An interesting look at the Cappadocian region in present day Turkey. I can just envision Basil and the two Gregorys walking around talking about theology and contemplating God.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnTarAH8dIw
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Nightline and Return of the Jedi
This is an early discussion of Return of the Jedi with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert and one Humbug. It is intersting just seeing how old everything looks and remembering the past.
http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB3V3qyZiFM
http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB3V3qyZiFM
Thursday, July 26, 2007
I WISH I WAS A PATRISITC SCHOLAR!
Noted Reformation historian Carl Trueman posted this short article on the Reformation21 online magazine. http://reformation21.com/Reformation_21_Blog/Reformation_21_Blog/58/pm__114/vobId__5903/
Here is a quote which clearly shows why Patristics is where it is all at:
"If I had my time over again, I would have studied patristics rather than Reformation; the evangelical Protestant world has a dearth of good patristic scholars. Michael Haykin and Don Fairbairn are notable exceptions; but we have not done well in this field as a whole; and we have neglected it to our own impoverishment."- Carl Trueman
Here is a quote which clearly shows why Patristics is where it is all at:
"If I had my time over again, I would have studied patristics rather than Reformation; the evangelical Protestant world has a dearth of good patristic scholars. Michael Haykin and Don Fairbairn are notable exceptions; but we have not done well in this field as a whole; and we have neglected it to our own impoverishment."- Carl Trueman
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Ben Cole
Many know I do not like the way Ben Cole acts in the blogosphere. Even if you think there is real change that needs to happen in the SBC, Ben Cole makes it easy for those who do not want change to stop it in its tracks. All who publicly ask for change can now be compared to Ben and his antics. They can now be brushed off and not even engaged seriously. I have tried to demonstrate to some on http://www.sbcoutpost.com/ to think what their affiliation with Ben is doing to their lasting influence. Ben cole is often rude and crude in his posts. He privately and publicly ridicules many. I know of one consistent blogger who won't go to SBCoutpost because of him. Also this same blogger sent him an email to see if they could work things out in a biblical way. What was Ben Cole's reply? Basically that the blogger needed to grow up. I think Ben needs to take his own advice there.
I found the link below that filled me in on just how Ben Cole became what he is today. How he is more interested in the politics of the SBC than Christ like love and service. It is interesting that i can find his blog easily while searching on Google but not his church's website. (if there is one). I think it is sad when church politics become more important than faith.
http://www.texasobserver.org/article.php?aid=2547
I found the link below that filled me in on just how Ben Cole became what he is today. How he is more interested in the politics of the SBC than Christ like love and service. It is interesting that i can find his blog easily while searching on Google but not his church's website. (if there is one). I think it is sad when church politics become more important than faith.
http://www.texasobserver.org/article.php?aid=2547
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Why be Christ- Like?
This is the first installment of good theology brought to you by one or more of the Cappadocian Fathers. Today's installment is from Gregory of Nazianzen. In his first oration Gregory makes it clear why one should do his best to be Godly. i will let him speak for himself.
Oration 1.4-5.
IV. Yesterday I was crucified with Him; today I am glorified with Him; yesterday I died with Him; to-day I am quickened with Him; yesterday I was buried with Him; to-day I rise with Him. But let us offer to Him Who suffered and rose again for us—you will think perhaps that I am going to say gold, or silver, or woven work or transparent and costly stones, the mere passing material of earth, that remains here below, and is for the most part always possessed by bad men, slaves of the world and of the Prince of the world. Let us offer ourselves, the possession most precious to God, and most fitting; let us give back to the Image what is made after the Image. Let us recognize our Dignity; let us honour our Archetype; let us know the power of the Mystery, and for what Christ died.
V. Let us become like Christ, since Christ became like us. Let us become God’s for His sake, since He for ours became Man. He assumed the worse that He might give us the better; He became poor that we through His poverty might be rich; 2 Cor. viii. 9.
He took upon Him the form of a servant that we might receive back our liberty; He came down that we might be exalted; He was tempted that we might conquer; He was dishonoured that He might glorify us; He died that He might save us; He ascended that He might draw to Himself us, who were lying low in the Fall of sin. Let us give all, offer all, to Him Who gave Himself a Ransom and a Reconciliation for us. But one can give nothing like oneself, understanding the Mystery, and becoming for His sake all that He became for ours.
Oration 1.4-5.
IV. Yesterday I was crucified with Him; today I am glorified with Him; yesterday I died with Him; to-day I am quickened with Him; yesterday I was buried with Him; to-day I rise with Him. But let us offer to Him Who suffered and rose again for us—you will think perhaps that I am going to say gold, or silver, or woven work or transparent and costly stones, the mere passing material of earth, that remains here below, and is for the most part always possessed by bad men, slaves of the world and of the Prince of the world. Let us offer ourselves, the possession most precious to God, and most fitting; let us give back to the Image what is made after the Image. Let us recognize our Dignity; let us honour our Archetype; let us know the power of the Mystery, and for what Christ died.
V. Let us become like Christ, since Christ became like us. Let us become God’s for His sake, since He for ours became Man. He assumed the worse that He might give us the better; He became poor that we through His poverty might be rich; 2 Cor. viii. 9.
He took upon Him the form of a servant that we might receive back our liberty; He came down that we might be exalted; He was tempted that we might conquer; He was dishonoured that He might glorify us; He died that He might save us; He ascended that He might draw to Himself us, who were lying low in the Fall of sin. Let us give all, offer all, to Him Who gave Himself a Ransom and a Reconciliation for us. But one can give nothing like oneself, understanding the Mystery, and becoming for His sake all that He became for ours.
Monday, July 9, 2007
LIVE EARTH AND THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS
I watched some of the Live Earth concert this weekend. Overall I think the music was not very good and it was probably more of a waste than anything else since it will probably be forgotten very soon. But what struck me was something Alicia Keys said. I cannot find the exact quote but she said that she that she was excited and pumped up that people from so many different continents were all rallying around one good cause. Here is a link to the closest thing I found to the quote I heard on tv. http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1564250&vid=161346
It made me wonder why could not the church do such a thing? Why could not the church have a Live Church Concert or at least all come together as one church and state the Christ is Lord?
Some would say it is because there are some real differences between the denominations thus we cannot come together as one. While I can see this might be a good point with coming together with very liberal Christians (or very conservative) I do not see how this argument works for the many denominations and groups that are basically conservative and believe in the Lordship of Christ. In the end the only answer that truly works is that the church does not really want to become one. It does not really want to come together to proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord! We are just too busy with our differences and our petty disputes to do what is really important.
I am not arguing that there should just be one denomination or all churches needed to be reunited with Rome or Constaniople. What I am saying is that all Christian churches need to be unified in such a way that we can work together to proclaim in one loud voice that Jesus is Lord.
We need to take some lessons from the Apostolic Fathers and read their writings. I have also been reading the Apostolic Fathers recently. One of their major concerns was the unity of the church. In Ignatius' Letter to the Ephesians he says:
It is therefore befitting that you should in every way glorify Jesus Christ, who hath glorified you, that by a unanimous obedience “ye may be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment, and may all speak the same thing concerning the same thing,”and that, being subject to the bishop and the presbytery, ye may in all respects be sanctified. (Epistle to the Ephesians Chapter 2)
And Clement of Rome arguing against the authors of sedition states:
It is right and holy therefore, men and brethren, rather to obey God than to follow those who, through pride and sedition, have become the leaders of a detestable emulation. For we shall incur no slight injury, but rather great danger, if we rashly yield ourselves to the inclinations of men who aim at exciting strife and tumults, so as to draw us away from what is good. Let us be kind one to another after the pattern of the tender mercy and benignity of our Creator. (Epistle to the Corinthians Chapter 14)
For the Apostolic Fathers one of the greatest sins was disunity of the body of Christ. I think the church needs to relearn this early lesson which Paul and the Church Fathers constantly taught.
Do I see a day when this lesson will be learned? No. Throughout church history there has always been schisms and heresies. From the earliest days of Paul writing to the Church in Galatia and to the Corinthian Church there were schisms and since then it has only become worse.
A Swedish Lutheran friend of mine said he believes that his dream of church unity will be realized before the return of Christ. I believe it will only be realized with the return of Christ but that does not exclude us from trying to live in unity in Christ.
BH
I watched some of the Live Earth concert this weekend. Overall I think the music was not very good and it was probably more of a waste than anything else since it will probably be forgotten very soon. But what struck me was something Alicia Keys said. I cannot find the exact quote but she said that she that she was excited and pumped up that people from so many different continents were all rallying around one good cause. Here is a link to the closest thing I found to the quote I heard on tv. http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1564250&vid=161346
It made me wonder why could not the church do such a thing? Why could not the church have a Live Church Concert or at least all come together as one church and state the Christ is Lord?
Some would say it is because there are some real differences between the denominations thus we cannot come together as one. While I can see this might be a good point with coming together with very liberal Christians (or very conservative) I do not see how this argument works for the many denominations and groups that are basically conservative and believe in the Lordship of Christ. In the end the only answer that truly works is that the church does not really want to become one. It does not really want to come together to proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord! We are just too busy with our differences and our petty disputes to do what is really important.
I am not arguing that there should just be one denomination or all churches needed to be reunited with Rome or Constaniople. What I am saying is that all Christian churches need to be unified in such a way that we can work together to proclaim in one loud voice that Jesus is Lord.
We need to take some lessons from the Apostolic Fathers and read their writings. I have also been reading the Apostolic Fathers recently. One of their major concerns was the unity of the church. In Ignatius' Letter to the Ephesians he says:
It is therefore befitting that you should in every way glorify Jesus Christ, who hath glorified you, that by a unanimous obedience “ye may be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment, and may all speak the same thing concerning the same thing,”and that, being subject to the bishop and the presbytery, ye may in all respects be sanctified. (Epistle to the Ephesians Chapter 2)
And Clement of Rome arguing against the authors of sedition states:
It is right and holy therefore, men and brethren, rather to obey God than to follow those who, through pride and sedition, have become the leaders of a detestable emulation. For we shall incur no slight injury, but rather great danger, if we rashly yield ourselves to the inclinations of men who aim at exciting strife and tumults, so as to draw us away from what is good. Let us be kind one to another after the pattern of the tender mercy and benignity of our Creator. (Epistle to the Corinthians Chapter 14)
For the Apostolic Fathers one of the greatest sins was disunity of the body of Christ. I think the church needs to relearn this early lesson which Paul and the Church Fathers constantly taught.
Do I see a day when this lesson will be learned? No. Throughout church history there has always been schisms and heresies. From the earliest days of Paul writing to the Church in Galatia and to the Corinthian Church there were schisms and since then it has only become worse.
A Swedish Lutheran friend of mine said he believes that his dream of church unity will be realized before the return of Christ. I believe it will only be realized with the return of Christ but that does not exclude us from trying to live in unity in Christ.
BH
Hello! I am new to this blogging thing but I have been told that I think differently about things (I do not know if that is good or bad?) so I thought I would give it a try. For the first post I thought I would just introduce myself.
My name is Carl Peterson. I am 35 years old and I was born in Houston. My family went to an Evangelical Free Church until I was in 4th grade and then we became Baptist. I have been a member of West Memorial Baptist, First Baptist Houston, Texas Oaks Baptist, Grace of the good Shepherd Baptist, and now I am currently at Wedwood Baptist church. I am in the ThM. program at SWBTS. I do not know if I will finish or start my doctoral work at Fordham or Masters work at Notre Dame or Yale next year. I am interested in Eastern Patristics (Church Fathers). I want to concentrate on Gregory of Nazianzus who was one of the three Cappadocians from which this blog gets its name.
I have 1 wife (Sharon) and 1 child (Daniel 13 months). Besides God they are the love of my life. In this blog I hope to bring a different way of looking at things. I will have many posts on the church Fathers and my reading of them. Besides the church Fathers the blog will be heavily influenced by the Eastern Church and by my many friends. This blog will cover everything from politics to Christian living. But I hope all will be interesting. That is all for now.
Peace and be well.
Blackhaw- Carl Peterson
My name is Carl Peterson. I am 35 years old and I was born in Houston. My family went to an Evangelical Free Church until I was in 4th grade and then we became Baptist. I have been a member of West Memorial Baptist, First Baptist Houston, Texas Oaks Baptist, Grace of the good Shepherd Baptist, and now I am currently at Wedwood Baptist church. I am in the ThM. program at SWBTS. I do not know if I will finish or start my doctoral work at Fordham or Masters work at Notre Dame or Yale next year. I am interested in Eastern Patristics (Church Fathers). I want to concentrate on Gregory of Nazianzus who was one of the three Cappadocians from which this blog gets its name.
I have 1 wife (Sharon) and 1 child (Daniel 13 months). Besides God they are the love of my life. In this blog I hope to bring a different way of looking at things. I will have many posts on the church Fathers and my reading of them. Besides the church Fathers the blog will be heavily influenced by the Eastern Church and by my many friends. This blog will cover everything from politics to Christian living. But I hope all will be interesting. That is all for now.
Peace and be well.
Blackhaw- Carl Peterson
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