Thoughts on Genesis 1:26-31

I’ll be preaching on this passage this coming Sunday as my final sermon for candidacy.  It’s an interesting passage that could cause me to go in any number of directions.  I could focus on the imago Dei or “one-man-one-woman” stuff or creation care rhetoric.  But I sort of have this reputation of trying to stick to my particular text as closely as I can – not to the ignorance of the rest of Scripture – but simply to what a particular text has to teach us.

Some of my initial thoughts regarding this text are as follows:

1. Human beings are special (sometimes referred to as the “crowning achievement” of creation) not because God declared “very good” at the end of the day, but because people are created “in our image.”
2. Created in God’s almost certainly does not refer to physical traits, but instead to things like emotions, cognation, nature, etc.
3. In particular, Gen. 1 paints a picture of imago Dei using humanity’s relationship to the rest of creation as a way of explaining what it means to be the imago Dei.
4. I can’t help but think that within these verses, the author is taking a slight cheap-shot at the surrounding cultures.  In other words, most of the tribes/nations living around the Jews viewed mankind as somewhat inferior to nature.  This is connected to the polytheistic nature of these other cultures; man’s purpose is to satisfy the sun, moon, water, tree (etc.) gods.  By contrast, the Biblical picture is of human beings (created in God’s image) as over (rule/subdue) creation.  The Genesis author flips the “normal” understanding on its head.
5. Therefore, we reflect the imago Dei by ruling and caring for creation, just as God ultimately rules over and cares for all His creatures (including us).

Filed under: Bible Study, Preaching, Sermon, Theology

The Best Apologetic

A while back I attended a banquet for scholarship recipients.  At one point that evening the seminary president made a comment about CTS being perhaps the best seminary in North America for studying theology philosophically.  At the time that statement didn’t make a whole lot of sense largely because I simply hadn’t taken any theology courses at CTS yet and because I wasn’t sure what he met by “philosophically.”

But this term I’ve been discovering that and I’m not so sure its good thing – when considered in the light of what I call “real ministry.”

Calvin is very academically minded – and for that the school is worthy of some recognition.  But every now and then they seem to cross the line of academia to the point that what is taught simply won’t hold up outside the classroom as well as some would like.  (As an example I have friend who recently graduated and was ordained who was an outstanding student but is on the verge of an emotional, spiritual, leadership, ministry burnout because he’s beginning to realize that all the formulas and rationalizations he learned in seminary simply won’t hold up among the average church-goer – much less, a non-Christian) 

Filed under: Apologetics, Christian Living, Culture, Ministry, Philosophy

Quiz Results & Upcoming “Round Table”

Yesterday I was asked if I would be willing to participate in an upcoming “Round Table” discussion at CTS.  Every other month or so the Student Senate hosts a public “Round Table” forum to discuss various issues related to ministry.  The plan for April is to host a discussion on emergent church/Christianity.  I was invited to be one of two people representing the emergent viewpoint (apparently I’m one of the few around who has the ability to clearly explain the emergent approach to church).  Typically, students are not on the panel…in fact, I’m not aware of any student that has been a panel member since I began attending CTS. 

Believe me – I’m not bragging…

Being one of a few “emergents” on a traditional-church seminary campus is not the easiest thing in the world.  I tend to keep my ideas to myself within the broader community.  Compound that by the fact that I’m graduating this year and profs may be watching me for any non-Reformed “heresy” and there’s a bit of pressure on me.

But in any case, between now and then, I’ll probably actually get around to reading some of these “emergent” books sitting on my shelf in preparation for this thing and thinking about how I can iron out my ideas and communicate them in the clearest way possible.  So don’t be surprised if you find a slight spike in this particular topic over the next few weeks/months.

And just for you viewing enjoyment, I moseyed on over to www.notemergent.com this morning (a site that I’ve picked on a little in the past) to take their “Are You Emergent?” Quiz.  I was a little disappointed that they didn’t ask any questions about what kind of beer I drink (anything microbrewed) or where my technological loyalties lie (Apple, Inc.) since those were listed as defining characteristics of an emergent Christian in the first chapter of the corresponding book.

Here’s my results:

 

Wheww!  I’m not as heretical as I thought I was

Filed under: Church, Ministry

Joining the Ranks

I’m joining the ranks today of remembering Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Growing up in Cali. I never really understood what all the fuss was about him.  California – while we did/do have our racists – never struggled with desegregation and institutionalized discrimination like the south and certain areas of the mid-west.  According to my Facebook page Dr. King is listed as a hero…

Dr. King was a well-educated, well-versed Baptist preacher who readily believed that the Christian had an obligation to speak out against injustice everywhere.  While his actions were certainly motivated by his own personal experience, I think it would be a bit naive to assume that racial tension was the only thing he was concerned with.  Many of his speeches and writings reflect a desire to see a world – not just an America – in which inequality of all sorts was eliminated.

This was a man deeply motivated by faith and Scripture to change society – to be, as Shane Claiborne would say, “a revolutionary for Jesus.”

I do believe that world is a better place because of him.  And I do wish I would have been alive to see him in action.

Here’s to you, Dr. King…

Filed under: Christian Living, Culture

Brain Teaser

From Dr. John Bolt:

The Bible says “God is love.” Doesn’t that then mean that love is God?

Thoughts?

Filed under: Bible Study, Philosophy, Random, Theology