Issue 2 Cover.Indd 2 4/21/11 9:36 AM CRITIQUE 2011:2 CONTENTS
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A Ransom Fellowship Publication 2011 Issue 2 Poetry: FireĚ ies and Dust Film: Winter’s Bone, The King’s Speech, 127 Hours Resources: Make College Count, The Arabs, Of Pilgrims and Fire and Hindrances to Communication Issue 2 Cover.indd 2 4/21/11 9:36 AM CRITIQUE 2011:2 CONTENTS FROM THE EDITOR DIALOGUE 1Trust and Readers Feeling Safe Respond 2 POETRY “FireĚ ies” 3and “Dust” 2011 Issue 2, © Ransom Fellowship EDITOR Denis Haack DESIGNER Karen Coulter Perkins BOARD OF DIRECTORS Steven Garber Director, The Washington Institute, Washington DC Donald Guthrie REFLECTIONS Associate Professor of Educational Ministries Covenant Seminary, St Louis MO 4 Hindrances to Denis and Margie Haack Co-founders, Ransom Fellowship Communication Ed Hague Owner, MacPro Services Instructor, Christ Classical Academy, Tallahassee FL Bonnie Liefer Vice President for Marketing and Communications CCO, Pittsburgh PA Henry Tazelaar Professor of Pathology 10 DARKENED ROOM 12DARKENED ROOM Mayo Clinic College of Medicine CONTACT CRITIQUE www.RansomFellowship.org Winter’s Bone The King’s Speech 150 West Center, Rochester, MN 55902 Movie review by Movie review by [email protected] Drew TroĴ er Greg Grooms ABOUT CRITIQUE Critique is part of the work of Ransom Fellowship founded by Denis and Margie Haack in 1982. Together, they have created a ministry that includes lecturing, mentoring, writing, teaching, hospitality, feeding, and encouraging those who want to know more about what it means to be a Christian in the everyday life of the 21st century. RECEIVE CRITIQUE Critique is not available by subscription. Rather, interested readers can request to be added to Ransom’s mailing list, which is updated frequently. Donors to 14 Ransom Fellowship, a 501(c)(3) nonpro¿ t, tax-deductible DARKENED ROOM ministry, are added to the mailing list automatically unless requesting otherwise. Love is a Cry for Help Everyone on Ransom’s mailing list also receives Notes A movie review of 127 Hours by Wesley Hill from Toad Hall, a newsletter by Margie Haack in which RESOURCES she reÀ ects on what it means to be faithful in the ordinary and routine of daily life and gives news about Ransom’s ministry. Book: Make College Count: A Faithful COPYING POLICY 16 Guide to Life and Learning by Derek Melleby Feel free to make up to 50 copies of any article that appears in Critique for use with a small group. We only Book: The Arabs: A History by Eugene Rogan ask that you copy the entire article, note the source, and distribute the copies free of charge. Book: Of Pilgrims and Fire: When God HEARTS & MINDS Shows Up at the Movies by Roy M. Anker Hearts and Minds bookstore donates 10% of your purchase to Ransom Fellowship if you mention us when placing your order: www.heartsandmindsbooks.com. BACK PAGE 18 Images from COVER SOURCE PHOTO © NOAM ARMONN, DREAMSTIME This Issue’s Films Issue 2 Cover.indd 3 4/21/11 9:36 AM FROM THE EDITOR Trust and Feeling Safe by Denis Haack time to intentionally build trust is a Source: Jim Belcher in Deep Church: rare grace, an expression of part of the A Third Way Beyond Emerging biblical gospel of Christ. and Traditional (Downers Grove, IL: But it is also true that some people InterVarsity Press; 2009) p. 52. Thomas seem to have an uncanny ability to Watson [1620-1686] in The Beatitudes, inspire trust relatively quickly, if not (1660), an exposition of MaĴ hew 5:5. instantly. I would like to be more like that. How they accomplish this doesn’t seem to me to be easily quantię able. It can’t be faked, of that I am certain. I think it boils down to meekness, a grace that Jesus recommended (MaĴ hew 5:5) but that we don’t con- “Trust is conę dence,” Jim Belcher sider very oĞ en. “Basil calls this ‘the says, “that the other person’s inten- indelible character of a gracious soul,’” tions are good and that we have no the Puritan Thomas Watson said. “By reason to be protective or careful nature the heart is like a troubled around them.” If we are to feel safe in sea, casting forth the foam of anger conversation, safe to be truthful and and wrath. Now meekness calms the open, safe to expose our fears, convic- passions. It sits as moderator in the tions, and hopes, safe enough to risk soul, quieting and giving check to its asking hard questions, admiĴ ing deep distempered motions.” doubts, or voicing strong disagree- No doubt about it, I cast up far too ment, we must be able to trust those much foam. with whom we are talking. “As God’s chosen ones, holy and Whether the reputation is deserved beloved,” St Paul writes, “clothe your- or not, evangelical Christians tend not, selves with… meekness” (Colossians as a group, to inspire this trust. It’s 3:12). If it is true that we are chosen, one of the reasons many Christians if it is true that we are set apart to are afraid to invite non-Christians God by grace, if it is true that we are to church functionsȰchurch is actually beloved of God, Father, Son, oĞ en an unsafe place for everything and Holy SpiritȰthese realities mean except conformity and easy answers. that meekness is possible. I need not Treating people as those made in try to be God, or to try to ę x you, or God’s image, loving them as St Paul to control the conversation so it ends deę nes love in 1 Corinthians 13 means where I am most comfortable. I am wanting them to be able to trust us called simply to be gracious moment evenȰor especiallyȰwhen we hap- by moment, because God through pen to disagree with them. The fact Christ has been gracious to me. Being they may not return the favor is beside gracious makes sense because grace the point. is the only thing of value I have, and It’s true this sort of trust usually since I received it as a giĞ , I can oě er it needs to be built over time. You may in turn, and be grateful for the op- feel conę dent that my intentions portunity, whatever transpires. Being are good towards you only aĞ er we gracious is possible because in the have goĴ en to know each other a gospel we have been granted grace, bit. You may need to watch me in a and God’s Spirit who arrives to take variety of seĴ ings before you feel up residence within our very being very certain that you can cut loose proves his presence by causing fruit to without risking my anger, or dismis- grow that Ě ows out into a lifestyle of siveness, or sarcasm, or an answer shalom and loveliness (Galatians 5:22). that ends the discussion instead of This is what inspires conę dence deepening it. Granting unhurried and trust, and makes us safe. Ŷ A MAGAZINE OF RANSOM FELLOWSHIP CRITIQUE 2011:2 1 DIALOGUE: READERS RESPOND To the editor: in God’s image. Thus, when the church I was absolutely addresses such topics, we must speak with stunned—and I compassion, in other words, in a tone don’t mean that in a characterized by love. good way—to read The content of what we say, if it is to the statement, “The be persuasive, must recognize that those Western church who disagree with us diě er not just on the will need to speak level of policy but on the far deeper level of of euthanasia with assumptions and presuppositions. In other greater compassion words, their support of euthanasia is based and thoughtfulness on a whole series of convictions and values as the population that form their underlying worldview. It is continues to age” [Critique 2011:1]. threatening to be challenged on that level, Really? We are to speak compassion- and doing so requires thoughtfulness if ately of murder? On the contrary—as we are to gain a hearing. We must be able the population ages, euthanasia will to enter their perspective, identify points To the editor: become a more enticing temptation, of truth, and patiently build a case from You probably saw the article in and therefore we will need to speak there—just as St Paul did with his pagan the New York Times by A.O. ScoĴ out more forcefully against it. The listeners in Athens (Acts 17). Simply tell- on “The Cinematic State of Things.” fact that man is made in God’s image ing them euthanasia is wrong is not only It picks up on many of the themes demands nothing less. not persuasive, it suggests our position is explored this year in Critique. Way I’m not sure which error is more implausible and thus not worthy of careful to keep your ę nger on the pulse. troubling: the doctrinal decision to consideration. This will be especially 1. blurring of reality (particularly advance such a startlingly un-Bibli- important as the population ages during identity) cal position, or the editorial decision the early decades of the 21st century. As 2. maternal monsters to present it as if it were a fairly a generation of young adults mature and 3. maternal suě ering mundane and self-evident observa- begin to make decisions for their aging 4. kids are perfect tion. This sentence is a glaring Ě aw parents, I’m not conę dent that many share 5. arrested male development in an otherwise well-wriĴ en article. the Christian conviction that every person 6. investigative docs I urge you to print a retraction.