Jesus never went to Austria
Just getting myself sorted ready for an exciting week to be spent in the mountains of Austria, mostly aboard some skis, with a Bible and a hot chocolate always at hand, with plenty of reading and writing to be done – but most importantly to speak to a group of about 60 people about Jesus every evening. Some of the people will already be following Jesus, others may have questions about his relevance to their lives, still others might just want to ignore him all week.
My plan is to consider some statements/accusations commonly levelled against Jesus from a skeptical point of view and to look into the Bible with folk to see what it says about these commonly-heard soundbites about the one called the Christ.
Here’s the lineup for the week:
Sunday – “Jesus was just another prophet” – Mark 8
Monday – “Jesus just told stories” – Matthew 13
Tuesday – “Jesus can’t change me” – Luke 19
Wednesday – “Jesus’ death was a failure” – Mark 15
Thursday – “Jesus didn’t rise from the dead” – Mark 15-16
Friday – “Jesus was just a good example” – Philippians 2
Looking forward to a great week. If you’re the praying type then please remember me and ask God to open hearts to receive his good news.
Look out for updates – particularly on twitter (see the sidebar) @AndyMcKenna
Right…time to pack!
Do not despise your Christian upbringing
I found this reminder incredibly helpful this morning as I read it. Psalm 71 contains these words,
For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD,
my confidence since my youth.(v5)From birth I have relied on you;
you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.
I will ever praise you. (v6)Since my youth, O God, you have taught me,
and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. (v17)(Scripture taken from the New International Version)
There is a common feeling that many Christians can identify with – wondering if it wouldn’t have been cooler, more exciting or even more obviously glorifying to God if we’d been a bit more rebellious before coming to Christ. Reflecting on that question, and these verses, Don Carson comments,
The most thoughtful of those who are converted later in life wish they had not wasted so many of their early years. Now that they have found the pearl of great price, their only regret is that they did not find it sooner.
More importantly, those who are reared in godly Christian homes are steeped in Scripture from their youth. There is plenty in scripture and in personal experience to disclose to them the perversity of their own hearts; they do not need to be sociopaths to discover what depravity means.
They will be sufficiently ashamed of the sins they have committed, despite their backgrounds, that instead of wishing that they could have had a worse background (!), they sometimes hang their head in shame that they have done so little with their advantages, and frankly recognize that apart from the grace of God, there is no crime and sin to which they could not sink.
It is best, by far, to be grateful for a godly heritage and to petition God himself for grace that will see you through old age.
D.A. Carson, For the Love of God (Leicester: IVP, 1998), entry for May 18 [I'm working at my own pace!]
Nepal Video Round-up
Finally I have got round to posting the last few episodes of the brilliant Nepal trip from back in October. These brought back some great memories of our time out there. Enjoy episodes 9 and 10.
Invictus
Looking forward to the release of Invictus. Here’s Matt Dawson chatting to Francois Pienaar and Matt Damon about the film and what it’s like to play and be played by each other.
Who is this guy?
Guy Dupuy of the MK Lions showing some serious dunking skills here at the recent BBL Cup main event. He is renowned as the best amateur dunker in the world and would easily give the NBA big guns a run for their money in the upcoming All-Star break.
A Slovakian in Dundee
It appears I’m in a bit of a funny videos mood at the moment. This is great stuff from BBC Scotland’s Jim Spence as he interviews Slovakian goalkeeper Dusan Pernis, new signing for Dundee United. I would have given up long before Jim does!
Nepal 2009 Episode 8
Time for some more Nepal action. Getting towards the end now – not necessarily of the trip, but nearer to the point where the battery on my camera runs out! This is the one where we trek up Poonhill at 4:30am to enjoy the most spectacular sunrise I have ever seen. Check it out.
This is hilarious!
Hymns ancient not modern
Enjoying reading Worship by the Book at the moment. Like I was saying the other day, Carson’s introduction on the nature of ‘all-of-life’ and ‘corporate’ worship is worth the price of the book. Mark Ashton, one of the contributors, draws attention to a specially adapted version of an old hymn penned by Peter Baker (not that Peter Baker) highlighting the treasuring of older hymns and musical styles above the new and the modern.
I found this both amusing and depressing in equal measure, leaving me thinking that there is a great onus on the modern hymn/songwriter to not be guilty of these mere caricatures without due reason to be:
Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
Forgive our foolish ways;
For most of us, when asked our mind,
Admit we still most pleasure find
In hymns of ancient days,
In hymns of ancient days.
The simple lyrics, for a start,
Of many a modern song,
Are far too trite to touch the heart;
Enshrine no poetry, nor art;
And go on much too long,
And go on much too long.
O, for a rest from jollity,
And syncopated praise!
What happened to tranquility?
The silence of eternity
Is hard to hear these days,
Is hard to hear these days.
Send thy deep hush subduing all
Those happy claps that drown
The tender whisper of thy call;
Triumphalism is not all,
For sometimes we feel down,
For sometimes we feel down.
Drop thy still dews of quietness
Till all our strummings cease;
Take from our souls the strain and stress
Of always having to be blessed:
Give us a bit of peace,
Give us a bit of peace.
Breathe through the beats of praise guitar
Thy coolness and thy balm;
Let dumb be dumb, bring back the lyre,
Enough of earthquake, wind and fire,
Let’s hear it for some calm,
Let’s hear it for some calm.
Peter Baker, quoted in Carson, D.A. ed., Worship by the Book. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002, 92.
I needed to hear this
Click below for the original video from the Village Church blog:
