Dr. Jones and Mark Driscoll

January 29, 2008 | 1 Comment

Dr. Peter Jones, who was just at our church for our annual Christianity and Culture conference, recently gave an excellent lecture at Mars Hill Church in Seattle. His lecture was called Pastoring in Today’s Zeitgeist, and it can be found here.

While listening to Jones I saw Mark Driscoll’s book, Vintage Jesus, will be published at the end of February. Driscoll is the pastor of Mars Hill Church - and some may consider him the shock-jock of Reformed Christianity. The book, I’m sure, promises to be excellent - and shocking.

Here’s one of the opening paragraphs:

Roughly two thousand years ago, Jesus was born in a dumpy, rural,
hick town, not unlike those today where guys change their own oil,
think pro wrestling is real, find women who chew tobacco sexy, and
eat a lot of Hot Pockets with their uncle-daddy. Jesus’ mom was a poor,
unwed teenage girl who was mocked for claiming she conceived via the
Holy Spirit. Most people thought she concocted a crazy story to cover
the “fact” she was knocking boots with some guy in the backseat of a
car at the prom. Jesus was adopted by a simple carpenter named Joseph
and spent the first thirty years of his life in obscurity, swinging a hammer
with his dad.

If you’re offended, keep in mind the book is endorsed by some folks you probably would be careful not to offend.

J.I. Packer, a theological heavyweight says, “This book reveals Mark Driscoll as a highly powerful, colorful, down-to-earth catechist, targeting teens and twenty-somethings with the old, old story told in modern street-cred style. And Professor Breshears ballasts a sometimes lurid but consistently vivid presentation of basic truth about the Lord Jesus Christ.”

And, Matt Lindland, an Olympic silver medalist in wrestling and top-ranked mixed martial arts fighter says, “This book presents an honest view of Jesus without giving in to the pressure to soften him up. I had to grapple with the real vintage Jesus. This is a Savior worth fighting for.”

I wouldn’t want to offend either of those guys.

Posted by Aaron | Filed Under Blog, Books, Church and Culture 

A Common Word Between Christians and Muslims?

January 24, 2008 | 1 Comment

Recently, a number of leading Muslim and Christian leaders began a discussion together looking for unity based on the common ground both faiths share of “loving God and loving neighbor.” These exchanges have been called A Common Word.

Today, John Piper issued an excellent response to this dialog expressing profound disappointment with the Christians who have affirmed this common ground. Piper’s response is well worth listening to.

In reading through some of the “Common Word” documents, it seems more and more clear to me that the greatest threat Islam brings to Christianity is not violence, but peace… the kind of peace that denies the absolute uniqueness of Christ as mankind’s only hope of salvation. While it is certainly right for us to call for and pray for and hope for peace, we do not embrace peace at all costs.

Rick Phillips’ comments are particularly helpful:

I suppose that a survey of the history of religion and war would show that in times of great violence there is usually an impulse to downplay important religious differences so as to soften inter-religious anger and hatred. But it is always distressing to see Christians so willing to downplay the most central and vital aspects of our faith in pursuit of some “higher” end. I am sure that the signatories of the Christian response mean well. But for Christians there must never be a higher end that the glory of God as revealed in his Word and the spread of the biblical gospel with clarity, love, and courage. At the very moment when increasing numbers of people have concluded that “all religions believe the same thing,” the very worst thing Christians could do — the least loving and ultimately the least peaceful — is to foster the idea that one’s understanding of God need not embrace Jesus Christ as the unique revelation of God and as the Savior-Son God has sent as the only hope for a sinful world.

Posted by Aaron | Filed Under Blog, Church and Culture, Theology 

Peter Jones Interview

January 13, 2008 | Leave a Comment

In light of our Christianity and Culture conference Pagan America coming up this weekend, Dr. Peter Jones was interviewed Friday on the Calling for Truth radio program (South Carolina).

You can listen to the interview at their website - just click here.

Posted by Aaron | Filed Under Blog, Church and Culture, Theology