Safe Haven

It's not only the band Extreme's 1991 anthem to fornication, it's also a reality of the spiritual life. If you and I don't go to Mass, pray, confess our sins, and do works of charity, then a Catholic dude from New Jersey becomes an associate pastor among the Reformed, consigned to wearing Santorum sweater-vests for the next 30 years. Not that there's anything wrong with the sweater-vests. You can hardly blame him. There's no real intent to schism there. He might have concluded that Catholics wouldn't know Jesus from a hole in the ground. Isn't that true? I am not putting myself forward as some kind of paragon or example, but I believe the Catechism. I believe that if I were to skip Mass on a Sunday or another Holy Day of Obligation, that's a grave sin, and I'd be fortunate to avoid Hell, if I died with that on my soul. There are other things that I am much more inclined to actually doing, and so I stay close to the Church, and the Sacrament o...

This was the debut album 14 years ago from John Mayer. Some might say he is for frat-boys and basic fools, but I have always felt he told the story of being 20-something at the beginning of this century better than anyone else. We grew with him, and he with us. He's branched out stylistically and instrumentally, but I believe he is, as much as anything else, a songwriter. If a personal lack of virtue makes him less able today to give words and music to our experiences, that doesn't diminish what he's already done. The next two discs were even better, many say. Well and good. In all cases, I'm thankful for his gift.

Buahaha. Buahaha. Seriously, that's hilarious. Has anyone ever actually said this? If you enter the Catholic Church, you're going to be crucified. "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." If you don't know this, now you do. Is it worth it? YES. I love some of these Reformed guys; they sit around telling themselves that we converts have some deep-seated primal need for, well, anything that can be used to ignore the important questions that naturally arise. You want to know what's deep-seated? Our obligation to find the truth. Obligation. It's not like a desire for chicken wings, or sex, or Coca-Cola; reality demands that we live in accord with it, as the "is" that God created, whether it's morality, or dogma, or social ethics. If Jesus Christ came into the world, then He is the Truth to which creation must conform. He has instructed, he has taught, and we must believe only that. The trouble is, a great many Christians ...

You know, I don't need to ponder the depths of contemplation versus social engagement, because I know that holiness, true holiness, is forged in battle, not bubbles. If you don't recognize that you are the sort of person who is drawn to whatever the wretched evil of the day is, you'll never succeed. Not ever. This is why I don't hector sinners , because I get them. We are the same tribe. But all the side-hugs and Bible time cannot obscure the fact that the enemy of our souls will find us, and test us. There is no "them"; we are them. Romans 5:8 is for us, or it is for no one. Social pressure will never fabricate the obedience that comes from supernatural love. I'm hoping the Duggar kid wasn't mixed up in some bad business, but I'll bet he was. One can only pretend to hate evil for so long. Father, grant us grace, that the pull of lesser loves grows ever weaker, and love of You may grow without measure, through Our Lord Jesus Christ your Son...

One of those advocates of the Extraordinary Form said to me, "Actually, you're choking on "Gift Of Finest Wheat" and those other hippie hymns you sing." You hold your tongue, son. That is a great hymn. Why? Because it's true. If a dog had an immortal soul, he'd convert upon hearing it. It's weird that I'm the one saying this, because we shouldn't be singing hymns at all. That's right, at all. If I had two dogs, two puppies with whom I could guide on their life's journey, they'd be named Gregorian, and Chant. And seriously, who stole the antiphons? And yes, I'd be totally happy if all the priests faced ad orientem, because a priest making a sacrifice would be/is doing exactly that. I don't even look at him. But once more, do not say we are complicit in turning the Eucharist into "meal-time," just because you and Michael Voris haven't gotten your way today. I actually believe this gospel we are hearing abou...

I am sure there is someone out there who has actually been hurt by a church's (some would say inordinate) focus on families. But you know what this sounds like? Whining. The apology sounds like whining, the stuff that prompted it sounds like whining, and all these people should get doctorates in whining. You know what? You're about to get a heavy dose of the truth. If you take away celibacy as a special gift to God that is actually greater than marriage, this is what you get. You get a whole bunch of people who are defined by the fact that they aren't having sex with someone. Thanks, Luther. Thanks, Calvin. I blame you. Look, I'm a screw-up of the highest order, and the only thing funnier/worse than me giving a talk on chastity is...I don't even know. But chastity is what we really need. Here's a working definition of chastity, OK? It is the self-mastery of being defined by something other than sexual desire. You need this in any case, OK? Just trust me. ...

Mark Shea has it covered. That Dennett guy is obviously up to something. It seems like people are just choosing for themselves more. [The Catholic Church wins that every time.--ed.] That's what I was thinking. [Evangelicals are growing.--ed.] Yeah, Dukeman and his cronies pointed that out. Those dudes make great Catholics. Two words about polling, too: Jimmy Carter. Just do what we do.

That was a TV movie? Sheesh. They don't make 'em like that anymore. No wonder Hepburn didn't win another Oscar; they don't do that for TV. If they did...yeah. I'm sure someone somewhere thinks Katharine Hepburn is overrated, but that person is obviously insane. [You like Tom Cruise. Why should anyone care what you think about acting?--ed.] I love Tom Cruise. He's the most absurdly underrated actor of all time, and nobody realizes it, because 1. He's been obscenely successful financially; 2. he's kind of a weirdo in some ways; and 3. he's also been a sex symbol, and people don't actually think you can be good at acting if you are sexy. It's still easier for guys, but it's still true. Why do I think Tom is so good? He's never in the way. Whether he's carrying an action flick, or playing something of a second fiddle to an older/better actor ( Rain Man , Days of Thunder ), he does what he does. I haven't even seen Born on the Fo...

If you did the morning prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours this morning, there was that long litany from Daniel, where everything in the universe blesses the Lord. It reminded me of little kids when they pray, thanking God for everything they can think of. Maybe when someone frustrates me, and calls me names, they really just need to be with God, and sent there with a hug from Mom. Past all the big words, the pride and whatever else, we're just little kids. God willing, that's all we will ever be. Kinda resets my morning. How about yours?

I think we're seeing a trend of more active First Ladies. Especially with Democrats, that's to be expected. That bothers people, and we have a much longer tradition of cramming your pie-hole, and reading books to schoolkids. Fair enough. And I would never say that anyone who dares to speak publicly about some issue is beyond criticism, depending on how important that is. Doesn't it seem though that the criticism of Mrs. Obama largely falls in the category of "absurdly over-the-top"? She can't say anything, ever, without it being flagged as part of the great Obama Communist Takeover. Now, I would agree that the president does many things to further this perception. But for Heaven's sake, I can see why Michelle Obama might even say something like, "For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country." That was some time ago, granted. We have a great basis  of a great society in the principles of our nation, in her Constitution, in the...

Unlike the fictional Ray Kinsella, who kidnaps Terrence Mann (in the book "Shoeless Joe," he's J.D. Salinger) in order to take him to the A's-Red Sox game, God isn't trying to trick us. It's a simple question, really: "Who are you?" Every test in life is a chance to answer that question. We get scared or stressed out at times, and so we do things we normally wouldn't, or so we would hope. Weakness is one thing; identity is quite another. The final judgment is nothing more than the question becoming a statement: "Who You Are." And it'll be final, with no appeals.

SOMETHING IS EATING COMMENTS! I did read them. In fact, my reply is right where you intended to leave yours. The Westminster Confession of Faith is not infallible, obviously. It never claimed to be. And it is not consonant with the teachings of holy mother Church, so in those respects, it cannot be true. I do, however, accord it the respect of being the confessional standard for the balance of the English-speaking Reformed world, even if its authority is "derivative" (and that's not a principled distinction, anyway). However, I do believe that men ought not content themselves with a general repentance, but to repent of particular sins particularly. That's Catholic truth, if I ever heard it. And so, you put this chapter together with XI--read it real close--and then go, "Wut?" because it's a dilemma. If the Father can't see our sin, per chapter XI, he can't mete out consequences for failure to persevere in XV. I think antinomianism is the mo...

This year marks 22 years since Counting Crows debuted their iconic debut album, August And Everything After. I bought it when I was 13, but it still holds up so well. If Rolling Stone sneers that you tried to create something iconic and failed, it means you succeeded. "Every time she sneezes, I believe it's love, and O Lord, I'm not ready for this sort of thing."

I have a friend who is leaving. He goes in obedience, for the sake of the gospel. He isn't simply the son of his parents, the one who hitchhiked/went on pilgrimage across Europe, the one whose infectious joy spreads like wildfire, the one who has distinguished himself academically as a leader among the learned. He is also ontologically changed by having received the sacrament of Holy Orders. He is a figure of Christ among us. In this way, it sounds absurd to say he is my friend. He has given much more to me than I to him, and in an all-too-brief time. And yet, because we share the hope of eternal life, professing the faith of the Apostles, animated by the Holy Spirit's gift of supernatural charity, we are friends indeed, in the deepest possible sense. "There's a loyalty that's deeper than mere sentiment, and a music higher than the songs that I can sing," sang another friend, and he's right. Benson gave us Fr. Percy, and the troubled Fr. Francis to sho...

Following up on some things I said regarding Piper and holiness, let me reiterate that I don't see an outbreak of antinomianism in the Reformed ranks; at least people aren't talking that way. I think most people I know have really good practical theology; I never ran with people who enjoy grieving the Holy Spirit. That said, the tensions are real, and there will be a manifestation of tendencies--either antinomianism or scrupulosity--precisely because there is no theological necessity to pursue holiness , given the assertion of imputed righteousness. Either your own awareness of continuing sin will cause you to doubt whether the legal transaction has taken place, or, as the obvious consequence of believing the  Protestant dogma concerning the work of Christ, you will in good faith ignore your own subjective awareness of sin. If the Father doesn't see my sin, why should I? God can't justly punish the same sins twice. He either punished them and cancelled them once fo...

I've only read a little by him. Prayer. But if you do, you'll realize this is the type of non-Catholic you want to run into. He's warm, charitable, innovative, and passionate. This really does leap off the page at you. Naturally, the grounding for some of his beliefs will not survive challenge. He is on one side of the gateway to biblical liberalism. I get that. He was most likely a universalist. He didn't understand the Catholic Church he rejected. It's pretty obvious he is at least the most important non-Catholic theologian of the 20th century. You can find him at the heart of what we now know as evangelicalism. Somebody had to reply to the German higher criticism from pretty close to the inside. I'm going to read his commentary on Romans. I'm justly intrigued. Judge away.

There I was, minding my own business, reading John Frame. Worship In Spirit And Truth. Enjoyable book, even if unconvincing. Even though I agreed at the time that there's nothing overtly scandalous about contemporary worship. And it's obvious John Frame loves Christ, and the people to whom he ministers. I felt it was pretty easy to make the case that Frame didn't hold the RPW at all. The Regulative Principle of Worship, if you are scoring at home. To wit: If you don't have explicit biblical warrant to do a thing in worship, or it cannot be reasonably inferred from what is there, you can't do whatever it is you want to do. I'd just left a guest lecture on liturgy from a dude named Mike, who will remain otherwise nameless, to protect the guilty. The Deb definitely knows this guy. He was recapping a great essay he'd just written for the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society on the development of Reformed liturgy. Within it, this brother made the most...

I've had "I Still Believe" by Mariah Carey in my head since Spotify e-mailed me to tell me it was available. I don't even like that song. Thanks. Thanks a lot.

I've now seen the much-hyped fight. And for free, thanks to the hackers who ruined the US providers the night of the fight. I had the fight 9 rounds to 3, in favor of Mayweather. (I like the "10-point must" scoring system; I just don't feel like doing math.) It was really almost uninterrupted domination by Mayweather; it's hard to hit a guy who moves that fast, even at 38. Manny Pacquiao didn't jab; a double-jab more consistently would have allowed him to get inside Floyd Mayweather's longer reach. It did certainly seem like Manny was concerned about counter right hands, and he ate a few, anyway. I wouldn't mind a rematch; no one will do better than Manny, and plenty have done worse. I can appreciate the desire not to in any way support Mayweather's violence against women, even indirectly. But alas, I didn't pay anything. I think most of the world was rooting for Manny, also. He seems like a good person. I can also respect those who might...

It's not rocket science. People desire sexual pleasure, perhaps more than any other natural thing. Since the Fall, we desire wrong sex even more than the right kind. If they don't know about grace, not only as the favor of God, but as the power of God unto right living, they are easy pickings. John Piper might even agree with this. The galling part is, he's not being a very good Baptist and Protestant in that agreement. The difference between knowledge and love is participation, the very participation the Reformers took great pains to deny. A great many people who have this pointed out to them are quite annoyed; they have a lot invested in pretending that "monergism" isn't just how it sounds: God does it all, to the praise of His glorious "grace". (Or justice.) It's very true that we cannot be saved merely by what we do. It's equally true that we aren't saved merely by what we say. If you agree, welcome to the Catholic Church!