Jesus & Mythology

This past year I had the opportunity to homeschool a wonderful, spunky, & sweet first grader. It was a huge highlight in my week! One of the hands down best parts of the experience was watching her grow throughout the year. Within a few months of starting, I watched her reading become smooth and expressive and her math skills become fluid and quick!

We did a range of activities, went through multiple textbooks, and read a variety of books. Addy's hands down favorite part of our time together was the last half hour or so when we would read out of her Greek Mythology book. This book was old school - in fact it was hard to keep all the pages together and in order because it was so worn!

To be honest, at first I was really surprised her mom, a wonderful woman who has encouraged me greatly in my faith and is so knowledgeable, not only let her read the book but wanted me to spend time each day reading it to this young, impressionable first grader. I mean, wasn't Greek mythology going to muddy the waters for distinguishing between gods and God? Could a first grader really differentiate between how Zeus created the world and how the Creator of the universe said "Let there be light"?

My views very quickly changed. Story after story related back to either a story in the Old Testament, the Gospel, or Biblical principles. The stories provided ample opportunity to ask Addy reading comprehension questions within the context of the Gospel, OT stories, etc. She was (much to my surprise) able to easily distinguish between "lower-case" gods and the God. There were even a few glorious moments while reading where she would say something like "Hey! This story is like [OT story]!"

In Greek mythology, mankind has a "falling out" with Zeus which is very similar to the Fall of Man in Genesis 3. Greek mythology talks about a great flood, similar to the Genesis flood. War is a common theme in both Greek myths and the Bible.

Aside from similar stories, more connections can be made. For instance, many of the Greek gods were extremely jealous. In the Bible, God is described as jealous. While the same adjective is used, these two jealousies are extremely different. Greek gods were jealous and vindictive and volatile; God on the other hand is jealous in a loving manner - He's jealous because he deserves our affections as our creator and heavenly father. Many of the mythical story lines (as with much literature) fall short. The characters, while they may have a few admirable qualities, always have an Achilles' heel (punny!). They fall short in some way. Ultimately, they show how unworthy they are of human affections. Who would want to worship and follow a god that, though strong, tries to kill his own children, has affairs, and is neurotic?

Flawed, measly Greek gods point to Jesus as the ultimate champion and king, and to God as the greatest, most loving, tender father. Inevitably, kids will come in contact with faith opposition at some point. Rather than trashing Greek mythology, let's redeem it. Greek mythology not only points to the Gospel, it can even strengthen faith in God.

Real Marriage Nuggets O' Wisdom

As you, loyal follower, are probably aware of, I went to the Real Marriage conference with my fiance and two wonderful friends this past weekend. It was awesome.

Prior to the conference, I listened to some of the RM sermons as well as read parts of the book, so some of the information was the same, but let's be real, Mark Driscoll is pretty much hilarious so hearing the same joke twice was fine by me. Most of the wisdom I felt like I gained was from Grace, Mark's wife, during the Q&A sessions.

Here are some wisdom nugs from the conference:

Nugget 1: There are 3 kinds of marriages:

1. Back-to-back: back to back marriages aren't good, in fact, they're kind of awful. Generally couples with this type of marriage have separate activities, separate beds, separate bank accounts, etc. They don't even really enjoy each other, and they sure as heck aren't friends.
2. Shoulder-to-shoulder: this kind of marriage is your run-of-the-mill, not too shabby (but not too great) marriage. These couples are task oriented. They're focused on ministry, children, other family members, etc. all before their spouse. This is the life-happened-and-I-woke-up-fifteen-years-later-to-realize-I-didn't-know-my-spouse kinda marriage. This is the most easy to fall into marriage. Ultimately an idol is holding this type of marriage together, and often when that idol is removed, the spouses go their separate ways.
3. Face-to-face: In a face-to-face marriage, the husband and wife are friends. They are constantly growing in their friendship with Jesus and their friendship with each other. (That's what I'm talkin' bout.) 

 Nugget 2: ask good questions

• "How are you doing?" is a face-to-face question
• "What are you doing?" is a shoulder-to-shoulder question

Nugget 3: sanctification
"A spouse doesn't change you, they reveal you." Marriage is sanctifying. Relationships in general are. (Aaaamen to that.)
They used an analogy of two cups, one representing each spouse. Your spouse doesn't determine what's in the cup or change what's in the cup, but they can bump against your cup and see what comes out. (Can you say, "convicting?")

Nugget 4: Marriage gets better or it gets bitter.
To borrow the words of my pastor's wife, you aren't "dealt" a good marriage or a bad marriage. Its a dynamic relationship that you work on together.

Nugget 5: how to fight
Dr. John Gottman, a marriage researcher, can predict (with 91% accuracy) whether or not couples will get a divorce based on these four factors during conflict:

1. Criticism that attacks the person not the problem. (a.k.a. "You always do this!" or "You never do that!")
2. Contempt that is rooted in disgust. This manifests itself in a parental tone.
3. Defensiveness where the guilty person refuses to repent.
4. Stonewalling (where one person shuts down or walks away)

Nugget 6: sin or mistake?
Agree to ground rules before fighting: Has your spouse committed a sin or simply made a mistake? 

Nugget 7: conflict isn't bad because it's real, heartfelt, and sanctifying
"If you never fight, you probably aren't having heartfelt conversations that often lead to disagreement." (Real Marriage)

I didn't even get to half of the little bits of wisdom I took away from the weekend because there were lots! I know Mark and Grace have gotten a lot of flack for their book. I know every Christian doesn't get warm and fuzzy insides when they hear the name "Mark Driscoll." But their book isn't a hard and fast rule book that's all about sex (in fact, only half the book is about sex). It's got good principles for friendship, and more specifically, the most intimate friendship - marriage!

You can listen to the Real Marriage series here and purchase the book here!

Which Old Testament Laws Still Apply?

I've often wondered what the purpose of the Old Testament is and how much of it still applies (and have even taken a class on this question this semester). Some think it's just to show us how to be "good people," offering up exemplary individuals to model your life after. Some think it's a rule book. And others see it as pointing completely to Jesus.

I believe the entirety of the Old Testament points to the New Covenant God made through Jesus Christ as he took on all our sins and rose again, victorious over death, proving that God wholly accepted his sacrifice. That being said, I don't just straight up chuck the Old Testament.

Aside from pointing to Jesus, the Old Testament has lots of laws that we still follow. Not murdering? It's generally advised. Do not covet? While difficult at times, it is sinful. Not eating shell fish? Ehhh... That's where it gets a little sticky. Camping outside of my house once a month? Like, in a tent? Let's be real, that's definitely not going to happen.

While reading Real Marriage by Mark & Grace Driscoll, I stumbled across this wonderful categorization of OT laws, which states which laws apply and which ones don't:

1. Ceremonial laws - these laws refer "to the priesthood, sacrifices, temple, cleanness, and so forth, [and] are now fulfilled in Jesus. These laws are no longer binding on us because Jesus is our priest, temple, sacrifice, cleanser, and so forth." 
2. Civil laws - these laws pertain "to the governing of Israel as a nation ruled by God. Since we are no longer a theocracy, we believe these laws, while insightful, are not directly binding on us." Romans 13 refers to non-theocratic governments and how all authority is in place because God allows it to be and therefore, as followers of Jesus, we should submit to governmental authority.
3. Moral laws - these laws forbid "such things as rape, stealing and murder. These laws are still binding upon us, even though Jesus fulfilled their requirements through His sinless life."

 The New Testament states over and over again how Jesus has fulfilled the law. And he has! Praise the Lord. We are no longer bound by a sacrificial system, because Jesus was the ultimate, eternal sacrifice. We don't have to be represented by a priest because Jesus is our High Priest, the ultimate intermediary between us and God the Father. While the Law has been fulfilled through Jesus, all of it, in its entirety, we still uphold moral laws in order to mirror our understanding of the Gospel.

Birth Control: Let's Do This.

First of all, thanks to everyone who read/commented/liked my blog post about NFP and the Pill. I was totally encouraged, excited, and edified (alliteration!) by the response it received. Some of the feedback I received prompted me to write another (errr multiple) post(s) in response for the sake of clarity.

I definitely wasn't trying to make any blanket statements about how only real Christians use Natural Family Planning and all them heathens on the birth controls are goin' to hell. Not at all. My intentions were to simply get the ball rolling for 1) women to think about birth control and their bodies, 2) explain my own personal convictions, and 3) give resources for both men and women to check out, like Mark Driscoll's balanced, systematic sermon on birth control and Sharon Miller's article about the female body and hospitality. Both of these resources are fantastic (as well as many other of Miller's articles, as she and her husband practice NFP); by presenting them, I assumed readers who wanted further clarification would seek out those resources. Buuttt you know what they say about assuming things.

So, I'm going to do a series on birth control/the female body! Woohoo! Posts will range from theological to ethical to down-right practical (boy-discretion-advised). And I'm going to feature my first ever guest blogger! And I'm hoping my sweet fiance will weigh in on all this girl talk, because in reality its not all girl talk - its a subject men need to be well-versed in too!

I'm going to try to keep it real without getting too detailed/technical. I'm a TA for Biology 101 here at UNC, so I have to stand up in front of dozens of students and talk about all things sexual. At first, the mention of the reproduction chapter made me blush, but now I can pretty much stand in front of anybody and talk about the path sperm take and say "gonads" without giggling. (Let's be real, people, that's a feat.)

Hooray for awkward processes! Let's do this.

Natural Family Planning, Jean Skirts, & Sketchers

Hey, remember that time I wrote about courting? Yeah, I thought so. This post is kinda similar in that I'll be dispelling myths of jean-skirted, Sketcher-loving women who do Natural Family Planning.

First of all, most people don't know what in the world NFP is. Natural Family Planning is a method of avoiding pregnancy that relies on a woman's natural signals and hormone cycles in order to determine when she is and is not fertile. Instead of pumping your body full of hormones, it uses the cycle of hormones already raging in your body to let you know when intimacy is a go and when it's not so much.

In order to really understand NFP you have to have basic knowledge about hormonal cycles, temperature fluctuations, etc. and be willing to track it.

I won't stamp the pill and other hormonal birth control methods with the condemning "it's abortion" stamp, but I will say for me I feel extremely convicted about taking the pill. Knowing how it works both in my own body & in a textbook setting, I think it would be sinful for me to be on the pill, not because the pill is inherently sinful, but because I have heavy convictions about it for myself. If you take the pill and don't feel convicted, live in grace & keep on taking it! If you take the pill or are on other hormone-based contraceptives, know how it works. So many women are totally okay with popping a little pink pill everyday without even reading a pamphlet on what it's doing to their body.

Basically, the pill has 3 methods of working: 1) preventing ovulation, 2) making the female reproductive tract super acidic, 3) thinning the uterine lining. The first method is typically not controversial. Preventing ovulation is a pre-zygotic barrier, meaning it prevents contact between the egg ('cause its not available to be fertilized) and sperm. The second and third methods are however controversial and heavily talked about because they act in a post-zygotic manner, meaning potentially after fertilization has taken place (and thus are considered by some to be abortive).

NFP takes all the guess work out of birth control by using your body's own hormones, rather than artificial ones. NFP celebrates the female body for one of it's God-given, beautiful purposes: to be hospitable to life.

If you're curious about different levels and methods of contraceptives, check out this awesome sermon by Mark Driscoll!

I Ain't Wearin' No Head Cuverins.

A few weeks ago, I got a text message that read something like "Why don't you obey the Bible and wear a head covering?!" from Miles.

Whaaaaat?!

I was super confused. What in the world was he talking about? I knew he was joking, but I really didn't even know where he was getting this whole head covering idea from. After talking to him some more, he said it was in 1 Corinthians 11. I checked it out, gave it a good twice-over. Still confused.

For the past two weeks or so, I've been going through the book of 1 Corinthians. Lo and behold, today was the day I came across the previously neglected head covering passage. I pulled out my handy dandy ESV Study Bible and got to work. Once I read the commentary, it all made sense! Allow me to share...

     Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God. Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God. (1 Corinthians 11:2-16 ESV)

Here's some helpful information/context about the passage:

• In first century Roman society, a woman's head covering was a sign of marriage. Not wearing a head covering was a sign of infidelity and promiscuity. Imagine if your pastor's wife got up one Sunday morning, sans wedding ring, with a short, distasteful skirt and low-cut shirt on stage to pray. Just guessing, but that probably wouldn't go over too well. In the same way, Paul is saying women should cover their heads (their "glory," given by God) out of respect for their husbands and ultimately God.
• Great for Romans in the 1st century, but what about us today? Take it away, ESV study notes: "In cultures where women's head coverings are not a sign of being married, wives do not need to cover their heads in worship, but they could obey this command by wearing some other physical symbol of being married (such as a wedding ring)." 
• Why does this head covering deal only apply to women? Why are men specifically commanded not to cover their heads? (Let's be real, it's easy to cop an attitude with Paul on this one. Just wait and listen.) Roman men would occasionally take part of their toga and pull it over their head when worshipping pagan gods in Roman temples. Paul tells the men of Corinth not to cover their heads because that was a pagan act of worship.
• Paul ends the passage by saying "all things are from God," meaning men and women, harkening back to Genesis 1:27: "God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." 

I was super tempted to ignore this passage, say it didn't apply to me, and write it off. In my mind I was thinking "I ain't wearin' no head cuverin'." I'm sure many have glanced over these verses and said Paul was just a chauvinist woman-hater. But, look! So many good things that are applicable today in 2012 just came from that passage! So before you go hating on men or Paul or cutting out passages from your Bible a la Thomas Jefferson, dig into the passage and see what God has to teach you. The Bible is like a lion - don't tame it in a cage, unleash it!

"Fringe" Issues

Right after the Psalm 100 debacle at UNC I was talking to my college pastor's wife (check out her blog!) about how Christians differ in their views on homosexuality and other "fringe" issues (homosexuality, abortion, birth control, females in ministry, etc.). She said something super insightful (that was actually something her husband had said) that has stuck with me ever since: "fringe" issues aren't really "fringe" issues because they reveal what we think about God and his Word - they're really more like core issues.

For the sake of this discussion, "fringe" issues should be thought of as intrinsically on the "fringe" of Christian doctrine. The issues themselves are not inherently problematic to doctrines such as salvation, and are therefore thought of as unimportant, treated with apathy, or brushed over in order to minimize differences in the church at large. 

In some ways, I think exchanging thoughts, ideas, and opinions with believers whose beliefs differ from yours on such issues is helpful and insightful. After all, God created each individual different, each in his image, each to express a different facet of his character in some way. I personally have benefited from friendships with believers who were on the opposite end of the theological spectrum on  a number of issues. And, to be perfectly honest, the definitive answer to fringe questions is often not clearly marked in the Bible. In such instances, believers ought to interpret the issue through the lens of the Gospel, scripture as a whole, and God's character.

In Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer said "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us."

Just take that in for a minute. What you think about God is the most important thing about you. Why? Because how you think about God determines how you act towards and interact with God and others. In terms of "fringe" issues, Christians often deviate from a biblical, gospel-centered worldview (note: not a "Christian" or "right-winged" worldview) when they deviate from God's word and his character. Their thoughts about his character are severely skewed, thus mangling their opinion on issues that, in their minds, don't matter.

Don't get me wrong, your opinion on homosexuality isn't crucial to securing your salvation. By far the most important issue Christians need to have a strong, unwavering opinion on is the Gospel.

But when it comes to other issues, don't look to a political ideology or even another Christian's view on the subject, look to "core" things like scripture and God's character, and make a gospel-centered decision, giving grace to others who disagree with you.

Do Jews and Christians Worship the Same God?

**Disclaimer: I feel like this is an appetizer platter of an answer to this question. There is lots more to it, and I am by no means an expert!**

 

I've heard people, people of various religious affiliations, inquire about if Muslims & Christians worship the same God before. To me, that's not really a big question that fills my mind with crazy thoughts - Allah's character is altogether different from God's character. Boom. Done.

Since my freshman year of college, however, I've been thinking about the more puzzling question of whether Jews and Christians worship the same God. It all started when I heard a Christian woman talking about "a nice Jewish lady she worked with." According to this Christian, herself and her nice lady co-worker definitely, hands-down worshipped the same God. I wasn't so sure though. I mean where did the Trinity come in? What about Jesus?!

This concept popped up in my small group last night and got me, once again, thinking about it. Since my fiance is super smart and has, like, 18 books on systematic theology, I asked him what he thought. I think he came up with a pretty good analogy (which, like all analogies will break down at some point, but I think it still helps!). And since I'm pretty much the best artist ever (of stick figures that is), I've illustrated it for you :)

A Jew telling a Christian that they worship the same God is kind of like two guys who have the "same car." Guy 1 (the metaphorical Jew in this situation) pulls up to Guy 2 (the Christian) and says, "Hey man, we have the same car! Cool!" Guy 2: "Uhh, no we don't. Your car is just a shell of my car. It's not going to get you very far because it doesn't even have an engine or wheels or lights."

 (Obvi Guy 2 is headed down the right path because he's jamming out to Carrie Underwood.)

Okay, cheesy, I know. But to an extent it totally works. While Jews recognize the God of the Old Testament, they vehemently neglect Jesus. Because the Trinity is God in three persons, but wholly one, they are in essence rejecting God.

In Romans, Paul talks about the "remnant" of Israel that will come to salvation. In order to come to this salvation, they must ultimately accept Jesus as their Messiah, Savior, and Lord. As Gentiles, we're grafted into God's family if we accept Jesus' sacrifice and triumph over sin and death. Romans 11 says that Jews too can remain on this metaphorical tree of salvation if they accept Jesus or, if they reject Jesus then can turn from their sin and accept him and be grafted back in. 

The question of Jews & Christians worshipping the same God ultimately boils down to salvation and thoughts about the Trinity. Jesus said he was the only way, the only truth, and the only life, and that no one can come to the Father except through him (John 14:6)! While God's covenant with the Jews is still in tact, and he desires all peoples, especially his chosen people, to come to salvific knowledge of him, Jews must ultimately accept Jesus to receive salvation. God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, and God the Son are a one-package-deal. Rejection of one means rejection of all.