Merry Christmas! Behold the Lamb of God!

Beautiful Eulogy - "Exile Dial Tone"

From my favorite album of the year. I was greatly encouraged when I listened to this song again this morning.

Some Observations and Quotes from "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde

I use Grammarly to check grammar online because English is so confusing you could end up spelling potato "ghoughphtheightteeau".

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I am currently reading through Oscar Wilde's book The Picture of Dorian Gray. I'm about 2/3 of the way through it, but I've found it quite fascinating so far. It is an intriguing look at morality, good and evil, and the effect of sin on people. 

For those unfamiliar with the plot, here's a very quick (and woefully insufficient, summary): Dorian Gray is a young man known for his beauty and loved by a very talented artist for his innocence in that beauty. That artist paints a wonderful portrait of Mr. Gray, capturing the beauty of his youth perfectly, but leading to a crisis when Lord Henry points out to him that his beauty will fade and then he will have nothing. Mr. Gray makes a statement about how he wishes the portrait would age instead of him, which winds up being the case. Lord Henry proceeds to entirely corrupt Mr. Gray in numerous ways, and this moral decay and degradation shows up in the painting itself, reflecting the corruption of Mr. Gray's soul itself.

It is a fascinating look at sin, its effects, and the inability of someone, truly, to hide their depravity from others, try as they might. The cynicism reflected in Lord Henry is remarkable in its clarity and despicableness, and it has clearly been bought into by many people today, as well. I hate most of what he says, but it is always well said.

For example, here are Lord Henry's comments to Mr. Gray about his youth:

"Some day, when you are old and wrinkled and ugly, when thought has seared your forehead with its lines, and passion branded your lips with its hideous fires, you will feel it, you will feel it terribly. Now, wherever you go, you charm the world. Will it always be so? . . . You have a wonderfully beautiful face, Mr. Gray. Don't frown. You have. And beauty is a form of genius -- is higher, indeed, than genius, as it needs no explanation. It is of the great facts of the world, like sunlight, or spring-time, or the reflection in dark waters of that silver shell we call the moon. It cannot be questioned. It has its divine right of sovereignty. It makes princes of those who have it. You smile? Ah! when you have lost it you won't smile. . . . People say sometimes that beauty is only superficial. That may be so, but at least it is not so superficial as thought is. To me, beauty is the wonder of wonders. It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances. The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible. . . . Yes, Mr. Gray, the gods have been good to you. But what the gods give they quickly take away. You have only a few years in which to live really, perfectly, and fully. When your youth goes, your beauty will go with it, and then you will suddenly discover that there are no triumphs left for you, or have to content yourself with those mean triumphs that the memory of your past will make more bitter than defeats. Every month as it wanes brings you nearer to something dreadful. Time is jealous of you, and wars against your lilies and your roses. You will become sallow, and hollow-cheeked, and dull-eyed. You will suffer horribly.... Ah! realize your youth while you have it. Don't squander the gold of your days, listening to the tedious, trying to improve the hopeless failure, or giving away your life to the ignorant, the common, and the vulgar. These are the sickly aims, the false ideals, of our age. Live! Live the wonderful life that is in you! Let nothing be lost upon you. Be always searching for new sensations. Be afraid of nothing. . . . A new Hedonism -- that is what our century wants. You might be its visible symbol." (2.16)

And here are some comments reflecting his theology of sin:

Experience was of no ethical value. It was merely the name men gave to their mistakes. Moralists had, as a rule, regarded it as a mode of warning, had claimed for it a certain ethical efficacy in the formation of character, had praised it as something that taught us what to follow and showed us what to avoid. But there was no motive power in experience. It was as little of an active cause as conscience itself. All that it really demonstrated was that our future would be the same as our past, and that the sin we had done once, and with loathing, we would do many times, and with joy. (4.20)

And finally, a conversation that shows his theory of goodness:

"Pleasure is the only thing worth having a theory about," he answered in his slow melodious voice. "But I am afraid I cannot claim my theory as my own. It belongs to Nature, not to me. Pleasure is Nature's test, her sign of approval. When we are happy, we are always good, but when we are good, we are not always happy." 

"Ah! but what do you mean by good?" cried Basil Hallward. 

"Yes," echoed Dorian, leaning back in his chair and looking at Lord Henry over the heavy clusters of purple-lipped irises that stood in the centre of the table, "what do you mean by good, Harry?" 

"To be good is to be in harmony with one's self," he replied, touching the thin stem of his glass with his pale, fine-pointed fingers. "Discord is to be forced to be in harmony with others. One's own life – that is the important thing. As for the lives of one's neighbours, if one wishes to be a prig or a Puritan, one can flaunt one's moral views about them, but they are not one's concern. Besides, individualism has really the higher aim. Modern morality consists in accepting the standard of one's age. I consider that for any man of culture to accept the standard of his age is a form of the grossest immorality." 

"But, surely, if one lives merely for one's self, Harry, one pays a terrible price for doing so?" suggested the painter. 

"Yes, we are overcharged for everything nowadays. I should fancy that the real tragedy of the poor is that they can afford nothing but self-denial. Beautiful sins, like beautiful things, are the privilege of the rich." (6.8)

It's hard to really recommend the book because of its awful worldview and depiction of grievous sins, but it's also a wonderful study in the futility of sin and its ultimate effect on a man. For that, I am finding it quite interesting.

Shooing Away the Legalism Boogeyman

From Eric Davis at the Cripplegate:

The “L” word. It’s one of the ugliest of all words: legalism. Defined as the idea that we can earn right standing with God, it does violence to the glorious gospel of Christ. It says, “No, sorry, it’s not enough,” to the substitutionary atoning work of Christ. It confuses the way to forgiveness, it tarnishes the gospel of grace, it lays up heavy burdens that no one can carry, it crushes hope, and fuels despair. It declares that man possesses finesse to propitiate the just wrath of God due our sin. For that, legalism is deadly and must be opposed at every level. Paul called it another gospel whose proponents are condemned (Gal 1:8-9). 

Consequently, labeling something/one legalistic ought to be done with caution. To bring the charge is to say that this thing or person is in danger of propagating an unsavable system and trampling the cross of Christ. So if we label something legalistic, we better thoroughly understand the gospel, the definition of legalism, and what exactly is happening with what we are labeling as legalistic. Otherwise, we are sinning by erroneously labeling something in opposition to the cross of Jesus Christ. 

Even so, the legalism card often gets overplayed. More and more I’ve interacted with Christians humbly and faithfully working out their salvation with fear and trembling, only to have the legalism card slapped on them. As such, they’re being fallaciously warned about legalism boogeymen. There are many I’ve heard of lurking in Christendom.

Here are the 5 "legalism boogeymen" he wants to get rid of:

1. Encouraging others to turn from sin and obey Christ’s commands.
2. Being discouraged over our failure to obey God’s commands. 
3. A feeling of guilt. 
4. Great desire for increasing spiritual maturity. 
5. Trying hard to obey Christ’s commands. 

His conclusion:

Where legalism truly exists, we must resist and oppose it at every level. Few things mar the Person and finished work of Jesus Christ like it. But let’s be calculated and careful so as to ensure we’re shooing away the real thing and not boogeymen.

My Top 10 Favorite Albums of 2013

My musical tastes are quite eclectic, as evidenced by my list below. I have no sophisticated method of coming up with this list each year. I just go through everything that came out in 2013 that I found myself listening to a lot, and here's the list of my favorites. I don't listen to everything, so there are likely some really good albums not on this list. There's also a few that probably won't make any other lists, but I couldn't stop listening to them. I also included a few EPs that were too good to leave off the list.

The top spot was really tough for me. Vampire Weekend grew on me over the course of the year and is a spectacular album, but Beautiful Eulogy's sophomore album was simply too good to not claim the top spot. Chvrches was a big surprise, since electronic is not usually my style, but it quickly won me over and has been listened to so much over the past months. Jason Isbell has become one of my favorite songwriters, and Southeastern is an amazing work. I saw twenty one pilots when they opened for another band a few years ago and was hooked. So glad their official debut came out this year. The Gray Havens' EP is a beautiful work of art, and I am so excited to hear their new full-length album they are currently working on. Daft Punk didn't hit me the first few listens, but eventually grew on me enough to make the list. James Bay's EP showcases a guy who I hope will blow me away with his debut album. Alter Bridge is a sentimental favorite for me, but their fourth album is also a work of metal genius with some of the best singing on any rock album. Finally, Lorde's debut album was similar to Chvrches for me. Not usually my style, but her incredible songwriting won me over.

Here's my list:

1. Beautiful Eulogy – Instruments of Mercy
2. Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires
3. Chvrches – The Bones of What You Believe
4. Jason Isbell – Southeastern
5. twenty one pilots – Vessel 
6. The Gray Havens – Where Eyes Don’t Go (EP)
7. Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
8. James Bay – The Dark of the Morning (EP)
9. Alter Bridge – Fortress 
10. Lorde – Pure Heroine

Others I really enjoyed:

• Dustin Kensrue – The Water & The Blood
• Keith and Kristen Getty – Live At The Gospel Coalition
• Ellie Holcomb – With You Now (EP)
• Shane and Shane – Bring Your Nothing

My Top 10 Favorite Books I Read in 2013

I read quite a few books during 2013, some required for seminary and some that were not. This list is a mix of those two categories, although this particularly reflects the emphases of some of my classes this year. Out of those books, these are the 10 that I found most interesting, entertaining, edifying, enlightening, challenging, and/or simply enjoyable.

1. The King in His Beauty: A Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments – Tom Schreiner

• Honestly one of my favorite books I have ever read. Schreiner deftly moves through each book of the Bible (while grouping some, such as Paul's epistles), showing how each connects to the Bible's overall storyline and themes while letting them speak for themselves. It is a treasure trove of Biblical knowledge, wisdom, and insight. It's written at a level that I think most Christians could handle, despite its length, and I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to get a better handle on how the whole Bible fits together as one coherent story, centered on the kingdom of God, fulfilled in Christ. 

2. Death by Living: Life is Meant to Be Spent – N.D. Wilson

• Absolutely beautiful. There were sections of this book that literally took my breath away and made me stop reading to think and pray and be thankful. Gorgeously poetic, thankfulness-inducing, and filled with grace.

3. What Is Biblical Theology?: A Guide to the Bible's Story, Symbolism, and Patterns – Jim Hamilton

• I had the privilege of taking Dr. Hamilton for an Old Testament class in seminary, and it was one of my favorite classes so far. This book is a fantastic summary of much of what I learned from him in that setting. His skill in showing the connections between OT authors that are picked up in the NT is astounding at times. He really shows you how to read your Bible the way the Biblical authors read it, seeing the big themes and symbols that make up the worldview of the Bible.

4. Dominion and Dynasty: A Biblical Theology of the Hebrew Bible – Stephen Dempster

• SO good. Dempster walks through the entire Hebrew Bible, developing the internal themes that Scripture itself develops and connects, emphasizing the ideas of dominion (essentially land) and dynasty (seed or descendants). He connects inter-textual themes so well and lets them happen naturally, never forced. The section on the Pentateuch is especially good. The chapter on Genesis alone is worth the price of the book. Fantastic stuff.

5. Kingdom through Covenant: A Biblical-Theological Understanding of the Covenants – Peter Gentry and Stephen Wellum

• A fantastic whole-Bible theology that seeks to find a middle way between Covenant and Dispensational theology. Wellum takes the summary and application chapters as the Systematic theologian, and Gentry walks through all the Biblical covenants in the lengthy middle section. They make a convincing case for seeing the covenants as the "backbone" on the Biblical storyline. Even where I didn't agree, I found their arguments well done.

6. The Brothers Karamazov – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

• Crime and Punishment was my #1 book last year. This was really good, but didn't quite live up to that for me. I enjoyed the first half of the book (with its back and forth monologues on religion so prominent) more than the second half, but an extremely rewarding read overall. The scope and complexity of the plot is pretty astounding.

7. The Epistle to the Romans – Doug Moo

• This was probably the most I have ever enjoyed reading a commentary (which is good considering it was 941 pages of commentary...). Moo is a thorough scholar, a lucid writer, and weaves academic research and devotional prose together extremely well here. I read this for an exegesis class on Romans, but I was personally helped by reading this quite a bit.

8. Finally Free: Fighting for Purity with the Power of Grace – Heath Lambert

• Spectacular. Should be read by every person (guy or girl) struggling in this area, and by everyone who wants to pastor people, as you will definitely encounter it. Great example of how to lead someone through repenting and give them Biblical tools for fighting their sin and looking to Christ in the gospel.

9. Reading the Gospels Wisely: A Narrative and Theological Introduction – Jonathan Pennington

• A little dense and academic at times, especially in the historical and hermeneutical discussions, but these sections are still really good and the book overall is fantastic. Made me love and want to read the gospels more and better.

10. Sojourners and Strangers: The Doctrine of the Church – Gregg Allison

• Extremely good. Great in-depth discussion of the numerous issues, with Allison taking well-defended stances while being fair to contrasting positions. Even where I disagreed, I understood exactly why and how he ended up with his position. Will come back to this numerous times in the future, I'm sure.

The ACLU versus Religious and Civil Liberties

From the Editors at National Review Online:

There can be no truce in the culture war — the Left has made that abundantly clear. It is not sufficient that there be a nearly unrestricted abortion license, or that those who object to it nonetheless be compelled to support it financially, through the Obamacare mandate and other federal adventures. The American Civil Liberties Union now is seeking to force Catholic organizations not only to subsidize abortions but to perform them as well. 

This is a gross violation of the First Amendment and a despicable political gambit. That the ACLU deserves to lose this lawsuit goes without saying; more relevant is that the organization and its officers should be deeply ashamed of themselves even for attempting it. The ACLU once was an organization that occasionally (and opportunistically) interceded against the Orwellian boot stamping on a human face forever. The organization has even come to the assistance of this magazine in the matter of Michael Mann’s risible lawsuit against us. But in this matter, the ACLU is choosing to be the boot. 

The ACLU is suing the U.S. Catholic bishops over the case of Tamesha Means, a woman who sought treatment for a pregnancy-related problem at a Catholic hospital, Mercy Health Partners. The ACLU contends that Miss Means should have been prescribed an abortion, but Catholic hospitals do not offer that gruesome service. The ACLU hopes to see the power of the state deployed to force them to do so. 

This is not a question of legal access to abortion: There is an abortionist two blocks away from the main Mercy Health campus in Muskegon, Mich. As with the Obamacare mandate, the issue is not whether those who wish to avail themselves of certain services will be able to, but that those who object to them must be forced to participate. There is a kind of perverse psychology in play here: Any abortionist with eyes in his head knows exactly what sort of grisly business he is about, and the abortion faction, conscious of the blood on its hands, desires that everybody should have the same blood on their hands, so as to deepen the national commitment to the cause of elective homicide that in the vast majority of cases is practiced for the sole purpose of furthering sexual convenience. 

The Catholic Church historically has built hospitals because it intends to minister to the whole man, and the whole woman, healing the sick as it feeds the hungry. The ACLU and the like-minded are happy to accept such benefits as Catholic charity offers, but only on their own terms. Because their politics are totalitarian, they believe that they have the right — legal, constitutional, and ethical — to make their moral preferences mandatory. 

This belief is hardly limited to abortion. It was only ten years ago that the Supreme Court discovered, lurking in a particularly dark constitutional penumbra, a fundamental right to gay sex. In the ensuing decade, the federal government’s right to define marriage for its own purposes was found unconstitutional, and wedding professionals have been legally conscripted, as a matter of civil rights, into participating in ceremonies they object to on moral grounds. Which is to say, in the ten years following Lawrence v. Texas’s invention of a constitutional right to gay sex, participation in gay marriages has become legally obligatory. What began as the pursuit of toleration has become a demand for moral conformity. It is one thing to believe that gay people should be allowed to conduct their own affairs free of government intrusion; it is another to believe that the law should be deployed to force others to participate in them. Live and let live is a two-way street, or should be.

Read the rest.

HT: Denny Burk

Jim Hamilton's New Book: What Is Biblical Theology?

During my third semester in seminary, I had the privilege of taking Jim Hamilton for Old Testament II, which basically covered the Prophets and Wisdom literature of the OT. This class remains one of my favorite and most helpful classes I have had in seminary. Dr. Hamilton simply had us open our Bibles each day and showed us how to read them, making connections between earlier and later passages, showing us how the prophets were understanding the Pentateuch and applying it to the nation of Israel and then how the NT authors picked up these same themes and applied them to Jesus. My mind was opened in this class to the world of Biblical Theology, the discipline that seeks to understand the Bible's overarching storyline and themes as they are developed throughout the narrative of Scripture.

My Bible reading hasn't been the same since.

Dr. Hamilton wrote a whole Bible theology called God's Glory in Salvation Through Judgment, which is absolutely fantastic, but quite a long and academic read. Now, however, he has produced What is Biblical Theology?, a concise, accessible, stellar work explaining the purpose of Biblical Theology and quickly tracing out the entire storyline of the Bible, showing how some key things are developed. It's divided up into 3 sections: 1) The Bible's Big Story (a summary of the Bible's story - worth the price of the book alone), 2) The Bible's Symbolic Universe (dealing with symbols, imagery, types, and patterns), and 3) The Bible's Love Story (which shows how the Church fits into this story).

I HIGHLY recommend all Christians read this book. Do it now, before you start a Bible reading plan in January (which I also highly recommend - and this book will make you want to do it). This will give you the big picture and make your reading much richer as you see connections and themes you might never have seen before. Dr. Hamilton is one of the best Biblical scholars out there, and he has written a wonderful book for everyone who loves (and who wants to love) the Bible.

Music Video of the Week: Pentatonix

Pentatonix - "Little Drummer Boy"

Rhett and Link: Get Off the Phone

Geoffrey Botkin Apologizes for Comments about Reformed Rappers During NCFIC Panel

Geoffrey Botkin adds his to the list of well-done apologies in response to comments made during the recent NCFIC panel discussion:

For the last 20 years I have voiced concerns about the cultural influence of the commercialized Christian music industry, especially gatekeepers who exploit sincere artists. One of the newest in a long line of sub-genres is Reformed Rap. I recently made a serious error by attempting to contribute an opinion to a Reformed Rap discussion in a panel discussion comment. That one comment has generated heat, not light, and way more hurt than healing. I’m the guy responsible for this darkness and pain. 

Some have asked me, with genuine interest, “What were you thinking, and actually saying?” Well, explaining myself and contributing to the cultural debate is not my primary concern right now. My comments on that panel raise a legitimate question about my qualification to even address the issue of Christian music with Christian people. My primary concern right now is to right several immediate wrongs, and to do it in a way that pleases and honors the Lord of this situation, Jesus Christ. 

For Reformed Rappers, and those who have benefited from their work, what I said sounded like direct, deliberate disdain for what they believe and what they are doing. The intentions of my heart are immaterial to what was heard and what damage was done. What was heard sounded like an arrogant denunciation of sincere Christian men with noble hearts and motives, because I was not thoughtful enough to consider the effect of what I said. I was wrong. 

This kind of thoughtlessness is not obedience to Christ’s command to active love in John 13:34. I did not season my speech with grace as commanded in Col. 4:6 in response to the question put before me. This is disobedience. Though in my mind I was not directing any criticism to the zealous, sincere, Christian Rappers who are doing the reforming, I was not clear and precise with my communication. As a result, these sins of disobedience have unsettled the body of Christ, and confused the important issues surrounding a strategic conversation that demands the utmost righteousness and precision. But most of all, the sin in my communication deeply hurt brothers who have my respect. A number of public responses to my comments have been civil and gentlemanly, for which I am thankful, but what is far more important to the Heavenly tribunal is brotherly confession on my part, and brotherly forgiveness from those who were wronged. This is my primary, respectful request to all of you. If you are willing and able, please forgive me. 

A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, and contentions are like the bars of a citadel. Restoring trust with an offended brother is hard work. But I determined to do what is right to achieve it. 

Brothers, I will fight this fight not just out of duty, but because I love you as allies who are important to Christ. You are also important to the next big conflict of our generation. You who stand as architects of a developing theological music genre need to know me as an ally. I am not an antagonist. 

At the right time I will tell you those things about your work to which I have never objected, and those things I believe are strategic triumphs in the culture wars. Your deliberate recovery of sound soteriology is an historic victory. Your modeling of mature and responsible manhood in your lives and words is heroic. Your strategic decision to work with local churches and church government shows uncommon wisdom. All this is heroism, not the fruit of disobedient cowardice. 

Another thing. Your humility validates your testimony with a kind of power that is also uncommon on today’s Christian landscape. If we have the chance to walk together in any way, it will be a pleasure to watch you model the sanctification, running, boxing and preaching we are all learning from Saul of Tarsus. And may we all continue to learn the ways of holy discourse from the character and person of our merciful Savior.

3 Angels - A Fantastic Short Video on the Absolutely Gorgeous Beauty of Being a Mother

Video for John Piper's New Poem - "The Calvinist"

Beautiful.

The Calvinist from Desiring God on Vimeo.

Al Mohler on the Holy Hip Hop Dustup

Here's a good roundup of the whole debate that's been going on if you've missed it.

Al Mohler:

Over the past few days the evangelical community has been talking about the kinds of things you would expect — the meaning of Thanksgiving, the turn to the Christmas season, the fact that some stores were opening on Thanksgiving Day and the various issues of the season. And then came rap. Out of the blue, when least expected, the topic changed to rap and the Gospel. Over the last few days a great deal has been written and said, sparked by a panel discussion at an evangelical conference in which rap music was dismissed as unworthy of evangelicals and of the Gospel. 

I recognize the arguments made by the panelists. I am tempted to make them myself. In fact, I have made them myself … in my head. I know the arguments well. Form matters when it comes to music, and the form of music is not incidental to the meaning communicated. The biblical vision of music grows out of the union of the good, the beautiful, and the true in the very being of God. That union of the transcendentals means that Christians should seek only those musical expressions that best combine the good, the beautiful, and the true. 

In other words, Johann Sebastian Bach. In my view, Bach got it just about right, even almost perfect. His music is an exhilaration of proportion and purpose in which form and message are precisely, intentionally, even magnificently combined. Bach is never far from me, especially when I am working and particularly when I am writing. I should acknowledge Bach in my books. Karl Barth listened to Mozart, and I love Mozart’s music (at least, most of it). But Mozart is a genius in a way that Bach was not, and genius can easily get in the way of musical art. Add to this the fact that Mozart’s worldview was seriously flawed. That explains why his magnificent but unfinished Requiem Mass in D Minor is so moving, but so unsatisfying. Beethoven’s pantheism and Enlightenment sensibilities do not ruin his music, but they do make his incredible music rather inaccessible for Christian worship. 

Bach, on the other hand, is perfect. It is also important to know that Bach was a servant of the Lutheran Reformation. In his brilliant new book, Bach: Music in the Castle of Heaven, conductor John Eliot Gardiner affirms that Bach saw himself extending the musical theology of Martin Luther, with the glory of God as his supreme purpose and the task of music “to give expression and added eloquence to the biblical text.” So we should just end the development of church music and Christian musical artistry with Bach. 

But there is a problem with this proposal. Bach was writing music that was understandable to the culture of his day, and not just to the elites. As a matter of fact, many among the elites did not like his music, accusing Bach of using crude structures, lowly themes, and of borrowing from unworthy musical sources. And then there is the issue of his pounding music as found in his famous organ works. Those pedal sequences in his toccatas are jarring to the senses and physical in reception and impression. Hardly appropriate for use in church and the service of the Gospel. 

And the people who would argue now about the unworthiness of rap music often think of Bach as the quintessential Christian musician. As I said already, I have made many of the same arguments myself. In my head. Thankfully not in public. Am I holding back? 

No, I allow myself those arguments in my head when I want to absolutize my preferences and satisfy myself in the righteousness and superiority of my own musical taste and theology. The problem for me is that my theology of music will not allow me to stay self-satisfied on the matter, and by God’s grace I have not made arguments out loud that would violate that theology. 

Rap music is not my music. I do not come from a culture in which rap music is the medium of communication and I do not have the ear for it that I have for other forms of music. But I do admire its virtuosity and the hold that is has on so many, for whom it is a first and dominant musical language. I want that language taken for the cause of the Gospel and I pray to see a generation of young Gospel-driven rappers take dominion of that music for the glory of God. I see that happening now, and I rejoice in it. I want to see them grow even more in influence, reaching people I cannot reach with music that will reach millions who desperately need the Gospel. The same way that folks who first heard Bach desperately needed to hear the Gospel. 

The good, the beautiful, and the true are to be combined to the greatest extent possible in every Christian endeavor, rap included. I have no idea how to evaluate any given rap musical expression, but rappers know. I do know how to evaluate the words, and when the words are saturated with the Gospel and biblical truth that is a wonderful thing. Our rapping Gospel friends will encourage one another to the greatest artistic expression. I want to encourage them in the Gospel. Let Bach’s maxim drive them all — to make (their) music the “handmaid of theology.”\ 

Bach’s English Suite No. 3 in G Minor is playing as I write this. It makes me happy to hear it. But knowing that the Gospel is being taken to the ears and hearts of new generation by a cadre of gifted young Gospel rappers makes me far happier.

Music Video of the Week: Champion the City

Champion the City - "Come Down"



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Supreme Court to Hear Hobby Lobby-HHS Mandate Case

From the ERLC:

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments in the Hobby Lobby v. Sebelius case, a much anticipated case that pits religious liberty versus a provision of the Affordable Care Act known as the Health and Human Services Mandate. Russell D. Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission reacts to the decision: 

“The Supreme Court’s consideration of the Hobby Lobby case is the most important religious liberty question in recent years. What’s at stake in this case is whether or not the Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion.  

“We cannot accept the theology lesson that the government has sought to teach us, that religion is merely a matter of what happens during the scheduled times of our services, and is left there in the foyer during the rest of the week. Our religious convictions aren’t reduced to mere opinions we hide in our heart and in our hymns. Our religious convictions inform the way we live.  

“I pray the Supreme Court recognizes what the founders of this country saw, that religious liberty isn’t a gift handed to us by Uncle Caesar. Religious liberty is given to us by God and is inalienable. Let’s pray for the justices as they think through this monumentally important case.” 

The ERLC filed a friend-of-the-court brief Oct. 21 calling for the Supreme Court to rule in favor of Hobby Lobby and other family-owned businesses that have conscientious objections to a regulation that requires employers to provide abortion-causing drugs for their employees. 

For-profit companies are not currently exempt from the HHS Mandate. The Supreme Court will issue its decision before the end of the Summer 2014 term. 

The cases to be heard by the Court are Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores and Conestoga Wood Specialties v. Sebelius.