The Evangelical Liturgy 16: Baptism
October 12, 2009 by iMonk
I need to be very clear at the outset: we won’t be having a discussion on the theology of baptism. I will be talking about the place of baptism in liturgy, and I will be doing so from the standpoint of a credobaptist describing the Protestant liturgical worship service.
Most formal worship spaces, even simple ones, will have a baptistry or baptismal font. In those churches where the baptistry/font is a permanent part of worship architecture, there is a constant reminder of the place of baptism in the Christian life.
In my tradition, faith unites us to Christ, but baptism is the “confession” of Christ before men that initiates participation in the gathered people of God. The baptistry/font is frequently a part of worship as baptisms are performed and confessions of faith given in the waters of baptism. [Continue reading]
Preaching For Grown-Ups: Mark 10:17-22
October 11, 2009 by iMonk
Today’s Lectionary text actually was longer, but I confined the sermon to understanding the young man’s approach to Jesus in a bit less revivalistic terms and in getting to the central challenge Jesus presented to him.
If you don’t know, I am the supply preacher for a small Presbyterian Church in our community. It’s my opportunity to preach to someone other than teenagers 
This is my third straight hour of preaching/teaching this morning, so yeah, I was that tired.
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Internet Monk Radio Podcast #160
October 10, 2009 by iMonk
This week: Lauren Winner on H1N1 and the Common Cup; Exegetical Excesses and Mere Christianity; How We Lost Greg
Support the IM sponsors: New Reformation Press. Reformation theology for everyone. Rockbridge Seminary. Family, ministry and online seminary all coming together. Modern Reformation Magazine. Featuring my current article on discipleship. The Ministry to Children blog is “information central” for children’s ministry on the net. The Theology Program is your best non-seminary educational option. Sign up for classes or buy the whole program.
Charlie Hall, The Second Alive
Lauren Winner on H1N1 and the Common Cup
Thoughts From the Empty Road
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The Evangelical Liturgy 15: The Creeds
October 9, 2009 by iMonk
This entire series is introduced here, and you can find all of the posts under the “Evangelical Liturgy” category in the categories menu.
A hymn I grew up singing said that “My faith has found a resting place, not in device or creed.” A frequent accusation made against Baptist conservatives during the conservative resurgence was that they were “imposing creedalism” on the Southern Baptist Convention.
A rule of thumb for denominational conflict: before making an accusation, make sure that the matter under discussion is actually a bad thing.
A second rule of thumb, particularly for any Baptist moderates or evangelical liberals left with the impression that “creedalism” remains an effective taunt: be sure that you don’t find yourself defending the disease and ridiculing health (or medicine, in this case.) [Continue reading]
What’s Going On Around Internet Monk.com (Misc Site News)
October 8, 2009 by iMonk
Some miscellaneous site news for those of you who have any interest in behind the scenes.
I believe the number of comments on the front page right now is easily a record. There are more 100/200+ comment threads on the front page today than any day I can remember. It’s not only extraordinary conversation, but I have rarely needed to engage in any moderation at all. So thanks to everyone for making this a great blog with the most diverse conversation in the blogosphere.
Coming Up? Well, I sent out a new Liturgical Gangstas question on spiritual warfare in ministry. I’ll do a podcast tomorrow. I hope to have a sermon in “Preaching for Grown-Ups” posted before the Monday. I’ve been writing more than usual, so expect a bit of a break, but you never know.
Some of you have asked my opinion of the FTC ruling regulating blogs receiving compensation for product endorsement or review. The only thing I accept for product review is a sample of the product, i.e. a book or a dvd/cd. I have never received any other compensation for reviews or endorsements. I’ve been offered an array of things, but I don’t consider that to be ethical. If I receive a book to review, I’ll tell you in the review. So the FTC is welcome to stop in. I’ve gotten a pile of free books, a handful of cds/dvds, and a couple of t-shirts. [Continue reading]
The Vilesidious Lectures: Advanced Tactics For Apostasy
October 7, 2009 by iMonk
UPDATE: Vilesidious has appeared at IM before, writing a young protege on the subject of Christian schools.
The transcript of the following lecture was secured through means that cannot be revealed, but as C.S. Lewis said, are readily available to those who learn a few basic techniques. The general conclusion is that the following lecture is part of an advanced demonic curriculum specializing in leading Christians to abandon their faith.
Transcript of Class Discussion. Advanced Tactics for Apostasy Seminar. Professor Vilesidious presiding.
If you would please turn to page 853 in the teal binder. We’re looking at the outline and readings regarding “Advanced Techniques for Apostasy.”
***noise, pages turning, conversation***
It would be important at the outset to continue emphasizing the focus of this seminar: moving professed and generally assumed Christians to the point of abandoning the faith. Those of you selected for this seminar should be completely aware that much of what you learned in the basic curriculum is of questionable value at this level. A survey of case studies, such as Ehrman 32 for example, will reveal that failure in the basics of preventing a profession of loyalty to the enemy is of often the preparation for greater success in abandoning a very public and influential Christian influence. For that reason, apostasy is far preferable for our Father’s overall goals for the human race. Those of you who are able to assimilate this material and put it into practice will find your advancement in the lowerarchy to be substantially accelerated.
My own experience in advanced apostasy is available to you in the syllabus. I would not want to leave the impression that the considerable accomplishments you will observe there were simply the result of academic study. Far from it. I have made apostasy a passion and I cannot imagine any more satisfying contribution to the Kingdom of Darkness than to accomplish the discouragement of hundreds, even millions on the basis of one person’s renouncing of faith in the enemy. [Continue reading]
Thoughts From The Empty Road (For Greg)
October 6, 2009 by iMonk
Greg is a former student and good friend. I learned today that he has left the faith.
The last time I saw Greg (Not his real name), he looked like he was walking away from it all.
I had a premonition at the time that Greg was troubled. He looked unsettled. I’d heard he was thinking of leaving college. His talk of an art history degree last year in my AP English IV class was just the kind of parrot talk that bright kids learn to repeat. They usually don’t know what they are talking about, and Greg was just humoring irrelevant adults like myself.
What really captured him was the outdoors, exploring, and a new girlfriend who kept him on the road on weekends. School wasn’t putting any light in his eyes, but the fire was gone elsewhere as well.
The last time I saw Greg, the fire of his faith was burning low. I should have known where things were going. It’s all quite familiar now.
He wanted some books on philosophy. I gave him Somerset Maugham’s novel of a man who follows his own path, The Razor’s Edge. [Continue reading]
Dr. Denis Alexander: Evolution and the Church
October 6, 2009 by iMonk
Bill Kinnon shot this talk by Dr. Denis Alexander on “Evolution and the Church.” Dr. Alexander is with the Faraday Institute on Science and Religion. This is NOT a creation/evolution talk, but on how Christians might understand evolutionary biology from their own perspective. Heavy for some IM readers, but others will like it. Thanks to Bill Kinnon for the video. Power Point slides are now included in this footage.
Dr. Dennis Alexander on Evolution & the Church from Bill Kinnon on Vimeo.
iMonk 101: To Be or Not To Be or Why I’m Not A Young Earth Creationist
October 6, 2009 by iMonk
This is most (not all) of an IM essay written during the early years of this web site (2001 I think.) My children were up to their ears in Ham/Hovind videos and I was feeling very alone in my own reading of Genesis. Things are better now, though the seeds of young earth creationism have borne their inevitable fruit. Hopefully, it will encourage some of you to continue thinking about these issues.
The Roots of My Problem
I have been reading creationist materials since high school. I bought The Genesis Flood when I was a very young Christian. I was converted in a fundamentalist church that contained very few college educated members, but they were aware of the challenge posed by the teaching of evolution. Darwin’s theories were skewered and preached against, in traditional fundamentalist fashion, by preachers who had never read Darwin or sat through a college biology course. [Continue reading]
The Evangelical Liturgy 14: The Sermon
October 5, 2009 by iMonk
About 98% of the Christian blogosphere is written by preachers about preaching, so I have to wonder how much I need to say on this point. In the past, I’ve done a brief series on “What’s Wrong With The Sermon?” Much of that would be appropriate here.
This post is particularly about the place of the sermon in the evangelical liturgy. The first thing I want to say is that the sermon must be prominent, but not dominate a service of worship. We are living in a time when preaching is experienced in extremes and balanced preaching is rare.
What is balanced preaching?
Appropriate length. Not too long (most anything past 25 minutes is in danger) or too short. (I heard a Catholic homily last week that clocked in at just under 5 minutes.) [Continue reading]
Niki Made Her Choice and, Apparently, So Did We
October 4, 2009 by iMonk
FIRST: Read “Evangelicals and Science” at Tim Stafford’s blog. Niki is fictionalized, but not much. I am hoping this post will make one point: the Gospel combined with anything- a view of science, political opinions, convictions on gender, etc.- becomes a non-Gospel. Let the Gospel be what Paul describes in I Cor 15!
Her name is Niki. (Not her real name.) She’s a Japanese student who lived with an American family for a year and attended a Christian school. She took a year of Bible. She attended worship and heard lots of preaching. The Gospel was explained to her many times. She was well liked and sociable.
A very smart girl. A great student, much advanced over the average American student. She made A’s in everything, including Bible.
She left America after graduation and went back to Japan. [Continue reading]
Internet Monk Radio Podcast #159
October 3, 2009 by iMonk
This week: Vacation stuff. Raising the level of Christian Education. The Evangelical task in spiritual formation.
Support the IM sponsors: New Reformation Press. Reformation theology for everyone. Rockbridge Seminary. Family, ministry and online seminary all coming together. Modern Reformation Magazine. Featuring my current article on discipleship. The Ministry to Children blog is “information central” for children’s ministry on the net. The Theology Program is your best non-seminary educational option. Sign up for classes or buy the whole program.
Mockingbird Ministries
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality
Vineyard Central
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Open Mic at the iMonk Cafe: That Not Exactly Married Couple….
October 2, 2009 by iMonk
Here’s today’s HYPOTHETICAL topic. A very common situation.
A couple asks to join your church. Well…..a non-married, living together 5 years, parenting 2 of her kids couple asks to join your church. They aren’t married because, basically, of not wanting to lose substantial child support. When that runs out next year, they tell you they will get married and they appear very serious about that.
They’ve visited your church for months. The kids are in the programs. They are in a small group. They are a great family. They just aren’t legally a married couple.
What do you do? [Continue reading]
The Evangelical Liturgy 13: The Offering
October 2, 2009 by iMonk
All the posts in this series can be accessed under the category “Evangelical Liturgy” on the sidebar. If you don’t know what I am up to, read the introduction.
Go up in the hollers of southeastern Kentucky, find a backwoods Holiness church where the shouting, “hollerin’,” jumping and “barking” style preaching seem to come from another world; a church where no one could read an order of service if they had one.
Right in the middle of the service, they will have the offering. It’s the same at almost any Protestant and evangelical church unless they have purposely changed the way the offering is done (which is the case in many churches that are rethinking their service along contemporary/seeker lines.)
Like several other points in the liturgy, the evangelical/Protestant worship service is still connected to its Catholic and liturgical roots, and such is the case with the offering. [Continue reading]
Riffs: 10:01:09: Special Needs Members OR How I Was Right and Wrong About Baptizing An Autistic Boy
October 1, 2009 by iMonk
PLEASE keep this discussion on topic. No Baptist bashing.
First, read Matt Schmucker’s short piece regarding his advice on “special needs” church members. (Note to commenters: be respectful of Matt, please. If you disagree, do so graciously.)
In 1983 I was finishing seminary and serving as youth minister at a church near the seminary and populated by mostly seminary students and their families. Among the non-seminarians was a single mother and her 15-year old son Bryan. Bryan was what some would call “special needs.” Severely autistic, Bryan gave no outward signs of communication. He lived in a self-contained world of a few repeated movements.
Bryan and his mother had been part of the church for years and were much loved. Bryan accompanied his mom to adult Bible study, worship and Wednesday fellowship meals. She gave him commands for everything. To any observer, it appeared that nothing much registered with Bryan and nothing came from him in any form of communication.
One day, Bryan’s mother came to see our pastor and asked that he baptize Bryan. While we could not see his faith in Christ, she could, and as his mother, she was asking that he be baptized and be included as a professing member of the congregation. [Continue reading]
