A new website has been created which contains article by John Frame and Vern Poythress, two of the foremost Reformed theologians on the planet. They don't (as yet) have everything these guys have written, but two articles in particular caught my attention.
Frame's Studying Theology as a Servant of Jesus is essential reading for theological students. (Tony and Mark - that means you!) He makes the point that there is a spiral relation between grace and theology - "Growth in grace will make you a better theologian, and becoming a better theologian will help you grow in grace."
How I Have Helped My Boys to Become Christian Men, by Vern Poythress, is even more interesting. He relates the training and initiation his oldest son received to become a man. Consciously modelled on the Jewish bar-mitzvah, the Poythress family's "Bar Jeshua" celebration follows a period of training in Scripture, personal piety and life wisdom.
Poythress mentions some of the privileges associated with the transition - no more bedtimes, complete freedom regarding watching TV, participation in the family council, etc. Of course, just because he is an adult, it does not mean he is not answerable to anyone: If I were to see my brother in Christ filling his mind with raw TV programs, or neglecting his homework, or even just staying up too late every night and then dragging in the morning, we would sit down and talk. We would ask, "Is this really wise for a Christian man?"
It's certainly something to think about if I ever have sons...
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