tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87967877830631536222024-03-14T02:57:14.065-05:00Theology in VerseHymns, Sacred Poems, and Other Theological MusingsM. Justin Wainscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08320212750576421860noreply@blogger.comBlogger1082125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8796787783063153622.post-86656298129373620242015-06-13T19:54:00.000-05:002015-06-13T19:54:22.915-05:00New, Cross-Centered Stanza of "Holy, Holy, Holy"<a href="http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/h/o/holyholy.htm">"Holy, Holy, Holy"</a> is one of the all-time classic and beloved hymns of English hymnody. And for good reason. It's God-centered and Trinitarian in its theology (it was originally written for Trinity Sunday), and it's majestic musically.<br />
<br />
But for some time now, I've felt as if there's been something missing from this classic hymn. There's no stanza that's explicitly Christ-centered and cross-centered. While the cross certainly displays the love and grace and mercy of God, it also displays the holiness of God. And this is a truth that is often overlooked. So why not highlight this truth in a hymn about the holiness of God? We need to be reminded that sin has cost God greatly. At Calvary, God not only unleashed His mercy; He also upheld His holiness - all at the cost of His beloved Son. <br />
<br />
So I've written a new stanza to sing with "Holy, Holy, Holy" to try and communicate these truths. I'm sure other hymnwriters could offer a better additional stanza than this one, but here is my attempt to provide a Christ-centered and cross-centered stanza to a classic hymn (we're going to sing it at our church between the original third and fourth stanzas). <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Holy, holy, holy! raise our eyes to Calv'ry,<br />
That we might behold Thy Son condemned upon the tree.<br />
Oh, how sin has cost Thee; oh, Thy grace and mercy!<br />
Christ, fully punished; sinners, fully free!</blockquote>
M. Justin Wainscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08320212750576421860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8796787783063153622.post-3257939481381507172014-07-11T00:29:00.000-05:002014-07-11T00:29:44.501-05:00And Such Is the Grace of God<i><b>And Such Is the Grace of God</b></i><br />
Justin Wainscott, 2014<br />
<br />
I'm amazed (though not often enough)<br />
at the beauty that comes out of brokenness,<br />
whether it's beautiful music birthed out of misery <br />
or beautiful poetry inspired by pain.<br />
One person's hurt produces another person's healing.<br />
And such is the grace of God.M. Justin Wainscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08320212750576421860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8796787783063153622.post-83132033571107406972014-05-21T08:18:00.000-05:002014-05-21T08:19:21.486-05:00N.D. Wilson on "Lighten Up, Christians, God Loves a Good Time"Nate Wilson continues to write books and articles that are thought-provoking, imaginative, well-stated, and enjoyable to read. His recent article in <i>Christianity Today</i>, <a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2014/april/lighten-up-christians-god-loves-good-time.html">Lighten Up, Christians: God Loves a Good Time</a>, is no exception.<br />
<br />
Here's an excerpt:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
A dolphin flipping through the sun beyond the surf, a falcon in a dive, a
mutt in the back of a truck, flying his tongue like a flag of joy, all
reflect the Maker more wholly than many of our endorsed thinkers,
theologians, and churchgoers.<br />
<br />
[...] <br />
<br />
<div class="text">
We say that we would like to be more like God. So be more thrilled with
moonlight. And babies. And what makes them. And holding on to one lover
until you've both been aged to wine, ready to pour. Holiness is nothing
like a building code. Holiness is 80-year-old hands crafting an apple
pie for others, <em>again</em>. It is aspen trees in a backlit breeze. It is fire on the mountain.</div>
<div class="text">
<br /></div>
<div class="text">
Speak your joy. Mean it. Sing it. Do it. Push it down into your bones.
Let it overflow your banks and flood the lives of others.</div>
<div class="text">
<br /></div>
<div class="text">
At his right hand, there are pleasures forevermore. When we are truly like him, the same will be said of us.</div>
</blockquote>
<div class="text">
Read the entire article <a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2014/april/lighten-up-christians-god-loves-good-time.html">here</a>. </div>
M. Justin Wainscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08320212750576421860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8796787783063153622.post-76590889243168830392014-05-20T06:41:00.000-05:002014-05-20T06:41:00.190-05:00"Love Is a Good Thing" by Andrew Peterson<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="263" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/0cKPF50T15w?rel=0" width="350"></iframe><br />
<br />
<i><b>Love Is a Good Thing</b></i><br />
Andrew Peterson (from <i>Resurrection Letters, Volume II</i>)<br />
<br />
It knocked me down, it dragged me out<br />
It left me there for dead<br />
It took all the freedom I wanted<br />
And gave me something else instead<br />
<br />
It blew my mind, it bled me dry<br />
It hit me like a long goodbye<br />
And nobody here knows better than I<br />
That it's a good thing<br />
<br />
Love is a good thing, it'll fall like rain on your parade<br />
Laugh at the plans that you tried to make<br />
It'll wear you down till your heart just breaks<br />
And it's a good thing, love is a good thing<br />
<br />
It'll wake you up in the middle of the night<br />
It'll take just a little too much, it'll burn you like a cinder<br />
Till you're tender to the touch, it'll chase you down<br />
Swallow you whole, it'll make your blood run hot and cold<br />
Like a thief in the night it'll steal your soul<br />
<br />
And that's a good thing, love is a good thing<br />
It'll follow you down to the ruin of your great divide<br />
And open the wounds that you tried to hide<br />
And there in the rubble of the heart that died<br />
You'll find a good thing, love is a good thing<br />
<br />
Take cover, the end is near, take cover but do not fear<br />
It'll break your will, it'll change your mind<br />
It'll loose all the chains of the ties that bind<br />
If you're lucky you'll never make it out alive<br />
<br />
And that's a good thing, love is a good thing<br />
It can hurt like a blast from a hand grenade<br />
When all that used to matter is blown away<br />
<br />
There in the middle of the mess it made<br />
You'll find a good thing<br />
Yes, it's worth every penny of the price you paid<br />
It's a good thingM. Justin Wainscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08320212750576421860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8796787783063153622.post-61706859948128769192014-05-08T08:46:00.000-05:002014-05-08T08:46:07.091-05:00The Church Singing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.9marks.org/files/9m_Journal_MrApr_churchsings_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.9marks.org/files/9m_Journal_MrApr_churchsings_1.jpg" height="138" width="400" /></a></div>
The new <a href="http://www.9marks.org/journal/church-singing">9Marks Journal</a> is on "The Church Singing." Check it out <a href="http://www.9marks.org/journal/church-singing">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Below is the editor's note from Jonathan Leeman: <br />
<div class="content">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Singing is not one of the nine marks, a point which, not
surprisingly, has come up once or twice with my minister-of-music
father.<br />
<br />
That said, okay, yes, 9Marks does have a <em>few </em>opinions on
music. Our understanding of the local church pushes us toward a slightly
different perspective on church singing than some of our evangelical
brothers and sisters.<br />
<br />
The difference comes down to the question of performance. Who is
performing? The congregation or the people on stage? Dimming the lights
and turning up the volume of instruments and leaders doesn’t necessarily
mean you have turned the congregation into an audience, but it often
does.<br />
Or think about it like this: is the “worship experience” in your
church a solo transaction between the individual worshipper and God as
stimulated by a high-emotion performer up front?<br />
<br />
Because here is an alternative: the musicians and song leaders help
to facilitate an intellectually and emotionally engaged communal
experience where members sing to one another while singing to God. The
primary thing people <em>hear</em> is the faith-reinforcing praises and
laments of their fellow saints. “I’m not the only one who rejoices like
this…mourns like this…pleads like this. So does everyone around me!”
They don’t listen for the organ, electric guitar, or praise ensemble.
They listen for the folksy and hearty voices of other pilgrims walking
alongside them on this long and rocky road of Christian obedience,
rehearsing old memories of Calvary and new hopes of the heavenly city. <br />
<br />
Are these just my preferences that I’m trying to impose? I hope not.
Think about what the New Testament emphasizes when it comes to the
church’s corporate music. It doesn’t talk about crafting a highly
charged worship “experience.” Interestingly, it doesn’t use the language
of “worship” at all in this context (which is not to deny that
corporate singing is worship). Instead, the Bible talks about the
congregation singing to one another (<a class="lbsBibleRef" data-purpose="bible-reference" data-reference="Col. 3.16" data-version="esv" href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Col.%203.16" target="_blank">Col. 3:16</a>; <a class="lbsBibleRef" data-purpose="bible-reference" data-reference="Eph. 5.19" data-version="esv" href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Eph.%205.19" target="_blank">Eph. 5:19</a>), and doing everything for the sake of edifying one another (<a class="lbsBibleRef" data-purpose="bible-reference" data-reference="1 Cor. 14" data-version="esv" href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/1%20Cor.%2014" target="_blank">1 Cor. 14</a>). That’s it: people singing together. When it comes to the topic of music, Christians might do well to talk about the <em>church singing</em> or the <em>congregation singing</em> because that’s what the Bible talks about.<br />
<br />
In this edition of the 9Marks Journal, we start with singing and the
song. Why do congregations sing, what should they sing about, and how
can they sing better? We then think more carefully about the music
itself, particularly with two different perspectives on whether or not
some musical forms are better than others. Finally we think about what
is involved in leading music.</blockquote>
</div>
M. Justin Wainscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08320212750576421860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8796787783063153622.post-58269643926304936022014-05-06T06:26:00.000-05:002014-05-06T06:26:00.515-05:00Resources to Help Your Understanding of the Old TestamentThis past Sunday morning, I preached a sermon titled "Christ, the Christian, and the Old Testament" from Matthew 5:17-18. In that sermon, I encouraged our congregation to make a renewed commitment to a more regular reading of the Old Testament and to see all the ways it's fulfilled in Jesus Christ. <br />
<br />
As a follow-up and as an effort to assist in that task, I thought I would recommend a few resources that I have found helpful for developing a better understanding of the Old Testament and for seeing its fulfillment in Christ. The first two books are great reference works that provide a book-by-book survey of the Old Testament. The Demptser volume is a theology of the Hebrew Bible. And the others are all brief paperbacks oriented toward helping us understand the Old Testament as ultimately fulfilled in and through Jesus. <br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Old-Testament-Second/dp/0310263417/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399338862&sr=1-1&keywords=an+introduction+to+the+old+testament"><i>An Introduction to the Old Testament</i></a>, Tremper Longman III and Raymond Dillard </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Old-Testament-Theology-Paul-House/dp/0830815236/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399338806&sr=1-2&keywords=old+testament+theology"><i>Old Testament Theology</i></a>, Paul House </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dominion-Dynasty-Biblical-Theology-Studies/dp/0830826157/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399338244&sr=1-1&keywords=dominion+and+dynasty"><i>Dominion and Dynasty</i></a>, Stephen Dempster </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gospel-Kingdom-Graeme-Goldsworthy/dp/184227791X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399338358&sr=1-2&keywords=the+gospel+and+the+kingdom"><i>Gospel and Kingdom</i></a>, Graeme Goldsworthy </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Scriptures-Testify-about-Testament/dp/1433538083/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1F2PV72BRN2R6F0N97M2"><i>The Scriptures Testify About Me</i></a>, D.A. Carson </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Unfolding-Mystery-2d-ed/dp/1596388927/ref=pd_sim_b_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=0JHXR9J33YQ88HNAB7ZB"><i>The Unfolding Mystery</i></a>, Edmund Clowney </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Is-Biblical-Theology-Symbolism/dp/1433537710/ref=pd_sim_b_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=1F2PV72BRN2R6F0N97M2"><i>What Is Biblical Theology?</i></a>, Jim Hamilton </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gods-Big-Picture-Tracing-Storyline/dp/0830853642/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0PXM6A0R51VC5KMZDWFE"><i>God's Big Picture</i></a>, Vaughan Roberts </li>
</ul>
M. Justin Wainscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08320212750576421860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8796787783063153622.post-78973959659435324922014-04-20T06:29:00.000-05:002014-04-20T06:29:00.236-05:00Let Us Not Mock God with Metaphor<i><b>Seven Stanzas at Easter</b></i><br />
John Updike, 1960<br />
<br />
Make no mistake: if He rose at all<br />
it was as His body;<br />
if the cells’ dissolution did not reverse, the molecules<br />
reknit, the amino acids rekindle,<br />
the Church will fall.<br />
<br />
It was not as the flowers,<br />
each soft Spring recurrent;<br />
it was not as His Spirit in the mouths and fuddled<br />
eyes of the eleven apostles;<br />
it was as His flesh: ours.<br />
<br />
The same hinged thumbs and toes,<br />
the same valved heart<br />
that–pierced–died, withered, paused, and then<br />
regathered out of enduring Might<br />
new strength to enclose.<br />
<br />
Let us not mock God with metaphor,<br />
analogy, sidestepping, transcendence;<br />
making of the event a parable, a sign painted in the<br />
faded credulity of earlier ages:<br />
let us walk through the door.<br />
<br />
The stone is rolled back, not papier-mâché,<br />
not a stone in a story,<br />
but the vast rock of materiality that in the slow<br />
grinding of time will eclipse for each of us<br />
the wide light of day.<br />
<br />
And if we will have an angel at the tomb,<br />
make it a real angel,<br />
weighty with Max Planck’s quanta, vivid with hair,<br />
opaque in the dawn light, robed in real linen<br />
spun on a definite loom.<br />
<br />
Let us not seek to make it less monstrous,<br />
for our own convenience, our own sense of beauty,<br />
lest, awakened in one unthinkable hour, we are<br />
embarrassed by the miracle,<br />
and crushed by remonstrance.M. Justin Wainscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08320212750576421860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8796787783063153622.post-76505873958236455542014-04-18T07:29:00.002-05:002014-04-18T07:30:59.609-05:00It's Friday...But Sunday's Comin'!It's Friday...But Sunday's comin'! - an excerpt from a S.M. Lockridge sermon<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/YByT6wfdhJs?rel=0" width="420"></iframe>
M. Justin Wainscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08320212750576421860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8796787783063153622.post-37221098829471031202014-04-07T06:05:00.000-05:002014-04-07T06:25:12.266-05:00Sermon Preparation with the Bible in One Hand and the Hymnal in the OtherKarl Barth's pairing of the Bible and the newspaper is well known: "We should read the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other." True enough. But I would like to make a similar suggestion to my fellow preachers. Preachers should prepare with the Bible in one hand and with the hymnal in the other.<br />
<br />
Let me explain what I mean. If you are a preacher and you do not use the texts of hymns (ancient or
modern) to illustrate the truths you preach, you are failing to take
advantage of an incredibly helpful and powerful means of illustration. Here are five reasons why incorporating hymn texts in your preaching can prove beneficial.<br />
<ol>
</ol>
<ul>
<li>Hymn texts, and especially familiar hymn texts, often have deep
emotional roots in the hearts of believers, which makes them
particularly effective (and memorable) for vividly illustrating a biblical truth. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Hymn texts are poetic in nature, and poetry can have a strong oratorical effect. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Hymn texts, in and of themselves, teach us something theologically
(sometimes good, sometimes bad). So, why not utilize the good ones to help teach our hearers the truth that they are singing, and how the truth in that song is
based on the truth of God's Word? This helps connect the biblical and
theological dots for them - both in the biblical text and in the
hymn that they may have sung hundreds of times before but never really
thought about until you pointed it out to them. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Hymn texts that are used well in a sermon illustration will be sung
with much more understanding and appreciation the next time around. In other words, using that hymn text as
an illustration makes that hymn even more meaningful for your hearers,
which means you are helping strengthen and reinforce the importance of
congregational singing (as well as the importance of singing good
theology). </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Hymn texts that are quoted in a sermon, when those hymns either have
been sung or will be sung in the same worship service, unifies the worship
experience and teaches the congregation something about the
holistic nature of public worship.</li>
</ul>
<ol>
</ol>
M. Justin Wainscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08320212750576421860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8796787783063153622.post-59571002640472844932014-04-05T13:20:00.001-05:002014-04-05T17:51:54.972-05:00Signs of Life...New Life<i>The article below, my reflections on spring and the resurrection, originally appeared as a guest column in the recent issue of the<a href="http://www.myvirtualpaper.com/doc/tennessee-baptist-convention/digital4-2-14/2014040101/?referrer=http%3A//www.tnbaptist.org/BRNews.asp#7"> </a></i><a href="http://www.myvirtualpaper.com/doc/tennessee-baptist-convention/digital4-2-14/2014040101/?referrer=http%3A//www.tnbaptist.org/BRNews.asp#7">Baptist & Reflector</a><i><a href="http://www.myvirtualpaper.com/doc/tennessee-baptist-convention/digital4-2-14/2014040101/?referrer=http%3A//www.tnbaptist.org/BRNews.asp#7">.</a> I appreciate them publishing it.</i><br />
<br />
Although the first day of spring has officially arrived, it seems as if winter wants to keep its grip on us. Temperatures have remained unseasonably cold, and we even set a record low in Jackson last week. However, there are signs that spring really has arrived. The days are getting longer, trees are sprouting leaves, and flowers are beginning to bloom.<br />
<br />
But for most of us, it can't come soon enough. We have grown tired of the cold, dreary days. For the last few months, when we looked outside our windows, all we saw were evidences of death. But thankfully, we are now beginning to see signs of life everywhere - even in the changing color palette of the seasons. The morbid grays and browns of winter are giving way to the vivid greens and reds and yellows of spring. And even though it happens every year, it never seems to get old. We can rejoice in the fact that the cold death of winter has been overcome by the new life of spring.<br />
<br />
It's as if creation itself is acting out a cosmic parable of resurrection power, teaching us the promise of new life. No wonder Martin Luther once said, "Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in spring time." The created order gives us a yearly reminder of new life; it provides us with a visual illustration of our Lord's victory over death. Or, to put it in poetic form:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The fallen leaves<br />
from autumn trees<br />
descend to their earthly tomb;<br />
yet limbs which shed<br />
their leaves all dead<br />
trust new life again will bloom.<br />
<br />
'Cause little mounds<br />
of lifeless browns<br />
are only half the story;<br />
for, lively green<br />
will soon be seen<br />
with spring all its glory.<br />
<br />
'Tis all a sign<br />
of truth divine,<br />
revealed for our reflection;<br />
as one life ends,<br />
a new begins -<br />
yes, death brings resurrection.</blockquote>
So as we make our way toward Good Friday and the agony of Calvary, let us be mindful that Easter Sunday is coming too. As we approach the cross, let us do so with the hope of the empty tomb. Let us do so with the hope of the resurrection. And let us do so with eyes open wide to the world around us, seeing signs of new life, which point ultimately to the One who said, "I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25). M. Justin Wainscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08320212750576421860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8796787783063153622.post-14477748668686724702014-03-31T06:24:00.000-05:002014-03-31T06:24:00.504-05:00An Opening Day Poem<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:U46zVL80y-aVCM:http://raphaellowe.com/portal/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/1986.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:U46zVL80y-aVCM:http://raphaellowe.com/portal/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/1986.gif" height="192" width="320" /></a></div>
<strong><em></em></strong>A poem in honor of the Opening Day of the Major League Baseball season. <strong><em> </em></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><em>Baseball</em></strong><br />John Updike, 1932-2009<br /><br />It looks easy from a distance,<br />easy and lazy, even,<br />until you stand up to the plate<br />and see the fastball sailing inside,<br />an inch from your chin,<br />or circle in the outfield<br />straining to get a bead<br />on a small black dot<br />a city block or more high,<br />a dark star that could fall<br />on your head like a leaden meteor.<br /><br />The grass, the dirt, the deadly hops<br />between your feet and overeager glove:<br />football can be learned,<br />and basketball finessed, but<br />there is no hiding from baseball<br />the fact that some are chosen<br />and some are not - those whose mitts<br />feel too left-handed,<br />who are scared at third base<br />of the pulled line drive,<br />and at first base are scared<br />of the shortstop's wild throw<br />that stretches you out like a gutted deer.<br /><br />There is nowhere to hide when the ball's<br />spotlight swivels your way,<br />and the chatter around you falls still,<br />and the mothers on the sidelines,<br />your own among them, hold their breaths,<br />and you whiff on a terrible pitch<br />or in the infield achieve<br />something with the ball so<br />ridiculous you blush for years.<br />It's easy to do. Baseball was<br />invented in America, where beneath<br />the good cheer and sly jazz the chance<br />of failure is everybody's right,<br />beginning with baseball.<br /><br />--Taken from <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Endpoint-Other-Poems-John-Updike/dp/0307272869/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270066740&sr=8-2">Endpoint and Other Poems</a></em>, John Updike
M. Justin Wainscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08320212750576421860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8796787783063153622.post-73983420018396607652014-03-21T13:57:00.000-05:002014-03-21T13:57:41.081-05:00Learning from the Birds<i><b>Overheard in an Orchard</b></i><br />
Elizabeth Cheney<br />
<br />
Said the robin to the sparrow,<br />
"I would really like to know<br />
why those anxious human beings<br />
rush around and worry so."<br />
<br />
Said the sparrow to the robin,<br />
"Friend, I think that it must be<br />
that they have no Heavenly Father<br />
such as cares for you and me."M. Justin Wainscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08320212750576421860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8796787783063153622.post-32137964451530824712014-03-11T07:25:00.002-05:002014-03-11T07:26:22.953-05:00Timothy George to Give Scholar-in-Residence Lectures at Union University on "Christian Witness in Nazi Germany"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Timothy George, founding dean of <a href="http://www.beesondivinity.com/">Beeson Divinity School</a>, will be speaking about the Christian witness in Nazi Germany at the Scholar-in-Residence Lecture Series at <a href="http://www.uu.edu/">Union University</a> March 20-27.<br />
<br />
The dates, times, and lecture topics are as follows:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"The Road to Barmen" - March 20, 7:00PM<br />
<br />
"Doing Theology as Though Nothing Has Happened: The Witness of Barth and Bonhoeffer," March 22, 3:00PM<br />
<br />
"No One Left for Me: The Lonely Courage of Martin Niemoller," March 25, 7:00PM<br />
<br />
"Giving Thanks in Hitler's Reich: Paul Schneider as Pastor and Martyr," March 27, 7:00PM</blockquote>
The lectures will be held in the Carl Grant Events Center and are free and open to the public. M. Justin Wainscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08320212750576421860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8796787783063153622.post-62995196531521772872014-03-05T08:35:00.000-05:002014-03-05T09:37:28.027-05:00Congregational Singing Starts with the PastorMy article in the current issue of the <em>Baptist & Reflector</em> is an "amen" to <a href="http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgcworship/2014/02/18/five-ways-to-improve-congregational-singing/">the recent post by Keith Getty</a> on improving congregational singing and a plea to fellow pastors to recognize our responsibility to lead in this area. <br />
<br />
You can read the article in the virtual version of the B&R <a href="http://www.myvirtualpaper.com/doc/tennessee-baptist-convention/digital3-5-14/2014030401/?referrer=http%3A//www.tnbaptist.org/BRNews.asp#5">here</a>.M. Justin Wainscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08320212750576421860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8796787783063153622.post-40972324810733424742014-02-28T06:22:00.000-05:002014-02-28T06:22:00.220-05:00His Blood Shall Over All PrevailI love the last two lines of this stanza by Toplady:<br /><br /><strong><em>The Sinner's Rest</em></strong><br />Augustus Toplady, 1740-1778<br /><br />Oh, that I now the voice might hear,<br />That speaks my sins forgiv'n;<br />His Word is past to give me here<br />The inward pledge of heav'n.<br />His blood shall over all prevail,<br />And sanctify the unclean;<br />The grace that saves from future hell,<br />Shall save from present sin.
M. Justin Wainscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08320212750576421860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8796787783063153622.post-82578447800334095362014-02-25T06:14:00.000-05:002014-02-25T06:14:00.507-05:00What Baseball Can Teach Us About Christian LivingAs Spring Training is now under way and Opening Day of the Major League Baseball season draws ever closer, I found this article by David Prince on <a href="http://erlc.com/article/what-baseball-can-teach-us-about-christian-living">What Baseball Can Teach Us About Christian Living</a> to be an enjoyable read.<br />
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Baseball
requires a kind of moral courage that keeps persisting in the face of
inevitable repeated personal failures. - See more at:
http://erlc.com/article/what-baseball-can-teach-us-about-christian-living#sthash.XHchCiUI.dpuf</div>
M. Justin Wainscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08320212750576421860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8796787783063153622.post-3057668870956429652014-02-21T06:21:00.000-05:002014-02-21T06:21:00.553-05:00A Bleeding Christ Is All They Plead<strong><em>The God of Grace Delights to Hear</em></strong><br />
W.W. Horne<br />
<br />
The God of grace delights to hear<br />
The plaintive cry, the humble prayer;<br />
Nor shall the weakest saint complain<br />
That he has sought the Lord in vain.<br />
<br />
With power to Jacob's seed He speaks;<br />
His Word the heart asunder breaks;<br />
While grace the rage of sin controls,<br />
And deep repentance melts their souls.<br />
<br />
"Seek ye my face," Jehovah cries;<br />
With joy the contrite heart replies,<br />
"Thy face I seek; with power descend,<br />
From every foe my soul defend!"<br />
<br />
A bleeding Christ is all they plead,<br />
And all that guilty sinners need;<br />
In whose dear name their fervent cries<br />
Before the Lord like incense rise.M. Justin Wainscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08320212750576421860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8796787783063153622.post-23946377392921855472014-02-20T15:14:00.000-05:002014-02-20T15:14:18.763-05:00Keith Getty on Improving Congregational Singing By now, I'm sure many of you have already seen the helpful reminders from Keith Getty on improving congregational singing, but if you haven't, I encourage you to read what he has to say in this piece on The Gospel Coalition worship blog:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgcworship/2014/02/18/five-ways-to-improve-congregational-singing/">Five Ways to Improve Congregational Singing</a>M. Justin Wainscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08320212750576421860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8796787783063153622.post-49563830201897367322014-02-10T07:26:00.000-05:002014-02-10T08:30:40.932-05:00"That's My King!" - S.M. LockridgeYesterday morning, while preaching on the Kingship of Jesus Christ, I quoted a brief excerpt from the now famous sermon on the same theme by S.M. Lockridge. If you're familiar with this sermon, then you know that just quoting it (especially by a white man like me) doesn't do it justice. You need to hear it from Lockridge himself to get the full effect. So, I thought I'd post it here for those of you who may have never heard it before (I'm using the video just so you can see his actual words as you listen). And believe me, it's well worth the six minutes it takes to hear this!<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/yX_7j32zgNw?rel=0" width="400"></iframe> M. Justin Wainscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08320212750576421860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8796787783063153622.post-83217758927589007252014-02-06T06:01:00.000-05:002014-02-06T06:01:00.284-05:00The Voice of Silence <i><b>Silence Has a Voice</b></i><br />
Justin Wainscott <br />
<br />
Silence has a voice.<br />
Sometimes it whispers;<br />
sometimes it roars.<br />
It can sound like snow,<br />
or it can sound like thunder.<br />
But make no mistake,<br />
it speaks - speaks<br />
to those who have<br />
the ears to hear.<br />
Shhh! Can you hear it? M. Justin Wainscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08320212750576421860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8796787783063153622.post-51995889879788956782014-02-05T06:38:00.000-05:002014-02-05T06:38:00.073-05:00Paul Clark on "Media and Worship - Careful Consideration"My friend, Paul Clark, has a great article on his blog regarding <a href="http://paulclarkjr.com/2014/02/04/media-and-worship-careful-contemplation/">media and worship</a> that is worth reading. Here's just a snippet:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Lest you think I am just a non-comformist, old fashioned
stick-in-the-mud who refuses to keep up, I am, after all, writing this
on a <i>blog, </i>ok? Twenty years ago none of us had ever heard of the
term, “blog.” Give me a little credit here. This is not some kind of a
“burn your cellphone” rant. Rather, my appeal to the church is for us
to think about the implications, ramifications, and long-term impact upon
our culture of these “advances” and more particularly, I would call for
serious consideration of how embracing their use affects our worship,
and how it might impact the spiritual lives of the worshipers.
Certainly, very careful evaluation as to how technology effects worship
when it is used in the gathered worship event itself must be a concern
for church leadership. The field of media ecology has evolved into a
field of study of which more Christian leaders, and particularly worship
ministry leaders, must take note. <br />
<br />
[...]<br />
<br />
I am not necessarily advocating an abandonment of technological devices
in our gathered worship. Like anyone I could provide a significant list
of ways technology can and does contribute to the worship environment.
What I <i>am </i>positing is a need for prayerful, careful
consideration of any and all technologically induced and produced
materials in worship.</blockquote>
To read the entire article, click <a href="http://paulclarkjr.com/2014/02/04/media-and-worship-careful-contemplation/">here</a>. <br />
<br />
And for those of you in and around Jackson, Tennessee, you might be interested in joining us at <a href="http://www.fbcjackson.org/">First Baptist Church</a> the next few Sunday nights as we consider how we should think about and use technology in appropriate ways as followers of Jesus Christ (including in worship). We will be led by Dr. Ben Mitchell and Dr. Justin Barnard, and the topics for each night are listed below.<br />
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<br />
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<i><b>Following Christ in the Age of Twitter (with Ben Mitchell and Justin Barnard)</b></i></div>
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<b>First Baptist Church | Jackson, TN </b></div>
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<b>Sunday Nights at 5:00 PM </b></div>
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2/9 "Saved, Saved, Saved: Technology's Promise and Problems" - C. Ben Mitchell </div>
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<br /></div>
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2/16 "Gadgets @ Hearth & Home: Technology and Family Life" - Justin D. Barnard </div>
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<br /></div>
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2/23 "Help! I’m LinkedIn and My iPad is Driving Me Google" - C. Ben Mitchell </div>
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<br /></div>
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3/2 "PowerPoint Praise? Technology and Church Life" - Justin D. Barnard </div>
M. Justin Wainscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08320212750576421860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8796787783063153622.post-24458179852784075152014-01-27T07:15:00.000-05:002014-01-27T07:15:00.863-05:00A Brief Description of Sermon Preparation I love this paragraph by Kent Hughes from his article, "Reading the Bible for Preaching and Public Worship," in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/ESV-Study-Bible-Crossway-Bibles/dp/1433502410/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1390569259&sr=1-1&keywords=esv+study+bible"><i>ESV Study Bible</i></a>: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
This is what should routinely happen to the preacher: the message should work its way through his whole intellectual and moral being as he prepares for and practices the proclamation of God's Word. When the message has affected him deeply, then he is ready to preach. Sermon preparation is twenty hours of prayer. It is humble, holy, critical thinking. It is repeatedly asking the Holy Spirit for insight. It is the Word penetrating into the depths of the preacher's own soul. It is ongoing repentance. It is utter dependence. It is a singing heart. </blockquote>
M. Justin Wainscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08320212750576421860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8796787783063153622.post-12872373477713672692014-01-24T06:46:00.000-05:002014-01-24T07:47:26.210-05:00A Hymn for Afflicted and Doubting Hearts<strong><em>Pensive, Doubting, Fearful Heart</em></strong><br />John Newton, 1725-1807<br /><br /><em>Based on Isaiah 41:10, 14; 54:4-11</em><br /><br />Pensive, doubting, fearful heart,<br />Hear what Christ the Savior says;<br />Every word should joy impart,<br />Change thy morning into praise.<br />Yes, he speaks, and speaks to thee,<br />May he help thee to believe;<br />Then thou presently wilt see<br />Thou hast little cause to grieve:<br /><br />Fear thou not, nor be ashamed;<br />All thy sorrows soon shall end,<br />I, who heaven and earth have framed,<br />Am thy Husband and thy Friend;<br />I, the High and Holy One,<br />Israel's God by all adored,<br />As thy Savior will be known,<br />Thy Redeemer and thy Lord.<br /><br />For a moment I withdrew,<br />And thy heart was filled with pain;<br />But my mercies I'll renew;<br />Thou shalt soon rejoice again;<br />Though I seem to hide my face,<br />Very soon my wrath shall cease;<br />'Tis but for a moment's space,<br />Ending in eternal peace.<br /><br />Though afflicted, tempest-tossed,<br />Comfortless awhile thou art,<br />Do not think thou canst be lost,<br />Thou art graven on my heart;<br />All thy wastes I will repair;<br />Thou shalt be rebuilt anew;<br />And in thee it shall apear<br />What the God of love can do.
M. Justin Wainscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08320212750576421860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8796787783063153622.post-32887162658354178952014-01-20T06:58:00.000-05:002014-01-20T07:59:55.526-05:00Celebrating MLK DayDr. Martin Luther King's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk&feature=PlayList&p=17370270D4CF125B&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=1">I Have a Dream</a> speech is still one of the great masterpieces of American oratory.<br />
<br />
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<br />
And his <a href="http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/mlkbirm.htm">Letter from a Birmingham Jail</a> is still one of the great masterpieces of American Christian ethics.M. Justin Wainscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08320212750576421860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8796787783063153622.post-70438541052248076162014-01-17T06:13:00.000-05:002014-01-17T06:13:00.987-05:00Rend Every Veil That Shades Thy Face<strong><em>Chained to the World, To Sin Tied Down</em></strong><br />
Augustus Toplady, 1740-1778<br /><br />Chained to the world, to sin tied down,<br />In darkness still I lie;<br />Lord, break my bonds, Lord, give me wings,<br />And teach me how to fly.<br /><br />Instruct my feeble hands to war,<br />In me Thy strength reveal,<br />To put my every lust to death,<br />And fight Thy battles well.<br /><br />Rend every veil that shades Thy face,<br />Put on Thine helmet, Lord;<br />My sin shall fall, my guilt expire,<br />Beneath Thy conquering sword.<br /><br />Thou art the mighty God of hosts,<br />Whose counsels never fail;<br />Be Thou my glorious Chief, and then<br />I cannot but prevail.M. Justin Wainscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08320212750576421860noreply@blogger.com