Question of the Week: Favorite Book

I love reading. It is one of the more relaxing and consistent hobbies that I've maintained consistently throughout my life. One of the problems of getting into reading though is finding good books. There are millions of books out there to read, but for every great book, there are a thousand bad or mediocre ones. So to spread the love, I thought I'd ask about your favorite book. Maybe it is a classic that everybody reads in high school or even earlier, or maybe it is an obscure author who has only a few things out there. Whatever it is, let us know! Laura and I will post our favorites on Saturday. Happy reading!

By the way, the awesome picture used came from Curious Expeditions blog. Their post on the world's most beautiful libraries can be found here and is fantastic!

This Week's Answers: Stay at Home Dad

Men bring home the bacon. They are financial providers. They do not really know how to relate to kids as well as women. They all long to be outside the home. If a man were a stay at home dad, he would probably mess things up (see above picture of the superhero "Pull Up Boy").

Except for that last one, which I made up because I liked the picture, I've heard all of these statements at one point or another. To some degree I'm okay with them, especially if we are talking about your own family context. If that is the way that things work best at your house or how you have decided to run your family, more power to you. But do these things make being a stay at home dad a non-option? Here are a few thoughts that Laura and I discussed this past week.

1. Men should be providers. I think this is close to incontrovertible. But the reason I think this is that I don't think men should be bums, not necessarily based on something I find in Scripture. Where this argument really takes off is how you define provider. Which leads to...

2. Provider can mean different things. I recoil at the thought of provider meaning only financial provider. I don't have a problem with a man being a financial provider, but I think it is unrealistic to assume that provider only or primarily relates to bringing in the most money. In our particular situation, I will not make as much money as Laura, guaranteed. It is a simple fact that she as a dentist is going to make more money than me as a teacher or administrator in a high school. Am I therefore not a provider? I don't think so. I know some people who have said that this is going to cause great strain in our marriage down the road. Call me naive, but I do not think it will. I hate using this argument, but it's the 21st century and I think that we are over that. So, I don't think provider has to mean "I make the most money and completely support the family financially."

3. Provider may even mean something unrelated to money. In the above example, I'm still working and making some money. But what happens if we say that Laura and I decide that she wants to work and I want to be a stay-at-home dad? Does that mean that I am no longer a provider? I still would say that is a provider. I think that the stay-at-home dad provides the support and ability for a wife to pursue a career and provides the love and care that children need. Is it the right situation for everyone? Absolutely not. But is it always wrong? I would say absolutely not as well.

4. I do not think that what is often taught about man's and woman's roles in the church today are biblical. That is not to say that they are innately wrong, but I think that modern pop psychology (more like pop psychology from the mid 20th century) is baptized under the name Christian and is then termed biblical by people who assume it to be true. I know guys who would be great fathers and stay-at-home dads. Personally, I like to cook, wash dishes, teach, and I'm not bad at laundry and other household chores. Plus, I like kids and would like to spend days with my own kids one day. On the other hand, I know women who love to work. They are good at their jobs and they love doing it. It's not that they don't like their kids, but they want to have a career too. Are we going outside the realms of biblical manhood and womanhood? I tend to think not.

That was a random post and question, I know, but I need to think it out some. If you have any thoughts, feel free to comment!

The Trinity: A Response to an Earlier Comment

Last week, the question of the week was regarding the Trinity. I received a comment on that post with a link to a video that essentially denies the divinity of Christ and attempts to repudiate the claims of Trinitarian theology. I tried to simply leave a comment on that comment, but it was too lengthy. So I decided ot make it a post in and of itself. I know it is pretty meaty, but I think it is well worth some consideration and hope it leads to more conversation.

Hi Adam,

I will admit that I have yet to watch the video, but I did find your blog and check out a few of your posts, and this one in particular. I will try to go back and watch the video later. I noticed that I cannot comment on your blog, so this is really my only chance of having any dialogue.

I think your position has some flaws and is not the best explanation of Scripture as a whole.

Your issue seems to be one of Christology, namely that Jesus is not divine but is a created being who is deemed the Son of God. One question I did have reading your post was whether or not you think Jesus was always the Son of God or just became the Son of God at his baptism or what. The way you began to speak of it reminded me more of Greek mythology, but I could have misread it.

Rather than dispute the arguments you make at this point (though some of that is done here), I will simply pose some issues that I think are not dealt with adequately in your position. I think these elements are much more clearly dealt with from a Trinitarian perspective, or at least a perspective which says that Jesus is fully God just as he is fully man.

1. You are quick to point out that Jesus says "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" in John 17:3. But if you keep reading you will run into verse five: "And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed." This seems to me to be clear evidence for the pre-existent Christ at the very least, if not more. I'm not sure that your position lends itself to a pre-existent Christ.

2. In John 20:28, Thomas sees and is invited to touch the wounds of Jesus and his response is "My Lord and my God!" If Jesus knew that he was not God, would he not rebuke such a declaration? Yet he gives no such rebuke. The only explanations that are apparent are either (a) Jesus is God and therefore does not rebuke Thomas or (b) Jesus is a liar and wants people to think that he is God. Only one of those options looks good to me.

3. 1 John 5:20 says "And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life." The Greek here is pretty tricky, but I agree with most translators and translating committees that this is a reference to Jesus being God.

4. You make an argument that Jesus saying that "I and the Father are One" in John 10:30 is a reference to unity of purpose. Why then in John 10:31 do the Jews pick up stones to kill him? Being of the same purpose with the Father would seem a good thing, yet they respond with deep animosity. This response is based not on unity of purpose, but on a claim of divinity.

5. In discussion with the Jews in John 8:58, Jesus says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." After this, they pick up stones in order to stone him. The reason for this is because he claims to be co-eternal with God the Father. He uses the epithet "I am," the same designation that translates YAHWEH in Exodus 3:14. It seems for such a strong response and for Jesus to use these words that it would almost have to be a claim of divinity.

6. You mention Philippians 2:11 in part of this post as well. What then do you do with the first part of this very famous "Christ hymn"? Philippians 2:5-7 says, "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men." If the wording of him being in the form of God is not enough, how can someone who is not God but simply man make himself nothing? It doesn't seem to fit unless it speaks of the incarnation of Jesus.

7. This is more of a philosophical argument, I admit, but I find it hard to believe that the death of a good or even a perfect man could have any effect on other people's standing before God. If he was a perfect man and no more, then I think that his death may have very well paid for his own way to heaven. I don't see how his goodness is imputed to me if he is not God. Like I said, that is merely a philosophical argument, but one that is worth thinking about nonetheless.

I hope that helps to clarify my view. I believe that it is also the view of orthodox Christianity throughout Scripture and throughout church history. The burden of proof lies with your view and I do not think you have provided Scriptural basis for Arianism.

Moreover, your post boasts as if being able to know everything about God is a good thing. I agree that we should press "further up and further in" as C.S. Lewis would put it, but I also believe that there are things I do not, cannot, and will not know about God. That is why he is God! If I perfectly understood him, then I myself would be a god.

Dear readers, please take time to consider. Take time to think. Take time to dig though God's Word. Pray for the Spirit (the third person of the Trinity) to illuminate your eyes, ears, and minds as you read and study. The Truth may seem allusive, and it may take hard work and deep thinking, but it is well worth it. May our love of Christ and the hope that is found in him spur us on to deeper affection, greater knowledge, and unquenchable desire.

Ryan

Farewell to Shadowlands

"The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning." And as He spoke He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all stories, and we can most truly say they all lived happily every after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventure in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before."

C.S. Lewis in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Last Battle

Today's My Favorite Things: Birthday Edition

So today's edition of my favorite things is short but sweet.  My tribute today is to my wonderful husband on his 25 birthday!   I also want to say Happy Birthday to my awesome big sister, I love you Leigh.

  
    To Ryan, 

Happy Birthday.  It is hard to believe that we have celebrated 9 of your birthdays together.  I hope on this birthday you know how loved you are.  I love you more every passing day as you serve me, challenge me, encourage me, and care for me.  Thank you for being a constant source of joy in my life.  Praise God for allowing me to marry the man of my dreams and my best friend in this life.

    Love, Your Wife

What to Get Your Guy for His Birthday

What on earth will I buy for my dad, brother, husband, boyfriend, etc.? As a guy, I often think that buying gifts for women is really difficult. After being married for a few years, it seems though that Laura sometimes has the same trouble finding a fun gift for me. So to help solve some woes or at least throw out a few ideas, I thought I'd put together a gift giving guide with some things that most guys would love. Hopefully you can at least find one something your guy would really appreciate and have fun with.

Dockers Soft Khakis

I bought of pair of these awesome pants this past weekend and really love them. They fit great and look pretty good as well. Not only that, but they are extremely versatile. I wore them to church with some nicer shoes and a button up, but pulled them off with a T-shirt and sandals as well. Excellent!

Amazon Kindle

Now this actually pains me to say, but I'm starting to think that the Kindle would be awesome to have. I'm an Apple guy through and through, but it is tough to beat the price and functionality of a Kindle. I will never be a completely digital reader. I'm too attached to having books in my hand that you can feel and smell and place on your shelf for posterity's sake. Still, if your guy is a reader and wouldn't mind having a few books on an e-reader, the Kindle is the way to go.

Shaving Equipment

 This may sound like a weird one, and I will admit that it is one that I doubt every guy would go crazy for, but I absolutely love my shaving gear. Up until about a month ago, all I had ever used were disposable or cartridge razor blades that you see commercials for all the time. The problem was that I hated shaving, replacements cost a ton, and I still got pretty bad razor burn and redness from shaving with these supposedly super high tech razors. I started reading up on different alternatives and found some articles on using a good old fashioned double edged safety razor. It does have a little more up front cost for the razor, a good brush, shaving cream, and blades, but the shaving cream lasts longer and smells better, the blades are much cheaper, and my skin is much healthier since the switch. I love shaving now, which is really weird to say. There are plenty of good options out there in this category. I have a Merkur razor, a Parker brush, and some Taylor of Old Bond Street shaving cream. 

Newspaper Subscription

Let's face it: as a twenty-something in a busy environment, sometimes the news just doesn't happen. I hate TV news because it seems like a load of screaming men and women who think that the loudest screamer wins. I'm not a huge fan of internet news because the coverage is usually so sparse. But I still love having a newspaper. It is an easy way to stay connected with local, national, and international news so that you can stay informed about what is happening around you. Laura and I subscribe to the Birmingham News. It has decent local coverage and also has enough coupons to make your subscription worth your money (we pay $2 a week, we have had the paper for 2 weeks, we just saved $13 in coupons at the grocery store tonight from coupons we got from the Sunday paper). If you are looking for more in depth national or international news, I recommend the Wall Street Journal. Great reporting, good editorials, and a pretty balanced perspective on things.

Flint and Steel Firestarter 

For the outdoors man in your life, there is this handy fire starter. It would be handy on the next camping trip, or perhaps if he ends up as a guest host on man vs. wild. Just a thought.

Beer Brewing Kit

I'm going out on a limb here, but I like a beer every now and then. If you have questions about that, please feel free to ask me. I have never been nor ever plan to get drunk as it looks like nothing but a bad choice that precedes many other bad choices. But a good beer with pizza or sipping on a dark beer while reading the paper at night is something that I enjoy. For my birthday this year, Laura got me a home beer brewing kit from Brooklyn Brew Shop. It includes everything you need to brew one gallon of grain brewed beer. We haven't made it yet, but I think it will be fun to try out.

Netflix

  

Laura and I decided to do the free trial for Netflix in June and we planned on canceling in July. Well, here comes August and we are still enjoying our subscription to Netflix. If your guy is a movie buff, he will love it. Plus, this is a fairly inexpensive option that the both of you would enjoy.

Saddleback Leather Briefcase

This is not a cheap gift. In fact, it is downright expensive. I would have a hard time justifying this except for the fact that (1) it is beautiful craftsmanship that both looks good and is eminently practical, and (2) it has a 100 year warranty. That is right. Your kids and possibly grandkids will be using this bag long after you are gone. Saddleback Leather Company makes all of their bags, including this briefcase, from high quality leather and create each one by hand. This is not your everyday, run-of-the-mill gift, so you would have to save up for a while to make the purchase, but I think it would be worth it.

Give Your Time!

When it comes down to it, most husbands would simply love to spend some good quality time with their wives and know that they are appreciated. I know for Laura and I that I feel like I am constantly busy running from school to one job to the next job to homework to bed with nothing to break the monotony sometimes. When we really settle down and Laura makes a nice meal at home or plans an evening out, I love that. I love knowing that we will be able to spend some quality time together, talking about the craziness going on in our lives and the mundane things as well. At the end of the day, that is better than any gift that she could ever buy.

Question of the Week: Stay-At-Home Dad

"Do you think it is manly to be a stay-at-home dad?" I read the question on The Art of Manliness and thought I'd ask the people I work with to get their opinion. I was hoping the question would generate a few comments and short answers, but it quickly turned into a verbal firestorm. Most people said that if the situation called for a man to stay at home and that was the best way for them to provide for their family, then yes, it is good for a man to stay at home. However one guy insisted that it is not only unmanly, but it is not biblical and a direct violation of the way God created us. What do you think? Is it permissible or manly for a guy to be a stay-at-home dad?