New Creation Article - Washington Post - N T Wright

N T Wright Article on New Creation

Authentication

CAUEAT:: I don't feel as cynical as the following makes me sound; I think the points are valid.


Casey and I have been talking a lot lately about Modernism/Postmodernism and Generations: Builders/Boomers/Xers/Millenials.

Some things that Postmoderns (PoMos) long for are "Authenticity," and "Community."

Here is a funny line of what has happened with the desire for authenticity.

1970's
Christians should be "authentic" in their external lives
>>Enter the Jesus Movement
>> Music should include Christianity
>> Books should include Christianity
>> people should witness at work and invite people to Christian events.

The result:

1980-1999

A glut of "christian" events, books, music, shows, videos... all helping us be christian.

**Problem:

Christian events start looking like capitalism.

**Solution:

Christian events should be authentic and "come back to the heart of worship"...

1995
>> Christian concerts start including a 3 song "worship segment"
>> "Worship" cd's start selling like hotcakes
>> Church isn't about feeling good about ourselves, it is about Giving to God
>>>>through lot's of WORSHIP "genre" songs in which we feel good about ourselves.

**Problem

EVERY FREAKIN' THING OUT THERE is a ministry AND A worship experience.

**Solution

Christians should be authentic about where ministry and worship happens: AT CHURCH.

>>Church becomes more important for PoMos than for Boomers
>>Church is about connection to the ancient
>>Church is about realness of Christ and History
>>Christ becomes Jesus and Theology becomes Story
>>Unity in bare orthodoxy becomes more important than party lines
>>For many the question of whether their "non-denom" church is "lawfully in the line of the ordained pastorate of history" becomes important... drift back into catholicism.

-------------------------
I think some comments for or against my rant are warranted. REMEMBER (I am NOT really this CYNICAL).

Switchfoot

Switchfoot's Website

Buy Switchfoot Albums from Amazon

Which God is on the Move?

My friend Troy bought this book: On the Move - by Bono and then left it for me to read this weekend.

I love the political direction. But he rather off handedly includes Christians, Jews and Muslims together as he speaks at the National Prayer breakfast. Bono is definitely a Christian, and probably a true believer, but I wish he wouldn't casually leave the subject matter of "common worship" open as if Muslims and Christians could pray to the same God.

The God Christians worship is Yhwh seen in and through Jesus, resurrected King of Israel and the world. If you worship a different God, he isn't the same one...

Luke

Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee

Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee

VERRRY Fair trade. And connected with Anglican Ministry.

Luke

Sufjan Stevens

Sufjan Stevens is the biggity bomb.

His label is Asthmatic Kitty Records

The first one I bought was Come On, Feel the Illinoise!:



I recommend these:

Seven Swans
Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lake State
Come On, Feel the Illinoise!
The Avalanche

Also his Christmas music is great.

Experiencing God

Experiencing God - Blackaby, Henry and Claude V. King

I have done this Bible study over and over. I think the touchy feely element is actually in the right place here.

Blackaby is a Baptist.

Luke

Watermark

Watermark

These guys make me cry. Remind me of goodness about the Lord, and there is a vocal purity here which is remarkable.

Songs I especially like:


Knees to the Earth
Grateful People
More than You’ll Ever Know

One albums of note:

Watermark

Rice, Anne – Christ the Lord, Out of Egypt

Rice, Anne – Christ the Lord, Out of Egypt

I was very blessed by her insights. Cried a lot.

Stott John – Between Two Worlds

Stott John – Between Two Worlds

Had to read this for a Homiletics class. It surprised me. Refreshingly practical.

Bray, Gerald – The Doctrine of God

Bray, Gerald – The Doctrine of God

History of and arguments for a Western position on the Trinity. If you have wondered whether the Trinity is well founded in scripture, or if it matters to the NT, then this is a good resource.

Omartian, Stormie – The Power of a Praying Husband

This series is very valuable to us for regular ability to prayer for each other.

The Power of a Praying Husband
The Power of a Praying Wife
The Power of a Praying Parent

My wife recommends:
The Power of a Praying Woman

Pearl, Matthew – Dante Club

The Novel is set at post Civil War Harvard. Central characters include Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Oliver Wendell Holmes. It is a fictional murder mystery surrounding the historical translation of Dante’s Comedia.

Very good writing, very good reading. Some gross grizzliness.

Wright, N. T. - The Meal Jesus Gave Us

Wright, N. T. - The Meal Jesus Gave Us

A movingly helpful read on the Eucharist.

Wright, N. T. - The Millenium Myth

Wright, N. T. - The Millenium Myth

A great book about the confrontation between and the overlap of Christianity and Postmodernism.

Wright says Xty is the only answer to the challenge of Postmodernism, because Christianity is not a powerplay if displayed correctly. Christianity also identifies with the deconstruction of false powers. This is what Jesus did to Caesar in the cross.

A good short read.

Claiborne, Shane - The Irresistible Revolution - the simple way

**Claiborne, Shane - The Irresistible Revolution is a very important book to me. It really changed my life. I have since come to disagree with several of my initial reactions - Pacifism, and an itch about Universalism (never sat right with my Bible knowledge).

BUT, the book is a MUST READ.

**the simple way

this is the website of the COMMUNE where Shane lives.

-Luke

Enns, Peter - Inspiration and Incarnation

Enns, Peter - Inspiration and Incarnation

Excellent book that helps show a very rational and historically minded conservative view of scripture.

By conservative I don't mean 6-day. I mean the canon is God's book, the Holy Spirit is the power behind the Word of God to his people.

The Principles of fundamentalism or modernism in reading the Bible are avoided.

Luke

Newbigin, Leslie - Proper Confidence

Newbigin, Leslie - Proper Confidence

Morality on the Screen

"Live or Online: It's Still Voyeurism"

Great article calling Christians to question their views of acceptible entertainment.

Scot McKnight

http://www.jesuscreed.org

Scot McKnight is a widely-recognized authority on the New Testament, early Christianity, and the historical Jesus. He is the Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies at North Park University (Chicago, Illinois). A popular and witty speaker, Dr. McKnight has given interviews on radios across the nation, has appeared on television, and is regularly asked to speak in local churches and educational events. Dr. McKnight obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Nottingham (1986).



Scot McKnight is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and the Society for New Testament Studies. He is the author of more than twenty books, including the award-winning The Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others (Paraclete, 2004), which won the Christianity Today book of the year for Christian Living. Recent books include Embracing Grace: A Gospel for All of Us (Paraclete, 2005), The Story of the Christ (Baker, 2006), and Praying with the Church (Paraclete, 2006). His newest book is The Real Mary: Why Evangelical Christians Can Embrace the Mother of Jesus. Other books include Jesus and His Death (Baylor, 2005), A Light among the Gentiles (Fortress, 1992), A New Vision for Israel (Eerdmans, 1999), Turning to Jesus (Westminster John Knox, 2002), Galatians (Zondervan, 1993) and 1 Peter (Zondervan, 1996), Interpreting the Synoptic Gospels (Baker, 1988), and he is a co-editor with J.B. Green and I.H. Marshall of the award-winning The Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (IVP, 1992) as well as the co-editor, with J.D.G. Dunn, of The Historical Jesus in Current Study (Eisenbraun’s, 2005). He regularly contributes chapter length studies to books and articles for magazines and online webzines. McKnight’s books have been translated into Chinese, Korean, and Russian.

McKnight’s award-winning blog, Jesus Creed, has been rated by Technorati.com as the #1 site for Emerging Church.

Scot McKnight was elected into the Hall of Honor at Cornerstone University in honor of his basketball accomplishments during his college career. He and his wife, Kristen, live in Libertyville, Illinois. They have two adult children, Laura and Lukas

N. T. Wright Page

N. T. Wright

Anglican Bishop of Durham
Personal Hero of Mine

And unofficial but functionally official site that publishes Online for Wright.

http://www.ntwrightpage.com