Aragorn Returns

I did not write a post for today. Mostly because I was too busy watching the new Lord of the Rings film. The film is unofficial, so it is free to view on youtube - and it was made by independent filmmakers. The result is pretty - well, cool. Check it out below. It is quite faithful to what I remember from Tolkein's Unfinished Tales.


Click here for The Hunt for Gollum, a Lord of the Rings Prequel.

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Quotes from Calvin that the Members of the "New Calvinism" Movement Won't Like

Here comes quote #2 from Calvin's Institutes. Lest readers think I am including these quotes to be spiteful, let me assure them I am not - I deeply respect most of the people involved in the New Calvinism movement.

What I am trying to do, however, is create an awareness of what real Calvinism is actually like - I am giving every one small portions of Calvin so that they will realize that the theology of John Calvin is not limited to five points. Those are only the starting points.

"Our souls are fed by the flesh and blood of Christ in the same way that bread and wine keep and sustain physical life... even though it seems unbelievable that Christ's flesh, separated from us by such great distance, penetrates to us, so that it becomes our food, let us remember how far the secret power of the Holy Spirit towers above all our senses, and how foolish it is to wish to measure his immeasurableness by our measure. What, then, our mind does not comprehend, let faith conceive: that the Spirit truly unites things separated in space.

Now, that partaking of his flesh and blood, by which Christ pours his life into us, as if it penetrated into our bones and marrow, he also testifies and seals in the Supper - not by presenting a vain and empty sign, but by manifesting there the effectiveness of his Spirit to fulfill what he promises. And truly he offers and shows the reality there signified to all who sit at that spiritual banquet, although it is received with benefit by believers alone, who accept such great generosity with true faith and gratefulness of heart." [IV. XVII. 10.]

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The Warmth and Comfort of Liturgy

The best works of fiction are the ones you can read over and over again. These aren’t the thrillers or novels that you read once or twice or thrice. These are the books that you read continuously, almost as if it is a ritual.

Take the Lord of the Rings for instance. About every two years, I take the plunge into Middle Earth. That isn’t the only Tolkien work I’ve read multiple times. The Silmarillion, The Children of Hurin, and The Hobbit all get read about every two or three years. I reread the Chronicles of Narnia regularly too.

I’m sure most of you have books that are your particular favorites that get reread. Why? Why not just read these books once and be done with them?

One reason is that they offer a sense of comfort. A good book is like a good friend, as it is said. Every time I read the Chronicles of Narnia, I remember the first time that my father read them aloud, when I was very young. It brings back feelings of nostalgia, good feelings of my childhood, of hearth and home. When I first entered Narnia, I was far too young to understand more than basic themes, and then only subconsciously – but the seeds were planted in my mind, and the imagery penetrated my soul. The imagery of the books became familiar and meaningful.

Understanding this imagery is the second reason: each time I reread the books growing up, I found new imagery and came to understand the symbolism in new ways. Even now, whenever I reread the Chronicles of Narnia, I find something new and meaningful and stirring in the books. The imagery was always there, but I never noticed it before. The books are examples of good writing because they aren’t something that you simply read – rather they grow in you, and you grow through reading them.

I was thinking about this yesterday and it hit me – the same is true about liturgy. The regular practice of confession, the Gloria Patri, the speaking of the Word, the receiving of the sacraments, the order of worship – these are things that I did not understand completely when I was young. As I grew in it and it grew in me, however, it began to hold new meaning. The meaning had always been there, but I had never seen it before.

Those who view liturgical worship as stagnate, repetitive, and boring do not know the beauty of it. If I am a traveler who has been on a long, wearying journey, my refreshment is found upon my return home. For weary pilgrims in this world, the liturgy is just that – a return home and a bit of rest and renewal for the journey ahead.

The world wants constant “newness;” it is not enough to simply write a successful book and stop. An author must write a sequel. Constant novelty is required in our culture. If it isn’t new, it isn’t exciting, and it is a waste of time. This way of thinking, however, throws men into a desert, where they run to brook after brook only to find that all the water has been a mirage, and they have been drinking naught but dust. Ultimately, all the new things are great experiences, but they are gone in an instant, whereas the old, the liturgical, and the repeated work their way into our marrow, and are carried with us for the rest of our lives.

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On God and Superman

Who would not like to use the Force to levitate objects, or be able to climb walls like Spiderman, or have superhuman strength and invincibility? Seven superhero films lit up theatre screens in 2008 alone, showing just how popular the genre is becoming. Even outside of the genre, more and more heroes are being portrayed as the cliched “Chosen One” who will save his people, the planet, or whatever from the villains. Apparently it never gets old...

Take the popular “Eragon” books for instance. Christopher Paolini writes about a simple farmboy who finds out that he is gifted in all the ways needed for heroic deeds. Learns swordplay unrealistically fast? Check. Has extraordinary magical powers? Check. Is taught by the last of the Jedi Knights – er – Dragon Riders? Check. Has a magical dragon who chose him because he is just that special? Check. One bestselling fantasy series, coming right up.

Compare that with Spiderman. A nerdy loser who has always been unpopular but is really good at heart suddenly is gifted with extraordinary powers and fights to save New York city from villain after villain. The stories become a bit more nuanced, but the general idea is the same, whether it is Superman, the Hulk, or the Fantastic Four (I consider Batman to be an exception). A human being becomes god-like and saves the world.

Are these stories mirrorings of the Scriptural stories of Christ the Chosen One, the Messiah? I used to think so. Now I contend that these “Chosen Ones” do not really reflect the Chosen One of Scripture at all – rather, they reflect an ideal: a further evolved human, one step closer to being more like God. Think about how many times you have heard this phrase lately in films (or a phrase similar to it): Your destiny is in your hands. Take control of your own destiny.

God is absent from superhero films because he isn’t needed. Humans can get along fine by themselves, all they need is a few more powers. Perhaps further down the evolutionary road, we can get those powers. Man wants to be at the center of the story. Man wants to be the one saving the world from evil. Man is unhappy with the way he was created – wouldn’t things be so much better if he could shoot lightning from his fingertips? These superheros can leap fearlessly into danger because they supposedly no longer have a reason to be afraid – they become not men but angels, one step up the heirarchical ladder.

I know I m oversimplifying the superhero genre – there are no doubt exceptions to the rule, and readers can feel free to point these exceptions out in the comments. But we live in the real world, where human beings do not have superpowers, and where human beings cannot play God.

Frederich Neitzche formulated the idea of the Übermensch (a German word meaning “Superman”), and stated that it was a goal that humanity should set for itself. The current, finite state of humanity was recognized by Neitzche, and he wanted this state to be overcome. The concept of the Übermensch was directly connected to Neitzche’s “God is dead” philosophy – if mankind could advance towards utopia and towards greater power, the concept of God would be no longer necessary for values, morals, or for the advancement of civilization. Many historians credit the concept of the Übermensch as providing inspiration for eugenics.

I contend that our heroes should not be super in any way. Children should not have heroes who are superhuman, but rather merely human. Take C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia series for instance. The main characters are often mere children, who usually show great courage and admirable virtue, but nonetheless have no special powers. The being who is powerful in all the stories is Aslan, the lion who is an allegorical stand-in for Christ.

Or take J.R.R. Tolkien The Lord of the Rings. The main heroes are mere hobbits, incapable of great feats of war, driven only by their courage, faithfulness, and hope. The movies took characters like Legolas and turned them into uber-warriors (Singlehandedly taking down an oliphaunt? You don’t expect me to believe all elves are that tough!), but the books do not portray the characters so. Gandalf may be a powerful wizard, but he is not at all the central character of the story and merely helps the heroes along rather than stealing the show. Now that's what I'm Tolkien about (pun intended).

Take the Bible as another instance. The characters and figures therein do not overcome challenges by their own strength, but by the power of God. Moses did not part the Red Sea by his own strength. David did not overcome Goliath by his own strength. Isaiah did not prophecy by his own strength. Every Biblical story turns our eyes away from ourselves and our own desires for power, and turns our eyes towards God. Well-written fiction and well-made movies should do the same – the heroes in these films should overcome evil not by their own strength, but by the strength of the Lord.

I think that children, rather than viewing Spiderman or Eragon as heroes (characters who look to their own special abilities to save the day), should look to heroes who are in themselves weak, but are strengthened by their faith in God.

One last thing: God is not a superhuman hero either. He is not man stretched to the infinite. He is the timeless, immutable, all-powerful Creator. Man is a creature, God is the Creator. Man might fool himself into thinking that by gaining power he could somehow be like God, but when he starts thinking this way he forgets that the difference is not merely finitude – the difference is in being.

I know I've barely scratched on what could be said on this subject. So... do you agree or disagree with me on superhero films?

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Quotes from Calvin that the Members of the "New Calvinism" Movement Won't Like

In celebration of Calvin's 500th birthday, I will be posting every Friday a quote from Calvin's Institutes. These I call "Quotes from Calvin that Members of the 'New Calvinism' Movement Won't Like." From my observations, these so-called "New Calvinists" aren't really Calvinistic at all. They believe in the 5 points, and for most of them that is as Reformed as they get. Thus, I feel I should warn them that they may not enjoy all of these quotes from Calvin.

[Warning: Some of the quotes that will be posted may contain harsh, biting critiques of theology. These quotes may not be for the faint of heart or for the easily offended teary types. Calvin often spoke with the severe language that was characteristic of his day.]

"It behooves us to note what Satan is attempting with this great subtlety of his. He is trying to take away from us the singular fruit of assurance and spiritual joy which is to be gathered from it, and also to diminish somewhat the glory of the divine goodness...

It is precisely this which Satan is attempting in assailing infant baptism with such an army: that, once this testimony of God's grace is taken away from us, the promise which, through it, is put before our eyes may eventually vanish little by little... Unless we wish spitefully to obscure God's goodness, let us offer our infants to him, for he gives them a place among those of his family and household, that is, the members of the church." [IV.XVI.32]

Delays, Delays, Nothing But Delays

Greetings, Knights and Maidens.

Sorry for the posting delay. I haven't been able to type up anything since my hard drive is giving me problems and needs to be replaced. I hope to return to posting this weekend, using a different computer temporarily. Read more...

A Scottish Lad and Lass

A selection from the book “John G. Paton, Missionary to the New Hebrides: An Autobiography.”

Note: Lately I have been reading from the book mentioned above, which has proven to be a great inspiration. It is definitely one of the best books I have read in a long time. I thought I would post this selection from the book. The first chapter of the book is about Paton’s childhood, and he tells of how his parents were very devout and godly. He certainly rises up and calls them blessed. His father was an excellent example of what godly Christian manhood looks like.

[My mother] had gone with her high spirits and breezy disposition to gladden, as their companion, the quiet abode of some grand- or great-grand-uncle and aunt, familiarly named in all that Dalswinton neighborhood “Old Adam and Eve.” Their house was on the outskirts of the moor, and life for the young girl there had not probably too much excitement.

But one thing had arrested her attention.

She had noticed that a young stocking maker from the “Brig End,” James Paton, the son of William and Janet there, was in the habit of stealing alone into the quiet wood, book in hand, day after day, at certain hours, as if for private study and meditation.

It was a very excusable curiosity that led the young bright heart of the girl to watch him devoutly reading and hear him reverently reciting (though she knew not then, it was Ralph Erskine’s “Golden Sonnets,” which he could say by heart sixty years afterwards, as he lay on his bed of death); and finally that curiosity awed itself into a holy respect, when she saw him lay aside his broad Scotch bonnet, kneel down under the sheltering wings of some tree, and pour out all his soul in daily prayers to God.

As yet they had never spoken.

One day she slipped in quietly, stole away his bonnet, and hung it on a branch near by, while his trance of devotion made him oblivious of all around; then, from a safe retreat, she watched and enjoyed his perplexity in seeking for and finding it! A second day this was repeated; but his manifest disturbance of mind, and his long pondering with bonnet in hand, as if almost alarmed, seemed to touch another chord in her heart – that chord of pity which is so often the prelude of love, that finer pity that grieves to wound anything nobler or tenderer than ourselves.

Next day, when he came to his accustomed place of prayer, a little card was pinned against the tree just where he knelt, and on it these words:

“She who stole away your bonnet is ashamed of what she did; she has a great respect for you, and asks you to pray for her, that she may become as good a Christian as you.”

Staring long at that writing, he forgot Ralph Erskine for one day!

Taking down the card, and wondering who the writer could be, he was abusing himself for his stupidity in not suspecting that some one had discovered his retreat and removed his bonnet, instead of wondering whether angels had been there during his prayer – when, suddenly raising his eyes, he saw in front of old Adam’s cottage, through a lane amongst the trees, the passing of another kind of angel, swinging a milk pail in her hand and merrily singing some snatch of old Scottish song.

He knew, in that moment, by a Divine instinct, as infallible as any voice that ever came to seer of old, that she was the angel visitor that had stolen in upon his retreat – that bright-faced, clever-witted niece of old Adam and Eve, to whom he had never spoken, but whose praises he had often heard said and sung- “Wee Jen.”

I am afraid he did pray “for her,” in more senses than one, that afternoon; at any rate, more than a Scotch bonnet was very effectually stolen; a good heart and true was there virtually bestowed, and the trust was never regretted on either side, and never betrayed.

-Selection from “John G. Paton, Missionary to the New Hebrides: An Autobiography,” Elibron Classics Series, 2005, pages 12-13.

Paton’s father and mother married, lived a long happy, faithful life together, and enjoyed the blessings of having five sons and six daughters. They were both God-fearing parents who prayed for their children regularly.

For those interested in reading more about John G. Paton, who himself was a great man of faith, I encourage them to read John G. Paton, Missionary to the New Hebrides: An Autobiography.

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The Triumphs and Failings of Heroes

Many ancient myths tell of great heroes and their incredible, magnificent feats – overcoming fierce beasts, romancing beautiful women, being betrayed by sneaky villains, dying heroic deaths against impossible odds, and becoming figures of legend and inspiration to the civilizations and peoples telling their tales. These stories are factually untrue, but they reveal certain truths about the culture and worldview of the storytellers. Such myths do not tell of events that actually happened in history, but they do speak implicitly regarding the minds and imaginations of real historical peoples.

Such ancient myths often also extol immorality, adultery, lust, idolatry, and other egregious sins. The Epic of Gilgamesh is spattered throughout with images of harlots and lust. Others are filled with battles of violence for violence’s sake, and other “heroic” deeds that reveal the storyteller’s own concepts of heroism. The heroes are perfect by their own standard and by the standard of those who tell their stories – they revel in great deeds that are in reality sinful deeds, taking joy in so-called triumphs of the flesh that are truly defeats of the spirit. These myths reveal the paganism and immorality of ancient civilizations.

These stories can be compared to the historical, true stories of the Old Testament. We hear of amazing feats accomplished in the Old Testament era. David, a mere boy, kills a giant who strikes fear into an entire army. Noah escapes a cataclysmic flood in a giant boat. Moses is an exiled prince who returns to Egypt to save his people from tyranny and slavery. Abraham is a wandering lord who awaits the promises of a bountiful land and a great kingdom – who fights battles and wins against the odds, intercedes for cities, and shows his faith in the ultimate test. Yet, these stories, for all their magnificence, are different from the other stories of the ancient world.

How so?

The heroes in Old Testament stories don’t always triumph. Sometimes they fail.

Consider Noah. This was a man who alone, out of all the men in the earth, found favor in the eyes of God. He had the faith to work for about a hundred years on a boat, anticipating a worldwide flood, based on God’s revealed word. Right after what seems to be Noah’s great triumph, we read that –

Noah gets drunk.

How about Abraham? By faith he follows God’s call out into the wilderness, and then into Canaan. He reveals himself to be a man of faith and wisdom and understanding when he takes Isaac onto Mount Moriah, passing the test that God set for him. In between these great, inspiring stories, we read that –

Abraham tried to pass his wife off as his sister and nearly let another man sleep with her and contaminate the promised line. And he made this mistake twice.

How about Moses? He disobeyed God and was not allowed to enter Canaan. How about David? He slept with another man’s wife and then had the man sent into battle to die. He also caused a census to occur which was against God’s will and resulted in much strife.

Time and time again we read about these great heroes of the faith, and they fail. They fail.

What is the significance of this?

First, the fact that these men are shown to fail so often adds credence to the historical accuracy of the text. This wasn’t some overly biased account or a mere myth. Otherwise, all of these shortcomings, sins, and failures would have been omitted from the stories. The fact that these events are present show that the authors of the Old Testament books were deeply concerned with telling the whole story – failures and triumphs both.

Second, these failures remind us that these great men of faith were sinful human beings, affected by the Fall. Those times when the men triumphed? It was not by their own epic strength or heroic prowess. It was through the grace and might of Almighty God. By the grace of God, Noah was saved from the flood. By the grace of God, Abraham was brought to Canaan and made the father of many nations. By the grace of God, Moses brought his people out of Egypt. By the grace of God, David defeated Goliath.

The failings of these great men of faith show us that behind the triumphs, working in the story, permeating and filling the story, is the grace and power of God. These failings remind us that men are imperfect sinners, but God is a sovereign, good God. Even when these men fail, God acts justly in the situation, sometimes delivering them from their failures, while at other times there are consequences. These failures remind us that the successes of these men came about not through their own strength, but through God’s grace.

Great men? They are men of God. They are great because the God they serve is great, and he has shown them His grace. That is why, when they triumph, the glory ultimately goes to Him.

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A Culture of Excess

Beer commercials often politely tell the audience to have designated drivers, or to drive home safely. This is understandable; no one wants a lot of intoxicated drivers on the streets. The companies tell the customers to drive safely, but they do not tell the customer not to get drunk. They want, after all, for customers to buy as much of their product as possible. In these commercials, drunkenness is not viewed as a problem unless the person under the influence is behind a steering wheel.

Similarly, commercials for diet programs merrily promise that you will be able to eat as much of the good food that you want on their diet, saying they have found a secret that will allow you to enjoy your favorite delicacies while staying underweight. Restraint and moderation are not encouraged, rather, these commercials promise a scenario in which you can try to have the best of both worlds – a splurging, excessive lifestyle in private, with the public appearance of one who has a moderated, well ordered lifestyle.

This mindset is present in our spiritual lives as well. Christians may appear devout and well-rounded theologically, and consistently full of the joy of Christ. They may constantly spout out Christian buzzwords in public, creating the appearance of spiritual health and soberness, when on the inside they are rotting away due to secret sins and an excessive lifestyle. In public, these people speak of the things of God. In private, they spend all afternoon watching television, surfing the internet, playing video games, or entertaining themselves in other various ways.

Entertainment itself is not evil – it can be relaxing and refreshing. Yet too many Christians do not practice recreation in moderation. We can easily think, “I’m home from work now, I can do whatever I want.” Reading the Scriptures, praying, fellowship, and time with our families can get pushed aside in the name of relaxation. This is just one example of a disordered life.

How can we overcome this mindset? The Apostle Peter proposes an alternate mindset:

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:10-13).

We must live in the light of the eschaton. Christ’s return is immanent. How then shall we live? What shall we do with our time? How will we give an account of our works? Will we be fat in our own pleasures and malnourished in our works of ministry and righteousness?

Let us cast off this excess of self-centeredness and place all our hearts and hopes on the return of the King. We are, after all, not wealthy barons sitting in a fine estate, but soldiers on a battlefield. Those who are loyal will continue fighting.

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A Theology Well Lived

Abraham Kuyper was home schooled by his parents for much of his early life. His father was a minister in the Dutch Reformed Church, and had several pastorates. When Kuyper was twelve he had some secondary education at a small school, though his primary education still took place at home. His teachers at school thought he was dull, but he surprised them by going to Leiden University and graduating with high honors. He took classes in a well-rounded variety of topics, including literature, theology, philosophy, physics, and Arabic.

He was promoted to doctor of Theology in 1863 after writing a dissertation in which he compared the views of John Calvin and Jan Łaski, showing preference for the more Liberal Łaski. He was twenty-six when he received his doctorate.

A year later he began his ministry, following in his father’s footsteps by pastoring a Dutch Reformed Church in Beesd. About that same time he married his wife, Johanna, with whom he would have eight children. He met a simple farmer’s wife named Pietje, whose simple Reformed faith inspired him and led him away from his more Liberal tendencies to orthodoxy. He began to dislike that the Dutch Reformed Church was a state Church, and believed the Church was losing its Reformed distinctives. During this time he became editor-in-chief of several newspapers, and his opinions began to become more widely known.

In 1874 he was elected as a member of the lower house of Parliament. He founded the Free University of Amsterdam in 1880. He was having an impact in every sphere in his country – in the Church, in education, in literature, in public speaking, in the government, and in the press.

After a great deal of controversy, Kuyper became increasingly unhappy with the loss of many Reformed distinctives within the Dutch Reformed Church, and left the Church. Hundreds of Christians left with him, forming the Doleantie Churches. Within three years there were over two hundred Doleantie Churches. Kuyper sought union amongst these Churches, and it came about in 1892 and the result was the formation of the Reformed Church of the Netherlands.

In 1898 he visited Princeton Theological Seminary, and gave what are known as the “Stone Lectures.” In these lectures he laid out his conception of a life-system for man that was centered around the truths professed in the Reformed Faith. These lectures were later titled “Calvinism, a Life System”; “Calvinism and Religion”; “Calvinism and Politics”; “Calvinism and Science”; “Calvinism and Art”; and “Calvinism and the Future.”

In 1901, Kuyper became the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, an office he held for four years. Afterwards he spent over a year traveling the world, and recounted his travels in his book “Around the Old World Sea.” The entire first edition of the book sold out before it was even printed. He then became the Minister of State. By this time he was seventy-five, but he was far from finished. He wrote three hundred and six articles over six years in a series he called “Van de Voleinding.” He then started to write once more in a work on the Messiah, but he was unable to finish that work as he died in 1920, at the age of eighty-three. He had written over two hundred works.

Kuyper was such an influential figure in every sphere of life that the newspapers, upon his seventieth birthday, noted that the biography of Abraham Kuyper was in many ways a history of the Netherlands. Kuyper was no fraud or hypocritical celebrity, however. His close friend Dr. John Hendrick de Vries said, “Dr. Kuyper knew something of the holy art of love. . . it is remembered by many with admiration and gratitude, that however pressed by his multifarious labors, he never refused audience to any that came to him for counsel and help.”

Kuyper’s strength and indefatigability came from his understanding that God is the Ruler of every sphere of life. “The whole of a man’s life is to be lived as in the Divine Presence,” said Kuyper. He perceived Modernism to be a counter-life-system that would ruin society, science, education, religion, and every sphere of life. Kuyper believed his own life-system was much stronger: the life-system of Reformed Christianity, what he called “Calvinism.”

(Biography adapted from the Biographical note in "Lectures on Calvinism" by Abraham Kuyper, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1931.)

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