Dec 27, 2010
Tommy Shelton
Well, it’s come and gone once again. Christmas is over. The space under the tree is empty, but the dumpsters are full. Christmas carols no longer play on the radio, but they’re still playing in our heads. New stuff gets tried on, exchanged, hooked up, played with, displayed, modeled, etc. The only rum ball left is the one far under the refrigerator that will still be there next Christmas. The mistletoe is shriveled up and the remaining sliver of the pie sits there waiting for mold. The company is either gone or now at risk of overstaying their welcome. And the siren songs of those after-Christmas-sales lure all gift certificates and cash gifts to come meet their demise.
Such is the aftermath of the Christmas of present day culture. But, as counter-cultural followers of Jesus Christ, this week between Christmas and New Year’s hopefully affords us some less frenetic time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas that is intended to continue giving the other 364 days of the year. It’s also a time to reflect on the year that’s about to pass and the one that’s about to burst on the scene. To that end, I invite you to read and ponder this: "The Purpose of Christmas" . And I pray that every single day of 2011, not just December 25th, is an inspiring, enriching and hope-producing experience of the fullness of the incarnation in your soul and life. Happy (as in truly blessed and fully content in Jesus Christ) New Year!
Dec 11, 2010
Tommy Shelton
I’m two chapters into Tim Keller’s latest book, “Generous Justice – How God’s Grace Makes Us Just” (Dutton, 2010). I know for me personally and, I think, for the community of Fellowship Dallas this is a book for such a time as this as we continue to learn what it means to live missionally in the world. As with pretty much everything I read or hear from Tim Keller, this book is taking me to a deeper, richer, truer understanding of who God is, the revelation of that in the Bible, the implications of that on every aspect of living, and the requisite transformation that my soul needs in order to align myself and my life with God. It is profoundly humbling and hopeful. I’m humbled because I see my ignorance, blindness, brokenness, and failure to love God and others on so many levels and to such sorrowful and unjust degree. Yet, I feel hopeful because, at the same time, I see God more clearly and thus worship Him more dearly. I have inspired vision and new passion. I experience a peace that comes from knowing truth from lie, order from chaos. And, I rejoice in God who allows me to grasp what I do and empowers me to share it with others and live it out to His glory.
In the book’s introduction, Keller tells the story of how he came to be interested in the subject of justice and for whom he wrote the book. In chapter 1 he begins to answer the question “What is doing justice?” Starting with Micah 6:8, “And what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” he shows that justice is care for the vulnerable, that it reflects the character of God, that God is on the side of the poor, that it means right relationships, and that it includes generosity. In chapter 2 he works through justice and the Old Testament. He puts into perspective for Christians today the relevance of Jewish ceremonial law and the civil law of Moses that existed when Israel was a theocratic nation state in covenant with God. Though that is by no means what we have today, Keller argues that “everything in the Old Testament has some abiding validity, though it must be applied with great care.” He then gives many examples of how that can be done today. He also attempts (and succeeds I believe) to explain biblical justice and our political categories, as well as the complex causes of poverty. In typical Keller genius, he lifts the discussion to a level that rises above contemporary poles, categories and models.
I plan to write more on what I’m learning from “Generous Justice” in future posts, but, for now, I leave you some quotes from the book:
“…there is a direct relationship between a person’s grasp and experience of God’s grace, and his or her heart for justice and the poor. …those most affected by the message [become] the most sensitive to the inequities around them.” (Introduction, page xix-xx)
“We began to see how, in so many ways, we made our cultural biases into moral principles and then judged people of other races as being inferior.” (Introduction, page xvii)
“I want the orthodox to see how central to Scripture’s message is justice for the poor and marginalized. I also want to challenge those who do not believe in Christianity to see the Bible not as a repressive text, but as the basis for the modern understanding of human rights.” (Introduction, page xx-xxi)
"...if you are trying to live a life in accordance with the Bible, the concept and call to justice are inescapable. We do justice when we give all human beings their due as creations of God. Doing justice includes not only the righting of wrongs, but generosity and social concern, espcially toward the poor and vulnerable." (Chapter 1, page 18)
“It is the generosity of God, the freeness of his salvation, that lays the foundation for the society of justice for all.” (Chapter 2, page 40)
And, if you want to read the first chapter of "Generous Justice" on line, here's the link http://timothykeller.com/images/uploads/pdf/Chapter_One_Generous_Justice.pdf
Thanks for reading and, as always, your comments are most welcome!
Dec 04, 2010
Tommy Shelton
This Sunday at 9:30 and 11:00 at Fellowship Dallas (Dec 5), come meet a panel of Fellowship friends who will be sharing how they live out the Gospel in their day-to-day lives. These folks are just like you and me. By that I mean, God uses them because they love Jesus and make themselves available to be used by him to draw others to his light and truth, and God wants to do the same thing with all of us. You will be encouraged and inspired by the stories of these friends, and I bet God will prompt you about how he wants you to be the Gospel and live it out in your life.
