Observing the Interweb: Civil Disobedience, Charles Hodge, Manly Last Words, and more…

Things are getting real out there – This is an interesting article about a recent display of civil disobedience by several ministers over the issue of contraception and abortion. It raises questions about the role of civil disobedience for the Christian and the increasingly anti-Christian society in which we live.

Life Lessons from Charles Hodge – These words from 19th Century Princeton Seminarian Charles Hodge are as applicable today as when he first said them. Worth reading and re-reading.

Evangelism in Scripture – Here are seven different texts highlighting the importance of evangelism and the promises God makes when His people tell His story.

Manly Last Words – This is one of the coolest things I have ever read. Period.

Forgotten Worship Song Topics – For the worship leader. This post is a great help for those looking to expand on the types of songs that their churches are doing.

The Roomba just got an upgrade:

Observing the Interweb: Marriage Advice, Blue Like Jazz: The Movie, Encyclopedia Brittanica, and more…

Oldest Living Couple’s Advice on Marriage This is worth reading. The oldest living couple shares their secrets on a happy marriage, and no surprise, Jesus is involved.

Blue Like The Movie – Donald Miller’s massive best-selling book, Blue Like Jazz, now comes with %100 less reading, thanks to a movie that is sure to be as polarizing as the book (which I have never read, and therefor will not pass judgement upon.) Sojourn’s Mike Cosper reviews the movie over at the Gospel Coalition blog.

Piper, Keller, Race – John Piper and Tim Keller will sit down and discuss race and the Christian life in New York on March 28th and we are all invited to watch the live stream. If you’re available at 7pm that evening, it will surely be worth watching.

Singing Dad’s = singing kids – Every Christian Father needs to read, download, print, copy and memorize this post. Or at least read it and apply it. Dad’s need to learn to sing to Jesus. Period.

Encyclopedia Brittanica – Here’s an article chronicling the sad demise of the greatest encylopedia set in the history of existence (overstatement) – the Encyclopedia Brittanica. And in honor of their historic run, here’s a commercial I saw when I was 9. I thought it was cool, and it made me want a set of my own:

Observing the Interweb: Teaching Kids the Bible, Johnny Cash, Church Discipline, and more…

Teaching the Bible to Kids – The Bible is a book about God, and how He reconciles all things to Himself through Jesus, but if you’re like me, you grew up thinking that the Bible was about us, God’s creation. This post addresses this issue and gives some helpful instruction on how the Bible should be taught to children.

Johnny Cash – Russell more offers a very honoring post about this country music legend. There are few musicians in the mainstream who had such a keen understanding of the human condition as did the man in black. I recommend this buying a Johnny Cash album in honor of the late great artists birthday.

Mistakes Worship Leaders Make – I have made more than my fair share of mistakes leading worship. I wish I would have read this post 10 years ago.

The Beautiful Conclusion of Biblical Church Discipline – This is a must read story of Church discipline, repentance, and restoration. Biblical church discipline has all but disappeared from our congregations, but after a story like this, one has to wonder why.

Making Assumptions – As the saying goes, “when you assume, you make an ass of u and me.”Kevin Deyoung offers up some helpful instruction on this issue.

A few years ago, Mars Hill Church in Seattle did a series called “The Rebel’s Guide to Joy” in which they highlighted various difficulties in life and showed how Jesus strengthens us in them. They concluded each message with a short video story showcasing various Christians who had displayed amazing faith and joy in God amidst devastating circumstances. Here is their video story of Horatio Spafford, the author of the hymn “It Is Well”:

Man-complishment of the Month(s): A Sacrificial Football Coach

I’m sure you’ve heard about the recent shooting at an Ohio high school that left three students dead and two wounded. As long as our world is stained with sin, we will continue to encounter this sort of evil, and in these moments, our faith is tested. We come face to face with the reality of our condition and the need for a Savior.

And in moments like these, there are people who stand as an example of self-sacrifice and unwavering faith. In this instance, one person shines through. His name is Frank Hall, and he is the football coach at the Chardon, Ohio high school where the shootings took place.

He’s a manly dude.

You can read the longer version of the story here. But the short story is this:

As shots erupted in the hallway of the school, Frank Hall, amidst dozens of panicked students and teachers, spotted the shooter and yelled “hey!” startling him so much that he fled the scene, with Frank hot on his heels.

His actions undoubtedly saved lives and prevented injuries, and his response to the newfound attention has been, “I’m sure anyone else would have done the same thing.”

His disregard for his own wellbeing, and the humility he has shown since, are a wonderful example of Philippians 2, a passage every man should memorize:

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Would that we all had this mindset in the face of all kinds of evil, to disregard ourselves that others might have life.

Observing the Interweb: Strange Planets, Praise Bands, Presidential Faith and more…

Strange Planets – As technology is advancing, our universe is shrinking, and the amount that we know about outer space is continually growing. This is a look at some of the most unique planets out of the hundreds of now confirmed planets that we have discovered. The heavens are telling the glory of God, and as we encounter more of the heavens, our wonder at the majesty of God continues to expand.

Tempted by Facebook? – Here’s a helpful post about the dangerous and pervasive sins that can be perpetuated by unchecked social media use:

With our use of social media, we risk slighting the gospel by losing our identity. Whether we forget who we are or lie about who we are, we are misplacing our identity in Christ.

Presidential Faith – This is an interesting one, a brief discussion of the the life of faith in our two most beloved and revered presidents, Washington and Lincoln. The findings of this particular writer are very intriguing, and help shed some light on the relationships that these men had with their Creator.

An Open Letter to Praise Bands – If you lead worship on Sundays or Tuesdays or whenever, you should read this post. If you gather to be led in worship by a pop/rock style band of some sort, you should read this post. It’s a bit harsh, but it’s a good reminder that gathering to sing is serious business and there are ways in which bands who lead can hinder the worship of the body.

Roughhousing With the Kids – There are few things sweeter than being attacked by your two toddlers while you’r playing with them on the floor. This post from the good people at Art of Manliness lay out why roughhousing is not only sweet, but essential in the life and growth of healthy children.

And for those of you into, interested in, or intrigued by Christian Hip-Hop, here is a candid discussion between some of the most talented artists in that genre. It’s a bit long, but very enjoyable and encouraging.

The Chopping Block:

Observing the Interweb: Cormac McCarthy, Victoria’s Secret, Hymns, and more…

Cormac McCarthy – If you’re not familiar with Cormac McCarthy, you should be. He’s a contemporary American author with a particularly keen understanding of the nature of man and the problem of evil. His novel’s include No Country for Old Men, The Road, and many more. This article is a fascinating look into the importance of his work and why Christians should read him.

Role “Model” – You may have heard this story already, but it was the only one I could find without an inappropriate picture. Kylie Bisutti is a former Victoria’s Secret model who has quit the modeling industry out of respect for her body, her husband, and her Savior. She is someone worthy of respect.

Discipling a New Believer – Bay Area Pastor Justin Buzzard offers some great insights into the needs of new believers, and how seasoned CHristians can care for them. Let’s continue to pray that those who come to faith in Christ are surrounded by saints who will lead them into deeper communion with the Lord.

Here’s a great video discussion about the place of Hymns in the church. Enjoy:

Old Hymns for Our Day from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.

One more video. We showed this one last night at Axis, our church youth group, it’s a great picture of the overall storyline of the Bible, and God’s plan for the salvation of His people:

The Descendants: A Review

I’m pretty sure I just watched this year’s Oscar winner for best picture.

The Descendants is a familiar film. It does not tread over too-worn territory or repackage plots of past successes, but it is eminently recognizable. Like watching real life. Not your life, but someone’s.

The Descendants is about a man named Matt King. Matt, played by George Clooney at his most vulnerable, is a man weighed down by the trials of life. He is trying to put his family together after a tragic boating accident left his wife in a coma from which she will never wake. He is the sole proprietor of a massive piece of virgin Hawaiian land, the fate of which is of great interest to both his extended family and the whole state of Hawaii. His daughters are disrespectful and rebellious. And on top of all this he discovers that his wife was committing adultery before the accident, and planned to leave him.

With a plot like this, it may be difficult to see how The Descendants could seem so familiar.

But plot has little to do with it.

At its heart, The Descendants is about the most basic elements of human interaction: love, loss, death, betrayal, forgiveness, and reconciliation. It’s a movie about the human condition. And it is one of the most honest depictions I have seen.

The brilliance of The Descendants begins with writer/director Alexander Payne. His understanding of humanity, and of men in particular, is on full display in this film. He never forces an emotion or baits the audience with the sappy cliches that fill so many family dramas. He paints a vivid picture and invites the audience to enter in.

So for 115 minutes, we live these difficult days along with Matt King, experiencing the pain of discovering that someone you’re about to lose has been lost to you for years, agonizing over a business decision about which millions of people have an opinion, and wandering through fatherhood with little understanding of how to lead and love daughters whom you barely know.

It’s a heavy film, but unlike most dramas, The Descendants does not take itself too seriously. As I said, it never forces a moment to be more than it is. One of the most endearing elements of the film is how much humor is present. In every dark and difficult moment, there is relief. There is no wallowing in self pity or excessive sentimentality. Life is full of laughter in the midst of pain, and the Descendants keeps this tension well throughout the film, leaving us feeling good about the future of this wounded family.

The most satisfying and uplifting element of the film is the theme of forgiveness, which is not a very popular theme today. We flock to movies about revenge and retribution. Rarely do we see a movie that so unashamedly and freely offers forgiveness to undeserving characters.

Forgiveness cuts the legs out of hatred. It allows for healing from the most scarring wounds. It immediately dissolves barriers of shame and guilt, and makes friends of bitter enemies.

This what God the Father has done for the world through Jesus isn’t it? The world hates God. We have rebelled against His rule as our good and perfect King. We have committed adultery against Him by selling ourselves to lesser gods. And we mocked Him by killing His Son. But that very Son whom we killed became God’s means of forgiving us. For in the death of Jesus, our sins, our hatred, our adultery, our rebellion was paid for. Forgiven. Washed away. So that God can once again look on the people He created for Himself with love and care.

This is the heart of The Descendants forgiveness that comes through sacrifice. The main thread of the plot, which I won’t give away, follows this path, and its climax is beautiful, heartbreaking, and so sweet.

Because of the language and subject matter, this is not a movie for the whole family. However, this is a movie that I think every adult should see. It’s an important film. Not because it tells the story of some great historical revolution or triumph of the human will, but because it is a rare thing for a hollywood film to embrace central gospel themes in such a captivating and honest fashion.