Why I Don’t Watch Downton Abbey

Downton AbbeyJust so you know, I want to watch Downton Abbey. There are a lot of reasons to. One, it’s pretty. I love pretty things, especially buildings and clothes. If the storyline was set in an Arkansas trailer park, I wouldn’t be interested. Two, it’s set (at least initially) in Edwardian England, a period I’ve always liked (did I mention pretty clothes?). Three, it’s everywhere, and not watching it makes me feel out of the loop, big time. Four, loads of Christians I know are watching it – godly, mature believers. So that must mean it’s okay, right?

I actually started watching episode one, season one, and got as far as the scene where Thomas kisses the visiting duke in his room. I turned it off. Later, when season three was going to come out and I realized that all sorts of believers were watching it (some admitting they were addicted), I thought that maybe I was missing something or being reactionary. Continue reading

Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert

Rosaria Butterfield’s spiritual autobiography, Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert, came out last fall, and has already gone through several printings. It has been so widely read not only because of Rosaria’s unusual story, but also because the book is a wake-up call to churches and individual Christians living in the west. Before her conversion, Rosaria functioned with a firm stereotype of what Christians were like, what they believed and how they lived. When that was shattered by a Reformed Presbyterian pastor, they were able to become friends; Rosaria could see Christ’s love in Christ’s people. She speaks more about that experience and her conversion in this new interview with Marvin Olasky: Continue reading

New Glasses and The End of the World as We Know It

glassesA couple weeks ago, my glasses fell apart. In the process of getting new ones, I went to buy frames from a store that’s part of a nationwide chain. As I walked in, a sales person nabbed me, offering help and explaining that they recently reorganized how their products are arranged: “We’re not dividing by gender any more – we’ve grouped them by style, so it’s easy to find what you want.”

Notice the careful phrasing. Gender “divides” – that’s a bad, outdated thing. “Grouping” is nicer, more convenient. Continue reading

David to Nero

One of the beautiful things about Scripture is that it is so comprehensive. Not only does it address every area of life by precept or implication, but it is also thorough as it does so. In guiding Christians in their relationship with political authority, the Bible could not be more clear what our responsibilities are. Regardless of the type of government, the influence or ability of the citizen, or the character of the ruling authority, Christians are to do three things: not put their trust in political leadership; respect political leadership; and pray for political leadership.

Don’t hope in them: David was the best king that Israel ever had. It would have been easy for Jews living under his rule to put their trust in David’s military prowess, his love for the country, and his devotion to the Lord. Here was a man to be trusted – a man after God’s own heart! Continue reading

What Happens Now?

In a recent TED talk, Michael Tilson Thomas explained how we got where we are musically. He also shared a concern that he has as a conductor and composer: what happens when the music stops, especially recorded music? What happens when a person has been listening to a canned piece of music and it ends? When the emotion is still there, but, unlike a hundred years ago, there is no one with whom we can share it at the time. There is no relationship between the musician and the listener, because the music was recorded in another time and another place. There is no corporate delight in the music because it came through ear buds. Continue reading