Safe Haven

A Catholic Cardinal, to the leaders of Geneva, and John Calvin, in 1539: Let us here suppose two persons, one of each class, that is, from each road, let them be placed before the dread tribunal of the Sovereign Judge, and there let their case be examined and weighed, in order to ascertain whether a condemnatory or a saving sentence can justly be pronounced. They will be interrogated whether they were Christians. Both will say that they were. Whether they properly believed in Christ? Both will, in like manner, answer yea. But when they will be examined as to what they believed, and how they believed, (for this investigation, respecting right faith, precedes that concerning life and character,) when a confession of right faith will be exacted of them; he who was educated in the lap and discipline of the Catholic Church will say: - "Having been instructed by my parents, who had learned it from their fathers and forefathers, that I should, in all things, be obedient to the Catho...

I love Mark Shea . I just do. I'm sorry, but not. I have a buddy on Facebook who was a student of Dallas Willard, and he always peppers my News Feed with the awesomest things Dr. Willard ever said. After I read the Christianity Today piece on Willard , he made me intensely curious, and appreciative at the same time. Barth is like that, too. You love him, and you don't know why. Well, I know why: because he loves Jesus. And that's no small thing, even if a man holds ideas that are heretical, and even dangerous. I digress. This poor DeWaay guy can't do anything, if his people ask anything outside his little box, except to shame them. This is the byproduct of fideism: the basic idea that divine truth needs no evidence, no proof, just a leap in the dark. It might even be true to say that I explored Catholic claims because "Because we say so/the Bible says so" wasn't good enough anymore. Paging Christian Kingery! This seems like the beginning of a worthy ep...

Got your attention, didn't I? I don't mean to say there are no good men. I should hope not! I expect myself to be one. The thing is, though, we are selfish trolls, by default. That's the only way a starlet can say things like, "He'll either look at porn, or you" and no one really flinches. Women can lust, too. But I think we know that we live in a society that tolerates and embraces imbalanced male sexuality. What I'm really sick of--beyond myself--is the attitude that we are entitled to sexual gratification. Dudes, that is garbage. God will send me a wife if he thinks it's good, and not before. He's calling me and you to chastity in any case. What is "chastity," anyway? It's the integration of our sexuality into the whole of our person, and to the plan of God as a whole. Plain English: Sex doesn't exist for its own sake.  It has a place, and that place isn't at the top of the pyramid. That means that the girl you "have...

The Gospel made me cry. Matthew 25:31-46. It's true that it's a challenge, but the real test is not the works in themselves; it's to give yourself over to Christ's love. He doesn't just offer a giant cosmic hug; His love is his power to bring everything into subjection. When we step forward to participate in that re-ordering, we say what side we're on for the day when he reigns in triumph. That triumph is a triumph in love, but make no mistake: the King has no rivals. They will be won over, willingly or not. Perhaps we think God's love is a hippie-circle at Woodstock, but Jesus isn't a buddy; he's the ruler of the entire universe. There is no term, no election, and no opinion polls. The Mighty One will do what he wants. Choose this day whom you you will serve. We therefore can't simply read this or preach it, and say, "Do stuff!" The doing or not has a personal dimension; that Person is Jesus.