Pan’s Labyrinth
The Lives of Others
No Country for Old Men
Apocalypto
M
The Third Man
Children of Men
Ratatouille
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Kingdom

Die Hard
A Fistful of Dollars
Shooter

These past two Sundays, in my adult SS class, I taught from Luke 1:46-55 on Mary’s Magnificat. I had just finished my series on Guarding the Gospel and these lessons were designed to be a short Christmas SS series, filling the gap until I could start my next series on the Book of Isaiah in January. Remarkably, it dawned on me (literally, as I was waking last Sunday) how closely the Magnificat parallels the general structure of Isaiah.

Isaiah begins in chapters 1-12 detailing the sin-sick condition of God’s people and ends up with several chapters regarding the promised Messiah. Chapters 13-39 present God conquering all the surrounding nations, showing God’s trustworthiness to His people. Chapters 40-66 show Israel’s ultimate salvation through the work of God’s servant. That is just a very rough 3-part outline but it matches up surprisingly well with Mary’s Magnificat:

Isaiah 1-12: Lowly condition of the people and the promised Messiah
Luke 1:46-49: Mary’s lowly condition and the great blessing of giving birth to the Messiah

Isaiah 13-39: God conquering all the surrounding nations
Luke 1:50-53: God’s mighty acts of mercy and judgment

Isaiah 40-66: Salvation through the work of God’s Servant
Luke 1:54-55: God helps His servant Israel in remembrance of His promises

This was a real blessing to me because for the longest time I didn’t know what I was supposed to teach on in January. I finally came to think that God was leading me to start back up with a series in Isaiah that I began shortly after our church first started. When I had a couple weeks to fill before I commenced with Isaiah, the Lord led me to the Magnificat and low and behold it provides the perfect introduction to our longer study in Isaiah.

It is just amazing how the Lord works these things sometimes.

I found out from my aunt about using hyperbaric oxygen therapy for RSD treatment. The patient goes to as many treatments as he can (sometimes…

I know things have been a little quiet here. I am looking forward to the new year.

I had a great Christmas with my in-laws in Ohio, but I found their internet service to be somewhere between unreliable and nonexistant.

We did get a good chance to visit with some relatives and it was nice to see Mom Mom, Grandpa, and Great-Grandma, as well as Missy’s Aunt Bev and Uncle Bob and Aunt Rosella and to see Mark and Keith and their families.

Josiah and I took advantage of the trip to Ohio to take a day and visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. It was a good trip and some good father-son time as we drove the 2 1/2 hours from the in-laws and visited the Hall of Fame. I had visited it once before, but my previous visit was with a non-football fan, so it was nice to be able to visit with my son. I will probably post a little more about that visit a little bit later.

I discovered that Fundamentalist uber-blogger Don Johnson has moved migrated over to his own domain (his new blog is called, An Oxgoad, eh? and has made an interesting post in which he asks some questions of Fundamentalists (based on some questions asked of some leaders in Evangelicalism by Touchstone magazine).

I will probably not have time to answer the questions until after the New Year, but I wanted to put these out here for others to think on as well - as Pastor Johnson has done.

How do you define “Fundamentalist” in a way that distinguishes Fundamentalists from other believing Christians? And has this definition changed over the last several years?
Has Fundamentalism matured since the 1950s, and if so in what ways?
Has Fundamentalism lost anything in the process of maturing (if it did)?
Are there any fundamental differences within the Fundamentalist movement today, and do you think they will deepen into permanent divisions, or even have already? How might they be healed?
What does your movement, speaking generally, fail to see that it ought to see?
What would you say to a Fundamentalist tempted to become Catholic or Orthodox?
What has Fundamentalist to offer the wider world that it will find nowhere else?
What else would you like to say?

Take some time and think about how you might answer these questions and then post about it (if you have a blog) and let me know about your post.

Don has already made a post in which he answers the questions - On the State of Fundamentalism .

Super Deacon and occassional blogger Andy Efting over at Unsearchable Riches has also posted his response, entitled, A Fundamentalist Answer the Touchstone Questions

So Christmas has come and gone again. I still wonder at how fast time goes by now—and everyone tells me it only gets faster. I’m glad I don’t get motion sickness.

As my siblings and I have gotten older, the gifts we’ve received have gradually moved from toys and games to clothes, gift cards, and money. This is fine with me, of course. Essentially, it’s a microcosm of the coming of age—coming to a place where we make our own decisions, however small.

Anyway, I bought an iPod with some of my Christmas money and some money I had already saved. As much of a miser as I am, it was physically painful to lay that money down, however good an investment it was. I’ve done virtually nothing but load my CDs and music onto it for about two days, now, and it’s about 5% full. Maybe. As I was loading some of the .mp3s, I remembered this blog idea I’d had previously—my ten favorite CDs. I dug the outline out of my hard drive and decided to flesh it out.

My criteria for this list were pretty loose—the CDs that have the highest concentrations of favorite songs are the ones that made the list, meaning that the selection is pretty random. Regardless, these albums have meant a lot to me over the years.

And so, I present,

My Top 10 Favorite CDs, Loosely Categorized for Your Convenience

Beethoven: Greatest Hits—This was the first CD I ever owned. My parents gave it to me for Christmas many, many years ago. I still have it. I’ve bought another copy in the last few years just to keep from wearing the original out, which, of course, has immense sentimental value to me. This is a really good collection of Beethoven. It includes many of his well-known symphonies and piano pieces, like “Moonlight Sonata,” “Für Elise,” and the 5th and 9th symphonies. The 9th Symphony in particular I really like—I’ve already listened to it once on my iPod, and will do so again.

Amadeus, by Mozart et al—This two-disc set spans the gap between classical and soundtrack albums, because it’s both. Anyone who has seen the film Amadeus remembers the rich variety and use of the classical pieces in the film. The soundtrack album is a virtual best-of of Mozart, with a few other pieces by other composers thrown in. A generous selection from the Requiem mass and the Commendatore scene from Don Giovanni are the powerhouse finale pieces, and the Piano Concerto in D Minor—from the film’s final scene–rounds off the album is a wonderfully soothing way.

Gettysburg, by Randy Edelman—This was probably the first soundtrack that I owned. My first real interest in history was in the Civil War, and one of the first really good historical films that I saw was Gettysburg. To this day, I can hear a track from the CD and tell you where in the film the song appears. Every track is powerful and inspiring, if reminiscent of the horrible sacrifices made on that battlefield. “Over the Fence” is a particular favorite of mine.

Gladiator, by Hans Zimmer—If Gettysburg was the first soundtrack I owned, Gladiator was the first soundtrack to which I was slavishly devoted to listening. The big, loud, brawny score quotes sections of Holst’s “Mars” and takes inspiration from any number of other classical pieces. Leitmotifs swim in and out of moody bass thrums and, with Maximus, draw the listener out of introspection into rousing action. Roma victor!

The Fellowship of the Ring, by Howard Shore—The first is still my favorite. Shore beautifully uses leitmotif to point out both individual characters and their cultures. Something that was woefully missing from the soundtracks of the other films was the dwarf theme, best exemplified in “A Journey in the Dark” and my personal favorite, “The Bridge of Khazad Dum.” Beautiful music, packed with emotion.

Mutter, by Rammstein—And now for something completely different. As a friend constantly reminds me, “German death metal” doesn’t exactly fit my personality and other tastes, but… wow. Brawny bass vocals (which I can actually sing along with), powerful rhythms, and good lyrics are more than I can hope for. This is one of a very few CDs whose every track I actually like. The title song, “Mutter,” and the dark ballad “Spieluhr” are among my favorites from this collection of favorites.

The Essential Simon & Garfunkel—There’s not a lot I can say about Simon & Garfunkel that people don’t already know, so I’ll just say that this two-CD set collects all my favorites together in one package. It also introduced me to some songs I had never heard before, such as the Beach Boys-ish “Baby Driver” and Simon & Garfunkel’s powerful, modernized adaptation of E.A. Robinson’s “Richard Cory.”

At Folsom Prison, by Johnny Cash—One of the best things about this album is getting to listen to Cash’s interaction with the prisoners, who Cash often referred to as his best audience. But it’s also a great collection of Cash’s best songs, along with a few others he only ever performed for this particular audience. Crank up the volume and listen to the prisoners talking between songs—it’s obvious that they’re having a blast, just like Johnny Cash.

The Beatles 1—I was down to this or Harry Chapin’s Greatest Stories Live for this slot, but I decided on this album because it’s just got more on it that I like. All these songs, all number one hits, and all arranged chronologically so you can hear The Beatles develop from teeny-bopper heartthrobs to poster boys for the psychedelic counterculture. Not the best development, certainly, but there are some great songs along the way.

Pan’s Labyrinth, by Javier Navarrete—My most recent favorite. Navarrete’s score is the beautiful, moving accompaniment to Guillermo del Toro’s beautiful, moving film. Every track is a thing of beauty, from beginning to end. The simple lullaby at the center of the music holds everything together perfectly. There’s really nothing else I can say about this CD—go get it. Now.

Honorable Mentions:

A Day Without Rain, by Enya—This, along with Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Bach’s “Air on the G String,” is probably the most soothing music yet committed to paper.

The Wall, by Pink Floyd—Pink Floyd is another of my anomalous tastes, but their lyrics appeal to my taste for the eerie and arcane, much like King Crimson, Rammstein, and… T.S. Eliot.

Beowulf, by Seamus Heaney—The only audiobook I actually enjoy. Heaney’s reading of his own translation is beautiful and engaging, even if it is only “complete selections.”

King Arthur, by Hans Zimmer—The big, bad, chest-thumping score was the only thing salvageable from this horrible film. Zimmer proves he can weather any storm with this album.

E-mail me if you would like to read my Christmas letter, but didn’t get it. I would be happy to send it to you. As long as you aren’t a phishing robot or spam.

No, this isn’t another Christmas post, but the title is still relevant. I download the sermon podcasts from Mars Hill Church weekly. At the beginning of 2007, Mark Driscoll, the pastor, preached a series on the book of Ruth. While I have read this book several times, listening to this six week sermon series has been such a blessing. In fact, I am listening to it for the second time. You can listen to the sermon through their website, download it to your computer, or even watch the video. I am posting the video for the first sermon here. You…

Don Johnson asks how a fundamentalist would answer the questions asked to evangelical leaders in a recent Touchstone article. Here are my answers:

1.How do you define “Fundamentalist” in a way that distinguishes Fundamentalists from other believing Christians? And has this definition changed over the last several years?

I would say that both Fundamentalists and Evangelicals agree on the core doctrines of Christianity. However, Fundamentalists distinguish themselves by their consistent, Biblical response to (1) liberalism and other expressions of false gospels and unbelief; (2) persistently disobedient brethren; and (3) worldliness, defined briefly as the influence of Satan, our flesh, and world’s apart-from-God wisdom upon our lives. Ultimately, that Biblical response often involves separation, always following the right steps, implementing it at the right time, and to the proper degree.

2.Has Fundamentalism matured since the 1950s, and if so in what ways?

Primarily, I think we have understood that militancy means that we must engage the battle when necessary, much like when Nehemiah would blow the trumpet to gather the workers to the particular point of attack, but that it is the Lord’s battle and so we must use spiritual means to fight it, not fleshly ones. I think we have out-grown the carnal mind set that said pugnaciousness is a virtue.

Secondly, I think we have also grown in our handling of the Word, emphasizing expository preaching through of the whole counsel of God, rather than riding limited hobby horses.

Thirdly, I think we have shed some of the Finnyism that has plagued much of our movement’s history.

Of course, not every wing of fundamentalism has matured in these areas, unfortunately.

3.Has Fundamentalism lost anything in the process of maturing (if it did)?

I think Fundamentalism has become more worldly. Because of past abuses, overemphasis on externals, and the lack of true Biblical training in this area, churches today are very hesitant to deal with personal holiness issues. Legalism is the major taboo today.

4.Are there any fundamental differences within the Fundamentalist movement today, and do you think they will deepen into permanent divisions, or even have already? How might they be healed?

One major divide exists over KJVonlyism. I see this issue going away as more and more churches deal decisively with the issue, leaving only the fringe-wing of Fundamentalism (if we can still call it that) embracing that position.

I think another area in which we may see a divide within traditional Fundamental circles is in the area of music. From my standpoint, I see a distressing amount of accommodation to and acceptance of groups like Casting Crowns and MercyMe and the whole CCM genre. It may be that those of us who cannot abide this development will find it harder and harder to find a local church they can fully embrace.

5.What does your movement, speaking generally, fail to see that it ought to see?

I think we fail to see the compromises to the gospel that occur within our own movement. Easy-believism, no-repentance gospels, shoddy expositional preaching, KJVonlyism, and increasing worldliness all compromise the gospel to some degree or another.

6.What would you say to a Fundamentalist tempted to become Catholic or Orthodox?

I would say read the book of Hebrews. “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall way from the living God.” (Heb. 3:12)

7.What has Fundamentalist to offer the wider world that it will find nowhere else?

Fundamentalism is simply obedient Christianity. It is following a Biblical philosophy of Christian living, guarding the gospel in faith and practice. That is why I am a Fundamentalist – because I believe that it is a life that most glorifies God. We should be offering the world what the church displays to the heavenly angels – the manifold wisdom of God.

8.What else would you like to say?

I’ve probably said too much already.

If you haven’t seen Cory Godby’s Zune film you must before next year.Cory’s animation ability conveys an incredible story of grace given, received, confined, and then given again….