My Hitchhiker's Guide to the Blogosphere
Topic: Blogging
While no doubt this post won't be as good as the books (but better than the movie), here's a few things we here at What the Thunder Said... have been reading in a drive-by fashion. Click through for cyber-stimuli on tech tricks, lying to God in worship, Bono the arch-capitalist, the PCA on NPP & FV, how to swear, and more.
Free up space on your Windows XP with free/open source programs that work better than your commercial apps. Especially Foxit Reader. Especially.*
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Bono gets dumped on for being quite so altruistic. So the article premised that Bono was some sort of tax-evading, hypocritical fraud. Then you read the article, get to the end, and realize its that Bono is just a really shrewd businessman (an "arch-capitalist," by one critic), and also happens to speak out for a lot of good causes. It is also the case that he's smart enough to realize he holds more power/loyalty than do most national governments, and he throws his weight around. Big deal. Of course I think the RED campaign is a waste of money. That doesn't make Bono any less brilliant than he truly is.
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The Siouxlands Presbytery Committee Report on New Perspective(s), Federal Visiony stuff, and N. Shepherd was posted to a flurry of comments. Some charitable, some less so. In regards to "The Law of God: 3.a," we too, were surprised at the original wording. In the comments (#22 - 24) it is clearly and (to our minds) satisfactorily explained, but why not edit the original document? Thanks to Lane and Wes for the hard work.
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Bob Kauflin of Worship Matters weighs in an important subject: what place do first person declarations have in corporate worship, especially in singing? From the title, if we sing "I will glory in my Redeemer //... I have no longings for another/ I'm satisfied in Him alone" and yet at times are not satisfied in Him alone, are we lying to God?
Kauflin argues that such instances are appropriate, as they are not only pleas (Lord, help me to be satisfied in you alone) but also statements of general truth. He compares such statements to how we would address our spouse.
Our take: hypothetically, Kauflin has a point, but I think this isn't dealing with all the data. Statements such as these run rampant in contemporary song lists, while statements that reminds us we are unfaithful and adulterous (even NC believers, cf. James 4) are fewer and farther between. Our take is that the Psalmist correctly balances the fraility of humanity as well as our longings to live like Christ, who alone says that He is satisfied in His Father alone.
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While we've logged our disgust with New Year's Resolutions (NYR, and easily the most bizarre of all hobby-horses to ride), surely there are a few exceptions to every rule. Here are Jonathan Edwards' resolutions (not New Year's, mind you) grouped into ten categories. We hope you might enjoy them as immensely as we do. In just glancing over the list right now, there is not one that I cannot grow in much more. Here's to hope in God's grace in '07. What think ye? Log your vote in our poll, and take a look in the sidebar on the bottom to the right.
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You probably saw the blogstorm produced when John Piper talked about using "foul language" and then talked about NOT doing it. On top of all of this, Wayne Grudem weighed in with his opinion on "foul language." Now we may be going out on a limb here, but with all respect, we are going to disagree with Grudem and, to a lesser extent, with Pastor John. There was much to agree with, like Piper pointing out he would not choose to go this route a second time, or Grudem's pointing out continuum(s) of language, and bringing the Scriptural text to bear on the issue. Nevertheless, we may have to develop a "theology of swearing." Look for it in future posts. Until then:
These ideas will be elaborated on later. What do you think? Also, consider Dr. Gene Veith's insight into the difference between Old World and American profanity: holy vs. bodily.Out of the heart, the mouth speaks. The Bible determines what is wrong, and culture only derivatively. There is no speech as bad as profaning God's holy name, including "the F-word."
*And yes, that means Firefox, too.
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