Russell Moore has a helpful piece on the wrath of God over at the Washington Post. He highlights several texts that show that the wrath of God was once much more a part of the American vernacular than it is now. Reading these texts reminded me of another one–Lincoln’s second inaugural address. It is my favorite political speech, and it is laden with biblical allusions to God’s wrath and justice. Lincoln does not appeal to God’s judgment to vindicate the North over and against the wicked South. Rather, he appeals to God’s transcendent justice to show that both North and South had fallen short. In his own words:
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Rick and Kay Warren speak to Saddleback
On Sunday, Rick and Kay Warren spoke to Saddleback for the first time since their son took his own life in April. Their messages are almost 90-minutes long and include some heart-rending material. But they also include how they’ve been making it through. You can listen to the audio at the link below. Above are some excerpts from CNN’s coverage of the service. “How to Get through What You’re Going Through” – Saddleback Church (July 28, 2013)
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The Wrath of God and Your Joy
Yesterday, I posted a note about the PCUSA’s decision to drop the hymn “In Christ Alone” from their hymnbook. Reports say that the song’s reference to “the wrath of God” was just too much for those making the decision. The songwriters refused to give permission to amend the language, so the PCUSA decided to leave it out. I have to say that I have been quite surprised at the response to this short post—a response that is still ongoing. I am not surprised, however, that the topic still provokes strong responses from people—strong reactions on both sides of the issue.
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PCUSA rejects popular hymn “In Christ Alone”
Timothy George explains why the Presbyterian Church USA has recently rejected the hymn “In Christ Alone” from its new hymnal: Recently, the wrath of God became a point of controversy in the decision of the Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song to exclude from its new hymnal the much-loved song “In Christ Alone” by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend. The Committee wanted to include this song because it is being sung in many churches, Presbyterian and otherwise, but they could not abide this line from the third stanza: “Till on that cross as Jesus died/the wrath of God was satisfied.” For this they wanted to substitute: “…as Jesus died/the love of…
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How churches should respond to allegations of abuse
Carl Trueman and Todd Pruitt have put out a very helpful discussion about how churches should handle allegations of abuse. It appears on their podcast “Mortification of Spin,” and you can download it here or listen below. [audio:https://s3.amazonaws.com/mos.alliancenet.org/M020.master.mp3] Trueman and Pruitt also take up the question of whether an abused spouse has biblical grounds for divorce. Working from the assumption that the Bible permits divorce in cases of adultery and desertion, Trueman argues that abuse is a form of desertion and thus can be used as a legitimate basis for divorce. For him, desertion cannot be reduced simply to abandoning a certain space. It must also include the abandonment of…
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Follow-up on “evicted” NYC church
Last week, I wrote about a restaurant in New York City that “evicted” a church that had been renting out space for their Sunday morning meetings. That post generated a good bit of discussion in the comments, some of which contended that the restaurant was within its rights to put the church out. Fox News personality Todd Starnes has since picked up the story, underlining that the church had been “evicted” from the space it was renting. On Friday, the restaurant put out a statement telling their side of the story and apparently objecting to the use of the term “evict.”
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A Christian vision for gender non-conforming boys
Slate.com has an article about a youth camp for gender non-conforming boys. It’s a retreat for prepubescent young men who behave in ways that are feminine. The camp provides a place for parents and children to feel “protected” as these young boys act out in ways that they wouldn’t normally do in public. The article pictures boys wearing dresses, parading down runways, and putting on makeup—all of it with their smiling parents looking on in approval.
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Jordan and Jessica’s Story
From the Reformed African American Network, here’s the story about Jordan and Jessica. After both were widowed in their twenties, they found each other.
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Manhattan church evicted for preaching the Bible
Last April, I preached at a church in New York City called The Gallery Church. It’s a small evangelical congregation meeting in a restaurant right in the heart of Manhattan. Pastor Freddy T. Wyatt had planned a series on sexuality and gender, and my contribution was on the meaning of marriage. A few weeks after my part in the series, another speaker brought a message on what the Bible teaches about homosexuality. As a result of that message, the owners of the restaurant informed The Gallery Church that they could no longer meet in their establishment. Pastor Freddy describes what happened this way:
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Gay marriage and the slippery slope to incest and polygamy
Kent Greenfield is a law professor at Boston College and a supporter of legal gay marriage. He has also written a compelling article admitting that the arguments in favor of legal gay marriage must also allow for incestuous and polygamous marriages as well. He writes, You know those opponents of marriage equality who said government approval of same-sex marriage might erode bans on polygamous and incestuous marriages? They’re right. As a matter of constitutional rationale, there is indeed a slippery slope between recognizing same-sex marriages and allowing marriages among more than two people and between consenting adults who are related. If we don’t want to go there, we need to…