 Our True Rule
The United Methodist Church, by way of our denominational standard, addresses the sufficiency of Scripture. Our 2008 Book of Discipline reminds us, Scripture is “necessary for salvation” and is “the true rule and guide for faith and practice.” I’m assuming the “practice” referenced is the practice of our faith, the exercise of living one’s life under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and preparing for the next. We believe God expects us to live such a life in accordance with Scripture’s direction, rules, laws, commands, examples, teachings, principles, and all the rest. That covers a great deal of ground. Scriptural Holiness United Methodists believe that what John Wesley called scriptural holiness relates to both our inward walk with Christ and the outward expression of that relationship with our neighbors. Our Doctrinal Statements, General Rules and Social Principles cover a lot of ground and an enormous variety of topics, such as economics, environment, bioethics, justice, marriage, parenting, politics, poverty, and yes, our precious Lord Jesus Christ and the salvation that comes through him. In all these spheres and more, Scripture is our “true rule and guide for faith and practice.” Our 2008 Disciplines says this about scriptural holiness, We insist that personal salvation always involves Christian mission and service to the world. By joining heart and hand, we assert that personal religion, evangelical witness, and Christian social action are reciprocal and mutually reinforcing. Scriptural holiness entails more than personal piety; love of God is always linked with love of neighbor, a passion for justice and renewal in the life of the world. Every Sphere This is what I mean when I say Scripture is sufficient for every sphere of life. This is what I take our Discipline to mean when it reminds us that Scripture is “necessary for salvation” and is “the true rule and guide for faith and practice.” So, while the Bible doesn’t, for example, teach me how to change the oil in my car, it still directs and guides me to do even something as mundane (and as important) as that to God’s glory. It teaches me to be a good steward of what God has provided. The Apostle Paul teaches us, All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Scripture is profitable for a bunch of stuff. He doesn’t use the same language here, but Paul is saying Scripture is sufficient for every sphere of life. Bishop Mack Stokes addressed this by writing, Immediately following the “General Rules,” Wesley wrote, ‘These are the General Rules of our society; all which are taught of God to observe, even in his written Word, which is the only rule, and the sufficient rule, both of our faith and practice.’ (The Bible in the Wesleyan Heritage, p. 21) Understanding that Scripture is sufficient for faith and practice is not the same as saying the Bible is a science textbook, a political constitution, or a manual for how to care for my car. But the Bible clearly does have something (and something important) to say about those areas of life and far more. Wayne Grudem, (who is not United Methodist), shares this definition for the sufficiency of Scripture, which I believe is helpful. He writes, The sufficiency of Scripture means that Scripture contained all the words of God he intended his people to have at each stage of redemptive history, and that it now contains all the words of God we need for salvation, for trusting him perfectly, and for obeying him perfectly. (Systematic Theology, p. 127) We want to submit to our Lord in every sphere of life and are guided in that pursuit in and through God’s Word. It is sufficient for such a pursuit. Walking Points
Grace and Truth, Dale
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 O Lord, we give you thanks that you have not left us in the dark to grope blindly through this world. Instead, in your grace and love you have given us your commandments. Help us keep them to the end. Enable us, in your strength, to keep your law and observe it with all our heart. Lead us with your Spirit so that we are not merely doing our duty, but delighting in walking the path you have set before us. Turn us away from the worthless things in this world which distract and lead us astray, and instead, give us the fullness of life you have promised us in Christ our Lord. For it is in his name for his sake we pray. Amen. (from Psalm 119:33-40)
 God of the harvest, you call some of us to plant the seeds of the Gospel of the kingdom. Others of us you move to water the seed to bring the increase. And still, you beckon others to nurture and cultivate that which is already growing. In and through this process, it is you who gives the growth. We give you thanks that you call us to be a part of bringing others to new life in Christ. Yet, we are reminded, O Lord, that it is you and you alone who are sovereign over such things. We are called to be faithful to the Great Commission, but always trusting in you to bring forth fruit. In Christ’s holy name we pray. Amen. (from 1 Corinthians 3:5-9)
 Below are a few links to websites and ministries I like that focus on, among other things, spiritual formation from a Christian perspective.
Ken Boa The Fellowship of Ailbe The Center for Biblical Spirituality Gary Thomas Dallas Willard Dallas Willard Center Renovare Larry Crabb The Transforming Center B-ing.org Institute for Spiritual Formation Conversations Journal The Upper Room Five Day Academy for Spiritual Formation (in Florida Conference of UMC) Spiritual Formation at IVP Jan Johnson Metamorpha The Soul Care Project David Benner  God of wisdom, I thank you that your wisdom is not like the wisdom of this age or the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. Indeed yours is the wisdom for all the ages, for you are the infinitely wise God of all times and places, and you give your wisdom freely to all who humbly ask you for it. O Lord of glory, I hardly know how to praise you for that which you have in store for those who love you. But for the gift of your Spirit who reveals your wisdom to those who know and love you, I thank you. I bless and honor you for giving me the mind of Christ, not because I deserved it, but because you are gracious. May I use this very mind, and all the wisdom contained therein, to live for you now and forevermore. In Christ’s name I pray. Amen. (from 1 Corinthians 2:6-16)
 I really enjoy reading the articles at The Art of Manliness. The folks there are a creative bunch and there’s usually not a week that goes by that there isn’t something very interesting to read. Not only that, but it’s an excellently put together website (unlike amateur-hour over here). While not necessarily coming at manhood from a biblical perspective, much of what they share could still receive a hearty “Amen,” from men pursuing godliness.
A while back they posted a two-part series called, “Don’t Waste Your Twenties.” (Click here to read Part 1… and here for Part 2). The first post focused a great deal on how our brains are wired during our twenties and what we are, therefore, able to do better during that decade than when we grow older. Part two is a natural follow-up post that basically says, “Since your brain is, in fact, wired that way… take advantage of it. Don’t waste this prime time in your life” (that’s my very simple paraphrase). Again, both posts are very interesting and I would encourage you to read them both. Those posts reminded me of a book I read by one of my favorite authors, Steve Farrar. It’s entitled, How To Ruin Your Life by 30. (By the way, I think it’s the perfect gift for both high school and college graduates!) It’s short, simple, and to the point. Better yet, it’s really insightful. Here are Farrar’s nine suggestions for how a young person can do a super job at ruining his or her life by age 30… 1.) Overlook the law of cause and effect 2.) Get off to a bad start 3.) Ignore God’s purpose for your life 4.) Refuse to take responsibility for your actions 5.) Neglect your gifts and strengths when choosing a vocation 6.) Disregard what the Bible says about sex and marriage 7.) Stop Learning 8.) Isolate yourself 9.) Refuse daily wisdom Obviously, the book is written to make the very opposite points and Farrar offers some helpful wisdom for folks at any age… not just the under 30 crowd. Of course, the granddaddy of the “don’t waste your life” books is John Piper’s book… you guessed it… Don’t Waste Your Life. There is much wisdom in this book as well. One of Piper’s main desires is to encourage Christians not to give into the temptation of a retirement that amounts to no more than moving to Florida to collect shells on the beach and to play golf every day. He shares the words on a plaque that was in his childhood home that said… Only one life, ‘Twill soon be past; Only what’s done for Christ will last. The book is essentially an exposition of those words and the countless texts in Scripture that communicate that truth. It’s an inspiring, encouraging, and CONVICTING book. I think of the two, I would buy the Farrar book for graduates and give older folks the Piper book. Both, however, are well worth reading for Christians who take their lives in this world seriously. Grace and Truth, Dale  This booklet is the fourth in a series on basic discipleship principles for men.
The first booklet in this series focused on becoming a new creation by grace, through trusting in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. We then learned that coming to faith in Christ is only the beginning of our journey with him. God also wants to become more like Christ in our thoughts, words, and deeds. The third booklet reminded us that because we are new creatures in Christ and are increasingly becoming like him, we will joyfully and obediently follow him as our Lord. In this booklet, we will look at what it means to bear witness for Christ in every sphere of life. If Jesus is Lord of heaven and earth, then we, as his ambassadors, will follow him wherever he leads us. We will want to represent him in the varied areas of our lives. In so doing, we will make an impact for him in our homes, workplaces, churches, neighborhoods, cities, and even our wider culture and world. This resource can be used for your personal devotional time with God. I hope, however, that you will also use it to disciple other men. It will also be helpful to use in your small group. It is my prayer God will use this booklet to equip and encourage you to faithfully represent our gracious Lord and extend his Kingdom into every sphere of your life. You can order it or learn more about it by clicking here, which will take you to Lulu.com.  This booklet is the third in a series on basic discipleship principles for men.
The first booklet focused on God’s good gift, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. By trusting in Christ alone, and repenting of our sin, we become new creatures in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. The second booklet emphasized that coming to faith in Christ is just the beginning of our walk with Christ, not the end of it. God wants us to increasingly become like his Son in the here and now. Through the process of sanctification, followers of Christ become more and more like their Savior and Lord. In this booklet we will discover that following Christ as his disciple is not easy. It’s hard, which is why Jesus taught that before we agree to follow him, we must first count the cost of doing so. But the good news is, those who do follow Jesus are never asked to do so in their own strength, but in the grace, power, and wisdom he supplies. This resource can be used for your personal devotional time with God. I hope, however, that you will also use it to disciple other men. It will also be helpful to use in your small group. You can order it or learn more about it by clicking here, which will take you to the Lulu.com website.  In an effort to communicate my appreciation for, and my indebtedness to his life and writing, I decided to put together a little “blog-offering” as a tribute to C.S. Lewis . I told my wife not too long ago that I really do think I could spend the rest of my days reading his books, as well books about him. His contributions across various spheres of Christian life have been vast. He speaks to me as very few others do, outside of Scripture.
Of course, I’m no Lewis scholar. I’m a rank amateur at best. But I am a fan. And while I can’t cite every fact about his life or how he influenced such-and-such school of thought, I find myself returning to him time and time again… whether it is his fiction, nonfiction, letters, or poetry. For that matter, I usually have a biography of Lewis somewhere near my bedside table. Until such time as I’m able to put together enough coherent thoughts to write a proper tribute to him, I want to pass along a “mega” Top Ten List that will actually include far more than Ten. Below are a few links to websites by folks who really are Lewis scholars and who have contributed in helping us think about how Lewis may serve us as a spiritual guide, among other things. I have also included links to websites about his friends, his influences, and those who have been greatly influenced by him. Enjoy. Joy and Truth, Dale 1.) C.S. Lewis Institute – Bonanza of great resources. Check out their publications, Reflections and Knowing & Doing. They have great curricula on two Lewis books as well as many audio messages you can listen to or download. 2.) C.S. Lewis Foundation – Another bonanza. Lots of great resources including an online journal and blog. 3.) The C.S. Lewis Review 4.) Into the Wardrobe 5.) Diana Glyer’s website 6.) Mere Lewis.org 7.) C.S. Lewis at Harper 8.) C.S. Lewis Society of California 9.) Narnia Web.com 10.) C.S. Lewis & Public Life Websites with lots of articles about Lewis 1.) My old website (scroll to the bottom of the page) 2.) Catholic Education Resource Center 3.) Books and Culture 4.) C.S. Lewis, Literature, and Life Inklings and Other Friends of Lewis Related Sites 1.) The Kindlings and Earl Palmer Ministries 2.) Peter Kreeft 3.) Ralph Wood 4.) American Chesterton Society 5.) The Tolkien Society 6.) The Inklings 7.) Mythopoeic Society 8.) George MacDonald Society 9.) George MacDonald Info Web 10.) The Hobbit Movie  In preparing for a Bible study of Paul's letter to the church at Galatia, Galatians 1:12 jumped off the page at me. I’ve read that verse many times before, even studied it in depth. Yet, this time it made a unique impression one me. In that verse Paul tells us,
I did not receive it [the gospel he preached] from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. Revelation - God's Personal Disclosure One of the most helpful books I purchased and read back in my seminary days was Volume 2 of Carl Henry’s series on God, Revelation, and Authority. That book was quite a contrast for me since the two theologians my Systematic Theology class in seminary dealt with primarily were, Paul Tillich and Karl Barth. It was helpful for me to read way back then, (about 1990), what an American evangelical author had to contribute to the debate regarding how God reveals himself. I’ve read many useful critiques of Tillich and Barth since then, but it was Carl Henry who first gave me such nutritious food for thought. In his six-volume series, Henry lays out fifteen theses related to how he understands the Bible’s teaching on divine revelation. You may find yourself bickering with a point here are there, but I have found them succinct and helpful in explaining to others how God reveals himself to his creatures who are slow on the uptake, and who certainly would have never "discovered” God on their own. Below are Henry’s fifteen theses with no added comments from him or me. (You can purchase his six volumes if you are craving his explanations for each.) Enjoy, Dale God is not the Great Perhaps, a clueless shadow character in a Scotland Yard mystery. Far less is he a nameless spirit awaiting post-mortem examination in some theological morgue. He is a very particular and specific divinity, known from the beginning solely on the basis of his works and self-declaration as on the one living God. Only theorists who ignore divine self-disclosure are prone to identify God as the nondescript John Doe of religious philosophy. 1. Revelation is a divinely initiated activity, God’s free communication by which he alone turns his personal privacy into a deliberate disclosure of his reality. 2. Divine revelation is given for human benefit, offering us privileged communion with our Creator in the kingdom of God. 3. Divine revelation does not completely erase Gold’s transcendent mystery, inasmuch as God the Revealer transcends his own revelation. 4. The very fact of disclosure by the one living God assures the comprehensive unity of divine revelation. 5. Not only the occurrence of divine revelation, but also its very nature, content, and variety are exclusively God’s determination. 6. God’s revelation is uniquely personal both in content and form. 7. God reveals himself not only universally in the history of the cosmos and of the nations, but also redemptively within this external history in unique saving acts. 8. The climax of God’s special revelation is Jesus of Nazareth, the personal incarnation of God in the flesh; in Jesus Christ the source and content of revelation converge and coincide. 9. The mediating agent in all divine revelation is the Eternal Logos – preexistent, incarnate, and now glorified. 10. God’s revelation is rational communication conveyed in intelligible ideas and meaningful words, that is, in conceptual-verbal form. 11. The Bible is the reservoir and conduit of divine truth. 12. The Holy Spirit superintends the communication of divine revelation, first, by inspiring the prophetic-apostolic writings, and second, by illuminating and interpreting the scripturally given Word of God. 13. As bestower of spiritual life the Holy Spirit enables individuals to appropriate God’s revelation savingly, and thereby attests the redemptive power of the revealed truth of God in the personal experience of reborn sinners. 14. The church approximates the kingdom of God in miniature; as such she is to mirror to each successive generation the power and joy of the appropriated realities of divine revelation. 15. The self-manifesting God will unveil his glory in a crowning revelation of power and judgment; in his disclosure at the consummation of the ages, God will vindicate righteousness and justice, finally subdue and subordinate evil, and bring into being a new heaven and earth. |
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