A "Green" Bible and Other Interesting Stuff from Around the Web

Even as Crossway releases the ESV Study Bible (see the previous post), Zondervan is countering with a "Green Bible."  According to a press release, the text "highlights more than 1,000 verses about the earth in soy-based green ink.  Essays by religious leaders and other resources on eco-justice are bound within the its 100 percent cotton/linen cover."  Oh boy, I can't wait for this one.  I'll bet it rots faster than a ripe banana, and will probably fall apart in no time.  I realize that ecological stewardship is important, but something tells me a thousand "green" verses and comment from religious leaders on "eco-justice" will amount to major distraction from Jesus Christ.  Click here: RNS Feature: "This is not your grandfather’s Bible"

Believe it or not, here's an apologetic of sorts for "on-line" worship.  Yes, I know what you are thinking.  What about Hebrews 10:25?  Here's the answer.  "The Bible talks about `not forsaking our own assembling together' (Hebrews 10:23-25).  Is this really possible when you’re worshiping online? `Absolutely! I am sure there are people out there who use Web worship as a way to avoid having to interact with people—just like there are people who physically come to church, sit in a pew and never actually get involved.  The important thing is that they showed up, and that is a great place to start.'"  If your worship doesn't center around the preached word and the sacraments, this makes sense.  Click here: Here @ Northland » Blog Archive » Signs and Wanders: Finding God on the Interstate and the Information Superhighway

You gotta love theological liberals.  Now the left-wingers in the Anglican church are arguing that the Bishops and priests should give up their clerical attire because "the cassock and surplice are a form of `power dressing' which reinforce class divisions and prevent the wearer getting the Lord's message across."  Oh, for the days when people called for a ban upon priestly clerical attire because these people are not priests, but ministers.  Click here: Forcing priests to wear robes 'absurd', says theologian - Telegraph

Christians complain about the biased "liberal" news. The fact of the matter is that fewer and fewer Christians still work in the various news organizations, because they are leaving to report "Christian news."  Click here: The Associated Press: Evangelicals are in the news, but not in newsrooms

Comments

[Si Hollett]

Speaking of Anglican outreach - I'm surprised this wasn't mentioned:
"Beatles songs as likely to explain Christianity as the Bible, says bishop"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/3223193/Beatles-songs-as-likely-to-explain-Christianity-as-the-Bible-says-bishop.html

I feel sorry for the faithful in the Anglican Church, who are let down by the people who the state deems fit to lead them. At least the Arch-druid of Canterbury knows what he's meant to believe.

[calvinv]

I read about the Green Bible in TIME magazine... it's so ridiculous and so misleading from the true point of the Bible that I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry.

[Phil B]

The irony about that CofE robe story is that liberals in the mainline "free" churches are rushing into priestly robes - those white ones with a nice hood. Obviously coupled with a rainbow-coloured stole.

[Daniel Newman]

Sir,

I feel I should point out that Andrew Atherstone is no theological liberal or left-winger. He is an evangelical who is on the staff at Oxford's evangelical theological college, a college which is becoming increasingly conservative.

Yours in Christ,

Daniel Newman

[DB]

Online worship? Why not? There are some who engage in radio sacraments. On two separate occasions I heard a radio program of a well-known pastor and president of an influential dispensational seminary in Dallas, Texas, offer a communion service on his radio program.

Anything is possible if you don't believe that Jesus is present at the table, or that the believer partakes of Him by faith with the elements. The radio preacher even said, it didn't matter if you didn't have grape juice on hand -- anything would do. He was probably thinking of orange juice, Coke , or Pepsi. I imagine he would be appalled if someone wrote in and said he used WINE!!

What this pastor/president needs is a big dose of COVENANT THEOLOGY.

[John Yeazel]

Mollie Hemingway and the crew at getreligion.org talk about how there are so few Christians in major journalism newsrooms across the country. They say most Christians are "afraid" of being disregarded by the powers that be their. What else is new? Come on- let's face reality a bit. My Kingdom is not of this world- what do we expect? Perhaps if we had a vocational mentality and sought to be really competent in our jobs in order to serve our neighbors we would at least develope some trust with those who did not share our beliefs.

There are some excellent pieces written by the journalists their and they come from differing faith traditions. Most journalist have a very superficial understanding of theology and therefore the reporting on theological issues in newspapers is poor. Those interested in this sort of thing should check the website out.

Mollie is married to a relative of Ernest Hemingway who is a journalist himself. They get interviewed on issues, ect. on occasion. Mollie belongs to a Missouri Synod Lutheran Church in the Washington D.C. area I believe.

[George]

Speaking of clerical garb, does anyone know where these traditions start and stop (outside of the RC church, that is) denominationally? I grew up attending worship services at Lutheran churches and the pastors always wore cassocks with a surplice and a stole over that (colored according to the season of the church year).

I've attended Baptist churches where I expected, and saw, the pastor wearing just a business suit. But I recently attended an OPC church and saw the same thing. I always assumed that Presbyterians wore cassock & surplice, too.

BTW, we were always carefully taught that these coverings were not just something that our pastors wore for decoration, but carried symbolism: The cassocks are black to show our sins and the surplice is white to show the sinlessness of Christ covering our sins as atonement. Unless care is taken to explain these things to subsequent generation they lose their meaning and run the risk of becoming just superfluous distractions (as some would see them).

[Zrim]

Re religious attire, the charges of power dressing have seemed to afflict most Reformed and Presbyterian ministers in modern history. Ask the typical (conservative) Presbie/Reformed pastor why the suit and no robe and the answer, 9 times of 10, has something to do with class structure and a misguided understanding of "Romanism."

Re news/newsrooms, the parallels to believers' relationship to public education is striking. I know, I know, "education is different."

[PB]

OK, then I guess I really confuse folks as a Baptist pastor who wears a collar and a robe and stole. The collar is actually useful in a Catholic state (MA) as a means of entry without equal in hospitals and such. But I think there's a deliberate indication of the setting apart (as to role, not in his person) of God's ambassador in the service of worship. I seem to recall a WHI program regarding this issue from sometime this past summer.

[John Yeazel]

The clerical garb is also meant to cover their clothing in order to not draw attention towards themselves but to put the attention on Christ. In this culture of self-expression and charismatic leadership in the Church is the clerical garb such a bad thing?

[b.c.]

awesome! even more confirmation that the present is indeed an evil age and amillennialism is correct.

[Phil B]

I think the point is that before the Oxford movement in the UK the alb and surplice were seen as Papist as they represented a priestly function. There were riots in Exeter over the issue in the 1800s.
Now we see the CofE divided between Anglo-Catholic, broad evangelicalism and liberalism so the argument isn't about the creeping Roman elements but "relevance".

[John Yeazel]

Okay Zrim, I'm interested in you expanding a bit more on the parallels between believers relationships to education and the newsrooms. You always have some thought provoking things to say in my opinion. You can't just tease and then close the door.

[dsanger]

Clearly this is not our father's Zondervan. Gen (X|Y|Z) has come into their own providing a unique eco-spin on "consider the lilies." Right on Kim--distraction from Christ, the one thing necessary.

[Zrim]

John,

"Christians complain about the biased 'liberal' news. "

Christians complain about the secular humanism and anti-religion of secular educational institutions.

"The fact of the matter is that fewer and fewer Christians still work in the various news organizations..."

The fact of the matter is that fewer and fewer Christians still are a presence in the halls of public education, as learners or teachers or administrators.

"...because they are leaving to report 'Christian news.'"

...because they are leaving to teach/learn/administer in Christian schools.

I realize news and education are different projects. But if both are facets of common culture there is just as much argument against educational-withdrawal as there is for media-withdrawal. I apprecaite that when it comes to our children the stakes can seem to change. But I find it problematic to talk about "being in the world but not of it" as if to say it only applies after you're 18 or 21.

[John Yeazel]

Zrim,.

I agree- this is a huge problem. Why do you think Christians are retreating back from their obligations and duties towards the culture. Is it because of a confusion in the Church's or from a fear of those who do not hold the same beliefs as ourselves? I think David Wells tries to tackle the problem in his most recent book but I have not read it yet.

[Zrim]

John,

Obviously, it’s complicated. It owes to a lot of things.

But one I happen to think is viable is a low view of creation and a fundamental under-belief in the absolute sovereignty of God over it. I think often times high opinions of creation masquerade as high views—kind of like how the proposed revision to the CRC’s Form of Subscription feigns a high view of the formulations but really is a high opinion/low view. So where some Christians retreat from the world because they don’t want to play by the rules of the left-hand kingdom, others re-tool the church because they don’t want to play by the rules of the right-hand kingdom. And here in Grand Rapids (CSI and CRC), it’s a bit of double-whammy.

[John Yeazel]

Zrim,

Yeah, this all goes back to the two-kingdom theology issue. Do you think Calvinists and Lutherans see the two-kingdom theology issue in the same way? You are talking like a Calvinist when you bring up the sovereignty of God but I think I get your point. I guess we all need to reflect more deeply on this issue and see if our two differing traditions can come up with some type of agreement on the matter. This is a very important issue these days and one in which we need to come to more clarity on. It will drive us back into the culture again armed with a bit more ammunition and understanding this time. Not that we have to fight the culture- I think what you said about just offering the culture our empty arms and the Gospel is quite profound. Luther on his deathbed said something to the effect of I am just a beggar eating the crumbs that fall from my masters table- considering how they changed German culture so remarkably this is quite a humble statement. You gotta love Luther- even though he got quite rambunctious at times. You gotta love his humanity too though. Sorry, I had to put my Lutheran plug in.

[John Yeazel]

One last point, Luther always credited the success of the Reformation on the working of the Word of God in people's lives. He never took any credit or glory for himself. Whatever our understanding of two-kingdom theology the active nature of the Word of God has to be the central thrust of the message.

[Reg Schofield]

While I think its vitally important to try and work in all fields , regardless of what you are called to in your vocation , the reality is its becoming harder and harder in certain circles. If you are a christian and even good at your vocation , the possible backlash or intimidation to be silent is growing. I know a person who is a teacher and it has been made clear that a christian perspective is not allowed or wanted . What happens then is you decide to be quiet and keep your position or without being a bang you over your head zealot , try and present your faith in a fashion that is logical and respectful and guess what , all of a sudden you are slowly pushed to the side . Dr. James White has said in numerous Dividing Lines, that to be a Christian is going to cost us and I think in the west it will be more economic at first . No promotions or looked over for advancements. However we do still need to try to be a light and salt to the culture and if persecution comes , it should come from us not running into the shadows but engaging the ever growing pagan culture around us.