Steve's Letter: "I'm working on a Festschrift!"

Do you know what I'm doing? (Well, what I was doing before I stopped to write to you...)

I'm working on a Festschrift...and you don't even know what that is.

You're fortunate to know a scholar like me because I'm going to teach you some things you need to know. After this lecture, you'll be able to impress your friends and win at Scrabble.

You'll owe me!

Listen up! You'll be tested on this later.

A Festschrift is an academic book written by scholars, honoring a respected scholar during his or her lifetime. It's from a German word meaning a "celebratory publication." Just so you know, the plural is Festschriften.

Okay, okay. I admit it. I didn't have the foggiest idea what a Festschrift was either until I was asked to contribute to one. I managed to smile and say, "Of course, I'll do it and would be honored." Then I went back to my office and looked up the word to find out what I had just said I would do. (Now, if I can just find out how to pronounce it, I can then keep from looking like a total fool.)

I once consented to serving on a board of a religious organization...because I fell asleep as the head of that organization talked. He was so into his presentation that he didn't even hear my snoring. As I came out of my nap, he was still talking and I heard him say, "So, we would be honored if you served on our board."

I was so embarrassed about sleeping during his talk that I agreed to do it. Later, I had to ask my secretary who he was in order to find out what I had just said yes to. My saying I would contribute to a Festschrift was sort of like that...except I wasn't asleep, only confused.

Actually, I was really honored. I have no idea why I was asked. These things are written by scholars for a particular scholar and it's crazy that the publisher asked me to participate. I guess nobody told the publisher that my doctorates were phony and my being a professor was insane.

I'm certainly not going to tell.

But all kidding aside, I am really thrilled to be asked to do this because the Festschrift is in honor of one of my favorite people, Dr. John Frame, my colleague at Reformed Theological Seminary. He is one of the finest theological minds of our generation and has taught almost all the professors at the seminary. For years, his books and teaching have been a source of incredible clarity and insight for me in almost all the ministry I do. Not only that, John is my beloved friend and that relationship is a major gift to me.

The publisher asked that I write a chapter titled, "Frame: The Closet Radical."

A number of years ago, John Frame gave a lecture for the PCA Central Florida Presbytery of which I'm a part. At the end of that lecture, there was a question and answer session, and someone asked a fairly controversial question. Dr. Frame prefaced his equally controversial answer with, "Oh, dear..."

After the meeting, I said to John:

"John, you are a true revolutionary; but listen to me. Revolutionaries do not say, 'Oh, dear.' If you would like, I'll teach you to cuss."

I thought about that incident when I was asked to write the Festschrift chapter about John Frame. It captures some of the essence of John Frame as a closet radical, to wit, what appears to be true about John is often far different than the reality.

Radicals rarely appear to be radical. They are like pool hustlers who appear to be inadequate to the game until one realizes that one's wallet is empty and the hustler is grinning.It is why evil radicals aren't stopped before great damage is done. It is also why God's radicals are often missed until one sees God glorified and God's people changed.

My first personal encounter with John Frame happened when he-at potentially great cost to his own reputation-defended a young man who I loved and affirmed, but didn't fit the "Reformed mold." Quietly and clearly, John stood with my young friend at a time when very few others did or would have. When my friend told me what had happened, I wrote to John and told him that I knew he didn't know who I was, but wanted him to know that his stand with my friend had made him my hero and that I "rose up and called him blessed."

John Frame is God's radical. He doesn't know it and, if you had ever met Dr. Frame, you wouldn't think of him as that at all. John doesn't look, act or sound like a radical and blushes when I say it. But he is! And he is a model to me of what a Christian radical is supposed to be.

If you read last month's letter (some of you didn't and I know your names), you know I wrote about talking too much. This month, let me say something about the importance of talking appropriately.

In Ephesians 6, Paul writes about how we should be strong and put on the "whole armor" of God. Then he asks for prayers for himself. Paul writes, "And also [pray] for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak" (vs. 19-20).

John Frame is one of the gentlest Christians I know, but he speaks truth to power and he doesn't shilly-shally. Whether he is talking about worship (he is a classically trained musician who defends drums and guitars in church), theology (he is quite clear on how Reformed theology's "warrior children" hurt other Christians), church splits (he says that any celebration of a church or denomination's anniversary is a celebration of sin), etc., he has people standing in line, waiting to throw rocks.

We are always surprised when unbelievers get angry with Christians. We shouldn't be. In fact, if they aren't angry sometimes, then they simply haven't understood what we've said (that is, in fact, if we said it). And that's the point, isn't it?

Saying what needs to be said gently, kindly and with love, but saying it clearly.

You will remember the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, The Emperor's New Clothes, where the emperor has been conned into believing that he is dressed in fine new clothes when, in fact, he is as naked as a jaybird. Everybody, because of their fear, tells the emperor how good he looks in his "new clothes"...except for one little boy who says, "He is buck naked!"

That is our calling as Christians. We are to speak truth to our culture, our nation, our friends, our politicians, our church, our family, our neighbors and to ourselves. We are, as it were, to be Christian radicals.

So, go out and offend someone!

Oh, and don't forget to tell them that Jesus even loves naked emperors!

He asked me to remind you.

In His Grip,