A grenade exploded outside the St. Polycarp Anglican Church in Nairobi, Kenya, on September 30th (2012). John Ian Maina, a nine-year-old child who was waiting with other children for Sunday School to begin, was killed. Several other children were injured and rushed to area hospitals. A warning was issued the previous day by police in regard to al-Shabaab. The group threatened retaliation throughout Kenya following the capture of Kismayo Port by the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) in southern Somalia. It is suspected that the Islamists have targeted several congregations in various areas of Kenya since the KDF entered Somalia.
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9-Year-Old Killed in Kenya
Back in the Saddle
After not posting any new articles for over a year, I’ve been surprised that 2 Worlds Collide has continued to receive about 1,500 hits per month and even received new “followers.” My sabbatical from blogging has been a definite time of rest away from many of the things I noted “Walking Away (for now)“. I’ve decided to begin blogging again, although it will likely be at a much lighter pace than I engaged in previously. Posts will continue to be largely theological and pastoral, particularly in areas related to interest for Reformed Baptists (i.e., ARBCA). It is my hope that 2 Worlds Collide will continue to be a source of viable information and encouragement for its readers.
Happy Reformation Day!
This upcoming October 31st, Reformation Day, will mark the 495th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. It was on October 31, 1517, when Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses on the cathedral door in Wittenberg. 2 Worlds Collide celebrates, in part, by observing the Reformation Polka.
If you can’t polka, The Old Lutheran suggests these ideas:
- Make a “Diet of Worms Cake” and bring it to your office or school
- Have a “Baptismal Apple Dunk”
- Run a “Law and Gospel Shuffle Relay”
- Create a “Fishers of Men” Fishing Pond
- Do a “Defeat the Devil Ball Toss”
- Play “Pin the 95 Theses on the Wittenberg Door”
- Run a “Throw Indulgences in the Trash” relay
- Find a storyteller to tell of the events of Luther’s life
- Have a costume party and have everyone dress up as their favorite Reformation personality
- Have a special showing of the movie “Luther” at church or in your home
As for me and my house, we’ll likely be watching Luther.
Aside
Geaux Liberty!
Christian students from Louisiana State University, who are ardent football fans, paint their upper bodies during games. Known as “The Painted Posse,” the group was formed in 2003 and has become a fixture at LSU home games, appearing on national television broadcasts, ESPN and in Sports Illustrated. Members of The Posse had their picture taken at the LSU – South Carolina game. Officials sent out the photo of the students in a Geaux-Mail newsletter to the student body, but removed the crosses painted on The Posse’s bodies with digital technology. The students were dismayed when they viewed the photo, which appeared to be otherwise unedited. Cameron Cooke, one of the students, told CampusReform.org, “I was a bit surprised, because our pictures get used so frequently, and the cross had never been edited before. The cross painting is important to me because it represents who I am as a Christ follower.” Herb Vincent, an LSU spokesman noted that the school altered the image to prevent other students from being offended. “We don’t want to imply we are making any religious or political statements, so we air-brushed it out, Only one of the students, who didn’t appreciate it, actually contacted us about it. So next time, we’ll just choose a different photo.” LSU plans to steer clear of any photos with religious overtones when it sends out athletic promotional materials.
In a land where freedom of religious expression and freedom of speech are touted as rights, political correctness has found a way around the Constitution. Whenever people of faith express their views, they are simply ignored by those who “wish to remain neutral.” Such neutrality negates expression, implicitly conveying the idea that there is absolutely no room to discuss “private matters” (e.g., religion, politics, ethics) in a “public forum.” The more society at large embraces such an outlook, the greater individual liberties erode. It is important for people to politely, intelligently and firmly exercise their freedoms, or else those liberties will soon be gone.
2nd Annual Reformation Conference
ANNOUNCEMENT:
The Second Annual Reformation Conference will be held this upcoming weekend (October 26-28) at the First Baptist Church of the Lakes in Las Vegas. This year’s theme is “Sanctification.” It is often argued that if God is sovereign or if justification is through faith alone then there is no point in being concerned with holiness in everyday living. The sessions in this conference will contend for just the opposite — that holiness is both evident and required in the life of the Christian. The conference will seek to glorify God by:
- Word-centered proclamation which magnifies God’s grace through Christ Jesus
- Encouraging congregational renewal
- Strengthening the ministries of the local church and its pastors
- Exalting God’s name through Christ-centered music
Conference speakers include Dr. John Pretlove and Dr. James Galyon. If you live in the Las Vegas area or near the West Coast (Nevada, California, Utah, Arizona), I hope you will consider attending this conference. Please contact the First Baptist Church of the Lakes at (702) 254-3234 for more information.
Walking Away (for now)
It has been hard not to notice that barely any posts have been published at 2 Worlds Collide for the past couple of months. There are several reasons for this, the chief being that work demands have been extremely taxing. There is only so much time per day to accomplish everything which needs to be done, and blogging is not a priority. The other major reason is that blogging has simply drained me emotionally. Having already slowed in the numbers of posts being produced, I edited the six-part series on “Calvinism & Civility” (published here several years ago), and chiseled it down to a manageable three-parts (1, 2, 3) for the Conservative Reformed Mafia. Detailing the theological/political struggle within Southern Baptist life over “Calvinism,” that series displays the heartache I have experienced personally through this conflict, and states my intention to choose an outside path of peace. Even in trying away to walk away irenically from the situation, I found that some are eager to spew invective towards those with whom they disagree. Nonetheless, I’m confident that the path I’ve chosen is the best decision for the sake of the Kingdom, my family, and myself. I’ve also decided to walk away from blogging for a season. Work is still demanding, and I’ve taken on other outside responsibilities with a military society which will demand a great deal of my time. 2WC will remain up and running in order that people may access previous posts, and I’m sure I’ll drop something here and there on the site. One of these days posts may very well be churned out on a regular basis, but for now, the sabbatical is official.
Calvinism Outside the Las Vegas Airport
ANNOUNCEMENT:
The 2011 Grace Conference of Las Vegas will be held in October. This year’s theme, inspired by Dr. Richard Mouw’s provocative Calvinism in the Las Vegas Airport, seeks to both “give an answer” to those who have questions about the practicality of the doctrines of grace, and to do so with all gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). Questions the conference will seek to answer in general include the following:
- How can we best be Christians in the twenty-first century?
- How do we as Christians speak gently and respectfully to non-Christians about our beliefs?
- How do we articulate our Calvinistic convictions gently and respectfully to fellow Christians who view some matters quite differently than we do?
- How do we impact the culture positively with a God-centered, Gospel-saturated worldview?
- How do we do these things without compromising Christian orthodoxy, particularly the Gospel?
The conference seeks to glorify God by:
- Word-centered proclamation which magnifies God’s grace through Christ Jesus
- Encouraging congregational renewal
- Strengthening the ministries of the local church and its pastors
- Exalting God’s name through Christ-centered music
Particular topics will include:
- True Comfort in Life & Death
- Suffering & the Sovereignty of God
- Amazing Grace vs. Cheap Grace
- Loving Fellow Christians
- Calvinism & Evangelism
Conference speakers include Dr. John Pretlove, Rev. Jim McAlees, and Dr. James Galyon. If you live in the Las Vegas area or near the West Coast (Nevada, California, Utah, Arizona), I hope you will consider attending this conference on October 28-29 (Fri-Sat). The conference website will be up later this spring. Please contact the First Baptist Church of the Lakes at (702) 254-3234 for more information.
Tajikistan’s Parental Responsibility Law
The Lower Chamber of Tajikistan’s Parliament approved a controversial new bill, as well as amendments to the Criminal Code, on June 15. The Parental Responsibility Law stipulates that the only religious activities in which children under 18 may participate, apart from funerals, are those at state-approved religious education institutions. The amendments specifically extend penalties on unapproved religious meetings and impose harsh prison terms for advocating “religious extremist” teachings. The amendments fail to define “religious extremist,” and could easily extend to any religious teaching without state approval. To become law, the bill must also be approved by the Upper Chamber and signed by President Emomali Rahmon. The Parental Responsibility Law is the initiative of President Rahmon. Many expect the Upper Chamber to approve the legislation next month. The proposed legal changes arrive as police continue their suppression of non-sanctioned religious teaching. Local religious communities, independent legal experts, and human rights defenders have all condemned the law.
Algerian Congregations Face Closure
ALGERIA – Last month the governor of Bejaia Province sent a written notice to seven Christian congregations informing them they would be closed for operating “illegally.” The congregations are considered illegal because they have not registered with the government, required under Ordinance 06-03 of the nation’s legal code. The measure was introduced in 2006 to regulate non-Islamic religious practices. Christians report, however, that the government refuses to either respond or grant applications for registration. Mustapha Krim, president of the Protestant Church of Algeria, stated, “The churches of Bejaia have submitted the documentation the law requires and the government’s unwillingness to give official permission for the churches to operate is a matter for officials, not churches, to resolve.” He added that believers in Algeria have mobilized for prayer, asking for God’s intervention in the matter. Please join our brothers and sisters in prayer.
