A Poem on the Incarnation

The following poem is an unpublished poem by D. A. Carson on the Incarnation of Christ. This post was originally found on Between Two Worlds.

The Prologue

Before there was a universe,

Before a star or planet,
When time had still not yet begun --

I scarcely understand it --
Th' eternal Word was with his God,

God's very Self-Expression;
Th' eternal Word was God himself --

And God had planned redemption.


The Word became our flesh and blood --

The stuff of his creation --
The Word was God, the Word was flesh,

Astounding incarnation!
But when he came to visit us,

We did not recognize him.
Although we owed him everything

We haughtily despised him.


In days gone by God showed himself

In grace and truth to Moses;
But in the Word of God made flesh

Their climax he discloses.
For grace and truth in fullness came

And showed the Father's glory
When Jesus donned our flesh and died:

This is the gospel story.


All who delighted in his name,

All those who did receive him,
All who by grace were born of God,

All who in truth believed him --
To them he gave a stunning right:

Becoming God's dear children!
Here will I stay in grateful trust;

Here will I fix my vision.


Before there was a universe,

Before a star or planet,
When time had still not yet begun --

I scarcely understand it --
Th' eternal Word was with his God,

God's very Self-Expression;
Th' eternal Word was God himself --

And God had planned redemption.

J. E. Stewart

Couple ordered to stop having Bible study in home

I couldn't believe what I was reading today. A California couple has a Bible study that meets in their home. They share a meal and hang out while discussing a passage. It happens all over the country every week. Apparently San Diego has had enough of this and has ordered this particular couple to cease and desist until they get a "permit." Check out the full story here. Please pass this story along. How much longer until it is illegal in this country to practice what the constitution guarantees to every American: Congress will make no law establishing a religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

mtf

What is one of the greatest downfall of ministers?

When I was young and held my first ministry position I was the most arrogant kid on the block. Somethings have changed but I still have to wage a daily battle against this most innate of human instincts. As I look back on the classes I had in my MDiv program I believe now that certain classes that I thought were impractical were actually saviors of my character. Before I go to far I must admit that I have not mastered the subject matter of these classes; however, I am aware of my weaknesses. The classes which hindsight has shown to be of great importance are: Interpersonal Relationships and Servant Leadership.

Why? Because I have learned that the biggest downfall of ministers is arrogance. Ministers who want to lead people and be followed must be willing to be servants or at the very least be willing to do what is not necessarily required of them. Arrogance is more than just an attitude of, thinking you are the best at X. Arrogance is also thinking (believing) that certain things are beneath your position. Which in essence is believing you are greater than you are.

I began to learn this lesson while teaching through 1 Peter. 1 Peter 5.5b states, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (cf. Prov 3.34). From this verse I began to realize that nothing could be worse than to have an infinitely powerful and holy God oppose me; and nothing could be better than to have this same wise God treat me graciously, and he only does this to the humble. I desire the grace of God because I know how sinful I am.

I never realized how distasteful arrogance was to people until I began to be in the presence of those who thought more highly of their self than any human should. One thing that is hard for me to understand is how can one claim self exaltation when they likewise claim to stand in the shadow of the cross where the Son of God exemplified the greatest act of humility. I will never understand this.

"True humility senses that humility is a gift beyond our reach. If humility is the product of reaching, then we will instinctively feel proud about our successful reach. Humility is the gift that receives all things as a gift. It is the fruit not of our achievement but of the Holy Spirit. It is the fruit of the gospel, knowing and feeling that we are desperate sinners and that Christ is a great and undeserved Savior" John Piper. Brothers We are Not Professionals. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2002), 166.

I say all of this to make the point that the two classes mentioned above were part of the purpose of God in my life. And before those who know me, are too quick to ridicule what I have written remember this: Humility is the one attribute that once claimed is thus forfeited. I have already said that I know I have not overcome this in my life. But, the one thing I have learned is, nothing is beneath me. At the end of the day I am a servant, a servant of Christ and his church.

J. E. Stewart

No Gay Gene?

So the American Psychological Association has finally admitted that there is no gay gene. Here's the excerpt from the APA's questionaire called "Answers to Your Questions for a Better Understanding of Sexual Orientation and Homosexuality":

"There is no consensus among scientists about the exact reasons that an individual develops a heterosexual, bisexual, gay, or lesbian orientation. Although much research has examined the possible genetic, hormonal, developmental, social, and cultural influences on sexual orientation, no findings have emerged that permit scientists to conclude that sexual orientation is determined by any particular factor or factors. Many think that nature and nurture both play complex roles; most people experience little or no sense of choice about their sexual orientation."

Here's a news story about it:

click here

Now for something interesting. Do a Google search and see if there are any major news networks covering this story.

What I learned in Baptist Heritage this semester

The most interesting person that I studied this semester was Walter Rauschenbusch. Before reading about the pioneer of the Social Gospel movement, I was content in my fundamentalist dogma—including my disregard for all things liberal. I quickly realized how much people are a product of their surroundings. Had I grown up in the time and the place of Rauschenbusch, would not I have had similar beliefs? I see now that in order to understand why people believed the way that they did, I have to study what was going on in their lives, especially the academic, political and social climate of their day.

Rauschenbusch lived during a time of great theological and social unrest. The liberal theology heavily influenced by higher criticism of his day and the deplorable conditions of the immigrants of New York were major influences on him. While I do not agree with some of his basic presuppositions, such as a postmillennial eschatology, I found truth to some of his arguments that Baptists today ignore at their own peril.

One such truth is the need for the gospel to affect the social concerns of our day. We look back and cringe at the thought that one of the reasons the Southern Baptist Convention was formed was so that Southerners could be missionaries and still own slaves. How could our ancestors of the faith have been so blind? Rauschenbusch asked similar questions about the horrible conditions of the workplace and how children were allowed to work in dangerous factories. What social concerns are Baptists of today neglecting that our descendants will learn about and cringe? At the Apologetics conference in January, David Platt said that he believes that they will see how much stuff we have, all stored in great big houses, while the rest of the world starves. They will look back and say of us, “How could they have been so blind?”

So this is what I have learned from a liberal. First, before criticizing the opposition, see if there is any truth to their claims and learn from them. Second, look for the “plank” in your own eye so that you can see the speck if your brother’s. We can easily become blind to our own sins of omission. Therefore, we need to always be aware of “the least of these,” the widows and the orphans of our days, and practice religion that can be referred to as “pure and faultless.”