’t quite there.

Steadfast

I cast around for a Lutheran hymn for tonight, a good hymn in the Lutheran tradition not written by Martin Luther, and I came back around to one of his again. Maybe it’s predestination. Happy Reformation Day and Happy Halloween.

Lord, keep us steadfast in your word;

curb those who by deceit or sword

would wrest the kingdom from your Son

and bring to naught all he has done.

Lord Jesus Christ, your power make known,

for you are Lord of lords alone;

defend your holy church, that we

may sing your praise triumphantly.

O Comforter of priceless worth,

send peace and unity on earth;

support us in our final strife

and lead us out of death to life.

A note on the last nice day

It was a beautiful day. Nearly 70°. This is the end of that sort of thing, of course. It’s like when your girlfriend dresses up real pretty and wears her most expensive perfume so she can tell you it’s over; she’s met a Belgian graduate student who truly understands her needs. Not that that’s ever happened to me. I never did that well with a girl.

It occurs to me that I haven’t mentioned the New York C. S. Lewis Society here yet. No, that’s not true. I’ve mentioned it, but I don’t think I’ve linked to its site. So here’s the link. You don’t have to reside in Manhattan or its environs to be a member—me, I’ve been on the rolls since the early ’70s, and I’ve never been to a meeting. But they publish a monthly newsletter that’s very professionally done and well worth reading, if you’re the kind of person who wants to know just everything about Lewis. Which I am.

Our frequent commenter Dale Nelson is a regular writer for the journal, specializing in pieces about the books Lewis read and their possible influences on his work.

Consider this my unsolicited endorsement.

Nice review

Thanks to frequent commenter Loren Eaton for this review of Erling’s Word on his blog, I Saw Lightning Fall.

I wish you’d have bought The Year of the Warrior instead, though, Loren. It’s a double volume, incorporating Erling’s Word entirely, in a slightly improved version. When you buy it, you don’t need to buy EW.

A.M.Smith Novel Online in Twenty Weeks

Alexander McCall Smith is delivering a novel through The Telegraph Online, day by day in twenty weeks. Corduroy Mansions is on chapter 33 today, and you can read it at The Telegraph site or get them in your email or rss feed. It begins “in the bathroom.

Passing off, thought William. Spanish sparkling wine – filthy stuff, he thought, filthy – passed itself off as champagne. Japanese whisky – Glen Yakomoto! – was served as Scotch. Inferior hard cheese – from Mafia-run factories in Catania – was sold to the unsuspecting as Parmesan. Lots of things were passed off in one way or another, and now, as he stood before the bathroom mirror, he wondered if he could be passed off too.

Book Reviews, Creative Culture