Advent, Christmas, Theology
John Beeson
Glory to God in the Lowest!

Last week on The World and Everything in It George Grant considered “The Wisdom of paradox.” He concludes his reflection,  that Christmas is “the greatest and most remarkable paradox of all is revealed: He who was infinite, was yet an infant; He who was eternal, was yet born of a woman; He who was almighty, was yet nursing at His mother’s breast; He who was upholding the universe, was yet carried in His mother’s arms. Thus, Chesterton exclaimed, ‘Outrushing the depth of the fall of man is the height of the fall of God. Glory to God in the Lowest.’”

“Glory to God in the lowest.” What a mind-bending truth.

Glory to God in the Lowest!
Christmas, Theology, Advent, Church, Hospitality
John Beeson
The Faithfulness of God of the Manger

Recently we had someone over and as the night came to a close Angel warmly offered, “Let’s do this again soon!” I wilted as I processed just how many things were on our calendar in the coming month. Just like Angel did, I wanted to be with them again and soon, but her invitation made me flinch.

 

My wife Angel and I are very different people. Angel brings light and life everywhere. People are drawn to her, and she is drawn to people. One of the many things I love about Angel is how she gets caught up in a moment with people. In that space, it’s not unusual that she shares hopes with those we are with of spending more time together. And she means it: there is no doubt of her genuineness.

The Faithfulness of God of the Manger
Advent, Christmas, Theology
John Beeson
A Humble God?

“I don’t compare myself with anybody, but nobody is better.” Michael Jordan

“They say the sky’s the limit, but I think my potential is beyond it.” Jay-Z

“I won’t be happy until I’m as famous as God” Madonna

“I won’t be a rock star. I will be a legend.” Freddie Mercury

“We’re more popular than Jesus now.” John Lennon

We tend to expect that greatest among us are also some of the most arrogant. And why wouldn’t they be? For many who make it to the top of their field, we can see how that arrogance can be a driving force for their greatness.

A Humble God?
Christmas, Forgiveness, Theology
John Beeson
The Just and the Justifier

God became flesh.

Let that sink in. Christianity asserts that God—sovereign, immutable, omnipotent, other—the eternal God who has no beginning and end—became a human being.

 Because many of us have had exposure to Christianity from our early years, it is easy to miss how massive the theological implications of the incarnation are. The incarnation lays the groundwork for a God who chooses to participate in his creation. The incarnation denies the existence of an abstract and distant God, unmuddied by his handiwork.

The Just and the Justifier
Advent, Christmas, Theology
John Beeson
The Theology of the Manger

“God did not, as the Bible says, create man in his own image; on the contrary, man created God in his own image.” Ludwig Feuerbach dropped this theological bombshell three years before Friedrich Nietzsche’s birth. Feuerbach, a name forgotten by most, but who influenced Nietzsche, wrote these words in his book, The Essence of Christianity (1841). He argued that human beings project their own attributes and desires onto an imagined deity, creating God in their own image. This for Feuerbach, is the essence of Christianity (and indeed all religions), the deification of our human ideals. “What man wishes to be, he makes his God… God is the outward projection of a man’s inward nature.”

The Theology of the Manger

Suffering

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This Week's Recommendations

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This Week's Recommendations

  1. What to Say to Someone Suffering Like Job: Eric Ortlund encourages us, “First, remember that your friend might be so shell-shocked in the early days of his ordeal that he can barely hear you. Lecture him, and all he’ll give you is a glassy stare. Remember as well that he is probably receiving “help” from other Christians that is distinctly unhelpful. If your friend does not respond as well as you would like, or does not respond at all, it may be because he is simply unable to.”

  2. Hearts Painted by the Word Again and Again: Courtney Yantes compares reading the Bible to painting the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s a helpful analogy. She begins, “The job of painting the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco is never-ending. I heard once that they paint it end-to-end, but by the time they get to the end—however many years that may take—it is time to start over. In reality, though, sections and portions of the bridge are prioritized according to need. Regardless of strategy, the bridge is never not being painted. It is one of the primary maintenance jobs.”

  3. 11 Doctrines Pastors Can’t Assume Church Attenders Understand: Based on recent surveys, Marissa Postell urges pastors not to presume that those they are speaking to understand the basics of Christian faith. For instance, “53% of Americans say Jesus was a great teacher but not God. While fewer evangelicals say the same, many still believe Jesus is not God. Only 54% of evangelicals disagree with the statement: ‘Jesus was a great teacher, but He was not God.’”

  4. 5 Myths about How We Got the Bible: Peter Gurry and John Meade take on popular disinformation about the formation of the canon, for instance that a council chose the books in the New Testament, “ There was no vote on the canon at Nicaea, and Constantine never decreed what books belonged in the Bible.”

  5. Your Tears Have Good Company: Chris Thomas answers the question “Why would Jesus weep?” this way, “Because he knows your pain. He understands your sorrow. He shares in your loss. He is familiar with separation.”

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This Week's Recommendations

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This Week's Recommendations

  1. Blame David, Not Bathsheba. The prophet Nathan Did: Carmen Joy Imes navigates whether it is more appropriate to call David’s act with Bathsheba ‘adultery’ or ‘rape.’ She says, “Those arguing that David committed adultery often try to pin blame on Bathsheba for bathing in public, thereby seducing David, while those arguing that David raped her point to the uneven power dynamics between them.”

  2. A Lack of Generosity Means a Lack of Contentment: Bryan Chappell concludes, “If you knew that your funds were supporting people who need mercy, then you would earn all you could. If you knew that your funds were providing for the security of your family, you would save all you could. And if you knew that your funds were providing for the ministry of the gospel, you would give all you could. That’s why John Wesley said, “Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can.””

  3. Viewing the Christian Story through the Lens of Our Suffering: Mark Talbot begins, “Often when something awful happens to us or those whom we love, we find ourselves asking, Why me? Why now? Why this? Suffering disrupts our lives, seeming to violate the way life should be. This can make us desperate to know why we are suffering.”

  4. The Elusiveness of Contentment: Reagan Rose starts her post, “Want to hear something kind of mind-blowing? 36% of people making over $250k/year live paycheck to paycheck (Bloomberg). I don’t know what economic bracket you’re in, but that seems like a fair chunk of change to be only scraping by.”

  5. Fighting Anxiety: Learning to Trust and Entrust: Robert Jones offers insight on anxiety in light of 1 Peter. I would add that it is important to discern if there are physiological reasons for anxiety as well that might require medication. He says, “When we look at the world around us and the daily pressures that consume us, like Peter’s readers, we realize how little we can control our lives. We can’t change the economy, the climate, the government, our health, or our friends and family. We can’t make people act the way we want. We have a lot to worry about.”

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This Week's Recommendations

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This Week's Recommendations

1.      Watch the World’s First Roller Coaster: The fun history of the roller coaster.

2.      The Common Yet Neglected Problem of Burnout: Some excellent infographics on burnout. 80% of Americans say they have experienced burnout. 26% of men and 31% of women experienced burnout for longer than one year.

3.      Why God Will Disappoint You, and Why That’s Good: Zach Barnhart reflects on the powerful thought that "God loves us enough to disappoint us." 

4.      8 Ways God Works Suffering For Our Good: Tim Challies on how God beautifully and purposefully uses suffering in our lives.

5.      Where Atari and Chuck E Cheese Came From: The same man founded Atari and Chuck E Cheese. This is his fascinating story. 

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