T. David Beck: The Simple Way of Jesus

Jesus once said that the love of money is the root of all evil. Can I be so bold as to wonder whether evil might have more than one such root? I keep bumping up against a recurring thought pattern that I think is as much of a root of evil as the love of money. It is: Thinking we human beings are the center of everything, and that everything revolves around us. I mean, what is our favorite subject to talk about? Us. What do we think God is most concerned about? Us. What do we most want to talk about when praying? Us. What do we demand other people care about more than anything? Us. All I have to do is step back and look at the conversation I have had with God so far this morning, and I am confronted with plenty of evidence that I have been concerned with me/us more than anything else. Obsession with "us" has plagued humanity since the fall, but we need to keep in mind that never has the love of "us" been so pronounced as it is in today's exceedingly narcissi...

Are you ready for most of what the Bible says about God to be summed up in two statements? One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard; that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving . (vv 11-12a) You, O God, are strong, and you, O Lord, are loving . This lyric is compact but loaded with meaning. When the ancient Hebrews spoke of God as "God," they were often thinking of him as God over all creation. When they used the word "Lord," they were talking about how God had chosen to adopt them and walk with them specifically. "Lord" is a highly relational term, a title made possible because God had made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants. "Lord" tells a story. Psalm 95 says that the Lord is not just God but " our God, and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care." You, O God, are strong, and you, O Lord, are loving . If God is strong, he can do anything. If God is loving, he is for us...

In a recent blog post , Mark Galli, senior editor of Christianity Today, makes an excellent case for having unsettling conversations within the Christian community. Rob Bell comes out with a controversial book. Why is it controversial? Because a lot of people like it or like parts of it, and a lot of other people think it's close enough to orthodoxy to attract people but in the end flat out heretical and dangerous. Bell's particular theology aside, Galli looks at the bigger issue. Christians need to be able to talk freely about our beliefs. It's good for us. Here's an excerpt from Galli's post: ... we live in a time when we must engage afresh all these permutations of orthodoxy, heterodoxy, heresy, paganism, and apostasy. I for one welcome the opportunity, and want to hear the best cases that can be made against historic Christian faith, and the best cases for alternate views. If the historic Christian faith cannot stand up to such arguments, we should abandon it ...

Great teaching produces great people . That's how I would sum up Paul's instructions in his letter to Titus. Ironically, as I have read Titus recently in my devotions, I stopped and noticed that I was somewhat surprised at what Paul was saying. Chapter two of Titus starts with these often-quoted words: "teach what is in accord with sound doctrine" (2:1). What would we expect to find next? Doctrine. Theology. Soaring thoughts, and lots of them. But that is not where Paul goes. Instead, he describes personal character traits various sorts of people should develop. Older men should be "worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, love, and endurance." Paul has similar descriptions for older women, younger women, younger men, and slaves. My point is this: "Teaching what is in accord with sound doctrine" is not ultimately a matter of intellectual activity. Rather, it is ultimately a matter of who people become. That's vital to remembe...

THEOLOGY LOUNGE for summer 2010 is about to get underway! This coming Thursday night I am starting a class called "Theology 101: Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story." It's designed to give you a fresh grasp of the Bible and Christian theology. The class is open to all. Details are below. If you are a reader who can come to the class, we would love to have you! 1. WHAT THEOLOGY 101 IS ALL ABOUT Theology is not about knowing dry religious facts. It is about understanding the personal God and how he interacts with us. The best way to understand God is to see him in action, as the primary actor in a story that starts with creation and ends with the restoration of all things. This dynamic and dramatic approach to theology is the one we will take in Theology 101. Theology 101 situates Christian beliefs in a big picture that’s easy to understand and remember. This is not dumbed down theology. It is theology arranged according to the overarching history of God’s involvemen...

Here is an insight that came out in the midst of our small group discussion a couple of days ago. I am a theology geek -- a systematic theologian. But I am also a pastor who wants to see how theology gets lived out. In seminary speak, I cross the lines between systematic theology and practical theology. (Many of us think such a line should not exist!) So there we were, discussing the entire letter of 2 John in one sitting. Okay, so it's only 13 verses long. :-) The first thing we noticed is that John brings up the word "truth" five times in the first four verses. Truth is a major theme in this little epistle. Then John transitions seamlessly into love. Here are verses 4-8: "It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his comma...

I said yesterday that theology is good partly because it informs and shapes the Christian life. In other words, your theological beliefs should drive or orient your decisions and practices. But is this an accurate depiction of the relationship between beliefs and practices? Do beliefs drive practices? Many thinkers today believe that kind of one-way relationship to be an oversimplification. Instead, they see a two-way exchange between beliefs and practices. Sure beliefs influence practices. If you believe Christ is uniquely present and active in the Eucharist, you will tend to take the Eucharist more often. What about practices influencing beliefs? You bet. Today I was explaining to a friend that I value liturgical worship in part because it has the power to shape one’s character. If you are attentive during the liturgy over an extended period of time, the familiar words that you hear and pray every week begin to seep into your bones. The prayers of the liturgy, many of which are direc...

I guess the first thing to say is that practical theology is the opposite of non-practical theology. I remember being in seminary classes and hearing more than one theology professor state that all theology is practical. That is, it is all meant to be practiced. I heard it said that “all good theology is practical theology.” What I found noteworthy is that these theologians felt compelled to make that point. If you have to argue for the practicality of theology, then maybe there is some distance between Christian theology and Christian practice. Sadly that is the case. For several centuries, the vast majority of academic theology has remained remote from everyday life. Now I am not knocking the technical discussions that need to take place in the academy. I have been privileged to take part in some of them myself. However, it is no secret that theologians have had a less than stellar record in speaking plainly to the Christian masses who have done well just to make it to church on Sund...