IM DONE

I'm officially done with finals for the second-year, second-semester for my seminary's 3 year M. Div track.

I wish I had more to say but the few of us who went through this finals season  (we 3 years had 5 finals) at school are quite disappointed in the tests, and it is taking awhile for me to get over it.  But so it is, we all hope we passed, and we all hope to be back next year.

anyway, CHEERS! There is much celebration that awaits all around the city tonight.  

Narnia & Devotchka

Well we saw the new Narnia movie last night and liked it.  It was a lot better than the first movie in my opinion (right on Brad!).  I thought generally the acting was a step-up from the first movie as well.  I have not read the books so I cannot evaluate it on that front.  There were times when I didn't know if they were ripping off some Lord of the Rings hits for the fighting sequences (e.g. the fighting trees, the river that overcomes the enemies).  But regardless, it was the first time we have been to the movies in awhile, and it was great.  This movie I think is best enjoyed on the big screen.

In other news, we recently bought some of the new Devotchka record off the itunes store.  It is really good!  Their music is the music of revelry, siesta, unrequited love, and tuba romp.  Rebecca and I saw them play live here in San Diego last year and we still talk about the show.  It was absolutely amazing, if they are coming to a town near you, see them.  The new record does not disappoint, it is right on target.

Finals & Movies

Well, I am studying for finals which begin this week and go through next week.

I have too many to recall, and I am bogged down trying to work through piles of 

notes.  However, I take really good study breaks.  Yesterday it was pick-up-ball with

other sem students at the community center.  Then last night Rebecca and I watched the movie

"Into the Wild".  Yea, we generally liked it.  It was a sad movie.  And kind of a perplexing tale.

We rented it because we heard a recent sermon that began with an illustration from the movie, which was based on a guy's real life.  The movie was kind of like watching Jack London and Jack Kerouac colloborate.  Great, on the road journey.  Tragic, nature beating man conclusion.  Anyway, it is long, but I would recommend it.

We want to see the new narnia, new batman, and new indiana jones at some point this summer.  Is there anything else good coming out?

McLaren, Rauschenbusch, and the kingdom of God

Well, what can I say all my papers for the semester are done and handed in, and somehow I am still alive!  I am extremely happy, Rebecca and I along with a few friends are going to party tonight in Fallbrook, CA with some friends from church to celebrate everything.

Boy, my papers took an interesting turn.  About two weeks ago I decided to drop writing on Friedrich Schliermacher and hermeneutics (because there was too little time to wade through all the scholarship), and instead I decided to write on Brian McLaren's new book Everything Must Change, his view of the kingdom of God and how it is a theological paradigm that has already been tried by a man named Walter Rauschenbusch in early 20th Century America.  That's right, despite the claims of seeking to be "a new kind of christian," McLaren, I think largely unknowingly, is doing the very same thing the old social gospel theologians of the early 1900's were doing.

Both theologians, I believe, are more at fault not for what they affirm, but for what they deny.  Indeed, both organize their theology around the kingdom of God, and affirm its centrality in Jesus' preaching, which is good and true.  However, the question becomes, how do you define the kingdom of God?  The Reformed quite simply say that the kingdom of God is the new heavens and the new earth, it is consummated existence, it is the renewed creation.  My professor Dr. Steve Baugh drove home the point in my Gospels & Acts course that we must not define the kingdom by what it is today, but we must define it by what it is properly, namely, the consummation or climax of creation.

Where I believe Rauschenbusch and McLaren err, is that in rightly reacting to an "over-eschatologized" view of the kingdom that advocates withdrawal from and indifference towards the world (However, I believe McLaren really strawman's what he calls the "traditional" view of evangelicalism, and sometimes I find him to be less than charitable or accurate), because of the belief that God's kingdom is totally future, McLaren and Rauschenbusch swing to far and postulate a hyper-immanent view of the kingdom that makes it about a political, ethical, social, and economic transformation in this life.  There is no "age to come" for the old social gospel nor the new Emergent Village, just a realizing of the kingdom within earthly society as we know it.  Remarkably, I found an interesting parallel between Rauschenbusch's appropriation of Friedrich Schliermacher's dogmatics and Albrecht Ritschl's NT scholarship to be somewhat in parallel with Brian McLaren's appropriation of John Franke's theology and N. T. Wright's NT scholarship.  What fascinated me (and saddened me) was that I could not find an OT scholar quoted in anything I read by the two!  In attempts to get Jesus in his first century context to better understand the kingdom, they seem to ignore the OT background altogether.

Anyway, I just read an article by Tim Keller today that I believe states the problem and the solution quite well in correcting the Emergent view of the kingdom.  Keller rightly notes the tension between the already aspect of the kingdom (administered through word and sacrament ministry of the church) and the not-yet of the kingdom.  He then states how for the past 50 yrs. Evangelicalism has focused on the individual experience of salvation, the simple gospel that Jesus loves you, died for you, and you are saved by grace through faith.  Fair enough, yet McLaren goes on to note the lack of the corporate aspect in this scheme which is what seems to be the Emergent concern.  Keller advocates that one way forward is to point out the grand story-arc of scripture as being creation, fall, redemption, and the one that has been de-emphasized, restoration.  In the last day, creation will be restored and all things will be reconciled to God (col 1:20).  Does this mean universal salvation?  NO, it means that every knee shall bow, some will bow in worship, others will bow with nashing of teeth.  The point is however, that God is very much going to restore all that is wrong in the world, but contra-McLaren and contra-Rauschenbusch, this is a future reality.

What is the way forward for the Emergent Village?  The more I read McLaren the more I pray that he might come to understand the doctrine of common grace.  It seems to me that in this over-immanent scheme of the kingdom, the sacred and secular is collapsed, and thus because everything is now sacred, everything must change.  Common grace however, holds the sacred and the secular (i.e. the common) as distinct realms.  I believe McLaren would find this attractive in that common grace doesn't advocate a world abandonment, but rather a world engagement based on love of neighbor.  In addition, it realizes that the kingdom has come really and truly, in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Yet the kingdom is administered solely in the church, through God's word being heralded and his sacraments being given.  As I stated in my paper, if McLaren wants a social revolutionary, then he should write books about Barabbas but not Jesus.  Christ made it clear that his kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36), it is of a different kind, a spiritual, heavenly kind that will be consummated on the last day.  Hallelujah!  What a day it will be!

Happy Weekend,

Austin

P. S.  Keller's article is titled "The Gospel in All Its Forms:  Like God, the Gospel is both one and more than that," in the newest addition of the leadership journal at www.leadershipjournal.net.  I found it very intriguing. 

Geesh

The link that is the one I want you to go to, geesh.

Pastor or Professor?

Are you struggling with your call?  Especially between pastoral ministry and academic life, here is another reason why I like Dr. Sean Lucas.

Check out his posts on this subject.

May Grey

Its interesting that the most depressing weather in Southern California comes in May.  The locals call it "May grey" because the marine layer becomes regular in May and covers everything for most of the day, and it usually sprinkles on and off, it is quite chilly.  However, it is great weather for reading and paper writing which is all I am doing, so I am thankful for that.

Last night Rebecca and I went to a fiesta that her school held for parents and teachers.  We enjoyed some great food and got to meet some great folks.  In addition, a new friend at the seminary Matthew came since he has been attending worship at the church (although he recently switched to a reformed congregation) that the school is a part of.  Matthew is from Nigeria, and has been away from his family for 9 months in order to come to Westminster Seminary California and study reformed theology.  He is in my prayer group at school and I can only smile everytime I see him because he is getting to go home this summer to visit his wife and children (they had another child since he has been here, it will be the first time he will see his new baby), before he comes back to Westminster in the fall.  

I am so humbled and honored to know Matthew, it makes me appreciate more and more everyday why I am here, and how special a place like Westminster is.  We have a few students from Africa who want to go back to Africa and plant presbyterian churches, and teach the reformed witness to the gospel, and lead some of the pentacostal schools and churches into the sound doctrines of the reformation.  Last night, we just had real sweet fellowship.  He shared how he is starting to understand the gospel with vivid clarity in light of his Pentateuch class.  It amazes me many students at WSC are having to study and learn in a secondary language, and on top of that someone like Matthew is learning from books written by Meredith Kline (who is difficult to read for well-studied English speakers!).  

Whew, it is quite fantastic.  One of the great things about WSC is the diversity among the student body.  How I savor all the fellowship I have with brothers from Korea, Germany, China, Africa, and beyond.  It's one of the things that has kept me thankful, kept me on my knees in gratitude and in prayer for the nations, and has really kept me in awe of God who saves the nations.  There is no longer Jews and Gentiles, but all who receive Christ by faith are the true Jews.  And they are coming from every tongue, every nationality, every economic class, every walk-of-life, every demographic.  God is drawing us all into that everlasting song, that great refrain, that great chorus that is already being sung in the heavenlies, that great praise of Christ in whom all things have their synthesis and coherence.  What a compassionate God, what an everlasting all gracious and merciful God, one who delights in his praise to be spoken and sung in every dialect, with every age-group.  I tell you, right now I can barely make it through some of these Westminster chapels where we sing acapella Psalm 100a out of the Psalter.  It begins with the leader getting that pitch and then we all join in, "Praise the Lord, all ye nations" and I am standing right next to the nations! I am standing right next to fellow justified sinners!  What a glimpse of the song to come.  What a hope for the downcast everywhere.  The God in whom we live and breath and have our being, is not an absent God, he has condescended to us in the Lord Jesus Christ, all those who believe are imputed his righteousness before God, and then the song begins with a broken and contrite heart.  If you don't believe, you must believe, and you must believe now, quit toiling for what does not last, quit believing the pagan ideas of Eckhart Tolle (who does not know God, I John 4:2; 5:1, 10, 12), put away these things, do not tarry, salvation is near it is not far off, repent and believe, and with a new heart, sing to the God who was, is, and only ever shall be. "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!  Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Fo the Lord is good, his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations."

Austin

I've Been Dying for a Year and 10 days

Seminal Omaha band Neva Dinova has just released their third full-length album titled "You May Already Be Dreaming" on Omaha imprint Saddle-Creek records.  Upon our first listen through, I can say that this album is amazing.  It has 14 strong songs, all lyrically driven folk-country-stoner-rock poems that weave a consistent thread throughout, a thread dealing with the profundity and simplicity of death, the sting of love lost in light of impending death, the violent shaking-fists of those who want a new world, all wrapped up in music that is best suited to be heard smoking pipes & drinking whiskey on an Omaha front-porch during those humid afternoons when nothings going on, and everyone wants to dream of the sea, but end up sleeping on the floor.

In philisophical terms, I am struck by the insights that artists without faith obtain through what Van Til calls "borrowed capitol" understood by God's general revelation in nature.  Jake Bellows, frontman for Neva, sings about truth and beauty on this record and appropriates natural revelation better than many Christians I know.  However, the Christian has supernatural revelation.  I have thought much recently about the obligation of Christian artists to adequately appropriate supernatural revelation in their own works of art, without running roughshod over the correct conclusions of natural revelation or usurping the role of the church (ministry of gospel & sacraments) in their own art.  I don't have any conclusions but I have many questions that have been richly enhanced upon listening to Bellows' croon about his sorrows and the plight of man.  This album makes me think of Kerouac's line in "On The Road" saying "Go moan for Man!"  I think this is apt summary of "You May Already Be Dreaming."

To fashion another line of thought, listening to this record gives me profound memories of playing shows with Bellows and different conversations we've had.  In many ways he was very influential on my own songwriting and my voice (his vocal melodies especially).  In short, I am happy for these guys, they have been a band for 15 years plus!  True frontrunners of the now established Omaha scene.  There self-titled debut album is hands down one of my top five rock records of all time, yes I mean that.  Songs like "Anita", "Jesus Choir", and  "Dances Fantastic", are simply brilliant on that record.  I think this new record is the best effort sense, and is quite on par with their early stuff, I am not the least bit dissappointed (as I was with their last record "the hate yourself change").  

Oh by the way, if you get a chance to Neva Dinova at a city near you (check their tour dates at www.myspace.com/nevadinova) you should go.  Jake Bellows just happens to be one of the funniest prognosticators of stage banter in the music scene.  There have been times where I have spit-up my drink while listening to them live because of what he has said from stage.  I have often thought that if Neva never made it, Bellows would be just as comfortable as a stand-up comedian.  

Rebecca and I are off to the beach, we will listen to this album and think of land-locked blues, and then forget about them with every breeze of the palm-trees swaying to the waves.

Austin

P.S. The title of this post is one of the great lines from Neva's new song "Will the Ladies send you flowers."