Bringing Heaven Down To Earth

JSNT on Anti-Nero Rhetoric in Revelation

2008-03-10T15:28:00.002-04:00

From JSNT:

The Year of the Four Emperors and the Revelation of John: The `pro-Neronian' Emperors Otho and Vitellius, and the Images and Colossus of Nero in Rome
George H. van Kooten
Journal for the Study of the New Testament, Vol. 30, No. 2, 205-248 (2007)

This article draws attention to the events of the `Year of the Four Emperors', the period of unrest and civil war which followed Nero's death in 68 CE. Their bearing on the Revelation of John has been underestimated. My aims are to demonstrate the centrality of Nero in John's understanding of the seven-headed beast, and its image, and to propose a precise dating for the composition of Revelation in the period under Galba, Otho and Vitellius in 68/69 CE. This involves an analysis of Nero's Golden House, his colossal statue and the pro-Neronian attitude of his successors Otho and Vitellius. After my consistent rereading of Revelation in the context of 68/69 CE, I set out to disprove the common interpretation of Revelation, which draws upon the provincial imperial cult in Asia under Domitian. I finish by showing the relevance of Nero's expected return for a reading public in the Roman province of Asia.

New N.T. Wright book on heaven

2008-03-04T14:15:00.002-05:00

I'm really excited about N.T. Wright's new book on heaven: it will take someone of his stature, intellect, and passion to actually make some headway in getting Christians to rediscover what the Bible actually says about heaven.

"From life's first cry to final breath"

2008-01-18T16:15:00.002-05:00

This week in DCM brought us a stark encounter with the reality of death and the hope of resurrection. On Monday we watched the wrenching Frontline documentary on Thomas Lynch's funeral home, followed by two segments of N.T. Wright's stirring DVD on the resurrection.

On Tuesday, we visited a local cemetery and held a "Service of Reaffirmation of Resurrection Hope" in the chapel there. These words from "In Christ Alone" took on new meaning as we sang them there:

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no human plan,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

Another report on DCM visit to St. Nicholas

2008-01-18T16:09:00.000-05:00

Another report on our visit to St. Nicholas, this one by Rob VanderVennen.

For our DCM class, Bringing Heaven Down to Earth, we attended St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in order to learn more about their denomination and style of worship. This fit in with our class very much because for the Orthodox, worship is heaven on earth. Orthodox worship is done in a very different manner than what I am used to in the Christian Reformed Church. The service is much more formal and it is based much more on tradition. They still quote lines that are in Arabic and some Greek, referring to Mary as the Theotokos, or birth giver of God. Chanting is used very often by the leaders and congregation as a form of worship. There is also a choir in the back balcony that sings out lines such as “Lord have Mercy” after the priest has read Scripture. The purpose of having the choir in the back is so the people do not focus on the choir but the meaning of the words.

They also had icons all over the church of Jesus, Mary, the apostles, and various other people. According to Paul Meyendorff, “They intend to convey this: you stand in the presence of the living God, together with the Saints and the righteous of every age.” I appreciated these paintings but was not sure whether or not I liked them in the church. It seemed they belonged more in an art museum. I noticed that there were children involved in some of the worship service such as when the deacons would walk around with incense, there would be boys holding some poles with candles burning in them. I also noticed that all members of the Orthodox Church eat the bread and get a scoop of some powder. It seemed similar to our form of communion.

Visiting the church was quite an experience and I am glad that I attended the service. I thought it would be similar to a Catholic service and in some ways it was, but it was also very different than the Catholics. I felt a sense of deep reverence in the church and felt closer to God at St. Nicholas than my own church. It was easy to tell that the Orthodox tradition was being preserved in the church, whereas in my own church we are changing with the times and becoming more modern.

I liked the congregation participation during the service as they chanted things back to the priest. One thing that I did not like about the Orthodox service was the short sermon. I thought that it would actually be too long but it was too short in my opinion. I think a sermon should be at least fifteen minutes and that most of one’s spiritual growth comes from the sermon. I was not sure how I felt about the singing of the Scriptures. It was very poetic and pleasant but seemed out of place; I think reading the Scripture would give the same effect. Overall, I actually enjoyed the experience and I give a lot of respect to the Orthodox believers.

Busy Thursday in DCM

2008-01-11T15:29:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a busy day for us in DCM 150-41. After a morning discussion on ethnic diversity in heaven, based on chapter 3 of Richard Mouw's When the Kings Come Marching In, we left for the Grand Rapids Art Museum. We had at least five reasons from our course for going to this art museum:

- the GRAM is the first newly constructed LEED-certified art museum in the world, which fit with what we said this week about creation care.
- one of the exhibits at the GRAM is "Nature Revealed," which helps illustrate what we've been saying about heaven on earth.
- a temporary exhibit at the GRAM features the work of local artist Chris Van Allsburg, which echoes our reflections on the importance of imagination.
- our discussion of culture as the work of our hands developing creation--which includes art and architecture.
- the experience of being downtown set up our discussion today of urbanism and heaven.

In addition to particular paintings that echoed some of our course themes, the visit left me with one more metaphor to connect to our class -- what the docents said about "learning to see." Not learning the correct way to see, but learning how to look at a painting -- or, as the Orthodox would say about an icon, how to look through it -- looking at it long and repeatedly, letting new details or interpretations come to you as you look. This struck me as a pretty good (though not perfect) metaphor for learning to look at the apocalyptic visions of Scripture.

In the afternoon, we joined two other DCM classes at the Bunker Interpretive Center to hear Janel Curry talk about the range of Christian responses to the crisis of global warming. (You can listen to a version of this lecture and follow the PowerPoint here -- scroll to Oct. 26, 2007.) Then we helped the other two classes, which have been talking about global warming, adapt Dr. Curry's framework for responding to global warming to their own.

'Heaven on Earth' at St. Nicholas Antiochian Church

2008-01-11T12:34:00.000-05:00

In DCM: Bringing Heaven Down To Earth, one of the first things we did was introduce Eastern Orthodox worship as "heaven on earth" (using this article from Christian History magazine) and visited St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church (www.stnickgr.com) here in Grand Rapids.

Nicole DeFillipi wrote this reflection on our experience.

Many denominations of Christianity have different views on how to worship God. The Orthodox church is an example of a denomination where the style of worshipping is quite different from many other churches. The members of the Eastern Orthodox church believe their worship brings a piece of Heaven to earth. While trying to explain this idea on Orthodox worship, Paul Meyendorff writes an article named “A Taste of Glory.” In this article Mayendorff explains “we are transported to where he is, so that every time the church gathers for worship, we experience a foretaste of the kingdom.”* There is a sense of mystery and greatness to the Orthodox way of worship. This aspect alone has drawn many to the Orthodox church.

Chanting is the primary way to worship God. Although this form of worship is different from many other churches, it can be revered and regarded as a sacred act. Icons are also highly respected because they help remind the Orthodox church members of Bible stories and why they are worshipping God. The icons are painted all over the sanctuary. Beautiful gold paint is used in most of the icons. Important people such as Jesus, Mary, the disciples and various saints are painted on the walls. The architecture is also meaningful. There is a dome that extends the ceiling even higher in the sanctuary. This represents their worship and how it penetrates into Heaven. Worship is able to break the barrier between Heaven and Earth. The Orthodox architecture helps to explain what occurs in their place of worship when the name of Jesus is lifted.

The experience of an Orthodox church service is not one soon forgotten. Although visiting the Orthodox church was an enlightening experience that greatly broadened my horizons, they practice many things which I do not agree with. The services seem to be based mostly on tradition. The actual sermon was very short. This bothered me somewhat because I have a hard time understanding how the congregation could grow spiritually from a short sermon. It is understandable that the congregation can learn things from being in God’s presence but I believe this must me accompanied by a teaching of his word.

I am not opposed to all artwork in churches but I believe the interior artwork in the Orthodox church is too excessive. I am aware that Orthodox members do not worship these icons but I believe that they have the potential of hindering worship. I also do not think children should be allowed to partake in the sacrament of communion. Small children were eating the bread as if it was a snack in the middle of service. 1 Corinthians 11 makes it clear that communion is not a snack. It is a sacrament that is to be revered. I do not think children should partake in this act until they understand what it represents and that it is not to be taken lightly. These are the major concerns I have.

It is remarkable, however, that a denomination has remained the same over hundreds of years. The tradition of Orthodoxy is obviously appealing because members of other denominations are becoming Orthodox members. Orthodoxy provides structure for its members. It also brings out a feeling of commonality since their worship style is virtually the same as Orthodox members from centuries ago.

* Meyendorff, Paul. "A Taste of Glory." Christian History Issue 54. p. 41

Back to top

New Yorker on 'The Afterlife: Cutting Back'

2008-01-04T13:51:00.000-05:00

I had to chuckle at this satirical piece in the New Yorker: The Afterlife: Cutting Back, a fictional internal memo about downsizing hell and improving customer satisfaction in heaven:

There is trouble in paradise as well—beginning with the fact that the amenities We have provided, though immeasurably burdensome to maintain interminably, are currently perceived by their beneficiaries as “kind of boring,” “not exactly what I was expecting,” or “O.K., I guess” (to cite the three most common responses from a recent opinion sample). It may be that rivers of bright light and ladders of gold seem less impressive to contemporary reviewers than they did to Dante, Blake, and others. Studies have indicated that replacing all such benefits with just two activities not currently offered—sex and golf—would increase consumer satisfaction by many percentage points while cutting costs by orders of magnitude. Such a change might also reduce the prevalence of another common complaint—namely, that “all the interesting people are in the other place.”

continued...

To Be Continued...

2006-12-30T14:35:00.000-05:00

After over a year of blogging here about my book, I'm going to idle, though I'll keep tweaking the chapter resources and other links (and will add things under Comments). I'll also be adding an essay on the word heaven in the new year (update: now posted). And I'll keep thinking, reflecting, and nourishing my ever-prone-to-falter hope.

Thanks for all your comments and feedback so far, and keep 'em coming!

Update: Yes, that was the guy from my book cover at the Yahoo.com home page recently, but no, the article wasn't about my book. Apparently, the company that supplied the cover photo for my book (given as Stockbyte Premium/Getty) supplied a similar shot for an article about the job market. Whoever that guy is, he sure is versatile -- he can contemplate heaven and worry about the job market with the same facial expression!

December Discussions

2006-12-22T11:09:00.000-05:00

I've been privileged to share in some enriching discussions about heaven and my book this past month:

- Last week I met with a book group of local CRC pastors. One of the themes that emerged in our discussion is that everyone--even or especially in the church--lives with alternate eschatologies or at least mobilizing hopes (to condense Moltmann's phrase on page 5 of my book), whether it be political ideologies, career advancement, materialist prosperity, "family values," social justice, ethnic pride, etc. The preacher's task, then, is to speak the true eschatology, the true mobilizing hope, against those who are living Monday through Saturday according to different mobilizing hopes.

- Earlier this month I met for one final time with my Covenant Group at Eastern Ave. CRC, which has met every other week since September. We all said that we still had so many daunting unanswered questions about heaven, so we were all moved when one member invited us to end on this verse from 1 Corinthians 2, and to be assured that what is unknown is known by God:

No eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the human heart conceived,
what God has prepared for those who love him.

Mentions in Christianity Today and the Calvin Spark

2006-12-22T10:39:00.000-05:00

The Importance of Knowing What's Important
by Andy Crouch
Christianity Today

And then I ran across this piquant phrase in Nathan Bierma's book Bringing Heaven Down to Earth, in which he quotes a play by (coincidentally) Daniel Jurman ...

Bookshelf: Bringing Heaven Down To Earth
Calvin College Spark

Relevant Revolutionary Readings on Revelation ...

2006-12-22T10:36:00.000-05:00

... and heaven, and hell:

Christ Among the Candlesticks
Sermon on Revelation 1:9-20
Leonard J. Vander Zee
South Bend Christian Reformed Church
November 26, 2006

Knocking on Heaven’s Door
Sermon at Duke Chapel
Samuel Wells
Dec. 3, 2006

Refiner's Fire
Sermon at Duke Chapel
Samuel Wells
Dec. 10, 2006

Preaching Hell in a Tolerant Age
by Tim Keller

Visit to LaSalle Street Church

2006-11-09T21:49:00.000-05:00

I was delighted to be able to lead a discussion about heaven last weekend at LaSalle Street Church in downtown Chicago, where we attended regularly a couple years ago (and which I profiled for RW). One of the questions that came up and stuck with me was, "How does the kingdom of God relate to heaven?" At first I said that the kingdom is a sort of underground kingdom for now, but will be the kingdom on the new earth. Then I simplified it a little and said, "The kingdom IS heaven." Maybe I should have gone back to the N.T. Wright quote on empire in Chapter 8.

But later I got thinking about Jesus' phrase "kingdom of heaven," which seems to be synonymous with "kingdom of God," and is used seemingly eschatologically. The Greek phrase is "basileia tôn ouranôn," with ouranôn being the same word as in Revelation 21, with the same ambiguity between its literal meaning of "sky" and figurative meaning of "ethereal realm of the dwelling of God."

Response from Jeff Tigchelaar

2006-10-27T16:18:00.000-04:00

Jeff Tigchelaar led a small group study of BHDTH at his church and offers these reflections:

Heaven Gets Grounded

While Nathan Bierma’s new book explores concepts relating to eternal heaven and life after death, it also manages along the way to tackle less-lofty topics – such as, say, the nature and purpose of work, ways of achieving peace and wholeness with and within creation, what it means to love God, and how this all ties in to the meaning of our earthly existence.

But to call the afterlife lofty after reading Bierma’s account would be selling the author short, since doing so fails to acknowledge what may be the book’s key accomplishment: living up to its title by challenging the “harps and clouds” conception of heaven and making it relevant to the here and now.

My small group at church found Bringing Heaven Down to Earth both pertinent and engaging. The book served as a springboard for lively discussion, but also encouraged its readers to slow down and take time to consider the things that matter most – in this life and the next.

Amazon UK review

2006-10-17T15:23:00.000-04:00

I was delighted and humbled to discover this very thoughtful and generous review of my book at Amazon.co.uk. I equally appreciate the constructive criticism as much as the commendation. Yes, I need to get around the globe more! Yes, I probably should have read more lit and fewer newspapers in college. And yes, I should have quoted Schaeffer and identified his influence on these ideas about living in creation and culture. But earnest thanks to this reviewer.

This life 'shot through' with grace - aka Francis Schaeffer, 15 Dec 2005

Nathan Bierma’s “Bringing Heaven Down to Earth” is a good book from a remarkable author.

If we can see it, Everything is Illuminated. Heaven will be urban “Any city is always at one time both Babylon and Jerusalem”. Bierma challenges us to walk a third-way. Don’t flee from engaging with this messy world into an escapist ethereal picture-book cliché. Don’t abuse and devalue creation, especially the rich diversity of culture teeming in God’s world.

Rather “we must be earthly without being worldly” exercising the Hebrew notion of tikkum olam repair of the world. Bierma invokes CS Lewis, expanding on The Great Divorse’s Heaven, which is more real - greener grass and more solid matter than we experience now. But there’s more – citing Michael Wittmer’s ‘Heaven Is a Place on Earth’ and using Bible references, Bierma forefronts God’s restoration, not replacement, of planet Earth. “We must show the world that we are expecting what Revelation says: that heaven will come down to earth forever. God is not giving up on the planet. Neither should we.”

Bierma hammers his message home using films, modest autobio sketches, an interest in city architecture and commitment to civic participation. References section is a treasure trove of entries for your Amazon wish list! As a journalist, he writes eloquently, e.g. “This cycle of consumption, this material madness, surely speaks to a deeper spiritual searching among people living in a confusing age, taking up a dance with the fleeting as a diversion from the lasting”. And, commendably for a book on Heaven, the author covers application, introducing mindfulness of the Hope of Heaven, applied to daily life.

Some criticisms. This book is so USA/Chicago focused. Travel, Nathan, please! Given his journalistic base, there’s a dearth of drawing on English literature, though the film references are useful. A yawning gap is any reference to Francis Schaeffer – many parallels here to Schaeffer’s work, especially True Spirituality.

So, a great read, which I covered over a week. One final quote rang true - “Hope comes not from an ironclad, flawless belief system that one forces on others, but from the cautious formation of belief that is coherent if not certain, sound if not always sure. This formation, fraught as it is with frustration, seldom goes unrewarded. It can bring continual moments of awakening and arouse hope for the coming of heaven.”

Albom's "rather unsatisfying vision of heaven"

2006-09-29T17:10:00.000-04:00

From a Slate rebuke of Mitch Albom's shallow sentimentalism:

... what emerges is a rather unsatisfying vision of heaven. In the preface to Five People, Albom explained heaven as a place where "people who felt unimportant here on earth [would] realize, finally, how much they mattered and how they were loved." In Albom's heaven, you confront your earthly disappointments—your father's neglect, your stunted relationships—in the same way you would if you were sitting down for an interview with Barbara Walters. The afterlife affords you no higher level of consciousness. It merely reveals the mundane secrets of the past. (So that's how Mom paid my college tuition!) The wisdom is dispensed not by God but the author.

continued...

(Speaking of Barbara Walters and heaven ...)

Heaven as Embodied: The Forgotten Theology

2006-09-27T18:52:00.000-04:00

Gideon Strauss, on what he calls "Christian platonism lite":

Last night I discovered that - yet again - many of my Introduction to Philosophy students believe that their eternal destiny is as souls in heaven with God, with "heaven" understood in a fuzzy way, but certainly not including being embodied. And most of the same students believe that the purpose of Christian evangelism is to win souls for heaven. Hallo, Apostles' Creed. Hallo, Nicene Creed. Unlike most Americans (don't know about Canadians), I believe in the resurrection of the body (for a start).

The glory of God in Exodus 24

2006-09-26T14:58:00.000-04:00

We read Exodus 24(NRSV) in CICW staff devotions today, and this line jumped out at me; I'll have to return to it to look at the Greek and Hebrew, and other English versions:

They saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there was something like a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness.

Publisher's Weekly mention

2006-09-01T13:27:00.000-04:00

Juli Cragg Hilliard interviewed me for this piece in Publisher's Weekly's Religion BookLine.

Books on Heaven Can’t Wait for Readers
by Juli Cragg Hilliard
Religion BookLine
8/30/2006

...

At 26, Nathan Bierma, a Christian in the Dutch Calvinist tradition, seems young to be thinking about the next world. But the subject has fascinated him since at least high school, and he wrote Bringing Heaven Down to Earth: Connecting This Life to the Next (P&R Publishing, 2005) with college students and twenty-somethings in mind.

He says he started work on the book when the Left Behind craze was at its zenith. “I wasn’t trying to take on the Left Behind series, but I was saying there was a different vision of the end times and of eternal life in the Bible.”

Bierma believes everything we see here now—-culture, work, play, nature, sidewalks—-is a preview of a heaven that will be more meaningful than the conventional, vague visions of eternity. His message: “Take a new picture of heaven, and let that drive you in your daily life.”

full article

West Michigan Christian article

2006-09-01T13:26:00.000-04:00

The West Michigan Christian reprinted the Calvin College press release on my book in its September issue.

More blog mentions

2006-09-01T13:16:00.000-04:00

here, here, here, here, and here. Thanks to all these bloggers for their interest and reflections!

(More earlier)

Find in a Library

2006-08-31T13:30:00.000-04:00

Find BHDTE in a library via worldcatlibraries.org.

Blogger's response to Chapter 1

2006-08-28T19:06:00.000-04:00

From one xanga-er:

It is so hard to think of heaven as a reality. This life is so concrete, and the next so nebulous. But in the end we will come to think of this life as just a distant dream: fuzzy around the edges, like a memory from childhood. You can recall that it happened, but you are totally out of touch with it.

Nathan gives a few reasons why he believes heaven is such a distant thought. One of his minor reasons is that we associate heaven with death. Heaven happens to old people and young people whose lives tragically end too soon. I think just mentally dissociating "heaven" from "death" could do a lot to positively affect our attitudes toward heaven.

continued...

Related Chapter: 1

Tim Keller on Christianity and urbanism

2006-08-25T13:54:00.000-04:00

Tim Keller on Christianity and urbanism, from Christianity Today, as part of the Christian Vision Project:

A New Kind of Urban Christian
As the city goes, so goes the culture
by Tim Keller
Christianity Today, May 2006

My first strategic point is simple: More Christians should live long-term in cities. Historians point out that by A.D. 300, the urban populations of the Roman Empire were largely Christian, while the countryside was pagan. (Indeed, the word pagan originally meant someone from the countryside—its use as a synonym for a non-Christian dates from this era.) The same was true during the first millennium A.D. in Europe—the cities were Christian, but the broad population across the countryside was pagan. The lesson from both eras is that when cities are Christian, even if the majority of the population is pagan, society is headed on a Christian trajectory. Why? As the city goes, so goes the culture. Cultural trends tend to be generated in the city and flow outward to the rest of society.

continued...

Related Chapter: 5

Bookshelf: 'Funeral Homilies'

2006-08-25T13:37:00.000-04:00

Swords, Liam, ed. Funeral Homilies (Paulist Press, 1985) ISBN 0809127849. [P-A-G-toc]

Related Chapter: 6

'Preaching the New Creation'

2006-08-23T13:13:00.000-04:00

More on preaching apocalyptic texts: David Schnasa Jacobsen's book Preaching the New Creation: The Promise of the New Testament Apocalyptic Texts; also see a review and supplmentary resource page from the author.

More earlier

Calvin College news release

2006-08-21T17:43:00.000-04:00

Calvin College issued this press release about my book (and linked to it from its Calvin Wire newsletter.

Response from Bob Crow

2006-08-21T17:39:00.000-04:00

Response from Bob Crow of Calvin College:

Thanks for your good work on this. Thanks for helping to put a stake in the ground to be firm that there is something quite important about the here and now, indeed, about this cosmos. What on earth is God doing?--through His people and in anticipation of the great fulfillment when the New Jerusalem descends from heaven to earth.

Response from Rev. Tim Cox

2006-08-21T17:36:00.000-04:00

One other reader who wouldn't burn me at the stake:

I was really challenged by your book, Nathan. Thank you for your work in bringing such enlightening research and writing on such an important topic. Who would you recommend that I read for further study? [see "Further Reading" here -NB]

As a pastor who just moved to the Chicago area two years ago, it was great to read all the Chicago stories, too. I feel like I know my new city better! ... Thank-you again for your book that will bring heaven "out of the clouds" for many people!

Tim Cox
Chicago

I'm "inimical" !

2006-08-21T17:15:00.000-04:00

My first bad review (that I know of): my publisher sent me a clipping from an unidentified newsletter with a brief review by the Rev. Andrew Simcak, Jr. It's confusing to read because it consists largely of quotes from my book, without using quotation marks (I assume they were supposed to be block quotes, but didn't get published as such.) The reviewer seems concerned that I do "not accept the 6-day creation" (I don't accept six-24-hour-day creationism, but I didn't explicitly say so in the book, because this wasn't the point). He chastises me for "repeatedly disagreeing with the Biblical teaching that heaven is our eternal home"--I'm not sure how much more clearly and boldly I could have said that heaven IS our eternal home, and that this is the point to our whole existence. The reviewer concludes: "This book is in many ways inimical to the Christian faith and should be avoided."

I'm a heretic! That tends to put a damper on one's day. I'm comforted only that these Christian friends disagree, or at least would refrain from burning me at the stake. And I shouldn't be surprised that there are Christians out there who feel threatened by any questions or alternatives to their existing assumptions. (I do appreciate that the reviewer apparently actually read the book, which not all reviewers do before criticizing a book, and I guess I should be glad that the reviewer relied so heavily on block quotes, so that my actual words, and not just his misconceptions, come through.)

In any case, please read my book, THEN avoid it.

Sojourners on the third Left Behind movie

2006-08-21T17:11:00.000-04:00

Sojourners on the third Left Behind movie partial excerpt here; full text requires registration, cached here):

The main problem with the Left Behind movies and books is not the biblical literalism they incorrectly lay claim to over and over. The real problem is that Left Behind is a big old plateload of neo-con neo-gnosticism designed to almost completely ignore some of the most clearly stated points of Revelation (and the gospels), in the pursuit of a particular, arguably idolatrous, present-day political mythology. ...

Sermon at Eastern Ave. CRC

2006-08-21T17:05:00.000-04:00

Rev. Thea Leunk quoted from page 180 of my book in her sermon "Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst," preached at Eastern Avenue Church on July 16, 2006 (texts: Isaiah 55, Matthew 5, and John 4). With her permission, I've posted an MP3 of the sermon.

CICW Vital Worship feature story on eschatology and worship

2006-07-20T15:45:00.000-04:00

This "Vital Worship" feature story, "Eschatology: Our hope for a new heaven and new earth," posted at the website of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, where I work, discusses my book and includes comments from two key readers, Laura Truax and Judy Congdon, on the implications of eschatology for worship. It also includes a profile of a scholar of liturgy and eschatology in the Reformed tradition: Martha Moore-Keish. The article begins with a thorough and helpful rundown of heaven-minded lyrics in well-known hymns.

Eschatology: Our hope for a new heaven and new earth
Text by Joan Huyser-Honig
Photography by Steve Huyser-Honig
Print this story for study and discussion

How does your story fit into God’s story? The way you answer this question likely influences what you believe about heaven. And your view of heaven makes a big difference in how you live and worship.

Jerusalem the Golden, with milk and honey blest. Bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more. When the hungry gather for the feast, we will rejoice. Lord, I want to be in that number.

I'll sing with a glittering crown on my brow. How lovely is your dwelling place. Here from all nations, all tongues, and all peoples. Rest, eternal, grant them, Lord. Those endless Sabbaths the blessed ones see. Finish, then, thy new creation…

Composers have been writing songs about heaven for centuries. Yet, according to pollster George Barna, the more income or education you have, the less likely you are to believe that heaven or hell exists. Even among Christians who say they believe in heaven, there's wide disagreement on what that means. Most Christians, including preachers, stay away from the topic.

And that's a shame, because without a vivid sense of God's future, you're missing out on a great blessing of Christian life—and great opportunities to bless other lives.

In his book Bringing Heaven Down to Earth: Connecting This Life to the Next, Nathan Bierma discusses the difference between small gospel and big gospel perspectives.

continued...

Hoekema on Amillennialism and OT Prophecy

2006-07-20T15:43:00.000-04:00

I found this relevant article online by Anthony Hoekema, who figures centrally in my Chapter 3.

Amillennialism: The Interpretation of Old Testament Prophecy
By Anthony Hoekema

Catapult on 'Citizens and Aliens'

2006-07-18T16:24:00.000-04:00

The e-zine catapult has a special issue out on the theme of "Citizens and Aliens," which is one of the central themes of my Chapter 8. Articles include:

Gone south
by David Howard Malone

Into exile
by Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma

Uprooted
by Michelle Van Loon

'Tis the season to remember my citizenship
by Deborah Leiter

Late night thoughts on being a disciple of the Kingdom
by Reverend Lawrence W. Farris

'Dragon Stories': a series of worship services based on Revelation

2006-07-18T15:35:00.000-04:00

More on preaching Revelation, from Reformed Worship magazine:

Dragon Stories: Ideas for a series for adults--and children--on the book of Revelation
by David Koll
Reformed Worship #50

In the continuing challenge to keep our evening worship fresh, our congregation recently embarked on an unusual study of the book of Revelation. This book—full of dragon stories, horsemen, and angels—provided an intriguing series of nine worship services.

As a pastor, I’ve heard numerous requests for a sermon series on this book. Admittedly, I’ve been hesitant. So much is said from this book that I am not comfortable saying. So many of its passages are difficult to explain. I’ve rarely gone past preaching from the letters to the seven churches. In effect, I have let the last book of Scripture remain closed. This spring, after seventeen years in ministry, I felt compelled to try an overview study of this book, and I’m glad I did. ... Revelation is a book that in a certain sense needs to be reclaimed by Reformed Christians.

continued...

'View the Present Through the Promise"

2006-07-06T17:25:00.000-04:00

We sang this anthem from Sing! A New Creation (#90) this morning in our summer seminar. Thomas Troeger says in three stanzas what I was trying to say in my whole book:

View the present through the promise, Christ will come again.
Trust despite the deepening darkness, Christ will come again.
Lift the world above its grieving through your watching and believing
in the hope past hope's conceiving: Christ will come again.

Probe the present with the promise, Christ will come again.
Let your daily actions witness, Christ will come again.
Let your loving and your giving and your justice and forgiving
be a sign to all the living: Christ will come again.

Match the present to the promise, Christ will come again.
Make this hope your guiding premise, Christ will come again.
Pattern all your calculating and the world you are creating
to the advent you are waiting: Christ will come again.

[Publisher info]

CTLibrary on Heaven

2006-07-06T17:22:00.000-04:00

Rich Tatum's roundup of eschatologically-minded articles at CTLibrary.com includes:

Heaven: Not Just an Eternal Day Off
As if anticipating the question, Will life on the new earth be boring? the Bible points to much activity there.
Anthony Hoekema
[excerpt of The Bible and the Future]

What Will Heaven Be Like?
Thirty-five frequently asked questions about eternity.
Peter Kreeft

Bookshelf: 'John's Use of the Old Testament in Revelation'

2006-07-06T11:39:00.000-04:00

Beale, G.K. John's Use of the Old Testament in Revelation (Jsnt Supplement Series, 166) (Sheffield Academic Press, 1999). [A-r]

Related link

Bookshelf: 'Paradise Interpreted' and 'Classic Sermons on Heaven and Hell'

2006-07-06T11:38:00.000-04:00

Luttikhuizen, Gerard P., ed. Paradise Interpreted: Representations of Biblical Paradise in Judaism and Christianity (Brill Academic Publishers 1999). [A-G-toc]

Wiersbe, Warren W., ed. Classic Sermons on Heaven and Hell (Hendrickson Publishers, 1994). [A-G-toc]

Bookshelf: 'Augustine's City of God: A Reader's Guide' and 'Theology of Social Life in Augustine’s De civitate Dei'

2006-07-06T11:27:00.000-04:00

Related to Chapter 5:

O'Daly, Gerard. Augustine's City of God: A Reader's Guide (Oxford UP, 1999). [P-A-G-toc]

Ruokanen, Mikka, Theology of Social Life in Augustine’s De civitate Dei (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1993). [P-A]

More on my heritage

2006-07-05T18:32:00.000-04:00

Chapter 7 includes my tribute of sorts to my great-grandfather Watse, an immigrant from Friesland. That page is actually the top result when you search my last name at Amazon.

I have more on my heritage posted now at my personal website, including my family tree and more about the Frisian language.

Review in The Banner

2006-05-31T13:23:00.000-04:00

Wayne Brouwer's brief review of my book in the current issue of The Banner has just been posted (8th item). I'm a little skittish about that term "worldly Christianity" without more context, but the blurb gives the gist of the book:

Over against consumerist worldliness, Bierma urges a worldly Christianity. Christians often dwell on a speculative future existence; we need more realism and seriousness regarding the earthiness of our created condition. Bierma probes the implications of Revelation-inspired visions of a new creation.

Report on 'With a Shout!' Ascension conference

2006-05-26T11:30:00.000-04:00

xpost with CICW Worship Weblog

Scott Hoezee began the conference 'With a Shout: What Difference Does the Ascension Make for Everyday Life?' conference with a stirring meditation this morning entitled "Ascension Audacity."

"This is not a day for modest claims," Hoezee said, asserting that to celebrate Christ's ascension is to celebrate his rule over the entire cosmos.

In an equally passionate plenary address following worship, Gerrit Scott Dawson sketched out the significance of the Ascension (introducing Dawson, Smit called his book Jesus Ascended one of the best things she's read on the Ascension--and she's read up on this topic). Dawson said the ascended Christ is like Valjean in Les Miserables, who descends into the sewers of Paris with the wounded Marius on his shoulders, then resurfaces to bring him to a place of healing. "God descends to where we are, enters our filth, finds our mortally wounded humanity, carries us through the sewers of this world, and up to heaven."

The fact that Christ continues to have a bodily existence in heaven, baffling as that is--"you have to admit, the Ascension is bizarre," Dawson said, later calling it "the most challenging intellectual doctrine ever created"--represents an exalting of our humanity, and keeps us from "spiritualizing the Ascension," he said.

Dawson quoted Karl Barth on the Ascension; Barth said Christ's human body was "a clothing he does not put off. It is His temple which He does not leave. It is the form which He does not lose." He also quoted Calvin, whose body was prone to constant ailments and looked to Christ's glorified body in heaven as what we will become after the resurrection of the body:

Although I am weak, there is Jesus Christ ... powerful enough to make me stand.
Although I am feeble, there is Jesus Christ who is my strength.
Although I am full of miseries, Jesus Christ is in immortal glory and what He has will some time be given to me and I shall partake of all His benefits.

Thomas Boogaart then presented the Ascension from an Old Testament perspective. He gave the poignant metaphor of "the road between heaven and earth," a metaphor that encapsulates both the Old and New Testaments--the Israelites, the angels, and the prophets (such as Isaiah in Isaiah 6 and Paul in Acts 8) traveled that road. The end of the road is God's house, where we belong, where we will feast, where we long to be. And so, "the Ascension is not just an idea, it is a way of viewing the world." Seeing ourselves as travelers on that road--and making our own houses as much like God's house as we can, practicing hospitality--is how we live out our witness to Christ's ascension.

That was just the morning! The afternoon continued with plenaries and breakout sessions, many of which will be available soon at the Calvin Seminary audio lecture archive. Also see this Vital Worship feature story and links on the Ascension.

NT Christians and Empire: 'A Sly Civility'

2006-05-25T15:01:00.000-04:00

That's "NT" as in "New Testament," not N.T. Wright, but I draw on Wright's statements about empire on page 170. A special issue of the Journal for the Study of the New Testament last year on Christians and empire explores this theme. A couple highlights:

A Sly Civility: Colossians and EmpireHarry O. Maier
Journal for the Study of the New Testament, Vol. 27, No. 3, 323-349 (2005)

This article relates Colossian vocabulary, motifs and theological themes to the cultural situation of the cult of the emperor. The author’s language and conceptualization of reconciliation as a cosmic and earthly peace (Col.1.15-23) reflects an imperial backdrop and utilizes civic vocabulary typical of Greek and Roman treatments of concord. His representation of Jesus’ death as a Roman triumph (2.15), and the incorporation of all humankind—including barbarians and Scythians—in a trans-ethnic unity (3.11) similarly reflects the geopolitical notions of a worldwide Roman Empire. The imperial imprint on the Household Code (3.18-4.1) is recognizable through attention to numismatic representations of Nero and his consort enjoying a divinely appointed familial concord. Though used by court theologians like Eusebius of Caesarea to legitimate a Christian application of Empire, the letter may be read as a destabilization of Empire inasmuch as it derives imperial-sounding ideals from the crucifixion of Jesus.

Re-mapping the Universe: Paul and the Emperor in 1 Thessalonians and Philippians
Peter Oakes
Journal for the Study of the New Testament, Vol. 27, No. 3, 301-322 (2005)

This article considers three texts that are frequently cited in relation to Rome: 1 Thess. 4.15-17; 1 Thess. 5.3; Phil. 2.9-11. Four options for the apparent parallels between Christian and Roman terminology are considered: (1) independent use of common sources, (2) Christian imitation of elements of Roman discourse or practice, (3) Christian writing in reaction to conflict stemming from Rome and (4) Christian writing that conflicts with Roman discourse or practice. The article concludes that 1 Thess. 5.3 and Phil. 2.9-11 conflict with Roman ideology. However, in neither case is Paul either writing polemic against Rome or specifically arguing against participation in the imperial cult. Instead, he is re-drawing the map of the universe in order to encourage Christians who are suffering under pressure from Graeco-Roman society.

Visit to Shawnee Book Group

2006-05-24T19:50:00.000-04:00

On Sunday I met with a book group from Shawnee Christian Reformed Church that had studied my book, at the home of two of the members (coincidentally, just about a quarter mile from the home where I met the Neland book group). The group was made up of older readers, and I was struck by one comment one reader made about my generation. She asked if my generation thought more about heaven and the kind of questions I raise in the book. I said that honestly, I thought my generation was very technology-oriented, and thus less prone to think about the transcendent. She commented that her generation didn't ask these kinds of questions at all; they were more inclined to just accept the doctrine that was handed down to them and not worry about any remaining questions they had. My generation, by comparison, she said, felt free to ask big questions. Readers around the room generally agreed, and some said that this was the first they had thought this long and hard about the afterlife. I had assumed that thinking about the afterlife came a little more naturally as you get older, with some of your biggest life decisions behind you, more more funerals of your friends to attend. I was struck by the potental for discussing heaven in an older generation.

Bookshelf: 'Hope in the Midst of a Hostile World'

2006-05-12T13:53:00.000-04:00

New from P&R, my publisher for BHDTE:

Schwab, George M. Hope in the Midst of a Hostile World: The Gospel According to Daniel (The Gospel According to the Old Testament) (P&R Publishing, 2006). [P-A]

Michael Barrett packs some good eschatology into his endorsement:

God reveals the future to affect the present. Prophecy glorifies the One in control, inspires believers’ confidence, intensifies hope for God’s will to be done, and moves people to repentance and holiness. This study of the book of Daniel highlights these essential aspects of prophecy. Given the mysterious symbolism throughout Daniel, not every reader will agree with Schwab’s interpretation of this or that detail. But his focus is clear: God’s absolute control and unrelenting resolve to accomplish his redemptive purpose in Christ should give God’s people in every age ‘hope in the midst of a hostile world.’

CAS book reception

2006-05-11T13:44:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I was honored to be invited to a book reception hosted by the Calvin CAS department for Bob Fortner's new book Radio, Morality, And Culture: Britain, Canada, And the United States 1919-1945 and my book. I majored in CAS at Calvin, and as I said in my remarks at the reception, the CAS professors, course material, and way of framing questions about worldview, culture, and vocation, had a pervasive influence on my faith and on this book. I was also humbled by Quentin Schultze's gracious introduction yesterday, and delighted that I could thank him and Bill Romanowski in particular at this event for their influence on the ideas of this book. I've posted an MP3 of Quin's introduction and my remarks.

Postcard from 'Paradise' in Orlando

2006-05-07T16:25:00.000-04:00

Here in Orlando (where I'm awaiting the start of EPA '06), I had lunch (and am now writing this entry--score one for wireless Web access) in the hotel restaurant, which goes by the name "Paradise." This allows the servers to invariably greet guests by saying, "Welcome to Paradise." I'll reserve more comment on "paradise" and its connotations of tropical leisure (in addition to what I have in chapter 1) for later. As for the aptness of this name to my dining experience today, all I can say is I enjoyed a side salad the size of an LP record, topped with carrots cut into little curlicues, while I gazed at the palm trees right outside the window (the third and fourth ones on the left, I think, in the picture).

Perversely, I didn't pack short sleeves or sunglasses, so I'll be spending all but a few minutes of my stay here in the airport, the airport shuttle, and the airport Mariott. And thanks to the prevalence of our artificially controlled climates, which I discuss in the introduction to chapter 3, I'll hardly notice the change from the chilly Midwest to central Florida. (Except for the sight of those palm trees.)

Preaching Apocalyptic resources online

2006-05-07T16:05:00.000-04:00

Speaking of preaching Revelation, I do hope my book motivates pastors to crack open the often-neglected pages of the last book of the Bible, and commentaries on it. But for the real heavy lifting of exegeting and preaching these thorny texts, be sure to see resources from the Preaching Apocalyptic Texts conference held last year at Calvin Theological Seminary. I helped compile this resource site, which now includes the full text of all plenary addresses and sermons as published in the Calvin Theological Journal.

The opening plenary address by Gordon Fee was entitled "Preaching Apocalyptic? You've Got to Be Kidding!" Fee said his purpose was "to urge you to recapture this great book for the sake of the contemporary church, because here indeed is a biblical book that is not only worth recovering for today's church, it is absolutely crucial that it be heard in our day. Here is a truly prophetic word, spoken with power and insight into a world dominated by a secular power." Fee said his task was to "whet your appetite, create in you a longing to preach and teach" from Revelation, and to offer practical tips for doing so.

May this conference, and the reflections of all of us who have written about Revelation, help inspire the church to rediscover its witness and its future as revealed to John in this “awakening” (apokalypsis) letter.

Update: More here and here.

Visit to Neland Faith and Writing group

2006-05-07T16:00:00.000-04:00

This past Thursday I was honored to be invited to join the Neland Church “Faith and Writing” book group, which had interrupted its long to-read list of reputable titles in order to read Bringing Heaven Down To Earth. I grew up at Neland and knew most of the members of the group, and I couldn’t help but think that no matter how many copies the book sells, no matter who reads it (easy for me to say, I’m not in marketing!), I would cherish the feedback of these readers more than most; their positive comments would be the most validating and their critical comments most useful. Sharing a book you’ve written with people you’ve never met is an amazing thought, but sharing it with people in the worshiping community that formed you is most rewarding.

I was right about the quality of both the positive and negative comments from the group. A few members said that while the ideas of the book were fairly familiar to them–-because they shared with me the influences of the Reformed tradition and the writings of the key authors I refer to—-they generally found it a useful, plainspoken overview of these ideas. One member remarked that she could hand this book to a pastor and say, “Preach a sermon series on Revelation” (see this). One member wondered about the exegetical precedent for the ships of Tarshish analysis in chapter 4; I said that I once asked Richard Mouw at a conference in Chicago for his exegetical paper trail on his work on Isaiah 60 in When the Kings, and he told me only that it was largely based on his own reading and reflection. This member also thought I may have left my section on the Rapture too brief, especially since I avoided the premillennial doctrine of the tribulation and thousand-year reign of Christ. I agreed that I could have spent more time directly confronting these tenets of premillennialism, although I had wanted to keep it simple and focus only on the meaning of apentesin, and leave the more thorough debunking of premillennialism and Left Behind to others (Hoekema, and book-length critiques of the LB series, to which Thomas Thompson, a Calvin College professor and cousin of Jerry Jenkins, will notably add his later this year).

I was touched by the warm hospitality of the group (thanks again to Jan for the magnificent spread of tea and snacks), and by their responses to the book, which were both affirming and unsparing. And I’m grateful again for the major influence of the Neland community on my faith and on this book.

'Coming Home' at LaSalle

2006-05-06T10:49:00.000-04:00

Last weekend my wife and I were in Chicago for 'Coming Home,'a reunion of former members of LaSalle Street Church. LaSalle set up a 'Marketplace' room featuring artwork and books by former members, and I enjoyed a spot for BHDTH right next to DVDs of the history of LaSalle. The DVDs, and the books of longtime LaSaller Philip Yancey, drew the most interest, of course, but some attendees were very gracious in their interest in my book. In many ways, the book's main idea--that we shouldn't just sit back and wait for heaven, but should actively await what will be an active eternity--resonates well with LaSalle's bottomless heart for hands-on ministry in downtown Chicago.

Eschatological Hymns: 'Alleluia! Jesus is Risen'

2006-04-26T08:51:00.000-04:00

'Alleluia! Jesus is Risen' (SNC 150)

City of God, Easter forever
golden Jerusalem, Jesus the Lamb,
river of life, saints and archangels,
sing with creation to God the I AM!

Eschatological Hymns: 'Christ the Lord is Risen Today'

2006-04-26T08:46:00.000-04:00

'Christ the Lord is Risen Today'

Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

The Real World

2006-04-05T14:28:00.000-04:00

I have some doctrinal differences with the Rev. David Feddes, but I noted an echo of N.T. Wright's fascinating "imperial parody" idea I talk about on page 170, in this bulletin announcement:

THE REAL WORLD: Have you ever noticed that when we talk about "the real world," we usually mean something bad? The so-called "real world" is where bad things happen and bad people succeed. But what if the real world is where good wins out and happiness reigns? Don't miss the April 16th Easter Back to God Hour. Check out our new website at BacktoGod.net for local stations and times.

Presumably this refers to a re-airing of Feddes' 2002 sermon on "The New City":

I know what some of you are thinking at this point. You're thinking, what about the real world? What's the use of talking about a future fantasy, when right now we're surrounded by greed, filth, and violence, by gangs and drugs and pollution? Well, friend, what we've been talking about is the real world.

Granted, our cities have many problems (at least for the moment) and we need to deal with them somehow. But let me just ask: Who's in touch with the real world? Is it people who are so bogged down in broken families and addiction and violence, in sin and selfishness, that they can't even imagine anything better? Or is it those who are in touch with the one reality that lasts forever? I totally agree that we need to be in touch with the real world, but the ultimate reality is the eternal city of God.

When we're in touch with this reality, when we really believe in the city of the future, we can also change the future of the city. We can begin to make our cities better right now, starting with ourselves. Instead of caving in to despair, we can have new hope and new energy, knowing that the future is bright. The more of us who start living right now as citizens of heaven, the better our neighborhoods will be.

The most realistic thing you and I can do, both for now and for our ultimate future, is to recognize the living God as Lord of the universe, to trust his Son Jesus as the way, the truth, and to look eagerly to the city of the future. This glorious realism has moved God's people ever since Abraham. In Hebrews 11 the Bible says Abraham "was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God" (Hebrews 11:10). That’s what we need to do as well: look forward to the city with foundations, the city that lasts forever, the ultimate reality.

SIPs for BHDTE

2006-04-01T12:51:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite features at Amazon.com is SIPs, or Statistically Improbable Phrases. These are two-word phrases that appear disproportionately frequently in a particular book. The SIPs for Bringing Heaven Down To Earth are:

impossible promotion, small gospel, destructive devotion, big gospel, cultural commission, worldly kingdom, eternal heaven, current cities, right alignment, heavenly city

Quote at ByFaithOnline

2006-04-01T12:45:00.000-05:00

Dick Doster outlines an eschatological view of culture in his article at byFaithOnline, "In the End, God Redeems [Humans'] Work for the Sake of His Glory." He uses my quotes of Hoekema, Mouw, and others from chapters 4 and 7, and cites my book toward the end:

In his book Bringing Heaven Down to Earth, journalist Nathan Bierma quotes Robert McAfee Brown, who said, "God's message is never: Turn away from this sinful world and find me somewhere else. God's message is: Immerse yourselves in this sinful world that so desperately needs words and acts of healing, and you will find you are not alone, for I am already there, summoning you to help me."

Christians at work in the secular world are not biding their time, waiting for eternal retirement. Rather, they are looking forward to the consummation of Christ's kingdom when they will rule, fill, and subdue the Earth—free from every sin—and for no other reasons than to glorify God and love their neighbors.

Monday morning—in business offices and art studios—Christians are to be fully engaged in creating the world's culture. Their work is to illustrate the cosmic scope of Christ's redemptive plan. Their eight to 10 hours a day—in marketing, teaching, or governing—is, Bierma points out, a means of preparing themselves and the world around them for the end of worldliness. They are, as they make their way to work each morning, to ask God to transform them and their surroundings "from people and places of worldly pride to people and places of godly goodness."

Andrew Bandstra on "The Hope of Heaven"

2006-04-01T12:16:00.000-05:00

Dr. Andrew Bandstra, with whom I worshiped at Neland Avenue CRC when I was growing up, wrote the article "The Hope of Heaven," which earned second place in the category of Biblical Exposition from the Evangelical Press Association in 2004. Dr. Bandstra doesn't specifically sketch a terrestrial and cultural framework for heaven the way Anthony Hoekema and Richard Mouw do, but his analysis of biblical texts about heaven and hope is thorough.

What the Old Testament hints at, the New Testament teaches clearly. Jesus, the high priest and guarantee of the new covenant, has introduced “a better hope” (Heb. 7:19). Hope is related to the future. Paul tells us that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to “the glory that will be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18-25). The whole creation groans “in hope,” and we believers also groan inwardly as we “wait eagerly” for our adoption as sons and daughters, namely, the redemption of our bodies. Paul explains: “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what [they] already ha[ve]? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”

Judy Congdon response

2006-04-01T11:42:00.000-05:00

I met Judy Congdon of Houghton College last summer in John Witvliet's summer seminar on teaching worship. I also appreciated reading her chapel reflection at Houghton on this summer seminar, and seeing her again at this past Symposium on Worship. So I was delighted and humbled to receive this note from her that said she had read my book, and glad that she agreed to have it posted here:

It was good to see you a few weeks ago at Symposium! While I was there, I took advantage of a few free minutes one afternoon to browse through the exhibits, and saw your book there. I had decided I wasn't going to buy stuff this year, but it drew my attention, mostly because I had met you last summer and was interested in what you might have to say. The title also grabbed me. Having grieved, during the past 2 months, the losses of 3 people who have been part of the fabric of my days ... heaven has been sort of on my mind.

I don't know what I expected to find when I opened the cover. Certainly I didn't expect the incredible life-affirming experience I've had in reading and processing the ideas you present. I felt such a witness of the Holy Spirit within my own spirit as I read. It's like a whole new room has been opened in my imagination, and my eyes have been opened to seeing bits (sometimes lots) of heaven every day. I'm so excited about it that I've ordered 5 more copies to give to friends and family, and may even get more than that before I'm through!

This note is a profound thank you for the beautiful, creative work you have done in writing the book! You have a remarkable gift for putting words together in compelling ways, and I am much, much richer for having read Bringing Heaven Down to Earth.

English department winter reading

2006-03-03T12:48:00.000-05:00

The Calvin College English Department held a winter gathering last night for readings by authors from the department (I'm an adjunct). I read from the opening pages of chapter 3 of my book last night (minus the technical theological stuff on "kainos" and "heurisko").

A couple of lines got laughs, which I didn't fully expect ("I love thunderstorms. When I’m indoors, at least." and "We are most likely to hear the chirping of birds or gushing of water on a relaxation tape rather than firsthand")--but which I found encouraging. I must say, in all my revising and fussing over word choice, I never really imagined reading from my book before an audience. But I was glad that the prose seemed to me to be fairly readable--not too many dependent clauses.

As I read from this chapter I was also struck by the fear that these opening lines come across as romantic about nature, and anti-culture--which I'm not, as chapters 4 and 5 clarify thoroughly, I hope. Annie Dillard makes sure to write about the gruesomeness of nature as well as its glory, and that seems as honest as it is uncomfortable. I hope I spilled enough ink on the Fall in chapter 3 to cover all the bases. Either way, I still feel the thunderstorm vignette was the right way to make this pivot into Revelation. You have to hear that rain tapping on the window, I think, to hope for a new earth.

Oh 'great'

2006-02-17T11:16:00.000-05:00

This poll at Crosswalk.com really surprised me. At first I thought, maybe I didn't have to write this book! I had envisioned my audience as the respondents to #2 or #3. Of course, that audience would be less likely to frequent a site like Crosswalk. I still think the majority of North American Christians have more of a lukewarm, vaguely-defined faith that desperately needs a more dynamic, more deeply biblical vision of heaven.

And actually, it's likely that the same need exists among some of the 77 percent here who think heaven will be "great." My book argues that heaven will be much more than respite, much more than leisure, much more than worship. It will be a cosmos where everything is made right. "Great" doesn't begin to describe it.

Sin: "as the leech sticks to the skin ..."

2006-02-07T12:32:00.000-05:00

I write in Chapter 3 that "sin oozes, [it] creeps...", but this is even better (quoted in a forthcoming publication of CICW):

The Zaire rite offers its prayer of confession this way: “Lord our God, as the leech sticks to the skin and sucks human blood, evil has invaded us. . . Who will save us, if not you, our Lord?”

• Related Chapter: 3

Course on The Medieval City

2006-02-07T11:29:00.000-05:00

Speaking of urban studies, here's a delectable course at St. Olaf: The Medieval City: History and Historiography.

In this course, we will explore both the history and historiography of the medieval urban environment, focusing on the period after 1100. We will begin with two general surveys of medieval European cities, then read a series of articles and books on specific topics, accompanied by selected primary sources. The last third of the class will offer you time to work on a major research project and prepare a twenty minute presentation on your work.

• Related Chapter: 5

"Urban Paradise" at CTLibrary.com

2006-01-11T11:06:00.000-05:00

Melody Pugh at CTLibrary.com:

In the popular imagination, the city often represents society's vices: violence, crime, sexual deviance, drugs. With the heightened visibility of suffering through homelessness, poverty, and racial discrimination, we see the more extreme effects of living in a sinful world. And though certainly not exclusive to the city, these realities are, like everything else in an urban environment, more concentrated. ...

To urban church leaders, led by nationally recognized figures like Ray Bakke in Chicago and Tim Keller in New York City, cities are more than just a present-day Sodom and Gomorrah, quietly awaiting their downfall, or crying out for salvation from the redeemed rural world. Instead, they're concentrated centers of transformation, communities with the opportunity to demonstrate God's grace. They're opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds to live, work, and play in near proximity, and in so doing, to participate in the authentic work of the gospel. Cities allow close-knit networks of churches to provide vital resources, for Christians to share the news of God's desire to break down barriers to justice, responsibility, and brotherly love.

Also see my B&C online article: Why There Will Be Sidewalks in Heaven

• Related Chapter: 5

Theologically suspect Blog Heaven banner

2006-01-11T11:00:00.000-05:00

This Beliefnet banner gets cute with its subtitle, "Where faith blogs go if they're good," enforcing the erroneous and harmful notion (as I argue at the end of Chapter 8 and elsewhere) that going to heaven depends on how good you are. The Bible is clear: No one is good enough. So God made entrance to heaven a matter of whether you're saved, not whether you're good.

Howard Vanderwell response

2006-01-07T17:38:00.000-05:00

I was honored to have my colleague, Rev. Howard Vanderwell, read my book over Christmas break and stop by my office yesterday to share his reflections. He said he appreciated the book, especially the point about "the artificial heaven of retirement" in Chapter 7--since Vanderwell works full time in his retirement--and the big gospel/small gospel distinction in Chapter 7. Small gospel believers, he agreed, are missing out -- "it's like standing in front of a skyscraper and looking only at the 1st floor," as he memorably put it. Vanderwell said the book's title may suggest the book is going to be mostly about heaven, when he thought "it's more about the 'bringing' and the 'connecting.'" I was a little worried about the same thing, but I figured the "bringing" and the "connecting" were the important parts, anyway--at least more than speculating about the nature of eternal life.

First Things recommendation

2006-01-07T17:33:00.000-05:00

My former editor John Wilson mentions my book in the company of three other works of apologetics, including Debra Rienstra's So Much More, in his year-end books roundup in the December issue of First Things (the article is not yet available online) (update: now it is). I hadn't really thought of my book as apologetics before this, but I guess the theological framework the book lays out can and should serve as a defense of the Christian faith. In any case, I'm honored by the mention.

CRHM recommendation

2005-12-16T12:14:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Bill Van Groningen of Christian Reformed Home Missions (and husband of my colleague Connie) for mentioning my book in his "Interesting Stuff" newsletter, in the same paragraph as Neal Plantinga's Engaging God's World and Quentin Schultze's Here I Am: Now What on Earth Should I Be Doing? Bill writes:

These books keep a wider horizon in view, a horizon that incorporates not only the emergent now of conversion, but also God's provision of "in the beginning" and eventual "unending shalom." They understand what it means to be church today in the context of an eternal kingdom (heaven on earth) that has already dawned in Jesus Christ.

ABC Special to Look For Heaven

2005-12-16T11:50:00.000-05:00

No, I don't quote Barbara Walters in my book...

Dec. 5, 2005 — For centuries humanity has looked to the sky and asked profound questions: Where is heaven and how do we get there? People have dreamed of heaven, dedicated their lives to the promise of heaven, even martyred themselves — committing heinous acts of terrorism — for the promise of paradise. Is heaven simply a myth dreamed up to give lives meaning, or is it a real place?

Anchored by Barbara Walters, "Heaven — Where Is It? How Do We Get There?" explores the meaning of heaven with religious leaders of the major faiths, scientists, people who say they believe in heaven because they've been there, celebrities who are vocal about their beliefs, and even with terrorists. The special broadcast airs Tuesday, Dec. 20, from 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET on ABC. continued...

Advent Peace Psalm by Edward Hays

2005-12-12T13:33:00.000-05:00

This litany was read yesterday in a beautiful Advent worship service I attended at LaSalle Street Church in Chicago. I thought it provocatively captured the mission of humble but bold renewal that I was trying to articulate in Chapter 4.

(I assume the psalm is taken from this collection; to appease the copyright police, I'll post only a portion.)

Advent Peace Psalm
Edward Hays

O Prince of Peace, whose advent we seek in our lives,
Come this day and show us how to beat our swords into plowshares,

Tools of life instead of instruments of fear.

May your love strip us naked of all weapons
and strategies of conquest,
which are not the tools of lovers, wise ones, and God's children

Let us not lust for power but rather strive for the insight to be guided on the Way of Peace

...

Let us be Advent adventurers and peacemakers
hammering swords into shovels, filling holes and leveling peaks.

Let us be disarmed and vulnerable,

For only through such open hands and hearts will Emmanuel come.

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

The Eschatology of a Preposition in "Now Thank We All Our God"

2005-11-28T13:16:00.000-05:00

At Thanksgiving chapel last week, we sang, appropriately enough, "Now Thank We All Our God."

In verse 2, we sang, according to the words on the overhead:

"and free us from all ills, in this world and the next"

I thought the line was supposed to end with "IN the next." That's a weighty eschatological preposition; it clarifies that we do not seek immunity from all ills in this current, broken world, but expect perfect bliss only in the next world, on the new earth. (It also gets around the question of why ills would exist in the next life to be delivered from.)

The latest edition of The Psalter Hymnal does indeed read "IN the next." But when we sang the hymn in church yesterday, I listened hard and noticed that, even with this text in front of them, most of the congregation sang "AND the next." Meanwhile, cyberhymnal.org has "and the next."

So I asked my colleague Emily Brink for her perspective on the eschatology of this preposition (or conjuction, in the case of "and"). Emily doesn't deal with this in the Psalter Hymnal Handbook she co-edited, but she does have the inside scoop on this:

Good question. The PsH version reflects some intense discussion on the committee that worked on the revision. We wondered what ills in the next world there could possibly be? So we changed the original translation by Catherine Winkworth, though many people who grew up with her original (in previous editions of the PsH as well) often sing the original by heart. You can find the original German at http://ingeb.org/spiritua/nundanke.html

The German line is "Und uns aus aller Not Erlösen hier und dort." My dad says that translates literally as "and us from all need/want/trouble/danger, redeem/free here and there" ("in this world and the next"). So the "and" is original to the German, but I'm not sure how figurative/eschatological the "there" of "dort" is.

Meanwhile, I'll keep singing "in" -- I know better than to expect "and."

Scott Hoezee response

2005-11-19T15:45:00.000-05:00

Scott Hoezee polished off the book on a plane trip out east and writes:

Most of what you wrote resonated with how I think ... this approach is one that (I think) I had utilized all along at the two congregations where I served. Certainly it helps if we maintain (and where needed, reinstate) the vertical dimension to our worship. Contemporary services that are all horizontal where we think mostly about our own felt needs--and/or where God is treated like a chum on the other side of the table, sipping a latte along with the rest of us--tend to not have anything to shoot for/aim at. (Such services also tend not to challenge people much, which may be part of their appeal/charm!)

Worship is always a balancing act between "the already and the not yet." We don't want to focus so much on heaven as to blot out the things of earth--or as to foster contentment with even rotten circumstances seeing as we'll be done with this life by-and-by. Nor do we want to focus so much on earth alone that pastors become one-part therapist, one-part social worker, solving problems in purely human terms. We need what you present in your book: a living CONNECTION between the two realms. This connection both reveals where life on this earth has run off the rails AND gives us a better vision to shoot for.

Anyway, I think these are worthy topics for discussion. As John Wilson comments in his blurb, talk of heaven is not exactly a commonplace among people in your age group. Why is that (and what does it reveal about the attitudes many people carry with them into worship)?

Ellen Charry on eschatology and happiness

2005-11-14T18:04:00.000-05:00

Earlier this month, I heard Princeton's Ellen Charry deliver the Stob Lectures on the topic of "God and the Art of Happiness." She argued that Christianity needs to have a voice in academic discourse about happiness, since the present discourse proceeds with "a lack of appreciation for the spiritual dimension of happiness."

Charry also touched on eschatology; "Happiness," she said, "remains an eschatological hope." In modernity, Christian theologians came to believe that on this earth we could experience "moments of bliss, but they are unsustainable--only in the next life [will they be sustained].

Listen to Charry's lectures at the Stob Lectures page.

I tried to unwrap the eschatology of happiness in a weblog entry on an article in the journal Daedalus entitled "From the happiness of virtue to the virtue of happiness." As I read it now, my entry seems a little muddled, but you can see how the nature of happiness is a central question of theology:

From the Beatitudes ("happy are those who … ") to Augustine, McMahon says, happiness was prescribed as an eternal but future remedy for those who suffered currently. Live virtuously now, have happiness later as a result. Nonetheless, McMahon says the sensuousness of the Christian imagination of happiness—"feeling, intense feeling, was what flowed forth with Christ's blood, transformed in the miracle of the Eucharist from the fruit of intense pain to the sweet nectar of rapture"—stood in stark contrast to the "cool" and "rational" happiness of Aristotle. Although we remember Reformation-era thinkers as a grim lot, it was this visceral sense of happiness that defined the Christianity of their time, McMahon says. "The Renaissance imagination thus ranged freely forward to the joys that would come, and backward to those that had been, [reflecting] greater acceptance of pleasure in the here and now." Even Calvin, who emphasized the misery of the human condition, said: "When the favor of God breathes upon us, there is none of these [sufferings] which may not turn out to our happiness." full entry

Peterson on the Lord's Supper: The Missing Metaphor of the Feast at the End of Time

2005-11-14T18:00:00.000-05:00

My entry at the CICW Worship Weblog on our staff discussion of Eugene Peterson's new book Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places includes a wrapup of this point:

2. Martha Moore-Keish connects the Eucharist and eschatology in A More Profound Alleluia. She writes:

Many biblical writers present the picture of God’s ultimate reign as that of a great feast at the end of time, when ‘many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven’ (Matt. 8:11). So from earliest days the community has been necessary for celebration of the Eucharistic meal, and the Eucharist has provided a foretaste of the eschatological feast of the Lamb (Rev 19:9). (p. 116)

Are there any eschatological undertones in Peterson’s description of the Lord’s Supper? Any hints of how it foreshadows “a great feast at the end of time”? Or are these two accounts (M-K and EP) of the Lord’s Supper mostly distinct?

Mary said an eschatological undertone to Peterson’s section would have strengthened it. She said that after the passage on brokenness at the top of page 211, she wrote in the margin, “When does it get better?” She added that the sacrament “has to be pointing to wholeness.”

I added that since the feast image is a rare example of a simple and enticing picture that captures the otherwise daunting and metaphysically elusive concepts of eschatology, it would have been useful to pick up on in this chapter.

Used Copies?

2005-10-31T14:12:00.000-05:00

I'm new to the publishing world, so I'm a little puzzled by the fact that within days of my book's release, you can order "used and new" copies of it.

Another novelty to this rookie author is Amazon's Suprise Me link, which generates a non-printable image of a random page. Could one, theoretically, and with great confusion, nonetheless read the entire book like this, page by page?

Reformation Day

2005-10-31T13:49:00.000-05:00

Reformation Day 2005 is a fitting day to launch this blog for my book, which is steeped in Reformed Protestant theology (though useful, I hope, to believers of different Christian traditions, and to non-believers).

My aim in the book was to lay out a simple framework in plain language for connecting the reality of eternal heaven to our daily lives. Heaven is too important to neglect; we must nourish daily hope for its coming. Thoughts, questions, and comments on my book , and the topic it introduces, will follow here. Thanks for reading this blog, and maybe the book, too.