Bobby, John Mark and Henri

I’ve been following John Mark’s and Bobby’s blogs concerning their divorces, and the web of emotions, of questions, of theology, and of ministry in which they find themselves.

I hurt for my wounded friends. You can look through about the last month’s worth of blogs for their respective stories (see http://www.stoned-campbelldisciple.blogspot.com/ and http://www.johnmarkhicks.wordpress.com/). They each refer to several books they have found helpful. I’ll venture another to the list: If you haven’t read Henri Nouwen’s The Wounded Healer, you should. It ought to be required reading for every Bible and religion major and every seminarian. I think I’ve read it, or in it, about a half-dozen times in the last ten years. I plan to reread it again tonight. Thankfully the day is over, or coming to an end, when ministers were almost universally larger than life pedestal dwellers. To acknowledge the reality that both brokenness and the movement of God’s grace are the warp and woof of ministry is not only healthy for the ‘minister’ but for the rest of us as well. If we do not minister as wounded healers, if we do not minister out of our brokenness and sustained by God’s healing, then pray tell, how else will we minister? And if we as a church will not acknowledge the movement of God’s grace among our broken ‘ministers’, then how will a broken world take seriously the gospel we proclaim? At this point, Henri Nouwen has something to say to us. And I know that out of their experiences John Mark and Bobby will have a good word for us.

Another book that is now at the top of my to-read stack is Rubel Shelly’s Divorce and Remarriage, A Redemptive Theology. I’ve had it for several months, but now I think is the time to take it up. Perhaps tomorrow I will blog a few lines in reflection.

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As for other matters: baby is fine, Laura is doing well, Darby is putting the finishing touches on Kindergarten, and Ella doesn’t know what to do with herself since she will be a big sister. Had a wonderful weekend with Laura's folks. We now own a mini-van. Suburbs…minivan…don’t let the trappings fool you, we’re trying hard to keep our souls. Maybe this week I can till up the fallow ground for this season’s garden. Sunday we’ll be asked to stand up “so everyone can know you” as new members at Smyrna Church of Christ (don’t hold it against them).

A Christian Minister's Library.

To that portion of the Christian ministry who can read the Sacred Scriptures, in their original tongues, and who, from their education, must frequently stand on the walls of Zion, to defend the Ark of the Covenant from the assaults of Infidels and Heresiarchs, we recommend the following library, as a portion of their armor and munitions of war, offensive and defensive:
1. The Hebrew Bible--Simonis Biblia Hebraica
2. Analysis Critica Practica, Psalmorum. This valuable work gives a critical analysis of every word in the Psalms of David. 3. Gesenius' Hebrew and English Lexicon, or Baxter's Analytic Dictionary. 4. Leigh's Critica Sacra. 5. Septuagint, Leipsic edition. 6. The London Polyglott, containing eight languages--Hebrew, Greek, Latin, German, French, Spanish, Italian, and common English version. This is a great luxury. It may be purchased for $70, neatly bound. 7. Campbell's Four Gospels. 8. McKnight's Epistles. 9. Stuart's Translation of the Romans, with critical notes. 10. Stuart's translation of the Hebrews, with critical notes. 11. Robinson's Harmony of the Four Gospels, in Greek. 12. The Englishman's Greek Concordance of the New Testament. 13. Robertson's Greek Lexicon, Canterbury edition, 1676, if it can be found; if not, Scapula. 14. Bretschneider's lexicon. 15. The English Hexapla, London, 1841. This valuable work contains the Greek text, after Scholz, with the various readings of the received text, and the principal Constantinopolitan and Alexandrine manuscripts, and a complete collection of Scholz text, with Griesbach's edition of A.D. 1805. The six versions are Wickliffe's, Tyndal's, Cranmer's, Genevan, Anglo-Rhemish, Authorized, 1611. There is in it a valuable historical account of the English translations.
16. For everyday use, Greenfield's Greek New Testament, with a Greek and English Lexicon annexed. 17. Bloomfield's do. 18. The Critical Greek and English New Testament, with the Greek text of Scholz; readings textual and marginal, of Griesbach, with the variations of Stevens, Beza, and Elzivir, London edition. These last constitute the itinerating Christian preacher's vade mecum.
For the evangelists and elders of churches, who read only the English tongues, we commend the following. [Such of those in our first class who have not the following works, had better, if convenient, add them to their library.]
1. The Common English Version of the Polyglott Bible, London edition. 2. The Holy Bible, containing the authorized version, with some 20,000 emendations or alterations, plates and maps. It is, indeed, in itself, a condensed and valuable commentary on the Common Version. 3. Cruden's English Concordance. 4. Townsend's Bible. 5. Coit's Bible. 6. Horne's Introduction, 4 volumes. 7. Anderson's Annals of the English Bible, 2 vols., London. 8. Prideaux Connections. 9. Shuckford's Connections. 10. Calmet's Dictionary of the Bible. 11. Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, Ed. by J. Newton Brown. 12. Giesler's Text Book of Ecc. History, 3 vols. 13. Jones' Church History. 14. Neander's Church History. 15. Waddington's Church History. 16. Neal's History of the Puritans. 17. Josephus. 18. Lord King's Primitive Church. 19. Cave's Primitive Christianity. 20. Campbell's Lectures on Ecclesiastical History. 21. Campbell's Pulpit Eloquence. 22. Taylor's Ancient (not Primitive) Christianity. 23. Paley's works, in 1 vol. 24. Sherlock on Providence. 25. Ernesti on Interpretation. 26. Greenleaf on Evidence. 27. Taylor's Manual of Ancient History. 28. Barrow on the Supremacy of the Pope. 29. Campbell and Purcell's Debate on Popery. 30. D'Aubigne's History of the Reformation. 31. Guizot's Modern Civilization. 32. Campbell and Owen's Debate on the Evidences of Christianity. 33. Campbell and Rice's Debate on Baptism. 34. Gaussen on Interpretation. 35. The Christian Baptist, Burnet's edition, stereotype. 36. Christian Baptism, with its Antecedents and Consequents, now in press. 37. Infidelity Refuted by Infidels. 38. Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. 39. All the Bridgewater Treatises on the Being and Perfections of God in Nature. 40. Whewell's Elements of Morality. [His Bridgewater Treatise on the cosmical arrangements of the Universe, with Bell's on the Human Hand, are enough on these subjects.] 41. Comprehensive Commentary on the Bible. 42. As a work of literature, Clark's Commentary.
To these I might add, out of my library, many miscellaneous works and treatises, but these are the best works I have found in many hundred volumes. As Virgil said of farms, I say of libraries: Praise large libraries, but study, or cultivate, small ones. And as a regular hearer of the debate between Luther's party and their opponents, on seeing a reformer, who read no book but the Bible, always routing his opponents, said, so say I, Cave homini unius libri--Take care of the man of the one book. A.C.

Millennial Harbinger, May 1851, 259-260.

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I promised this little gem a couple weeks ago. A few observations: First of all, notice the assumption that the Christian ministry is educated in the classical languages. Campbell's primary recommednations are Hebrew and Greek texts with the best critical apparati then available. Supporting these, besides several lexica, are the best and most recent contintental, British and American translations then available. For those who do not have capacity with the languages (notice also how he assumes elders will be as well read as any minister) Campbell lists an array of helps to Bible study: heavy on critical translations, with strong doses of Christian history and evidences, as well as a plug for a few of his own works (which are themselves works on Christian history and evidences). An outright commentary set, Adam Clark[e]'s, is noted with what appears to be a vague (backhanded?) compliment. Does Campbell value Clarke's insight, couched as it is in rich literary form, or is commedning Clarke for his literary accomplishment and not his Biblical scholarship? Good question. Also somewhat vague is that last line: Take care of the man of the one book. Is that to say that you should beware of the man who, in the 'defense' of the faith shuns all learning or education (read: books); or is this Campbell's way of stating how all of these helps are helps to the study of the one book that in the end matters? Considering that Campbell had an exquisite library (have you been to Bethany? It is in the middle of nowhere) at a time when most folks didn't have glass in their windows, and given that he has just recommended some of the higher quality Biblical scholarship of his day to his readers, indicates to me that it is the former and not the latter. In other words, beware of these folks who disdain an educated ministry.

"Doctrinal preaching is again a great need.

The one denomination that has been almost wholly swept into the current of the modern skeptical attitude toward the Scriptures is that denomination that for years has laid no stress on doctrinal preaching. it is not controversial, combative, debative preaching of the fighting order that is needed; nor yet a fragmentary message--"first principles" alone: there is a place for that; but 'doctrinal preaching' after Paul's kind; the verse-by-verse, chapter-by-chapter, book-by-book unfolding of the whole doctrine. Let us tie the churches fast to the Book!"

--Word and Work, September 1925, 277.

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I suspect that this little unsigned paragraph is from R.H. Boll (WW Editor) or maybe Stanford Chambers, H.L. Olmstead, or E.L. Jorgenson (Co-Editors). Regardless, I like the point: doctrinal preaching is preaching that emcompasses the full Biblical text and arises from the full Biblical text. Good doctrinal preaching does not assault the hearer with the text. It does not use the Bible as a club with which to beat you or a cannon with which to shoot you. Doctrinal preaching unfolds the text's teaching and mediates the text's message to the church. The church sends the preacher to the text and rightly expects the preacher to return with a word from God that will shape the church into God's intent. Woe to that preacher when the message brought back is something less, or more, than good doctrine. Woe to the preacher who brings back a fight, or another serving of milk. And woe to that church whose expectation is so low as to settle for something less than good doctrine.

recommended reading

http://www.disciples.org/ccu/programs/stonecampbell/

 

There are a number of well-done papers here.  Perhaps you will find something useful.

Statement of Greetings

Statement of Greetings

McGarvey Ice

Director of Public Services

“The great festival--God's great festival; the best of all the seven. What a delight is the Lord's day! Crowded with the grand deeds of Christ--his death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven--it awakens in the soul all the resplendent recollections of the kingdom of God. What themes does it afford for meditation and eloquence!”*

For 175 years this place has been a place of worship on the Lord’s Day. It has been a place safe for souls to seek the Kingdom of God. It has been a place sacred for meditation. It has been a place which has honored the eloquent declaration of the gospel.

It is my pleasure and privilege to bring greetings this afternoon on behalf of Disciples of Christ Historical Society. We remember the fine heritage of faith, of grace and truth in this place and we salute those who even now carry forward the gospel from this place for this community.

12 April 2008

*Excerpted from the diary of Walter Scott, Dec. 3, 1848 in William Baxter, Life of Elder Walter Scott. Cincinnati: Bosworth, Chase and Hall, 1874, page 405.

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I brought this brief greeting to the Carthage Christian Church upon the unveiling of an Ohio Historical Society marker commemorating the establishment and history of the congregation.

Krister Stendahl on Leadership and Dialogue

Krister Stendahl, longtime ecumenist, prof. and dean at Harvard Divinity School, died this week. In the notice on the HDS website (http://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/article_archive/stendahl.html) this stands out to me:

In an interview published in the Winter 2007 issue of Harvard Divinity Bulletin, Stendahl reflected on what qualities had served him well over the course of such a variegated career. "I would," he said, "apply the same rules for good leadership that I often do for effective interfaith dialogue: let the other define herself ('Don't think you know the other without listening'); compare equal to equal (not my positive qualities to the negative ones of the other); and find beauty in the other so as to develop 'holy envy.' "

There is some excellent wisdom here. 1) listen, 2) be fair, and 3) find beauty. Would that we would be known for these qualities in our churches, in our leadership and in our dialogues. I don’t much of this in partisan politics. I don’t see much of this in our church journalism. I often hear war stories about how churches pursue the very opposite tack. We can do better, and Krister Stendahl has shared a way forward.

Serving the Academy and the Church

Over the weekend I traveled to Cincinnati. I went for two reasons: one, I presented a paper on the Churches of Christ in Nashville at the Stone-Campbell Journal Conference at Cincinnati Christian University; and two, I brought greetings on behalf of DCHS at the dedication of an Ohio Historical Society Marker at Carthage Christian Church.

My paper traced the development of the Churches of Christ from 1866-1906, from reconstruction to the famed 1906 Census which reported separate listings for Disciples and Churches of Christ. A native of Nashville, this is an area of personal interest to me. At the same time, not very much has been written in this area, so I want to contribute to the existing scholarship. The atmosphere was congenial. I met lots of great folks.

The marker commemorates the ministry of Walter Scott, who established the congregation in Carthage in 1832. Through on-going ministries of preaching, teaching, compassion and service they have been present to the community in the same location for 176 years. Their historian told me that in 176 years they haven’t missed a communion service. On display was the original minutes book from 1832, a photograph of the original building, and other items which preserve and tell the congregation’ story. The atmosphere was celebratory. I met lots of great folks.

I share my weekend experiences because it underscores the ministry of the Society: we are dedicated to the ministry of preserving our history. Flowing naturally from this mission are our contributions to the on-going scholarship in the history and theology of the movement as well as our commitment to the on-going history and ministry of our congregations.

Books, Books

“By some strange casuality, a small lot of books, bound volumes of the “Millennial Harbinger,” have been lost. They were in the possession of brother S. W. Leonard of Jeffersonville, and by him sent, by some one not known to me, by way of Salem, Indiana, but never came to hand! I am extremely anxious to obtain the books, and the object of this notice is, to enquire if any one knows where they are. Any one who can inform me where they are, will be entitled to my warmest thanks, and a liberal reward for his trouble. Ed.”

--“Books, Books,” Christian Record March 1854, p. 284.

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I’m working from a bound volume and the covers of the individuals issues have been removed, so I don’t immediately know who the editor is. My money is on either Elijah Goodwin or James M. Mathes, but since I don’t have time to check, he will for now remain simply Ed.

Alexander Campbell in the MH for 1851 issued some recommendations for a minister’s library that will take a moment to transcribe. Perhaps by the weekend.

The Messenger's Policy

It shall be our earnest endeavors to make this paper clean, cultured and Christian. We hope to keep from our columns all uncalled-for thrusts at other people, all slang phrases and every manner of production that is untrue to the spirit of Christ and to the standards of pure speech.

The MESSENGER shall essay to represent, not a partial, but the whole truth. It shall ride no hobbies. Its columns shall be free from personal attacks. The day for constant, nagging and personal pugilism in the religious paper, did it ever properly exist, has happily passed away. Papers that keep up this style of journalism are a stench in the land, a source of strife and bitterness and promoters of far more evil than of good.

The MESSENGER shall be a staunch and uncompromising advocate of our co-operative work, by which our forces are united to preach the gospel to the state, the nation and the whole earth. We have no time to quarrel with a few who oppose a rational and systematic concert of action among disciples of Christ. Ours is to do and leave results with Him who alone is judge and who holds us responsible for the evangelization of all the world. “To the work, to the work, we are servants of God.” W.

--“The Messenger’s Policy”, The Gospel Messenger, December 3, 1897, p. 5.

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It seems ‘W.’ is J. M. Watson, the new editor. Harmon and Spiegel are now Associate Editors. The paper is still published in Nashville though the editorial control has shifted.

Lipscombian anti-ism

“Port Gibson church is now redeemed from the thralldom of Lipscombian anti-ism, and safely anchored again to the Rock of Ages.”

--Gospel Messenger July 16, 1987, p.2.

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Published in Nashville, the Gospel Messenger was affiliated with the Christian Standard orbit of preachers and evangelists and was edited by M. F. Harmon and O. P. Speigel. Its pages carried reports of meetings by T. B. Larimore, T. W. Caskey, B. F. Manire and T. W. Brents, and in the issue prior to this one, quite favorably reviewed D. Lipscomb’s Commentary on Acts.

I'll be blogging here

(though it may not seem like it) as well as here http://blogsdiscipleshistory.org/

While you're at it, check out our newly redesigned website at www.discipleshistory.org