On Women in the Military

There's been more news than normal lately on the role of women in the military. Some want to further restrict their presence by barring them from forward support companies such as some supply, transport and medical units. I support this idea.

A few others want to completely remove women from military service. While I share much of the same values as those that support this position, I don't think this particular step is necessary.

When the general public thinks about women in the military they often picture them running an obstacle course with an M-16 in their hand. That does happen--women are too close to the tip of the spear in our military.

But many more women in the service are not. The Air Force, which I think has the highest percentage of women of any service, is a good example. Because of new advances in technology, only a small percentage of the force is in harm's way. New technology requires more people in the "tail" than in the "tooth".

Don't get me wrong. The lines between combat and support have been blurred and this puts our combat support units in greater danger--there are women assigned to these units. That's why I support the idea of restricting women from the forward support units.

But barring women from military service entirely is like barring women from any career--and that's a different subject.

Saving Lives Through Relationships

The Air Force set aside part of today to focus on the importance of taking care of each other. Part of the event entails a keynote speaker who addresses the 900-person student body. Today's speaker is an alcoholic who came within a hair of killing himself--he's also a friend of mine and a fellow student. He will soon be separated from the Air Force and almost ruined his marriage. At the last event a few months ago another keynote speaker explained how close she came to killing herself (note written out, plans made, etc)--she is also a friend and one of my professors. Both friends of mine, and I had no idea of their struggles!

I met both of them at a previous assignment, they each worked just a couple of cubicles from me every day. Who would have guessed what was just below the surface in their lives? How many more friends do I have now (and will soon have in New Mexico) that hide such terrible secrets?

This is a call to prayer...that God would help me be better at developing genuine relationships...that God would enlarge my heart for those around me...that God would use me to save lives.

I Found the Answer to World Peace

Why is it that my two oldest children (7 and 5) can bicker and nag each other all day long but as soon as we send them off to bed for the night they instantly become best friends, giggling and babbling until we split them up an hour later so they can get some sleep?

Has anybody thought to try this in the Middle East Peace Process?--seems like they've tried everything else...

I'm a Blog Luddite (sounds like Troglodyte)

n. Someone who doesn't think blogs will change the world and strives to use them cautiously, knowing that this is probably not the wisest use of their time.

The Problem with Lists

Kristin and I are "list" people. To-do lists, library book lists, grocery lists, all work out very fine for us--but church lists are another matter. As we prepare to move again, we're trying to change and that means not listing out what we're looking for in a church.

It's supposed to be the military that always fights the last war, but we're just as likely to dwell too much on that church we were in before. "Oh how we loved how they did [insert something like weekly communion, small groups, etc]", and so that goes on our list of "must-haves" for the next church. But when we find a church that matches our list, they do it all "wrong." And we end up being too contrary.

Maybe a list for what you want in a church is about as dumb as a list for what you want in a spouse. There are too many variables that can't be quantified and qualified accurately. There are tacit elements that can't be written down.

Lists are out, but I'm not sure what goes in their place...a dart board?

We are little lambs who don't know which way to go. Savior, like a shepherd lead us.

Skipping Pentecost

In the Lutheran church Pentecost Sunday (today) is often when people join the church. At the one we've been attending the Information Class finished a couple of weeks ago, but we've continued to meet with the pastor to talk through some Lutheran distinctives.

Until a month ago I didn't know that membership in a Lutheran church is by confession, not profession. What confessional membership means is that to join the church you have to agree with Luther's small catechism, not just profess faith in Christ.

We weren't able to affirm a few of their beliefs, but really appreciate the one-on-one time with the pastor. The Lutheran faith is an "alternate" interpretation of the Scriptures--more incompatible with Calvinism than I thought--but consistent in its own teachings.

So we were not among those who joined the church today, and although it was encouraging to see several Roman Catholics convert to Lutheranism today, we look forward to returning to a Reformed church at our next assignment.

Merchants of Cool

PBS's Frontline has posted some of their documentaries for on-line viewing. A past MARS HILL AUDIO conversation recommended Merchants of Cool so Kristin and I watched it on the laptop earlier this week via this link.

If you're interested in understanding youth pop culture, or in general, the thoughtless consumption of modern culture, this is an intriguing expose. Be warned it is graphic--not for little ones to see or hear.

Ideas for Mother's Days

Kristin does more than most moms are expected to these days--homeschooling is a big part of it, but other convictions also increase the demands upon her as a mother. Therefore, "I am determined that [my wife] shall not be driven to desperation," (can you cite that quote?) and have thought of a few good ways to keep that from happening. Here are the ones that come to mind:

• Sabbaticals: An overnight "get-away" somewhere relaxing. This is not so much an escape as it is a time of reflection. I give her an edifying book or audio recording that reminds her how special this time of life is
• Weekly Time: An evening or an afternoon to do something alone -- either crafts, or even just errands
• Reading: Besides giving her books to read, I also have her periodically review notes that I took on helpful books that we've read together in the past. This is a quick way to remember the wisdom of previous year's reading.
• Sabbath Feasting: Like the Israelites in the wilderness, we pick up twice as much manna the day before the Sabbath, so there's no need to cook or go out on the Sabbath. We order enough carry-out for Saturday night's dinner to also supply Sunday's lunch.

Any other ideas?

Meet a Friend of Ours

We met Joe and Melene during our time in Illinois. I worked with Joe and our families were soon worshipping together and part of the same small group. Joe is an Air Force pilot and Melene is a gifted musician and mother of two beautiful daughters. They currently live in North Carolina. Melene started blogging and is the first blogger that we've known in real life before meeting in the blogosphere! I hope you'll stop in at Sing for Joy.

What Day is it?

Lots of folks celebrated Cinco de Mayo today. Many Christians celebrated the National Day of Prayer. But this day the Church celebrates Ascension Day.

I don't want to make too much out of this, but the Christians I spoke with today that participated in the National Day of Prayer hadn't a clue about Ascension Day--and there's a reason why. It's the difference between a God-centered ministry and a man-centered one.

I'm not against the National Day of Prayer, I believe some good comes out of it, but its focus often seems to be "let's see if we can get Mr. [Muckety-Muck] Government Leader to support our event. This will show the liberals how much influence we wield!" If we realized the truth of Ascension Day, we'd have such a different perspective!

This Day we remember that our Lord has been raised to Heaven and is seated at the right hand of God Almighty, everything has been placed under his feet, he rules it all! We remember this Day that Christ is praying for us--so who cares if the Governor won't pray with us! We recall that Christ was raised in the flesh, the first fruits of the harvest to come, where we too will join Him, to be with Him in our glorified bodies forever!

Celebrate the real meaning of today!

Lighten Up

Tomorrow starts our 3-day garbage, er I mean, garage sale. Everything must go! As we move in June (to our 10th home in 11 years) we're sick and tired of packing and unpacking the same unlistened to CDs, unlooked at books, unplayed with toys, unworn clothes, etc. Plants are free, but my children will gleefully charge you a quarter for a cup of lemonade.

I'm reminded of the time after our wedding ceremony when a retired military wife looked at our stash of stuff and sadly warned us, "after 3 moves it's firewood." Well, it certainly has a way of piling up. Hopefully, we'll sell enough this weekend to cut down our trips to Goodwill.

Freedom of Religion

All I know about the emergent church movement is what I've heard on the White Horse Inn and Issues, etc. Both programs are very critical of it, probably rightly so.

But they both missed the e-church appeal -- sadly, it's probably a false one -- of getting answers to doctrinal questions from an "unbiased" source. Here's what I mean. As I wrestle with a doctrine, let's say baptism for example, can I really expect a Lutheran pastor to genuinely explore beyond the standard Lutheran position? He'll explain all the relevant Scriptures from the Lutheran point of view and when I mention how others view the same passages, he'll say something like, "that's not how our church understands them." Or perhaps, he'll set up a strawman argument out of the others' position and then beat it senseless. Calvin sharply said, "There is not a more destructive plague than when men are so intoxicated by the scanty portion of knowledge which they possess, that they boldly reject everything that is contrary to their opinion." Rare is the person who has seriously tried to understand the different positions on a doctrine before arguing with others over the right way to believe.

Emergent churches, because much of their doctrine is "in process", seem like a more objective place to learn. But, for the same reason, they terrify me. Freedom of religion means complete freedom, even to believe lies, or not to believe at all.

What Kind of Presbyterian Are You?

A new quiz based on this paper by Tim Keller. The quiz is short on questions, big on generalizations.

My results:

1: You are Reformed Historical! Most in this group support ‘strict subscription’ to the Confession and are mainly inspired by earlier forms of Presbyterianism. What divides Reformed-historicals and the rest of the PCA is not so much doctrinal differences as differences in perspective (and attitude) regarding how to communicate our doctrine and relate it to the post-Christian culture. (100%)

2: You are Reformed Conservative! You may be more culturally conservative than committed to a specific form of Presbyterianism. Many in this group don't like the strident rhetoric of the "Truly Reformed" crowd. You are standing for very good causes and are appropriately concerned for the moral decline of our culture. (73%)

3: You are Reformed Evangelical! You focus more on "distributing nutrients" to the church rather than "attacking infection". You are committed to Reformed theology that you feel is more biblically than culturally derived and are devoted to present-day ‘missions and ministry.’ However, you are susceptible to adopting pragmatic approaches to ministry that are not reflective of Reformed/biblical distinctives. You may be prone to evaluate influence by size of church numbers rather than by evidences of transformation in society. (57%)

Taking Confirmation Seriously

Today's sermon was a great example of preaching with a deep love for your people and a healthy fear of God. It was a confirmation service and one of the two boys being confirmed was the pastor's son. The sermon, and in some sense the whole service, was a celebration and exhortation for the confirmands, who were draped in a white garment and spent the service directly in front of the pulpit or kneeling at the alter. The pastor was noticeably affected by the presence of his son, his preaching was more impassioned. His burden for the souls of his "congregation" was obvious, providing a good example of how all preaching should be.

I'm not sure about the Biblical basis for confirmation (although there's historical basis), but the Lutherans certainly make more of it than the Presbyterians. Most of the confirmation ceremonies I've seen in Presbyterian churches are squeezed into the regular liturgy and come across as half-hearted--the confirmands I saw today won't soon forget theirs.

Captive Audiences

I got a McOpinion this evening from the McDonalds drive-through attendant. He saw my Texas plates and while making the change decided to tell me how Bush is just a power-monger.

My barber is known for making use of her captive audience, too. Her themes are racism and rich folks. A friend's barber literally raps (softly) to his customers about oppression and racism.

This reminds me of my captive audience -- bathtime is a great time for catechizing the little ones!

Another rejection for us, but...

We've been praying for closure for Baby Moriah who has been in "adoption limbo" since she was born 6 weeks ago. God answered that prayer today, not by placing her with us, but with another family.

Maybe we're getting used to the rejections, knowing they're just part of God's wiser purposes, yet we still feel a little sting each time.

Our rejection is probably only temporary; Moriah's acceptance into her family is forever. And for that we're thankful.

Intoleristas

There's a regular stream of articles on the pressure to muzzle outspoken Christians at the Air Force Academy. Some excerpts from today's L.A. Times article shows what's really going on.

Members of the Yale Divinity School, who visited the academy last year to observe pastoral care on campus, were surprised by the overtly evangelical tone they found. They sent a memo to school leaders.

During Protestant worship services, the report said, cadets chanted, "This is our Chapel and the Lord is our God." They were encouraged to proselytize to others and "remind them of the consequences of apostasy."

SAY IT AIN'T SO!! Declaring 'the Lord is God' in a worship service! Encouraging the worshippers to obey the Great Commission! NOOOO!!!

Protestant cadets were reminded that those not 'born again will burn in the fires of hell,' " the report said. "Protestant cadets were regularly encouraged to 'witness' to fellow Basic Cadets."

Kristen Leslie, an assistant professor in pastoral care at Yale, led the team. "There was a religious arrogance," Leslie said.

So let's get this straight...believing there is only one way of salvation is 'religious arrogance'.

In a crowded room on the edge of the Air Force Academy, Chaplain Melinda Morton was doing her bit for culture change.

She dimmed the lights and rolled the video.

Morton was teaching an RSVP — Respecting the Spiritual Values of all People — class, a 50-minute exercise in trying to stop what critics called a culture of intolerance on campus.

So far 1,500 of 4,300 cadets have taken the class and eventually all 9,000 employees and military personnel at the academy will complete it.

As the class ended, one participant, Lt. Col. Marcia Meeks-Eure, paused before leaving.

"I think this sort of thing is very good because it underscores what we are supposed to be doing," she said. "I am Baptist but I won't talk about my faith unless someone asks."

Ahhh, yes. That's what the Intolaristas love to hear.

A baby...maybe

Deep in the woods of my South Carolina home was a murky pond. As a boy, I spent many dawns and dusks crouching on the bank watching for my bob to suddenly run and submerge.

You learn a lot about patience from fishing. You can't see what's going on below the surface, you wonder if maybe the worm came off during the cast leaving just a string and a hook--not very enticing to the fish. Sometimes something would play with the bob; bump it, move it around, but never commit to the hook. This could go on for a while; sometimes it was a turtle, other times it was a fish too small to swallow the hook. But occasionally, after waiting and watching the dancing bob for what seemed like hours, a nice size fish would snatch it and run.

For six weeks we've been waiting and watching as the birthmom I mentioned earlier, considers us. The baby is now 6 weeks old, the birthmother has terminated her rights to the child, and the child waits in foster care for the agency and the birthmom to pick an adoptive family. For weeks we've been told that we're "very strong contenders but it will be a day or two before she decides", only to wait a day or two and find that no decision has been made.

Nothing more to do but trust God's timing and ask him to incline the birthmother to choose us. Meanwhile we'll patiently crouch by the phone, hoping that one of the calls will be the one we've been waiting for.

Agents of Cool

Youth Pastor


This youth pastor of a local church displays his new hairstyle, which was the result of his promise to the youth group. They could cut and style his hair if they raised funds to match the amount spent on a recent ski trip. The group raised $6,250 for charities, and the pastor got a new doo.

Giving to charity is a good work, yet if done out of selfish motives instead of to the glory of God, even large gifts to charity cannot please God. Augustine called such good works splendid sins, splendid in one way, but in another way nothing more than sins.

"It is like a sacrament ever on the lips...

For its words are not mere words. They are, 'the twigs of the burning bush aflame with God'.

They recite it constantly through the daily round, at prayer times, through the passage of the year, and through all the stages of life. They strive to learn as much of it as possible by heart. It is not given to many to learn to recite the whole of the Book, and the title thus won by those who do is greatly respected.

The Quran is more central to Islamic theology than the Bible is for Christians."

Francis Robinson, "Islam and the Impact of Print"