I got this from Justin Taylor, and I understand it to be the final version of The Gospel Coalition's Foundational Documents. I have made it into a pdf file and hosted it on my blog. I have compared it to other copies that have been online for a couple of days and there are some changes, though they appear minor.
The McCoy family spent a little time away from home this week, enjoying time together. These are photos from that trip (centering the first isn't working, so click here for a better view).
I'm also including a family video below with some mini-golf footage as well as me following the kids through a huge indoor playground. By the time I made it through I was sweating and exhausted. I think they made it for shorter/smaller humans. All good fun. Check out the rest of my photography on my Flickr site and the rest of our uploaded videos on my YouTube page.
Hey there. Missed Music Monday since I was out of town, but I hope this will more than make up for my absence.
1. The new Wilco CD, Sky Blue Sky, is great. The reviews are good, but not great. So far me likey. Grab a download of "What Light" at their MySpace. Wilco's homepage.
2. I haven't really gotten into The Black Keys, but their free live EP found in four MySpace downloads is pretty good. Free music = very nice.
3. I'll bet most of you haven't heard of Sean Hayes. I've been haunting his MySpace for some time now and love his music. Check it out. Creative stuff.
4. Pitchfork interviews Arcade Fire. Plenty on their spiritual/religious overtones.
5. This M. Ward, Neko Case, Jim James (My Morning Jacket) appearance on Conan is spectacular. I will watch it over and over, and so should you.
6. Speaking of the amazing Neko Case...
7. Uh, some old school videos. Gotta love them, even if you don't like them. See the rest of Pitchfork's "100 Awesome Music Videos."
Extra Credit: This is come cool music, through the video is a little hard to get. Whatever. Watch (or at least listen to) The Knife's "Silent Shout."
Here are all the links I can find to the excellent sermons, articles, and other resources created by and about Timothy Keller. Tim Keller is the Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City.
ARTICLES
> "A New Kind of Urban Christian" (on Christian Vision Project site)
> "Advancing the Gospel into the 21st Century":
Part IV: City-Focused Strategy
> "Biblical Mandate for Mercy Ministries" (fixed thanks to DJ Chuang)
> "Biblical Theology of the City"
> "Christ and the City" (fixed thanks to DJ Chuang)
> "Clarifying the Purposes for the Church" - on Acts 29 site - NEW!
> "The Current Intellectual State of Affairs in America" - with Charles Garland
> "Deconstructing Defeater Beliefs: Leading the Secular to Christ" (pdf)
> "Evangelism through 'Networking'"
> "Evangelistic Worship" (Resurgence)
> "How Can I Know God?" (landscape, handout format pdf) (Resurgence, also abbreviated version)
> "How Then Shall We Live Together - Subscription and the Future of the PCA" (fixed thanks to DJ Chuang)
> "Leadership and Church Size Dynamics" - NEW!
> "Ministry in the New Global Culture of Major City-Centers":
Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV
> "Planting a Church in the City"
> "Preaching Hell in a Tolerant Age: Brimstone for the Broad-minded" (Resurgence)
> "Preaching in a Post-Modern City":
Part I, Part II: Preaching to Create Spiritually Inclusive Worship
> "Preaching Morality in an Amoral Age" (Resurgence)
> "Questions on Everyone's Mind": September 14, 2001
> "Religion-less Spirituality" (Resurgence)
> "Worship Worthy of the Name"
Transcript of Keller's "Sermon of Remembrance and Peace for 9-11 Victim's Families" - Preached on 9/10/2006 (offsite source)
BOOKS
Ministries of Mercy - I bought this book after one of my children was diagnosed with autism, and I knew nothing about Keller at the time. It's a thoughtful resource for churches who realize that we are to have ministry to people with disabilities.
Redeemer Church Planting Manual - I've read through some of this and it's excellent. If you are pastor or planter, this is a great resource.
Interview with Keller at Resurgence
Ten Questions for Expositors (interview at Unashamed Workman) - NEW!
AUDIO
"The Gospel" Sermons
1. Who is Jesus? 2. Lord of the Wine 3. Born of the Gospel
"Changed People" Sermons
1. Changed Lives 2. Inside-Out Living 3. How to Change
"City" Sermons
1. Should I Not Love That Great City? 2. The Meaning of the City
"Community" Sermons
1. The Community of Jesus 2. Spiritual Friendship 3. Eating with Jesus
"Movement" Sermons (Church Planting)
1. Why to Plant Churches 2. Messengers 3. The Cost of Mission
"Serving" Sermons
1. Neighbors 2. Blessed Are The Poor 3. Blueprint for Revival - Social Concern
"Renewing" Sermons
1. Work 2. Made for Stewardship 3. Work and Rest
1. Radical Generosity 2. Treasure vs. Money 3. Grace and Money
Reform & Resurge
1. Being the Church in Our Culture
Covenant Seminary 2004 Preaching Lectures
1. All Things Are Yours 2. Preaching to Believers & Unbelievers
Covenant Seminary 2004 Connect Conference
Contextualization: Part 1, Part 2
The Gathering 2005
1. Bible Teaching on Treasure and Justice
2. Reaching the 21st Century World for Christ
Miscellaneous Audio
The Furious Love of Jesus - Jn 11:32-44
Praying our Tears - Ps 39:12-13, 126, 1-6
Praying our Fears - Ps 3:1-8, Gen 15:1-8
A Call to the Church of Richmond (message, April 2006)
Desiring God Conference: "The Sufficiency of Christ and the Gospel in the Postmodern World" (Written blurb)
Desiring God Interviews
Is the Bible Culturally Conditioned?
Characteristics of a Missional Church
Preaching and the Missional Church
The Gospel, Moralism, and Irreligion
Christian Life Conference (Second Presbyterian of Memphis, TN) - ALL NEW!
REDEEMER REPORT (church newsletter, 1996-present, some articles by Tim Keller) - NEW!
Apr 2007 - Keller reviews Richard Bauckham's Jesus and the Eyewitnesses
Mar 2007 - Ministry Can Be Dangerous For Your Health
Jan 2007 - God's Work; Our Work
Dec 2006 - (Y)our Place
Nov 2006 - Christians, Community and the Healthy City
Sept 2006 - Steward Leaders
Aug 2006 - Contextualization vs. the Ordinary Means of Grace (Kathy Keller)
June 2006 - Praying for Glory
May 2006 - The Examined Christian Faith
Mar 2006 - Extraordinary Prayer
Jan 2006 - Kingdom-Centered Prayer
REDEEMER VISION CAMPAIGN (Website)
Audio, Study Guides, Vision Papers
"A Season of Covenant Renewal"
(original links page & introduction to this 12 part series)
The Prodigal Sons - Luke 15:1-2, 11-32
Christ Our Life - Col 3:1-14
The Gospel - Isaiah 53:4-11, 54:1-5, 11-14
(study guide) (Vision paper: The Gospel - The Key to Change)
The City: We Have a Strong City - Isaiah 25:6-26:6
(study guide) (Vision paper: The City - Why We Are Here)
Community: Better than Sons and Daughters - Isaiah 56:1-8
(study guide) (Vision paper: Buildings for Community)
Witness: While He May Be Found - Isaiah 55:1-7, 57:14-21
(study guide) (Vision paper: Why New Churches?)
Justice: Break Every Yoke - Isaiah 58:1-14
(study guide) (Vision paper: Ministry Balance)
Culture: The Riches of the Nations Will Come - Isaiah 60:4-14, 19-22
(study guide) (Vision paper: Christians & Culture)
The Gospel and Your Wealth - Malachi 3:8-10, 4:1-2
(study guide) (Vision paper: Money & Christian Worldview)
The Gospel and Yourself - Isaiah 6:1-13
The Gospel and the World - 1 Peter 2:4-17
The Gospel and Experience - John 2:1-10
Vision Campaign Papers:
CHURCH PLANTING:
Become a Church Planter: Church Planter Readiness - 20 Indicators
Books Keller Recommends (Urban/City, theology, planting, postmodern, etc)
THE MOVEMENT: Book Recommendations
Fall 2006: Gospel Interpretation
Spring 2006: Contextualization
October 2004: Spiritual Life of a Church Planter
June 2004: Multi-Cultural Church Planting
April 2004: Effective Churches for Postmodern America
Redeemer Center for Faith and Work
ABOUT TIMOTHY KELLER & REDEEMER
"Manhattan Ministry a Year Later" - CT 10.29.2002
"New York's New Hope" - CT Nov 2004
"Fresh Plants in the City" - LJ Winter 2005
"Preaching the Word and Quoting the Voice" - NYT 2.26.2006
PHOTOS & IMAGES
One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten
OTHER RESOURCE PAGES
D.J. Chuang - similar stuff, some quotes
Monergism - a clean, handy page
Some musicians were playing at the Saturday Farmer's Market in Woodstock last week. Beautiful day, beautiful music.
Allelon - "a movement of missional leaders" -- They have a website which has a number of resources, but I'm really loving Alan Roxburgh's netcast (especially the audio podcast) the most. There are things said that I don't like or agree with, but in general this is a great podcast for seeing the emerging missional church for what it is and what it claims to be in different locations. The interview with Steve Taylor is really great.
Theology Unplugged (TUP) is a podcast by some Dallas Seminary profs. They say, "The uniqueness of TUP is that we speak on theological issues of the day with clarity, honesty, and openness. TUP allows the listener to make informed judgments on the most important theological issues today." Their seven part series on the emerging church is a great example of that. I'm through the first three episodes and I'm pretty shocked at how well they do in trying to understand the emerging church. Well worth hearing. (HT: Internet Monk Radio)
Peter Leithart finds ways of saying things that just make sense to me...
One of my recurring frustrations with recent debates in the Reformed world is a widespread failure of theological imagination. Too many seem to operate on the assumption that we have everything already figured out; we have all possible categories and positions ready to hand. All we need do is deploy these categories on whatever happens our way. It'll fit, Procrustes says.
Thus, it is seriously proposed that someone is either on the road to Rome or the Road to Geneva - with no possibility of a third (or fourth, or fifth) destination, with no possibility that there might be something in between (though in between is where much of the Christian world lives). And if I suggest that we Reformed might still have something to learn from the Bible about justification, then I must be Rabbinic or Roman Catholic - there simply is no other alternative.
The Evangelical Outpost (Joe Carter) wonders why Southern Baptists would create boundaries with alcohol that would exclude Jesus from leadership in the convention. He asks, "Can we be more ethical than Jesus?"
Darryl Dash hears Tim Keller and blogs: Tim Keller on Spiritual Fruit and Ministry.
Desiring God Blog: 25 Ways to Help Kids Love to Read
Drew Goodmanson on Missional Eldership.
Miniature Earth -- "If the world's population were reduced to 100, it would look something like this..."
English 101 (we all make mistakes, but some of us make too many!)
Some Videos...
Children See, Children Do...
Doll Face...
Stop Motion Beatbox...
Scot McKnight gives some good advice to bloggers, er, authors who blog. Point #5 is outstanding. :)
When I think of "summer music" I think of three different placeswhere we regularly experience summer music (I'm leaving off road trips, maybe for another post). The first is at home on a lazy afternoon, which demands music that is a bit restrained, slowed down, encouraging you to stay lazy in a porch swing. The second is at a backyard barbecue where you want something solid and fun in the background. This one could be "beach music" too, I suppose. The third is cruising around town, soundtracked by cranked-up music pumping through your car speakers as you roll with your homeys, windows down, around the Tasty Freeze. Here's some of my favorite music for lazy afternoons, grilling with friends, or cruising around town.
LAZY
This is their 2005 release, which is a perfect companion on a hot summer day. There's a 2007 I haven't heard yet, though what they have online sounds great. Whatever, just pick it up and sip some tea for crying out loud. It's really, really good stuff.
Don't miss: "Summertime Cowboy," "City Lights," and "Rainbow Flows"
Ray Lamontagne: Trouble
or Till
the Sun Turns Black
This guy's music is just incredible to me. So simple, so easy, so emotional. Look also for iTunes exclusives and stuff on YouTube. I'm linked to this duet with Damien Rice before, which is tremendous.
Don't miss: "Barfly," "Shelter," and "Burn"
A few other bands or artists for lazy afternoons: Amos Lee, Sparklehorse, Mountain Goats, Midlake, Josh Rouse, Espers, Eluvium, Jose Gonzalez.
GRILLING & FUN
New Pornographers:
Electric
Version, Twin
Cinema
Super fun music that makes you want to dance, play, and sing-along.
Our family video should be evidence enough: Sing Me Spanish Techno. It takes a lot of guts to put that video out there, so be nice. :)
Don't miss: "Use It," "The Laws Have Changed," "Sing Me Spanish Techno," and "Twin Cinema"
Peter, Bjorn & John: Writer's
Block
Catchy songs, lots of whistling. Trust me when I say the kids will join in. I really enjoy the beats. Foot-tapping deliciocity.
Don't miss: "Young Folks," "Amsterdam," "Objects of My Affection"
A few other bands or artists for grilling and fun: The Shins, Phoenix, Mat Kearney, Loney Dear, The Go! Team.
CRUISING
LCD Soundsystem: Sound
of Silver
Hard to beat this music for loud, bass-thumping, toe-tapping, get the lead out goodness. The lyrics and vocals are often quirky and interesting. The music is really great.
Don't miss: "North American Scum," "Time to Get Away," and "Sound of Silver"
Other bands or artists for cruising: Spoon, Linkin Park, Fujiya & Miyagi, Blonde Redhead.
What are your summer music selections?
A cute little yellow duckling followed some neighborhood kids home from school and right through my yard. Had to grab a few shots of them. This is the same duck in both photos and the other is found on my Flickr stream.
Joe Thorn gives a great post today called "So, You're Thinking of Being a Pastor?" Great, simple advice for guys considering the pastorate.
A lot of great stuff happening in my music world. I'll give you my thoughts on one CD, provide a handful of videos to introduce you to artists I've been introduced to lately, and show you an exciting new purchase that is enhancing my listening enjoyment.
One CD
The Twilight Sad
(myspace): Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters
Reviews: Metacritic, NoRipcord, Pitchfork (& Forkcast), Prefix, PopMatters
This one is rocking my face off. It's a very odd and wonderful experience for me. It's not odd in an eclectic or experimental sort of way, but in that these Scotland folks sound extremely, well, Scottish. You know how accents are harder to hear in music? Not with these guys. Thick accents driven with emotion, angst. It's a great flavor.
But its texture is just as gripping. Soft and restrained runs into power and response. From Pitchfork...
The shifts in volume, though not exactly surprising, are crucial. Peter Katis handles production, and the sonic arc he and the band construct tracks the lyrics beautifully. There's a "big moment" on most songs where the music gets ridiculously loud and the guitar distortion crowds almost everything out. There is, of course, no trick in this sort of surge; a couple clicks on a floor pedal is all it takes. But the Twilight Sad know how to use dynamic range to advance the plot.
The only thing missing from this excellent CD are lyrics. Most of them are not online at my last check. I've emailed the band hoping to urge them on to getting them up. While I'm waiting I'm trying to type some of them out, but I always seem to snag on a section where the accent is just too much for me. But don't let that stop you. This is an album worth enjoying again and again.
No Ripcord gives this album a perfect "10"...
Thereâs a fair chance that The Twilight Sad will be labeled the Scottish Arcade Fire before long. I hope I wasnât just the first. Itâd be a shame for that to happen however, as Fourteen Autumns And Fifteen Winters knocks the impressive Neon Bible into a cocked hat. If youâve yearned for a band that takes that dramatic indie-rock template but injects a bit of post-rock drama into it, then boy, have you ever come to the right place. In fact, The Twilight Sad fall more into the field of what Hope Of The States were aiming for with the initially impressive, but ultimately lacking in longevity debut that I fawned over those years ago. That may sound like damning with faint praise, but consider: a band that inject some real emotion and dynamic excitement into a comparatively standard template. Lots have tried, but few have succeeded. The Twilight Sad are most definitely one of the successes.
The first track is a real favorite of mine and it's available for free download: "Cold Days From The Birdhouse." Don't miss it, and catch the other songs over at Twilight Sad MySpace.
A Handful of Videos
Love this one from LCD Soundsystem (I recommended the last album here). This is from the previous album. How cool are his crazy vocals? Answer: Very cool.
Blonde Redhead's "23" video (I recommended them here). Really loving their CD.
I'm digging A Hawk and a Hacksaw's new album. Here's a chance for you to dig their vibe too. Awesome stuff, and just wait until he gets that funky hat a-movin'.
Linkin Park is always good to get the blood pumping, and I like this new track. New album on the way in like a week.
New Purchase
As a reader of my blog you probably know my Mom died a few days before Easter. Last week my Great Aunt died (she was like a Grandmother to me and my siblings). While in my hometown we purchased from my Father my Mom's car. We didn't think we would be able to get a second car, but we're getting it for about 1/2 of what it's worth and had some leftover tax money to help us out. Very cool. AND it's a Dodge Stratus: "I drive a Dodge Stratus!" Will I make a video on this car??? Who knows.
The only bad thing is the stereo was messed up. I would try to turn it up one notch and it would be full blast. Yikes. Good to find that out at 72mph! And bad for a music lover. So we had the fine boys over at Best Buy replace the stereo today with a Pioneer and it rocks now. It looks pretty cool and wasn't too much $$$. I have a CD player and an iPod cable that all runs (if I desire, and I do desire) through a simple remote. Wowwy. I passed on getting it totally pimped out because I figured the Kicker would make my car dissolve into a pile of mush.
Recently I was browsing in my local bookstore. I picked up a bookwith lots of promises on the cover about what success will come if I implement the teachings of this book into my work. I brought it home only to add it to a bookshelf loaded with books with similar promises.
Wherever you work, there will always be another book to read, another leader to emulate, or another leadership model to adopt. If you want to succeed, there is no shortage of books telling you what to do. But how can we know if the success described in these books is what God considers success? How do we define godly success for our businesses and churches and schools?
Read my new article over at The High Calling of Our Daily Work: "God Wants Me To Be Successful?" (My bio page.)
Since April is over I thought it might be helpful to list all of my National Poetry Month posts for your convenience.
It's National Poetry Month!
Mom and The Lanyard
Can Poetry Matter?
Poetry Quotes
Men and Poetry
What is Poetry?
Billy Collins, Animation
National Poetry Map
Billy Collins Poetry Reading
On Reading American Poetry
A Few Poems
On Writing Poetry
Let me also add the podcasts that I failed to mention. I listen to some writing and poetry podcasts worth looking up: Writers on Writing, Poetcast from poets.org, Writer's Almanac from Garrison Keillor, and Poem Present.
It was beautiful warm weather in Louisville, Kentucky early this week as Joe Thorn and I enjoyed some Scotch Eggs, conversations on art, culture and church with Daniel Montgomery and the Founders boys, and a some new music. Above are a couple of photos of Southern Seminary. It's a beautiful campus.
I just wrote myself a note yesterday to remember to reread The Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter. Now you can get the audiobook for free. I just got it, so should you. Via Justin Taylor...
ChristianAudio's "Free Audiobook of the Month" is Richard Baxter's classic, The Reformed Pastor.
Inhis introduction, Baxter writes: "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." This charge from Acts 20:28 only is the beginning of a solemn and overarching task to be personally involved and disciple all of your congregants. Richard Baxter's plea for shepherding his flock continues with a charge to pastors to verify their own spiritual walk and then walks them through various disciplines, strategies, and goals to guide and instruct their congregation.
Use the coupon code MAY2007 during checkout to get the download format of The Reformed Pastor for free!
Your Price: $0.00
List Price: $22.98
Scott Thomas, Acts 29 Network Director, on the "Seven Misrepresentations of Acts 29."
It's an odd Music Monday since I'm out of town and don't really have time to write a detailed and meaningful music post. But I will say that I picked up 7 CD's at ear X-tacy today in Louisville, KY. Man, they had everything I wanted and more. Well everything but one CD. I'll list what I purchased with links to Amazon. By the way, when you have a hot and awesome wife like me you get notes in your suitcase with extra cash to get a few extra CD's. Hubba hubba. Photo credit to Thoe Jorn.
Shearwater: Palo Santo Extended Edition (I have the original and didn't even know this extended version existed. Had to get it with 8 new songs and some original songs reworked. Hard to pass up a new version of my #1 album of 2006.)
Fujiya & Miyagi: Transparent Things (Was ignoring this one and kept reading good things that made me change my mind.)
Sera Cahoone: Sera Cahoone (I had almost given up on finding this one.)
The Avett Brothers: The Gleam (Love the Avetts and have never seen this in a store before. Had to get it. Listening to it as I write this post and it's fantastic.)
Palomar: All Things, Forests (Great indie pop. Heard a good deal in the car today.)
The Twilight Sad: Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters (The one CD I just had to find today. Anticipating my first listen.)
A Hawk and a Hacksaw: The Way the Wind Blows (Been looking for this for many months. So glad to find it.)
Here's Joe Thorn's post on our trip so far...
Steve and I have come down to Louisville to meet with friends and dialog about church planting and church planting networks. I have benefited from our denomination, and believe our church will remain Southern Baptist as long as doctrinal integrity and healthy cooperation remain in play. While I can imagine both of these things disappearing in 10-20 years, I like to think we will only grow healthier. Time will tell. NAMB is a great way to plant a church (we planted Grace via NAMB), but the alternative networks (Acts 29, Sovereign Grace, etc.) are producing great results as well. I really want our church to both partner with others in the planting of healthy churches and to be directly involved in planting as much as possible. This is why we are here. This and the Scotch Eggs at the Irish Rover. I’ll share more as I can.
I just want to add that ear X-tacy adds a lot to the trip. Hitting it tomorrow.
