This was the day of the Greek test. Our minister was trying to teach some of us some NT Greek. I also spent some time helping sort out the church library. I was looking forward to the Sabbath the next day. Didn't go to bed until midnight though (my parents used to be out until then).
A blog featuring whatever I fancy, often on the Christian faith but not exclusively
Past Diary Jan 04 1974
Up at 6.15 for more of the same - paper round, Bible reading from Matthew, some Greek, prayer meeting in the evening (final one of the week of prayer) and the oft repeated complaint about wasting time. Doing what? Watching TV probably. I mention that in the late evening I watched a repeat of the royal wedding, this would be Princess Anne's marriage to Captain Mark Philips the previous Novemeber 14. Conscious of the need to be more orgnised.
Carey Conference 2011 03
The third session was the first of Bruce Ware's papers. His overall subject is Jesus' life and ministry in the power of the Spirit: the prototype of new covenant living. In this first paper he looked at
The Trinitarian and Christological background for understanding Jesus and the Spirit
1. Trinitarian Background for understanding Jesus and the Spirit
A. Have you learned to read the Bible with Trinitarian lenses?
B. The twin pillars of Trinitarian doctrine: Distinction and equality; individuation and identity.
1 Equality of essence through an equity of identity
2 Distinction of roles and relations among the fully equal divine persons
3 Definition of the Trinity
2. Christological Background for understanding Jesus and the Spirit
1 Eternal Son of the Eternal Father
2 Incarnate Son, conceived by the Spirit, born the God-man of the Virgin Mary
3 Exalted Son - raised, ascended and reigning with the Father over all
3. Historical Confirmation: Full deity and humanity of Christ as affirmed from Nicea to Chalcedon
A. Nicea 325 Christ fully God
B. Constantinople 381 Christ fully man; Spirit fully God
C. Ephesus 431 Christ one person
D. Chalcedon 451 Two complete natures, one person
4. Old Testament anticipation of the Spirit-anointed Messiah
A. Three groupings of OT texts announce the arrival of the age to come
1 The age to come comes when Messiah, the Son of David, comes
eg Isaiah 9:6, 7; Ezekiel 37:24-27
2 The age to come comes when the Spirit comes
eg Isaiah 44:1-5; Ezekiel 36:22-28
3 The age to come comes when the Spirit-anointed Messiah comes
eg Isaiah 11:1-5; 61:1-3
B. The nature of the fulfilment of the promised age to come - progressive not punctiliar; incremental not instantaneous
Quite a demanding session it was good to hear these basic truths in readiness for what is to follow.
Carey Conference 2011 02
Our second paper at Carey was from John Ling from Aberystwyth who for over 30 years has been looking at subjects to do with what can be called the culture of death. (See website here). At one time it was chiefly abortion - a single issue almost - however, by now a long list of issues can be made in this area. Dr Ling reminded us that those who sit before ministers today are all impacted by issues of life and death. Think of
1. Infertility - it affects 1 in 6 couples 2. Teenage pregnancy - 41, 361 girls under 18 in England and Wales last year 3. Abortion - 1 in 4 pregnancies end in abortion 4. Predisposition 5. Suicide - 1 every 80 minutes 6. STDs 7. Mental illness 8. Illegitimate children - 46% and rising 9. Death - 100% affected!
Against this background he asserted the biblical world view. He reminded us, quoting many Scriptures, that
1. Human life is unique and special
2. Human life begins at conception (utilising the Lennart Nilsson pictures he guided at this point on the journey from zygote to death. More here.)
3. Human life requires stewardship
4. Human life ends in natural death
5. Taking innocent human life is forbidden
6. Human life demands special care
He went on to look at four subjects with powerful factual statements.
1. Abortion
195, 743 in England and Wales in 2009. The population of Swansea or Dundee. 750 every day. Worldwide there are millions being killed. Staggering.
2. Stem cell technology
In an effort to save lives regenerative medicine attempts to use embryonic stem cells to help people. However, other sources can be found such as umbilical blood, fat, etc. Further Yamanaka in Japan has developed a way of producing stem cells (iPS cells) from ordinary cells. These are ideal for treatments and soon there will be no argument for use of embryonic cells. See here.
3. Assisted Reproductive Technologies
There are many bioethical dilemmas in this area
1. Unknown thousands of orphaned, human embryos, frozen for 5, 10, 15 years
2. Treatment of post-menopausal women
3. Grandmothers giving birth to grandchildren
4. Babies with 5 parents - 3 mums and 2 dads
5. "Making children" v "normative parenthood"
6. A mild eugenics programme
7. Treatment costs
8. Psychological costs
9. Relationship tests
10. Inevitable feelings of failure - 76.3% of attempts fail
11. Multiple pregnancy dangers
12. Production of spare embryos (214,177 annually). Some 101, 972 are destroyed annually
Some 104 babies have already been born through an alternative treatment - NPT. See here.
4. Euthanasia and assisted dying
The Remmelink Report tells us that voluntary euthanasia inevitably leads to non-voluntary euthanasia. In Holland a quarter of cases involved botched attempts.
We need to seek a better theology of death and dying.
As in the first session a good short question time followed. Dr Ling then exhorted us to do five things
1. Pray
2. Educate
3. Agitate
4. Care
5. Join and give
Carey Conference 2011 01
This year's Carey Conference up in Swanwick began appropriately enough with a paper on William Carey from Mike Tindall (currently based in Manchester - see here). Carey died 250 years ago this year. This was a well judged, competent, well researched and nuanced paper that was easy to listen to and a real challenge.
1. The man
Attention was drawn to his ability to focus as seen in his language acquisition and botanical studies and his attempts to amass data regarding the make up of the world. His genius lay in his ability to focus combined with a tenacity that he himself was aware of (I can plod).
It is only fair to note also his failures - to acknowledge the help of others, to support his family in the way that he should have. Dorothy's story is a very sad one and ought to be borne in mind when we consider Carey's story. (She died in 1807).
The other focus of this section was on Carey's humility.
2. The missionary
Carey is often spoken of as the father of modern missions but he was not even the first Baptist. Germans had been working in India for a generation before. However, he was the catalyst for the birth of the modern missionary society, many of them influenced directly by Carey's example - of working as a society.
3. The modelThis subject could be pursued in many different directions but the speaker focused on just two things.
1. Theological optimism
The work proved to be much more difficult than anyone had imagined. Part of what sustained them was what has been called the Puritan Hope or Postmillennialism. The influence of Edwards and the concert for prayer cannot be overestimated. With this there was a high view of the sovereignty of God. Carey is always talking about Providence and lived his life conscious of the hand of God and the fact that he was doing God's work. A classic example is seen in his reaction to the fire of 1812.
2. The gospel's power to bring about cultural transformation
Carey's role here is perhaps sometimes overstated but his impact under God cannot be denied. Examples include the eventual banning of infanticide, sati, ghat murders (a form of mercy killing), the murder of lepers and his efforts in the realm of education for males and females, including Serampore College (Carey was concerned for cultural development not just promotion of the gospel or iconoclasm).
Why did Carey take this approach? Carey does not really say much about this. There does not seem to be a grand social vision. There is something opportunistic about the approach. Social and cultural engagement came naturally to Carey. He was a Kuyperian by default rather than some grand view of the subject. Our situation is very different to Carey's but we ought to learn from this aspect.
If Carey were here today (after he got over the shock of having a conference named after him) what might he say? He might remind us that we are still under an obligation to reach the unreached. Most missionaries today do not go to the totally unreached yet such people must be reached.
He might also say "Go on!".
Van Gogh Vergeten 02
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| Painting, Oil on Canvas Night cafe, Place Lamartine, Arles: September, 1888 Yale University Art Gallery New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America, North America F: 463, JH: 1575 |
Past Diary Jan 03 1974
Another day another paper round to start, a bit more Greek in between and a prayer meeting in the evening, with lots of young people praying. All five I list are in the Lord to this day. I also met with some strange Christian there who I don't sound so sure of. I must have been reading the life of Bunyan (Frank Mott Harrison) as well as his book on prayer.
Past Diary Jan 02 1974
The next day was a Wednesday. I was out doing paper rounds first thing but there was another prayer meeting in the evening which I went to and prayed in. I was reading Bunyan on prayer at this time as well as daily Bible reading from Matthew's Gospel. During the day I revised for a Greek test due on the Saturday and listened to Focus records. Again all very flowery language, meant to sound spiritual, even the moan about my friend Stephen not being at the prayer meeting.
Van Gogh Vergeten 01
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| View of The Hague with the New Church Watercolor, Watercolour, pen, ink The Hague: January, 1882 Collection of Kunsthandel Ivo Bouwman The Hague, The Netherlands, Europe F: 1680, JH: 97 |
VSP9 Diary
Got up, went to school,
did homework, went to bed.
All that is net: life's
quick fish escaped.
M J Wilson
Childhood songs 1 Leave her Johnny
When I was in Junior School we did plenty of singing. We used to listen to a BBC radio programme called "Singing together". We sang a version of the sea shanty performed here.
Past Diary Jan 01 1974
The first diary entry I ever made was on the first day of 1974. I was 14. I only kept going just over a month but it makes mildly interesting reading. I'd been to the watchnight service the night before to welcome in the new year and went in the evening to a prayer meeting led by one of the deacons. It's all written up rather melodramatically and I'm clearly not being the good son I should have been and so feel bad about it. The final line is quite powerful given that I wrote it 37 years ago - "Remember, on Earth, time is precious, use it well."
Calvin on humility
This quote from is Calvin and is from the close of his sermon on Luke 1:49-51 in Songs of the Nativity which contains sermons translated by Robert White and was published by Banner of Truth in 2008.
For the rest, let us all beware of the thoughts of our heart and of whatever far exceeds our powers. Such things are thoroughly deceitful. On the contrary, whenever we are tempted to think inflated thoughts – for the devil loves to dazzle us with our own conceits – we must quickly head them off, and in all modesty to declare: “To serve my God is work enough. Supposing I had a much greater store of holiness, I could never fulfil a hundredth part of my duty. So I will aim no higher than God permits: he knows my capacity and my strength. From now on I'll strive to walk in the fear of my God better than before. My life is short and I am still far from the goal he has set. Though I try hard to reach it, the road is long and difficult.”
Mechanical Santa
We normally go to Wales at Christmas but this year we're at home except for a quick trip to see my sister in her new house last Tuesday. While there I took opportunity to get a clip of the family Santa Claus - another memory of my mother. Someone was noisy as I filmed which prompted me to shush them (another memory) in the noisy manner of a drunk - one of my mother's favourite jokes. The next day my sister had got on a bus and the kids were happy to sit over the wheel - a definite "no, no" for us (makes you sick) and yet one more reminder of my mother and her advice.
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