Some Here, Some There — December 19, 2014

by Dan Phillips

NOTE: an important announcement about the conference is included below.

Here you go:

• From last year: remember Doug Wilson's splendid post, Why a virgin birth? Do!

Chrs believe in the virgin birth of Jesus. Materialists bel in the parentless birth of the cosmos. Which miracle=silly? [thx @glenscrivener]
— Dan Phillips (@BibChr) December 19, 2014

• Last week I mentioned the "celibate gay" Christian Wheaton hired to be... well, I guess to be a "celibate gay" Christian, and I made and linked to commentary. Now see also Robert Gagnon's comments.
• Through the one-way glass: on the subject of "gay Christians," Owen Strachan says much that we've said, and more, and very very well.

We shouldn't judge people just because of who they love. Except pedophiles. That's just wrong. They're not allowed to be who they are.
— Fake Rachel (@TheFakeEvans) December 14, 2014

• Reader Jaci Greggs felt we should all know about Dominic, The Italian Christmas Donkey. He even has his own Facebook page. Dominic will now haunt your nightmares.
• I had to listen to a classic Chicago concert online to get that one out of my head.

• If you missed last Monday Music — well, for shame. And here.
• Reviewing anti-Christian filmmaker (is that a tautology?) Ridley Scott's Exodus: Gods & Kings, Brian Mattson says that if Scott's target had been Islam, he'd spend the remainder of his life in a bunker in an undisclosed location. 
• It is interesting to note how those brave Hollywood liberals (is that an oxymoron?) pretty invariably target those whose very religion prevents violent response.
• I think of Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary as the little (?) seminary that could and does. Were I seeking a seminary today, I'd look very closely at them. The DBTS journal is excellent, and its blog is always worth checking. In this article, Ben Edwards notes one of many TGC inconsistencies, this one relating to dispensationalism. You don't have to be a dispie to nod. Another case of natural co-belligerents being split by the unreasoned prejudice (or elitism?) of one party.
• BIG NEWS about the Sufficient Fire Conference. Providential turns have resulted in our moving the conference from the Berry Center to Copperfield Bible Church. The program is unchanged. But this move brought us substantial financial savings, which we've translated into offering free registration. If you already paid for your tickets, your money will be refunded in PayPal. The conference is not free to the sponsor, of course, and your financial support would be right and appreciated. But note carefully: only register if you will come, God permitting. Seating is limited, so don't take the seat of someone who would come if one were available.
• What is the one sentence pastors most dread hearing? Thom Rainer offers his opinion, explains it, and offers a solution. I think he's made an excellent pick. Another would be when someone faults you for not accomplishing, in your sermon, what you never set out to accomplish — but I can't reduce that to words. Like you've pulled out all the stops and poured your heart out to glorify God's eternal gracious love, and someone says he didn't see how that helps him be a better WalMart greeter, or something. What's your nominee?
• Do you know anyone who's just too darned happy? Try sharing some Werner Herzog Inspirationals.
  
• You may be aware that there was a panel discussion ostensibly on racial relations chaired by a very scary-looking Ed Stetzer. Here it is (a sort of registration is required). It evidently was called by Bryan Loritts; if you don't know who Bryan is, you need to know this, and this as well. Anyway, it may quite astonish you — you particularly — to hear Loritts say, in the context of racial reconciliation, how he "wondered aloud, 'Where are the conservative, evangelical voices?'"
• If you were watching, you may have said back to the screen, "Well, I know where two of them are, at least: on Pyromaniacs! One recent post at least was a sweeping Gospel-centered address the whole situation. In fact, didn't Thabiti Anyabwile say he was in agreement with that post?" Indeed he did:

I think I’m in complete agreement with everything that’s said here, tho not everything is said here: http://t.co/LvA3m2Mdev @BibChr
— Thabiti Anyabwile (@ThabitiAnyabwil) November 26, 2014

• So (I continue) you may have thought, "Pyromaniacs is high-traffic, hardly invisible. How can Loritts say 'silent'?"
• One could hazard a guess:

How @bcloritts spks of "silence" of white evangelicals on racial matters: if they say someth you don't wnt to hear... pic.twitter.com/q6XS9fwyZM
— Dan Phillips (@BibChr) December 18, 2014

• There seem to be many who think, "If I avoid seeing it and hearing it, it doesn't count."
• Now, to a TeamPyro Public Safety Announcement: evidently, if you find yourself menaced by a pit bull, the best thing you can do is reach into your grocery bag and pull out a...
• Another note of Rob Bell in his continuing downward trajectory.

• Re. Bell: as usual, you-know-where was well ahead of the curve, and more than once. Sadly, this gracious entreaty and invitation from Frank Turk was ignored.
• Because, you know, the important thing today isn't that these timely warnings, if spread and heeded at the time, might have prevented much misery and harm. The really important thing is not to note that fact, so that nothing will improve going forward.
• Because nowadays people seem to celebrate folks who come on a burnt building and intone sage, measured, nuanced, judicious remarks about the ruins, more than they do people who say of the still-standing building, "Say... I smell smoke."
• Because you know, these days, only shielding the elitist celebrity culture from even the most obvious criticisms and calls for accountability and reform is deemed conduct becoming us Christian serfs.

Remember when theaters had to pull "The Last Temptation of Christ" because of all those Baptist bomb threats? #YeahMeNeither
— Dan Phillips (@BibChr) December 18, 2014

• If you tweeted a snatch from a cult's hymnody as if expressing your own words, wouldn't you want to know? Yeah, me too.
• On to another cult: on the 12th we reminded you that the Piano Guys were Mormons. A few days later Challies offered some very good expansions and warnings about Mormons and their prosyletizing methods. (I can't call it "evangelism"; there's no evangel there.)
• So, amid the bad news, wouldn't some good news be nice? Here you go: reader "Rowdie Jones" pointed me to a series of posts (beginning here) in which former Assemblies of God charismatic Dan Michael Cogan explains his journey from the mess that is charismaticism to affirming the sufficiency of Scripture.
• Courtney Reissig has a good word for wives, but it works just as well for husbands. Be grateful for the 80%, trust God with the 20%.
• Dear bro David Murray (who himself has a wonderful Scottish accent) shows us what "a depressed Scottish S'more" looks like:

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