The Roof

Eastern Orthodoxy

2007-03-30T12:50:00.000-04:00

In view of an upcoming trip to Georgia, which was the second country in the world to become Christian and has one of the oldest churches worldwide, I have read up a bit on the Eastern Orthodox church. Over 80% of Georgians claim to be members of the Georgian Orthodox church, and it is my understanding that there is still a great spiritual need in that country for sharing the gospel. I decided to begin investigating whether the Eastern Orthodox church is failing as a church there to bring people into a personal relationship with Christ. I've just looked at several Christianity Today articles on the subject, and would be interested to read what you think.
"Will the 21st Be the Orthodox Century?" describes the pros of the Eastern Orthodox Church for today's evangelicals, focusing primarily on what the author calls the "Great Tradition" of the early church fathers - the ones the Holy Spirit used to develop the canon of scripture we have today.
Another article, which should perhaps be read first, is "Why I'm Not Orthodox". This article provides a background on the Eastern Orthodox church and then proceeds to highlight the key differences between it and evangelical Christianity. The questions of emphasizing salvation by grace through faith and of the supreme authority of scripture stand out.
Yet another article, "Coming Home: Evangelical Issues for the Eastern Orthodox" examines more theological differences. (Though I was hoping to read more on practical differences in how the Church is reaching out to the unchurched populations)
So, given this, I'm left with the question: Should evangelical groups be evangelizing in the 'territory' of the Eastern Orthodox church. I think so, particularly if they are reaching out to the unchurched. In a place like Georgia, where 80%+ of the populace describes themselves as Orthodox, the unchurched would seem to be a very small minority (0.7% in the statistics). More to follow on whether that's true. :-)

This one is for Peter

2007-03-12T20:02:00.001-04:00

Peter, Check out this link and see if it's in your area of study. This blogger is requesting comments:

I would love your thoughts on the relationship of brains to computers, and the differences between minds, consciousness and computational machines. Also, if anyone has knowledge of pattern recognition vs. sequential processing, that would be cool as well.

Here's the link: Power of Change: Fact of the Day - Computers, Brains, Frustrated Russians

Musings in Job on Marraige

2007-03-03T09:23:00.000-05:00

Guys,
I was reading in Job recently and I saw something I haven't noticed or heard before. The first time Job is "tested" by Satan, God allows Satan access to anything but Job's health. His wife is not mentioned, all his kids, livestock, and servants are destroyed, yet his wife is not mentioned...yet. The second time Satan is allowed to test Job, he is allowed to "touch his bone and flesh" (2:5). It is after this that Job's wife tells him "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!" (2:9). To many of you, this may not mean much. Then I looked at Genesis 2:24, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh." It occured to me, in 1:12 God said, "Behold all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him." In both God and Satan's veiws, Job's wife was a part of Job. So then that would only lead us to reason, that Job's wife's verbal attack was a barb from the mouth of Satan. Satan was using "Job's flesh" against him. Every one in organized crime will tell you that the best way to get to a person is through his/her lovers and family. So in this instance, it makes no sense for Satan to wait to use (or kill like the rest of the family) Job's wife against him unless she is considered a part of Job. This is my hypothesis, since I have never heard it before, I would like to hear any comments. To me it is a testament of the sanctity of marraige. Any comments?

Hilarious.

2007-03-02T15:27:00.001-05:00

This is very funny. The weather forecast as Anglican chant

Found here, via Confessing Evangelical.

John Piper on Marriage

2007-02-16T15:35:00.001-05:00

In keeping with yesterday's post, these three sermons and the "Taste and See" article below are very good.

Three Sermons

Staying Married Is Not About Staying in Love (1) [Read] [Listen]
Staying Married Is Not About Staying in Love (2) [Read] [Listen]
Marriage: God's Showcase of Covenant-Keeping Grace [Read] [Listen]

Taste and See

Is Pastor John in Love with His Wife? [Read]

Pastoral wisdom from Martin Luther

2007-02-15T20:50:00.003-05:00

It's too bad that I missed Valentine's Day with this one.

Here Martin Luther gives the ultimate solution to adultery (and I would say to lust itself). I know that most of us aren't married, but this is still helpful, whether you're already married, or if marriage is just around the corner, or even if marriage isn't yet even on the horizon.

The quote came from Rev. Scott Murray, by way of Rev. David Petersen.

Martin Luther:

"When a man does not look at his wife, on the basis of the Word of God, as the one whom God gives him and whom He blesses, and when instead he turns his gaze to another woman, this is the principal cause of adultery, which then is almost inevitable. Soon the heart follows the eyes, bringing on the desire and appetite that I ought to reserve for my wife alone. Flesh and blood is curious enough anyway. It soon has its fill and loses its taste for what it has, and it gapes at something else. With the devil's promptings, a person sees only his wife's faults, losing sight of her good and laudable qualities. As a consequence, every other woman seems more beautiful and better to my eyes than my own wife. Indeed, many a man with a truly beautiful and pious wife lets himself be hoodwinked into hating her and taking up with some vile and ugly bag.
"As I have pointed out more fully in my other discussions of marriage and married life, it would be a real art and a very strong safeguard against all this if everyone learned to look at his spouse correctly, according to God's Word, which is the dearest treasure and the loveliest ornament you can find in a man or a woman. If he mirrored himself in this, then he would hold his wife in love and honor as a divine gift and treasure. And if he saw another woman, even one more beautiful than his own wife, he would say: 'Is she beautiful? As far as I am concerned, she is not very beautiful. And even if she were the most beautiful woman on earth, in my wife at home I have a lovelier adornment, one that God has given me and has adorned with His Word beyond the others, even though she may not have a beautiful body or may have other failings. Though I may look over all the women in the world, I cannot find any about whom I can boast with a joyful conscience as I can about mine: "This is the one whom God has granted to me and put into my arms." I know that He and all the angels are heartily pleased if I cling to her lovingly and faithfully. Then why should I despise this precious gift of God and take up with someone else, where I can find no such treasure or adornment?'
"Thus I could look at all women, talk with them, laugh, and have a good time with them, without experiencing any lust or desire and without letting any of them seem so beautiful or desirable to me that I would be willing to transgress the Word and commandment of God. Though I might be tempted by flesh and blood, I would not have to consent or let myself be overcome; but I would have to battle against it like a knight and conquer through the Word of God, living in the world in such a way that no evil could corrupt me and no allurement could seduce me into adultery. But because a person does not give this Word of God a glance or a thought, it is easy for him to get tired of his wife and to despise her; he finds his love drawn to another, and his lust and appetite for her are irresistible. For he has not learned the art of looking at his wife correctly, according to the beauty and adornment with which God has clothed her for him. He cannot see beyond what his eyes see, that his wife seems to have a poor shape or other faults, while another one seems prettier and better. Thus you understand when it is a sin and when it is not a sin to look at a woman, namely, that you should not look at another woman the way a man should look only at his wife."
Martin Luther, Luther's Works, 21:87-88

Two articles worth reading...

2007-02-02T06:24:00.000-05:00

Lessons Learned in a Crisis of Life (AlbertMohler.com)
A Calvinist Faces Death (Time Magazine)

Update on Dr. Mohler

2007-01-06T09:36:00.000-05:00

Dr. Mohler is responding well to treatment. Please keep praying for him and his family.

Update from Dr. Russell Moore:

Albert Mohler Update
Friday, January 05, 2007

I just left from visiting Albert Mohler at the intensive care unit of Baptist East Hospital here in Louisville. I am glad to report that he is doing much better than he was when I spoke to the radio audience of the program about this at 5:05 PM.
While his situation is still very serious, it seems that the doctors have his treatment well underway and he is recuperating well. Pulmonary emboli represent a serious concern under any circumstances but it seems that RAM is responding excellently to the treatment. We can all be grateful the doctors found this development so quickly.
The President is talking and in good spirits. Despite his incredible pain and having just lived through the scare of his life, he was actually able to discuss a book I brought to him the other day about, of all things, the life of Wendell Willkie.
Dr. Mohler still needs your prayers, as do Mary, Katie, and Christopher, so please don't stop them. But I am happy to say that I think his treatment is going well and I expect that he will be back to his life as normal sooner rather than later.

Please pray for Dr. Albert Mohler.

2007-01-05T18:12:00.000-05:00

Dr. Mohler is the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

From his website:

Please pray for Dr. Mohler
Posted: Friday, January 05, 2007 at 4:12 pm ET

Dr. Mohler's health has sustained a setback. Over the past 36 hours Dr. Mohler has suffered from unrelenting pain. This unusual degree of pain signaled concern for the attending physicians and prompted additional tests this afternoon. In the past hour these tests have revealed that Dr. Mohler is suffering from pulmonary emboli in both lungs. His condition is quite serious and he has been moved to the intensive care unit of Baptist East Hospital in Louisville, KY for immediate treatment.

Please make this a matter of urgent prayer. Thank you once again for your concern and support during these days.

2007-01-01T02:42:00.000-05:00

Happy new year to all of you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2006-11-22T23:23:00.001-05:00

Question: What are you thankful for this tanksgiving?

My answer:

I'm thankful for the family and friends that God has given me.
I'm thankful that my dad got the new job that he was hoping for.
I'm thankful that my uncle is well again.
I'm thankful most of all for Christ and I'm thankful that He has forgiven my sins. While all of the above items are huge in themselves, this is bigger than all of them put together.

WE THANK YOU, Lord God, Father, for all Your gifts, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

On Christianity and Politics - Faith and Works

2006-11-04T11:24:00.000-05:00

This is a great post from Douglas Wilson, pastor of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho. The subject is global politics and aid. It's a really good article; you should read it. Here's an excerpt:

N.T. Wright:

If I were simply to pick up 1 Corinthians 11 and ask, 'What does this suggest about Eucharistic fellowship?' the biggest issue that shouts straight back at me is that the rich, white, Western world, which keeps the 'two-thirds world' in grinding poverty and unpayable debt, stands condemned every time it receives the Eucharist because its brothers and sisters in the two-third world are growing the wrong sort of crops, are paying compound interest they can't afford, and are being left on the side.

Douglas Wilson's Response:

It is difficult to even know where to start in analyzing this. First, there is a logical confusion. The fact that the apostle was dealing with the problem of rich and poor in the church at Corinth (which was certainly part of it) does not mean that St. Paul is dealing with global economics. "Think globally, act locally" does not mean that local solutions simply translate straight across, no muss, no fuss. A man can share a piece of bread with another man at the Corinthian Eucharist (which he ought to do) and not cause a war or a famine. But when liberal clerics agitate in such a way that ten tons of grain are delivered to the regime of a despicable human being with a hungry army of rapists and thugs (in the name of sharing bread), they might succeed in keeping such a man in power, oh, for decades more. The law of unintended consequences takes over, and all the best eucharistic intentions in the world will not prevent it. Identify the fact that a place is disease-ridden because of all the rats, and place a bounty on every rat pelt. First thing you know, all the locals will have taken up rat-farming.

HT: Centuri0n

Reformation Day 2006

2006-10-31T18:51:00.000-05:00

It's Reformation Day! On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, igniting the Reformation.

Check out these links:

Tim Challies: Reformation Day Symposium
Every Thought Captive: Happy Reformation Day!
Dr. Mohler: Reformation Day 2006
A Lutheran Blog: Thoughts from Luther
The Pyromaniacs: Reformation Day Thoughts
Pr. John Piper: Martin Luther: Lessons from His Life and Labor (and in print)

Update: I cannot approve of the whole site, but check out the Reformation Polka.

Marriage

2006-10-05T07:59:00.000-04:00

I was just wondering what you guys thought about how dating, engagement, and marriage changes friendships outside the main relationship. It seems to me there are three distinct steps, and I was wondering if ya'll had any insight as to the theoretical ways that might occur.

Mentorship

2006-08-28T14:23:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking (and talking) alot lately about mentorship. This has sprung up from a number of different sources. We have several awesome guys at my sponsor house in Annapolis who just finished plebe year and we've been discussing what their role can be in helping the new plebes along spiritually. I've also been talking with Jenni about what, exactly, my ministry is. One of the things I feel most drawn to is mentoring younger guys in their walk with Christ, especially at the college level, so I'm hoping to get involved in this when I go off to grad school. What do y'all think about the subject, and where does it stand in your lives right now? Are you mentoring someone or being mentored? Please add a comment with any thoughts on mentoring or on your experiences with it.

A few things worth checking out...

2006-07-13T22:02:00.000-04:00

Dr. Al Mohler: Is Marriage Making a Comeback Among the Young?

Dr. Al Mohler: The Death of True Feminism - Harvey Mansfield Calls for a Recovery

Dr. Al Mohler: India's Missing Daughters

Pastor Mark Driscoll: Elder Government

Here is an outstanding resource...

2006-06-30T23:11:00.000-04:00

... from Pastor Mark Dever of Capitol Hill Baptist Church and 9 Marks. He has provided a series of overview-sermons on each of the books of the Bible. Here are the links:

Special thanks: iMonk, Justin Taylor

Southern Seminary

2006-06-03T16:09:00.000-04:00

As of this weekend, I'm officially a student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY!

The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards

2006-06-01T21:14:00.000-04:00

I am currently reading Desiring God by John Piper. Through this book (and desiringgod.org), I've been introduced to Jonathan Edwards and his Resolutions (Dr. Piper is a big Edwards fan). They have been particularly challenging to me, and are definitely worth a read.

The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards

Tags: Desiring God, John Piper, Jonathan Edwards, Resolutions

2006-05-15T11:43:00.000-04:00

Also, hope its not a bother to have more than one book on the list. Chuck said to put those you are 'Currently Reading,' but I have been known to dabble in several non-fiction books for months depending on chapter to chapter... really its whatever strikes the fancy/applies to my week. Novels seem easier to complete but there are so many good non-fiction books out there that I haven't made it back to enjoy novels yet.

2006-05-15T11:36:00.000-04:00

Just letting people know I will be overseas again starting June 7th. Back to Belgrade Baby!!! But no, in all sincerity, it would be neat to meet up with Lakeland peeps before then. Hope everyone is having a safe summer thus far :)

I'm in Florida!

2006-05-06T13:59:00.000-04:00

I thought I'd throw this up here too - if anyone wants to get together, just send me a note!

Scimitar SL-2

2006-05-06T13:57:00.000-04:00

This book was disappointing, honestly. I don't recommend it. I was expected something Tom Clancy-like, and received a storyline which was much more implausible and lacking in authenticity. The next book will be non-fiction. That should be more plausible and authentic!

Book Reviews

2006-04-25T06:48:00.000-04:00

I had good intentions about writing a book review on my way to Louisville. It didn't work out. The more I think about it, the more I realize that time and other priorities make writing reviews of these books seem unprofitable. I will say, though, that both books are worth reading.

Boy Meets Girl changed my thinking about dating/courtship altogether. Not only that, but it reminded me in a practical way that my primary goal in everything I do should be to glorify God. The Creator and the Cosmos reminded me that even the most "difficult" new scientific discoveries in astronomy and cosmology do not contradict with the Bible's account of creation. The book points out the evidence for God's design and direction throughout the formation of the universe.

Here are links to reviews that have already been written about these books:
Boy Meets Girl
Creator and the Cosmos

Tags: Books, Boy Meets Girl, Creator and the Cosmos, Reviews, Joshua Harris, Hugh Ross

Liveblogging the SBTS Preview Conference

2006-04-21T17:28:00.000-04:00

Today is day two of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Preview Conference. Yesterday, I was able to visit a few classes: The Ministry of Leadership with Dr Waggoner, The Worshipping Church with Dr Stam, History of the Baptists with Dr Nettles, and Puritanism with Dr Wright.

Today consisted of an Information Fair, a worship service in the Broadus Chapel, and a seminary overview, including a breakout session for the School of Theology. Tonight, we will attend a formal dinner and a dessert reception at Dr. Mohler's home.

This has been a great weekend. I had already decided on attending Southern Seminary, but this seals it. The campus is beautiful, and the atmosphere at the seminary is certainly God-centered.

Tags: seminary, SBTS, preview conference

Quote of the Day

2006-04-18T06:51:00.000-04:00

"If you seek power before service, you'll neither get power, nor serve. If you seek to serve people more than to gain power, you will not only serve people, you will gain influence. That's very much the way Jesus did it."

- Tim Keller

Preaching the Word and Quoting the Voice

Tags: Redeemer, Tim Keller, Quote

2006-04-18T06:35:00.000-04:00

I havent forgotten my plan to write reviews on The Creator and the Cosmos and Boy Meets Girl. I'll be spending quite a lot of time in the car tomorrow as my family and I drive up to Louisville, KY to visit Southern Seminary. Hopefully while I'm not driving, I can take some time to organize my essays, then write them when I get some free time in the hotel.

Anna, if you are currently reading something and would like it on the sidebar, just send me an email, and I'll put up the link, (That goes for anyone else, too).

Tags: Books, Traveling, Seminary

anna recommendation

2006-04-17T21:32:00.000-04:00

I also just finished a great biography of singer/songwriter Keith Green this week. It's titled "No Compromise: The Life Story of Keith Green" written by his wife Melody Green. The book goes from his days before knowing Christ and the journey of his search for truth, through his years as a musician and new husband and parent, to their interesting and ever-increasing ministry. He truly lived a one-of-a-kind life and was a great example of how to be a hippie for Jesus. heehee. Really though, I recommend it.

2006-04-07T20:58:00.000-04:00

Just this week, I finished reading The Creator and the Cosmos. It's a very good book -- very eye-opening. On Tuesday, I started reading Boy Meets Girl by Joshua Harris. I finished it last night. I plan on writing reviews of both books this week.

I've discovered another reason that I like John Piper.

If you like books and need a way to catalogue your personal library, here is a great tool. It's called LibraryThing.com. I'm working on building my own catalogue.

What's So Great About Gatsby?

2006-04-07T20:07:00.001-04:00

I have not yet finished my Waltke or Piper books, although they're both wonderful (I'll review on them later). I did, however, finish The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I'd read it back in high school and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I thought I'd go back and re-read it. It's just as wonderful now as it was then. I especially appreciate Fitzgerald's way of wording sentences. He creates pictures with his vocabulary and says things in such a way that his words leap off the page and into the tangible world of real life. His words are poetic and yet real. He analyzes, through the life of Gatsby, the human quest for those things that dwell beyond our grasp, our tendency to romanticize, and the results of pouring real life into the cup of fantasy. I must have underlined half the book as I read!

For those of you who haven't read The Great Gatsby, it chronicles the events of one summer in Long Island, New York, during the Roaring Twenties as told by Gatsby's neighbor and friend, Nick. The central plot revolves around Gatsby's obsession and quest for Daisy, his lost love who is now married and lives just across the River. The story chronicles the intricate, and ultimately tragic, drama that surrounds his pursuit of her. It's also a good look at life in the '20's and the shallow, pleasure-hungry lifestyle that was so common among the wealthy.

I find the book to be fascinating, and would highly recommend it. Also, if you haven't seen the movie (with Robert Redford), I remember watching it in high school and really enjoying it.

Table in the Presence

2006-04-03T16:28:00.000-04:00

I just finished reading my March book, Table in the Presence. In it, a Marine Corps Chaplain documents the journey his troops take into Iraq in the 2003 invasion, both physically and spiritually. I highly recommend it - both as an interesting picture of the spiritual side of our Marines, and as an account of the war in Iraq from a unique perspective. It's also rather inspirational - each chapter closes with a scripture which LT Cash (the author) found to be particularly moving or a propos.

How are your readings going?

Does anyone have any recommendations of books that outline the scriptural arguments defending some of the differences between Catholics and Protestants (of the reformed sort, preferably)?

God bless,
Peter

Quote of the Day (QOTD)

2006-03-26T15:24:00.000-05:00

"He that but looketh on a plate of ham and eggs to lust after it hath already committed breakfast in his heart."

- C.S. Lewis

Source: Together for the Gospel Blog

Currently reading...

2006-03-23T21:52:00.000-05:00

Peter asked: Is there a way to mark those books we've finished, or include one's we'd like to read in the future?

My intent for the "Books of the Month" section is to list only those books we're currently reading. I'm hoping it will help to spark conversation on the various topics we're reading about. It would be great if we would write a short review after finishing each book (at least a paragraph giving your impression of the book or something you took away from it).

Hannah: What do you think of Piper's books? I haven't read any yet, but I hope to soon.

2006-03-21T17:19:00.000-05:00

About a month ago I read a book, High Calling, by Evelyn Husband. Evelyn's husband was Rick Husband, the pilot of the Columbia on its fatal last flight. It was amazing to read Evelyn's recollection of her and Rick's life together and how scripture and a earnest seeking of God's will strengthened it. Even if you aren't a space fan, its a great way to get a perspective on marriage.

2006-03-05T07:24:00.000-05:00

To all roof-fellows: What books are you currently reading? I'm going to change the "Book of the Month" Section to "Books of the Month" and include all of our most recent reading projects. When you start a new book, leave us a note. Then when you finish it, tell us what you think.

I'm still working on Creator and the Cosmos by Hugh Ross. Today, I'll be starting Case for the Creator by Lee Strobel. Our college group at church is begining a Sunday evening study of Strobel's book.

Good Book

2006-02-25T12:05:00.000-05:00

I was wondering...have any of you read "Don't Waste Your Life" by John Piper? I'm in the middle of it right now, and it challenges me and awakens in me a fresh excitement about this wonderful thing called salvation. It explores the depths of the true WONDER and INEXPRESSIBILITY of this gift we've been given...a wonder and inexpressibility I am so utterly prone to forget...and how it should impact EVERY aspect and moment of our every day. It makes you want to go out and tell everyone about Christ...which, of course, is our purpose anyway.

Agenda-Driven

2006-02-17T09:29:00.000-05:00

Cal Thomas hits a home run in this article: The agenda-driven life.

What is it with evangelical Christians that so many of them need a cause beyond the commission they've been given?

...

A better objective would be to follow another statement made not by a committee but by a single individual who claims ownership of His church and requires obedience to all who would follow Him: "Go and make disciples of all nations." (Matthew 28:19) Jesus also called on His disciples - then and now - "to obey everything I have commanded you." A quick look does not reveal those teachings as having anything to do with global warming or the environment. Rather, He calls individuals to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit those in prison and pray for those who persecute them. Evangelicals should pursue these higher virtues instead of settling for the lower life of politics.

It is definitely worth reading.

Cartoon Controversy

2006-02-08T17:43:00.000-05:00

Peter: Your views on the issues involved in this matter of religious cartoons align completely with my own. The central issue is more a matter of religious tolerance and sensitivity as well as rights and responsibilities.

When I was at UF, I frequently read the Independent Florida Alligator (the university community's news "rag"). All too often, editorial cartoons appeared depicting Jesus in a clearly offensive manner. The Christian community did not start any riots and no administrative buildings burned down.

Editorial cartoonists have been offending people for centuries. Many would say it is their job to be offensive. As Christians, however, we labor under a different Rule-Set -- one which requires us (among other things) to love our neighbors as ourselves. Obviously one could apply many other biblical principles to the issue, but the command to "play nice" is second only to the command to love God before all others.

Deadly Cartoons

2006-02-08T14:02:00.000-05:00

What do you think of the ongoing controversy regarding the cartoon images of Mohammed that a Danish newspaper published last week? Would you have published them if you were the editor? Here's a link to them.
I haven't published them here to avoid being targeted for death ;-)

Let's see - I should add my own opinion. One way of looking at this is to ask what we would do if someone posted blasphemous images of Christ, not that it hasn't been done, I'm sure. I would be offended, certainly. Not enough to burn the embassy of the country whose newspaper published them, though. That, of course, strikes me as an incorrect leap of logic, associating the country's government with the actions of its journalists. I wonder, though, if in my fictious scenario I ought to be more upset.
I do believe in the freedom of the press - restricting it is a dangerous concept, and Mill's On Liberty makes the case "that it is essential for the discovery of truth."
The Islamic world should likewise have the freedom to protest and take diplomatic actions to demonstrate their anger.
As a newspaper editor, then, perhaps concerns besides those of free speech should have factored into the decision. Hindsight, of course, is 20/20, but I would have to say that I probably wouldn't have published them. It seems rather deliberately provacative.
Peace,
Peter

2006-02-06T21:24:00.000-05:00

Here is an excellent post on reading. It's posted on an excellent weblog as well.

SOTU

2006-02-02T23:34:00.000-05:00

I started and tried to read the State of the Union address a few times. I just can't get very interested in it. I like what Blackfive's Uncle Jimbo had to say:

"I really don't care what W said, I know what he is about and I support a good bit of it."

Also: Here's another blogger's take on the SOTU address.

State of the Union Address

2006-02-01T17:42:00.000-05:00

So, friends, my Commander in Chief has delivered yet another annual report to Congress.
What did you think?
(If you didn't watch it, you could always read it)

A Rave and a Rant: The End of the Spear

2006-01-23T17:32:00.000-05:00

The Rave:
If you haven't yet heard of or seen The End of the Spear, you're missing out on an amazing experience. It's based on the story of Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, and several other missionaries who took the gospel to the Waodani tribe in Ecuador. I haven't been so moved in a movie since I saw the Passion. Watching it was like seeing a chapter of Foxe's Book of Martyrs live, or one of the stories in Jesus Freaks. The dedication and heroism of Christ's martyrs is both heart-wrenching and inspiring. In short, go see the movie. Then invite some friends and see it again.

The Rant:
I looked up the reviews on Google and the highest when sorted by relevance was one by San Francisco Chronicle writer Ruthe Stein entitled "Point all too obvious in bluntly didactic jungle adventure." The review then proceeded to use the most critical language to savage the movie. It would've been nice if their facts were accurate to begin with (unfortunately they weren't - see the reference to the model plane). Ms. Stein says that it has "no redeeming qualities as entertainment" and that "in order to be moved you have to keep reminding yourself that this tragedy really happened." I'm afraid that her review is "failing to bring to life" the drama of the movie and its power. In fact, during the showing I attended, every midshipman in the audience came out with tears on their face. We don't cry that easily. Perhaps it was less the dramatic quality than the "message of redemption" that irks the Chronicle so much.

What really is science?

2006-01-21T13:44:00.000-05:00

So I guess in the last few decades there has been a huge fight over what is taught in science classrooms. I guess now since I'm a professional scientist..sorta, I can unobjectively weigh in on this matter. Now I supposed since I've scared just about everybody who is reading this by using the word unobjectively, I'm gonna begin.

First lets define science. I'm gonna choose (as I assume most people would) to say science is the study of something using the scientific method. Now after everyone accuses me of defining a word with its self, let me define the scientific method. The scientific method is the method by which the physical aspects of the universe we live in are measured, observed, recorded, and repeated. That gives four main points to science: measurement, observation, recording, and repetition. Measurement is key because it allows the quantification of something. For a good example of this is related to temperature. Lots of different types of scientists refer to high and low temperatures. In the superconducting industry a high temperature is -320 Celcius, where as in the metal treating industry a low temperature is 500 Celcius. That is why we have scales, I know what range I am talking in. Observation and recording go hand in hand and are the way that the results of a test are made available to the general public. For instance, I run a test in which I dip something in liquid nitrogen and then destroy it in a measured way ( I measure how I destroy it). I then write a short memo to whomever telling them what I observed (how it broke, where it broke, the measurement of how is broke, etc.). So I have recorded my observation. Repeatability is also another key element of science, even though scientists try to eliminate the number of unknowns in a experiment, often there are effects they don't think of. Repeatability can ensure that outside forces on the experiment are not playing a large roll. If a test cannot be repeated (with the same or similar results) it signifies that there was probably something else going on with the test and the results are a function of that other going on. Repeatability also gives statistical reference for the working conditions for a certain theory. So now we have defined science as measurable (quantitative), observable, recordable, and repeatable. I was on the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences today and could not find a definition of what science is...I guess they don't know what they are advancing unless the blindly support anyone who claims something in the name of science. Webster similarily defines science as knowledge or a system of knowledge covering general truths or the operation of general laws especially as obtained and tested through scientific method b : such knowledge or such a system of knowledge concerned with the physical world and its phenomena.

Now let us examine with these set parameters the origins of the universe.
1. No human observed the origin of the universe let alone recorded it.
- In fact the only recorded observation of the origin of the universe is in Genesis 1.
2. The origins of the universe is not repeatible
- No scientist can reproduce the origins of the universe in any lab either here on earth or anywhere else in the universe.
3. To debate the validity of one thing over another, don't the two have to both be pretty much equivalent?
- In other words debates over whether sugar cookies or apples are the best fruit for you is pointless because sugar cookies are not a fruit.
- I must give the AAAS props for this because they do refuse to debate creation/evolution based on this arguement.
- Therefore to agrue over the two both have to be of equivalent value.
4. Any scientific evidence is interprited by the tester and is thus automatically screened through the testers belief system.
- All evidence has been interprited by a biased person, whether or not he is a scientist or a philosopher.
5. No one observed the origins of the universe, so no one measured the origin.
- God measured it in Genesis 1 and said it was good.

So now I ask, why does creation belong in a science classroom? I don't think it does, BUT since there is no recorded observation, repeatablility, or measurement of the universe, neither does evolution. I think many Christians and other opponents to evolution are wasting their time trying to make Christianity a science. Its not a science, its a faith, or belief system. But Evolution is also a belief system. An evolutionist believes that there is no God, things happen by chance (not as ordained by God), and that God lied in his account of Genesis 1 (or the whole Bible was made up).
I don't think either should be taught in a science classroom, if a school wants to offer a course in the origins of the universe, that is fine as long as it is taught in a way that clearly states that neither is science. Don't get me wrong, scientific evidence can be used in the arguements, but ultimately no scientific evidence with ever proove one right and the other wrong, so why are so many people wasting their breathes?

Reading Lists

2006-01-19T23:39:00.000-05:00

One week ago, Peter asked a question about our most influential books. Tonight I was surfing some of the sites on the blogroll and stopped at Dr. Dever's 9 Marks website. Good. Stuff. Over there, they have a pretty comprehensive reading list. I'd say it's worth checking out. What say you folks?

2006-01-19T21:24:00.000-05:00

First, I want to welcome our two newest contributors, Wes and Rachel. I'm glad that both of you are joining us. I think contributions from both of you will be great for the discussion around here.

Second, I want to mention some of the links I've added to the blogroll lately. I've added the internet publications of both the Southern Baptist Convention (Baptist Press) and the Presbyterian Church in America (byFaith Online). I've also added a couple of blogs to the blogroll: Resting Place (from the BHT), Pastor Boulet (from Heritage), and Together For the Gospel (T4G). T4G is a group blog by Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan, C.J. Mahaney, and Albert Mohler. In April, they will be hosting a pastor's conference with guests John MacArthur, John Piper, and R.C. Sproul

Also, I'd like to open up the blogroll to all Roof contributors. If you want to add a site, just create a new post and say something like "Hey Chuck, add ______ to the blogroll." Then I'll check it out and put it on the blogroll, if it fits within the posting guidelines.

what a great idea!

2006-01-19T17:38:00.000-05:00

hey guys...i was told to do a short bio, but i am thinking from the looks of things that most of ya'll know me. but, i will update you on my life. my name is rachel tidwell and i was born and raised in lake county, florida - eustis, to be exact. now, i attend letourneau university, which is located in longview, texas. i am technically a junior marketing major (christian ministries minor), though if i had decided to do so, i could have graduated in december of 06. instead, i will be taking only two classes in the spring of 07 and i will graduate in may of 07 - on time. i currently work as the marketing intern at the letourneau bookstore, and have been there for over a year now. this past semester, i was the children's ministry intern at my church in town - macedonia baptist. i am still very involved with the kids there, even though my "internship" is over. i mainly work with the 5th and 6th grade girls...i just love them! and, i would say that all this began in my days at camp gilead (3 years of that to be exact!) with those middle school kids that i always ended up loving more than i thought i would. presently, my desire is to go into the music industry and do some form of marketing there. this summer, i am HOPING to land an internship with interlinc (www.interlinc-online.com), a Christian music organization that works closely with youth ministries....that should help me be sure if i really want to be in the music industry. hmm...what else should i update ya'll on? i don't know. i think that's about it. but, i just wanted to say that i think this blog is a really fun idea, because i have not heard from some of ya'll in forever!! yay! hope you all are doing well...

My bio

2006-01-18T15:58:00.000-05:00

I was born and raised in Lakeland, FL. Went to LCS for 13 yup that is right, 13 years (does that make me senior LCSer on staff?). I currently attend Auburn University (aerospace engineering major) when I'm not working at the Kennedy Space Center. At Auburn I have been active in the Navigator's christian ministry as well as the marching band and my church's orchestra. Due to my frequent moves (and living in both Auburn and Cape Canaveral) I have had the opportunity to attend regularly some very diverse churches. Oh, forgot to mention my 3 years on the Camp Gilead maintenence staff (mowing the grass for growing lives...how is that for a off the cuff slogan?). I grew up in a Evangelical Free Church of America, but have since attended a Southern Baptist church in Auburn and a Bible Presbyterian Church in Cape Canaveral (broke off of the PCA because PCA was too liberal for them).

How to turn Firefox into a good Bible study tool

2006-01-14T12:51:00.000-05:00

I recently discovered a feature in Mozilla Firefox called "quicksearch". It's a pretty cool feature. You can type google "searchterm" in the address bar and Firefox will automatically do a google search for "searchterm". The power of this feature is that you can customize it to search any search engine you can think of. Here is how you can set Firefox to search the Bible for references, do word searches, and search Naves Topical Bible. Note: All searches in this entry will use the English Standard Version. You can change the version by referencing the version numbers at the end of this post.

Reference Search

Open Firefox and click on the Bookmarks menu.
Select Manage Bookmarks....
In the Bookmark Manager, find and expand the folder called Quick Searches.
Click New Bookmark... in the toolbar to create a new bookmark. A dialogue box called Properties for "New Bookmark" will open.
Type the following:
- Name: Bible Reference Search
- Location:
  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/
  ?search=%s&version=47
- Keyword: bible
- Description: Type "bible <reference>" in the location bar to look up something in the Bible.
Click OK and add the new bookmark to the Quick Searches folder.

Keyword Search

Follow Steps 1-4 from Reference Search.
Type the following:
- Name: Bible Keyword Search
- Location:
  http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/
  ?search=%s&version=47
- Keyword: biblesearch
- Description: Type "biblesearch <keyword>" in the location bar to do a word search in the Bible.
Click OK and add the new bookmark to the Quick Searches folder.

Topic Search

Follow Steps 1-4 from Reference Search.
Type the following:
- Name: Bible Topic Search
- Location:
  http://www.biblegateway.com/topical/
  topical_searchresults.php?&search=%s&searchtype=all
- Keyword: bibletopic
- Description: Type "bibletopic <topic>" in the location bar to do a word search in the Bible.
Click OK and add the new bookmark to the Quick Searches folder.

Bible Versions: Here is a list of bible versions and their corresponding numbers. To change the version for the searches, simply change the number after version=.

Number	Version
47	English Standard Version
77	Holman Christian Standard Bible
9	King James Version
65	The Message
49	New American Standard Bible
31	New International Version
50	New King James Version

Update (16 Jan 06): For any of the searches above, you can change the Name, the Keyword, and the Description to pretty much anything you want. When you want to do a web search with any of them, you would type the keyword, a space, and your search term. Example: when I look up a passage, I'd type: bible john 3:16. After typing that and clicking go, this page will open.

Great Books

2006-01-09T23:47:00.000-05:00

Peter: You asked about our influential books. Here's my answer.

1) Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis -- This book has been very influential for me, especially recently. I like the picture of ecumenical Christianity he presents in this book. It's an ecumenism based on common beliefs about the grace and sufficiency of Christ, not the kind of ecumenism that presents belief as unimportant.

2) Know What You Believe By Paul E. Little -- This was the textbook for Mr. Edgar's Doctrine and Apologetics class. It was an early introduction to Christian doctrine for me. It was in this class that I "discovered" Philippians 1:6. I quit questioning my salvation because of not "knowing that I know"; my confidence in my salvation is based on God's faithfulness. This little book reminds me of that generally.

3) Designed to Be Like Him by J. Dwight Pentecost -- I asked my Dad what was the most influential book for him and he mentioned this one. Pentecost writes about how we were created in the image of God, with a mind to know God, a heart to love God, and a will to obey God. He then discusses how each of these aspects of our personality are clouded and dead in sin and how God quickens them when he regenerates us.

That's what I've got now. Ask me this time next year and the list may be longer. Right now, I'm in the process of cataloging a lot of books that my Dad gave me. Great idea to do the list!

Most influential books

2006-01-06T22:56:00.000-05:00

Dear fellow Roofers,
I came across a list of recommendations on the books that every educated person should read, and I was wondering if we couldn't do our own version with either your most influential books or those you think every person should read. I'll mention the Bible first-off and rule out relisting it, so as to ensure that the responses have some variety.
Personnally, Desiring God, by John Piper, has been influential spiritually. If you haven't run across this yet, I'd recommend it. His basic thrust is that Christians should be Hedonists to the greatest extent, and that the result of this pursuit of pleasure is loving God. When we settle for the world and the flesh, we are merely not pursuing pleasure enough.
As far as being educated, I would recommend The Wordly Philosophers (about economics), and The Gulag Archipelago, by Solzhenitysn. The first covers the development of economic thought throughout history and is important for providing context for all sorts of current events in the US and in the rest of the world for those without an economics background. The second is much too long for any sane person to read. So I went ahead and read it - it's filled with a wealth of wisdom, a characterization of human nature which is quite perceptive, and an indictment of the 20th century totalitarian regime. His other books, A Day in the Live of Ivan Denisovich, Cancer Ward, and The First Circle are also powerful, and a bit more accessible. A Day in the Life is the Gulag lite.
But I'm interested in your thoughts. What would you list?

No, I Didn't Drop Off the Face of the Earth...

2005-12-29T13:16:00.000-05:00

...I just don't have steady internet access at the moment. I don't know when I will again...we're working on it as soon as possible. But don't think I forgot you guys or that I'm too much of a loser for not posting. I'll be back making up for lost time soon! Ciao ciao!
By the way, Buon Natale e Buon Anno, i miei amici!!!!!!

Merry Christmas

2005-12-25T09:58:00.000-05:00

You can read the story here.

¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Question of the Day: The Death Penalty

2005-12-21T22:12:00.000-05:00

Here's the most recent story if you haven't heard it: The Governator decided to allow California to execute gang-member/murderer Tookie Williams, despite his attempts to work against violence and gangs in his latter years. See the Tookie Williams Wikipedia article for background.

So, fellow Roofers and welcomed interlopers, what do you think?
Should he have been executed?
Should the United States execute people in general?
How do you interpret the Bible on this subject?

In the Old Testament, the death penalty seemed rather frequently ascribed (although I later read that it was, in fact, difficult to pursue under Hebrew law). The Catholic church maintains, however, that as life is sacred, the death penalty is immoral. I tend to take the easy way out and say "Whether or not it is immoral, it's not feasible the way that we do it in America." It costs more than keeping people in prison for life, and we haven't proven that it acts as a deterrent. Moreover, there have been a number of death-row inmates freed on DNA evidence in recent years, highlighting the fact that innocent people are convicted of crimes in our justice system. Is it worth killing innocent people to maintain the death penalty? Perhaps not.
The broader question of killing known criminals is much more difficult.

God Bless,
Peter

Posted in: Death Penalty, Tookie Williams, Question.

Question of the Day

2005-12-15T21:34:00.000-05:00

This is a question for anyone who wants to answer, but specifically for my fellow roof posters:

What is your favorite (modern) translation of the Bible and why?

(more...)

Here's my answer.

Both of the bibles that I use personally are NASBs, but I have recently discovered the ESV. I like both because they set out to be faithful to the original language texts. I like the ESV in particular because it is an "essentially literal" translation that pays attention to modern grammar and style. The NASB is an update of the ASV. The ESV is the most recent update of the RSV (which was itself an update of the ASV).

The reason I ask is that I wonder about translations like the NRSV or the TNIV. I might write about them someday. Not now, though.

Posted in: Bible, Question.

Christian schools sue University of California system over content

2005-12-12T23:30:00.000-05:00

From NPR:

More than 800 Christian schools are suing the University of California system. They say the nation's largest public university system won't credit certain high school courses because they contain too much religious content.

I'm not sure of the facts in this case, but I've heard that the University of California system is not giving credit to students from certain Christian Schools because of the religious content in certain classes. I wonder what this will mean for accreditation for Christian schools in California and elsewhere? I wonder how Christian school faculties ought to structure curricula, particularly in science classes that deal with evolution?

I think that the point may be valid that accepted academic theories (and maybe even evolution) ought to be taught or at least explained in Christian schools. I think that certain things can be taught, but not advocated. For example: we learned about Greek mythology in Literature classes, but our teachers never advocated the myths as a system of beliefs. Another class that I think ought to be taught in both Christian schools and public schools is a Philosophy of Science class. It would be a semester-long course in which students are introduced to the various philosophical assumptions behind approaches to science. The scientific method is great, but it doesn't exist in a vacuum. And people need to realize that. And that's the opinion of a student of the social sciences.

Hat tip: titusonenine

Posted in: Education.

"Abortion 'leaves mental legacy'"

2005-12-12T13:12:00.000-05:00

The BBC just post this article about an abortion study. They found those women in the study who got abortions suffered from "mental anguish, anxiety, guilt and even shame" afterwards much longer than women who had had miscarriages. This didn't surprise me a whole lot. What I found interesting was the response of the primary abortion provider in Britain, which said that "few women experience long-term problems" without, of course, citing any studies to back it up. So what we're left with is a study saying one thing and those who have the greatest interest in the opposite opinion saying "it's not true because we said so.

Posted in: Abortion.

Nice to see that our faith still scares people

2005-12-09T23:35:00.000-05:00

Here's an interesting article by MSNBC's Tucker Carlson.

Dead religions don't give people the creeps. They don't make atheists mad. They don't keep Alan Dershowitz up at night. But Christianity still does. What a relief. It's nice to see that our faith still scares people.

Hat tip: All Saints Church, Lakeland

Introducing Categories and Extended Posts

2005-12-08T21:29:00.000-05:00

I've added two new nifty features to The Roof: Categories and Extended Posts. Here's how they work.

1.) Categories

For categories, I'm using del.icio.us. It's a website intended to store people's bookmarks online.

Instructions:

Write your post, like normal.

At the end of your post, add your categories, using the following code:

<p class="tags"><b>Posted in:</b> <a
href="http://del.icio.us/theroofblog/abc">Abc</a>.</p>

Replace the "abc" and "ABC" in the above code with the category you want to post in.
If you wish to include it in more than one category, simply add more links. Links, of course, are everything between the <a href=""> and </a> tags.
When you're done with your post, hit Publish Post .
Then add the post to del.icio.us using this link. (In most web browsers, you can drag the link to the bookmarks toolbar.) Select the tag from the list at the bottom of the page, and click "Save."

To all: If you have suggestions for categories, leave them in the comments for this entry.

2.) Extended Posts

What are extended posts? I'm glad you asked. When you have a lot to write, the post can get very long very quickly. So before this post gets any longer, I'll demonstrate what extended posts are. To read the rest of this, click the link below.

(more...)

Extended posts let you type a summary at the top of the post, and hide the rest in the extended posts, like this.

Here's how:

Write your post, like normal.
When you're done with your post, hit Publish Post .
Click the link to edit the post you just typed.
Place the following code where you want the summary to end:
```
<p><a href="*****#more">(more...)</a></p>
```
Replace ***** with the permalink for that post (leave "#more" there).
Surround the rest of the post with these tags <div id="more" class="fullpost"> and </div>.
When you're done, hit Publish Post again.

If you have any questions about how to do these things, send me an email.

2005-12-06T11:53:00.000-05:00

Well the real intention of my last post was to explain a little more about how the XXXchurch was formed (and not necessarily advertise for their documentary on it). I really wish Relevant Magazine had a link to their article, but since they don’t, I will have to sum it up the best I can.

No doubt the whole idea of Christians at a Porn Show grabs attention, but the question of ‘What are they doing there?’ looms on most minds. Did you know that 25 million Americans visit cybersex sites between 1 and 10 hours per week? (MSNBC Survey, 2000). Or that According to the Justice Department, in 1998 there were 28,000 X-rated websites, generating $925 million in revenue. Three years later, there were 280,000 X-rated websites, generating more than $10 billion in revenue (The Wall Street Journal, Nov. 26, 2001). But the saddest thing to me is that it is believed that 70 percent of women involved in pornography are survivors of incest or sexual abuse (XXXchurch.com).

The main thing I took away from last Sunday’s sermon was “Don’t make mercy to the hurting dependent upon evangelism. God’s Agape cannot be exhausted” (Pastor Bourque). True, my Pastor probably didn’t think I would apply that towards porn stars, especially since the Bible says not to “associate with sexually immoral people” (I Cor. 5:9) or not to have a hint of sexual immorality (Eph. 5:8). Yet, on the flip side, JR, a volunteer at XXXchurch’s exhibit, feels that “God wants us in the trenches.” Hebrews 12:16 does say “see that no one is sexually immoral…” but just how do Christians reach out to those in that lifestyle without compromising truth?

During Erotica LA 2005, XXXchurch created the “Porn Challenge,” asking customers and proprietors at the convention is they were willing to give up porn for seven days. The goal being, “If they could see their lives briefly without porn, would they feel better about themselves or their futures?” In response, 213 signed up for the challenge, which I found kind of surprising since all of those people paid $30 to go to a convention where they could get all sex and lust they wanted. While I think the XXXchurch is trying to do a good thing, if the only goal is for people to feel better about themselves spiritually, are they only getting enough “God” to make up for the porn that makes themselves feel better physically/sexually?

Finally Got Blogger Dashboard to Work Again :)

2005-12-06T01:55:00.000-05:00

An interesting documentary… XXXchurch.com also has an article about their exhibition at the Erotica LA Convention in the Nov_Dec issue of Relevant Magazine. My only question is how far will/can ParaChurch ministries go to change culture in our generation?

Moderator's Note: The rest of the post is from the XXXChurch blog; It's an advertisement for the documentary. I've removed the text of the ad and added a link to the post itself.

Here is the quoted text from the rest of the post.

Go Navy! Beat Army!

2005-12-04T07:35:00.000-05:00

Navy: 42, Army: 23

Posted in: Uncategorized.

Osmosis

2005-11-29T23:34:00.000-05:00

Here is an excerpt from a poem by the editor of First Things. Good stuff, check it out if you have time.

Reading by Osmosis

My brother osmoted The Lord of the Rings,
a story of insects with thousands of wings—
or was that a book called Lord of the Flies?
Oh well, we’re getting wise
by learning the things that osmosis now brings.

2005-11-27T19:13:00.000-05:00

Tara: Thank you for the post on music. While I'm at school, I've only got dial-up in my apartment -- not exactly great for (legally) downloading music. We'll see what my music collection looks like next semester.

To Peter and everyone else: I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. It was good to see Peter, Tara, Wes, and Anna this weekend.

Three posts in one weekend isn't bad.

Music snobbery

2005-11-27T12:58:00.000-05:00

A post from Tara! And a long one at that...

So i've been thinking about Chuck's newest endeavor to become a music snob, being a music snob myself, here's a few suggestions for those of you on how to listen to (in my opinion) better music.

One thing I never EVER do is listen to the radio. There's nothing worse than the radio, unless you're listening to NPR. In my opinion, radio takes the same 10 songs, shakes them in a bag and then pulls out which one will come next, I hate the radio.

It's not about neccesarily listening to Indie bands. Listen to every genre of music you can. I would be lying if I told you I didn't have everything from Hanson to Rilo Kiley to Kanye West in my media player. I've discovered that i'll listen to anything with a little talent in it. My favorite genre is the art/ alternative rock ( Coldplay, Death Cab for Cutie, Radiohead, Franz Ferdinand) but I really enjoy things from other genres too. My latest playlist has Eisley, The Gorillaz, Aqualung, Sixpence None the Richer, No Doubt and the Fugees, among other things. There's a difference between Ludacris and Jay-Z, you just wouldn't know until you listened.

Last thing I try to do is know the music that I listen too. The way this music thing got started is because I said something about Weezer. I hate it that kids are listening to the newest Weezer because it's awful. I've been listening to Weezer for years, and know that it's awful because i've listened to the Blue album, and Pinkerton and know how exceptional some of the music is. Chuck would be more of a music snob than me when it comes to Switchfoot.

I just love music, in every form. I'm a bit obsessed with it I have to say. Some good bands to listen too:

Aqualung-amazing British piano alternative music, personal favorite song: Left Behind

Beck- Beck is THE MAN. I watched a special on him and his music is layers of yummy goodness.

Muse- If you like something a little harder, maybe something to work out too, listen to Muse. You could run for hours listening to Muse. It's very methodical.

Sigur Ros- Study, eat, sleep, to a soundtrack. If you want something to go on in the background, this is for you. Modern day Mozart. It'll make you smarter, I swear.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2005-11-25T10:58:00.000-05:00

Day late though it may be, I want to wish everyone on the Roof a Happy Thanksgiving!
You can read about the President's Turkey Pardon. Pretty exciting - especially if you're the turkey.
Here are some (pitifully few, I think) Thanksgiving recipes on WikiCookbook - I just think the idea of making a Wiki cookbook is entertaining.
Apologies for being absent for a while - like Chuck, busy-ness at school is inversely proportional to time spent on the Roof.
I feel remiss any time I leave a post without some question for discussion, so here are my top news-related questions of the last few weeks, in no particular order. Many of them came up in my discussions with friends up at the Academy, so any slant one way or another is not necessarily mine.

Did anyone in the Bush administration think that Harriet Miers would ever be approved? Was it, as one of my friends has suggested, intended to distract people from the Libby/Rove thing?
What do you think of lobbyists?
Do you think that conservative Christians prioritize moral domestic policy (abortion and gay marriage particularly), over any thought of foreign policy?
What do you guys think of our current foreign policy (I'll refrain from giving my opinion on the site - you can ask me in person)?
There are more, but that's enough for now.

Cheers,
Peter

Dr. Adrian Rogers (1931-2005)

2005-11-15T22:23:00.000-05:00

I just learned that a great pastor, Dr. Adrian Rogers passed away today.

More here.

Friday Freebies

2005-11-11T20:59:00.000-05:00

Things have been a bit slow here on The Roof because things have not been slow at all at UF. I think each of these individual items deserves it's own post, but for now, they're all going here.

First of all, I'd like to wish a happy 230th birthday to the United States Marine Corps. The USMC was born on November 10th, 1775 in Tun Tavern, Philadelphia, PA.

Second of all, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy Veterans Day, and send out a BIG THANK YOU to all our veterans! These people have served the country admirably and deserve our thanks. Here's a post from Blackfive on Veterans Day.

Next, we have a new hymn worth singing brought to our attention by Dr. Mohler. The hymn is Oh, to See the Dawn, by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty. Together, these guys wrote In Christ Alone . Townend also wrote How deep the Father's love for us.

Speaking of "Christian" music, here is a list of 99 favorite christian songs from the Evangelical Outpost. Here is another list of Favorite Christian Artists from Seeker at Two or Three.

Next, we have some pretty tough stuff. For those of you out there considering vocations in the church, check out "With Regrets, All My Love" by Michael Spencer at internetmonk.com.

For those of you who are already in the ministry, or who still believe that a vocation in the church is your calling, or who are church members, check out this post by the Reformissionary.

Happy Reformation Day!

2005-10-31T00:09:00.000-05:00

Luther's 95 Theses.

On this day (October 31) in 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Church in Wittenburg. With that action, began the Protestant Reformation.

Sending out Kudos

2005-10-29T00:44:00.000-04:00

Chuck, great second point (that about making charity a normal part of life...) Oh also, as far as getting other types of news, there is always the internet option.

www.newspaperindex.com - has selective links to newspapers worldwide
www.worldpressreview.org - which is generally nonpartisan

But my favorite would have to be... www.searchenginecolossus.com - links to search engines and directories from 198 countries and 61 territories!!!

Re: In the Wake

2005-10-27T11:50:00.000-04:00

That is a good question! Sometimes, a few natural disasters catch us off guard and get put all over the news, and we respond to them in a big way. For every Hurricane Katrina, though, there is a Wilma, or an unnamed tornado in the Plains or an earthquake on the West Coast and just as many natural disasters around the world. I'm not saying that the way we responded to Katrina or Rita was wrong -- it's very good to send aid for that, and I don't want to minimize anybody's misfortune. I'm not sure what is too much.

What I think is a problem, though, is that we respond in big ways to disasters that surprise us, but ignore those that don't surprose us or that we don't hear about. When Katrina and Rita hit New Orleans, there were people all over campus here at UF collecting money for Red Cross. A few weeks later when the earthquake hit Pakistan, there were a few people collecting for the Red Cross then. There are storms and earthquakes and other disasters that give people real grief, but that aren't quite as shocking as a disaster that hits a major city -- and they need help too.

It's hard to think about charitable giving now, for me, because I'm living and going to school (in large part) on the State of Florida's dollar (and my parents'). There's not much I can do now, financially, because I've got no income. For me, then, I think the solution is (1) to be ready to go and help when/if I can, and (2) to live frugally and get myself in a position where I can make charitable giving a normal part of life, rather than whenever something big gets on the news.

As far as the news goes, I think it would be great if more international news made it to prime time. I know CNN has a dedicated international channel, but basic cable doesn't carry it usually. BBC-World gets some airtime on PBS, and that's about it apart from the bit of news carried on Fox, CNN, and the networks.

In the Wake

2005-10-27T10:55:00.000-04:00

In the wake of hurricane Wilma, how do you all feel that then nation is responding to these natural disasters? For example, too much attention... not enough...? Many times i have wondered why i never hear about the earthquakes/ natural disaters in other parts of the world, because all that seems newsworthy is what takes place in this country. (i watch British TV to know what's going on in Africa :o)
on the other hand, i think it is important to recognize that uncontroled disaster can happen right here at home, even in the most developed and powerful nations.

We've been linked! - III

2005-10-23T13:10:00.000-04:00

We've been linked by Roland Allen. He's a college counselor at St. Margaret's Episcopal School in California. Check it out.

We've been linked!

2005-10-21T12:05:00.000-04:00

by Dignan's 75 Year Plan.

And by Confessions of a Jesus Phreak.

Wow. We've also been linked by (top=newest, bottom=oldest):

Thanks!

Stuart Townend on Hymnwriting

2005-10-19T22:40:00.000-04:00

Stuart Townend is the man who wrote "How great the Father's love for us." He has a short article called "Tips for writing a successful hymn" in the Religion and Ethics section of the BBC's website. Here's a short excerpt.

Study the Scriptures. The best hymns demonstrate insight and understanding of the Bible, and consequently bring the truths of the Christian faith to life. If you don't know the message of the gospel, you can't write something that will enable others to worship in spirit and truth.
Be poetic, not pompous. Sometimes when people set out to write a hymn, they use phrases which might sound 'hymny', but actually mean very little. Make your phrases mean something!

It's a quick and interesting read. Makes me want to put pen to paper.

Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego

2005-10-14T12:40:00.000-04:00

Peter Wrote:

This is great - I'd be interested to hear your view of this in relation to the actions of Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego in Daniel. I've been particularly interested in questions of Christian testimony in secular leadership positions of late.

Daniel 2-3 <= here's the story.

First of all, I think what Noah Riner (article by William F. Buckley, Jr.) did was a very cool thing. He was already Student body President -- I can't see what he could have gained from it, so I don't think he was trying to get "political capital" or anything. It seems to me that it was out of a concern for the Great Commission and for the new freshmen. I don't know him, but that's how it appears, and I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.

What Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego did was to stand up and say "I can't worship that statue. It would be a sin against God." They were government officials and friends of Daniel. I imagine they heard the king's decree first-hand -- they knew that the fiery furnace would be their penalty if they disobeyed the order, but they did anyway.

They accepted the consequences that came along with worshipping God -- they were ready to face death -- because they knew that God is faithful. It turns out that it was God's plan to get them out of the fire unharmed. Because of God's grace, they survived, they were promoted, and God was glorified. The point is, though, that they went into this whole thing not entirely sure of what the outcome would be and trusting in God.

How does this apply to Christian testimony in secular leadership? Christians ought not to apologize for being Christians, whether they're pastors, missionaries, lawyers, naval officers, college students, or Representatives or Senators or Presidents. Christians ought not to be sorry for holding to any particular doctrine, if that doctrine is in fact Biblical.

It is wrong, simply wrong, for a politician to use his or her Christianity to gain votes or political capital. Hmmm, evangelical Christians make up x% of the voters in the USA, and evangelical Christians believe A, B, and C. I'll start going to Christ Church again and I'll promise to do A, B, and C, and they'll vote for me. That bothers me. First, I don't really like to be pandered to, and second, It's not right to exploit a relationship with Christ and the Church like that.

For Christians in public life: Follow Christ and proclaim Him appropriately. Don't apologize for that. But also, don't use your Christianity to brag about how great you are. Any bragging about Christianity ought to bring glory to God not to Self. As to outcome and consequences, trust God -- I think He pretty much has His act together.

For Christians everywhere else: Do the exact same thing. :-)

Peter: Did that make any sense, or was I just rambling?

Housekeeping

2005-10-11T21:56:00.000-04:00

The comments have been opened.

Posted in: Housekeeping.

I've got a question for y'all

2005-10-07T23:09:00.000-04:00

This is one for all five of you.

What do you think about the sacraments/ordinances? What do they mean? What do they actually do? Why do we receive them? I know that Jesus commands them, but I believe He instituted them for a reason, and that's what I'm trying to get at.

I have my own thoughts about this, but I'd really like to hear what you all have to say. I'll respond.

Check this out!

2005-10-07T22:54:00.000-04:00

Here is the text of a convocation address by Noah Riner, the current student body president at Dartmouth College. This kid did something very daring: He shared his faith in Christ in front of the incoming freshman class (class of '09), and made a speech he knew would be heard all over the college community. He's been taking some flak for it, I hear. Dr. Albert Mohler from Southern Seminary commented as well.

I wonder if I would have been willing to do that here at UF, if I were in the same position?

2005-10-07T14:43:00.000-04:00

Ending sentences with prepositions is something up with which we shall not put!

Quote of the day

2005-10-05T14:25:00.000-04:00

"My ancestors were Puritans from England. They arrived here in 1648 in the hope of finding greater restrictions than were permissible under English law at that time." -Garrison Keillor

Tithing...

2005-10-02T19:20:00.000-04:00

Sarah: In response to your question about tithing, my initial response is to say that the tithe is designed to go to the local church body that is currently ministering to you, with support for other specific ministries and missionaries coming above and beyond that. I believe that's where one of the differences comes between "tithes" and "offerings". As I said, that's my initial response, but let me check on that in the next couple of days to make sure that I'm speaking accurately. I certainly don't want to speak just based on opinon and without biblical support. I'll double check and get back to you.
In a different, but not unrelated direction, I was informed this week that only 1% of the American church's money is actually channeled toward missions. That's a very sad and disturbing statistic. What does that say about our commitment to fulfilling the Great Comission?

Question on Tithing

2005-09-29T07:40:00.000-04:00

Fairly certain tithing is biblical, (being God’s money, etc.)...however, when it says give it to the ‘church,’ does that mean your local congregation or the ‘church’ as in the body of believers universal who are doing things for God’s kingdom. In other words, can a tithe go to missionaries/ministries or is that supposed to be an offering in addition. My church likes to be modern and not pass around offering plates, plus I am at school and not really a ‘member’ per say. So the tithe just sits… Hannah: with your involvement in missions, I would be especially curious to know your opinion.

2005-09-28T22:54:00.000-04:00

What do you think, Peter?

Take Two on Ministry and Family: My sister's influence

2005-09-28T08:51:00.000-04:00

I didn’t really answer the question either, but I posed it to my 31 year-old sister over the phone last night. She has three toddlers and a husband who started his own non-for-profit ministry. Ha, I figured she would offer some insight.

Points she made: “Do what only you can do,” meaning that others can fill various ministry roles, but only you can be a mom/dad to your kids. No one ever looks back at their life saying they wish they spent more time at the office, because you can’t get those ‘kid’ years back. Kids can become part of your ministry (especially when they get older), it helps them learn/grow into your faith as a family, and God often uses children in special ways because they have such teachable hearts. Ministry can compliment the family, but family should never take the back seat, because “if you are failing at home, you are going to fail in your ministry.” She suggested that if financially able, a mom should spend those first years at home, but if you choose daycare, use that time away from your children wisely.

For example, my brother-in-law and possibly my sister are going to leave their kids for about a week to help network aid in Rwanda. Pursuing ministry is possible, but work in your first responsibilities.

2005-09-27T11:06:00.000-04:00

Peter: I think I kinda dodged your questions earlier. :-) I'm not so sure that the lack of a call to vocational ministry is a positive and specific call into any particular vocation. In other words, I don't think it's a specific holy calling that I become a lawyer, although as a lawyer I ought to do my job for God's glory. And personally, I don't think that pre-school is bad at all, as long as you check out the pre-school and make sure it's a good one. When I was little, both of my parents worked outside the house. Before I was preschool aged, I stayed with my grandparents a lot. After preschool age, I went to a little church school not far from where my dad worked in Bartow.

Ministry and Family

2005-09-25T08:27:00.000-04:00

Peter: I don't know if we can say one comes before the other, although I think if I had to pick I'd probably say family. The thing is this: a person who has a call into the vocational ministry has been called by God and commissioned by his church to guard, teach, and pastor the flock. He also has his familial and vocational responsibilities outlined in the Bible. People with a non-ministry vocation like lawyers or naval officers only have family responsibilities outlined in the bible and our general commission. Our minstry will come along the way as we interact with people.

As far as choosing whether ministry or family comes first, 1 Timothy 3 says that if one cannot properly manage his family, then how can he take care of the church. If a person chooses to have a family and do ministry, the family is very important. That's not to say that the ministry in the church is less important, though because shepherding the flock seems similar to being a parent of sorts to the whole church.

Neither Comes First?

2005-09-23T16:47:00.000-04:00

Do you know what group puts family and ministry together well? Mormonism, and though I am not Mormon, I find that balance fascinating. In support of family first are family home evening nights, and the crucial belief that their unit is sealed together for all eternity. Yet, they still manage to put a large emphasis on ministry through proselytizing and relief work. Does this apply to Peter’s question? Probably not, but it is what came to mind. LOL.

Ministry and Family: Which comes first?

2005-09-23T00:31:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all, I though I'd throw out a topic which came up recently. We know that God calls people vocationally, whether to full-time ministry or to ministry within some specific vocation. He has also given us roles with the family, whether as a husband or wife, or as a parent for your children (in the hypothetical future of course).
My question(s) is(are) this(these): If God has called you to a ministry of some sort, how do you draw the line between pursuing that ministry and parenting your children? Is it Biblical to, say, send your pre-school kids to daycare so that you and your spouse can pursue your callings? What if both spouses feel called to particular professions, and you then have kids? How does that change the prioritization of your callings? And where in the Bible can you support your answers (if in fact anyone is bold enough to venture an answer) ?
Look forward to hearing from you.
Peace

On the New Monasticism Article...

2005-09-22T11:27:00.000-04:00

Have you ever heard the factious story where millions of starfish are stranded on a certain beach and someone comes along to throw just one back, only to be criticized that the effort is pointless because there are so many? Well, now you just the read the gist of that story, and in it, the hero responded to the realist that his actions at least “mattered to that one” starfish.
Not sure why “The New Monasticism” article in Christianity today reminded me of that tale, but homelessness is not normally something I lose a lot of sleep over. In fact, when well fed and showered my pompous self finds it incredible that anybody worth being anybody should be homeless! Then I turn on the news to Hurricane Katrina aftermath, or upon events just as tragic that remind me how blessed I am, and how I didn’t do beans to ‘get’ what I have.
Why shouldn’t Christians live among the homeless? Why do I resent reaching only ‘one house at time?’ Doesn’t all spiritual multiplication start with reaching one?
These questions are aimed at me as I think about poverty today. However, feel free to answer them in your opinion or pose others in addition.

Chuck (in response to your comments on suicide):

2005-09-18T20:34:00.000-04:00

The student on campus who committed suicide was quite influential and his impact was reflected in the testimonials of our school’s newspaper memorial issue. I pray that each of those touched by this incident will get an opportunity to hear a biblical explanation of what ‘hope’ there is in this world. Already I have gotten to talk about ‘hope’ with a certain friend who believes that “you have to live for you” and not for other people. Who knows what other conversations will open up in the next few weeks as people continue to process this tragedy.

Bono on Grace

2005-09-18T19:11:00.000-04:00

Here is the other conversation starter I found.

Bono gives an explicit confession of being saved by Grace, not Karma.

Here's another one: Bono's American Prayer.

I'll take a look at these later and I might even comment on them. Maybe tomorrow?

Hat Tip: Rob Pendley

Christianity Today: The New Monasticism

2005-09-18T18:22:00.000-04:00

I just came across a couple of good conversation starters.

This is an article in Christianity Today.

Hello? (hello... hello.. ello.. o)

2005-09-18T17:54:00.000-04:00

Am I the only one up here? I think I can hear an echo (echo... echo... cho... o).

2005-09-18T15:00:00.000-04:00

This is going to be interesting. Germany is close to getting a conservative, female chancellor. I kinda think that's cool. What do you think?

housekeeping

2005-09-16T10:58:00.000-04:00

If anyone from the BHT is reading this, could you send me a quick note to theroofblog [at] yahoo [dot] com? Thanks. Also note: if anyone who reads this blog wants to make comments, that's what the above email address is for.

To my friends on the Roof: Let me know what you think about opening the comments on the blog. I'm not sure what will come of it, but if the consensus is to allow them, I'll go ahead and do it.

Now, back to work for me.

Posted in: Housekeeping.

For Tara Bear!!!

2005-09-14T08:32:00.000-04:00

So glad you joined, even if you feel you are going to be super busy… One of my friends found this book, Saving My First Kiss (weird title, but good content), and well what you said in your bio brought this section to mind... Tell me what you think later when you do get a moment in between “documenting situations,” lol, I <3 working in Res Life!!!

"Possibly more than anything else, longing for romance can make us lose sight of opportunities at the roadside. Because the idea of having a significant other is so exciting to us, it's easy to let romance be the only thing we look for in life.
We rush to our mural, keeping at least one eye fixed on the top corner, waiting for our white spaces to be filled up. After a time, if nothing appears there, we walk right up to the mural, tapping our feet and clearing our throats: Hoping to make the Artist change the order of His design; Hoping that He will come and fill the white space.
But when we step back and begin to see the big picture, everything changes. We start to see color in other areas. As we become less focused on romance, we are able to watch as God fills different places of our lives. And we find that, as one book says, "there is more God has for us during a season of singleness than just learning the art of misery and impatience."
Do you ever find yourself disagreeing with such a statement? Do you ever find yourself staring at a big, glaring white space? Do you find it hard to see beauty in your own life? DO you ever get the feeling that there might be something that you're missing? If so, will you take a few steps back with me? Will you? Come on. God is still painting, and He's working on a masterpiece."

Welcome!

2005-09-14T06:01:00.000-04:00

Hey Tara! Welcome to the Roof! I'm really glad you could make it.

The Roof

Eastern Orthodoxy

This one is for Peter

Musings in Job on Marraige

Hilarious.

John Piper on Marriage

Pastoral wisdom from Martin Luther

Two articles worth reading...

Update on Dr. Mohler

Please pray for Dr. Albert Mohler.

Happy Thanksgiving!

On Christianity and Politics - Faith and Works

Reformation Day 2006

Marriage

Mentorship

A few things worth checking out...

Here is an outstanding resource...

Southern Seminary

The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards

I'm in Florida!

Scimitar SL-2

Book Reviews

Liveblogging the SBTS Preview Conference

Quote of the Day

anna recommendation

What's So Great About Gatsby?

Table in the Presence

Quote of the Day (QOTD)

Currently reading...

Good Book

Agenda-Driven

Cartoon Controversy

Deadly Cartoons

SOTU

State of the Union Address

A Rave and a Rant: The End of the Spear

What really is science?

Reading Lists

what a great idea!

My bio

How to turn Firefox into a good Bible study tool

Great Books

Most influential books

No, I Didn't Drop Off the Face of the Earth...

Merry Christmas

Question of the Day: The Death Penalty

Question of the Day

Christian schools sue University of California system over content

"Abortion 'leaves mental legacy'"

Nice to see that our faith still scares people

Introducing Categories and Extended Posts

Finally Got Blogger Dashboard to Work Again :)

Go Navy! Beat Army!

Osmosis

Music snobbery

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dr. Adrian Rogers (1931-2005)

Friday Freebies

Happy Reformation Day!

Sending out Kudos

Re: In the Wake

In the Wake

We've been linked! - III

We've been linked!

Stuart Townend on Hymnwriting

Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego

Housekeeping

I've got a question for y'all

Check this out!

Quote of the day

Tithing...

Question on Tithing

Take Two on Ministry and Family: My sister's influence

Ministry and Family

Neither Comes First?

Ministry and Family: Which comes first?

On the New Monasticism Article...

Blogroll: Finitus Non Capax Infiniti

Blogroll: One True God Blog

Chuck (in response to your comments on suicide):