Disqus - Latest Comments for sdesocio

Re: On the PCA’s ‘Tim Keller Problem’

sdesocio — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 11:18:25 -0000

Jake. I appreciate much of what you've written here and else where but I think there are a bit too many generalizations which bog down this post. There are over 4,000 pastors in the PCA. I'm not sure of the demographic trends around the age of PCA pastors, but this means there are probably 500-1000 pastors ordained in the last several years. This group never gets together exclusively, nor have they been polled about their perception of ministry (which would be an amazing project). Because of these things, I find it hard to accept any general statements about the loneliness of young pastors or their general theological leaning. In fact, I think it is dangerous to concede that most, or many young pastors are just "ham-handed" mimics of Dr. Keller. The theological cross-sections which are found in the older generations are just as present in the younger.
I think you concede too much ground to Mr. Erickson who seems to have no idea what Dr. Keller's ministry looks like "They want to do what he does. They want the large church industrial complex. They want the book deals. They want to go on TV. They’ve metrosexualed themselves, put on skinny jeans and ugly glasses, and fired up power point presentations on stage at church."
I've never seen Keller in skinny jeans, and I'm pretty sure those are prescription lenses he is wearing.
It seems that Erickson is reading Keller through RUF, and he is reading RUF through the lens of Rosaria Butterfield.

I do agree with your warning about centrist being herded towards the left can be very dangerous. Tragically, I've had colleagues who so defined themselves that they cannot escape the trajectory of always being on left side of any topic. There was a comical list of "notable progressive" floating around the PCA in recent months. If the men on that list are progressives, Calvin is in purgatory.

Re: Indexing Political Theologies: Six Christianity and Culture Strategies

sdesocio — Tue, 02 May 2017 09:37:33 -0000

Well, I got radical anabaptist on your quiz, but I dont think that such a penchant demands agreement with credo baptism. In fact I think that a paedo-baptist understanding of the church leaves more room to see the church as an alternate polis.

Re: The “New Alarmism” is not new and is not alarmism.

sdesocio — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 10:22:28 -0000

Thanks Jake. I was also disappointed by Smith's rather rushed editorial.

Re: Francis Schaeffer and Christian Intellectualism

sdesocio — Fri, 19 Aug 2016 10:06:53 -0000

Thank you Jake. I pray that as a people Christians can cultivate thoughtful apologists, that understand and can clearly communicate orthodox Christianity.

I think your right about not sharing a common culture. Jonathan Wilson's Living Faithful in a Fragmented Culture, comes to mind.

Re: Kinism, Racism, & Morton Smith

sdesocio — Mon, 18 Jul 2016 16:53:50 -0000

Please read our notice about commenting.

Re: Kindle + Evernote = ♥

sdesocio — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 09:20:28 -0000

Tim - the same thing is true of evernote with paper books. Snap a picture and let Evernote's ocr archive your photo of a printed book as a searchable file.

Re: 7 Truths About Marriage You Will Not Hear In Church

sdesocio — Sun, 03 Aug 2014 15:05:38 -0000

If you don't learn this stuff at your church, its probably time to find another church.

Re: The PCA – Telling Secrets
and Picking Teams

sdesocio — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 17:17:39 -0000

I think that line of thinking is the black magic of fundraisers - so I commend Tom for bringing that into the light.

Re: Creation: The Real Loser in the Bill Nye vs Ken Ham Debate

sdesocio — Sat, 07 Jun 2014 10:56:03 -0000

What a great point. How is it possible for us to fight over one part of a passage, and shrug our shoulders at the next?!

Re: Dr. Keller, the City, and the World

sdesocio — Sat, 07 Jun 2014 09:22:52 -0000

Dr. Keller -thanks for contributing. I appreciate your concern for emphasizing importance without using priority. I guess I couldn't help but land there with your reference to Bill Krispin (a man who influenced me as well). I'm sorry if I've misconstrued your thinking.

Re: Dr. Keller, the City, and the World

sdesocio — Sat, 07 Jun 2014 09:14:46 -0000

Travis - I think we might have met where you were fundraise in the Pittsburgh area. Your critique is definitely fair. I tried to make it clear that I don't think Dr. Keller is purposefully ignoring people or places, but that his apologetic for church planting (in general) is too tied to church planting for the cities. This ends up bringing too many people into a pursuit of significance (what is it to "reach" a place like New York City?). I guess Ive just seen to many ministers discouraged, because they aren't urban, and even the urban can end up asking, "am I urban enough?" If I were to refine my statements above I'd add that my concern is that Dr. Keller's apologetic can be too easily coerced by egos seeking cultural success.

Re: Dr. Keller, the City, and the World

sdesocio — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 09:45:55 -0000

I think part of my concern is that his answer can lead to several ethical assumptions about the mission of the church.

Re: Dr. Keller, the City, and the World

sdesocio — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 09:32:10 -0000

Ben, I not against planting in urban or culturally influential areas (In fact for the last 5 years I have been). There are reasons to plant in cities (the reason is that there are people there!)

But I think we need to carefully examine our assumptions about why a downtown plant will prepare us for other planting.

In the ancient world, cities(of any size) didn't just act as symbolic centers. They were places where many people from the surrounding area actually traveled (consider how Timothy is know to the church in Lystra and Iconium). Do people travel in the same patterns today? And when they do so, are they open to interacting with strangers. We can't draw parallels between our cities and ancient ones with out realizing that our western world has been radically reorganized to work around the automobile.

Probably the clearest cultural connection between cities and suburbs is that middle-class college-educated singles often live and work in the city, they get married and then they move to the suburbs for better schools and homes. So there we can say, "see: you reach the city and then you'll reach the surrounding area." But is this pattern the same with ethnic minorities? Is it the same with first and second generation immigrants? Is it the same with those without college educations? What about those people groups that do not have the mobility to choose where they live? Maybe in some cases there are parallels, but we shouldn't assume there are.

Part of the problem is that we haven't really established what our metric of accomplishment is. What does it mean to reach a city? Does it mean a church? ten churches? Does it see politics have a clear Christian styling? If we need big media budgets, and corporate sponsors to do what we need to, then we must approach those power holders. This influence over power holders seems to be a key component to Dr. Keller's apologetic.

Re: One Sure Way to Kill Your Church (or Church Plant)

sdesocio — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 09:39:26 -0000

Brian - great thoughts. Thanks.

Re: giant Cypress: Japanese woodworking tool punk • Reason #75 why New Jersey is better than New York

sdesocio — Fri, 08 Nov 2013 08:09:48 -0000

I don't remember Sinatra ever singing New Jersery, New Jersey?

Re: What the PCA Could Learn from James K.A. Smith

sdesocio — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 08:31:51 -0000

It would probably be all about tech.

Re: Outraged by a Lack of Outrage

sdesocio — Sat, 29 Jun 2013 13:16:45 -0000

I wasnt on the floor but to whom did we recommit? It wasnt an overture it was a resolution.

Re: Music Wars Pushing Out Historic Elements of Worship

sdesocio — Mon, 06 May 2013 11:45:19 -0000

Scot - good thoughts -

As a church planter in the Presbyterian Tradition I took to heart the warning from the Westminster Directory of Worship which warns about one element out weighting the others - I was concerned that basically most of our worshipers were only active participants during the singing. We made numerous changes to bring more participation. The funny thing is that in the end our worship looks very high church

Re: The Websites That Inspired a Generation of Web Designers

sdesocio — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 11:24:56 -0000

The Donnie Darko site was pretty epic.

Re: The Aquila Report: News or Opinion?

sdesocio — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:10:12 -0000

Thanks Don - like I said in the article I'm not trying to demonize you guys, but I wanted bring attention to what I perceived to be a dangerous ambiguity.

Re: The Aquila Report: News or Opinion?

sdesocio — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:58:17 -0000

Thanks Rachel – I hope you can see that the critique of the overlap is still valid. When I read the Webb letter all I see was that it is "featured".

Re: History of Christianity and Race in North America

sdesocio — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:05:23 -0000

Yeah the Covenanters have a much better history of interacting with Slavery. I met a young African American that came from LA to Pittsburgh to attend RPTS because he was so impressed with the covenanters, unfortunately when we got there and realized that he was the only black reformed guy on campus he left...

I don't think McLeod was a pastor in NYC I think he was in Coldenham, NY. (That church still exists today.)

Re: So You Don’t Want a PCA Split?

sdesocio — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 07:34:26 -0000

John I don't think you understand the purpose of this site. We are specifically focused on issues in, and around, the PCA.

Re: Could A Split Be Good for the PCA?

sdesocio — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 08:53:02 -0000

Steve I think thats great to hear.

Re: Could A Split Be Good for the PCA?

sdesocio — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 10:47:36 -0000

John after talking with a few wiser folks, Ive decided that Im not going to write a response to your statements.

Disqus - Latest Comments for sdesocio

Re: On the PCA’s ‘Tim Keller Problem’

Re: Indexing Political Theologies: Six Christianity and Culture Strategies

Re: The “New Alarmism” is not new and is not alarmism.

Re: Francis Schaeffer and Christian Intellectualism

Re: Kinism, Racism, & Morton Smith

Re: Kindle + Evernote = ♥

Re: 7 Truths About Marriage You Will Not Hear In Church

Re: The PCA – Telling Secrets and Picking Teams

Re: Creation: The Real Loser in the Bill Nye vs Ken Ham Debate

Re: Dr. Keller, the City, and the World

Re: Dr. Keller, the City, and the World

Re: Dr. Keller, the City, and the World

Re: Dr. Keller, the City, and the World

Re: One Sure Way to Kill Your Church (or Church Plant)

Re: giant Cypress: Japanese woodworking tool punk • Reason #75 why New Jersey is better than New York

Re: What the PCA Could Learn from James K.A. Smith

Re: Outraged by a Lack of Outrage

Re: Music Wars Pushing Out Historic Elements of Worship

Re: The Websites That Inspired a Generation of Web Designers

Re: The Aquila Report: News or Opinion?

Re: The Aquila Report: News or Opinion?

Re: History of Christianity and Race in North America

Re: So You Don’t Want a PCA Split?

Re: Could A Split Be Good for the PCA?

Re: Could A Split Be Good for the PCA?

Re: The PCA – Telling Secrets
and Picking Teams