Reformissionary

Blaspheme Your Idols

Gospel wakened people feel swept off their feet by their romancing God. (If you're a man, and this sort of "church as feminine" language bothers you, you will have to get over it. This is how God draws our character. You will have to nail your machismo to the cross and stop thinking you're more of a man than your Groom.) When the power of the gospel saps the power of idols from our veins, when we have really tasted and seen that the Lord is good, we are so smitten we can't help but ditch every back door Johnny we ever messed around with. How pathetic they are! And how pathetic we were for ever giving in to their two-bit come-ons.

A bride joined to her groom forsakes all others. She writes the spiritual equivalent of Dear John letters to her idols. When God's love captivates you, you go around spurning all your other lovers. I call this "blaspheming" your idols.

Blaspheme them. Tell them they have no appeal to you anymore. Tell them you don't need their damage, their pain, their anti-glories. Tell them you have no desires to use and abuse them anymore. Tell them your heart, mind, soul, and strength belong wholly to God now. And then don't speak as a love to them ever again. Sinful relationships must end.

From Jared Wilson's Gospel Wakefulness, p 70, bold emphasis mine.

Tim Keller | "Gospel Polemics, Part 4"

Tim Keller continues (& concludes) his blog series on Gospel Polemics with "Gospel Polemics, Part 4: Everybody's Rule." Here's a roundup of the first six rules. A blurb from "Everybody's Rule" concerning the evil of ad hominem arguments...

...no one has written more eloquently about this rule than John Newton, in his well-known “Letter on Controversy.” Newton says that first, before you begin to write a single word against an opponent, “and during the whole time you are preparing your answer, you may commend him by earnest prayer to the Lord's teaching and blessing.” This practice will stir up love for him and “such a disposition will have a good influence upon every page you write.” Later in the letter Newton says, “Be upon your guard against admitting anything personal into the debate. If you think you have been ill treated, you will have an opportunity of showing that you are a disciple of Jesus, who ‘when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not.’ ” It is a great danger to aim to “gain the laugh on your side,” to make your opponent look evil and ridiculous instead of engaging their views with “the compassion due to the souls of men.”

[...]

I would even ask seminaries to consider at least one course in “Polemical Theology” which would not simply list the errors that need to be refuted, but which would teach students how to go about theological dispute in a way that accords with Biblical wisdom and the gospel.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Two Steps to Gospel Wakefulness

Two steps to Gospel Wakefulness: It's simple...& impossible for you to do...

Gospel Wakefulness, page 35.

Jesus + Nothing = Everything

Tullian Tchividjian's new book, Jesus + Nothing = Everything, is out today and I encourage you to buy your copy right away. He had a copy with him at Together 4 Adoption, but only one, so I couldn't talk him into giving it to me. I probably wasn't the first person asking him for it. 

I got my copy of J+N=E from Crossway last week. It's one of my most anticipated books of the year (along with Gospel Wakefulness by Jared Wilson). Here are a few endorsements for Jesus + Nothing = Everything...

“In an evangelical culture where so many of us are unaware that the gospel isn’t just what we believe to save us but also what sustains us and carries us into maturity, this book hammers home the gospel’s power for the believer. Whether you have been in church your whole life or recently converted, this book will fuel your affections for our great God and King.”
—Matt Chandler, Lead Pastor, The Village Church, Highland Village, Texas; author, The Explicit Gospel

“My friend Tullian is a loser. So am I. If we’re honest, all of us fit that description, but the good news is that Christ came for people like us. We qualify! Under the rubric of ‘Jesus plus nothing equals everything,’ this accessible yet astonishingly profound book rearranges the furniture. If you’re looking for hope instead of hype, please read this book.”
—Michael S. Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California

“In a powerful, concise, and popular style, Tchividjian announces, explicates, defends, and contrasts the gratuitous gospel of Christ’s person and work with the oft-misheld conviction of us sinners that, if we are somehow to be justified, it will have to be a matter of ‘making up for’ our offenses and of inward improvement. Chapter-by-chapter he argues that God’s saving plan is one of grace and not one of improvement. Filled with illustrations from his life as a pastor, this is no unapproachable, academic tome. But neither, thank God, is it today’s ‘Evangelical silly!’ Tchividjian wrestles openly with demons and their central lie in order that we truly ‘get’ what the Bible is really about. From every point on the compass, he contrasts ‘moral renovation’ with a free, one-sided rescue drenched in the blood of Jesus. Good news for everyone—but especially for Christians who are worn out by trying the other way, believing the lie, somehow knowing renovation isn’t working but knowing nowhere else to turn. Tchividjian is out to convince his reader that justification before God really is pure gift, is free, is by grace and through faith in Christ. . . sola!”
—Rod Rosenbladt, professor of theology, Concordia University

T4A | Featured Bloggers - Everything

Here's my best shot at creating one post with links to everything from Together for Adoption featured bloggers. Not every blogger wrote on everything or was present for every main session. I expect more posts are still coming with reflections on T4A in the days to come. I know I have some unfinished posts on some talks and a handful of other reflections to share. If you see things I've missed, let me know. FYI: I know other bloggers/twitterers said a lot at T4A, but I'm focusing on the "featured bloggers." If you want to put a link to other helpful posts in the comments from non-featured bloggers, that would be a great addition to the list.

Check out tweets still coming out from #t4aCon attenders and others RTing good quotes. Also go back in the Twitter accounts (listed below) for a ton of great quotes. That may be the best way to get direct quotes, while the posts often contain interaction on the quotes and topics.

BLOGGERS - Name [link to Twitter account] (abbreviation)

• Matthew Lee Anderson [Tw] (MLA)
• Aaron Armstrong [Tw] (AA)
• Dorothy Bode (DB)
• Julie Gumm [Tw] (JG)
• Chris Marlow [Tw] (CM)
• Steve McCoy [Tw] (SM)
• Zach Nielsen [Tw] (Z)
• Lindsey Nobles [Tw] (LN)
• Dennae Pierre [Tw] (DP)
• Noel Piper [Tw] (NP)
• Josh Reich [Tw] (JR)
• Brent Thomas [Tw] (BT) 

MAIN SESSIONS

Darrin Patrick | Session 1 - The Church & Social Justice

AA | JG | SM | Z | LN | DP | JR | BT

Tullian Tchividjian | Session 2 - Surprised by Adoption

AA | SM | Z | LN | DP | JR | BT

Dan Cruver | Session 3 - Adoption & The God Who Cares

MLA | AA | Z | LN | DP | BT

Bryan Loritts | Session 4 - The Church as the Theater of Transracial Adoption

AA | JG | Z | DP | JR

Jeff Vanderstelt | Session 5 - Gospel-Motivation for Missional Living

AA | JG | LN | DP | JR

Tim Chester | Session 6 - Relaxing in Trinitarian Love

AA | DP

PRE-CONFERENCE & BREAKOUTS

• A Mom at Rest by Dr. Donna Thoennes || DB | JG | DP
• Missional Church, Missional God, Missional Story by Tim Chester || AA: Sessions 1, 2, 3 | JR: Sessions 1, 2, 3
• Attachment & Family Growth by Mark & Kristen Howerton || JG: Pt 1 | Pt 2
• Gospel-Centered Parenting by Tim Chester || DP | BT
• Trans-Racial Adoption by Vermon Pierre || DP 
• Missional Living & Orphan Care by Jason Kovacs || JR
• Grief In Infertility || MLA

MISC & POST-CONFERENCE

• MLA: "Together for Adoption National Conference" | "Seven Thoughts On Together For Adoption" 
• AA: "Heart for Adoption: Stephen Miller's Story" | "The Trinity & Adoption: A Quick Chat With Tim Chester" | 
• DB: "My Plans/His Plans" | "Worship Within The Circle of Bloggers" | "One Minute To Share Their Ministries" | "Seeing Change" | "Book Giveaway To End the Endless Pile" | "Project Hopeful"
• SM: "T4A Songs" | "Chicks 4 Orphans"
• ZN: "A Heart for Adoption" | "God's Care for Orphans Through the Hatian Church"
• DP: "10 x 100=1000 for Orphans" | "A Challenge Now That You Are Home" | "Pre-Conference for Adoptive Mamas"
• NP: "Adoption Changes Families" | "Home-Based Orphan Care" | "But What Can I Do?" | "Goodbye & More to Give Away"
• JR: "A Heart for Adoption (Video Story)" | Surge Intensive (non T4A event, but it's with Tim Chester)

T4A | Tullian Tchividjian - Session 2

Tullian delievered a great message on Law & Gospel at Together for Adoption 2011 Conference. Rather than redo work others have done, I commend to you the notes of a new friend of mine, Aaron Armstrong (author of Awaiting a Savior). Here are a couple of my favorite quotes I took on Twitter from Tullian's talk...

"It's a lie that grace is dangerous and needs to be kept in check."

"It's silly that we have to put the word 'radical' before Grace, as if there's some other kind."

"There is nothing more radically unbalanced than grace."

I'm excited about Tullian's new book coming out October 31st, Jesus + Nothing = Everything. Order it now.

Together for Adoption | Main Sessions & Giveaway

Molly and I are flying to Phoenix for the 2011 Together for Adoption Conference tomorrow morning, Lord-willing and the winds die down. I know many of you can't go but are interested in following along. So I encourage you to stick around for live-blogging here at Reformissionary. Follow me on Twitter for a lot of instant updates and pics and who knows what else. I also encourage you to follow other featured bloggers at T4A for a wide variety of experiences of and discussions about the conference. The official hashtag for all the stuff on Twitter is #t4aCon and official conference twitter account is @t4aCon.

You'll hear about a ton of different breakout sessions from different bloggers as well as these top-notch general sessions. You won't want to miss what these guys are saying...

Darrin Patrick: The Church and Social Justice

Tullian Tchividjian: Surprised by Adoption

Dan Cruver: Adoption and the God Who Gives

Bryan Loritts: The Church as the Theater of Transracial Adoption

Jeff Vanderstelt: Gospel-Motivation for Missional Living

Tim Chester: Relaxing in Trinitarian Love

GIVEAWAY

Ok, so for those of you who can't go, I'm doing another giveaway of 5 copies of Reclaiming Adoption: Missional Living Through the Rediscovery of Abba Father (edited & written in part by Dan Cruver). I love the book, and I want to get it in your hands. So, here's how you can enter for a chance at one of the copies. All three steps are required, and easy.

1. "LIKE" the T4A Facebook page.

2. TWEET (and/or post on Facebook wall), without the quote marks: " Win a FREE copy of Reclaiming Adoption! RT this & comment at Reformissionary to win: http://bit.ly/nW95S8 #t4aCon "

3. COMMENT BELOW (so I can verify you did steps 1 & 2). Include your full name and real email address (kept private) so I can contact the winners.

For fun, and since the World Series begins tonight, share your World Series winner in your comment. Texas Rangers or the St. Louis Cardinals? Also feel free to give your predictions on how many games it will take to win (sports SINthusiast Joe Thorn, just tell us your favorite color). I'm calling it for the Rangers in 5.

I will randomly choose 5 winners on Saturday, the last day of the Together for Adoption 2011 Conference. 

Tim Keller | "Gospel Polemics, Part 3"

Tim Keller has been writing about Gospel polemics. His first post he gave some introductory thoughts. Last post Dr. Keller listed 3 rules for Gospel polemics. This post he gives three more. Here are all six...

1. Carson’s Rule—You don’t have to follow Matthew 18 before publishing polemics.
2. Murray’s Rule—You must take full responsibility for even unwitting misrepresentation of someone’s views.
3. Alexander’s Rule—Never attribute an opinion to your opponent that he himself does not own.
4. Gillespie’s Rule A – Take your opponents’ views in total, not selectively. 
5. Gillespie’s Rule B – Represent and engage your opponents’ position in its very strongest form, not in a weak ‘straw man’ form.
6. Calvin’s Rule – Seek to persuade, not antagonize, but watch your motives! 

Go read all three posts: Post 1 | Post 2 | Post 3

A True Work of Art

Joe Thorn told me about this great video about art from David Murray. You should keep up with David's blog: HeadHeartHand. Joe has a post going up about it, which I haven't seen. He predicted that after watching the video I'd post on it first. Sorry Joe. 

At the end of the video, which you should watch in full, where he discribes some pieces of art and shares glimpses into their meaning at the Grand Rapids Artprize Festival, David says this: 

"Some beautiful pieces with some really moving messages. What heights? What depths? What hopes? What fears? Exploring our un-creation and calling us to re-creation. And that's really all art can do. It can call. It can summons. It can point. It can raise questions. But it can never be the answer. Jesus Christ alone is the answer. When we find him we stop asking 'What's next?' He is God's hand reaching down to our hand. His peace calms our confusion. And it's only through Christ that we can do all things. Jesus Christ is the answer. He can take our darkness and chaos and transform them into beautiful light and order. And that is a true work of art." (visit David's post)

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Tim Keller | "Gospel Polemics, Part 2"

Tim Keller discusses 3 rules for Gospel Polemics in his new post that "will help us neither avoid polemics nor engage in them in a spiritually destructive way." Here are the rules, but go read his explanations.

1. Carson’s Rule – You don’t have to follow Matthew 18 before publishing polemics
2. Murray’s Rule – You must take full responsibility for even unwitting misrepresentation of someone’s views
3. Alexander’s Rule – Never attribute an opinion to your opponent that he himself does not own

Read "Gospel Polemics, Part 2," or start with "Gospel Polemics, Part 1."

Tim Keller | "Gospel Polemics, Part 1"

Polemics is medicine, not food. Without medicine we will surely die—we can’t live without it. This is why “polemical theology’ must be a required part of every theological curriculum. Yet we cannot live on medicine. If you engage in polemics with relish and joy—if polemics takes up a significant percentage or even a majority of your time and energy—it is like trying to live on medicine alone. It won’t work, for the church or for you.

Tim Keller, "Gospel Polemics, Part 1" - read more