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Thursday, July 10, 2008Les Miserables
A couple of weeks ago it was my pleasure to see the musical Les Miserables in London.
I have now seen it no less than five times. My colleague, Seth, wanted
to see it and so I was happy to go. I have always been moved by the
power of the story; a story that is essentially Christian. The novel (and now the musical)
pits Valjean, who represents grace, against the pitiless police inspector, Javert, who knows only the law.
But it doesn't start that way. Valjean, a man who was nearly crushed by the law, was once a bitter and angry man. His life changes, however, in a moment (or a chapter) entitled The Purchase of a Soul. In a time of need, a Catholic priest offers him free room and board. Valjean, seeing an opportunity to take advantage of one he regards an old fool, steals his silverware and escapes into the night. Soon apprehended, he is brought back to the priest for identification. But instead of giving Valjean what he deserves, he instead informs the police that they have made a mistake. Valjean, he says, did not steal the silverware. It was, rather, a gift. He then tells Valjean that he left in such haste that he overlooked the silver candlesticks, which were worth more than all of the rest. Dumbfounded by this extraordinary gesture of underserved grace, Valjean weeps tears of repentance. And then the priest says:
See in this some higher plan,
You must use this precious silver
To become an honest man.
By the witness of the martyrs,
By the passion and the blood,
God has raised you out of darkness
I have bought your soul for good.
Through this play the Gospel has found its way into the mainstream that few really notice. But make no mistake about it: the story is Christian.
Posted By: Larry Taunton @ 12:05:28 PM
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Friday, June 20, 2008Scouting the Night Skies
Recently, I celebrated my 41st birthday. A friend who knew that I have been toying with amateur astronomy, very generously gave me a Celestron SkyScout. The SkyScout is an incredible little device. Containing a GPS, the hand held unit will find some 6,000 celestial bodies. Simply input the name of the planet, constellation, or object you want to find, look through the lens, and the SkyScout will direct you to it. Or, if you prefer, just aim it at something and it will identify it for you.
My boys and I have enjoyed it immensely. We have been able to trace the names and legends surrounding the constellations and locate distant stars and planets. I recently took it to a "star party" (okay, cease with the "nerd" comments!) and had a blast. But I was also able to look through the telescopes that others had brought. They ranged in size from 8" to 12" Meades. Very impressive.
One cannot help but be struck by the awesome scale of our universe and by its obvious design. Isaac Newton wrote, "This most beautiful system of sun, planets, and comets could only proceed from the dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being." Intelligent and Powerful Being, indeed.
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Sunday, June 15, 2008Marlin Perkins Ministry
When I was a kid, I loved "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom." It was on television every Sunday evening. Each week Marlin Perkins and Jim Fowler, intrepid explorers and zoologists, could be found in exotic locations like the Serengeti or the Amazon in search of rare or dangerous species. Inevi
tably, they would fight them. And that was why I watched.
Jim, Marlin's younger and more physically formidable colleague, always found himself in a scrape of life-threatening potential. Undoubtedly, Marlin mixed it up a bit when he was a younger man, taking down a beast or two of his own. But by the time I was a viewer of the show, Marlin was in his seventies and didn't do too much beyond narrate.
Now this was good wildlife television. It was the 70s. And as I recall, there was little pretense of engaging the animals at close quarters for the betterment of either them or the environment. It was just so we could watch and see who could win: Jim or the gorilla? Jim or the wildebeast? Jim or the ...
And it was always Jim. But just barely.
Evidently, I was not the only one who watched this show because Marlin Perkins' narration entered into the popular culture of my generation: "I'll sit here in the Landrover while Jim wrestles Colombia's giant anaconda ..." or "I'll hover here in the helicopter where we will have an excellent vantage point to watch Jim puts a tracking device in the ear of an African bull elephant." Marlin was always so calm. It sounded so easy. But the camera told a different story as Jim dodged lethal snakes, angry hippos, and predatory beasts of every kind.
I think most of us felt a little sorry for Jim. No junior colleague ever had it tougher. I mean, which is worse: "Get me some coffee" or "give a suppository to that angry Kodiak bear"? (And if we didn't feel sorry for him we were, at least, morbidly fascinated.)
Over the years, I have known a lot of people who take a Marlin Perkins approach to ministry. Others do the heavy lifting of investing time, energy, prayer and resources while they watch from a safe distance. Inevitably, they are full of advice and quick to criticize. Indeed, they are often the sharpest critics. Meanwhile, the ministry equivalents of Jim Fowler take all the risks. Every serious Christian I know, be they in professional ministry or not, has to contend with such people.
Where are you engaged? Do you hover in the helicopter or do you get your hands dirty?
Oh, and for the record: Jim Fowler is the toughest man I ever saw.
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Thursday, June 12, 2008Huxley and Wilberforce
In 1860 Bishop Samuel Wilberforce (not to be confused with abolitionist William Wilberforce) squared off in debate with Thomas Huxley, "Darwin's Bulldog," at the University of Oxford's Natural History Museum. The now famous debate has been the subject of a multitude of articles, books, and films. The controversy centered around the question of human origins: was man the product of random chance and necessity or was he made in the image of God?
More than a century on, the debate continues. Spearheaded by the so-called New Atheists, the stakes are much higher. As Washington observed in his farewell address, one cannot maintain public morality apart from religious principle. History is on Washington's side, but that hasn't stopped some from wanting to try.
This fall, Fixed Point Foundation will revisit both the site and the issues of 1860 in a debate that will feature Richard Dawkins and Dr. John Lennox, both of the University of Oxford. Those of you who follow our work will know that Dawkins and Lennox debated one another last October. The two will meet once again in an event that will be much less structured and much more conversational. Follow this link to an article on the event.
We are also co-sponsoring (along with Trinity Forum) a debate with Christopher Hitchens at this summer's Edinburgh International Festival.
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Wednesday, June 11, 2008Central Presbyterian Church, St. Louis
Last week it was our privilege to be the guests of Central Presbyterian Church in St. Louis. We extend our thanks to Dan Doriani, Brett Eubank, Robbie Griggs, as well as the other staff and leadership of Central for a successful and well organized event. They were gracious and enthusiastic hosts. More than that, we found their desire to make a difference in the St. Louis area and beyond refreshing. Typically, where there is vision, ministry flourishes. There is no lack of vision at CPC.
If you would like to listen to my talk and the Q & A with Pastor Doriani, follow these links:
Lecture Audio
Q & A Session Audio
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Saturday, June 07, 2008"You don't seem crazy..."
A few days ago I was sitting in the studio of a St. Louis radio station doing an interview. The host was asking me questions about Fixed Point, an event we have coming up in St. Louis, and a variety of issues of faith and culture. Mid-interview he said, "Usually people who represent your side of the argument come off a little crazy. Now you don't seem crazy ..."
A nice guy, he wasn't entirely serious, but he did have a good point. How many times have we seen or heard on television or radio someone who was suppose to represent the Christian worldview, but didn't? My cousin, a television insider, once explained this phenomenon to me. She said that in the secular media bubble there is little understanding of what Christianity is, so when an "expert" is needed, they simply go to the most visible figures they can find who seem to represent that point of view: T.D. Jakes, Joel Osteen, the Archbishop of Canterbury, etc.
This explanation makes a lot of sense. But I think there is more to it. I think that orthodox, mainstream Christianity has done a poor job of representing itself. Having become market-driven rather than driven by a biblical mandate, the church has, in many instances, come off as crass commercial endeavor. This is the brand of Christianity that seems to dominate the airwaves.
But there is another more authentic Church that has received little visibility. Christians must re-engage in the marketplace of ideas so that the world can see this Church.
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Monday, May 26, 2008A Purpose for Every Season
Today I accompanied a friend of mine to visit his father at a nursing home. His father is 93 and, it seemed to me, still rather agile of mind. In the last year he has lost a great deal: his wife of some 71 years, his independence, his ability to get around on his own, and, recently, his left leg. One might imagine that such a man would be angry or bitter, but he was neither.
From his wheelchair he grasped my hand with some energy and told me that God had a plan for him.
"Every day the Lord reminds me that my life is in His hands and that I shouldn't worry about it. When He's ready to call me home, He'll call me home. Until then, there are things He wants me to do," he said. "He has given me a ministry to hundreds of people here!" He spoke was force and sincerity of all that God had given to him.
I was astonished. I confess that when I think of people in nursing homes, I don't conjure images of people leading lives of active ministry ... or anything else. I think of people waiting to cross the river, so to speak. And yet here was a man who, even after so much suffering, was offering praise to his God and who understood that there is no such thing as a retired Christian.
Should I live to be 93, this man will be a model for me! What a testimony. It is a strong reminder to me that God has a purpose for us in every season of life.
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Saturday, May 24, 2008In the News
Does it ever strike you that much of what is in the so-called "news" is gossip, unimportant, manufactured or irrelevant to you? I find little news in the news. Moreover, I find that little of it is actionable.
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Sunday, May 11, 2008Looking Through Rose Colored Stained Glass Windows
In my previous blog, I spoke of the Christian subculture. There is more to be said on that subject. I think one of the reasons for the ineffectual nature of many Christians and their churches -- at least in this part of the country -- is the fact that it is so easy for many of them to never really rub elbows with anyone who does not believe as they do. While we never want to isolate ourselves from sound relationships and the encouragement and instruction we need, neither is it good to live continually in the Christian ghetto.
An acquaintance of mine sells furniture all over the world. No door-to-door salesman, he runs a 60-million dollar operation and is highly successful at what he does. Once I asked him how he got his start. He said that when he started in the industry, he discovered that the products the manufacturers were producing were not what the customers wanted. Seeing an opportunity and being an entrepreneur, he made renderings of the types and colors of furniture his customers frequently requested and went to the factory managers with them. The result was his business boomed.
Sometimes I think this is an accurate metaphor of the modern Church. We are not "producing", so to speak, what our congregations need because we are frequently poorly informed about what life outside of the Christian bubble is like. Consequently, we don't really know what the questions are, much less the answers.
This is not to say that all churches are ineffectual. I want to be clear on that point. Some are equipping their people effectively. A few of my friends are in the pastorate and are doing some great work. But this seems to be the exception rather than the rule. Sometimes we forget that the Church is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Consequently, we can easily confuse the size of our congregations and budgets with the scope of our cultural impact.
Let us not forget the model Jesus gave us. He engaged people of many different backgrounds, nationalities, political views, and convictions. If we are to be effective, we must be willing to do the same. But I warn you: you are likely to be criticized for it. Jesus was.
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Sunday, May 11, 2008Star Struck
I am alternately amused and frustrated by the fact that many Christians love their "stars"; that is, those figures who have achieved some status as authorities on this or that subject in the Christian subculture. This is not a criticism of the "stars" themselves. Many of them are justifiably looked upon with some reverence. But it is unfortunate that many pastors and layman alike are reluctant to engage the culture on a given issue until the authorities take notice of it. That this is so usually means that the cavalry is often a little late in offering relief to the besieged wagon train.
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