david wilcox

Last night, Rachael and I had the fantastic opportunity to go to San Diego and listen to one of our new favorite musicians, David Wilcox.  We went with some of our friends from church and enjoyed being taken in by David’s music.  I STRONGLY recommend giving him a listen if you haven’t yet already.  His music is soothing and often similar to James Taylor.  His lyrics are deep and often times piercing.  His view of God and life is so large and mysterious that he is constantly using metaphors to describe life and God rather than stating it straight out – God is not that tidy for him (and in truth, not that way for us either).

I highly recommend you checking out his website, there are a some of his songs on there that you can listen to.  http://davidwilcox.com

preparing for worship

As I continue my way through Packer’s wonderful map of Puritan thought and life, I am continually struck by how much we can learn in so many different areas from our brothers from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.  One of these areas is that of worship.  But what can the Puritans teach US about worship?  Their worship must have been dull and monotonous most certainly (or so we falsely think).  In particular, I think the Puritans can teach us a tremendous amount about preparing for the sabbath.

One of the things we can give great praise and thanks to God for is the renewal of worship that is occuring today in so many ways.  The church is realizing that our task is to glorify God and an essential means of doing this weekly corporate worship.  But a caveat given from centuries ago, “To desire worship as an end, is carnal; to desire it as a means, and act desires in it for communion with God in it, is spiritual, and the fruit of a spiritual life” (Packer, 252).  Worship is not an end but the means of hearing God speak and affectionately having the truth of God imprinted upon our hearts and minds and then with heart, soul, strength, and mind offer our lives back to God.

But I know that I have too often come and gone from worship without achieving this end.  Why?  Was it because the music was too loud or too slow?  Because the songs were hymns or praise songs?  Or was it that my heart was not prepared to receive God’s word?  I am quite inclined to think it the latter first and foremost.  (Granted, there may be things that impede upon our hearing of God speak, but those are only amplified when our hearts are not cultivated and ready to listen.)

For the Puritans, worship was not something that one showed up to on Sunday mornings without any preparation.  The quality of worship depends heavily upon our preparation.  John Owen writes:

What do men come to hear the Word of God for?  What do they pray for?  What do they expect to receive from him? Do they come unto God as the eternal fountain of living waters?  As the God of all grace, peace and consolation?  Or do they come unto his worship without any design as unto a dry and empty show? … Or do they think they bring something unto God, but receive nothing from him? … To receive anything from his they expect not, nor do ever examine themselves whether they have done so or no? … It is not for persons who walk in such ways, ever to attain a due delight in the ordinances of divine worship. (quoted in Packer, 253)

Or as Annie Dillard has put, we ought to put our crash-helmets on when we come to worship – what is it that we expect encounter when we come to worship?  Edward Taylor, the Puritan pastor/poet, would spend Saturday evening in preparation for Sunday’s worship by writing poetry and reflections.  Perhaps we would do well by following the Puritan pattern of preparing our heart for Sunday morning worship in advance.

In our conversations about worship (and praise God that they are happening!) let us not forget the preparatory work that is required to fully encounter God.

the jesus way

I just picked up Eugene Peterson’s the jesus way, his third installment in his spiritual theology series.  I’m just 30 pages into it, but it is going to be a fantastic read!  I strongly recommend it – especially if you haven’t read anything by Peterson. 

Easter Sermon

The following is a classic Easter sermon from John Chrysostom (ca. 400).  Chrysostom was one of the great Fathers of the Eastern church. 

Is there anyone who is a devout lover of God?
Let them enjoy this beautiful bright festival!
Is there anyone who is a grateful servant?
Let them rejoice and enter into the joy of their Lord!

Are there any weary with fasting?
Let them now receive their wages!
If any have toiled from the first hour,
let them receive their due reward;
If any have come after the third hour,
let him with gratitude join in the Feast!
And he that arrived after the sixth hour,
let him not doubt; for he too shall sustain no loss.
And if any delayed until the ninth hour,
let him not hesitate; but let him come too.
And he who arrived only at the eleventh hour,
let him not be afraid by reason of his delay.

For the Lord is gracious and receives the last even as the first.
He gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour,
as well as to him that toiled from the first.
To this one He gives, and upon another He bestows.
He accepts the works as He greets the endeavor.
The deed He honors and the intention He commends.

Let us all enter into the joy of the Lord!
First and last alike receive your reward;
rich and poor, rejoice together!
Sober and slothful, celebrate the day!

You that have kept the fast, and you that have not,
rejoice today for the Table is richly laden!
Feast royally on it, the calf is a fatted one.
Let no one go away hungry. Partake, all, of the cup of faith.
Enjoy all the riches of His goodness!

Let no one grieve at his poverty,
for the universal kingdom has been revealed.
Let no one mourn that he has fallen again and again;
for forgiveness has risen from the grave.
Let no one fear death, for the Death of our Savior has set us free.
He has destroyed it by enduring it.

He destroyed Hades when He descended into it.
He put it into an uproar even as it tasted of His flesh.
Isaiah foretold this when he said,
“You, O Hell, have been troubled by encountering Him below.”

Hell was in an uproar because it was done away with.
It was in an uproar because it is mocked.
It was in an uproar, for it is destroyed.
It is in an uproar, for it is annihilated.
It is in an uproar, for it is now made captive.
Hell took a body, and discovered God.
It took earth, and encountered Heaven.
It took what it saw, and was overcome by what it did not see.
O death, where is thy sting?
O Hades, where is thy victory?

Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated!
Christ is Risen, and the evil ones are cast down!
Christ is Risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is Risen, and life is liberated!
Christ is Risen, and the tomb is emptied of its dead;
for Christ having risen from the dead,
is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

To Him be Glory and Power forever and ever. Amen!

 http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/chrysostom-easter.html

Personal Bible Study

One of the hallmarks of evangelical Christianity is the emphasis on personal Bible study.  Here, too, the Puritans can be of help to us.  Most of us have probably heard “interpretations” of Scripture that seem to be so far-fetched that one wonders where it could possibly have come from.  When we place such a high emphasis on personal Bible study, how can we be sure that the “interpretations” are good?  Puritan John Owen gives some advice.

First, in the strong tradition of the Reformation the Bible has always been understood to be “perspicuous.”  That is, every Christian has the right and also the ability to read and understand Scripture.  This was in direct opposition to the views held by the Catholic Church at the time which argued that the Church was the only rightful interpreter of the Bible.  The Reformers and the subsequent generations rightfully rejected this notion.  However, in our (Protestant) theologizing and religious talk we can fall into the same trap.  Every Christian can approach the Bible and receive nourishment.

However, as Packer warns this is not “a warrant for anyone to go off on his own with a Bible and expect to learn everything by reading it in isolation” (93).  Rather, summarizing Owen, he states that the individual Bible reader needs to be in the context of (1) “the public preaching of the word” and (2) “informal discussion with Christian people” (93).  The Bible was given to individuals within a community. 

By regularly attending worship, one hears the Word of God preached – spoken.  One’s own personal reading of the Bible should be done in light of hearing God speak on Sunday.  Not only is this a good practice to stay clear of “odd” interpretations, but it is also an act of humility – submitting oneself to the instruction of another.

Secondly, we read Scripture in the community of informal dialogue – what today we might call small groups.  In this way, we can challenge each other, ask questions, hold each other accountable, pray for each other, and apply the text to our lives together. 

With these two prerequisites – corporate worship and Christian fellowship – we can and should confidently turn to our personal reading of the Bible.

Affectionate Intellectuals

Packer, describing the Puritans, writes,

“Knowing themselves to be creatures of thought, affection, and will, and knowing that God’s way to the human heart (the will) is via the human head (the mind), the Puritans practised meditation…on the whole range of biblical truth as they saw it applying to themselves. … [I]n meditation the Puritan would seek to search and challenge his heart, stir his affections to hate sin and love righteousness, and encourage himself with God’s promises…” (24).

There are two things that stick out to me from this reflection.  First, the Puritans had a holistic vision of our humanity.  We are people of intellect (thought), passions (will), and emotions (affections).  This seems to be a biblical perspective as well – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind.”  Here is the challenge to me – the intellect is not an end but a means.  As Packer writes, “God’s way to the human heart (the will) is via the human head (the mind).”  The essence of Christianity is not a well-developed mind but “heart-work” (Richard Baxter).  This is an area that I need continual reminders in.  I love to read and to learn, but if it has no connection to my heart it is actually detrimental.  Intellect, theology, knowledge about God, MUST lead to the heart and to worship. 

The second point is closely tied to the first.  The essence of Christianity is “heart-work” but for the Puritans that is accomplished “via the human head.” The Puritans were not anti-intellectuals.  In fact, without knowledge, they argued, one would be baseless and easily led astray.  Richard Baxter, one of the greatest Puritan pastors, pleads with his congregation:

“If you think, therefore, that you may be excused from knowledge, you may as well think that you may be excused from love and from all obedience; for there can be none of this without knowledge. … Were you but as willing to get the knowledge of God and heavenly things as you are to know how to work in your trade, you would have set yourself to it before this day, and you would have spared no cost or pains till you had got it.  But you account seven years little enough to learn your trade, and will not bestow one day in seven in diligent learning the matters of your salvation” (70).

Just as I need to be reminded that the head leads to the heart, others may need to be reminded that the heart is informed by the head.  We spend a lot of time becoming knowledgeable in our professional fields or even researching our hobbies, but how often do we engage ourselves in the act of “diligent learning the matters of [our] salvation.”

We all have a lot to learn from our Puritan predecessors – may their “fresh air” revive our souls.

“Physicians of the Soul”

This summer I’ll be taking two courses at Regent College in Vancouver, BC.  One of them is “Puritan Theology for Today.”  In preparing for this class, I have to do a lot of reading (John Owen’s Overcoming Sin and Temptation, John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress, the The Westminster Confession of Faith, William Haller’s The Rise of Puritanism) and am currently reading J.I. Packer’s classic work on the Puritans, A Quest for Godliness.  Packer’s underlining thesis of the book is that Christians today desperately need to be revived and corrected by our evangelical predecessors – the Puritans.  “Churches and Christians today are sadly Laodicean: complacent, sommolent, shallow, stuffy.  We need reviving.  What to do?  Opening the windows of our souls to let in a breath of fresh air from the seventeenth century would, I suggest, be the wisest possible course” (77). 

As I seek to open the windows of my soul and be revived (the Puritans would have called it ‘reformed’) from the Puritans, I will try to offer thoughts, questions, and challenges that arise from my reading.  I invite you into the conversation.