Archive for December 5th, 2008

   
12/05
2008

Tribes, Godin, and Godly Leadership

Interesting article from Crossway President and Publisher Lane T. Dennis about Christian differences with Seth Godin’s book Tribes, which seems to be all the rage lately (witness his speaking at Catalyst 2008)

Although I would acknowledge that there some concepts and insights that one can profitably learn from Seth Godin’s book (e.g. about the significance of blogging, electronic media, social networks, and community), the overall content of Tribes is diametrically opposed (in my judgment) to the biblical understanding of godly leadership. To the extent that Christian organizations, and the leaders of tribes within Christian organizations, adopt Godin’s overall analysis and understanding, the result will be clearly contrary to Scripture. [From Tribes, Godin, and Godly Leadership]

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12/05
2008

The First Christmas: Myths and Reality

Great article about some common misconceptions about Christ-mas. Here’s a quiz. Are the following true?

1. Mary and Joseph had to travel as quickly as possible to Bethlehem because Mary could have given birth at any moment.

2. The Bethlehem innkeeper was fully booked, and so Mary had to give birth to Jesus in the barn/stall nearby/behind the inn.

3. Initially, this experience must have been frightening and lonely for Mary and Joseph.

4. “The little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.”

5. The angels who appeared to the shepherds had wings.

Here’s the conclusion

  • Keep on reading and examining the Scriptures (cp. the Bereans in Acts 17). Let us make sure that we don’t let tradition prevent us from gaining fresh insights from Scripture or from adjusting our theology when this is called for.
  • We must be careful not to Gnosticize/Docetize Jesus—as though he didn’t or can’t really identify with us.
  • On the other hand, we should make not Jesus’ birth more pitiful or lowly than it actually was.
  • We can still celebrate the condescension of Immanuel—God with us—even with these adjustments in our understanding of the first Christmas story.

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