March 14, 2007
My favorite preacher
When someone asks me, "Who is your favorite preacher?", before the question is over, I tell them, "Sinclair Ferguson." I've been reminded the past few days why he is my favorite, as I've been listening to a series of messages he gave on the Marrow Controversy.
The Marrow Controversy took place in the Presbyterian Church in Scotland back in the early part of the 18th century. At the heart of the controversy was the essence of the grace of God in Christ. Are we saved freely by grace, without any conditions being met on our part first, or must we first repent and then accept the offer of forgiveness and life in the gospel? Or to put the question the other way, do we preach Christ to those who have shown signs of repentance, or do we preach the gospel freely to all sinners, believing that the call to come to Christ itself will effect the saving graces of repentance and faith?
The difference appears subtle at first glance, but it is all the difference between "grace" and "grace plus works". Ferguson explained the controversy and why it matters for ministers of the gospel today.
I am simply amazed at the gifts this man possesses in communicating the gospel. He is eloquent, articulate, passionate, and forceful in his preaching. I rarely listen to his sermons and not felt like I've been ushered into the presence of Christ and shown his glory, and the glory of the gospel of free grace.
What makes him so effective in preaching? His Scottish brogue doesn't hurt. What is it about a British accent that gives instant credibility to the speaker? Part of it is his delivery. He speaks slowly, but with a stately cadence that gives peculiar weight to his words. There are no distracting or annoying utterances like stuttered words or "ums" and "uhs". (A friend who heard him speak once wondered if he was even human the way he could speak on and on with never hesitating or stumbling over a word).
You might think he is reading from a text, but when I have seen him preach he only looks down to read from the Bible. And he does the same thing when he lectures, too! Although I don't read my manuscripts word-for-word, I'd feel absolutely at a loss without my sermon in front of me.
Though flawless to the point of robotic in his delivery, Dr. Ferguson is no dry preacher. He speaks with passion. As he approaches a key point, his tone becomes more intense and his voice becomes louder (but not high-pitched, like with affected emotion) until he is very nearly shouting his words. But, even at his most intense, he is never carried away with emotion so that his speech loses its cadence and rhythm. It is a passion under control, causing each word to pound upon the soul one by one until the hearer forgets the preacher and hears Christ speaking to his heart. That is preaching!
Whenever I am complimented on my own preaching, to avoid head-swelling, I think of Sinclair Ferguson at his best and I realize how far I have to go.
March 9, 2007
America Alone by Mark Steyn
I don't read much on current events or politics aside from the news. But I was intrigued by a book I had heard about somewhere, "America Alone" by Mark Steyn, and I just finished reading it last night.
Steyn's basic point is that Western Civilization is facing a grave and potentially mortal danger in the form of Islam. The threat isn't primarily military in nature. Rather, it is cultural. The West is losing, or has already lost, its Judaic-Christian moorings, and as a result has no effective defense against an Islamic people who are both growing and confident in the kind of society they desire to establish.
His argument is based mostly on demographics. To put it simply, the nations of the West are not having enough babies to sustain their populations. At the same time, Muslims everywhere are reproducing at high rates. Couple that with huge Muslim immigration to Europe, and the very real prospect is that before long Europe will become politically and culturally dominated by Muslim people with Muslim values. Europe will become "Eurabia." I was persuaded by his analysis that Europe is in fact already heading in this direction.
Almost every other Western nation, including Steyn's own Canada, is either facing a similar danger, or is slowly decaying due to zero population growth and crippling social spending. The lone exception is the United States of America, which still enjoys a high birth rates and has a culture that places a high premium Judaic-Christian religious and cultural values (at least relative to other Western nations). Hence the title, "America Alone."
As humorous as Steyn writes, he does make a very serious case in this book. In fact, it's not a little disturbing. He writes: "Americans and other Westerners who want their families to enjoy the blessings of life in a free society should understand that the life we've led since 1945 in the Western world is very rare in human history. Our children are unlikely to enjoy anything so placid, and may well spend their adult years in an ugly and savage world unless we decide that who and what we are is worth defending." As a father of four, I often wonder, what will the world be like when my children are grown-up? Steyn's scenario is not reassuring.
Steyn's proposal to address the problem is to do all we can do to make the conditions right for Islam to reform from within. This includes supporting women's rights and economic and political liberty in the Muslim world, curtailing the export of radical Islamic ideology, creating a "Global Community Outreach" office to promote alternative institutions and values overseas, etc.
It's at this point I am left feeling unsatisfied. Steyn may have identified a real problem, but his suggestions all miss the point. At the core, these problems are profoundly spiritual in nature. What is needed is a spiritual renewal and revival of Western people, and an evangelistic gospel ministry to Muslim people. Only the proclamation of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior in this world offers any real hope. In the end, all worldly power - whether it is demographic, or economic, or military, is nothing compared to the power of the message of cross. When hearts change first, then long-term change in cultures and nations can begin to take root.
And the proclamation of the gospel is not America's task, but the church's - here in America, in Europe, in the Middle East, and wherever the church may be found. Our hope is in Christ alone, not America alone.