Author: Uri Brito

Posted on

The Church in a Social Media Age

The use of social media platforms can be incredibly rewarding in our day. I have met some of the kindest people through online interactions. I have stayed in their homes, though we had only met previously via Facebook or another platform. I have built a network of alliances on moral and theological issues. I have been strengthened by quotes, moved by the kindness of God among hard providences, grown in my writing, and seen thousands of people interacting with my work over the years.

While some may demur the use of social media, and while some waste away their time lurking at 3 in the morning, entangled in political battles at 4, and opining needlessly at 5, and while some have used platforms to form their own priesthood, undoubtedly, the use of social media has provided the Church with a clear sense of the current temperature on a host of issues and has been overwhelmingly good. When used wisely, it can be a glimpse into the human soul and the hunger of our culture. Social media is what flows out of the heart (Matt. 15:19).

Churches have benefited enormously through this platform by allowing the world to see that it is not dormant or tucked away in some isolated ideological place but is vibrant, doing church in feasts and fellowship; word and sacrament. The Church is, by definition, a visible institution. She is not a spiritualized force dispensing goods on one day and returning to the cave on the others.

To be more precise, social media is used by almost five billion people. Over half of the world’s population is tuned in to some media or another, finding their spirituality and sexuality and satiating their appetite with what is offered. We must take advantage of this season of Church History by using this platform to show who we are to the world.

We are not professionals, but neither are we ascetics. Only the Church is the fountain of life to the nations, only the Church provides bread and wine to a hungry world, only the Church baptizes into a Triune Name. She is the bride of Christ, and we are to make her works known. And we have access to an essentially free means to tell our communities that we exist and stand ready with the Gospel of peace.

This is especially crucial in our day. Most people find new churches on one of these platforms when they move into town. The growth of the Reformed faith is mainly due to the propagation of essays and videos via social media platforms.

While websites can be effective, they are no longer the leading source for searching and finding new congregations. My own assessment is that most people who have joined our Communion of churches (CREC) have come by finding our songs, sermons, and culture through platforms like Facebook.

We are missing an opportunity to proclaim to the desert places, to bring those eager for truth into the blessings of the Church. Use this platform for the glory of God and offer a vision of Church life that is compelling, conservative, vibrant, and biblical for the glory of Christ.

Posted on

Preaching and Rhetoric

Preaching is not simply conveying data without thought to rhetoric. Healthy preaching develops a rhetorical framework through which ideas can be appropriately communicated and received by the people. It seeks to understand the ecclesial context before proclaiming the ecclesial word.

Much of this comes with time and trust in the pulpit. Each minister will develop a particular flavor that will communicate more astutely to their listeners. But the problem is that while we may communicate well to our particular people, we may not train them to listen well. It is possible to learn from poor communicators, but it is not ideal to learn from poor communicators.

For this reason, ministers need to train themselves in preaching, considering their style and changing it appropriately. I have written about ten questions to ask before each sermon here: https://kuyperian.com/10-questions-preachers-ask-sunday-morning/…

The danger of poor articulation of ideas is that it leaves parishioners weak to more seductive forms of learning. Preachers are imaginative creatures proclaiming a heavenly revelation that changes the thinking and structures of human understanding.

Paul chastises sophistry (I Cor. 2) but does not chastise proper rhetorical pursuits or persuasion (Acts 19:8). The minister brings the kingdom of God to full display in the preached word. He is not simply conveying data but a biblical dramatizer of the Word. #preaching #pulpit

Posted on

A Christian Case for Halloween

While there are reasons to oppose practices within Halloween, there are also reasons to oppose practices within St. Patrick’s Day, 4th of July celebrations, or any extra-biblical festivities. But the question is whether the abuse of things constitutes an argument against it. I do not believe it does.

For the uninitiated, Halloween is a contraction for All Hallows’ Eve. “The word “hallow” means “saint,” in that “hallow” is just an alternative form of the word “holy” (“hallowed be Thy name”).” All Saints’ Day, which liturgical churches celebrate on November 1st or the first Sunday after, is a festive occasion remembering the faithfulness of God to the sons and daughters of the kingdom who gave their lives and from their labors now rest with Christ. Jesus claimed victory on the cross as an act of triumph (Heb. 2:14; Rom. 16:20). He died and rose so that we might live abundant lives (Jn. 10:10). We affirm and cherish the life we have and the life of the saints gone before us, who now embrace the God-given sabbatical of eternity (Heb. 4).

Christians should delight in Halloween in our households because Jesus makes a mockery of evil (Psalm 2; I Sam. 5; Is. 46:1-5) and because joy is a distinctly Christian virtue. Christ is Lord over all human festivals, especially those that establish a background to celebrating all his saints.

God is a playful God who delights in treating evil with all the playfulness and mockery He can muster. In the divine currency, that’s an infinite supply of it. God loves to bring wicked things low, and he uses his redeemed image-bearers to replicate his acts in history.

Jesus is Lord over demons and outfits of superheroes. Now, if your eight-year-old is dressed like some sexy version of Catwoman, you’re doing it wrong, but I suspect most of you are more self-aware. You can participate in an event with Presbyterian zeal and have a blast without failing basic biblical principles of modesty.

In my estimation, the best way to prepare to celebrate the saints gone before us is by spending the Eve of that day eating candy, being neighborly, dressing up with your favorite outfit, and singing Psalm 2 with Lutheran vigor as a parting hymn.

Everything is Christ’s, and we are his, and everything the world has is ours (Rom. 4:13). They may drink like sailors and eat their candy like gluttons, but we drink in honor of St. Peter and St. Augustine and eat for the joy set before us (Heb. 12:2).

Posted on

Reformation and Penance

The Reformation sought to change the nature of confession. For the church in Luther’s day, penance was an act of satisfaction to pay for the temporal penalty of sin. If you did the right things, showed enough contrition, and received sufficient priestly absolution, you could earn certain benefits in the world to come or reduce the debt of punishment from loved ones in purgatory. Luther wrote 95 theses in many ways to correct this idea, which was present in the Church of the day.

It’s not that Luther denied confession or absolution; he denied that such acts were earned and could be performed without faith. Luther even says in Thesis 24, “Most people are necessarily deceived by that indiscriminate and high-sounding promise of release from penalty.” The people were deceived in the 16th century by the shiny offers of charlatans and false teachers; by the promise of eternal life, and by the emotional appeal that if we gave money to the work of the Church, we could diminish the years of torment of grandma or uncle or cousin or brother who had died.

These shiny relics were false measures. The result was that the people took their eyes off Jesus. They looked to penance to give them something only Christ could give. It is easier to trust in my own actions than in the work of Jesus.

But beloved, we are only freed from our sins when we come to Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith. We can be as contrite as Judas, as fervent as the Pharisees, as zealous as the revolutionaries in Jude’s day, as fanatic as the wise of this age, but if we do not trust in the finished work of Jesus for us, we are of all people most to be pitied.

These promises may appear to be high and noble; it may be appealing to the flesh, it may seem easy to achieve forgiveness or remission of sins, but they are empty promises. The Reformation argued that only one High-Priest could truly forgive; only one High-Priest could give you eternal life, only One High-Priest could snatch you from the gates of hell, and his name is Jesus. Solus Christus; Christ alone!

We are anti-penance Protestants! We trust in the work of Christ to cover our sins, and we confess our sins on this Reformation Sunday precisely because we know that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins; without Christ, our self-formed confessions would only get us the favor of man; but with Christ, our confessions put us in the favor of God. And that is why we come to worship—because the favor of God rests upon us.

Posted on

Why Moscow, ID Keeps Winning

The opposition to Moscow from various corners will likely continue in the days and months ahead. There is a happy momentum that is unhappy with speed limits. The fruitfulness of the worldview touching on every element of life is attractive. Until people see the Kuyperian batteries driving the Moscow train, they will remain dumbfounded about why a little town keeps driving the modern theological and political conversations.

The latest attempt by Baptist pastors to derail the Moscow train reflects a desperate movement to focus on minutiae in order to gain some cheap brownie points. But that case is doomed before it starts.

Christopher Hitchens did not need a sweet Wilson; he needed Gospel serratedness. So, he did get the kindness that should come with your fries, but he also got the rough edges that should come along with your Scotch.

When Jesus came to Jerusalem, one of the first things he did was to destroy all the hallmark cards written in his honor. People expected Jesus to walk in holding a sheep with flowing blond hair, sustaining his rhetorical discourse. But when he came in, he looked like Elijah and Knox. He saw all the revolutionaries gathering inside and outside the temple courts. He brought out his inner Jeremiah and scolded them with rhetorical and physical force. “The temple is for the nations, and you have turned it into a John Hagee fest filled with charts, and worse, you have gathered the thugs of Israel, including maybe even Barrabas, to lead the Bible studies.”

Jesus did not pull out Phil Vischer’s magic vegetables for a presentation. He pulled out his serrated rhetoric and went to town, tearing down idol after idol, table after table, and politician after politician. The religious leaders wanted baby Jesus then, but they got the mature God/Man wrapped in “Hell hath no fury” like a man called by the Father to speak truth to powers. Of course, there is time for kindness and gentleness to rule the day.

And I suspect Jim Hamilton and others would concur that there is time for the happy scolding of thugs. But in this calculated effort, I prefer to be Mark’s Gospel over the Gospel of Russell Moore. I prefer to use rhetoric to call people back to soberness in an age of drunken stupors by our elites, even within the church. And further, I have seen too often that those holding back have also been viciously silent when they should act like maniacal prophets screaming from the rooftops.

Posted on

The Captivity of Evangelical Worship

Evangelicals are allergic to Roman Catholicism for all the wrong reasons. Instead of being concerned with sacerdotal impulses, they are concerned about chanting God’s words. I will never forget a visitor who grew up in an evangelical home and castigated our worship service for singing the Lord’s Prayer. “That is Roman Catholic,” he argued. He then observed that kneeling was not helpful because it kept our eyes looking down instead of up to heaven. I will give him an A for creativity but an F for Bible basics (Ps. 95:6).

There is a general mental paralysis when it comes to the Roman Catholic question. Anything that resembles order becomes catholicized, labeled as “too formal,” or “too-not-what-we-have-always-seen-and-heard-before.” This creates the kinds of problems with modern worship, which produces everything new, and creativity becomes the product of the week.

Roman Catholic dogma has lots of problems. Their current pope is opening the doors to a dismantling of the modern dogma on sexuality, and, likely, something like a Vatican II revolution could disrupt the Roman Catholic order, sending millions to Protestantism.

But their problem is not their kneeling or the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer. Evangelicals need to realize that biblical practices, no matter how similar they may look to your Roman Catholic experience as a child or something you heard from a third-party, are non-negotiable. You do them because they are at the core of Christian expression.

The Reformation fixed these tendencies by ordering the liturgical loves according to the Scriptures instead of long-held traditional practices. Instead of elite choirs singing on behalf of the congregation, Luther returned it to the people: “So that the word of God may be among the people in the form of music.” Instead of viewing the Church as authoritative by itself, Luther writes: “The Church is your mother who gives birth to you and bears you through the Word.” Luther restored music to the people and placed the Church’s authority as a Word-centered authority.

Our evangelical problem is a captivity problem. We are captive by the wrong things and wrong fears. We need to be captive to Jesus Christ, our righteousness. The Reformation takes us back (ad fontes) and places us in the textual practices that strengthen and call us to an unadulterated faith in the Person of Christ as our central liturgist.

Posted on

Men should read good fiction

Men should read good fiction. It is often the case that men who do not read good fiction struggle significantly to understand others. They will think mainly propositionally and treat others mechanically, expecting them to engage in a particular way, using a particular school of logic and reading them through encyclopedic lenses.

Good fictional works allow men to see kindness as a virtue, explore the good life, and develop relationships within a paradigm of grace and wonder. Too often, the most demanding men to counsel are those who are theologically well-read but fictionally deficient. They assert themselves over their families with brute dogmatism and fail to embrace the good story of each child or spouse. They point out in a calculated fashion the errors of everyone else without engaging the role they had in altering the story of others.

Posted on

Derek Webb Plays Dress-Up

I am sure you are hearing about sundry celebrities abandoning the faith. Some say it’s the contradictions in the Bible. Others believe the sexual revolution is causing people to choose between family members and traditional Christianity. Still, others argue that the allure of wealth leads people to drink from the mammon chalice rather than the eucharist chalice.

Well, let me address only the first quickly by stating that the supposed contradictions in the Bible have been addressed ad infinitum in the last 2,000 years of Church History. Contradictions only exist if someone denies that God is all-powerful and that the Spirit inspired men to write accounts that preserve their humanity’s integrity and perspectives on events. Presuppositions shape conclusions.

Assume someone says, “Hey, I can’t believe a man would live in the belly of a fish for three days and three nights. That’s just impossible.” In this case, he is denying that God is all-powerful. After all, if God created the world out of nothing, then for a sea creature to swallow a Hebrew prophet is actually a playground miracle in God’s repertoire.

If someone says, “But the Gospel accounts are different from each other.” In this case, they are denying the humanity of the authors. If these authors wrote identical accounts, then we should be skeptical. But they added their individual perspectives to the narratives, which prove indisputably that we are dealing with a reliable source.

I say all these things because when someone leaves the faith due to their perceived notion that Judas’ death in Matthew and Luke contradict each other, therefore bidding adieu to the Holy Trinity, they are actually using such silliness to justify some moral and ethical decision they have made or are eager to implement to their itinerary. The Bible is used as a scapegoat for their validation. I could claim they are all ignorant, but in these cases, it’s clear that they are only unaware of what they know to be true.

Ultimately, they want a way out of obeying God and following Jesus. The road to the cross can be difficult; self-control is hard; repentance is not for the weak. So, why not use the fallibility of God’s word to make a case for your fallible actions, they think.

These thoughts returned to me when thinking about Derek Webb’s forthright defense of his LGBTQ+ community in his chosen attire. How are the mighty fallen! Ironically, he dressed himself in a wedding dress to signal that he, too, was for them, that he wed himself to their cause. I say “ironic” because one of his most well-known songs tells how God rescues hypocrites. He argued in the song that we can put on the image of godliness by metaphorically wearing a beautiful wedding dress when in reality, we are whoring after false gods. Well, Derek, this time, you put on a wedding dress and become the god of your imagination.

I noted that he was one of the few singers who could speak boldly of the Church in the early 2000s and told the Gospel story with remarkable care but was now invested in “perfecting apostasy.” He thought this amusing and re-tweeted my note with a sarcastic retort that “perfect apostasy” would make a great album title. I replied that I would love to talk and even sent him a private note. But I expect nothing will come of it.

This entire departure from the faith is a play for control. Derek and so many others want to control the stories by downplaying the central claims of the faith. Their world will not produce meaning. But if they can tell a different story- one without God- they will dress themselves for the occasion. Then, and only then, will they comfort themselves.

Don’t be sucked into this chaos! Those who leave Jesus are leaving true life. They are walking contradictions. Our story is infinitely better and leads to the harmony of Father, Son, and Spirit.

Posted on

The Wokeness of the LOGOS Bible Software

Logos has long held primacy in the Bible software universe. It offers untold tools to aid the ministers and students in their labors. I applaud the work of Logos and especially its longevity. The market is getting more saturated. BibleWorks couldn’t stay in the fray (I still use BW 10), and Logos continues to take the preeminence with its capacity to provide curated research and facilitate the task of accurate sermon research into languages and background information. This is all good.

However, the singling out of their amplification of African-American, Asian, and Latin resources does not indicate its attempt to add orthodox voices from different cultures but accentuates the idea that textual analysis is shaped by contextual and geographical presuppositions. This is how you gain brownie points in the evangelical community. Diversity of thought is king.

True study, they argue, must fit your cultural ethos, and the more interconnected these worlds are, the more understandable the text will be and the more we will appreciate contributions from all voices ranging from the early church to the local lesbian mother at the Unitarian Church. They will argue that we should expect that an Asian perspective on Luke will yield new details that an Anglo scholar cannot provide and vice-versa. Sermon research must be open to all multicultural perspectives.

The purpose behind this sociological buffet is that all these modern and ancient voices will eventually carry the same gravitas in the interpretation arena. You can read through Genesis 2 and discover a feminist reading of the text next to Augustine’s sermons on Genesis, or search for books on sexuality and find an equal share of LGBTQ-friendly data next to Calvin’s studies on creational norms.

While these kinds of things are expected in significant institutions seeking a monopoly over a product, and while Logos has proven to be useful in many, many ways, we should not overlook the reality that this is an intentional move to make ideas a part of the egalitarian pursuits within evangelical institutions, which will undoubtedly impact hundreds of seminary students and laity seeking greater biblical understanding.

Posted on

Ten Propositions on Feasting

This has been a weekend of abundance among friends. I have savored so much of it, from homemade pizza to superb soups, meats, flavorful desserts, and a treasury of drinks and the ever-restful pipe tobacco. Add to these assortments the smiles and stories and we have the definition of feasting in its highest expression. Yet many don’t see or cherish this life or even may desire it but fail to see the need to absorb it as a highlight of the Christian experience. They try not; therefore, they feast not.

In what follows, I wish to lay out ten propositions on feasting to guide us through this intense season of expectation and celebration coming in the weeks ahead:

First, we eat without thanksgiving. Gluttony exists because thanksgiving does not. Eating is not a neutral exercise. Christians eat as acts of triumph over the world. God eats us in his love, and we eat the body and blood of our risen Savior by faith and love.

Second, the ritual of eating is undervalued in America. In this country, food is consumption. We eat because we want to or because it is entertainment; therefore, we eat without intentionality. When rites become trite, our experiences become trivial, and the doors for abuse open wider.

Third, corporate eating is devalued because we allow the immature to rule over the table. Parents must re-assert their authority over the table and keep food at the table and not on laps in front of laptops. This should be done at least in one meal a day.

Fourth, feasting suffers when worship looks like a funeral. If every head is bowed and eyes are closed, we cannot see the feast or hear the feasters. Feasting is diminished when worship is feast-less in character. Feasting must be jubilant in worship and overflowing with worshipful acts.

Fifth, feasting is best formalized and appointed. When it is that way, it can be adorned with fancy napkins and plates and silverware and glasses. It allows family members to long for something better. We are gnostics to think that immediacy is best. Christians understand that better feasts mean preparing more to enjoy better.

Sixth, feasts are more meaningful when we incorporate singing. Feasts in the Bible are celebrations of our freedom from bondage. Singing to Yahweh a new song is declaring Pharaoh will never rule over our appetites again.

Seventh, there is no friendship without Christ. There are shared experiences and stories, but friendship is rooted in a shared Christ. Feasts are accentuated when brothers dwell together.

Eighth, relationships change and are re-directed. Someone who was a friend in eighth grade may not be a friend now. God gives us a rotation of friends through life because He knows that our changes will require new people to speak into our particular phases of life. Feasts restore friendships and renew friendships and are the genesis of new friendships.

Ninth, many of us are worse friends than we think, but we have better friends than we deserve. Feasts create the environment for friendship rituals to be exercised in service and communion.

Tenth, all rituals require meaning. All good things require work. Therefore, all feasting is meaningful work. It provides true health for the Christian.

Real health is grounded in a proper relationship with God, and since this relationship is in part sacramental, it involves physical things. The purpose of these physical aspects is not, however, to provide mechanical health to the “human biological machine.” Instead, the goal of these physical aspects is to communicate to us, in a mystery, the grace of God.