Effects of Wine

Michael Gilleland has a great post up entitled "Some Effects of Wine." Check it out here. I would have to concur with the ancients and plead guilty on all three counts.

See also his post on "Good Advice." Beautiful poetry from Horace et al.

Young Adults and Church

There's a post up over at Out of Ur that questions why young adults are "not finding their places in their parents' churches." Along the same lines, Andy Rowell links to an interview with Sarah Cunningham, author of Dear Church: Letters from a Disillusioned Generation, over at Paradoxoloy.

Teaching Sitting Down

Edward Cook at Ralph the Sacred River has an interesting post up about instruction in antiquity. Check it out here. (HT: Michael Gilleland).

Dramatic Entrance

One thing that always strikes me when reading the first three chapters of Mark is the sense of something new that is happening--something startling, remarkable, life altering. Jesus Christ, the very Son of God!, has entered human history. The combined Isaiahic/Malachiac prophecy, the prophet's preparation, the descent of the Spirit and approval of the father, and the special trial of tempting in the wilderness--all bear witness that something extraordinary is occuring with Jesus' arrival on the stage of human(/divine) history. It should come as no surprise, then, that Jesus proclaims the "gospel of God" and announces that "the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand." Everything has changed with the coming of this Jew from Nazareth. We see here the culmination of God's revelatory expressions of the past, yet also the beginning of a new chapter in his relationship with humankind.

"Repent and believe in the gospel," is the response urged by Jesus, and it is the only natural one given what we come to learn about Jesus' identity and purpose in Mark's Gospel. Do we feel the urgency and excitement that is required for such a response? Most of Jesus' contemporaries either didn't understand or were too obstinate or enthralled with the security that their positions of wealth and/or power afforded them to respond appropriately. Clearly some realized the import of Jesus' appearance, life, death, and resurrection; Mark writes to individuals and communities who came to faith as a result of those who responded appropriately to the Messiah.
How today can we recapture the the amazement--the sense of awe, wonder, and fear--that is fitting for those who understand the significance of the Son of God's presence and mission? I don't know the answer. I do know that I'm not where the disciples were, who "immediately left their nets and followed him."

9/11 Recordings

NYC just released audio and transcript files of Sept. 11 calls handled by emergency personnel. Most of the calls involve firefighters but several are of civilians trapped in the towers. I just finished listening to this one, which was used in the Moussaoui trial, and feel physically sick. Towards the middle of the recording (as with all the other recordings) the voice of the caller is bleeped out, but the caller's voice is retained in the first portion. As disturbing as it is to hear the horrors of the situation, it's worth listening to as a reminder of what so many people went through that day.

Theology and Faith

Steven over at Theology and Biblical Studies gives an autobiographical post on the impact that studying theology had on his faith. Coming from bible country, I can relate to much of what he says, especially the part about Josh McDowell's book.

Return of the Imam

Ok, here's a very scary thought regarding Iran and the end times--but not in the way you think. Noted ME scholar Bernard Lewis suggests a sinister motive behind Ahmadinejad's August 22 deadline. Is the latter hoping to inaugurate the return of the Hidden Imam?

God and Prayer

Over at Faith and Theology Benjamin Myers poses the question whether prayer changes God. Then, quoting Barth, he suggests an answer while providing a helpful perspective from which to think about this issue.

Hezbollah and Root Causes

I haven’t posted on the current Israeli/Hezbollah clash and the resultant destruction in Lebanon because the subject has depressed me. Truth is, I can sympathize with both points of view—with those who think Israeli is well within its right to strike back hard, fast, and thoroughly and with those who think Israel has gone too far and is actually strengthening Hezbollah politically.

One idea that surfaces constantly on the cable talk shows and has had currency in the academic world at least since Edward Said is the importance of root causes. Here’s how this is expressed. A pundit on the right will come on the show and outline the facts: Hezbollah started the conflict and Israel must press forward aggressively in order to ensure the nation’s safety vis-à-vis the northern border. When given a chance to respond, the expert on the left will usually grant the first argument—that Hezbollah was the initial aggressor—but will invariably suggest that the solution required is far from what the rightie is suggesting. To guarantee a long-lasting peace the parties at the table must deal with the heart of the matter: the Arab angst
stemming from "the Palestine" issue, meaning the Israeli occupation of key parts of Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. (Of course the angst hasn't receded even now that Israel has ceded most of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to the PA.)

[While some on the right have rejected the Root Causes theory as prevarication, others have have accepted it at some level but in doing so, have located the real cause of angst elsewhere, namely, in Arab/Muslim frustration at evident gap between expectations of supremacy-- suggested by their being God's true followers--and reality.]

Clearly, in dealing with individuals we can (and should) discuss root issues that underlie outward actions. See, for example, Jason's excellent post regarding this with respect to alcohol abuse and the SBC here. My question is, can we effectively engage with root causes when dealing with corporate bodies--groups of people, states, or even terrorist organizations (or "resistant movements"), like Hezbollah? Others have noted how there is structural and corporate sin in addition to individual sin. But is it possible to bring about healing at the structural and corporate level in a way that is not just superficial?

Spectacular Papi

Okay, the man is unbelievable. Since he’s already had so many clutch hits, I always think it’s asking too much for him to do it again. Think again. Last night David Ortiz showed why he is the franchise star—and MVP—by hammering yet another walk-off homerun. The title of Espn’s coverage says it all: “Old Habit.” No longer are such dramatic bombs an anomaly; they are expected--by the fans, by his teammates, and, claims the slugger, by himself. Keep it up big fella.

(NB: I’d like to thank Comcast for mistakenly giving us access to NESN, which made possible last night’s pleasurable viewing.)


UPDATE:
I neglected to mention Snyder's tremendous replacement outing for David Wells. It's to be hoped that he can maintain this level of pitching, especially as the Sox have fallen on hard times in this department.