D.A. Carson on Emphasis in Teaching

An insightful bit from D.A. Carson concerning emphasis as it relates to learning. I read this in Andy Naselli’s paper on D.A. Carson’s Theological Method, though the quote is from one of Caron’s entries in The Pastor as Scholar and the Scholar as Pastor: Reflections on Life and Ministry.

Recognize that students do not learn everything you teach them. They certainly do not learn everything I teach them! What do they learn? They learn what I am excited about; they learn what I emphasize, what I return to again and again; they learn what organizes the rest of my thought. So if I happily presuppose the gospel but rarely articulate it and am never excited about it, while effervescing frequently about, say, ecclesiology or textual criticism, my students may conclude that the most important thing to me is ecclesiology or textual criticism. They may pick up my assumption of the gospel; alternatively, they may even distance themselves from the gospel; but what they will almost certainly do is place at the center of their thought ecclesiology or textual criticism, thereby wittingly or unwittingly marginalizing the gospel. Both ecclesiology and textual criticism, not to mention a plethora of other disciplines and sub-disciplines, are worthy of the most sustained study and reflection. Nevertheless, part of my obligation as a scholar-teacher, a scholar-pastor, is to show how my specialism relates to that which is fundamentally central and never to lose my passion for living and thinking and being excited about what must remain at the center. Failure in this matter means I lead my students and parishioners astray.

If I am then challenged by a colleague who says to me, ‘Yes, I appreciate the competence and thoroughness with which you are handling ecclesiology or textual criticism, but how does this relate to the centrality and nonnegotiability of the gospel?’ I may, regrettably, respond rather defensively, ‘Why are you picking on me? I believe in the gospel as deeply as you do!’ That may be true, but it rather misses the point. As a scholar, ecclesiology or textual criticism may be my specialism; but as a scholar-pastor, I must be concerned for what I am passing on to the next generation, its configuration, its balance and focus. I dare never forget that students do not learn everything I try to teach them but primarily what I am excited about.

I’ve certainly found this to be true in my own learning experience. When I think about various professors or authors I often associate with them one or two key principles they have emphasized. Certainly something to remember as a pastor, teacher, or parent.

HT: Andy Naselli

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by Ross Parmly on December 2, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by Ross Parmly on December 2, 2011

http://rossparmly.com/2011/12/02/d-a-carson-on-emphasis-in-teaching/

A Grown Man with a Pacifier

There is an interesting show created by National Geographic called “Taboo” which showcases the lives of peculiar individuals/groups that engage in activities that most of the world would consider ridiculous. One of the featured segments is about Stanley Thorton, a 29 year old man who considers himself an “adult baby”. In short, Stanley spends a large portion of his day acting like an infant. He sleeps in a crib, he’s spoon fed by a nurse, and he regularly speaks in baby talk while playing with his toys. There is a short video of him here at National Geographic:  http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/taboo/5333/Videos/10113_00

One quote I found particularly revealing comes around halfway through the clip. Stanley says, “I started getting into it when I was about 14. The first thought is you start thinking you’re crazy, you know, cause this isn’t normal—at least that’s what you think. And you’re thinking you’re the only one that is doing it. And then you get down the road and you start getting on a computer and you’re like, ‘Wow there are all these other people that are doing it!’ And then you find a name for it.”

The sad reality is that sin tends to work like this in many lives, though it might not be as “taboo” as Stanley’s case. Paul gives us greater clarity in Romans 1:21-25, “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.”

A helpful principle when you run across a “therefore” in the Bible is to say, “What is the therefore there for?” In this case, we see that the Lord gives men up to the lusts of their hearts when they exchange the glory of God to serve the creature rather than the Creator. Whenever we refuse to submit to the Lordship of Christ and trust in the Scriptures for all wisdom and knowledge we will be more disposed to chase after folly. Sin usually starts off being uncomfortable. But sin is corrosive, and what was initially uncomfortable and unnatural can start to become enjoyable. When Stanley was young he realized that his desires were warring against God’s moral framework. But instead of letting God’s word determine whether his desires were right, he believed a lie and has now become engrossed in a fantasy world. Stanley isn’t beyond help. All those who honor God in their hearts and place their faith in Christ for salvation can be freed from the bondage of sin. But if we’re like Stanley and exchange the truth for a lie, there is no telling where our sin might take us.

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by Ross Parmly on August 6, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by Ross Parmly on August 6, 2011

http://rossparmly.com/2011/08/06/a-grown-man-with-a-pacifier/

Everyone Has a Bible

Sorry it has been so long! A couple weeks ago Juliann and I adopted a new puppy and he has put quite a strain on our time. But, it’s time to get the blogging ball rolling again. Something that has been on my mind a lot in recent weeks is the growing amount of secular, godless reasoning in our culture. Christians need to be able to articulate a rational and defensible explanation for why Christianity is true. There are many Christians who have no problem saying, “What’s good for you is good for you, and what’s good for me is good for me.” Though there is an element of secularized humility wrapped up in that expression, it’s not an accurate understanding of Christian truth. The Bible doesn’t position itself as one way to truth but as the way to truth. So if you’re going to believe the Bible, you have to be ready to believe and defend its claim to authority. We don’t defend the Bible because it needs defense. We defend God’s Word because we’re commanded to share the gospel. Part of that involves tearing down intellectual strongholds and providing an answer for the hope that is in us (2 Corinthians 10:1-6 and 1 Peter 3:15).

Non-believers often point out the supposed circularity in Christian defenses of the Bible. They say that you can’t defend the authority of the Bible with the Bible itself because that is circular reasoning. My intent in this post is to explain the hypocrisy behind this statement so that Christians can be equipped to expose this same line of reasoning behind every worldview’s truth claims. I think this will be best accomplished through giving you a chance to sit in on a discussion between Charles, a Christian, and Eric, an atheist.

Eric: So Charles, you believe the Bible is God’s word right?

Charles: Absolutely! I think the Bible is the Word of God which He has given to men to teach us about truth, His character, and the gospel.

Eric: All right. So why do you believe the Bible is God’s word? Why do you believe that your holy book is the one that contains divine revelation from God?

Charles: The Bible itself claims to be the word of God! If you look at 2 Timothy 3:16 you’ll see that all Scripture is God breathed and useful for teaching and training in righteousness. All throughout the Bible, God is speaking to and through man.

Eric: You can’t defend the Bible with itself! How can you say that the Bible is God’s word just because that’s what it claims to be?

Charles: Well I didn’t say that was the only reason that I believe it is God’s word, but it’s certainly the essential reason. Let me ask you a question, Eric. How do you believe that we come to know truth?

Eric: Through reason. If everyone would just use reason to examine the evidence then people would see things for what they really are.

Charles: Okay so you believe that reason is how we discover truth. Why do you believe that reason is the way to truth?

Eric: Because it uses logic and evidence and…

Charles: Aha! See, you’re giving a defense of reason by using reason. You’re opening your “bible” to defend it while not extending that same right to me. Why can you defend reason and logic by using reason and logic while I can’t use the Bible to defend the Bible?

The truth is that everyone has their own “bible”. Your bible is whatever basic presuppositions you believe to be absolutely true. Eventually, if you trace back why you believe certain things, you will reach a point where you can’t go any farther. There is something at the root of all your thoughts that you believe to be true based on nothing else other than faith. For the atheist, it might be rationality and reason. But that takes a step of faith because there is nothing to suggest that all of the biological responses in our brain are firing off in a reasonable way that would produce reasonable thoughts. The atheist trusts reason as his bible with the same faith that the Christian trusts in the Word of God. This is why Christians shouldn’t be afraid to defend the authority of the Bible using the Bible itself. There is a tendency to want to provide a defense of Scripture’s authority by stepping outside of its authority and using fallen secular reasoning. Ask yourself, why must you reason on the turf of secularism?

You might be left asking, so how does this help defend Christianity? Isn’t this just an admission that we’re all using circular reasoning? I’m going to explore that in a subsequent post later on. The point of this post is to teach believers how to expose worldview hypocrisy when the Word of God is being attacked. The ability to see this sort of flawed reasoning shouldn’t be used to win debates or humiliate non-Christians. 2 Corinthians 10 shows us that “the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ…” The purpose of any debate with a non-believer is to point him to the gospel of Christ. In order to do this, we must be faithful to tear down strongholds of intellectual folly that are muddling the truth of Scripture in the non-believer’s mind. When you’re defending the Bible, don’t be afraid to defend it on its own terms. You won’t be doing anything different than anyone else in the world who is defending their own “bible.”

I’m indebted to Doug Wilson, Greg Bahnsen, and Van Til for the initial exposure to this type of reasoning. I would highly recommend watching “Collision” for a live version of this type of Christian reasoning. “Always Ready” by Greg Bahnsen is a short book centered around helping Christians defend the Bible without resorting to secular reasoning.

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by Ross Parmly on July 18, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by Ross Parmly on July 18, 2011

http://rossparmly.com/2011/07/18/everyone-has-a-bible/

God’s Glory in Food and Sleep

Life is filled with repetition. Each day we eat, we sleep, we walk, we talk, we think, we plan, we entertain. I find that I have a tendency to ignore God’s glory in the commonplace. While it’s easy for me praise him during worship or give glory to him during a sermon, it’s often hard to remember my call to glorify him while I’m filling up my to-go cup with sweet tea at Wendys. One of the reasons I enjoy reading the apostle Paul was because God’s glory seemed to affect every part of his life. His charge in 1 Corinthians 10 is challenging: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” The context of this verse is Paul’s charge to avoid causing other believers to stumble, specifically in regards to consuming food sacrificed to idols. Though eating and drinking seem like relatively “safe” areas, Paul shows us that even in the common things we must be guided by God’s glory. If God’s glory isn’t supreme, we may eat and drink in a way that might cause others to stumble. In the family ministry class I’m taking right now, we have been talking about ways to point children toward God even in the normal areas of life. How do you teach your children to live for God’s glory when they are about to begin demolishing a dessert? How do you point your children toward God’s glory as they are about to go to bed? More importantly, how are WE living for God’s glory in these moments? Here are two small prayers I wrote to give an example of how we can glorify the Lord and thank him even in small matters like food, drink, and sleep:

A Prayer for Food and Drink
Dear Father, thank you for food. Thank you for the daily reminder that I’m finite and dependent on you. I praise you for how you’ve given me the daily nourishment and strength, through food, to carry out my duties as a Christian, husband, and a friend. Thank you for the fact that you have created food that tastes good! Thank you for taste buds and senses that let us enjoy all the flavor of food. Thank you for making food flavorful and not giving us bland things for nourishment. Thank you for water and a thirst to quench. I glorify you because I know that you don’t need to be sustained by drink! I am weak and frail. Withhold water from me for more than a few days and I’ll collapse. But you, O Lord, don’t need water for your life. I’m dependent on you, and you sustain me. Most of all I praise you and thank you for sending Christ, the bread of life and the living water, for our eternal nourishment and refreshment. Without him, I would be in a desert land, hungry and thirsty. Lord, you are my sustainer and redeemer. I thank you for this food and drink. Amen.

A Prayer Before Sleep
Father God, thank you for the gift of sleep. My tiredness reminds me that I need rest every day in order to function. I cannot even go a day without feeling the tiring strain that my labor and toil puts on me. Let this time when I get to sleep point me to your power and strength. Let this be a reminder that you don’t need to slumber or sleep. Let this time be a reminder of how vulnerable I am and how great a protector you are. Above all else, let this rest remind me of the fact that I can rest from my works. Let it remind me that I can rest from trying to earn my own salvation through right living. Let it remind me that my eternal joy is found by resting in Christ’s finished work on the cross. Amen.
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by Ross Parmly on June 29, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by Ross Parmly on June 29, 2011

http://rossparmly.com/2011/06/29/gods-glory-in-food-and-sleep/

Gaga’s Man-Centered Battle Cry

Lady Gaga is one of the most popular icons in American culture. Her music is catchy, her oddities draw curious eyes, and her message is appealing to many. I have no problem with secular music. God’s common grace, which extends to all humans, has enabled the production of some phenomenal stuff. When listened to with discernment secular music can provide a remarkable amount of entertainment, as well as insight into the direction our culture is headed. Sadly, many children and youth don’t listen to the radio with discernment, and parents often don’t help their children in this regard. One of Lady Gaga’s latest hits, “Born This Way,” is laced with secular humanism and poor theology, and it’s being pumped straight into spongy brains with very little attention given to the blatant misrepresentation of God, the human condition, and the way of salvation.

The first verse sets the stage for epistemological confusion: “My mama told me when I was young, We are all born superstars. She rolled my hair and put my lipstick on in the glass of her boudoir. ‘There’s nothing wrong with loving who you are,’ she said, ‘Cause he made you perfect, babe. So hold your head up girl and you’ll go far, listen to me when I say.’” It’s quick to see that Gaga is deriving truth, not from God, but from her mother. Her truth is certainly appealing. No child would question the idea that they were born as a perfect superstar. The sad reality is that our condition is far from perfect. Scripture teaches that all of us are born into sin. Though babies are generally thought of as innocent, talk to any parent and they’ll tell you that babies are selfish, self-serving, and unapologetic. The stain of sin starts in the womb (Psalm 51:5), and denying this truth produces a pseudo-reality that doesn’t accurately portray our condition. Fairness isn’t a question because, at the end of the day, no one is ever forced to sin. Our sin isn’t God’s fault but rather it’s our responsibility. We’re responsible for our sin because we’re the ones that commit it. Adam and Eve’s initial sin damned creation, but it doesn’t remove our individual responsibility. No one is born perfect. No one is born a superstar. Humans have produced the grossest kinds of evil and our condition isn’t something to glorify.

Gaga continues to muddle truth as she pins everything on God: “I’m beautiful in my way, ’Cause God makes no mistakes, I’m on the right track, baby, I was born this way.” Gaga gets it right that God makes no mistakes, but that doesn’t mean he is morally responsible for our fallen condition. Sin is present because humanity, represented by Adam, sought spiritual autonomy and looked for life apart from God. God cursed creation, not because He gets his jollies from handing out curses and destruction, but because the sinfulness of the first man was deserving of judgment. Our sinful condition doesn’t start us on the right track; it starts us on the track heading to hell. We’re not born naturally seeking  the things of God because we’re born with a sinful desire to glorify and worship ourselves (Romans 1:18-32). Reality makes it clear that humanity isn’t on the right track. Do you remember ever being taught how to do wrong? No one remembers it because it doesn’t need to be taught. We’re prone to folly from the time we’re born because our sinful nature longs to satisfy itself. Gaga’s means of salvation is self-love: “Don’t hide yourself in regret, just love yourself and you’re set.” This doesn’t work Gaga. The only way to get on the right track is through the saving grace of God found in Christ Jesus.

The last lines of the song will be the most eye-opening for most: “No matter gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgendered life, I’m on the right track baby, I was born to survive. No matter black, white or beige, Chola or orient made, I’m on the right track baby, I was born to be brave.” Gaga’s argument here is powerful to the undiscerning ear. It suggests that dispositions we’re born with are, by their nature, acceptable to God. This kind of thinking has to be extended to all of our dispositions, not just sexuality. If you have a disposition toward anger does that make murder alright? If your disposition is to lie, does that excuse lying? Something being “natural” doesn’t establish it as correct. Christian’s should be sensitive, not overbearing, toward the sexual confusion that sin has brought into our culture. But we need not depart from God’s word and excuse things just because they are natural to our flesh. Our depravity affects all of our being, including our sexuality. God commands things from us that aren’t natural. When I sin against my sweet wife, my nature is to want to justify myself and excuse my actions. But this self-serving sinfulness isn’t right. What God calls of me is humility and a willingness to apologize and ask for forgiveness. 

Gaga’s music is catchy, no doubt about it. But don’t be unaware of the underlying false theology within her music. Parents need to be able to listen to the music that’s on the radio and explain to their children what is hidden within the lyrics. All things need to be tested against the Word of God. Be wary of humanistic philosophy because it always appeals to our flesh. We have to be saturated in God’s word so we can correctly discern what is true and what is false. Humans are sinful from their birth. We were all “born this way,” but through faith in Jesus Christ you don’t have to stay that way. The power of the gospel frees us from sin and lets us live for God’s glory instead of our own. Trusting in Christ and rooting yourself in the word of God is the right track. Don’t let Gaga tell you otherwise.
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by Ross Parmly on June 27, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by Ross Parmly on June 27, 2011

http://rossparmly.com/2011/06/27/gagas-man-centered-battle-cry/

3 Ways to Improve Your Coffee


Learning how to brew good coffee at home has been one of my projects this summer. Experimenting with both equipment and brewing methods over the last few weeks has proven to be an exciting learning experience. Though I’m still a long way from coffee mastery, I feel like I’m starting to understand some of the basics. Though there are numerous variables you can adjust to tweak a cup, there are a few easy essentials that will make a big difference in the quality of your drink. You don’t have to turn into a complete coffee geek to upgrade the flavor of your caffeine kick. Read on to hear about the three things that have made the biggest difference in how my coffee tastes each morning: the beans, the grind, and the brew method.

The Beans
Not all beans are created equal. The difference between Folgers, Starbucks, and a pound of freshly roasted, high grade beans from Ethiopia is vast. Every step in the coffee brewing process relies on whether or not you’re using good beans. Coffee beans are like anything else, they can go bad. Leave milk for too long and it turns sour, leave bread too long and it gets hard, leave coffee beans for too long and they get stale. While unroasted coffee beans can easily stay fresh for up to a year, roasted beans are only fresh for 1-2 weeks. After around a month, they’ll be completely stale. The sad thing is, most beans that you purchase are already stale before you use them! One of the best things you can do for yourself is to buy fresh beans. Find a shop that labels their beans with a roast date and look for something less than 3-4 days off roast. Be sure you’re only purchasing enough for the next few weeks so they don’t end up going stale. Beans that have already been ground only keep their flavor for around 24 hours so be sure you’re buying whole beans. If they’re whole that means you’ll have to grind them, which leads into the next item of importance…

The Grind
One of the first things I heard when I started working at Prima Coffee was that a good grinder is key to getting a good cup of coffee. Being able to grind your own beans preserves freshness and also gives you the ability to adjust the coarseness of the grind depending on the brew method. Forget about buying one of those basic blade grinders because they will chop the beans randomly and inconsistently. What you need is a burr grinder. It won’t break your bank if you stick with a manual option such as the Mini Mill or the Skerton. For a little bit more, you can start with something like the Baratza Maestro Plus, an automatic burr grinder which will be helpful for grinding lots of coffee at once. Though it’s best to grind right before you brew, even grinding the same day as a brew is better than buying pre-ground beans which will have already lost their flavor by the time they make it into your home. Grinding your beans fresh will ensure that you get maximum flavor out of your cup.

The Brew Method
Though good beans and a good grinder will drastically help the quality of your coffee, the brew method is what will really bring all the flavors out of freshly ground beans. There are a number of important steps that are lost in an average automatic coffee brewer. First is the water temperature. Coffee needs to be brewed with 195-205 degree water for all the various flavors to be brought out. Most automatic brewers have to keep the water temperature far south of the ideal due to safety precautions. Automatic brewers also don’t give the brewer control over the pour which results in water being unsystematically spewed over all the beans at once. There are many great (and cheap) ways to brew coffee manually. I’ll be introducing a few of these items in an upcoming post, but I’ll go ahead and link to my favorite now. It’s called the Clever. To loosely quote one of my office mates, “If everyone in America replaced their automatic brewers with a Clever, coffee would be in a good place.” Brew Methods has tons of instructional articles and videos that showcase the various home brewing devices and teach you how to use them properly.

Coffee might not be important enough for you to justify spending extra money on it. But for a small investment, you can start making some great coffee at home and begin enjoying a great new hobby. This isn’t for everyone. It takes some desire and a little added effort. But if coffee is your thing, and you want to learn how to make something that tastes good before you add the cream and sugar, you should give it a try.

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by Ross Parmly on June 24, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by Ross Parmly on June 24, 2011

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The Wilson and Hitchens Collision

Religious documentaries are an interesting thing. It’s hard to find one that isn’t loaded with bias and sensationalism. The point of most documentaries is to stir up, motivate, and entertain those within a particular camp, which makes it surprisingly hard to find one that presents an issue from an unbiased perspective. One documentary that manages to succeed in this area is called “Collision” which is a series of debates and conversations between Doug Wilson, a prominent evangelical pastor, theologian and blogger, and Christopher Hitchens, a well known antitheist and writer. Both men are brilliant, and it is surprisingly fun to watch their world views collide.

The documentary succeeds because it doesn’t edit in a winner. The arguments get to do all the talking and the audience gets to sit back and enjoy the presentation. The best arguments, on both sides, are put forward. Sure, I’ll admit that I think Wilson did a better job defending his position, but that isn’t because they edited out Hitchen’s best moments. It was encouraging to hear Hitchens say in a Slate article written after the filming of the debates, “I haven’t yet run into an argument that has made me want to change my mind… However, I have discovered that the so-called Christian right is much less monolithic, and very much more polite and hospitable, than I would once have thought, or than most liberals believe.”

The 90 minute documentary is well worth your time. YouTube has the entire thing up in a series of 9 low-quality clips and you can purchase the DVD or digital version from Amazon here. It’s worth buying, both for personal edification and to loan to any religiously curious friends you might have. Here is a short trailer to pique your interest:

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by Ross Parmly on June 22, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by Ross Parmly on June 22, 2011

http://rossparmly.com/2011/06/22/the-wilson-and-hitchens-collision/

Bumper Sticker Heresy

I have a tendency to be critical of bumper stickers. Today’s culture is attracted to short, punchy one-liners that contain poorly thought out philosophies. I saw a great example of this, twice actually, when driving around this weekend. The bumper sticker read, “God bless the whole world. No Exceptions.” There are a variety of ways you could take this quote. It could refer to the racial inclusivity of the gospel, which is available to sinners regardless of their skin color or ethnic background. But I feel like that isn’t what most people have in view when they paste this on the back of their vehicles. I think the philosophy hidden nicely between these seemingly friendly words is that there is no sin, no need for divine justice, no exclusivity to the gospel message. John Piper’s words are certainly applicable, “The virtue of slogans is brevity. Their vice is ambiguity. So they are risky ways of communicating. They are powerful and perilous. So we should exploit the power and explain the peril.”

The peril is the man-centered idea that all people everywhere will one day be blessed by God. It sounds great on the surface because everyone will supposedly live happily ever after. But what we’re left with at the end of this philosophy is a false god who simply sweeps sin under the rug. We’re left with a god who can offer no promise of justice to the young woman who has been raped, no vengeance to those murdered by tyrants, no hope for sinners like you and me. Though people might think they want a cosmic wink at sin, the desire for justice is in the hearts of all men. We feel this when we see someone get an undeserved promotion, when we see a murderer go free, and when we get pulled over instead of the guy in front of us who was speeding faster. Campaigning for social justice is gaining ground in my generation, and for good reason, but spiritual justice is rarely considered. For some reason, when it comes to eternity, justice is forgotten. Many are only willing to raise the banner of justice when they’re not the ones receiving the judgment. That’s why the justice of God is uncomfortable. Everyone finds themselves on the other end of the scope.

Avoiding the justice of God is convenient, but it’s perilous and damning. Believing that God will bless everyone is a false truth that will provide temporal bliss on earth but won’t do anything to reconcile sinful men to a just God. That’s the folly of philosophies rooted in worldly thinking; they sound great but they don’t work. So no, God won’t bless the unrepentant rapist and the oppressive tyrant. Without Christ, these men will face judgment for their wickedness. But it’s not just the Saddams and Hitlers who face judgment; everyone’s heart is sinful to a damning degree. Christianity doesn’t teach that this damnation is avoidable by forgetting justice, it teaches the opposite. Christ isn’t God’s way of winking at sin. Access to eternal life is available, not because God shuffles sinners in through the back door of heaven, but because Christ came in the flesh and bore the wrath of God on the cross so that grace could be justly given out to sinners. God is now both “just and the justifier” (Romans 3:26). What all of us will receive at the end of the age is justice. But for those who are trusting in Christ, all of God’s just response to sin was poured out on Jesus over 2,000 years ago. The only way to eternal blessing is through Christ. No exceptions.

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by Ross Parmly on June 20, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by Ross Parmly on June 20, 2011

http://rossparmly.com/2011/06/20/bumper-sticker-heresy/

A Little Coffee 101

You know in the Chronicles of Narnia when Lucy stumbles through the old wardrobe and it ends up taking her to a magical new world? That’s how I’ve felt ever since working over at Prima Coffee, except the magical world is coffee and I’m not a six-year-old girl. When I started working at Prima I considered myself a casual coffee drinker. I could appreciate the difference in Starbucks and Folgers and I liked trying the different offerings at various coffee shops. But what I’ve discovered is that there is a whole new coffee movement that I was completely unaware of. Let me expand your coffee vocabulary and unpack this new “third wave” of coffee geekiness.

When looking at the recent history of coffee, there are essentially three waves. During the first wave, coffee was considered a commodity, kind of like wheat and rice. Bean origin and brew method didn’t really matter. Workplaces would brew a large batch of cheap coffee that would slowly scald as it sat on the burner for the next 2 hours while serving as a fountain of caffeine for the rest of the office. Coffee was, to quote an article over at Coffee Geek, consumed rather than enjoyed. When you hear first wave, think Folgers. This wave was a big step for coffee because it got the entire country familiar with the drink. The second wave, according to food critic Jonathan Gold, started in the 1960s at Peet’s and is typified in the popular establishments like Starbucks where espresso became more popular and the shop purchased higher quality beans labeled by country of origin. This is the coffee most Americans are still enjoying. A cup of Starbucks is generally preferable to the bulk coffee brewed at the office and beans can be purchased by country of origin allowing for more variety when brewing at home. For most, this is about as far as coffee goes. But there is a movement on the rise that’s introducing the world to what good coffee should taste like. Enter the third wave—a movement dedicated to delivering the highest quality of coffee to consumers and teaching them how to brew the same stuff in their own home. This is accomplished by overhauling every aspect of the process, starting from the purchase of the unroasted beans to the final product that lands in your cup. What lands in your cup won’t be what you’re used to; it will be a top quality brew that showcases the unique characteristics of the bean. Really quickly, I want to look at three areas that distinguish third wave coffee from the rest: origin, roast, and brew method.

Origin
When most people think of coffee origin, they think of the country. Third wave goes a step further and places value on which individual farm a bean was produced on. The cup I’m sipping right now is a bean from Nicaragua, but more than that, it was harvested on the La Gloria estate. When I taste this coffee I’m experiencing more than just a generic bean from Nicaragua. I’m getting to enjoy the specific flavors produced by an individual farm within the country. The differences between farms, even within the same country, are distinct. Third wave coffee generally guides customers away from blends of coffee because they hide the origin specific characteristics of the bean. For instance, if you had a piece of chocolate from Germany and another from Switzerland would you throw both in your mouth together or would you savor each one individually, appreciating the subtle differences between the two chocolates? It’s the same with coffee. High quality beans from a single origin are a key attribute of third wave coffee.

Roast
Roast is an equally important factor in producing a good cup. For most of my life I ordered the dark roast whenever I was in a coffee shop because I just assumed that darker coffee was more flavorful and manly then that limp-wristed light stuff. Little did I know, the darker you roast a coffee bean, the more of its flavors you will cover up. Most of what you are tasting when you go to Starbucks is the roast, not the bean itself. Third wave coffee emphasizes the importance of a lighter roast because that is what brings out all the unique characteristics of the coffee bean. It is possible to taste things like berries, honey, and chocolate in your coffee, but it won’t happen when your beans are roasted to a charry black. Freshness of roast is also important. Most of the coffee you’ve probably tasted was stale before it was even brewed. Coffee hits peak flavor anywhere from 3-10 days after its roast date. After that it begins loosing flavor and becomes completely stale after about a month. If Starbucks is offering you the stale toast of the coffee world, third wave coffee offers you a warm piece of freshly baked sourdough. The difference is that drastic.

Brew Method
Brew method is also an important step in the third wave movement. Most people get coffee by using an automated machine that haphazardly spews unfiltered, not-hot-enough water over a mass of old beans. You won’t find that in the third wave world. In fact, most of the brew methods used by third wave shops can be easily replicated at home. My favorites include the Chemex, AeroPress, and the Clever (more on those in later posts). Controlling each step of the brew allows for a customized process that can be adjusted to get different flavors from the bean. A good third-waver will grind his beans fresh, use hot water at an optimal temperature (195-205 degrees), and control the pour in accordance to how coarse or fine the bean was ground. A good cup of coffee is produced by paying attention to all these details. Even something small like prerinsing your filter to get rid of the pulp will take away the papery taste from your coffee. Good wine isn’t made by just throwing some grapes in a vat and letting them ferment, and neither is good coffee made by throwing beans and water in a machine and letting it run its course.

There are many other things that define third wave coffee, and I’m not familiar with all of them. I’m still very new to the world of good coffee and won’t pretend to be an expert. I’m appreciative of my informed and willing-to-teach coworkers over at Prima Coffee and also for all the helpful coffee blogs I’ve stumbled upon. I’m sure that some of you probably remain unconvinced and might even be laughing a little at my newfound coffee geekiness. However, I’m convinced that once you’ve had a real good cup of coffee, you won’t ever look back. If you want to get started brewing some quality coffee at home, stay tuned over the next few weeks. I plan on posting regularly about home brewing so that anyone willing to give it a shot will have some help along the way.

6 Comments
by Ross Parmly on June 17, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Coffee
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Posted by Ross Parmly on June 17, 2011

http://rossparmly.com/2011/06/17/a-little-coffee-101/

The Departing Ark

There is always a battle going on for my affections. Though I try to keep my thoughts fixed on God, I’m often guilty of being distracted by the things of this world. Distractions start early in the day, usually right when I get out of bed (I’m often guilty of checking my latest game of Words with Friends before picking up my Bible). Sadly, there are times when I feel more entranced by the things of the world than the things of God. That’s not how it’s supposed to be. 1st Samuel provides a great example of what it means to be more concerned about the things of God than anything else. Immediately before these passages the Israelites suffer a defeat at the hands of the Philistines and the ark of the Lord is captured. The way Eli and Phinehas’s wife respond to this news is a model for us:

“And the man said to Eli, ‘I am he who has come from the battle; I fled from the battle today.’ And he said, ‘How did it go, my son?’ He who brought the news answered and said, ‘Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great defeat among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.’ As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.”

Eli’s two sons were dead. I’m not a father, but I can only imagine how difficult it would be to get word that your sons have died. This is heightened in Eli’s case because it’s a sign of the Lord’s judgment upon Eli’s household (1 Sam. 2:34). Yet, it wasn’t the death of his sons that troubled Eli the most, it was the ark being captured. Scripture says that as soon as the ark was mentioned, Eli fell over and died. Eli was more concerned about the consequences of the Lord departing from Israel than he was about the death of his own two boys. The story continues…

“Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant, about to give birth. And when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed and gave birth, for her pains came upon her. And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son.’ But she did not answer or pay attention. And she named the child Ichabod, saying, ‘The glory has departed from Israel!’ because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. And she said, ‘The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.’”

Did you catch that? The terrible news sent Phinehas’s wife into labor! Once she had delivered the child, she didn’t even seem to care. All her thoughts were on the departure of the ark. She was so distraught over the glory of the Lord leaving Israel that she named the child Ichabod (“the glory has gone”). Her husband and father-in-law had both perished, but this tragedy didn’t compare to the glory of the Lord leaving Israel.

Do you have that same response to the things of God? Are you heartbroken when you sin or do you just try to drown it out with distractions? When the Lord hasn’t answered a prayer do you continue pleading for his blessing? Though we might not face the ark of the Lord leaving, we are faced with opportunities to share the gospel and we are given chances to intercede for others in prayer. Are you responding to these things rightly or are you too distracted by the things of the world? Far too often, I’m guilty of the latter. May we all be more like Eli and the wife of Phinehas in our response to the things of the Lord.

1 Comment
by Ross Parmly on June 15, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Life, Theology
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Posted by Ross Parmly on June 15, 2011

http://rossparmly.com/2011/06/15/the-departing-ark/

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