The InVerse Theology Project: Recent Episodes
T. M. Moore
A spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition for pastors interested in Celtic Christianity, and featuring the writings of T. M. Moore.
The Church’s most foundational mandate is to make disciples. But we long ago decided that was not what we want to do. We have made making disciples an option which is all too often ignored. In our condition of drift, we prefer to make church members rather than disciples. We cannot expect the blessings of the Lord on such a choice. Here is Part 6 of our blank verse essay, Absimilation.
Oh, yes, the Lord has blessed our labors through
the years, because He is the God of grace
and mercy. But what greater blessings have
been all withheld or simply put beyond
our reach because we choose the course of drift
instead of sailing in the Wind of God,
according to His Word?
It’s not necessary to sell all our buildings and scrap all our programs to begin recovering some of that spiritual power which fueled the early Christian churches. But we must face up to the reality that our approach to “doing church” has little resemblance to what we see in the New Testament. Only as we acknowledge this can we begin to halt the drift that we have experienced for so long. Here is Part 5 of our blank verse essay, Absimilation.
Many Christians found it impossible to adjust to the growing focus on buildings and personalities that began to characterize the Church in the fourth century. They fled to the deserts or the walls of monastic foundations to be free of what they considered the distractions and drift of churches throughout the Roman Empire. Their efforts may have suited a few, but they continued to drive wedges into the unity of the Body of Christ. Here is Part 4 of our blank verse essay, Absimilation, entitled “An Unworthy Path.”
These days, mention the word “church” and what people think of is a building. We say that we “go” to church, clearly indicating that we consider church a destination rather than a living body, the very body of Christ. We fail to see how limiting this idea can be, because we have drifted so far from God’s original plan for His churches. Here is Part 3 of our blank verse essay, Absimilation, entitled “An Unworthy Path.”
Christians today like innovation. All things new. New is the wave of the future, so we like to believe. But God calls us to hold on to old truths, old ways, and, yes, old words.
It’s likely that, should a believer from the first century manage to arrive in one of our churches, he would not recognize it as such. The Church today has drifted from the model we see in the New Testament, and we are unaware and unconcerned. But we cannot deny that the churches in this country are in a state of decline, and this situation bodes ill, not only for the churches, but for our nation as well. Here is Part 1 of Absimilation, an essay in blank verse.
John 2.23-3.21
And many people, when they saw what He
had done while He was in Jerusalem
for Passover, believed that He must be
the Son of God, as He had said to them,
and trusted in His Name. But Jesus knew
their hearts. He knew the motives of all men
and needed no one to advise or to
explain to Him the heart of any man.
Thus, to commit to them He would not do.
The primary reason to take up reading and studying both poetry and theology is that these can show us paths for journeying with Jesus through our lives. Poetry and theology can point us to Jesus, inviting us to consider Him in ways that can make His Presence with us more real and continuous.
To many readers, poetry represents a kind of mysticism. We know the poet is trying to say something, but we’re not quite sure what it is. Perhaps he’s just inviting us to have some sort of inward and personal encounter with his words, to lead us in making our own poem out of the lines, images, structure, form, and all the rest he supplies?
We have seen that among the aspects of a work of literature which identify it as poetry are a certain employment of form, rhythm, rhyme, and image.
The heavy lifting of poetry is by the images poets choose to convey meaning and experience, together with the rhyme schemes they adopt to add musicality to the verse. Images can be of various kinds, as also can rhymes. Images and rhyme are the muscle and flesh of a poem.
Images come into play when poets use one thing to stand for another. Images are primarily of two sorts, metaphors and similes, which are simply metaphors introduced by “like” or “as”. In a metaphor a poet gives us something familiar to help us understand and experience something less familiar. A good image can make a lasting impression and convey a deeply meaningful experience.
We need to say a bit more about the role of meter and line and how they contribute to making verse an art form. Meter and line provide the skeleton and sinews of a poem. They give shape and rhythm to the words that hang on them stanza after stanza. The more regular they are, the more the poem “feels” like a poem. Much of contemporary poetry has thrown off all requirements of regular structure and demonstrates very little regard for meter and line as these have been practiced over the centuries in traditional English verse. I find such poems more difficult to read and appreciate, and to recall or commend. Many very fine examples of what is referred to as “free verse” exist, but I regard them as the exception. For our purposes I want to consider as an art in the long-standing tradition of the arts, those poems that honor the value of regular meter and line length.
Undoubtedly, a sizeable majority of people today, including most Christians, would answer the question above, “Not I.” It’s hard enough to get people to read these days, much less to read verse. So estranged is the reading public from any diet of poetry that, not that long ago, one of our leading poets published an important book bearing the title, Can Poetry Matter?
Of course, all theology is spiritual because its object is to know God, Who is a most pure Spirit. So whether we’re doing work in Biblical, creational, historical, systematic, or practical theology, we are doing spiritual theological work.
The first believers in Thessalonica startled their neighbors with the dramatic difference believing in Jesus was making in their lives. It was clear to some of the people in that important Roman center that the “Christians”, as they had come to be called, were out of step with the rest of the community.
God is a God of order, not confusion. He expects His people to do all things decently and in order, to reflect His character to the world (1 Cor. 14.40).
We don’t have to read very far in Scripture to realize two things: First, the Bible contains a good bit of history. One could go so far as to argue that the Scriptures are nothing if not an historical account of a particular people covering a certain period. The second thing we notice is that God is intimately involved with this people throughout the course of their history; and He very often appears to use historical events and figures in His dealings with His people.
Theology is the disciplined pursuit of the knowledge of God and His glory. Creational theology, one of six primary disciplines in the regimen of theological studies, is beginning again to receive proper attention. By this discipline a believer, standing on the foundation of Scripture and Jesus Christ, may expect to discover the glory of God in created things and be enriched thereby in wondrous and edifying ways.
In his treatise, On Christian Doctrine, Augustine (354-430 AD) argued that all study of Scripture is aimed at knowing, loving, and serving God.
First, work on improving your soul. Then you'll be ready to work at loving your neighbor.
We bring to a close our all-too-brief survey of Charles Plummer's Lives of Irish Saints, to see what lessons await us there.
In John 2 Jesus shows His glory for the first time. He also shows His authority over those who make a mockery of God.
There is an "order of operations" for our work. It begins in the work of sanctification.
In the seventh century, the Celtic Revival began to wind down, for all the wrong reasons
We are a Church of Marthas, desperately seeking to stay afloat while we neglect the one needful thing
Celtic Christian leaders practice rigorous disciplines to serve God faithfully all their days
Can we really know the soul? Grow the soul? Be transformed in our soul? We can, but only when we look to God and His Word.
What is work? What's it for? How should we do it? We begin a study of "The Work We've Been Given to Do."
The doctrine of sin can be as devastating in the Church as in any individual's soul. In this new series we'll see just how sadly true that is.
Prayer was the foundational discipline for the leaders of the Celtic Revival. What can we learn from them to help our own prayers?
We need to be persuaded that creation and culture can lead us to a deeper knowledge of the Lord
In Part 11 of The Story, our blank verse blended harmony of the gospels, Jesus brings the sermon on the mount to its conclusion, and the multitudes are astonished.
We begin a new series on understanding and caring for our soul. Here is Part 1 of "Soul-Keeping."
We bring our study of The Westminster Confession to its conclusion, looking forward to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Does God really speak to us through creation? Yes, He does, and in this new series we begin to consider how we can learn to meet God in the things He has made and grow to know, love, and serve Him more.
In Part 10 of The Story, our blank-verse blended harmony of the gospels, we begin the first of three parts on the Sermon on the Mount
Although added much later than the original Confession, chapters 34 and 35 deal with important matters in the life of faith.
In Hymn 7 of The Pearl, Ephrem sees in the pearl's cloudiness the beclouding efforts of the devil, and he exposes them to view.
Jesus had a knack for ticking-off the religious leaders of His day because He insisted on doing good and listening to His Father rather than to them
Do you know Jesus? Really know Him? Like Paul did? Knowing Jesus is more than mere head knowledge. But what?
Hymn 6 finds Ephrem meditating on the pearl in his hand and considering the folly of rebelling against the Lord and His Word.
Jesus returns to Jerusalem, doing good and speaking truth, but He's in trouble with the powers-that-be nonetheless. Here is Part 18 our blank-verse-blended-harmony of the Gospels, The Story.
We come to the end of Satan's diatribe against the Son of God, and we find him just as petulant and accusing as ever.
A careful look at the poetry of Scripture shows how various devices work to empower God's Word.
The Confession has much to say about the Church, and we'll look at all the relevant chapters of that great standard in today's InVerse Theology Project.
Brendan of Clonfert is next in our series on Lives of Irish Saints. He was called "The Navigator" for very good reasons.
Ephrem celebrates the pearl as fit for a crown, and his own "pearls" as fit to honor Jesus.
Satan boasts of the "many gains" he has made in his work of overthrowing Christ, but he's not very convincing.
What does theology have to do with marriage? Or marriage with theology? Plenty, as it turns out.
Berach distinguished himself as a servant at many levels, as we see in "The Lives of Irish Saints: Part 4."
Jesus continues His ministry in Galilee while His fame grows throughout that region and into Syria
God has shown us how we ought to worship Him. We are blessed and will grow in Him as we follow His counsel for this most important calling.
Next in line in our study "Lives of Irish Saints" we meet Bairre, pastor, pastor of pastors, educator, and true spiritual saint.
Here is Part 3 of Ephrem's hymns, The Pearl. In this installment, the pearl is for Ephrem a window on the Kingdom of God.
We feel the momentum of the Kingdom growing in Jesus' interviews with Nicodemus and the woman of Samaria.
Humiliated and bound by Jesus, Satan struggles to come up with a new plan for overthrowing Him.
Why is there so much poetry in the Bible? What does God know about poetry that we have forgotten? And how does this help us in discerning our own callings in life?
Jesus has set us free, but from what? And to what? And what has He done to help ensure that freedom? Our study in The Westminster Confession of Faith continues.
Abban is the first in Charles Plummer's Lives of Irish Saints, and he establishes a pattern for all who follow.
The second hymn in Ephrem's The Pearl focuses on the beauty of Christ in His conception, suffering, exaltation, and salvation.
Jesus begins His public ministry, preaching the Kingdom and calling His first disciples, in Part 4 of The Story.
Satan way overplayed his hand when he thought he could take Christ captive by temptation.
Believers are the called of God. But called to what? Called how? Called for what? That's what we'll be considering in this series.
"Hagiography" is a term used to describe the lives of saints. In this series of The InVerse Theology Project, we'll be considering Charles Plummer's translations of the lives of great saints from the Celtic Revival.
The Pearl, by fourth-century poet Ephrem the Syrian, is perhaps the first pure work of creational theology in the history of the Christian movement.
In Part 3 of The Story we meet John the Baptist and follow Jesus into the wilderness, where He is tempted by the devil.
Satan watches as John the Baptist points to Jesus and cries out that He is the Lamb of God! Lamb of God?
We conclude our study of William Cowper's views of the preaching of his day with some lessons for the preaching of our day in this the final installment of An Essay on Preaching.
The Westminster Confession of Faith explains that the grace of God not only saves us, but keeps us in salvation, and enables us to know we are saved as well. Here is Part 10 of our series, entitled "Of the Perseverance of the Saints and Assurance of Grace and Salvation."
Our meditations on the Confession of St. Patrick come to their conclusion with this installment, as Patrick gives all glory to God for the work he was able to accomplish.
Homer's epic The Odyssey wraps up with a strong statement of the importance of poetry for a healthy culture. God agrees. Are we listening?
In Part 2 of The Story we follow the accounts of Matthew and Luke of the birth and childhood of Jesus, the Word of God made flesh.
For William Cowper, preachers need only look to the apostle Paul for a proper example of how to do their work.
What about good works? What role do they play in our salvation? And how can we possibly do them? The Westminster Confession of Faith addresses these and other such questions in chapter 17, "Good Works."
Patrick concludes his Letter against the Soldiers of Coroticus by calling them to repent.
Homer's The Odyssey is a different kind of epic poem, in that its emphasis is more than just to tell a good story. Here is Part 1 of The Odyssey.
The Gospel is the greatest story ever told. Here begins The Story in a blended harmony set in blank verse. This is Part 1: Introduction
Asaph frustrates the devil's attempt to ensnare him, and serves as a portent of worse to come for the enemy of our souls.
For William Cowper, preachers need only look to the apostle Paul for a proper example of how to do their work.
Repentance and faith go together in the Christian life, both at its beginning, and in an ongoing way, as we see from chapters 14 and 15 of The Westminster Confession of Faith.
Here we begin to hear the second extant writing from the hand of St. Patrick, his Letter Against the Soldiers of Coroticus.
Our meditations on The Iliad come to a close in this installment, as we consider the lasting value and spiritual use of Homer's poem.
Solomon brings his meditations on life under the sun to its conclusion in Ecclesiastes 12.
Satan boasts of leading leaders astray the salting the lie with truth. But he met his match - and a terrible portent of things to come - in the prophet Asaph.
In Part 2 of "An Essay on Preaching" we hear William Cowper rail against those who would use the pulpit for personal advantage.
Jesus is exalted in glory, advancing His Kingdom, and calling us to see and follow Him in overcoming all His foes.
Patrick was falsely charged with greediness and seeking personal gain from his ministry. He has a word or two to say about that in Part 9 of Celtic Flame: The Burden of Patrick.
The ancient Greeks longed for a world of peace and prosperity, but they could not overcome their hearts full of lust and war.
We may enjoy some success in life, and perhaps even a bit of happiness, living only "under the sun." But then we die, and then what?
Satan's boldest and most consistent efforts to turn the hearts of people away from God has been by corrupting worship. He tells us all about it in Part 8 of Satan Bound.
What is preaching? And what is preaching for? 18th century poet and hymnodist William Cowper had some thoughts on those questions, and we begin to review them in Part 1 of "An Essay on Preaching."
We take a break from The Westminster Confession of Faith to consider one of most important and most neglected doctrines of Scripture: The ascension and session of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Patrick continues explaining why the demands of ministry would not allow him to return to Britain to answer some spurious charge against him by jealous bishops.
What makes The Iliad a classic? What can we as Christians learn from this epic tragedy? We begin the first of a three-part series investigating these questions in this week's InVerse Theology Project.
Life under the sun is vanity because it all ends in the grave. If that's all we have to hope for, well, that's not very hopeful. Solomon has a better suggestion in Ecclesiastes 9.
The devil is oh so subtle. He knows if he can get us to go beyond God's Word, then it won't be long before we're following the lie and worshiping him.
In short, the Christian's vantage point on time is Jesus - time's Maker, time's Keeper, and time's End
How can God continue to invite us into His Presence, when we're still so full of sin? What has He done to overcome our continuing sin? One word: Jesus.
Patrick insists that his salvation and calling were all of grace, and strictly in line with the teaching of God's Word in this installment of "The Burden of Patrick."
Before we plunge into Homer, Aeschylus, and a few other ancient writers, a word of explanation is in order as to why such writers should be of interest to us as Christians.
You need to be careful around kings and others who are in authority. Of course, we all know that. Are we as careful around God?
Listen in as the master deceiver lays out his plan to undermine faith in God and lie his way to dominion over God's people.
Our mind set on Jesus, immersed in His Word and promises, and seeking His Kingdom, we're ready to look around, and to redeem the time of our lives.
Human beings are helplessly lost in sin. We cannot save ourselves. Only God, by His grace in Jesus Christ, can renew our wills and bring us to salvation in Jesus.
No sooner had Patrick's ministry begun to take off in Ireland, than he was faced with a very severe test. But God was with him.
What is it about light that fascinates and enthralls us so? In this final installment of "Ray of Sun," we consider humankind's fond romance with light.
In Ecclesiastes 6 and 7, Solomon urges us not to be so caught up in the here and now, that we forget to keep an eye on the then and there.
We listen in as the devil ponders a scheme for invading and disrupting God's covenant with His people. This is Part 1 of a 2-part series entitled, "The Flesh."
We all look up to see Jesus in glory, and look back to discover Him in Scripture and Church history. And as we see Him, He's looking ahead to coming of His Kingdom. So must we.
We've seen how humankind fell into sin and lost the benefits of God's covenant. Can anything restore us? Yes, indeed.
Patrick finally arrived at his home, only to be confronted by God in a vision of the Irish people, calling him to return.
If you've never heard of Jeremiah Horrox, you're not alone. Isaac Newton heard of him, though, and because of Horrox, the world knows Newton.
God has no patience with those who try to use His Name for their own advantage, or who fail to trust in Him for the everyday situations of life. Solomon explains in Ecclesiastes 5.
In Volume 4, Part 6, the father of all lies gloats over his ruinous rule over the sons of men. But you can hear a sense of ill foreboding, as he realizes this is but a temporary situation.
The Christian life is anchored in looking up to Jesus, exalted to glory. But it also takes strong bearings from looking back to where we've come from, and what God intends for us.
In this installment we move from the subject of theology proper into that of anthropology, and we learn about the fall and man and God's covenant.
In Part 4 of "Celtic Flame: The Burden of Patrick", Patrick recounts his safe arrival home, and the vision that changed his life forever.
Why would a great theologian encode his most profound insights in verse? We'll discover as we take a look at Altus Prosator, by Colum Cille.
In Ecclesiastes 4, Solomon muses on the misery of men and the vanity of life under the sun.
The enemy of our souls reveals his plan to get back at God by leading the human race into sin and misery in this edition of The InVerse Theology Project.
Christians must at all times be those who look up to Christ and beyond the seen world into the realm of unseen things and glory.
God is sovereign, and God is gracious. He created everything, and He keeps it all, according to His wisdom, power, and love.
God drove Patrick to slavery, then to prayer. Then He met him in prayer, and led him to freedom, as we will see in this installment of The InVerse Theology Project.
In Ecclesiastes 3, Solomon ponders the variety of life and mystery of why men choose to live like beasts.
Cast out of heaven and brooding upon the earth, Satan hits upon a place to revenge himself against the Lord.
Christians don't see time the way the world does. We practice the Kingship of Jesus, and receive our time from Him as a most precious gift.
In chapters 2 and 3 of the Westminster Confession of Faith we begin to know the God Who gave us the Scriptures.
Patrick continues his introduction and provides an overview of his work in this installment of The InVerse Theology Project.
Time is one of God's most precious gifts, but we need to know how to use it wisely. Otherwise, we might get lost in the graveyard of the Now.
What comes to mind when you hear the word "doctrine"? Love it, hate it, or don't ever think about it, as Christians, we can't do without it. But which doctrines should we believe? Stay tuned.
We open the window of historical theology a crack, to let in some light from the fifth century, as we begin to listen as Patrick relates his defense of the work God called him to do.
There's a reason why patience is a gift of the Holy Spirit: We do not wait well. In this issue of The InVerse Theology Project, we'll learn how to redeem the wait times of our lives.
We begin this Project in the window of Biblical theology, with a fresh translation - in verse, of course - of the book of Ecclesiastes.
Each week The InVerse Theology Project will throw open one of the windows of theological study, wrap the incoming light in classic poetic forms, and lead you into a greater realization of the presence, promise, and power of Christ and His Kingdom.