Luther's Warrior Children

With apologies to Rev. John Frame and his lecture on Machen's Warrior Children, the reason why Protestants don't know when to stop fighting may actually lie with Dr. Luther himself.

Today in the Lutheran catechism class we began discussing the Lord's Supper. As far as I can tell, the difference between the Lutheran and Reformed views of the Supper is not something we should fight over. Neither of us are memorialists, and neither hold the Catholic view of transubstantiation. Both believe in the same purpose for the Supper. Both say it's a means of grace and, significantly, affirm that Christ is present in a special way like no other.

The difference comes down to how Christ is present. Reformed say that Christ is spiritually present. The Lutherans talk about a Real Presence (don't confuse with consubstantiation), which means that Christ's human nature is also present "in, with, and around" the elements. The Westminster Confession of Faith denounces the Lutheran view, apparently because it violates human nature (how can Christ's human body be both here and there?). Lutherans reply that resurrected human nature is capable of this and then accuse the Reformed of separating the two natures of Christ, which of course the Reformed deny.

So the real difference comes down to what we believe about the nature of a resurrected human body, something that Scripture chooses not to tell us much about. But sadly enough, the focus of our class today (and others I've been in) is on the difference that separates Lutherans from the Reformed, to the point that the blessing of the Lord's Supper, its purpose in the life of the believer, gets over shadowed and easily forgotten about.

Like protestors looking for a cause, we focus too much on teaching people what to reject, without first ensuring they know what to affirm.

Happy Birthday Blog

The blog is 2 years old today -- time for a new look.

Last year at this time I explained why I write. That's still true.

Some of my favorite memories come from casual conversations with friends during a meal together. It's a great time for genuine discipleship. Blogs, to me, are like the talk without the food. Not nearly as good as in-person, but better than eating alone.

The military lifestyle results in a string of broken or weakened relationships (let's not kid ourselves with euphemisms) but also forces you to start new friendships. Maybe this blog helps a little with both those things.

Tokenism

A recent WORLD interview contained an interesting observation from Daniel.

You criticize "tokenizing our religion," and after describing the courage of Daniel...you note that he accepted a Babylonian name and worked alongside astrologers and sorcerers: "Daniel is just as instructive for the issues he wasn't willing to go to the wall for, as much as for the ones he was."

Tokenism practices religion publicly just to be seen doing it. I'm talking instead about publicly expressed scruples, matters of individual conscience that illustrate that our behavior has spiritual roots. (Daniel risked his life to pray three times a day toward Jerusalem--a scruple of conscience, not a biblical command).

Call Waiting

The interview we were supposed to have today with the birthmother didn't happen. Twice we were asked to drive up to Akron and meet with her, but both times she changed her mind and asked for a phone interview instead. About an hour before our scheduled phone call she decided against it too. At this point, she has decided to try parenting again; the baby is now 5 weeks old.

Our prayer is for both mom and baby. The mother is distraught, unstable, and obviously unsure what to do. The baby needs a family to bond with and some stability in her life.

Meanwhile, we wait for the next call.

Putting the Em-PHA-sis on a Different Syl-LAB-le

As I look for a church in Albuquerque one particular – and unspoken – difference stands out between the Reformed and the Lutherans. They tend to emphasize different means of grace; specifically, the reformed tend to emphasize preaching of the Word, while Lutherans tend to emphasize the Sacraments. Notice I said “tend” three times in that sentence – don’t take this too far. And let me add a hearty thanks be to God that both groups affirm the centrality of the Church in the means of grace.

One large (and beautiful) Lutheran church in Albuquerque posts their sermons on-line; the typical length – 7 minutes. But they get to be strengthened and comforted by the Lord’s Supper every week. The PCA church there also posts their sermons on-line, with a typical length of 45 minutes. But they only get communion every 6th week.

The difference in preaching between the two camps is striking. While I don’t think a 7 minute sermon is right, and I’m somewhat uncomfortable with the lack of an expository approach, when the Lutherans preach they do preach Christ and Him crucified for the forgiveness of sins as THE emphasis. From what’s emphasized in Presbyterian sermons, one may doubt whether there is a central teaching of Scripture.

If you ask a group of Lutheran pastors what Baptism did for my children, every one of them would give you a straight answer -- and the same answer. Now whether it’s the right answer is still an issue for me. But it’s clear that the reformed camp lacks any consensus on the matter.

I’ve generalized in a way that’s favorable to the Lutherans and critical of the reformed. Exceptions abound. There is much in Lutheranism that I have yet to make sense of; I still feel more comfortable with reformed doctrine.

Adoption Update

When a birthmother selects a family to adopt her baby, normally only the chosen family is notified. For the other families, "no news is bad news." Since we didn't get a call last week about a baby girl who needs a home, we figured the adoption agency placed her with the other interested family. Well, the agency called today and told us that the birthmother would like to interview us this Wednesday before making her choice. We love surprise phone calls like these!

We would appreciate prayer.

Air Force Academy Rejecting Christianity
excerpts from Rocky Mountain News

Air Force Academy officials described plans Friday to give sensitivity training to all 4,000 cadets and all academy personnel after charges of religious intolerance.

Academy superintendent Lt. Gen. John Rosa's religious tolerance training plan fueled debate among board members. Rep. Joel Hefley, whose district includes the academy, defended religious expression, citing slogans chiseled on the walls of Congress.

Board chairman James Gilmore III asked whether safeguarding minority religious rights could trample on others' religious rights.

"Evangelical Christians do not check their religion at the door. I think that is not understood in American society," Gilmore said. "As a result of that, we're seeing a lot of condemnation of evangelical Christians because they are seen to be aggressively asserting themselves on other people, although they wouldn't see it that way."

General Rosa closed the door on favoritism. "Title X and the Constitution tells me that I must as a commander do this," Rosa said.

"It looks like you're rejecting Christianity," board member Bob Dornan said.

"Exactly," Rosa said.

Our Next Assignment


Albuquerque! Not our first choice, but it sure beats Iraq and a host of other undesirable places.

We move in June, we start church-hunting now. In this town of 500,000 there appears to be all of TWO reformed, Presbyterian churches. But there are about 10 confessional Lutheran ones and some possibilities in the Anglican department, too.

If you have any insights on the Albuquerque area, do tell!

Quirky Albuquerque

Here's what a normal house looks like in the "land of enchantment". This one goes for around $200K. Some of the amenities include a "spot of grass for the kids to play on" (actual wording).

"Grandmama is old and I think it is time she went home to Jesus"

World News Daily reports on another Terri-type murder-in-progress, but this one sounds even more egregious. According to the group Hospice Patients Alliance, Hospice regularly sedates and starves to death patients who were not terminal.

We're finally waking up to the fact that euthanasia has been rampant for years. But will we care?

What Denomination Are You (Now)?

Kristin and I were impressed with this quiz. It's not perfect, but overall does a good job of defining some important doctrinal differences. Here are my results:

1: Presbyterian/Reformed (100%)
2: Eastern Orthodox (79%)
3: Anglican/Episcopal/Church of England (75%)
4: Congregational/United Church of Christ (75%)
5: Lutheran (71%)
6: Baptist (Reformed/Particular/Calvinistic) (61%)
7: Roman Catholic (56%)
8: Church of Christ/Campbellite (47%)
9: Methodist/Wesleyan/Nazarene (42%)
10: Seventh-Day Adventist (25%)
11: Baptist (non-Calvinistic)/Plymouth Brethren/Fundamentalist (24%)
12: Pentecostal/Charismatic/Assemblies of God (24%)
13: Anabaptist (Mennonite/Quaker etc.) (14%)

In the post's title don't miss the "Now". Ordinarily you'll have a hard time properly understanding different Christian traditions if you only learn about them from your own denomination. Regrettably, denominations tend to present stawman arguments about "those other guys" which don't adequately represent others' distinctives. This is what thunderpuppies are made of.

"The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him." (Prov 18:17 ESV)

Close Calls

Although I haven't written about adoption for a while, we have had some near matches. Yesterday we were one of only two families being considered for a little girl here in Ohio. It appears we weren't the one. A couple of other possibilities are still in the works. It's just speculation, but I think two things have kept us from being chosen by a birthmother earlier: we already have children, and our race. Yet, we seem to be handling the roller-coaster ride better than the first few close calls; thanks be to God.

It's also been a while since I've written about our next assignment, mainly because the Air Force has delayed telling us. It looks like we may know by next week, giving us a little time here before we move in June.

Tele-Islamists

Tele-evangelists are an embarrassment to Christianity, but at least they're not on every channel. In the Muslim world, the staple of TV programming is "tele-Islamists". By and large their messages are railing, angry, and extreme; but that may be changing. Apparently, Islamic TV producers have been watching TBN.

"Amr Khaled is a 37-year-old former accountant turned Islamic "televangelist." With his stylish business suits, trim moustache, large, expressive eyes, and magnetic charm, Khaled moves audiences to tears with his retellings of Quranic stories and promises of God's redeeming love. Ever since he began preaching in private homes and clubs in Cairo several years ago, Khaled's fame has grown astronomically, particularly among well-to-do Arab women and youth.

As a "born-again" Muslim who rediscovered his own faith as a teenager, Khaled offers himself as living proof that being religious does not have to mean being "backwards" or fanatical. Khaled said in an interview with the English-language Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram Weekly, "My main concern is to make young people love religion instead of fearing it."

His first show, Kalam min al-Qalb, or Word from the Heart, used a talk-show format featuring audience participation and "testimonials" from famous actresses, football players, and ordinary young Muslims. Its producer and director, Ahmed Abu Haiba, asked Amr, "Have you ever seen Christian preaching channels in the West? I believe that if we did this with Islam it would be a new experience for Islam."

The filming took place in a space-age studio setting with soft pastel lighting, video screens, celebrity guest stars, and a live audience of young people, both boys and girls, who shared the microphone with Khaled as he moderated a discussion about a particular religious moral issue, or aspect of personal piety. "I chose subjects to be related to the heart, outside of the fiqh and the rules, halal and haram," Abu Haiba said, adding that key components were the use of colloquial Arabic and the exchange of personal feelings.

His show is part self-help psychology--an emotional and positive twelve-step program to a better Islamic life--part spiritual experience, and part televised call for social reform and grassroots organization. The young preacher's tapes, videos and CDs outsell the albums of today's hippest Arab pop stars, while his lectures in mosques and clubs across the Middle East, Canada, and the UK have attracted thousands. In some places people stand outside and clog the streets with traffic for hours to hear Khaled speak.

Students, businessmen, women and others have formed clubs named after the program. On college campuses and community centers, students sell t-shirts, key chains, and stickers bearing the shows logo and motto "Together We Build Life" in both English and Arabic. These trendy (and fairly expensive) commodities are reminiscent of the virginity promise rings and "What Would Jesus Do" bracelets so popular among born-again Christian youth in America.

Khaled's rise to superstardom--and his undeniable marketing success--is evidence of a new breed of media-savvy Islamic preachers. The messages resonate with an increasingly globalized Arab youth culture struggling to carve a third way between the excesses of religious extremism and disillusionment with state-subsidized clerics. As demonstrated by the growing popularity of everything from "dial-a-sheikh" telephone services that charge by the minute and online "fatwa sessions" that invite Internet users to submit religious questions by e-mail, there is a growing mass market catering to Muslims seeking spiritual guidance, both moral and mundane."

Lutherans and the 5 Points

If you're a Calvinist, and you're tired of brawling with Arminians, have you considered what the Lutherans say about Calvinism?

Free Lectures on Papal Succession

The Teaching Company has offered these two free lectures

From Tom Rolling, president of Teaching company:

A note on timing. We had planned to send these lectures the week of March 28, 2005, for some time. After the collapse of John Paul II's health on Thursday, March 31, I considered withholding these lectures out of respect for the pope. After much reflection, I believe that sending the lectures is appropriate, even at this hour.

You will hear much on papal succession in coming weeks, but little of it will offer the detail and depth of historical perspective contained in these two lectures.

In the end, I decided that the better service to our customers, perhaps especially our Catholic customers, would be to send the lectures. A papal succession is an extraordinary moment in history, continuing the longest surviving human institution of government.

Rags to Riches

It was a cold, windy, wet day here, so I played Monopoly with Eli and Grace--their first time. Eli, who was nearly broke, was the first to land on "Free Parking". He went berzerk--in this photo he's literally vibrating. Methinks he likes it.

The Local Church

It's nice for a change to live close to the church you're part of. It makes a big difference, not just with relationships but also with service. We participated in a church visit yesterday to a local nursing home. About a dozen wheel-chair bound residents delighted us with their joyful singing. And they took delight in seeing our children dance to "He's got the whole-world in His hands" and other simple songs. The similarities of life at its extremities -- infants and the elderly -- is striking. Both groups are dependent on others for many basic needs; most importantly, for love.

Later this month the church is forming small groups, not to cloister in a home for Bible study, but to go door-to-door to find out if our neighborhood residents attend a church, and if not to invite them to ours. According to the church newsletter "only God approved excuses will be accepted on this day of representing our Triune God and showing His love for Fairborn" and we will be contacted by phone to enlist our participation. The Mormon church is not the only one who wants to speak to this neighborhood about Christ.

The Jihadi Mat

After my long and careful study of Islam and in light of the weakness of the Christian church, I have become persuaded in the beliefs and practices of the purer forms of Islam. I respect my previous belief system but am convinced that Christian doctrine has gone too far and Jews not far enough.

A Tale of a Local Wonderwoman
from the Dayton Daily News


KETTERING | Reality TV's Survivor and The Amazing Race have nothing on Debbie Coleman's incredible feat.

It all started early Tuesday, just after midnight, at the CitGo All-In-1 service station on James H. McGee Boulevard, when a woman ran inside the store and told part-owner Lloyd Goff a customer was in labor at Pump 7.

Goff, 33, ran to assist Coleman, who was sitting in her 1984 silver Chevy van. The driver's door was open and inside was Coleman, 34, in obvious pain. She was on her way to Kettering Memorial Hospital from her home in Trotwood.

"I asked if she needed help," Goff said, "and she just leaned back in the seat, hollered a little, and I looked down and there was the baby's head."

Goff called 911, but before a medic could arrive, "(Coleman) threw her leg over the steering wheel, groaned once, and the rest of the baby came out. She caught that baby, put it to her chest, gave me a look, like, 'I gotta go,' closed the door, put the van in gear and away she went."

Goff, who watched his own son's birth and cut the umbilical cord, said, "That was nothing like this. This was amazing."

Somehow, Coleman, undressed from the waist down and with the baby still attached by his umbilical cord, held the newborn in the crook of her left arm, and steered with her right hand as she slowly navigated the roughly 7-mile, 15-minute drive from the filling station in West Dayton onto U.S. 35 East and Interstate 75 South, then exited on Springboro Pike.

Daughters Erin, 4, and Elaine, 3, were in the van, but they slept through the entire ordeal.

Here's where it gets weird.

Dayton police were dispatched after a driver at the gas station called and was following the van to make sure Coleman was OK. They somehow got the wrong license plate number on Coleman's van, and it came back stolen.

Moraine police were called and were told the van was approaching from Spingboro Pike onto West Dorothy Lane.

Their officers followed the van, now with a corrected license plate registered to Coleman. But there had been reports that while on U.S. 35, the driver was erroneously thought to be attempting to throw a baby from the van.

Coleman, who had wrapped her jacket over the baby now nestled to her bosom, said she noticed as many as four police cruisers "busted a U-ie" and were following her. "I kept pulling over, making sure (the baby) was all right, breathing," she said.

Officers "activated our emergency lights in the area of West Dorothy Lane and Governors Place," according to the police report Moraine police filed. "The van wouldn't stop and continued traveling east." Sirens were turned on and Coleman continued, traveling about 30 mph, according to the report.

"I saw the little blue sign" at Southern Boulevard, Coleman said, and she turned on her signal. Cruisers surrounded her, she said, "and I heard, 'Get out of the car now with your hands up' and their guns were drawn. I opened the door and said, 'I just had a baby' and just let them see everything. I thought, what if they stop me for fleeing and eluding?"

Moraine police Sgt. Chris Selby said when Coleman opened the door, he could see the baby still had part of the placenta on its head, "and I'd seen both my kids born, but I said, 'What the hell?' "

According to the police report, Coleman "apologized and asked if she was in trouble," before officers quickly flagged her on, advising Kettering Memorial Hospital by radio that she was near and in need of emergency treatment.

The hospital released Coleman on Wednesday. Her son, Richard Lee Coleman Jr., who weighed in at 6 pounds, 8 ounces, remains in intensive care. Her husband, Richard Lee Coleman Sr., was joined at the hospital by the couple's daughter, Elon, 8, and Debbie Coleman's 13-year-old son, Earl.

The Colemans said Good Samaritan or Miami Valley hospitals would have been much closer for the birth, but neither accepts Blue Cross/Blue Shield/Anthem insurance, which is what the couple carry.

According to Nancy Thickel, Miami Valley Hospital's director of communications, Coleman could have gone to either hospital through an arrangement for already established patients who were due to give birth through June 30.

"We would have loved to have taken care of her," Thickel said, noting that Anthem patients can use the hospital's services in any medical emergency situation.

"She needs the mother of the year award," Thickel said.

Selby said, "In 10 years of doing this, it's nothing I've come across before. It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. It was just good nobody got hurt. It's hard to believe she could do that while driving. It's just amazing."

Islam's New Golden Age

Now that I'm able to spend most workdays doing research for my graduation paper on the future of Islam, some potentially novel thoughts are crossing my mind.

Many in the Muslim world long for a return to the Golden Age (roughly 750 to 1050 AD) when Islamic scholars led the world in science and technology. As the respected Islamic expert Bernard Lewis explains in his book What Went Wrong?, the Muslim Empire inherited "the knowledge and skills of the ancient Middle east, of Greece and of Persia, and it added to them new and important innovations from outside, such as the manufacture of paper from China and decimal positional numbering from India."

There are parallels between Islam’s Golden Age and what is now becoming its Information Age. Once again, leaders in the Islamic world (the guys we call terrorists) are innovating with technology in ways uniquely advantageous to their objectives. In the Golden Age it was paper and decimals, now it is video cameras and IP addresses.

Many Islamic terrorist groups have accomplished what our own military has been trying to do for years -- move away from formal, hierarchal organizations to a loose networks of individuals and subgroups that have strategic guidance but, nonetheless, enjoy tactical independence. The Islamists are employing net-centric warfare, the brain-child of the U.S. military, before we can get it off the drawing board.

In the first Golden Age Islam adapted the technology of those they conquered to their unique advantage. In the Information Age, they may be doing it again.

Terri Schiavo and our Moral Confusion

Here are some excerpts of Ken Myer's thoughts on the Terri Schiavo tragedy.

Patients that are dependent on feeding tubes are not dying. And, despite the sloppy way we sometimes talk about these matters, you cannot 'let die' a person who is not dying.

I doubt that a parent who withheld food and water from their children, or a warden who withheld food and water from a prisoner, could be excused from culpability on the grounds that they were simply allowing someone to die. In none of these cases, including Terri Schiavo's, is there a dying person, just a dependent one.

In watching and reading the news coverage of Terri Schiavo's case, I can't remember hearing the word "euthanasia" once. And yet it should be clear that by withdrawing food and water from her, she is euthanized, not simply being "allowed to die."

Once we cross the boundary between killing and allowing to die, there will be no turning back. Current proposals would legalize euthanasia only for the terminally ill. But the logic of the argument—and its practical consequences—will inevitably push us further.

The real lesson of the Schiavo case is not that we all need living wills; it is that our dignity does not reside in our will alone, and that it is foolish to believe that the competent person I am now can establish, in advance, how I should be cared for if I become incapacitated and incompetent. The real lesson is that we are not mere creatures of the will: We still possess dignity and rights even when our capacity to make free choices is gone; and we do not possess the right to demand that others treat us as less worthy of care than we really are.

Read the whole article here.

The following interviews (on MP3) are available for listening or downloading (for free):

Nigel Cameron on the obstacles and opportunities facing Christians concerned about bioethics

Russell Hittinger on the reasoning behind the upholding of a right to physician-assisted suicide in Compassion in Dying v. Washington

Hadley Arkes on how the defense in the courts of the "right to privacy" has transformed thinking about law and rights in American society

C. Ben Mitchell, on why and how the Church should be more welcoming toward the elderly

Resurrection Day 2005

We enjoyed a triumphant, majestic service this morning; complete with stirring choral performances of the Hallelujah Chorus and the Te Deum. And the service was not without bold preaching; the kind that takes courage.

Here's part of today's sermon.

This is the Festival of hope but I fear that we, the believers who live in this marvelous land of plenty have had our hope diluted and diverted.

The one true hope of resurrection is diluted by the many hopes our good land offers. Some of you hope for a good education which you hope leads to a good life, a life of plenty. Some of you hope for a bigger better income which is the gateway to hope for a bigger better home, bigger better vacations, and bigger better toys. The one hope, the Christian hope, is diluted by the deluge of hoax hopes that are offered to us in this good land of ours. These are in fact no hope at all because as soon as you have that hoax hope you hoped for, you begin hunting for the next hope. You are never satisfied. The hoax hopes are mirages. You think they will offer refreshment but you no sooner get to where the mirage was than you begin searching for the next because it was only a mirage hope.

When I visit with the sick and shut in, I find myself increasingly focusing on the hope of resurrection and I find myself increasingly bold to remind folks that our hope is not another doctor, another pill, another devise that will somehow keep us alive a little longer and a little better. I am weary of hearing “I hope the doctor will have some good news.” “I hope this new medication will do the job.” “I hope this therapy will help me do what I use to do.”

All such hopes dilute the one true hope and divert us from the one true hope the bodily resurrection of the dead. I know that we say such thing innocently enough but what a testimony when God’s people can open their lips and say what Job said, "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God," (Job 19:25-26, ESV)

Today, you see the Firstfruits of the dead; you see Jesus alive. His resurrection is the sure hope that all who believe and are baptized in His Name will likewise be raised from the dead and be alive forever in heaven.

It's not often that I find a preacher courageous enough to say tough things; the very things that the people of his flock really need to hear.

Our Incredible Easter Family Photo

Wanna guess what movie we saw recently?

The Spirituality of the Cross

I zipped through this little book by Gene Edward Veith, Jr. It's an explanation of Lutheranism in its best light, presented at the layman's level. Now that I've read about Lutheranism at its best, I'd like to balance out the view some by reading an account of a reformed writer (preferably a pastor) that was once a Lutheran. I don't know of any at this point.

One of the unfortunate discoveries I've made since attending a Lutheran church is how different Christian groups misrepresent each other. What little I had picked up about Lutheranism before attending here has proven to be largely false, and I expect some day I'll hear a Lutheran mischaracterize Calvinists. If I'm ever given the opportunity to speak about other Christian traditions, I'll now be more careful in what I say.

"the way of the first evangelicals..."

Smiling Faces....Beautiful Places

Yesterday we returned from a quick, but enjoyable, trip back home. I'm from the northwest corner of South Carolina, a land of lakes nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Kristin is from L.A. (that's Lower Alabama) but her folks have since moved to Birmingham. We were able to visit with her parents, sister and son, and my parents, brother, an aunt, an uncle, and a cousin!

It's a real joy to be part of an extended family that makes the most of the rare opportunities we have to get home.

Lack of Courage?

I've read the latest concerning Terri Schiavo; a dark day for our nation. Terri's parents were removed from the room before the tube was pulled. Who could escort a father away from his own child right when she needs him the most? Why not just refuse to do it and be fired? The same goes for the health care staff who actually pulled the tube. Where's their backbone?

Vocation Conference

I've been looking forward to tomorrow for a while. WORLD magazine's cultural editor, Gene Edward Veith, Jr., will be in town for the Spring Reformation conference.

Both the speaker and the conference are remarkable. Dr. Veith defines prolific; I'm told at one point he had 11 books in print at the same time! He's been described by some as "today's Francis Schaeffer". He'll be speaking to us on the reformation doctrine of vocation.

The conference is pretty remarkable, too. It's put on by a Orthodox Presbyterian church in town and Dr. Veith is a Lutheran, making this conference a good example of an ecumenical event.

the conference

Prayer for our Leaders

Many of us are in prayer for Terri. Pray also for our rulers. That Judge Greer will relent. That our legislators and president will do more than give lip service. Pray especially for wisdom and courage for her family.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

I'm starting my final term here at school, so I need to buckle down and write my mini-thesis on Shaping Radical Islam. This provided a good excuse to read Peter Leithart's article, Mirror of Christendom; the rest of this post is a loose quote of that article.

According to Pastor Leithart, God raised up Islam to be a mirror of modern Christianity. We need to take a good look at the face in the mirror, and not ignore the warts.

Islam has always understood itself not merely as a religion but as a civilization.

Islamic universities seek to understand the whole of human knowledge from the perspective of Islam, political and legal practices are shaped by the shari’a, everything that surrounds a Muslim reinforces his faith.

Islam’s all-embracing vision is a rebuke to modern Christianity.

Once upon a time, Christians saw their faith as equally all-embracing. Theologians attempted to make sense of the latest scientific and philosophical findings from the viewpoint of Christian faith; kings and leaders recognized there was a King to whom they were accountable; even monks were adventurers and builders of cities. That vision has all but evaporated in modern Christianity.

Until Islam's grip on culture is damaged or destroyed, it seems unlikely that the Church will be able to make much progress among Islamic peoples.

However, several trends suggest that there is some hope for progress. The fact that millions of Muslims are now living in the West gives Christians an unprecedented opportunity for mission, since we now deal with Muslims outside the reinforcing cultural and political apparatus of Islam. And for all the evils of Western pop culture, perhaps the Lord will use its global spread in a similar way. We may someday have to deal with cheerful Arab nihilists rather than grim Arab terrorists, in other words, with Arabs who are more like our unbelieving neighbors.

For Your Listening Pleasure

Mars Hill Audio is now making their "CD bonus" interviews available for free here.

How to Hear a Sermon

I have another good audio series to recommend. PCA pastor Robert Rayburn gave these lectures on the ministry of the pulpit to the students of Covenant Theological Seminary about 10 years ago.

He covers a lot of ground, including some topics that are seldom discussed like the benefits of having the same pastor for many years. Similarly, he corrects the common view that "the priesthood of all believers" negates the special office of the pastor.

In a lecture on "Preaching as Mystical Event" he explains the reformation understanding that it is through faithful preaching (not "quiet time", etc) that we most often and most powerfully hear the voice of God. New to me was the idea of "preaching the poles", where he exhorts pastors to preach the tensions of Scripture. For instance if the text for that week includes Christ's statement that He will judge us based on the good or bad that we have done, do not give into the temptation to work justification by faith alone into the sermon. If that confuses you, listen to the lecture to get a whole idea.

What struck me the most was a survey he mentioned where several hundred PCA pastors were asked what Books of the Bible they had preached from in the last three years. Something like 95% had preached from the Gospel of John, and only a small portion had been in the Old Testament at all. Pastor Rayburn powerfully pointed out that the Canon of the PCA has gotten much smaller. This is largely due to pastors who switch pulpits frequently and the loss of the second service on the Lord's Day.

Thanks to Pastor Mark Horne for the link.

Adoption Update:

We received a copy of the medical records for the little girl in San Antonio. We reviewed them today with our pediatrician to get a better understanding of this child's special needs. I have made the decision that our family is not ready to provide the level of care that this precious child is expected to require.

The good news is that another family is interested in the child.

We still intend to adopt a child, and hope that now we will be better prepared to consider other special needs children in the future.

Adoption Update

As you may know, we have been praying to adopt a baby girl for several months. Yesterday we received word of a newborn baby girl in San Antonio. She has some serious special needs.

We believe that God hears our prayer and answers in the way He knows best. This baby may be God's answer to our prayers, and so we are reluctant to say "no" simply because she has medical problems. We are pursuing the adoption while trusting that the Lord will prevent it if it's not His plan. Also, if this is the child for us then we trust that He will not give us more than we can handle.

If this adoption goes forward we would most likely pick her up next week.

I believe this to be the most serious decision that Kristin and I have made since our marriage. We would appreciate your prayer.

Pure Unadulterated Speculation on Dreams

I've been haunted by dreams lately. Maybe because its finals week (again). But none of the dreams deal with failing tests, or even cheating on them. They're much worse than that. They're so full of sin that I wake up feeling guilty and dreading the consequences. And then I slowly realize that I haven't done it.

Dreams like this are helpful warnings. You feel the dreadful weight of guilt and see sin's wrecking power before you actually do it. While temptation may appear attractive at the time, I know how she looks in the morning.

3 Good Things About Blogs

Having finished one take-home final this evening, I surfed around the blogosphere as a means of procastinating before attacking a second one. At first I looked here, since I'm from the Clemson, South Carolina area, and quickly felt puny. Here's another super well-read, articulate, reformed guy who also can run a mean marathon. Kinda like this guy.

Point 1: Blogs are good at feeding a desire to read more and better stuff. I don't have to look far to find others who are able to. I have no excuse not to.

Kristin has enjoyed reading this blog for a while. I noticed her blog-award and looked at the winners in the other categories. I enjoyed a visit to the website of the best blogging pastor; I could tell I'd like this guy. After digging around for quite a while I discovered he's PCUSA.

Point 2: I would never consider looking for a good pastor or church in the PCUSA. Now I have to reconsider whether that judgment is simply too condemning. Blogs are good for expanding your circle of friends.

Since ever military man is trained in trinitarian thinking (i.e. 3 points to every brief), here's a last thought for the night. There are an amazing number of really interesting blogs out there.

Religious Urban Legends

A few months ago Kristin hit it off with another homeschooling military family. The ladies eventually got around to talking about church preferences and Kristin's new friend was surprised to hear that our background is Presbyterian. With a repugnant expression she said, "don't they believe in predestination?" My wife replied in the affirmative. The other lady replied with exasperation, "but don't you believe in evangelism?!?"

This misperception came up again today. A friend of mine who recently discovered the doctrines of grace met with his Southern Baptist pastor to discuss matters. The pastor said he's leery of Calvinism because it's bad for evangelism.

A pastor (especially one in the reforming SBC) should know better. Doesn't he know that many of the greatest missionaries were Calvinists? Pioneer missionary, and Baptist, William Carey was a Calvinist for crying out loud! What inspired the determination to plant the Gospel in every nation on earth? Calvinism.

Calvin himself, while ministering in France, also sponsored missions throughout Europe and even as far afield as Brazil.

No more of this nonsense. Calvinists have a confidence in evangelism that others cannot. We know the Gospel is the power of God (not our presentation, or their intelligence, etc), and that some, by His grace, will respond.

Jammy Rides

In what was likely a hypocritical combination of events, tonight after the Lenten service we surprised the children and went out for doughnuts. The basic idea comes from this article. In the Wilson household after the children were tucked in their beds, songs sung, and lights turned off, the Wilson parents would occasionally stand by the front door and holler "JAMMY RIDE!!!". These magic words brought children tumbling out of their beds like Christmas morning! Then into the back seat of the car they would scramble, and off they would go for an ice cream surprise.

It's too cold for ice cream here, but fresh and hot Krispy Kremes made a great substitute. We also didn't bother with the jammies this time, but it was after bedtime and that's reason enough to excite a kid.

Here we are just back from our first jammy ride.

A Weekend in Cincinnati

I love conferences. Gifted speakers, info packets, booktables, lunch on the town...I enjoy it all. Kristin and I are spending most of this weekend in Cincinnati with several friends attending Tedd Tripp's Shepherding a Child's Heart conference. We just finished the first evening; it was inspirational. Can't wait to get up in the morning and go back.

The conference

Fun for Families with Hi-Tech Toys

A friend told me about Geocaching this week. In case I'm not the last one to hear about this, here's what it's about.

If you have a basic hand-held GPS device, you find stuff hidden in parks and places near where you live. Use this web site to see what is hidden close to you and then grab your GPS and go find it. It's basically a hi-tech treasure-hunt; sounds like a fun outing for Dad and the children.

Plus it's a great excuse to buy another electronic gizmo...

Moon Worship and Old Ladies' Tears

I've taken my family to our neighborhood Lutheran church (Missouri Synod) on two recent Sundays. Each visit has its own little story.

On our first visit we sat in the back pew just in front of the glass-plated cry room. There is a good deal of unannounced standing and sitting in the liturgy, but when the congregation popped to their feet, we were able to snatch and grab and get our children up with only a slight delay. My very beautiful wife, who looks her most beautiful on the Lord's Day, had charge of our youngest son who is a wiggler-of-the-pew. During one of these standing drills a mother in the cry room somehow managed to get my wife's attention (through some kind of telepathic female-communications link), contorted her face, and repeatedly thrusted her finger in the direction of that part of my wife poetically known as "the booty". My life-long Presbyterian bride, perhaps in a moment of Scottish rebellion, was mooning the cry room! I thought I had broken her of this habit during our past visits to Baptist churches, but... She insists that one of the children were to blame, but I have my doubts.

The second visit resulted in an altogether different, and sweet, story. We took our place in the back pew. Since Lutherans practice closed communion, during that part of the liturgy we sit and try to follow-along in the Lutheran hymnal while everyone else goes to the alter by rows. I was a little surprised that the elderly lady next to Kristin did not go forward when it was time, and then I noticed her leg braces. A moment later I looked up from the hymnal to see her standing, leaning on the pew in front of us. And there beside her was the pastor, in full vestments, with the most compassionate look on his face holding out to her the bread and the wine. He looked straight into her eyes and boldly announced the beautiful words of the Lutheran communion. I wish I could remember exactly what he said, but it obviously deeply touched this elderly lady for when she sat down next to us she was weeping tears of worship and gratitude! And so were we.

Robert E. Lee

Here are a couple of notes on Steven Wilkins' book on the character of Robert E. Lee, Call of Duty.

It's an easy read; a book I look forward to putting in my sons' hands when they're young men. Rather than focus on the battles of the Civil War, which plenty other works do, this book captures the distinctly Christian Gentlemanship of General Lee throughout his life (pre- and post-war). His magnanimous service to the nation after the war, despite continued humiliation and personal tragedy, is especially remarkable.

Here are a couple favorite quotes from the book.

Regarding the importance of states' rights Lee prophetically wrote,

I yet believe that the maintenance of the rights and authority reserved to the states and to the people, not only essential to the adjustment and balance of the general system, but the safeguard to the continuance of a free government. I consider it as the chief source of stability to our political system, whereas the consolidation of the states into one vast republic sure to be aggressive abroad and despotic at home...

Regarding perseverance, Lee said,

The truth is this: the march of Providence is so slow and our desires so impatient; the work of progress is so immense and our means of aiding it so feeble; the life of humanity is so long, that of the individual so brief, that we often see only the ebb of the advancing wave and are thus discouraged. It is history that teaches us to hope.

Blogs: Helpful or Harmful?

Ken Myers of MARS HILL AUDIO presents good reasons not to blog, but I have learned several helpful things from those that do. Two recent examples:

1. From Holy Experience I picked up this Jim Elliot quote, "Wherever you are, be all there." This reminder is especially useful for warding off daydreams during math class.

2. More importantly, a post on pietism at Bunnie Diehl has caused me to focus more on "God's love for us" than "our love for God". A reader defined pietism as "making our love for God the main focus of Christianity, instead of His love for us." A clear-cut way to apply this distinction is with worship music. Contemporary songs like I want to Know You are "our love for God" kind of songs. On the other hand, the best hymns are often the "God's love for us" type. Consider this line from Not What My Hands Have Done:

Thy love to me O God,
Not mine, O Lord, to Thee,
Can rid me of this dark unrest,
And set my spirit free!

The Social Order Gospel

The Gospel is big. A friend used to define the Gospel by saying it's Genesis 1 through Revelation 22. I'd add that it's also all the necessary inferences from Scripture. The Gospel is big enough to break into chunks, which is where our problem comes in. We over emphasize a certain part of the Gospel and neglect the rest.

Liberal Protestants are known for their emphasis on helping the poor and needy, certainly part of the Gospel, but not nearly all of it. Their myopic tendency has left them with only a social gospel; strong on giving, weak at saving.

I fear Reformed Protestants have fallen into a similar snare. Too often, the emphasis of our preaching, books, lectures is no longer Christ and Him crucified. The centrality of the Gospel may still be present but it is no longer the emphasis. The Gospel chunk we latch onto is social order. We focus on biblical relationships between husband and wife, children and parents, young and old, church and state. We are right for teaching these things, but wrong for dwelling here. These are not the Gospel's central message, but results of it.

Methodists have a social gospel, but what we are making is a social order gospel. It's as diluted as the liberals' version. We need to emphasize Jesus. Emphasize Him crucified for us. Emphasize the forgiveness of our sins. "Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel." (2 Tim 2:8)

On Alert

From our Adoption Network person:

The URGENT situation I emailed out on Friday and had to email family Presentation Letters to .... the baby was born Yesterday morning at 6:30 Am so the attorney did not meet with mom until last night - she is looking over the Letters today and hopes to have a decision by tonight. I will phone the selected couple once I hear. All of you are on alert that you should plan to travel tomorrow if you are the selected family as baby will be released on Monday.

Hope to be calling one of you this evening!!!

And we hope to get "the call".

We're thankful that more than one family is ready (on very short notice) to open their Christian home to this child. Our trust is in the sovereign Lord, and we are joyfully expectant of what our future holds.

[Update at 5:45pm: Birthmother selected another family]

One of the Best Sounds a Parent Can Hear

Eli (7) reading his new "big person" Bible on his own.

Like Music to My Ears...

Remember Foreigner?

Kristin was getting directions to an indoor playground at a local Methodist church. She stumbled across their order of worship for last Sunday, the music included:

"Unity"
Crystal Lewis &
Kirk Franklin

"Forever"
Chris Tomlin

"In The Secret"
Andy Park

"Your Love is Better
Than Life"
Wes Tuttle

"I Want to Know
What Love Is"
Foreigner

"We're Pressing On"
Mark Condon

I probably wouldn't enjoy singing any of this in a corporate worship service, but I can't start to imagine worshipping to Foreigner's "I want to know what love is"! That is, unless you're worshipping rockstars from the '80s...

rock on......

Overalls Victorious!

Just what do we teach our children?!? It's not always what we think! While dressing Isaiah this morning he sang a piece of the hymn, Come Thou Almighty King, which we taught him last month. But instead of "over all victorious", his version has "Overalls, victorious!"

This isn't the first time we've been surprised with our children's hymnody. I think it was our oldest who until recently substituted "Blessed Tennessee" for "Blessed Trinity" in Holy, Holy, Holy.

Here he is in his "Overalls Victorious"

Call Me Ishmael

I'm nearing the end of two weeks of mid-terms with just a Satellite Communications take-home exam standing in the way. But this exam is so out of my league that I'm up much of the night and a grump to be around during the day. It's disappointing that I have let one little test cause so much havoc in my family's life.

This morning I was meditating on the time when Abraham was told to cast out Hagar and Ishmael for dishonoring the child of promise. They were soon lost in the desert, thirsty and in despair, completely oblivious to the oasis in front of their noses. Instead of calling out to God for help, instead of remembering the promises of God, instead of returning to the blessing-bearer, they wallowed in self-pity and frustration. Sounds like someone else I know.

Graciously, God has opened my eyes and I've regained my perspective. I've repented to my family and, who knows?, maybe I can even figure out how to talk to satellites.

Split-P Soup

Today I listened to John Frame's lecture "Machen's Warrior Children" from last year's Auburn Avenue Pastor's Conference. This hour-long investment should be mandatory listening for every American Presbyterian thunderpuppy, especially bloggers! He outlines 22 of the controversies within our fences, some resulting splits, and then magnanimously states that Presbyterians don't know when to stop fighting.

I have campaign patches from only a couple of the battles he mentioned, but surprisingly, I've been a captive to one-side of some of these controversies without even realizing it!

Zondervan and Family Christian Bookstores, Fie!

Although the NIV Bible was $30 cheaper, since it is copyrighted by Zondervan who publishes the grossly inaccurate TNIV, when we bought my son’s first “non-kiddie” Bible tonight we went for the ESV.

And although the local Family Christian Bookstore is nicer and conveniently located, since it has taken the Sabbath away from its employees, we bought that pricy ESV from a little mom and pop Christian bookseller in a corner shop downtown.

It's satisfying to purchase on principle rather than the pocketbook.

You Spell Like a Cow

My 7-year old son had a spelling test this morning in which he was asked to spell chicken. We were amused to learn that he spells it "chikin", just like the Chick-Fil-A cows. Mmmm, makes me hungry just thinking about it.

A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Church Universal

We look for a church that has BOTH reformational doctrine and preaches Christ to believers. We have other preferences (e.g. liturgical worship), but the two essentials are covered in that first sentence. Both parts of that statement require unpacking; here’s a start:

For us reformational doctrine is broader than any one denomination. Because we move often and doctrine is not the only factor in our decision, we may end up as part of a Presbyterian church, a Reformed Episcopal, a Lutheran church, etc.

What we mean by “preaches Christ to believers” is that the pastor should emphasize the centrality of the Gospel in the life of believers. We need to regularly hear from the pulpit about the objective work of Christ on the cross “for us and for our salvation”. The preaching of the Gospel should not be neglected nor should it be primarily for unbelievers. Regrettably, our experience has been that Christ is not preached to believers in many churches we’ve visited.

What do you do if a church affirms all the right doctrine, but fails to focus on preaching the centrality of the Gospel? If there is another body where Christ is preached to believers, we look there, even if it means giving up some doctrine. What use is doctrine if Christ be not preached?

Our approach has drawbacks (lack of commitment to one denomination, long searches for the right church, etc). I know this makes some nervous. We are open to better ideas (and bitter critiques).

Forgotten Passages

"Sodomite" is the inflammatory label of choice for describing militant homosexuals. But as often the case when pointing the finger, three stare back at you. Consider this forgotten passage from Ezekiel 16:49 (ESV),

Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it.

It was apathy for the poor and needy, pride, and prosperous ease that brought the vengeance of the Lord upon the Sodomites. Sound like anyone you know?

Paper or Plastic?

Our experience with churches over the years generally falls into grocery bag categories--paper or plastic.

Most reformed churches look perfect on paper--all the right doctrines trumpeted, the right books plugged, the right distinctives affirmed. The church sounds absolutely great, until you spend some time there. Then you find that they're paper-thin, coldly impenitent, and over their need for the centrality of the Gospel. It's hard to live in a paper house, and so not many do.

Most folks are part of the Plastic Church of Evangelicalism. There you have plastic smiles to match plastic "statements of faith". This is the big tent where anything goes, a fitting place for Cirque Du Soleil worship. These are often "warm" places, partly due to their friendliness, but also because they give more heat than light.

If Paper, be stationary, formal but inviting. In other words, be known more for reforming than for being reformed. And if Plastic, be molded into something of value. Plentiful is not the goal. Plastic bags are plentiful, but filled with trash and things babies do.

Learning from the Whole Church

Sinclair Ferguson lectured,

"if you are having trouble finding a good church fit, then, learn to be taught by the whole church of Jesus Christ. Learn that you belong to the church catholic. Learn that it is not only the teachers that are alive today that God has given to the church."

I add two more suggestions. Consider that Christians in most of the world have much poorer choices than you. Be patient, reformation is more likely to be enjoyed in your grandchildren's time than in yours.

I have a growing interest in Lutheranism and finally took the time to visit our neighborhood LCMS congregation. It was a good week to visit; the sermon aimed to explain the Lutheran view of communion to those outside of their circles.

In other Lutheran/Presbyterian news, I'm very excited to announce that Dr. Gene Edward Veith (of WORLD magazine, etc) will lecture at the OPC-sponsored Reformation Conference in March here in Dayton. His topic is "God at Work: The Reformation Doctrine of Vocation."

Forgotten Passages

Thanks go to Rev. Balthrop for turning Job 29:12-16 from a "forgotten passage" into a "memory verse".

When Job wanted to make his case to his friends (and His God) that his hardship wasn't due to his sin, he emphasized righteous acts. And Job wasn't referring to how he skipped a popular R-rated show, or had quiet times every day that week, or that he turned down a friend's offer to grab a beer.

When Job wanted to make his case, here's what he could say:

I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban. I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. I was a father to the needy, and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know. I broke the fangs of the unrighteous and made him drop his prey from his teeth.

Oh how I want to be like this. To be others-centered in my Spirit-empowered righteous acts, and not just run my checklist.

Adoption Update

We just overnighted our portfolio to a single birthmother here in Ohio that delivered at 27 weeks. We're not sure how many other families may also be seeking to adopt this very little (3 lbs 6 oz) girl. We should know tomorrow if we're matched and would appreciate your prayers.

Spoiling Birthmoms and Ruining Babies

One of the most disturbing things we've learned about the adoption process is the foolishness of many birthmothers. Many of the babies up for adoption now aren't open to us because the birthmothers have insisted they will only consider adoptive families with requirements like:

- Loves Backpacking
- Doesn't live in a city
- Doesn't have any other children (is infertile)
- Is an inter-racial couple
- Has that "Ken and Barbie" look

Except for the last item in the list, these are all birthmother-placed conditions on adoptions we heard about this week. The adoption agencies enforce these preferences, most likely out of concern that the birthmother may abort.

This is sad, but I become (justifiably) enraged when I hear the rest of the story. I have been appalled at how many of the birthmothers "care" for their babies during pregnancy. You would be dismayed to hear how many birthmothers, under the care of an adoption agency, are daily taking crack hits, drinking heavily, smoking marijuana, refusing prenatal care because the doctors make them "feel bad", etc, etc. They are maiming their own children all the while expecting a "Ken and Barbie" family to show up and care for their retarded, handicapped child. When I read descriptions of the suffering of these poor children, I long for God's justice!

Is it Wisdom or Just a Lack of Faith?

For years I've wrestled with the relationship of wisdom and faith.

Is it wisdom to stop having more children due to a risky medical condition, or is it just a lack of faith?

Is it wisdom to acknowledge our limitations and so not adopt a special needs child, or just a lack of faith?

I live like an atheist! How can I honestly claim to believe in God's sovereignty when I don't trust Him with anything I consider difficult? When I fight to have things my way, how can I claim to believe that God knows my needs better than I do?

I am no man of faith. But I can be a man of repentance, and cry out "help my unbelief!" This, I think, would be true wisdom.

Adoption Update

There's a good ending to this situation, not exactly what we were hoping for, but a good ending none the less.

This baby was born to a lesbian lady. The pregnancy was a bitter reminder of unfaithfulness in her partnership. She thought the father was black but this little girl is light-skinned. The lesbian's partner is very controlling and was somehow kept unaware of the pregnancy until the birth. This surprise was very unwanted; it's remarkable she survived.

As it turns out, we were back-ups to a family who had already been working with an adoption lawyer. This is who the hospital contacted with the urgent need. If they could not raise the money needed by today we would adopt the child. We are delighted to learn that although they couldn't pay the bill, their church will. So it appears that God has called out this child and for that we are very thankful.

We are also thankful for your prayer support and look forward to what our Faithful Father has in store for us.

While We Wait

Faithful Father, this prayer is for a little lady--an orphaned lady-in-waiting. Lay her in the arms of a safe, loving family. Here we are. Send us! We long to make the orphan’s heart sing for joy!

Hear us as we call on you. Even though we are undeserving, we make our case before you. We will love this child as you have loved us. This will not be us rescuing a child, but you bringing a lost sheep into the fold. We will rejoice as the waters of baptism ingraft her into Christ. My church will take her as their covenant child. My daughter will love her with sisterly affection. My sons will protect and defend her. My wife and I will humbly seek your help in raising her into a godly young lady.

Hear our heart’s petition, O Lord. Will this be the day?

Amen.

Adoption Update

[See previous post for context]. Instead of hearing by 10pm tonight, we've just been told that we won't know until tomorrow afternoon. Also, there's another family who may be interested that seems to have "right of first refusal". When they decide tomorrow, then we'll know. If you read this in time please pray for us.

Adoption Update

PRAY! PRAY! PRAY! We just received a call. A baby girl was born in Florida today and is without a mother. The hospital went to work to find a home for this baby and we said YES! YES! YES! There are still lots of things to work out, but I'm told that we'll know by 10pm tonight whether this will be our new daughter! If it works out we'll hop in the van as soon as possible and head to Florida!

[Edited version]

Doing Splits

Reformed Presbyterians are foremost authorities on the most painful way to plant a church: splitting up. No matter what part of the country we are living in, during our short stay there we always meet someone who has given up on the local reformed churches and decided to plant a little different flavor of reformed Presbyterianism. It’s now happening here (again).

I’m in no position to cheer or pooh-pooh these actions or to weigh the reasons behind the split. All I know is that too many reformed-types are dissatisfied with their church, and too many try to plant a greener pasture. At least the hope is it’ll be a greener pasture. Usually what happens is a few sheep get shuffled around and the existing reformed churches get weaker.

When I look through the publishing houses of “reformedom” there’s nothing in-print on this. What we need is a wise reformed leader to take on this topic and address questions like, “what are the valid reasons to leave a church and what is only majoring on the minors?” This issue would make a great book project or conference and, if well done, would certainly promote the peace and unity of local reformed churches across this country.

Gagging the Relief Workers

This AP journalist is upset with the evangelism efforts of Christian relief agencies. He sympathetically quotes Nihad Awad, director of the Council on American-Islamic relations, "just when our nation's [America's] image in the Islamic world was improving as a result of the outpouring of American aid in the tsunami disaster area, we hear from those who would exploit the tragedy to advance their own extremist agenda."

It seems to many that Christian "proselytizing" is of more concern than even the murder threats of the Muslim "relief" officials. Hasri Husan, director of a Muslim relief shelter warns, "we will chase down any Christian group that does anything beyond offering aid," and then makes a slashing motion across his throat.

Feeling the pressure to either be gagged or lose your head, we should pray for the Christian relief workers to boldly offer Christ along with His blessings of food, water, shelter and medicine.

Encouraged by the Heidelberg

I do not doubt God will turn to my good whatever adversity he sends me in this sad world. He is able to do this because he is almighty God; he desires to do this because he is a faithful Father. All things, in fact, come to me not by chance but from his fatherly hand. I can be patient when things go against me and have good confidence in my faithful God and Father. All creatures are so completely in his hand that without his will they can neither move nor be moved.

I trust him alone, look to him for every good thing humbly and patiently, love him, fear him, and honor him with all my heart. I give up anything rather than go against his will in any way.

I do whatever I can for my neighbor's good; I work faithfully so that I may share with those in need.

I rest on this unshakable foundation: even though I do not deserve it, God will surely listen to my prayer because of Christ my Lord. That is what he promised in his Word.

Help us one and all to carry out the work we are called to, as willingly and faithfully as the angels in heaven.

Adoption Update

In my last adoption update I wrote of our hopeful expectation that we would adopt a baby this month. Sadly, it now appears that it is falling through. There were several situations that looked like near shoe-ins, but one-by-one each of those birthmothers surprised the adoption agency and us by changing their minds about adoption after the baby's birth.

We are somewhat dejected today but want to avoid the impatience of Sarai (remember that episode with Hagar?). Please pray for us.

Study Compares Home- and School-educated Children
from MARS HILL Audio Addenda

A new study published in the Journal of Early Childhood Research compares the intellectual development of children who have been home-educated with that of those who have been school-educated.

Home-educated children, it reports, "demonstrated high levels of ability and good social skills"; they tested higher in many of the tests than did school-educated children. Speculating about why this would be the case, the article describes home-education and how it differs from school-education:

"Home-education is best described as an individually tailored education (ITE) whereby the children work from a home base but often spend a large amount of their time away from the home itself, instead attending group get-togethers and activities, visiting parks, museums, friends' houses, libraries and 'after school' groups. In general this is an education gained through 'living and doing' . . . ."

The article advocates individually tailored education and the elements of which it consists—such as high levels of attention from parents and family members and a pace of learning gauged to each child—to schools that wish to reform their education programs.

There's always somebody with a worse job...

Pentagon spurned plan to initiate enemy homosexuality
Reuters

The U.S. military rejected a 1994 proposal to develop an "aphrodisiac" to spur homosexual activity among enemy troops but is hard at work on other less-than-lethal weapons, defense officials said Sunday.

The idea of fostering homosexuality among the enemy figured in a declassified six-year, $7.5 million request from a laboratory at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio for funding of non-lethal chemical weapon research.

Another reason to never volunteer for any "special prjoects" in the military!

Reading Recommendations

Each year we exchange Epiphany gifts. It used to include a gift-wrapping competition, but that was the dumb part (my thoughts only, Kristin likes it). We always give each other books which we would try to disguise as different things. Now we just hand each other the box as it comes in the mail and you get bonus points if it arrives on-time.

This year Kristin gave me the latest edition of Operation World. Note: Kristin says if you order from this site, it will take 3 weeks to arrive by FedEx! She speaks from experience (but the bonus point thing is just made up anyway). Besides being the best available prayer tool I know of concerning the spread of the Gospel throughout every nation, tribe, and tongue, it's also a refresher on geography, world history, economics and government from a Christ-is-King-of-All perspective. It's now part of our family worship liturgy.

Some of the articles I gave Kristin were duds, but some were homers. The best was Rachel Ball's thesis on adoption titled "Defenders of the Defenseless" (thanks so much Valerie for putting me in touch with her). I wish Ms. Ball's work would be published so it could be available to a wider audience. Here's an excerpt from her preface,

My family has been involved in foster care and adoption for nearly my entire life. After adopting four of my siblings and having over twenty-five foster children pass through my home, we have learned much about the system and have been able to see the family backgrounds that are so typical to these children...

A look at the history of adoption provided the affirmation I had been dreading - Christians, who had at one time been the leaders in the care of needy children, had now settled into a comfortable oblivion. The children who needed care were no longer supported by Christian families; rather, they had become children of the state. Because of this, adoption today has become a governmental and industrial ministry. However, with a look at the biblical teachings on our spiritual adoption and the direct commands for Christians to care for the orphans and fatherless, it has become clear just where the Christians ought to stand.

Thank you Ms. Ball (and your parents) for showing us what it means to love the defenseless.

Road Trip

A waterpark in Ohio in January....these Northerners know how to do winter right. We're there.

Back on Monday.


Here we come...

A Sticker or a Label?

A friend of mine at Harvard Business School (HBS) sent me this note as an example of the craftiness of those seeking, not to just legitimize an immoral lifestyle, but to ostracize any who would dare object to it.

Think back to your first days here at HBS. You were probably nervous about what impression you would make, the types of people you would meet, and if you would fit. Now imagine that you had to deal with the additional discomfort of some people being shocked by or disapproving of your life. Remember the first three questions that you had to answer almost 900 times during foundations: where are you from? where did you work? are you in a relationship? That relationship question can present a major dilemma for many gay, lesbian, and bisexual students. Responding honestly can seem very risky.

If statistics prove true, there should be at least 4 or more gay, lesbian, or bisexual people in your section. Why don't you know who they are? Chances are that those people have not felt safe or comfortable to "come out" and risk a negative reaction from their classmates. So tomorrow, members of the Open For Business Club invite all members of the HBS community to take a risk. Come out and show that you support a welcoming and inclusive community by the simple act of wearing a sticker which will be given out in your classrooms. You will risk some people thinking that you are gay, and you will risk some people disagreeing with your willingness to advocate equality for all students at HBS. However, this is a small, one-time risk that will make a big difference.

Stickers featuring a large equal sign will be distributed in each RC classroom and available from many EC students as well. The equal sign represents the equality that all people hope to enjoy in our community. This is also the symbol for the Human Rights Campaign.

The trap is set: you must choose between a sticker or a label. Wear the sticker to show support, or refuse their sticker and be labeled as a hate-filled religious bigot. Which will it be for you?

Neither! But given your choices, how do you avoid their "stereotype-trap" without advocating their cause?

"Hi Atta, What Did You Learn in School Today?"

If you think your child's curriculum is deliberate and God-centered compare it to what approximately 1.7 million children are learning across Pakistan's 10,000 madrassas today.

First Year
Biography of the Prophet (Syrat), Conjugation-Grammar (Sarf), Syntax (Nahv), Arabic Literature, Chirography, Chant illation (Tajvid)

Second Year
Conjugation-Grammar (Sarf), Syntax (Nahv), Arabic Literature, Jurisprudence (Fiqa), Logic, Chirography (Khush-navisi), Chant illation, (Tajvid)

Third Year
Koranic Exegesis, Jurisprudence: (Fiqh), Syntax (Nahv), Arabic Literature, Hadith, Logic, Islamic Brotherhood, Chant illation: (Tajvid), External study (Tareekh Millat and Khilafat-e-Rashida – these are Indian Islamic movements).

Fourth Year
Koranic Exegesis, Jurisprudence (Fiqa), Principles of Jurisprudence, Rhetorics, Hadith, Logic, History, Cant illation, Geography of the Arab Peninsula and other Islamic countries)

Fifth Year
Koranic Exegesis, Jurisprudence, Principles of Jurisprudence, Rhetoric, Beliefs (Aqa'id), Logic, Arabic Literature, Chant illation, External study (History of Indian Kings)

Sixth Year
Interpretation of the Koran, Jurisprudence, Principles of Interpretation &
Jurisprudence, Arabic Literature, Philosophy, Chant illation, Study of Prophet’s traditions

Seventh Year
Sayings of the Prophet, Jurisprudence, Belief (Aqa'ed), Responsibility (Fra'iz), Chant illation, External Study (Urdu texts)

Eighth Year
Ten books by various authors focusing on the sayings of the Prophet.

As can be seen from the above list of subjects, there is no mention of modern sciences, such as chemistry, biology or mathematics. According to congressional testimony, madrassas that tried to propose the teaching of these subjects so that their students would have some marketable skills were strictly forbidden to do so by their financial sponsors in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Students are inculcated with the feeling of nationalism and the glorification of war. In addition, history begins with the fall of Spain in the hands of Moorish prince Tarik Bin Ziad and emphasizes that the "English" were always the enemies of the Muslims.

Not very comforting is it? And that's just one Muslim country...

President vows no women in combat, but watch how "combat" is defined

According to an article today in the Washington Times, President Bush's policy on women in ground combat takes just four words to articulate: "No women in combat."

He has no intention of sending women into ground combat, a mission for which they are banned under Pentagon policy. But he added, "Having said that, let me explain, we've got to make sure we define combat properly: We've got women flying choppers and women flying fighters, which I'm perfectly content with." Ewww. We have President Clinton to blame for lifting the ban in 1994 on women in combat aircraft and ships after receiving reports of women excelling during Operation Desert Storm.

The Washington Times has reported on internal Army memos that show some officials are pushing the Pentagon to lift the ban so that mixed-sex Forward Support Companies (FSC) can collocate with armor and infantry battalions within a "unit of action."

A recent briefing portrays the Army in a bind. If it collocates FSCs with combat teams and keeps them men-only, then it "creates potential long-term challenge to Army; pool of male recruits too small to sustain force," the Army documents stated.

Let's pray that the gender-based recruiting quotas that have caused the apparent shortages in male soldiers won't lead to more loosening of what is defined as "combat" and send more women further into harm's way.

The Death of Outrage

I haven't read the book, but the title sure is fitting. I don't have to go looking for images like the one below, they are put in front of me routinely (this one is an ad off the Dayton street map). Does it outrage you? Probably not. We're all so used to seeing stuff like this, our sense of outrage is burned out. For some folks, nothing can fire them up anymore. For others, the unconstitutional actions of our government get their goat, and it should. Even though this Dayton seminary doesn't run off our tax dollars (at least to my knowledge), it does bring discredit to the name of Christ and undermines the gospel. No matter how prevalent this situation is, it seems like we should still get at least a little "imprecatory".

irksome

A Different Kind of Women's Mission Guild

From Kristin's reading: When John Calvin decided to marry, he put together a committee in Strasburg (where he had gone in exile from Geneva) to find him a wife. Their attempts failed several times.

I wonder what his reasons were for employing a committee? I can't but wonder at the "failed attempts."

Finally he noticed the widow with 3 children of a former Anabaptist he had converted and was wed to Idelette de Bure.

Something to Hang on Your Door

What comes first in Luther's 95 Theses? Does he first assert the authority of Scripture? Or justification by faith alone? Perhaps the priesthood of believers?

Each of these were crucial correctives to Roman Catholic dogma, but none were first out of Luther's quill. That preeminent spot belonged to:

1. When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said "Repent", He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.

Entire life. Of believers. To be one of. Repentance. Do others see this in my life? Have my children heard me repent? My spouse?

If you'll excuse me, I have something that needs to be hung on the front door.

Another Great Read from Canon Press

I hadn't heard any recommendations for At the Edge of the Village: Musings of a Missionary Wife by Mrs. Lisa Leidenfrost, but since Canon Press hasn't let me down yet I bought a copy for Kristin. Mrs. Leidenfrost, a homeschooling mother of four, lives in the Ivory Coast of West Africa.

Kristin has really enjoyed the book--it's downright funny, easy to read, inspiring, and truth-telling. One reason she likes it so well are the similarities between missionary and military lifestyles. Missionaries belong to a highly mobile community; so do military families. Both groups have to say "goodbye" frequently, and the pain can be numbing. Mrs. Liedenfrost clearly speaks to us by relating this bit o' wisdom,

Once I was sitting by a missionary colleague during a conference, and she commented about this difficult aspect of missionary life. She said there are only two options for survival: to love quickly and deeply, or not to love at all. In the former course your hurt badly every time you move on and a relationship is broken, but in the latter you shut yourself off from loving anyone, and while it is true that you do not hurt when someone leaves you, you also begin slowly to die within--no one can live without giving and receiving love.

Suspicions about "Ethics Training"

It's time that we enlarge the focus of our church apologetics classes. Christians should be prepared to address Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, and the major religions of the world. But another worldview is sneaking into the lives of, I'd venture to say, most of the business men and women of corporate America (which are also many of the folks in our churches). It comes in mainly through mandatory ethics training in the workplace.

Most of the ideas that we're taught in these ethics classes philosophers would call either Kantian Deontology or utilitarianism. Since that's too scary sounding, it's usually just described as "common sense". Ethics classes are an annual requirement for my job. In past years the training seemed harmless enough, but this year's material included powerpoint slides titled "Problems in Following the Golden Rule", and printed statements like "Theological Ethics -- a Non-Starter" and "in principle, looking to God's will is unnecessary in thinking about ethics". WHAT!?!?!

Since so many of the folks in our churches are being fed similar, yet perhaps more subtle ideas through formal training in the workplace, we need to be prepared to respond to these strawman attacks. Church leaders would do well to give some attention to what is going on here, because if folks are told a lie for long enough they're likely to start believing it.

Van Til, Machen, and my Grandfather

My 98 year old grandfather, Robert Witty, is a unique man. I remember visiting him about 5 years ago, when I walked into his apartment he was just finishing uploading his web site. How many folks in their 90s start their own web site? Here's the link.

God has sustained him and his memory marveously. His life story is a first-hand account of nearly one-third of our country's history. I love his boyhood stories about "running the muskrat traps" in the Kentucky wilderness, his two pairs of clothes (regular and Sunday), and his first gun which he bought for 50 cents (a shotgun).

In the 1920s he went to Princeton Seminary and studied under Drs. Machen, Van Til, and Hodge! Here's a story he tells about Dr. Machen:

Dr. Machen was a bald-headed portly man. Sometimes he would hang his watch chain over his ear, place a book like a tent over his head, walk around the room as he threw chalk at the blackboard and listened to our declension of a verb. If we made a mistake he might even fall to the floor. Yet he was recognized as the world’s leader in conservative theology and the world’s greatest Greek scholar.

Upon hearing one of young Robert's practice sermons, Dr. Hodge responded tenderly, "That was the greatest diarrhea of words and constipation of thought that I have ever heard."

While my grandfather has yet to accept Calvinism, one can not help but to be impressed with his continued zeal for the Lord. He still preaches Jesus around the country. He's still authoring books in his nineties. He still loves his Lord.

Islam & Liberalism

One of my graduation requirements is a thesis-like Graduate Research Project. Since this is a technical school, most of topics are atrociously boring, like these no kidding projects:

- "Registration techniques for speckle suppression in 2-D LADAR image
sequences"

- "A Probabilistic Method for Evaluating Uncertainty in Low-Altitude High Energy Laser Effectiveness"

Yawn and Yack! It took me several extra weeks but I was able to find an advisor to support my barely-"PC" research project, "Using Information Technology to Marginalize Radical Islam".

My thesis boils down to this: if America wants to prevent the next generation of terrorists what needs to happen to Wahabbi Islam is exactly what happened to Protestant Christianity in the 19th and 20th centuries. Liberalism was a terrible thing for Christianity, it sought to destroy the authority of our sacred text. But if we can use Information Technology to spread a more "liberal" view of Islam in the madrassas and other educational institutions, liberalism may mean that our children and children's children won't have to fight an increasing number of anti-Western Islamic terrorists.

Post-Modern Professors

This is the first week of a new semester here at the Air Force Institute of Technology. My classes are your typical engineering and mathematics sorts of courses, but one of the professors has decided to teach his captive audience a thing or two about ethics.

This much I've learned. When secular universities or organizations say they're going to teach "ethics", they really mean they're going to teach deconstruction.

So far our professor has attempted to take a wrecking-ball to religion and absolute morality in general. He has shown himself to be a Carl Sagan acolyte: reason is king, evolution is proven, abortion is a right, etc. In the name of "Critical Thinking" he made a strawman out of the Bible and then whacked it around some. He enlightened us on the "dilemma of God". This is really not the kind of instruction our military officers need.

I interjected a few times during class with some counterpoints and spoke with him afterwards, but he has a bully pulpit. What this has to do with engineering I don't know.

However, the damage to my classmates is limited. Even when there's no voice for the Bible, there is another two-edged sword to count on--apathy. Many of my students are apathetic about their need for a Savior and that's lamentable. But on days like this, I'm glad they're also apathetic about "ethics".

Getting More Out of Books

After I became a Christian about 11 years ago, my discipler taught me to journal. I have nearly 10 years worth of notebooks tracking my progress on the path of sanctification. At first, most of the entries chronicled simple Bible verses, which after 22 years of complete neglect were suddenly singing out loudly to be savored.

About five years ago I started to journal the best quotes from each book I read along with a summary of that book's teaching. At this time we were also experiencing our first two year-old, so several of the books were on Christian parenting and family life. The teaching in those books is valuable, but once read and journaled they tended to sit on the book shelf, and the yellowing pages of my journal were seldom visited. They were a treasure, but one that was buried and daily sinking deeper. Their nuggets of wisdom were gradually disappearing altogether from my life.

During the last year I've made a daily habit of re-reading at least one page of my journals during morning devotion, especially focusing on the book summaries. When the summary is of benefit to my wife I flag the page and insert it into her daily devotion materials. In doing this, we are not only digging up a treasure, we are adding to it.

Epiphany Gifts

A good shepherd of the home will look for opportunities to sanctify those in his care. One way I try to do this is by presenting a gift to each member of the family on the last day of the Christmas season, Epiphany. Each gift is intended to foster spiritual growth in the person who receives it. This may be a special book or recording, etc.

This year I am putting together a notebook of short articles for my wife to read. I've found some good ones at Draught Horse Press, Ladies Against Feminism, Vision Forum, and Credenda/Agenda. There are still a couple of days to finish this little project of looove, any ideas?

Great Questions Children Ask

My daughter asked as I'm giving her a pony ride, "Daddy, why do you have a hole in your head?" (I pointed out that my brain needed some room to expand)

Later my son queried, "Mommy, if I knock out Glory's (our dog) teeth, can I keep them?"

2004 in the Books


What was read:
ESV Bible using a lectionary approach
The Autobiography of John G. Paton
Fidelity, Douglas Wilson
Don't Waste Your Life, John Piper
Biblical Theology, Geerhardus Vos
The Heart of Anger, Lou Priolo
On Being Black and Reformed, Anthony Carter
Mother Kirk, Douglas Wilson
Blessed are the Hungry, Peter Leithart
The Lord's Service, Jeffrey Meyers
The Weight of Glory, C.S. Lewis

What was heard:
America's Wars: A Biblical Overview and Evaluation
Tacit Knowing, Truthful Knowing: The Life and Thought of Michael Polanyi
Men of Whom the World is Not Worthy, John Piper
Jonathan Edwards, A God-Entranced Vision of All Things
2004 Basement Tapes and Mars Hill Audio Journals