I just wanted to draw people's attention to the Worldwide Classroom run by the Covenant Theological Seminary (click here). Covenant adopts a refromed position but don' let that put you off! They have made a lot of their seminary courses available online for free and are an excellent resource.

I have been particularly impressed by Jerram Barrs course on Outreach and Apologetics (click here). I am going through it at the moment and have got up to lecture 10. Jerram Barrs was a pastor in the UK and the assistant director of L'Abri for 18 years before going to Covenant. I have been really blessed and challenged by him and commend him to you. I would love to discuss the lectures if anyone is up for it.

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I thank Thee, uncreated Sun, That Thy bright beams on me have shined; I thank Thee, who hast overthrown My foes, and healed my wounded mind;

Sounds really interesting. This would be helpful when talking about Christianity with people in todays society where we come accross so many different philosophies and religious beliefs. What would be an appropriate time table to discuss the lectures?

The lectures are about an hour in length. I am not sure if we need a timetable as such - we have tried to use them in the past when discussing books and it just didn't seem to work.

Perhaps if anyone who has a listen comes across something of interest - whether they agree or disagrree - then they can just post it up for discussion.

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I thank Thee, uncreated Sun, That Thy bright beams on me have shined; I thank Thee, who hast overthrown My foes, and healed my wounded mind;

I have been listening to the series on Francis Schaeffer. Very interesting.

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Robert Wurtz II

Obedience is better esteemed with God than acquired knowledge, it is the most important lesson -fundamental to the gaining of all spiritual knowledge from God. (GW North)

The Girded Mind

I began to listen to Jerram Barrs some time ago but didn't take to him at all. I'll give it another shot.

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His/Yours
Ron B

God deals with hand-crafted masterpieces not mass-produced replicas.

Biblebase Second Thoughts Blog

I thought his analysis of contemporary culture was excellent. It may be old hat but the distinction between a pre-modern worldview, the modern and the post-modern I found very helpful, especially in terms of the consequences that that worldview has in our culture and, although he does not develop this, the church (e.g. there seems to be a trend even in the Church of speaking of things as being true for one person but not for another).

His basic view of evangelism (and I'm summarising what he has said over several lectures and I am sure will not do it justice) is that the church is all too often separated from the world by intimidation, or fear of the culture; condemnation; cultural retreat into the haven of the church and Christian institutions; and personal separation. As a result evangelism often takes the form of 'raids' into the world during which we hope to take someone and bring them back into the church. This approach is, of course, completely wrong. Evangelism is principally about forming relationships with those around us and genuinely loving them and caring for them. Evangelism takes time (on average it takes 4-5 years for someone in the USA/UK to become a Christian from their first contact with a Christian). While an Alpha Course or a sermon might be the point at which someone finally decides to surrender to Christ there is often much work that God has been doing in someone's life before that point. He stresses that Jesus always treats people differently depending on their need at the time the conversation takes place. Seldom does Jesus 'hit people with the Gospel' as we often feel under pressure to do. Jerram is no softy in this regard. For example, he emphasises that people must be brought to an understanding of the requirements of God's law before grace can come - or make any sense. He quotes Schaeffer who said that if he has an hour with someone he would rather ask questions for 55 minutes and speak for 5 becuase unless he does he will not know what to say. So often we feel the need to identify and express concern about sin, even at the early stages of a frienship. Jerram Barrs points out that very often this will simply result in someone feeling unable to ever approach you again on a sensitive issue or open up their heart to you. God never points out all our sins to us. He deals with things in His perfect timing. I would love to discuss these ideas if others think his is a wrong approach. Let me know if I've gone soft!!

Finally, one thing that touched me (I think it's lecture 10) is the conversion of his father. His father and mother were very, very poor. His father was a committed communist and very anti-Christian. He was dying of cancer and Jerram was able to discuss his faith with him. 6 weeks before he died Schaeffer asked if he could visit him. He had a long discussion with him at the end of which he gave his life to Christ. Having understood the Good News his father said to Schaeffer, "How can a worm accept what God has done?" Scaheffer did not know how to respond. Then God showed him what to say: "How can a worm refuse?"

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I thank Thee, uncreated Sun, That Thy bright beams on me have shined; I thank Thee, who hast overthrown My foes, and healed my wounded mind;

Yes, I found them very interesting too (I have not finished either module though). I had rather suspicious of Schaeffer up until I listened to the lectures but what came through was that he is a very genuine, very real Christian.

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I thank Thee, uncreated Sun, That Thy bright beams on me have shined; I thank Thee, who hast overthrown My foes, and healed my wounded mind;

I have relistened to No 1 - twice, and No 2 once, lots of car trips!
I am still not taken with his style which I find somewhat patronising, but that is probably my problem and not his.

He bases his first two sessions on Calvin's view that 'common grace' has left God's trace through every time and culture. Calvin believed, according to these lectures, that it is wrong to critique the ancient philosophers. I suspect he meant Plato rather than Aristotle. This is, I suspect, key to his view of things.

Perversely, I really like the glass entrance to the Louvre! May be I'm a hopeless case!

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His/Yours
Ron B

God deals with hand-crafted masterpieces not mass-produced replicas.

Biblebase Second Thoughts Blog

Quote:

Hi Ron,

Is that to say you feel his style is too aggressive for your taste? I am asking because I constantly try to understand how our style effects the message. The last thing I would want to be is a turn off. Maybe a better question would be or at least a follow up would be, "what would be a style you are typically drawn to or are able to 'take to'?"

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Robert Wurtz II

Obedience is better esteemed with God than acquired knowledge, it is the most important lesson -fundamental to the gaining of all spiritual knowledge from God. (GW North)

The Girded Mind

No, not aggressive. Patronising gives the effect of being 'talked down to' by the expert. I struggle with absolute statements which are not biblebased. His views on the the glass pyramid entrance to the Louvre are presented as though no one could possibly have any other view. I do have another view. The first lecture suggested that we should find something to commend in every work of man. I won't waste the time here but I can find lots to commend in the Louvre's Glass Pyramid.

Having said that I am now up to Lecture 5 and am appreciating his overall introduction to the notions of Post Modernism. I am particularly interested in his view that Christianity is not supposed to legislate for others; a view that I have held for a long time. I think we are getting more content and less personal opinion in these later lectures.

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His/Yours
Ron B

God deals with hand-crafted masterpieces not mass-produced replicas.

Biblebase Second Thoughts Blog