Christian History (Part 1)

Recently, I was given a one year daily devotional centered around Christian history. Honestly, I love this stuff. When I received this book, I had just turned in my assignments for a Christian history class I am taking. Because of this, I had been giving some thought to what the value is of studying the history of the church. Today, I want to post some of my thoughts on this. I will post the end in the next few days. 

In my opinion, one of the greatest areas of ignorance in our society today is the knowledge of our own history as well as the history of the human race in general. This is a very sad state of affairs and I find it especially bad when it is the case with Christians. We who claim to be Christ’s followers should, more than anyone, have a general understanding of history – especially that history which relates to the events covered in the New and Old Testaments and our own religious practices. As followers of Christ, we do have a history. It is a rich, colorful history. One important thing to note about history is that – especially for Christianity – our history determines our future. In The Story of Christianity, Justo Gonzales writes: “Without understanding that past, we are unable to understand ourselves, for in a sense the past still lives in us and influences who we are and how we understand the Christian message. When we read, for instance, that ‘the just shall live by faith,’ Martin Luther is whispering at our ear how we are to interpret those words – and this is true even for those of us who have never even heard of Martin Luther.” (pg. xvii)  In light of this, I think there are several reasons why we as Christians should make knowledge and understanding of history an important part of our lives.

The first reason for the importance of studying history is that God is the creator of history. History is not just something that self-absorbed humans came up with. God Himself created history when He gave us an inspired account of our own history in the Old Testament. If the creator of the universe thought it important enough for us to understand where we came from and the importance of past actions on our lives today, then it is certainly a subject that we ourselves should pay attention to.

 

Another reason to study history has to do with Christian orthodoxy. Just as having a proper hermeneutic depends on understanding the historical context of the Bible, so does orthodoxy and an understanding of orthodoxy depend on historical knowledge and understanding. Orthodoxy in the Christian community is having an understanding of the truth as it has been developed and established in the past and staying faithful to it. This of course requires that you have an accurate understanding of those who have gone before you, what they believed, and the context under which they lived.

Guy Time

For those of you who are not aware, I have three sons. I am convinced that raising boys is probably easier than raising girls. That does not mean it is easy, just easier than girls. There was a situation which arose with one of my sons that made it clear to me that I needed to be more intentional and strategic with the time I spend with them. I have added a new item to my calendar. Once each week, usually on tuesday evening, I take one of my boys out for some time alone together so we can talk. That's it. There is no big agenda. We just talk. It has been a great time of getting to know my children again. Last night, it was my middle son's turn. It was a beautiful, chilly evening. We went to Starbuck's and drank hot chocolate and talked. He sometimes does not talk much. But if you get him alone and ask questions, he will have a great conversation with you. I want my children to know that they can talk to me about anything. This is one of the ways I am setting the stage for that. If you have children, what clear steps are you taking to know them? How are you preparing them for the future? Be sure to comment.

She Who Must Be Obeyed

If you have read my posts for very long, you probably have seen me refer to "she who must be obeyed". You likely have already determined that I am referring to my lovely bride and life partner. Many of you already know her. For those of you who don't, here is her picture:


Isn't she adorable? I really do love her.

Here is her dad. Can you see the family resemblance?


I am truly a blessed man. I have a beautiful wife who I love and that loves me. And I have three great sons. Fortunately, they get their looks from their mother. Here are the middle and youngest:



I hope you enjoyed meeting my family.

The Winner and The Answers

To those of you who participated in the Movie Quote Quiz Contest, many thank you's. First, I want to congratulate Larry and Liz Reeves (even though she posted their answers in the comments instead of emailing them directly to me). They got six correct out of ten. I'll get your prize to you. I trust you will enjoy your $20 Blockbuster gift card.

Now for the answers. Here again are the quotes, along with the movies from which they came.

1. My grandfather used to work for your grandfather. Of course the rates have gone up. Young Frankenstein
2. Just a little bit louder, because this song is intended for humans, okay? Way Back Into Love, take two. Music and Lyrics
3. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place It will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me or nobody is going to hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit, it is about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much can you take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Rocky Balboa
4. Civil war dudes... You guys are brothers for God's sake... You gotta stop fighting... North wins... Slavery is bad... Sorry... Don't want to burst your bubble but South you guys get Allman Brothers...and...NASCAR. So just chill! Night at the Museum
5. You know how I used to tell you about Van Buren scoring that touchdown back in '48? Yeah, I know. I know. That touchdown got me through 30 years at that factory. Got me through all those times your mother being sick. When I told you not to get your hopes up... didn't mean that I wasn't. Invincible
6. I can tell you the license plate numbers of all six cars outside. I can tell you that our waitress is left-handed and the guy sitting up at the counter weighs two hundred fifteen pounds and knows how to handle himself. I know the best place to look for a gun is the cab of the gray truck outside, and at this altitude, I can run flat out for a half mile before my hands start shaking. Now why would I know that? How can I know that and not know who I am? The Bourne Identity
7. I've fought in two World Wars and countless smaller ones on three continents. I led thousands of men into battle with everything from horses and swords to artillery and tanks. I've seen the headwaters of the Nile, and tribes of natives no white man had ever seen before. I've won and lost a dozen fortunes, KILLED MANY MEN and loved only one woman with a passion a FLEA like you could never begin to understand. That's who I am. NOW, GO HOME, BOY! Secondhand Lions
8. Here, take this, Wave it at anything that slithers. Raiders of the Lost Ark
9. He better be worth it. He better go home and cure a disease, or invent a longer-lasting light bulb. Saving Private Ryan
10. Galloping around the cosmos is a game for the young, Doctor. Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan

Movie Quote Quiz Contest

My friend, Liz, posted some quotes from some of her favorite movies and invited her readers to guess the titles of said movies. It sounded like fun. In fact, I even got some correct. So I thought I would do something like that here.

Below are quotes from ten movies that are among my favorites. They are not necessarily my ten favorite movies and they are in no particular order. There are a few rules:

1. Do not look up the movie. No IMDb, no Google, no Wikipedia, etc. That would be cheating.
2. Email your answers to wjcollier3@[no spam]gmail.com (remove [no spam] before sending).
3. Answers must be received by midnight Friday, October 17, 2008, as time stamped in my email inbox.
4. The person who guesses the most correctly will receive a prize which is to be determined. All decisions are final.

Have fun and good luck!

1) My grandfather used to work for your grandfather. Of course the rates have gone up.

2) Just a little bit louder, because this song is intended for humans, okay? Way Back Into Love, take two.

3) The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place It will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me or nobody is going to hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit, it is about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much can you take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!

4) Civil war dudes... You guys are brothers for God's sake... You gotta stop fighting... North wins... Slavery is bad... Sorry... Don't want to burst your bubble but South you guys get Allman Brothers...and...NASCAR. So just chill!

5) You know how I used to tell you about Van Buren scoring that touchdown back in '48? Yeah, I know. I know. That touchdown got me through 30 years at that factory. Got me through all those times your mother being sick. When I told you not to get your hopes up... didn't mean that I wasn't.

6) I can tell you the license plate numbers of all six cars outside. I can tell you that our waitress is left-handed and the guy sitting up at the counter weighs two hundred fifteen pounds and knows how to handle himself. I know the best place to look for a gun is the cab of the gray truck outside, and at this altitude, I can run flat out for a half mile before my hands start shaking. Now why would I know that? How can I know that and not know who I am?

7) I've fought in two World Wars and countless smaller ones on three continents. I led thousands of men into battle with everything from horses and swords to artillery and tanks. I've seen the headwaters of the Nile, and tribes of natives no white man had ever seen before. I've won and lost a dozen fortunes, KILLED MANY MEN and loved only one woman with a passion a FLEA like you could never begin to understand. That's who I am. NOW, GO HOME, BOY!

8) Here, take this, Wave it at anything that slithers.

9) He better be worth it. He better go home and cure a disease, or invent a longer-lasting light bulb.

10) Galloping around the cosmos is a game for the young, Doctor.

Self-Improvement

I am sitting in a little sandwich shop in Shreveport, Louisiana called Tiger Bites. It is right across the street from LSUS. I am in Shreveport because she who must be obeyed is taking an exam for a certification in her nursing specialty. She is trying to improve her -- and by extension the rest of the family's -- situation in life. This could improve her earning potential and it certainly looks good on a resume. Mostly, it is additional evidence that she is very good at what she does. It also continues to improve her standing among her employer, her co-workers, and her patients. This is valuable self-improvement.

When I finished high school, I went on to college. I was certainly smart enough for college, but I was a poorly disciplined student. I struggled to stay in college and finally just gave it up. For the past few years, I have wanted to finish my degree. I am finally following through on that dream. I am about a year and a half from finishing my degree. I am trying to improve myself.

More importantly, I think God is leading me to be involved in the ministry. I do not know yet exactly what that means. It likely means I will serve on a church staff in a pastoral role (probably not as the senior pastor). I'll just have to wait and see. Not only am I pursuing a degree, it is a degree in religion. When I am finished with that, I want to proceed directly to seminary for a master's degree.

In chapel this week, the visiting speaker was Dr. Donald Whitney from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. These were very compelling messages. He spoke from 1 Timothy 4:16. It says: "Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you."

All believers, but especially those who minister, are instructed to live a godly lifestyle and true doctrine. But it does not stop there. It says to stay true. I think that means to keep doing those things and work to do them better. Become more godly. Continue to learn and to refine your doctrine. This is quality and biblical self-improvement.

These are some of the things we are doing in the name of self-improvement. How about you? What are you doing to continue to advance? For your own sake, the sake of your family, and for the growth of the kingdom, what are you doing?