Category Archives: Ecclesiology

Is Sarah Palin sinning b/c she’s running for VP?

I would love to hear your thoughts on this issue. Please leave your comments below.

But for starters, watch this ABC video broadcast where reporters came to Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kentucky and interviewed students about their views on Palin as VP and women in the pastorate.

I personally do not believe that there is a problem with Sarah Palin running for VP. There’s a fundamental difference between the role of government and the role of the church. The government, as it exists today, is a function of the old creation order of sin and judgment on sin (Romans 13). The church is the government of the new creation order, which consists of life, redemption, and renewal (Romans 8). As we participate in these two spheres which exist in the overlap of the ages (the already and not yet), we must remember that they are distinct from one another and never to be confused. In the new creation, or regeneration, God is calling His people, the church, to once again fulfill the created order and the rolls for man and woman in the worship and glory of God. Given this reality, the church has a higher calling to be a witness in the world to the way Christ and his bride, the church, function together in union and communion. Simply put, the government is not the church and the church is not the government.

What are you thoughts? Leave them below in the comments section.

A Sevenfold Prayer

Pray this prayer today. It is a modified form of the sevenfold prayer of the baptismal life found in the Book of Common Prayer.

Deliver me, Lord, from the way of sin and death.
Open my heart to your grace and truth.
Fill me with your holy and life-giving Spirit.
Keep me in the faith and communion of your holy Church.
Teach me to love others in the power of the Spirit.
Send me into the world in witness to your love.
Bring me to the fullness of your peace and glory.

Here is the original with the structured liturgy of the BCP:

Leader Deliver them, O Lord, from the way of sin and death.
People Lord, hear our prayer.

Leader Open their hearts to your grace and truth.
People Lord, hear our prayer.

Leader Fill them with your holy and life-giving Spirit.
People Lord, hear our prayer.

Leader Keep them in the faith and communion of your holy Church.
People Lord, hear our prayer.

Leader Teach them to love others in the power of the Spirit.
People Lord, hear our prayer.

Leader Send them into the world in witness to your love.
People Lord, hear our prayer.

Leader Bring them to the fullness of your peace and glory.
People Lord, hear our prayer.

The Celebrant says

Grant, O Lord, that all who are baptized into the death of Jesus Christ your Son may live in the power of his resurrection and look for him to come again in glory; who lives and reigns now and forever. Amen.

The Global South Anglican: its origins and development

Here is a very helpful article for those of you interested in the conservative and orthodox churches of the Global South that exist withing the World Wide Anglican Communion. Peter Toon has a good summary that is well worth your reading. Please pray for the Anglican denomination, as it is going through a crisis that seems to be leading towards its ultimate demise and death for those we desire to maintain the unity of the Church in the bond of sexual immorality and abominable practices.

Here is a portion from Toon’s blog entry:

Though the expression, “Global South,” has been in use for a decade or more in the spheres of international relations, global economics, third-world development, and the like, its use in Anglican ecclesiological discourse is very recent. To refer to “The Global South” as one of the various constituencies of the Global Anglican Communion of Churches is now common; but; it has only been so for four or five years. (see the essay by Dr Poon listed at end of this article.)

Further, the economic and political use of the expression refers solely to the poorer countries of the world, the so-called developing nations, situated south of Europe and the U.S.A. (see for details of all this the work of “The Center for Global South” at American University in Washington D.C. founded in 1992); but, the Anglican use strangely includes both the provinces that are in developing countries and one or two that are in developed countries (e.g., S E Asia).

Today, 2008, the constituency called the Anglican Global South is generally associated with both a conservative theology and also opposition to the liberal-progressive agenda in sexuality of provinces in the West, especially North America. This has not always been so, for the original stance of this grouping was a continuation of the former South-South Encounters of representatives of Anglican Provinces not in the West or the North. As such it had admirable aims and sought primarily to do justice to the vocation and experience of being Anglican outside of the West and North and after colonialism. This explains why the relatively affluent province of S E Asia is in The Global South.

Totally separate from the work at, and between, the South to South Encounters, and beginning before the Lambeth Conference of 1998, continuing during that Lambeth Conference, and then more intensely afterwards, has been the persistent work of various American “ambassadors.” They have both made visits to Africa and Asia, and also invited to the U.S.A. bishops from these continents. The aim was to enlist these overseas bishops as orthodox allies in the battle being fought in and around The Episcopal Church over the innovations in sexual practice and ethics.

That Martin Luther? He wasn’t so bad, says Pope

From the Times Online:

Pope Benedict XVI is to rehabilitate Martin Luther, arguing that he did not intend to split Christianity but only to purge the Church of corrupt practices.Pope Benedict will issue his findings on Luther (1483-1546) in September after discussing him at his annual seminar of 40 fellow theologians — known as the Ratzinger Schülerkreis — at Castelgandolfo, the papal summer residence. According to Vatican insiders the Pope will argue that Luther, who was excommunicated and condemned for heresy, was not a heretic.

Cardinal Walter Kasper, the head of the pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, said the move would help to promote ecumenical dialogue between Catholics and Protestants. It is also designed to counteract the impact of July’s papal statement describing the Protestant and Orthodox faiths as defective and “not proper Churches”.

The move to re-evaluate Luther is part of a drive to soften Pope Benedict’s image as an arch conservative hardliner as he approaches the third anniversary of his election next month. This week it emerged that the Vatican is planning to erect a statue of Galileo, who also faced a heresy trial, to mark the 400th anniversary next year of his discovery of the telescope. (more…)

An Anglican Life

For those of you interested in learning more about the Anglican branch of the Church, I would like to suggest this book by Louis R. Tarsitano:

AN OUTLINE OF AN ANGLICAN LIFE

Here is an interesting tree of church history from the book that chronicles the life of the Church all the way back to Adam and up to the Present. Enjoy!

History of the Church

Here is the relevant portion from the book that discusses the image above:

The general history of the Church of Christ is shown as three main branches diverging after the undivided Church of the first thousand years. The sub-branches represent the movements and churches that have claimed a separate identity since the time of the 16th century Reformation. The dates given for the sub-branches stemming from the Anglican branch indicate the time of their institutional separation from Anglican churches. The theological differences involved are serious and complex, and require respectful study. Also remember that this is a chart of historical relationships, rather than ecclesiastical validity.

This initially sounds so wrong to me! But read the description.

What’s your theological worldview?
created with QuizFarm.com
You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan

You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God’s grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists.

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan

86%

Roman Catholic

68%

Neo orthodox

68%

Reformed Evangelical

68%

Emergent/Postmodern

57%

Classical Liberal

54%

Fundamentalist

43%

Charismatic/Pentecostal

29%

Modern Liberal

11%

Ben Witherington III – Book Trilogy

Ben Witherington has finally completed his book trilogy on the sacraments of the Protestant church. I have yet to read them, but I certainly hope to one day. Until then, from what I have heard, these books are highly recommended and very helpful for anyone looking to develop their sacramental theology and to be challenged to think outside your own understanding of the Sacraments of Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and the Word.

Here is the trilogy: Continue reading Ben Witherington III – Book Trilogy

What is a Healthy Church?

What is a healthy church

I am glad to say that my church is currently holding a Tuesday morning Bible study by working our way through Mark Dever’s book, “What is a Healthy Church?“, which Crossway has recently transformed, from a lowly booklet, into a beautiful hardback “mini” book for large scale publication. In other words, the old booklet that Dever’s 9 Marks Ministry put out has been formatted and enhanced in order to present to the Christian community at large through a major book distributor.

For those of you interested, here is the table of contents along with the intro and 1st chapter of the book.

Mark Dever is senior pastor of Capital Hills Baptist Church in Washington D.C.

He is also executive director of 9 Marks Ministry (9 Marks of a Healthy Church) which I mentioned and linked to above.

Un-Inventing the Church

No guarantees, but as time permits I hope to read back through Un-Inventing the Church by Andrew P. Sandlin as I go through Mark Dever’s book and finally finish the last few chapter’s in Sandlin’s book that I never got around to the last time.

I highly recommend Andrew Sandlin’s book for anyone who leans toward seeing a more “low church” view taught in Scripture, that focuses on the Church as the people of God gathered together and worshiping Jesus for both their individual and corporate salvation, and not all about buildings, traditions, confessions, and liturgy. The preface to the book is available to read here.

If any of you ever a get chance to read these two books, it won’t take you too long and I promise that it will challenge and edify you as you pursue a more Biblical understanding of what God says about what His Church is and what it should always be.

In Christ and In Defense of the Faith,