A Living Apologetic: Deja Vu

The Apostle Peter commanded the church in the midst of deadly persecution, “but set apart the Messiah as Lord in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. However, do this with gentleness and respect, keeping your conscience clear, so that when you are accused, those who denounce your Christian life will be put to shame” (1 Peter 3:15-16). Much of the emphasis in defending ones hope rises from knowledge and understanding of the hope we possess, which, as Paul reminds us, is the resurrection (1 Cor. 15).

However, we must be living in such a way that prompts questions to begin with. We must manifest our hope in our daily lives as we live it out. This is what James writes about when addressing faith and works, where works are the natural outgrowth of an authentic, living Christian Faith. Noted Christian Apologist and Philosopher, Ravi Zacharias has said several times, “I have little doubt that the single greatest obstacle to the impact of the gospel has not been its inability to provide answers, but the failure on our part to live it out.” In a culture where words are cheap, particularly during election season, we must remain diligent in a Faith that produces a living apologetic, that shines forth hope, and that invites inquisitive seekers.

The Other End (Of The Telescope)

Shall we agree that just this once
I’m gonna change my life
Until it’s just as tiny or important as you like?And in time we won’t even recall that we spoke
Words that turned out to be as big as smoke
As smoke that disappears in the air
There’s always something that’s smoldering somewhere

I know it don’t make a difference to you
But oh! It sure made a difference to me
You’ll see me off in the distance, I hope
At the other end
At the other end of the telescope.

The promise of indulgence in my confidential voice
Approached immortal danger but you’ll never know how close
Then down the hall I overheard such a heavenly choir
They interrupted my evil designs
One day you are up in the clouds
The next thing you’re down with the Sweet Adelines

I know it don’t make a difference to you
But oh! It sure made a difference to me
You’ll see me off in the distance, I hope
At the other end
At the other end of the telescope.

Lie down baby now don’t say a word
There there baby your vision is blurred
Your head is so sore from all of that thinking
I don’t want to hurt you now
But I think you’re shrinking

You’re half-naked ambition and you’re half out of your wits
Or several tiny fractions that this portrait still omits
And it’s so hard to pick the receiver up when I call
I never noticed you could be so small
The answer was under your nose but the question never arose

I know it don’t make a difference to you
But oh! It sure made a difference to me
‘Cause late in the evening as I sit here moping
With a bamboo needle on a shellac of Chopin
And the cast-iron heart that you failed to tear open
At the other end
At the other end of the telescope

Elvis Costello, All This Useless Beauty (1996)

It just does not get much better than Elvis Costello.

Book List - 2008

I plan on keeping an on-going list of the books that I have read and am currently reading for 2008. If you have read any of these books or want to contribute your own list, please feel free to jump on in. I will probably end up making this post its own page, but for now, a blog post it is.

Currently Reading:

Weston, Anthony A Rulebook for Arguments. 3rd Ed. Indianapolis, Indiana: Hackett Publishing Company, 2000.
Donelson, Lewis R. From Hebrews to Revelation: A Theological Introduction. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001.
McRay, John Paul: His Life and Teaching. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academics, 2007.

Already Completed:

Witherington, III Ben Troubled Waters: Rethinking the Theology of Baptism. Waco, Texas: Baylor University Press, 2007.
Riley, Tom Dying to Live Again: The Grace of Baptism. Webb City, Missouri: Covenant Publishing, 2000.

Face-lift Undone

Sadly my experiment to upgrade the blog failed miserably. Some people were experiencing all kinds of issues with the new design and the ability to view the content was not happening. Therefore, until I can find a suitable solution or a new theme that I like, I will return to the old one.

Enjoy and I apologize for the confusion.

Christian Creeds

We have been talking the last few weeks in our small group about Creeds and perhaps developing our own. One of the most basic questions is “What is a creed?”

Creed comes from the Latin credo (I believe) and essentially means:

1. a brief authoritative formula or religious belief
2. a set of fundamental beliefs
3. a guiding principle

The Bible has several creeds in the scriptures, with the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) as the most ancient within the Judeo-Christian belief system. Perhaps the most famous and well-known creed is the Apostle’s Creed which states:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell.

The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.

Amen.

Last Fall, for one of my Historical Theology class, we had an assignment to begin sketching out our own personal creed. It was actually quite hard work and fairly difficult. So, if you were to sum up your beliefs in a creedesque fashion (e.g., beginning each statement with “I believe”) what would that look like?

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