rhetoric

I am reading Ben Witherington's book The Living Word of God and he talks about this idea of biblical rhetoric. I was really stuck by his unpacking of Paul's persuasion techniques in the letter to Philemon. He shows how Paul's rhetoric would be considered manipulative and arm-twisting in our 21st century culture but in Paul's cultural context it was the norm as far as persuasion goes. Then Witherington mentions the fact that all preaching and evangelism is based on persuasion, however, our rhetoric needs to change based on the culture. We cannot compromise the truth of the message, we just have to present things in a culturally sensitive way that uses a type of persuasion that the current culture can respond to. I was thinking about this in context of evangelism. In most high schools, English classes read Jonathan Edwards' famous sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." Now this sermon uses a rhetoric that is considered to be very manipulative by post-modern standards. Most preachers today realize that preaching hell and damnation is not something people respond well to. However, in Edwards' context, people really could relate to what he was saying and his preaching was very effective. So knowing all this, it is the job of the preacher and the evangelist to find a rhetorical style that speaks to their specific cultural context.

grim reality

there are 10 million millionaries in the world yet the majority of the world's population lives in poverty

Why do we follow the Christian God?

This is a question I have been pondering lately. I have been looking at all the different reasons that human beings, including myself, give for worshiping this God. Many say that its because of the "joy" it brings. Now I believe that a life devoted to God will ultimately bring a kind of joy and peace that goes beyond understanding but is it our fundamental reason for following this God? If our faith was based on this, then it would be greatly weakened when joy seems distant. No human being that I know of has ever been joyful their whole life, times of sorrow, pain, and despair are natural results of being a human in this broken world. Sure we can say we have joy in knowing that Christ has loved us and that everything will be made right in the end, but isn't that just simply comfort? I can be comforted but that is not always the same thing as having joy. I know in my Christian life I have had plenty of times when joy seemed to escape me. Did Job have joy when he lost everything? no, he thought God was out to get him, yet he still fell on his face and worshiped.

Now for the second major reason. I grew up thinking this and I think I am beginning to realize that it is not true. The second reason is that Christianity offers the best answers to life's questions. I think this is a huge mistake on Christianity's part to ever assume it has all the answers. It doesn't. All we have is an ancient collection of books about God's interaction with humanity. This is where we can find truth, this is where we find answers but this ancient narrative leaves many questions unanswered. The more I learn about the bible and theology the more questions I have. Its common for apologists to try to portray Christianity as the religion that is rational and answers life's deep fundamental questions. While I agree somewhat that in Christ some deep fundamental questions can be answered, only some are and we can disagree amongst ourselves what is really important to answer or even can be conclusively answered. This is part of the reason that the church is divided today.

Now what are we left with? If we aren't worshiping God because he gives us joy or or he gives us answers then why have millions of people chosen to follow him with their lives?

I think the answer is quiet simple.

He is GOD
and he is worthy of our complete trust and obedience.

Or as the writer of Ecclesiastes said it:
"The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man" (Ecclesiastes 12:13 ESV)



Just what I have been thinking about lately. Feedback is very welcome

N.T. Wright on the Colbert Report

Waiting

Where I am at:

"To you, O Lord, I call;
my rock, be not deaf to me,
lest, if you be silent to me,
I become like those who go down to the pit.
Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy,
when I cry to you for help,
when I lift up my hands
toward your most holy sanctuary.
Do not drag me off with the wicked,
with the workers of evil,
who speak peace with their neighbors
while evil is in their hearts." -Psalm 28:1-3


Waiting to get here:

"Blessed be the Lord!
For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.
The Lord is the strength of his people;
he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!
Be their shepherd and carry them forever." -Psalm 28:6-9

the things churches do...

bringing sexy back or bringing serving back?

confused and frustrated

I feel like a "child" who is being "tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes" (Ephesians 4:14) and yet I don't know how to escape.

I don't know who to believe, what to believe.

I am just so lost when it comes to faith and doctrine. It seems that there is no way to know what is true. Granted the bible is our authority on what is true but the problem is that we are all flawed interpreters. How am I suppose to know what the bible was really saying? Some say that we need to pray, ask the holy spirit to guide us as we read and study but there are many bible scholars who are doing that and are still coming up with completely different interpretations.

I am the kind of person who is easily swayed but a good argument and any diligent search will reveal a convincing argument to any side of an issue, especially in theology.

My biggest frustration is with the existence of so many different denominations, and types of "Christianity." I am lost to why God would allow so much confusion in his church, so much division. I don't accept the Mormon answer to this problem (the Mormon church is God's reinstated true unified church) but then again, how the heck am I suppose to know that Mormonism isn't true? Granted it goes against the bible in its doctrine but then again, how the heck do we know we are interpreting it right?

I read Ephesians 4 and am utterly depressed by how far removed the church today seems from the way it is described there.

And in all this God seems silent to me. I don't know where to turn.



P.S. No, Don't worry I won't become a Mormon, if for no other reason, I have a personal problem with Mormonism, God is presented as an exalted man just like us. I just couldn't bring myself to worship an exalted version of me.

The Authoritative Bible

I found a very enlightening essay by N. T. Wright on the authority of scripture