Broken clocks and such

A nice quote by an atheist: Broken clocks and such « Expository Thoughts:

“We unbelievers are entitled to regard the Bible as magnificent literature. More is demanded from the faithful. Yet these days, even some soi-disant Christians would claim that the miraculous elements of the New Testament are only metaphors. To me, that is agnostic slop. Faith is more than literature. Faith is an epiphany of abasement, ardour and rigour, in the hope of grace, redemption and joy. But there is an entrance fee. If you do not believe in the literal truth of the Incarnation and the Resurrection, you are not a Christian.”
~Atheist, Bruce Anderson

Two-Year Bible Reading Plan

I agree with the problems pointed out here, and this modified might be alright (pdf link down the bottom of the article) Two-Year Bible Reading Plan – The Gospel Coalition Blog:

This program involved reading a section of the Old Testament, a section of the New Testament, and either a Psalm or some verses from Proverbs.

The Reformed Card and Gift Shop

Doug Wilson has a bit of a rant: The Reformed Card and Gift Shop:

What issues am I talking about? Here is a sampling, a representative list of issues that the respectable part of the conservative evangelical world is currently handling very badly -- headship and submission in marriage, women's ordination to the ministry, women's ordination to the diaconate, women enrolled in seminaries, women in combat roles in the military, evangelicals ceding control of what constitutes legitimate discourse about sodomy over to the perpetually offended, the legitimzation of sodomy as a federally protected vice, the delegitimization of opposition to said vice-nurturing, women doing everything an unordained man can do, pervasive hostility to genuine masculinity within the church, puff-translations of the Bible that cater to the heresy of feminism, complementarians becoming complimentarians, and the spectacle of effeminate homosexuals fighting for what they believe in a far more manly way than Christians do. How's that for starters?

Now I know that my reception at the great banquet of evangelicalism resembles, as the fellow once said, that of badly dressed leper. Quite all right. I won't stay long. I just had this message to deliver, and I'll be on my way.

2010 Christmas Message on Vimeo

A 2 minute Christmas message (better than the Canadian one I linked to yesterday): 2010 Christmas Message on Vimeo:

Anglican Archbishop of Sydney Dr Peter Jensen gives his Christmas message 10 years into the 21st Century.

Federal Court, the IRS and Internet Churches

The IRS have declared that a church has to have a meeting with people to be a church. Internet/radio churches do not count. Looks like they know a thing or two: Federal Court, the IRS and Internet Churches | 9Marks:

The court's ruling in the case gives guidance - and warning - to churches that use newer technologies to broadcast sermons and other religious messages to reach a wider, and perhaps younger, audience. To maintain 'church' status with the IRS, churches that take advantage of technological advances should ensure they are holding regular communal worship services for congregations that are physically present, and that such communal worship is not merely incidental to virtual activities

10 Things Christians and Atheists Can (And Must) Agree On

A pretty interesting article to see on Cracked (it is also 3 years old). A little pragmatic (and long) but interesting to read: 10 Things Christians and Atheists Can (And Must) Agree On | Cracked.com:

The war that's coming between the fundamentalist Christians and the hard-core Atheists probably won't be the most violent of the holy wars. But it has the potential to be the most annoying. Well, I'm going to try to stop it.

2010 Christmas greeting from Anglican and Lutheran leaders

Its a bit of a worry... As Driscoll would say, these guys have missed the big E on the top of the eye chart: 2010 Christmas greeting from Anglican and Lutheran leaders:

In their 2010 Christmas video, Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, and National Bishop Susan Johnson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada celebrate the gift of music.

What Is Marriage? Gay Marriage vs. the Conjugal View

Some links to a journal article and responses to it on marriage and gay marriage. The articles are long but I think it might be worth reading both sides of the argument: What Is Marriage? Gay Marriage vs. the Conjugal View – Justin Taylor:

The dialogue is detailed, but the arguments are relatively clear. The above will take you to the best arguments on both sides.

What Is the Meaning of Christmas?

An alright 10min clip about the meaning of Christmas: What Is the Meaning of Christmas? – Justin Taylor:

An evangelistic short film (10 minutes) from St. Helen’s Bishopgate in London on whether or not the Christmas story happened and what it means—featuring New Testament scholar Paul Barnett

TGC Asks Don Carson: When Has a Preacher Crossed the Line into Plagiarism in His Sermon?

Strong words by Carson: TGC Asks Don Carson: When Has a Preacher Crossed the Line into Plagiarism in His Sermon? – The Gospel Coalition Blog:

Taking over another sermon and preaching it as if it were yours is always and unequivocally wrong, and if you do it you should resign or be fired immediately.

Partnering to Remember

Wanna learn all of Philippians before Easter next year? I have doubts I can achieve this, maybe it just a matter of giving it some time: Partnering to Remember | The Resurgence:

Starting in 2011, we are beginning a project called P2R (Partnering to Remember). The goal is to memorize the entire book of Philippians by Easter Sunday (April 24, 2011) through partnering with other believers using the memory moleskine. Paul praised the church in Philippi for their partnership in advance of the Gospel, and in the spirit of that partnership, this project intends to bring Christians together for the deepening work of God's Word in their lives. Simply put, we are partnering to remember.

Dennett's deism

This journal article looks interesting: SpringerLink - International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, Online First™:

To suggest that Daniel Dennett is a deist is to invite ridicule. Dennett is both an avowed atheist and defender of naturalism in philosophy. Yet if we pay heed to the entirety of Dennett’s claims a curious picture emerges. My suggestion is that Hegel and Marx represent the rival responses to what we might call the modern predicament: what is the nature of existence in a world which seems a mechanism? Dennett’s response to this question is Hegelian, and involves a commitment to a religiosity which might surprise those otherwise receptive to his arguments.

Preaching Notes Series Introduction

Tim Keller get the award for the most "Unique" Manuscript: Preaching Notes Series Introduction - Joshua Harris:

The men we've obtained manuscripts from so far include:

- Mark Dever
- Mike Bullmore
- C.J. Mahaney
- Ray Ortlund, Jr.
- Tim Keller
- Mark Driscoll
- Joshua Harris (me)

The Biggest Hypocrites Since the Vatican's Interior Decorator

Penn also says that he did like going the church and hanging out with the people there, the only drag was there is no God: YouTube - The Biggest Hypocrites Since the Vatican's Interior Decorator - Penn Point:

Penn feels intense compassion for several ministers who have come out of the closet as Atheists. Apparently, they actually read the Bible and realized how immensely ludicrous it all is

First Order Confusion

Interesting quote: First Order Confusion:

'Put bluntly, a woman can exercise her gifts fully without seeking to compete with men. The feminist error assumes that women can only lead if they do what men do' (Beyond Stateliest Marble, p. 86).