Borrowed ethics question: how to respond to an associate pastor who confesses to homosexual "orientation"?

Mark Lamprecht poses a question, framed as coming from a faithful good-guy associate pastor:

As you all know I’ve served as a pastor here for several years. You also know that I have remained single the whole time. What I am about to tell you is not easy to openly admit.

The fact is that my sexual orientation…is…homosexual.

But please hear me out. I am fully convinced, and professes to you now, that theonly justifiable and acceptable sexual expression is heterosexuality within a heterosexual marriage, one man and one woman committed for life.

I have put specific guidelines in place to protect myself and the whole congregation. For example, I always leave the door open when counseling people. I am accountable to other pastors about this issue and I even have internet filtering software on my computer.

Finally, it is important for you all to know that I have not engaged in any illicit sex and have no plans to. I also meet with a Christian counselor about the same-sex attractions. Please stand with me in prayer on this issue. Thank you.

My first, non-serious response is "What — now they hold orientation-meetings for this?"

But here's my more-serious response. First, I acknowledge that there are many good ways to respond. Mine will feature the response that I think is (A) less likely to be given, and (B) probably more important than the likelier touchy-feeling good-sounding responses.

I think it's important to tell him that the first step in dealing with any problem is correct diagnosis of both the problem and the desired solution.

Next, it is important to tell him that he does not seem to have done either.

Third, by way of explanation, I'd point out to him that there is no help from God for an "orientation." The Bible doesn't know of such an "orientation." This may be why his only goal as to his "orientation" is that he "[has] no plans to" act on it — as I have "no plans to" visit Canada or live in New Jersey... though either could happen, and there's no moral or absolute reason why they shouldn't.

What do you do with an "orientation"? Since it is an un-Biblical category, forget the Bible. There is no forgiveness or redemption for an "orientation." So I guess you have to do therapy, or meditation, or yoga or something. No idea. Can't help you.

Or perhaps by "orientation," he is meaning to say "I struggle with sinful temptations to have sex with other men"? Okay, fair enough. Now we are getting somewhere Bibley.

But in that case, how do you say you "have no plans to" act on them? Picture a man standing up and saying he struggles with temptation to commit adultery with the senior pastor's wife, but he "has no plans to" act on it? Or that  he struggles with temptation to have sex with little children in the church Sunday School, but he "has no plans to" act on it? Or that he struggles with temptation to rape some women in the congregation, but he "has no plans to" act on it?

Well now, that's very different, isn't it?

No, actually, it is no different. It's just that, at the moment, the particular sin of homosexuality enjoys a martyred, romantic celebrity-status among sins. It's a special sin. People tempted to it are special cases.

But you see, while I believe that a certain amount of motivation behind evangelicals who (should know better but) give in to this trend is loving and compassionate, the net-result is actually disastrous and unhelpful.

"Disastrous and unhelpful" because, as I mentioned, God offers no help that I know of for dealing with "orientation"... unless you mean that orientation to sin which afflicts all natural sons of Adam (Rom. 8:7-8). Now, if it's a sin, like every other sin in being a sin, then we're on Biblical grounds. Now there is all sorts of help to be found in Scripture and in the truths of the Gospel.

But then he does lose his romantic, martyred status, and has to queue up with the rest of us plain old, garden-variety sinners, who don't go up to the pulpit and say we have a "polyamorous orientation" or a "hyper-acquisitive orientation," rather than saying we struggle with lust and covetousness. Why don't we? Because we know it! Unless we're far off from Biblical truth, we already know that there are only two kinds of people this side of heaven, viewed in one way:

1. People under sin's unchallenged lordship
2. People struggling with sin

There is no saint this side of heaven who doesn't struggle. Period.

So on the one hand, he has to give up his "Special Sin" card. He loses Tragic Hero status. He also mortifies the "no plans" out. Sin is to be mortified, and that means "deaditized." On the other, he gets to tap in to the same glorious Gospel help that all struggling saints have enjoyed for 2000 years. Gospel, repentance, forgiveness, regeneration, justification, mortification, sanctification, with the sure promise of ultimate glorification.

Hopeless pop-psychology for redemption in Christ. Not a bad trade, I'd say.

Postscript: as I've often said, I have great sympathy for anyone struggling with this sexual temptation as a temptation. I can only imagine how difficult it is, I know that. In fact, I think it's too difficult and too important to abandon such folks to pop-psychological mumbo-jumbo with a sprinkling of God-talk. They're sinners. I'm a sinner. The Gospel is for sinners like us.

That's terrific news, and it's the news we should stick with plainly, emphatically, insistently, and confidently.

Music from the coming robot overlords takeover

Discovered by BSIL — who must now live as a marked man:

Monday music: "Jump for Joy," Chicago covers Duke Ellington

On a TV tribute to Duke Ellington in the 70s (the clothes would have dated it for you if I hadn't), Chicago put their own distinctive touch on Ellington's "Jump for Joy."

For reference, here's the version by the Duke Ellington Orchestra:

Hither and thither 11/25/11

Historically, Thanksgiving Day and the next are relatively low-traffic days. Y'all are doing things like, I don't know, having a life-off-the-Intrawebs, or something.

So I'm putting out a pretty small HT for starters, for the twelve hardcores who are looking for it. Do check back up until noon, however. I do plan to be adding. [Update: already did, before you even woke up!]

I trust all your guests got enough to eat yesterday on Thanksgiving.

• One remarkable part of my week was Rachael Starke's totally-negative review of God's Wisdom in Proverbs. If you haven't, check it out. Yow.
• And by the way, let me remind you: it's a better-than-Black-Friday deal to get the book for 50% off. That deal lasts only until the end of the month, which draweth nigh. Christmas is coming, seminary students and pastors and professors love to get books.
• (Well, what decent person doesn't?)
• Also, Eric Redmond, author of Where Are All the Brothers?, posted his endorsement of the book.
• BibChr Public Service announcement: "deals" to avoid on Black Friday. OTOH, here are some good deals of a more-or-less tech variety.
• But you can't go wrong here: today only 25% off on TeamPyro T-shirts. Srsly.
• This fishing tale beats the time I was fly-fishing for trout and caught a bat. (Thx Dawn Lewis, who also brings us...)
• Lego + pirate + animation = WIN.

• Oh dear. This poor, poor woman. Patient, or stunned beyond the ability to feel?
• Reader Curtis Sheidler notes the Transgender Day of Remembrance. Sadly, I'm afraid it isn't about remembering what they most desperately need to remember.
• Americans and others similarly-situated should give thanks for the remaining degree of freedom and rationality we (sometimes) enjoy — in light of the European Union banning water companies from advertising that water can prevent dehydration!
• I already checked: the pub date isn't 4/1/11. (Thx Reality Check)
• Fun: reader Susan found us ten Google tricks.
• She also found us this:

• Chris Carney notes that not all Washingtonians are granola-eating sissies. Take this ten-year-old who defended his mom from a drunk attacker. Great job, kid.
• Whoa, dude. Paula found a pretty fun-yet-harrowing rail ride for us.
• What should you have had for dessert after your Turducken? Why, a CherPumPle piecake, of course.

• As we approach the Christmas season, Triablogue provides a post containing links to their defense-of-the-faith Christmas-related posts.
• Reader David Regier offers cat-lovers this photo-album of kittenized covers.
• Olive Tree software is having a 25% off (mostly-)storewide sale. I really love their iPhone Bible app.
• Reader JTW also notes that Olive Tree's reader for Mac is available.
• Wait — what th...?

• I guess there is such a thing as too much coffee.
• Fred Butler found us a very diverting little interactive called Draw a Stickman.
• Here's a little photo essay comparing the (much-MSM-maligned) Tea Party with the (MSM-adored) OWS.
• Reader Michaela Ratcliffe is doing her best to get us in the Christmas mood — and what says "Christmas" better than bacon candy canes?

• By the way, wish a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our own beloved Fred Butler.
• From Squirrel: angry legobirds.

• Aw, c'mon, honey. Smile. There, that's it.

• I think one of the messages BibChr readers would like to convey to Congress is... we're watching you.

• Parting thoughts:

THE USUALS WILL BE OBSERVED

Dispensationalism: resources from Fred Butler

As I've said before, if Fred Butler isn't a daily stop for you, he should be. His posts are substantive, varied, muscular, and he's a good guy.

Today he once again engages Jamin Hubner, whose unhinged rants — lamentably given prominence by his association with a deservedly famous apologist — make him a sort of "Reformed" book-end to Ergun Caner Dave Hunt.

In the course of so doing, Fred links to a previous post of his, titled What dispensationalists believe, but more memorably (and delightfully) subtitled "Helping My Reformed Covenant Bros. Move Beyond the 1950s."

I put these up partly for my own later reading, but also because some of you have from time to time questioned me about dispensationalism, and I know my answers haven't been as fulsome as either of us would like. If the Lord opens up a way for fulltime ministry of the Word, that's an area where I really need to catch up in my reading. Plus — though this is far less likely given my advanced age and dull-wittedness, and the immensity of the topic — some have encouraged me to write a Calvinistic dispensationalism text. I'd love to; I just don't know that I'm the man to do it. As I've said, I'd like to see Mike Vlach write an aggressive yet irenic, scholarly and thorough tome, doing just that.

Plus, if my current books bomb (I say this because I've no clue how they're doing today), there won't be any others.

Until then, the links above give some good resources.

Monday music: "Take Five" once again — a Pakistani take

From a suggestion by Pastor Michael:

Hither and thither 11/18/11

This week, we open with this karate thought: if do right, no can defense:

• From cats to dogs. Here's how you make a baby stop crying: first, take one Siberian husky...
• Goodness. We Phillipses love our cats, but there is such a thing as Going Too Far. Reader MizzHarpy may have found it: the Cat Galaxy web site has radio programming just for cats. She heard soft music and, well, purring; I heard George Michael and Jefferson Starship... and, like her, I bailed.
• In nice follow-up to yesterday's post on the disappointing Wallis-Mohler debate, Andy Naselli today reviews what sounds like a good book on capitalism. Though the theological needed greater preeminence, this book (titled Money, Greed and God) sounds like it contains some myth-busting that would have been very helpful at that public chat.
• Julie notes that Californians may be about to receive a Japanese import they hadn't ordered.
• Gil Sebenste, as a BibChr Public Service, offers our yowwens the opportunity to hear eleven sounds they may never have heard.
• In our ongoing Search for the Perfect Food, I bring you... Nutella-stuffed Twinkies!
• DAOD would add (and Dear Wife would second) that, to be perfect, it has to be the actual Nutella sold in England, and not the American version — though they've never been known to say "No" to it, either.
• But wait! This week there are two competitors for that title. Thanks to Sonja, brothers and sisters, I bring you three wonderful, delicious words: bacon peanut brittle!
• Okay, three: bacon and cheese-wrapped apple pie!

• Oh dear. With all the occupy thingies wasting space hither and yon, the Nesses found us an Occupy Lego Land display.
• Chris Carney found us a police chase with a difference. Ended up with an on-foot pursuit, but at last the suspect was apprehended.
• Normal people follow sports more than I do, and you're probably normaller than I at least in that way. Thus you might be interested in Denny Burk's little bit today, Tim Tebow is True Grit. I've prayed for the brother (Tebow), he certainly is one of the more visible (and thus hated) Christians today. But he sure seems to be blasting his way, by hard word and excellence, rather than bluster. Kinda minds one of Prov. 22:29, doesn't it?
• Reader Ron (aka RealityCheck) found us the latest benchmark in PETA's ongoing pursuit of absurd irrelevance.
• Here at least is one bit of good news: the "Christmas tree tax" has been back-burnered.
• For now.
• Oh dear. America's future? British reader Gary Benfold sends us notice of "gay" rainbow street signs in Liverpool. Yikes. All you need is... perversion.
• Will the Obama administration's anti-Catholic policies alienate Catholic Obama voters? I doubt it. Obama voters from among the Jews and Roman Catholics, as well as Christianoids like Jim Wallis, love their liberalism more than their religion. (thx Robert Sakovich)
• I do like my iPhone 4S so far, it's pretty cool. However, there are some things it does that I don't quite understand.

• Yeah, I know. That's not an iPhone.
• Chris Carney points us to a story fraught with bitter irony. Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral is to be sold, for financial reasons... to the Roman Catholic Church. Thus the monument to the man who said we need a new reformation to a theology of self esteem passes the building from the preaching of one false gospel to the preaching of another. Think that's harsh? Here's Schuller's daughter, "I'm really pleased to know that this campus is likely for at least decades, if not centuries, to be kept as a sacred place of worship." If she thinks that what Roman Catholics do is "sacred...worship," judged by Gospel standards, she's in a seriously bad place.
• If you don't follow me on Twitter, you may have missed this one: "Dems have 3 tricks: (1) Take liberty to do good; (2) create liberty to do evil; (3) confiscate working people's $, to perpetuate #1 and #2."

• Also this one: "If 'social justice' = executing murderers, compelling restitution from thieves, enforcing border laws, enabling wealth-creation, I'm for it!"
• And this one: "Activist fallacy: (1) Something must be done! (2) This is something. (3) Therefore, this must be done!"
• And, finally, this one, slightly cleaned up: "Preterism: taking one prophetic word woodenly literally as an excuse not to take any other prophetic words at all literally."
• On which subject, Fred Butler put up some debate-type presentations relating to the date of Revelation.
• Barbara made a good catch: turns out candidate Herman Cain is a big-time Leaky Canoneer. Who knew? No reporter will ask him the questions I'd ask him on that one, I think. For this, he should be thankful.
• Doctor-to-be Andy Dollahite found us some photos that show beauty and intricacy at a microscopic level.
• Fred Butler brings us this cheery Yep, We're All Going To Die Horrible Deaths alert:

• ...especially those of us who work in IT, and occasionally travel!
• From time to time we take a poke at the Republican candidates for president. I haven't said much about Newt Gingrich beyond surly dismissal, I think. Here's an interesting back-to-back.
• C. Edmund Wright of The American Thinker thinks that Newt's surge will continue, because Newt's so darned smart and articulate. Which he is.
• On the other hand, that dainty wallflower Ann Coulter — no RINO she — delivers herself of this broadside: "In addition to having an affair in the middle of Clinton's impeachment; apologizing to Jesse Jackson on behalf of J.C. Watts -- one of two black Republicans then in Congress –- for having criticized 'poverty pimps,' and then inviting Jackson to a State of the Union address; cutting a global warming commercial with Nancy Pelosi; supporting George Soros' candidate Dede Scozzafava in a congressional special election; appearing in public with the Rev. Al Sharpton to promote nonspecific education reform; and calling Paul Ryan's plan to save Social Security 'right-wing social engineering,' we found out this week that Gingrich was a recipient of Freddie Mac political money." That is going to leave a mark. 

• One more interesting note on the primary: Herman Cain alone, of all the candidates, is about to receive Secret Service protection. I infer that this hints at credible threats against him, which is wretchedly bad to hear.
• Sort of relatedly: the wretch who is accused of firing at the White House reportedly has had association with Wallis' beloved Occupy movement. Hear much of that on the news? Remember, by contrast, how the media ran with attempts to fabricate associations between murderer Jared Loughner with everyone from the Tea Party to Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh? Can you imagine what we'd be hearing if this nutcase had any such assocations? But since MSM/Obama like the Occupy movement, and hope it will offset the Tea Party, expect radio silence or something like it.
• Interesting: just before this happened, I had especially prayed for the President's safety. And let me remind all my readers: oppose Obama's policy, oppose his ideology, but pray for his and his family's safety and conversion (as I've said previously here and here, at least).
• On the subject of "global warming"...
• ...it's an ONOES! those Backwards Americans! update. Seems that one episode of a new David Attenborough series preaches a long sermon on manmade climate change; and it seems that America (and 9 other unmentioned countries) said "No, thanks; some American's don't buy that" on that one episode.
• Do you like lightning, Northern Lights, and such. Kerry Garrett found us a view from an angle you've probably never seen.
• Wellsir, not to brag, but I do believe that's another Hither and Thither in the pocket.

• Leaving only these.

THE USUALS WILL BE OBSERVED

Rude thoughts on the Wallis-Mohler debate

Please make sure you read both of the next two paragraphs, before reading the rest.

For years and years I have heard what a brilliant guy Al Mohler is. He's a genius, he only sleeps fourteen minutes a night, he reads fifteen books every day before breakfast and commits them all to memory, he's "world-class," and all that. My respect for him grew as I heard him tell the tale of reforming his seminary. He is a hero. So with great anticipation I've tuned in to see him to go head to head with two enemies (in one way or another) of the Gospel that Mohler loves. Both times, I was bitterly disappointed. I expected to hear the truth vindicated and error destroyed; instead, I heard a man seemingly more concerned with being genial. They weren't 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 moments.

It's probably my fault. I probably am missing some deep and wonderful reason for what I'm seeing, or not listening to the right debates, or listening to them wrong. But I feel as if I'd heard for years that "Bobby Zippo" is the greatest guitarist ever, and I go to two concerts to see him set forest fires, and all I get is some tame rhythm guitar and a couple of timid notes. I don't doubt Mohler is everything I've heard, and has the goods I don't; I just don't understand why he doesn't seem to see these head-to-heads as opportunities to deal some death to some deathly error.

Case in point: Mohler's recent "debate" with Jim Wallis, worshiper of liberalism and enabler of the worst people in America. A religionist who likes to use the word "Jesus" to further his political agenda. The question for the debate was "Is Social Justice an Essential Part of the Mission of the Church?"

If you were in Mohler's shoes, what is the first thing you'd do? The first thing I'd do, lesser light that I am, is the first thing I've done already: focus on defining "gospel" and "social justice." Seems basic, right?

To his credit, Mohler did, towards the very end, raise the first question more confrontively. He did let it be known that he didn't share Wallis' (appalling! disastrous! idolatrous!) definition... but he didn't really tear it down to the ground, either.

As to the second question, Mohler seemed to let Wallis' definition stand, seemed to share it, seemed apologetic that the orthodox church wasn't doing more of it, seemed to suggest that holding the real gospel would necessitate the church getting into it.

Again and again Wallis said, in so many words, that liberalism is his god, and "Jesus" is allowed along only insofar as he agrees with Wallis. How so? Well, Wallis said he left Jesus when he thought Jesus wasn't a socialist; Wallis only came back to "Jesus" when he found a way to make Him sound like he shared Wallis' socialism. So who's the god, to Wallis? You see it. I see it. But it wasn't targeted in the debate.

Wallis' whole worldview is at odds with the Bible. As Andrew Lindsey points out, Wallis' Christian heroes are heretics. He makes an absolute mash of the Bible. Examples: Jesus healed people, and what that means is that government tyranny over private lives and confiscation of goods so as to hand out free medical insurance should be absolute. Obviously. Right? And Luke 4:18f. means that government should penalize the productive to give money to the unproductive. Duh. Right? And the Occupy people (violent, raping anarchists) are deep and thoughtful people who should be understood and encouraged and enabled by the church. And on and on.

This is a massive, huge thing — or I'm badly off-target.

Wallis is asked to define the Gospel, and his response is a nightmare monstrosity. One of his anecdotes is a girl who sees some social action, and says "If that's what Christians do, I want to become a Christian." Really? That's all? Wow, so much for 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 and Romans 10:17, eh? Because it is crystal-clear that, to Wallis, involvement in social liberalism and massive government tyranny is the Gospel, the core of the Gospel, the heart and center of the Gospel.

How so? Well, all of the above, plus Wallis says we'd better all become socialists and Democrats (I'm bringing forward what was allowed to remain in the background) or young people will leave the church. So there. Can't have that. Must tailor the message to accommodate their priorities. Duh.

Who's the god in that system?

So in other words, it's like when Sam Storms said that, if he could be convinced that the apostle John were a premillennialist, he'd conclude that John was wrong. If we are to take Wallis' words seriously, he is saying that if he could be convinced that Jesus were not a socialist of the Wallis variety, he'd just leave Jesus again.

My problem is that I, dim bulb that I am, saw that over and over in the debate, but the debate itself didn't bring it up. Wallis was given a pass again and again, because (I guess) he's such a jovial, jolly soul, and the audience seemed very sympathetic. Mohler himself was unclear except in defining the Gospel — at one early point he said he didn't really like debating the question, because the church should be involved.

But again, Wallis' whole worldview is undiscipled. It is a non-Gospel-tilted worldview. It is a classic example why I think the message of TWTG is so important, and why I wish the influential (like Mohler?) would look at the book and give it a higher profile. Wallis has a god he can negotiate with. He assumes his feelings and judgment are sufficient. He assumes he has the right to set up a system of priorities, and then find a god who lines up with them. He sees people primarily as helpless victims in need of enablement and handouts, not criminals against God in need of repentance and redemption and reconciliation to God.

So, I thought it was a really important debate.

I just wish Wallis had had an opponent who was passionate about vindicating the truths that Wallis despises, and decimating the errors he adores.

"Adult themes" and "adult movies"

American English features many verbal ironies and oxymorons. I've often thought that "adult themes" and "adult movies" feature high on that list.

Adult themes should start with being right with God judicially, then walking with God practically: dealing with sin, learning a skill and getting and keeping a job, doing good work, being truthful with no lying, keeping commitments, getting and staying married, being a God-fearing spouse and parent, being involved in serving the Lord in church.

Adulthood as maturity is sketched out memorably in a couple of Biblical passages. Let's start with Ephesians 4:11-16 —

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,  12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Here it is a matter of spiritual maturity, specifically of doctrinal maturity, ability to stand firm and not be rocked around by every passing fad.

In this context, it is interesting that the apostle goes on to mention what we are calling "adult themes" — that Christians should abstain from sensuality and impurity (v. 19).

When the writer to the Hebrews mentions "adult themes," he is pretty forceful about it:

About [Melchizedek] we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.  12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,  13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.  14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. (5:11-14)

Again, the focus is on doctrinal maturity which shows itself in moral/ethical maturity, being able to distinguish good from evil.

Further, the verses that follow show that the writer saw maturity as far more than a desirable extra. His view was: grow, or crash. Their failure to grow actually made him fear for the reality of their conversion.

Obviously, the apostles' view was far different from ours. The concept of baby men was unthinkable. The new life implanted by God through His word naturally impels us to grow, strive, mature. Not always at the same rate; some bear 100, but also some 60 and some 30 (Matthew 13:23) — but all bear fruit.

So next time you read or hear this abuse of "adult themes," to mean "sniggery juvenile themes," roll your eyes, shake your head, and redouble your prayer and commitment to grow up — which means growing out of such things.

Monday music: "Take Five," Brittni Paiva - on ukulele (plus a bonus)

Brittni Paiva

And, in case you're not familiar with the original:

Hither and thither 11/11/11

Quiet week on The Intrawebs. Well, unless you're Herman Cain, or poor Rick Perry.

Being neither, I come bearing all this:

• First, the serious note: today is Veteran's Day in the US. Sincere and hearty THANK YOU to all who have served or are serving in the military. My family and I appreciate you.
• Now to the usual mix of seriousness and frivolity and whimsy.
• You know, I can sympathize with this guy:

• So, fine; to some people, the news is that Harry Potter/Twilight star Robert Pattinson wore a Christian horror punk band T-shirt on late-night TV. To me, of course, the news is that there evidently is such a thing as Christian horror punk bands. 
• Sorta relatedly: Kristen Stewart as "the fairest of them all"? Um, how not to sound rude...? Ah, never mind. I'll probably just watch this again, anyway.
• Phil Johnson is probably already doing a post on 'em. I'm always the last to know.
• Back to poor Kristen...

• Courtesy of Dawn Lewis: go to Google, type in the words do a barrel roll, and hit Enter. You're welcome.
• Dawn also alerted me to other Googly easter-eggs.
• And then Julie noted a bit of satisfying but risky justice involving a clever lass and a stolen bike.
• So, "'Christian' — you keep using that word..." I appreciate Dr. Mounce's candor in telling a story on himself when, as a Christian PhD student, he couldn't briefly answer a stranger's question: "What is a Christian?" That's a question every Christian should be able to answer, it seems to me. For one thing, you had to know, in order to become one. It isn't like being an American, where all you need is to be born here, and never need to read a word of the Constitution.
• Takes me back to a pastoral conversation some 25 years ago where, trying (fruitlessly) to gauge the spiritual life of a churchgoer, I asked: "If someone asked you, 'How can I be saved?', what would you answer?" I thought that would bring us to the core of the matter.
• Wrong. His answer? "I'd tell him to ask the pastor." Yikes.
• This list of movie series that were ruined by wretched sequels leaves off perhaps the worst instance: Alien 3. We don't even count it. Like the Carter presidency.
• When you're a job-seeker in a hirers' market, the questions eventually get to, "Yes, that's terrific — but can you...?"

• And you say "YES!!! Where's the board?"
• Now we see the next phase in The Coming Robot Invasion.
• In our ongoing search for The Perfect Food, we may just have struck the Mother Lode: Nutella Ravioli.
• This suggestion from Fred Butler, however, is not.

• Less exciting but more seasonal: as you prepare for Thanksgiving, reader Kristina wonders if maybe you'll want to try... a bacon pig?
• Author-reader Kerry Allen adds bacon floss — which we may have had before, but bears repeating.
• Kerry also notes for us... bacon bookmark!
• And, segueing silkily from Kerry to Perry...
• One good thing that came out of Rick Perry's "Uh... uh... ops" gaffe is a pretty funny Top Ten list on Letterman.
• Okay... great... how hold that smile!

• Well done.
• Gracious words continue to warm my heart, coming from the folks who reading the books. Iwana related some of what she read in God's Wisdom in Proverbs to her readings in Psalms. The book got a new five-star rating review at Amazon, which said it bridges "the gap between technical commentaries and the multitudes of 'how to read' books." Remember: Christmas is coming, and you can still get it for 50% off.
• As to The World-Tilting Gospel, just got word from a brother that an eighty-eight year old sister in Christ is loving it; so that makes the known sweep to span from eight to eighty-eight!
• Thanks to all of you who are helping to get the word out. Don't stop!
• Finally: who says cats can't be trained?

• Then, this!

THE USUALS WILL BE OBSERVED