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C.J. T-Shirt

CJTshirtSmall.jpg

Last month, after preaching at the Sovereign Grace church in St. Petersburg, a guy named Tom presented me with a great gift: a t-shirt with a caricature of C.J. Mahaney and the inscription "C.J. Mahaney is My Theological Homeboy." The back of the shirt reads "I'm doing better than I deserve."

I've been wearing my shirt proudly. The folks at my church love it. People who see it when I'm out and about are just confused! When I first received my shirt it was one of only two in existence. But now, due to overwhelming demand, Tom is making them available to the world.

Don't waste any time. Go buy your own C.J. shirt.

Posted by on July 3, 2007

Comments (15)

Isn't this hero-worship gone just a little bit too far?

Posted by James b | July 3, 2007 5:37 PM

isn't this hero-worship gone just a little bit too far? ironic seeing as the icon of worship is the author of a book on humility?

Posted by james b | July 3, 2007 5:38 PM

James,

Wow, I guess I need to make my "tongue-in-cheek" posts a little more obvious. I think the shirt is funny and hope others will take it that way. I don't consider a t-shirt that features a silly-looking picture of him and calls him my "homeboy" an expression of worship. And just so no one else misunderstands, CJ has nothing to do with these shirts. He's not the one selling them.

Have a nice day!

Joshua

Posted by Joshua Harris | July 3, 2007 5:55 PM

This is sweet! I ordered one just in time for high school summer camp.

Posted by Ryan Rippee | July 3, 2007 6:56 PM

Hilarious! I can't believe he made the shirt in all shapes and sizes! Maternity to baby. My little baby boy will have to sport one. Very funny.

Posted by Trill N. | July 3, 2007 7:41 PM

Hahaha.. Very cool! Funny! Such creativity!

Posted by Daniella | July 4, 2007 5:51 AM

I am very thankful for the ministry of Covenant Life and for the ministry provided by Joshua Harris, which I, as a Dutchman, profit a lot from. I cannot help reacting on this comment as it is such a good example of what the sermon on discernment speaks about. It is a very difficult case of discerning. And although I would not call this hero-worship, it does feel akward. Might it not be a little bit inappropriate and irreverent to speak so lightly without respect and even joke about a pastor and about spiritual things (theology) in such a way? What spirit is behind the idea?

When C.J. Mahany (or any other) will be preaching the next time, will it be reverent to think of yells to cheer him on while preaching before God? "Go homie, Go homie" (maybe that is usual for some people but I have never heard ofit)I definitely can agree if people will stumble on this kind of behaviour and I might very well be one of them.

As mr. Harris sad in his sermon it is discerning the spirit behind this action, is it one of reverence to God and honour and humility towards men, or in a spirit of making fun of everything. Especially things most holy, like the pastors the Lord gives us, which we should hold in honour and respect on the ground of scripture, and the subject of theology itself.

With love, thankfulness and respect,

Peter

Posted by Peter | July 4, 2007 9:03 AM

peter,

WHAT?


Posted by sam | July 6, 2007 12:06 AM

Immediately when I posted my first thoughts, I thought: "Peter, why do you always have to give your opinion." Please 'discern' why you want to do that...

But since there is not any way to take the words of the site (how typicle for words once spoken: they can never be undone), i left them standing.

Whether or not you regard the shirts just plain fun or irreverent (how often go these together in the world), my comment was to explain that some people might stumble on it or feel it is a little bit over the edge..

But as I said, who am I to say anything about it. Pardon my rudeness. Please, Enjoy your t-shirts.

Love Peter

Posted by Peter | July 6, 2007 3:57 AM

Peter, I want to praise God for His work in you in enabling you to put such tenderness and Christ-like meekness into your first response. It was far from rude.

I think Sam was probably experiencing some comment-submission problems, hence the 3 repeats. I don't think it was necessary to almost retract your comment, Peter. Instead, I believe the principle that you brought out in it warrants a loving, biblical response, instead of an abrupt, "WHAT?"

May our Blessed Father enable us to live out these verses always: 'And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. [...] Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."'
(1 Peter 5:4-5 ESV)

Posted by David | July 6, 2007 8:10 AM

Thanks for your comments in regard to the shirts. My intentions in making the shirts were to honor one of my theological heroes for fiercely holding to sound doctrine, Biblical theology, and the exaltation of the Gospel of the Glory of Christ. Another intention was for the shirt to spark questions from people like: "Who is that guy and what's with the 'theological' thing?" It opens the door for the gospel and to tell about your local church. Especially the quote, "I'm doing better than I deserve" on the back.

I look at the shirt and think about the Gospel because C.J. fights so hard to keep that the focus. Yes, its fun and even funny, but it's ultimately about Christ, not C.J. For apart from Christ, we wouldn't have 'homeboys' or be anyones, because "we were hated by others and hating one another" Titus 3:3c. The Gospel of Jesus Christ resounds in all things...even a silly t-shirt :-) Oh, how we need the Spirit's help to give us eyes to see these truths! And what grace it is that He is eager to do that!

Thanks again for the feedback.

Tom

Posted by Tom | July 6, 2007 11:13 AM

Sam and David, regarding the duplicate(s) of your respective comments, I took the liberty of tidying up a bit.

Grace,

Katherine

Posted by Katherine Reynolds | July 6, 2007 8:54 PM

Thank you David for your very encouraging words and thank you Tom for your very honest response in giving your intentions with the CJ-shirt. You didnt need to do that, but it is very honourable of you having done so. I would only like to give just some further reflection on the general question.

It brings the question up in me that when we discern, whether we only need to know the "intention" or whether we also have to give regard to the "form" it is put in. Joshua Harris in his Sermon on discernment seemed to intimate something concerning it when our motivation is both seen in choosing "theology" and "communicate truth in such a way" that we are thought "cool" of. I dont think we should choose the most uncool way to express truth, just to be certain. I have no simple answers. I hope he will say something more on this...

How is this with honouring someone we regard highly. Maybe the Corinthians only in their view had the intention of honouring in saying: "I am of Paul, and I of Appolos" "Paul is my theological homeboy" and "Appolos is my theological homeboy". Still the Apostle reproved them saying that it is God who does the working, allthough using various vessels for the purpose, intimating thereby that we should not honour the vessels through which Gods Word and Grace is brought us, but the Great Source it self, who edifies the entire body through the measure of grace given unto each.

You know something that astonishes me in our Reformed Churches in Holland. When somebody gives a gift to the Church, his name is mentioned in public (either in the Church-paper or the pulpit) with the amount of money given. Maybe the Church wishes to honour the donaters, but by doing that they rob the donater of the honour God would give him. As our Lord says:

"Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to be seen of them: else ye have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. 2 When therefore thou doest alms, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward. 3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee." (Matthew 6:1-4)

You see that they have very honourable intentions in wishing to honour the donaters, but they do so in a which our Lord disaproves of, or at least robs themselves of the true blessing of giving. I pray the Lord might give us some further insight into this question...
Peter

Posted by Peter | July 9, 2007 3:04 AM

I think this should be my final post or I should start my own blog. But in addition, I would like to give a scriptural example of honouring God in the pastors the Lord gives us(it might be a topic in itself). The example is from Abraham and Melchizedek (Genesis 14).

After Abraham returned from the war in which he saved lot, he came back with the spoil. And suddenly there enters this mystic figure of Melchizedek, a Priest of the Most High God:

"And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed him, and said: Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth: 20 and blessed be God Most High, who hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand.

And he gave him tithe(KJV)of all."

The Lord Most High blessed Abraham with victory. The priest of the Most High, comes with bread and wine and a blessing and abram honours him, or acknowledges Him in Melchizedek, by giving Melchizedek the tithe of all.

What a glorious type of our Lord, as the Apostle Paul repeats it in Hebrews chapter 7:1-10 and uses it to show the supreme Priesthood of Jesus Christ. He tells that the Levitical Priesthood had a right to the tithes from the people, but that this Priest Melchizedek had a higher right to these tithes, as Abram himself paid tithes to Him. Now I do not want this to be on the subject of tithes, but here you have an example in Scripture of how God wants us to honour Him in His pastors with material things.

I realise this is a "formal" and "material" way and that it leaves open the question of "informal" or "non-material" ways...such as a cj-shirt, but the question: "how does God want me to honour my pastor?" is a good one to ask, and to go with that to Scripture.

Love Peter

Posted by Anonymous | July 9, 2007 8:44 AM

Very Nice. Appropriate attire for just about any occasion.

Posted by Ched | July 11, 2007 10:37 PM

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