Addresses and Contact

We just wanted to write a short post tonight to simply let you know that we will no longer be able to receive post at our ‘Apartado’ address here in Tacna. Thank you so much for your faithfulness in posting so many wonderful letters and gifts to us – they have been a real blessing to us. If you have sent anything up until today’s date we will still receive it, but other items possibly won’t reach us if sent later than that.

We’ve also disabled the comments on our blog for the time being, but we’d still love to hear from you. There is an email address listed in the ‘Contact Us’ tab at the top of this page, or you can send us messages to our private email address if you have it.

Quotes of the Week – 5th November 2009

‘Free grace will fix those whom free will shook down into a gulf of misery’

– Thomas Boston, Human Nature in Its Fourfold State, p.54

‘There’s no way round grief and loss: you can dodge all you want, but sooner or later you just have to go into it, through it, and hopefully, come out the other side. The world you find there will never be the same as the world you left’

– Johnny Cash, Cash: The Autobiography, p.29

‘He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him’

– Psalm 126:6

Book Review: The Reason for God by Tim Keller

In spite of the technology explosion which we have witnessed in recent years, the simple format of the book continues to wield considerable power in shaping our worldview and beliefs. Anyone in doubt of this needs only to think of some of the issues handled in recent works by Dawkins, Hitchens, or Humphries to realise how polemically and ideological important the printed word continues to be within our culture. As an evangelical Christian I find myself dismayed at the quantity of material pouring from the printing press which militates against the tenets of my faith and that of millions of other people. People browsing through the hoards of titles in Waterstones now have a veritable smorgasbord of titles to read which will assure them that there is no God, and that Christians are a bunch of outdated, unscientific, unthinking oafs who will eventually cease to populate the gene pool.

Given the militancy of this movement it is easy at times to feel overwhelmed, and uncertain of how to answer the claims levelled by those opposing the Christian faith. A substantial answer to that question is to be found in Tim Keller’s excellent book The Reason for God, published in 2008. This is a work which meets the claims of popular atheism head-on, but with grace, rigour and an intellectual force which are entirely endearing, and hugely convincing.

Keller’s tone throughout the book is free of shrill over-reaction, with a decision made on the part of the author to write about the issues of God and belief with sensitivity and clarity. The end result is a book which is easy to read without being intellectually light, and which manages to present the Christian faith in ‘reasonable’ terms without abandoning or watering down its doctrines.

The book is divided into two sections. The first deals with common objections to the Christian faith. Keller looks at seven individual issues ranging from the exclusive claims of Christianity in a multi-faith world, to suffering, injustice, hell and science. The mood of this section is at once devastatingly contrary to popular atheism, and respectful of those who may find themselves cynical or sceptical about Christian belief. No doubt Keller’s treatment of these issues will not convince all atheists who take the time (risk?) of reading it, nor will it necessarily reflect ALL that is true of historic Reformed belief in any one area, but speaking broadly these chapters offer an excellent critique of areas where writers such as Dawkins take a ‘leap of doubt’.

The second section of the book presents the case for God. It is here that Keller sets out his beliefs about how God has revealed Himself to us, whatis wrong with our world and our hearts, and how we might be made right with God. The chapters are clear and methodical and don’t shy away from presenting such historic doctrines as penal substitution etc. The epilogue shows those whom God has convicted through the argument of the book how they might come into relationship with him.

My overall impression of the book is that it is an excellent resource. For me a key section of the book is in the ‘Intermission’ where Keller deals with his approach to writing the book. In one paragraph he states:

‘It is important for readers to understand this. I am making a case in this book for the truth of Chrtistianity in general – not for one particular strand of it. Some sharp-eyed Presbyterian readers will notice that I am staying quiet about some of my particular theological beliefs in the interest of doing everything I can to represent all Christians. Yet when I come to describe the Christian gospel of sin and grace, I will necessarily be doing it as a Protestant Chriatian, and I won’t be sounding notes that a Catholic author would sound’ (p.117).

This must be borne in mind throughout the book. There are areas where I would diverge from Keller, particularly in his description of eternal punishment and his handling of some of the issues around Genesis 1-2. But in many ways these quibbles must be dismissed out of respect for the overall aim of the book which is a general apologetic for Christian belief.

Taken on the terms in which Keller sets his book it is a powerful resource for outreach, as well as the consolidation of one’s own faith. I don’t know how common an experience it is, but I have had sustained periods of niggling doubt at times in my Christian life – and a book like this is wonderful material for reminding one of the powerful spiritual and intellectual underpinnings of their faith.

As the Christmas season approaches this book would make a tremendous gift for unbelieving friends and family members, as well as to Christian brothers and sisters who will find their faith affirmed and their confidence for witnessing reinforced.

Tim Keller is to be thanked for this thoughtful, credible and God-honouring treatment of a very current and important theme. A tremendous book.

Quote of the Week – 30th October 2009

“The Christian gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines both swaggering and sniveling. I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone. I do not think more of myself or less of myself. Instead, I think of myself less. I don’t need to notice myself – how I’m doing, how I’m being regarded – so often“

– Tim Keller, The Reason for God, p.181

Music Review: Creation Sings by Stuart Townend

Very little introduction or preamble is needed when discussing the musical ministry of Stuart Townend. His contribution to modern hymn writing and the worship life of the contemporary church continues to grow, as does the catalogue of ‘standards’ that flow from his pen. The modern evangelical church owes him a debt of gratitude for placing timeless truth in our hearts, minds, and mouths.

Townend’s latest album ‘Creation Sings’ sees him return to the studio, recording a number of new tracks as well as fresh arrangements of a few of his more well known pieces. The style is mostly English/Irish/Scottish folk with a tremendous blend of sounds and musical textures. The production values on the album are astoundly high, with a compelling clarity and depth of tone to every note and syllable. It really is a pleasure to listen to this album with the headphones cranked up loud!

Lyrically the album is all that one would expect. Timeless, evangelical truths are phrased in plainly poetic cadences, with a steady adherence and fidelity to orthodox expressions – while maintaining a fresh turn of phrase.

The first track Come People of the Risen King, is an open invitation to all who trust in Christ to come and worship. The jubilance of worshipping the Saviour is bracketed by an understanding that not all who come to worship do so with lightness of heart or happiness of circumstance – some are enjoying the blessing of sunrise, others still struggling through the night.

Creation Sings is an extrapolation of Psalm 19 with Townend writing of the sunrise, of God’s breath upon the spinning globe, and granting the newborn baby’s cry. The chief instruments here are banjo (played by Townend) and upright bass. The folksy simplicity of the arrangements belies the depth of truth conveyed here – with Christ’s federal headship lulling along to the sound of light-touch piano and lilting melody!

The Father’s Embrace is a more understated arrangement springing from Psalm 27 with simple confidence in God’s fatherly care set against the encroachment of the enemy.

All my Days (Beautiful Saviour) is a well known standard, set this time against what sounds like a DADGAD arrangement.

O for a Closer Walk with God is a new setting for Cowper’s classic hymn, with new chorus appended (‘O fire of God come burn in me, Renew a holy passion, ‘Til Christ my deepest longing be, My never failing fountain’). Normally I’m no fan of putting a chorus into a well worn hymn, but here it really works, with Cowper’s sentiment sensitively echoed in Townend’s composition.

The Light of the World is the most English-folk styled song on the album. Its a lovely song, with very strong instrumentation. For me it is one of the most audibly pleasing pieces, but lyrically most weak. There’s nothing wrong with it, and I love listening to it, but it just doesn’t carry the same depth and dimension as the other tracks.

There is an Everlasting Kindness (Compassion Song) is simply a piano piece recounting God’s kindness and grace to us – particularly in Christ’s death. It is a beautiful piece.

For many reviewers the highlight of the album is To See the King of Heaven Fall (Gethsemane) and one can understand why. This is typical Townend, stripped down instrumentation overlaid with compellingly powerful lyrics about Christ’s passion. The close of each verse is repeated with creating a refrain effect which emphasises the pathos of Christ’s position in the garden.

There then follow four well known tracks (O Church Arise, Speak O Lord, My Heart is Filled with Thankfulness, Holy Spirit Living Breath of God) in new folk clothing.

My Fault, the closing track of the album, is something of an anti-climax. Having scaled the heights of God’s providence and glory, the depths of Gethsemane, and the inestimable kindness of God in previous trakcs, it seems a shame to end on a very subjective lyrics (the theme seems to be how to communicate with someone who is backslidden) and a disjointed melody and arrangement. It is the only bad track on an otherwise excellent album.

I heartily recommend Creation Sings, this is hymnwriting and Christian recording at its very best. Buy it. It won’t disappoint.

A Land without the Reformation

So I’m back to the blog (again!), and this time I intend to follow through on my commitment to keep posting here. We’ve now arrived in Tacna and are setting up home, so hopefully there will be more time for thinking and writing here at Double Usefulness. Just to be safe I have a number of posts already lined up which ought to give me a head start! And what finer day to revive my blog than today – Reformation Day! Although the official date for celebrating this great movement of God is generally 31st October, most Protestant churches make the last Sunday in October their day for giving thanks to Him for His work and it’s lasting impact on our lives today.

In a sense posting about the Reformation from Peru is something of a strange experience. This is in some senses a land without the Reformation. True, evangelical faith is alive and well in this country, but the concept of the Reformation and its impact is an academic fact of history, rather than something which directly broke on the shores of Peru or shaped its history.

This came home to me most forcefully during our period in Language School. My tutor, Pedro, was also the Pastor of the church which we attended, and so we had much to talk about each day. Many of our conversations centred around the collision between our respective cultures and Christianity. While he was able to share with me some of the challenges of Christian work in Peru, I was also able to lament the tragic decline in moral standards in Western Europe generally, and the United Kingdom specifically. It soon became clear to me that the needs in Peru are more than equally matched in our home culture.

During one conversation we talked about the impact of the Gospel on society. I spokeof its positive influence in Northern Ireland as well as other parts of the UK, and how it had improved the educational, moral and social framework of our society in history. Pedro’s response, however, was loaded with impact. ‘Here’, he said, ‘we live in a land without the Reformation’.

The cultural implications of this statement rushed at me as Pedro explained what he meant. For Peru ‘Christianity’ came as an imported religion, brought by the conquistadores, and representing a military reality which had to be submitted to, with something approaching fatalism. While the work of God in the Reformation swept across Western Europe, the Spaniards swept through this land bringing an enforced form of belief which didn’t relate in any significant way to the realities of the lives which it affected. Here there was no call to rational, thought out, personal belief, but a simple subservience to a new culture and conqueror. The implications for this in Peruvian society, and in how it relates to the Gospel spread so faithfully by evangelical missionaries is enormous. Perhaps I may post on these issues at a later stage.

My preoccupation in this post, however, is with our home country. As I follow the media in the UK, it is clear that secularism is on the march and that Christianity is becoming increasingly marginalised and opposed. Tragically, the gifts of widespread education, literacy and social reform (affected in no small part by the Reformation) are turning on their progenitor and seeking the downfall of the very concepts which gave them birth. This is a tragedy beyond words, and bodes badly for the future of the United Kingdom in social, moral and spiritual terms.

But if the rational humanist agenda is guilty in a sense of patricide, seeking the destruction of structures and beliefs which have allowed thought, publication and understanding, then perhaps as Reformed Christians we are guilty of woeful neglect. How many today truly celebrate God’s hand at work in the Reformation? How many churches have gladly brought praise to God in their services today? No doubt many, but I wonder as individuals are we fully or even partially aware of the wonderful history and heritage we have as Reformed Protestants? No doubt the empty-headed, spiritually evacuated ‘Protestantism’ of Northern Ireland with its disingenous bigot-laden hatred has done much to ward off the thoughts, prayers and gratitude of my generation for their heritage. But it need not be this way. We have much to be thankful for, much to go to God about, much to rejoice in and celebrate.

But in essence we have much to pray for as well. Will our children or their children eventually say as they look across the barren landscape of a fully pagan/atheistic/Islamic (?) Britain ‘We are a land without the Reformation’? God forbid. How we need His Spirit to move in our churches and among individuals to praise Him for all that is past and to implore Him for more to come.

Book Review: Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

I’ve always been attracted to Russian literature in translation, and have found that time spent with it is universally rewarding. A few years ago I read Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” and promised myself that one day I would give Dostoyevsky a go!

Living in Arequipa means that I have limited access to book buying. I purchased this edition of ‘Crime and Punishment’ in a local bookstore, and was enthralled from the first page. Many reviews of the novel carry comments on the worth of the translation. I don’t speak or read Russian and therefore am incapable of giving any verdict on the faithfulness of this book to original Russian – but it reads tremendously well. The pace, tone and dialogue of the book belie the fact that it is a translation, giving the text a winning feel, and compelling force.

The story itself is at once bleak, intriguing, suspenseful, meditative, and inspiring. The main character, Raskolnikov, is bewitched by new and atheistic teaching, the ultimate consequences of which lead him to murder an elderly and wretched pawnbroker lady in St. Petersburg. The remainder of the book extrapolates the consequences of this action, giving an insight into Raskolnikov’s fevered reaction to his own iniquity, and ultimately leading to a thought provoking treatment of redemption and renewal.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and read it in just seven days. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to read something which combines a well paced storyline, realistic characterisation, psychological depth, and moral weight.

Book Review: Future Grace by John Piper

Future Grace by John Piper is one of his most enduring works, and one in which he sets out some of the philosophical and theological underpinnings of his life and ministry. The basic premise of the book is that ‘Future Grace’ ought to be a major impetus for godly living and dying. Piper’s contention throughout is that looking back at the past actions of God (particularly the life and death of Christ) is a hugely benefical exercise for the Christian – but that it is not enough in and of itself. The past goodness of God ought to serve as a spur for placing fresh faith in Him, and trusting Him for what lies ahead.

Future Grace is a long book, stretching to 399 pages, and ranging across 31 chapters. The book is purportedly designed in such a way that the reader can cover one chapter per day, pace him or herself through it, and take time to meditate on it with application and prayer. Whether it actually works in this way will be covered a little later on in this review.

One of the real successes of Future Grace is its potent mingling of theological argument and practical application. There are ten sections in the volume, and eight of them have a chapter at the end entitled ‘Applying the Purifying Power’ where the theological convictions of previous chapters are brought into confrontation with modern issues for godly living.

Piper begins by discrediting what he describes as ‘The Debtor’s Ethic’, whereby Christians seek to ‘pay God back’ for what He has done in the past. The author eschews this approach, and instead advocates a view of God which puts faith in Him for the future, falling as much on His mercy for what is to come as we have done in the past.

For me (and this might sound a little risque in our current evangelical climate of Piper veneration) this author’s books are not easy or straightforward to read. His prose can be opaque, his approach can be repetitive, and his logic torturously intense. Piper’s great gift in preaching ministry is his ability to think and think and think into an issue with microscopic diligence so that the implications of biblical logic are fully extrapolated. For me this works in sermonic form, but when it comes to writing it leaves the reader muddled at times, and at others bogged down in labyrinth-like machinations which seem a little adrift from the initial thesis of the chapter or section.

I don’t write this to be critical, but merely as an observation. I enjoy reading, am a big fan of literature of many kinds, and have read across genres and generations (particularly when studying English at Uni) but I find Piper’s writing style just too complicated at times. There are flashes of genius, and chapters in this text which are absolutely brilliant, garnished as they are with breathtaking biblical logic, but at other times I just found that I was suffering from information overload.

The basic premise of Future Grace is marvellous. The notion of looking to God in absolute trust for what He will do for in the future – right through death and eternity – is hugely heartening. It has been a tremendous help for me to read this book at the stage of life we are at as a family, with transition and change all around us, and to rest in the all prevailing and loving work of God at our core. For me sections VII (The Sanctifying Power of Faith in Future Grace) and VIII (Battling Unbelief in Future Grace) were electrifying and inspiring.

But there are other sections which leave Piper open to misunderstanding. His point that justifying grace is sanctifying grace is powerful and profoundly argued, but at times verges into areas where the author could be misread as linking works and salvation too closely. Given his stirling work on ‘The Future of Justification’ no one can doubt Piper’s commitment to justification by faith alone, and I don’t think that the problem with this book is Piper’s theology, but his methodology and vocabulary. Many of the areas in which he could be misrepresented are clarified in the application chapters but that is cold comfort when working through his concept of ‘Unmerited, Conditional, Future Grace’.

Perhaps the density of argument in the book is best explained by the author’s final chapter – ‘The Debt I Owe to Jonathan Edwards’. Piper’s love of Edwards’ writing does perhaps account for the philosophical depth of what he has to say. Again this may be akin to blasphemy in some circles, but I have never been able to relate to Edwards’ written corpus, finding him too philosophically speculative at times (by comparison, for instance, with John Calvin’s no-nonsense approach to thinking and theology).

It would be possible for this review to sound too negative. There are wonderful elements to this book, and Piper is at his pastoral best in the application chapters. It is unrealistic, however, to expect that ‘ordinary’ Christians could read this book a chapter at a time over 31 days. It is just too complicated and in-depth. In recent years the application chapters have been published on their own as Battling Unbelief and I think that this would be much more beneficial to most believers. Piper’s handling of the issues of anxiety, pride, shame, impatience, covetousness, bitterness, despondency and lust is majestic and masterful.

Future Grace is a good, but deeply flawed book, whose theological/philosophical rigour cannot be doubted, but whose readability is hampered by that very strength. The main lesson I take away from Future Grace is that our God is utterly dependable, that we can stake our life, our family, our future, our etenity, our all on Him without fear or reserve. To have that lesson reinforced in my heart makes some of the sweat entailed in making it to page 399 worthwhile by itself.

Pod Life Pt.2

First of all a confession: I have a love-hate relationship with Contemporary Christian Music. That might sound like a strange way to begin a post in appreciation of the ministry which such music has excerised in my life: but it’s the truth. My problem is that I have an intolerance of (bordering on an allergy to?) many of the accepted norms of modern worship. Whether it be what John MacArthur describes as the 7-11 rule (seven lines sung eleven times), the thoroughly soul wrenching experience of watching a group of people having private epiphanies at the front of a church service only to leave before the sermon begins, the incessant proclamation of the first line of every verse of a song even though it is displayed clearly on the Powerpoint screen…I could go on, but it wouldn’t be edifying! Suffice to say at times I feel a little bit of malaise with regard to modern Christian music.

Having said that though, it is malaise not dislike, uneasiness not dismissal, reservations and not rejection. I believe that modern Christian music has been a thoroughly positive feature in my spiritual life, and a means by which God has directed, challenged, inspired, rebuked and encouraged me. I don’t have much time for brow beating modern praise into submission while embracing an anaemic, lifeless, formal clinging to the past and to posterity. I just feel that care and discernment are needed.

For me Fernando Ortega, whose song ‘Lord of Eternity’ begins our playlist, is one of the finest ambassadors for modern Christian music. Others have eloquently posted their feelings about this elsewhere, and I count myself among the number of those who treasure this man’s musical output. Ortega’s songs are profoundly simple, melodically rich, and sung with a vocal clarity that is hard to find in any musical genre – sacred or secular. We have over 60 of his songs on our iPod and I can’t think of one that hasn’t touched and blessed me. His albums provide a tremendous mixture of traditional hymns and modern pieces.

“Lord of Eternity” is a great example of classic Ortega. Here are the lyrics:

Blessed is the man
Who walks in Your favor
Who loves all Your words
And hides them like treasure
In the darkest place Of his desperate heart,
They are a light A strong, sure light.

Sometimes I call out Your name
But I cannot find You.
I look for Your face,
But You are not there.
By my sorrows, Lord, Lift me to You, Lift me to Your side.

CHORUS
Lord of Eternity,
Father of mercy,
Look on my fainting soul.
Keeper of all the stars,
Friend of the poorest heart
Touch me and make me whole.

If You are my defender,
Who is against me?
No one can trouble or harm me
If You are my strength.
All I ask, all I desire
Is to live in Your house all my days.

On our dark days in Peru (and we’ve had a few!) these words have refreshed my soul so much. They are steeped in pathos, reflective of reality, and single-hearted in their adherence to God amidst His more confusing providences in our lives. The thought of God ‘keeping all the stars’ and yet coming to our troubled souls encapsulates His sweeping grandeur and sweet grace. Expressions of difficulty are honest ‘I can’t find you’, but bordered by a heartfelt plea for healing and peace. On many mornings on my way to language school these words run through my mind, driving me to seek God afresh for the new challenges of a new day.

Weekend Web and Book Watch 2

Here are some highlights from the world of reading and the web this week:

Dan Phillips posts some excellent thoughts on murder, justice and death penalty (in the UK and US) here.

I read Iain H. Murray’s “Undercover Revolution” some time ago and hoped to add a review pretty soon, but Guy Davies says it all here.

This sermon goes back to 1981, but I really appreciated John Piper’s thinking and wisdom on the issue of alcohol consumption and the Christian here.

Meghan Dillon, who is at the language school along with us here in Arequipa posts some interesting reflections on life as a mother in Peru here.

Atheistic Summer Camps sounds like a joke, but it is far from a laughing matter as The Christian Institute demonstrate here.

And finally some quotes from the week:

[Of faith]: ‘It is so contrary to proud, self-exalting, unspiritual, world-loving hearts that there is no way it could be self-generated. If we are to come to Jesus the way Jesus teaches us to come, we will have to be drawn by God. Our hate for the light will have to be overcome by God. Our distaste for the bread of heaven and the water of life will have to be transformed by God. Our love affair with the praises of men will have to be shattered by God. Our only hope is free and sovereign grace’ – John Piper, Future Grace, p.215

‘The Apostle John was boiled in oil and sent to the Isle of Patmos’
– answer in an essay marked by a friend who teaches in a seminary in Peru.