Jonathan Franzone “I am sure as I am of the fact of Christ’s reign that a comprehensive and centralized system of national education, separated from religion, as is now commonly proposed, will prove the most appalling engine for the propagation of anti-Christian and atheistic unbelief, social and political, which this sin-rent world has ever seen.”
Professor A. A. Hodge (Princeton Theological Seminary in 1887)
“The Puritans exemplified maturity; we don’t. Spiritual warfare made the Puritans what they were. They accepted conflict as their calling, seeing themselves as their Lord’s soldier-pilgrims…not expecting to be able to advance a single step without opposition of one sort or another…Today, however, Christians in the West are found to be on the whole passionless, passive and one fears, prayerless. Cultivating an ethos that encloses personal piety in a pietistic cocoon, they leave public affairs to go their own way and neither expect nor, for the most part, seek influence beyond their own Christian circle… [but] the Puritans labored for a holy England and New England – sensing that where privilege is neglected and unfaithfulness reigns, national judgement threatens.”
J. I. Packer
“A society which is predominately Christian will propagate Christianity through its schools: one which is not, will not. All of the ministries of education in the world cannot alter this law.”
C.S. Lewis
I recently discovered this folk band called The Gray Havens (thanks to Tim Challies), who borrow a lot from C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien for their lyrics. The above song titled Far Kingdom really struck me as I remembered the Pevensie children along with Eustace Scrubb riding on the Dawn Treader to the end of the ocean towards a “far kingdom,” the kingdom of Aslan.
“Today is my 40th birthday. Happy Birthday to me!”
Imagine that last line as being read by Ben Stein and you’ll catch the amount of excitement that I have for my birthday. I do not despise the day for being older or anything like that. For me, it is just another day.
I appreciate the celebration and fuss that is made over me on this day. All of that fuss helps me to remember that I am not alone. I am a part of a huge family of people who love me and celebrate me for who I am. To all who do so, thank you from the bottom of my heart. (I’m not sure why the bottom part of your heart is the important part. Why isn’t it the top of my heart? Or from the left ventricle of my heart?)
My name is Jonathan Franzone. I have been married for 18 years (as of this writing). My wife and I have three children. I am the praise & worship leader at my church and have been in church for all of my life. I have been a “Christian” for 39 years and I have realized that I have lived a lie… for far too long. This is my story.
Welcome to my new blog: Reformed Franzone. On this blog I plan to write about my latest adventures in reformed theology, some critiques of the modern church in America, book reviews, perspectives of my own faith and whatever else I come up with. Photo Credit: Stuck in Customs via Compfight cc
