I was talking theology with the son. Who thinks his theology is bad: but then said that we will be judged, and we will all be found wanting. Without that, there is no need for Christ. In the middle of a discussion about the crusades, and if it is correct that one can redeem oneself by fighting the infidel.
And a side dish that noted that martyrs for Christ are those who are killed: while in Islam they are those who die while killing by sword, bullet, and IED.
I think my theology (if not my practice) is reformed. The reformed are defined, I think, by what the reacted against and what they have had react to them. On one side is the Catholic: although the Catholic is tridentine and agrees with the creeds he has moved too far down the path of tradition. The Orthodox has moved less so, and the reformation tests all by scripture. The reaction to this was Arminius, who considers salvation from a human centric point of view, and thinks that we can somehow choose to be saved. I see it completely as the work of God, and something to praise him for.
And yet I have hope. As the son pointed out, God knows the future. And it the future, the elect will stand before him. SO he can say that from the beginning we are chosen, truly, for he knows our end already.
Doctrine matters. It matters deeply. It affects how we act, and how our church interacts with the culture, and how we behave.
And us reformed need to recall that how we behave matters. For we know our future not, and what we do resonates through eternity. As Lewis once said, our body matters: God bless the body< our will has got it into more trouble than the body has got us into.
But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.(Titus 2:1-10 ESV)
I said yesterday that women have a serious and high ministry. It is for them: it is exclusive. It is to ensure that the word of God is not reviled. For there is something very wrong about what happens when people do not understand that men and women are different. I noted this, of all things, at crossfit. When a women coach is corrective, I generally don’t listen: the male coach I obey. Even though the message is the same.
So what are the men to teach? Self control, hard work, integrity, sound speech, faith, steadfastness, love. As the Book of common prayer notes, to live a Godly, sober and upright life. Or, as the son pointed out, being small in ambition, frugal, out of debt: being anti-fragile. There is a certain courage that only comes when you know you can literally walk away from your job and life will go on. (It does mean that you won’t have that McMansion or (new) BMW. But you won’t have the payments, either).
And women have a big job. They need to teach women to love their children and husbands, to be pure, to manage a home, and how to be submissive to God and to their Lord, who is their husband. It does not come easily. It is hard. And women will listen to… other women: the same female coaches are able to get the girls motivated and encouraged. There are issues here: one is that as you get older certain temptations become greater such as the joys of the vine and gossip. But managing a home is a right and proper calling.
It is also antifragile. A wife can provide food, indeed grow food, manage businesses, raise and teach children… at home. If she works, you will buy in worse food, have your kids raised by less caring people, and you will find that most of her income goes in… replacing her. The only people who win out of this is the taxman and those women who need to work because they are alone.
Besides, when the liberals lead, or worse, take over, and it becomes a disaster.
Titus 2 is one of those passages that gives the progressive pundits hives. That is why we should teach it: that is why we should obey it. Yes, I know I’m divorced. But it is not me writing these words, but Paul, and Peter testifies that his letters are true and profitable.
Besides, the cool houses, the cool cars, and the cool clothes are either old, or based on older patterns.
We went mad, as a society, sometime during my teenage years. The punks tried to rebel, but anarchy is fragile, being a yuppie is even more fragile. Young men and women, learn from the mistakes of my generation.
For too many of my colleagues are either slaves to their mortgages or their cats.