Christianity and Humanism

It's surprising how many times I've bought stuff based on recommendations from bloggers I like. And each time I've really enjoyed what I got. One of my favorite CDs came this way, based on a plug by Rick Saenz over at DryCreek Chronicles. It's bluegrass of course: Hot Rize's live performance called "So Long of a Journey".

As they open the performance I've always been puzzled by the introduction of Pete Wernick, the famed Dr. Banjo, as also the President of the Family of Humanists. I finally got around to looking them up and was surprised to strongly agree with Humanists at one point.

From their web site, they say, "Humanism is rapidly becoming the standard in educated societies". That's true. The fundamental values of this group mirror those of mainstream culture. Here's what they say:

Morality should be judged by what is best for humanity and the world around us. People are more important than dogma or ideology.

Nature is all of reality. We do not know of credible evidence of supernatural beings. The universe is evolved and motivated by unchanging natural laws.

Reason and the Scientific Method are the most trustworthy routes to knowledge. Knowledge is a tool to be applied with compassion and empathy for humanitarian purposes.

Democracy is humanism applied to government. Civil rights must be guaranteed for all segments of society and for unpopular as well as majority opinions.

Humanism is a process of continuing inquiry. It evolves as we develop new ideas and re-examine the old ideas in light of new experience

Is that not the majority view of pop culture today? Public schools, politics, academia, media, etc? And sadly, much of the Church has to be added to that list. Christianity today has largely adopted humanism's values. This reminds me of Machen's great, little book, Christianity and Liberalism. It's as relevant to the Church today as it ever has been. Humanist-Christianity isn't Christianity at all - but something else; some other religion that has nothing to do with God, Jesus or the Bible.

Waking Up

After teaching on the promises of God to Abraham (and to us) in my little Bible Study, I received this e-mail from one of the attendees:

"Many thanks, yet again my brother! I've never heard a view taught other than disp premill. I'm excited about searching His word to compare these [views]."

It's rewarding being the guy who gets to wake others up to the richness of historic Christianity. The problem of course is that I have so little knowledge of it. I'm like the boy among a hungry multitude who brings a little bread and fish to His Lord. He takes my bit of bread, blesses it abundantly, and is somehow able to satisfy those around me with it.

Military stops sponsoring Boy Scouts of America due to organization's religious rules

It's common for military units to sponsor Boy Scout troops. Many of us were once Boy Scouts and see the military as a natural progression for a young man. An AP article reports on a case argued and recently won by the ACLU that will weaken this link simply because a Scout's pledge includes believing in God.

Once again "separation of church and state" has become separation of God and government--two completely different ideas. Government as an institution is accountable to God who made it. Our government's embarrassment to even acknowledge God increases. A government that holds Him in low regard, will itself be cursed. "Blessed are those that bless you, and cursed are those that curse You."

Adoption Update

Since writing about all the ups and downs of our efforts to adopt probably wouldn't be beneficial, I will try to only relate significant progress.

Sometimes progress is painful. We learned today that the birthmother in Alabama rejected us. In our view we were a good match. She wanted an "educated, Christian family." We'd love a bi-racial baby girl like hers. All the qualifications matched. But in her view we were too blond-headed and blue-eyed, we wouldn't "blend well".

But this is progress. For the first time a birthmother really could have chosen my family as a home for her baby. It's no small effort to get to this stage in the process.

Rejection is not a "happy feeling", but the assurance of a sovereign God is. The same God who cares for the fatherless and the least among us, in His time, will bring us together.

Peace Talks

"Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints;
but let them not turn back to folly."

I need to put Psalm 85 to memory...it's glorious!

Free Pink T-Shirts Get Women in the Army

The Army National Guard, which has fallen short of recruiting goals during the fighting in Iraq, is trying new marketing ideas here in Ohio. One especially upsetting idea is to use pink t-shirts to recruit more women.

The pink T-shirts bear the words "Soldier Girl" to get the attention of potential recruits. The first order of 800 went quickly.

"A lot of young ladies are under the impression they can't be feminine if they join the military," Sgt. Weston said. "I wanted to dispel that myth."

One Less Mormon

It's been awhile since I've blogged about Michael from Taiwan. He's an exchange officer here. We became friends and I was able to explain the gospel to him a couple of months ago. He was newly involved with the Mormons, but said he was disappointed that they seldom read the Bible. I invited him to a Bible Study at school and to my home.

Since then the quarter ended and we've only seen each other once. He's down to just a few weeks before he moves back home, and so I decided to e-mail him and explain why he shouldn't return to the Mormon church. Here was part of his response:

Hi, Tim:

Appreciate for your helpful recommendations in my choosing beliefs. Actually, some other beloved sisters and brothers have given me the similar opinions about Mormon, and I think you are right.Even if I am still reading Bible and discussing with other Christians, I think I won't go back to Mormon again.

I praise God that Michael and I struck up a quick but genuine friendship and that God is leading him to a safe place to grow in the knowledge and love of our Savior.

Home-Schooled & Home-Churched

Several of the most active home-schooling families we've met here have no commitment to a local church. They are very vocal about their faith and are dedicated to raising their family to the glory of God. Yet they float between several churches having friends in each but obligations to none. Some even have prominent roles in the local home-school organizations. This should not be.

I rankled a friend's feathers recently by suggesting that the reason for all this is the same maverick spirit that led them to home-school. They saw the faults of the public school system and knew they could do better. And for that I can applaud them. But when it comes to the Church, we shouldn't have an I-can-do-it-better-myself kind of spirit.

Even though many local churches are in shambles and in ways are bad influences for our children, we are not to go our own way. As Doug Wilson has written, "the Church is our mother, and the law of God requires us to honor our mothers." (Mother Kirk)

If home-schoolers aren't teaching their children to be life-long worshipers in the pew and pulpit then they're not raising them for God's glory. For His glory is in the Church (Eph 3:21). She is "the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the house and family of God, out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation." (WCF 25:2).

Things Too Wonderful

Amazing love! The Son sent to suffer in my stead,
the Spirit added to teach, comfort, and yearn.
The ministry of angels to wall me round,
All heaven serves a poor worm!

All promises in Christ Jesus are yea and amen,
a finished work needs no addition!
He hast spoken them, and they shall be done,
He cannot lie, and none can change His position.

Worthy of adoration greater than my dull heart can provide,
"You who seek God, let your hearts revive" (Ps 69:32)

Combat Boots

When I was a boy one of the common put-downs in our neighborhood was, "Your mother wears combat boots!" In that era it was implausible to imagine a lady in BDUs. I guess I've gotten used to seeing it, but tonight was a new low. When driving onto base after dark my wife and I were surprised to see that both gate guards on duty were female. It's rather pathetic to use young ladies to protect a military installation. To add to the disgrace, they attracted the interest of a couple young men who were hanging out in their cars and flirting with them. It looked more like a cruising strip than a base perimeter.

Bork Specter!

Add your voice to the growing throng who are objecting to Sen Specter as potential Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Examples of e-mail, fax, and phone messages can be found here.

Stepping onto a Roller Coaster Blind-folded

As of this week our adoption portfolio is being passed around to different adoption agencies. We now wait for the Lord to move the heart of a birthmother to choose us. That could happen this week...or not at all.

Kristin and I are preparing for what I think will be the most heart-wrenching phase of this process. This week has proved right my hunch. Already there's a birthmother that lives in our parent's town (!!) who is due in just three weeks. Even though the "odds" are against this working out for us, the possibility of having a new baby in our family by the end of this month makes us shake with excitement and quake with anxiety. The situation sounds so good to us, the let down is going to hurt a little if things don't work out.

Not knowing what lies around the bend, or if the next hill turns into a loop is a difficult way to pass the time. For me I feel like I did when Kristin was in labor--wanting the baby to come soon and with as little harm to my wife as possible.

In preparation for this emotional roller-coaster, we're memorizing Question 28 from the Heidelberg:

Q. How does the knowledge of God's creation and providence help us?
A. We can be patient when things go against us,
thankful when things go well,
and for the future we can have
good confidence in our faithful God and Father
that nothing will separate us from his love.
All creatures are so completely in his hand
that without his will they can neither move nor be moved.

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Election Reform

No doubt, there's a lot at stake in Tuesday's election, and much to be worked up about. But oh!, if just a fraction of Christians' election zeal could be directed towards reforming the Church! Sure, we need godly leaders in both the state and the church. But which have we labored for more earnestly? Which have we prayed for more passionately? Which was on the mind of most Christians today--the election or the Reformation? The answer is obvious.

I won't call the election a "grand diversion", but can you imagine if we focused on reformation in the Church like we do the election of a president--what a dramatic impact she would have on our nation and its cultures! Sadly, the Church is in such shambles, it's hard to even visualize what a second Reformation would look like.

Today we've celebrated God's faithfulness to the Church in the Reformation. How timely! Although all eyes will be on Tuesday, we know the need of the hour is not political but theological and cast our eyes on the Day when the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever (Rev 11:5).

DINK

One of the men in my Bible Study is a second lieutenant and has been married for about a year. I like him a lot; he was homeschooled all his life and he's very eager to learn from God's Word. For what it's worth, he's no wimp--this week he won the base's push-up contest by cranking out 140 reps in less than two minutes! But when it comes to his new role as a husband, he's still doing girl push-ups.

His wife, like so many new officers' wives, had to adjust to post-college life. In her mind the alternatives were either sit at home or get a job. Most go the job route--these couples are known as DINKs (Double-Income, No Kids). My friend's wife chose this route, but last week she decided that one job wasn't enough and added a Saturday job down at the Mall.

When I was a lieutenant Kristin worked, too. But since having children, we see now that the options for a newly-wed wife are not limited to sitting at home or sitting in a cubicle. A much better way for a young lady to spend this time is to learn from the young mothers in her congregation by serving them. Offer to help them with the children when the husband is away, and use this time to watch and learn.

I gave this advice to my stout lieutenant friend. But frankly I don't think he yet has what it takes to pull off this feat of strength.

Peace at Any Price

I was talking last night to my wife about the gnawing feeling in my gut at the end of most days that I've been too harsh with my oldest son. I regret that most days I spend too much time either lecturing or discplining him. Kristin correctly pointed out the need for some one-on-one fun time. We're trying out a local chapter of the Christian Service Brigade, where fathers and sons get together once a week and do guy stuff together. Last time we made a marshmallow shooter. Next time we'll go hiking.

But I want to avoid falling into the "peace at any price" trap. In order to reduce the friction between us, it's tempting to negotiate the discipline standard with Eli. But that would be Esau's mistake, trading eternal joy for only a moment of satisfaction.

Rather like the Cat in the Hat who thinks he can bounce on the ball while balancing books, a rake, a boat, a cake, and a cranky fish, it's hard to hold up the rules of my house all day without bouncing off the walls. Often I become too lenient or a tyrant. Thanks be to God for forgiveness and a promise to work in me what is pleasing to Him.

Suspicious Sighting on a Military Base

by Kristin...

So I stopped by the base hospital to get my prescriptions since I left in such a hurry yesterday to get Grace to ballet class on time. As I drove up I noticed (as usual) several cars that were illegally parked. One stuck out--it was big and old. Well, lo and behold as we are sitting there waiting for my number to be called, who should walk up to get a prescription filled, but Elvis in complete array. It was so funny to see his presence in a military hospital pharmacy and the various people's reactions. The kids, of course, had no clue who he was, but did notice that he drew a lot of attention to himself. It has kept me laughing to myself all day.

Tim adds: Of course, not even Elvis could shake up the folks behind the counter. They checked his ID card and gave him his meds.

Heaven is a Place on Earth

At the little Bible Study I lead so early on Wednesday mornings I was happy to have the opportunity to remind the folks there that the Promised Land is just that--it's a real land. It's not heaven. As expected, this raised eyebrows.

No doubt that Heaven is an amazing place, but it is the intermediary state. Our real home is the New Heavens and the New Earth. There our glorified body and soul together will reign and rule, albeit in some mysterious way.

This weekend my wife and I have longed a little more for the Final State. I've had some kind of virus that's kept me in bed most of the weekend, and she is having a hard time controlling her diabetes. So neither of us are thinking very straight--but we are prompted to think about Shalom, when everything will be as it ought to be.

Adoption Update

Last night we finished our state-mandated, social-worker led, adoption training. In Ohio the requirement is 12 hours of class. The material covered a host of sociological issues: cultural diversity, discipline, neglect, abuse, various disorders, etc. As you might expect, all was very PC (e.g. pro-homosexual, anti-spanking, etc). Fortunately, we only had to listen, not agree.

With that over there are only a couple of things left outstanding. Part of the requirement for completing a homestudy is to read any two books on adoption. There is a great need for biblically-informed books written to parents considering adoption. This strikes me as strange given the parallels to spiritual adoption and the Pro-Life emphasis on adoption as the alternative to abortion.

Unsung Heroes

Today we read a letter from a missionary family in our denomination who wrote to our church just before returning to a country that is aggressively persecuting Christians.

We want you to be aware of how the situation in XXX is developing. (After our return, our communications will necessarily be very circumspect because they may be scrutinized by the government.) You've been praying for the persecuted brethren in XXX, but it has not pleased our God at this time to end it. In fact, the persecution has reportedly intensified. Two of the three pastors arrested near the end of May (6 a.m. on a Sunday morning), whom we thought would be released on bail, instead were moved to a prison described as a dungeon, at the end of August. No longer can their families bring them food and provisions. Then many, many Christian families were arrested, having been betrayed by neighbors. One rough estimate was that 700 were imprisoned, and that included men, women, and children.

This faithful missionary family strengthened through the Psalms to not shrink back, has since arrived in the land of persecution. They reminded us to use the weapons we have to help our imprisoned brethren. Spiritual weapons, like prayer, are the effective weapons in a war that is basically spiritual.

I praise God for their determination to not shrink back, despite the threat, and their faith that the Gospel is the power of God that no one can thwart. "Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also. The body they may kill. God's truth abideth still. His kingdom is forever!"

Broken for Us

The symbolism of the bread stood out today in the Sermon and the Supper.

Our pastor, in his sermon, referred to the brokenness of man. This explains every one of our sins, whether it's the sin of homosexuality or the sin of responding to homosexuality in an insensitive, "God hates fags" kind of way. Covenantally, Adam's unfaithfulness broke my life, and everyone else's.

But thanks be to God, Christ was sent to bind up the broken, to open the prison of those who are bound (Is 61:1). How does He do this? In the Supper we are reminded that our Lord's body was broken for us. He was broken for our brokenness.

Yet the Holy One would not see corruption; He has been raised imperishable. Covenantally, the Second Adam's faithfulness heals and binds up our brokenness even now. And He'll continue until we're raised in glory.

"Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven." (1 Cor 15:49)

Who is that Masked Man?

Eli has been coughing so much we decided to fight for a doctor's appointment (no easy feat under TRICARE). When Kristin and the children arrived and began to describe his symptoms, the doctor's eye 'bout jumped out of his head (pardon the technical, medical language) and he herded them off to an "isolation room". Two REAL doctors (as opposed to a PA or an intern which is common) put him through a 2-hour series of test. The diagnosis..."beats me". One says whooping cough. Another thinks pneumonia. That M.D., instead of prescribing Codeine, recommended beer or strong whiskey (I like him).

When he's not barking like a trained seal, Eli is actually fine and energetic. And he rather likes his mask. So far, the only other family member that sounds like him is the dog, and that's normal. But she has launched several attempts to steal the blue mask.
The Masked Man

Unselfish is Unlovely

The famous essay of C.S. Lewis, "The Weight of Glory", opens with a Mike Tyson knock-out punch that landed squarely on the jaw of my life and parenting.

If you asked twenty good men today what they thought the highest of the virtues, nineteen of them would reply, Unselfishness. But if you had asked almost any of the great Christians of old, he would have replied, Love. You see what happened? A negative term has been substituted for a positive, and this is of more than philological importance. The negative idea of Unselfishness carries with it the suggestion not primarily of securing good things for others, but of going without them ourselves, as if our abstitenence and not their happiness was the important point. I do not think this is the Christian virtue of Love. The New Testament has lots to say about self-denial, but not about self-denial as an end in itself.

The factory setting on my life is set to selfishness. As a Christian, I've sought to live unselfishly, and taught my children to treat each other unselfishly ("Eli, don't hog that ball...Grace don't be selfish about what you want to listen to..."). I needed this corrective. Denying myself pleasure is not the point. Seeking the good of the other person, which often involves denying yourself, is.

Backyard Adventures

Whether it's sliding down the hill in our backyard on top of cardboard boxes, or using the same box to set up a bunny trap, it doesn't take a high-priced theme park to have fun. Children are happy simply frolicking and sporting with their parents. No admission fee required.

At our next assignment we hope to find a house with acreage like my boyhood farm. As they grow, boys need room to bat and shoot and explore. I feel sorry for those who are stuck in a quarter-acre plot in the middle of Suburbia.

Ever since we ordered Little Bear's Outdoor Adventure Guide for the All-American Boy, Eli has anxiously awaited the postman's daily visit. Seeing our son ecstatic over a book pleased us, yet it does seem that Vision Forum's general delivery is slower than most.

Bunny Trap

Observations on Being Watched

In our parenting experience, there are lots of ups and downs in our children's obedience. Consider my 6-year old son. Recently at a McDonald's Playland he voluntarily decided to help some little children enjoy the climbing and sliding equipment. He held their hand while encouraging them that they could do it. The parents of these children were watching him and after a while called him over. They said that their children had always pitched a fit here because they were too scared to climb and wanted help but no one would. They were so glad that their children were now having a good time that they gave my son $5. This is the most money he has ever made.

And then there's the down side. Through the homeschooling network, we've found a great babysitter here. We've used her several times and have been very impressed with how she prepares activities for the children that don't revolve around videos. This week we used her twice while attending adoption training. At the end of one of the sessions she candidly told my wife that she's doesn't want to watch our children any more if she continues to receive disrespect from my oldest son. He thought her planned activities were "too babyish" and had no scruples about telling her.

Our children are young in their sanctification and it often shows. Yet we are to believe God's promises for our children. He is watching over them, too. And He will not let them go; He will finish the job. He will use the ordinary means of parental discipline to make them holy in heart and conduct.

Uncle Tim's Cabin

Tucked away in a cabin in the woods of Michigan I was able to finish off a couple of books. Mother Kirk (Doug Wilson) was an excellent "gap-filler" for anyone who, like me, once thought that "Reformed" meant nothing more than affirming God's sovereignty in salvation.

The other book was On Being Black and Reformed by Anthony Carter. Since this topic is rarely considered, a brief review is worthwhile. There are two separate messages in the book for two different audiences. First, it's a well-thought out appeal for African-American Christians to adopt the biblical and historic Christian faith. Second, it's an appeal to white, reformed Christians to learn from the African-American experience. And that's where I want to dwell.

According to the author, theology is local. Whether it's German Lutheran, Dutch or Scottish Reformed or even Northern and Southern Presbyterianism, theology has consistently had a distinct ethnicity or culture. And for America, our articulation of reformed theology needs to include the African-American Christian experience.

Specifically, the African-American experience is one of a dominated people forced to live on the fringe of an affluent society. It's the cry of a people who live lives of want and need in a land of plenty. It is the cry of the nation of Israel in exile. Yet, white American Christianity is so far removed from "sojourning" that it rarely connects with this important motif of the Christian life. This hinders our understanding and expression of the Christian life as a pilgrimage through a foreign land.

Through African-American history God has sovereignly given to American Christianity a people who have experienced pilgrimage in a foreign land. "How shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land (Ps 137:4)?" Look to the black Christian experience as an example.

Sleeping Bear, Grumpy Bear

Our week in Michigan was fantastic! We made some great memories at the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore (on Lake Michigan). None of us had ever seen such scenery. The hilly hardwood forest covering thousands of acres began to burst into fall color while we were there. We lumbered down a dirt road notched out of the forest and then parked the van. A short trail through the thick woods suddenly brought us onto a beautiful untouched beach that stretched for miles up the coast. No condos, no high-rise hotels, just an invigorating mixture of fresh mountain air and cool sea breeze. A combination we've never experienced. We could have stayed and played forever.

Sleeping Bear LakeShore


We also had heard much about the Dune Climb and thought we'd give it a visit. This towering mountain of sand has been blown into place by the storms of the Great Lake. We kicked off our shoes and raced up the near-vertical sandhill that stretched unendingly up to the sky. We all expected to have a good view of the lake from the top of this hill, but instead were surprised by a short flat stretch and then another steep, long hill. By this time Eli had been struck blind by the blowing sand, which was also heating up our bare feet. Grace and I re-doubled our enthusiasm about the vista over the hill and dashed off. What fools! Again another short flat stretch and then a tall hill. By this time our children were exhausted, our lips were splitting, our legs were twitching, and we were the grumpy Israelites wandering in the desert wilderness for who knows how long! I decided to scout out the next hill and if the Promised Sea was not in sight we'd head back to the pleasures of the van. But having wasted all my energy stupidly-sprinting up the first two hills I was only able to ascend the third on all fours. Alas, but more of the same. We fully acknowledged that the Dune Climb had beat us and moped back down the mountain. Later we found out that what we thought was only one hill was actually a 4-mile stretch of mounting sand!

Dune Climb

A Primitive Model

During a conversation with my Christian friends in Illinois it became apparent that in their minds the ideal Church for today is the primitive Church, as described in the book of Acts. They continue to go back to that Book as their guide and final authority on what the Church today should be doing. And of course, they're right, to a limited extent.

But beyond that limited extent, they're dangerously mistaken. For instance, I can look back to the day of my conversion and enjoy how God was working in my life at that time. Do I want to go back to that time? NO! Scripture is clear--we should not stay as babes in Christ but mature to manhood in Him.

Scripture is also clear that God was not done with the Church in the book of Acts. Rather He would perfect it over time. If you really want the Primitive Church, you'll have to give up the Trinity, the canon of Scripture, the nature of Christ, etc. These all came later.

My friends shy away from Church History, I guess for them the differing traditions contradict and cover up any noticeable development of the Church. It should be no surprise that tares have grown up with the wheat, but that shouldn't keep us from learning from what the Church has already wrestled over.

My friends and I have been raised in the age of television. We live in an affluent culture, free from persecution, but not free from postmodernism. We don't hold a candle to the flame of our spiritual fathers and their devotion to Sola Scriptura. To put aside the wisdom of the ages and try to figure it out for ourselves is dangerous indeed.

This Too is the Word of the Lord

During our visit to Illinois I had a great conversation with some men I respect concerning whether preaching is beneficial to little children. I, along with the Reformers, affirm that it very much is.

The Second Helvetic Confession (1566) stated this boldly, “the preaching of the Word of God, is the Word of God.” The Heidelberg Catechism says that preaching opens and closes the kingdom of heaven (Q83, 84). Consider the Westminster Larger Catechism,

Q155. How is the Word made effectual to salvation?
A. The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching of the Word, an effectual means of enlightening, convincing, and humbling sinners; of driving them out of themselves, and drawing them unto Christ; of conforming them to his image, and subduing them to his will; of strengthening them against temptations and corruptions; of building them up in grace, and establishing their hearts in holiness and comfort through faith unto salvation.

If a congregation understands that preaching is the primary (but not exclusive) way of hearing the voice of Christ, it will change how they listen to preaching. They will be eager to sit under the preached word. Indeed they will yearn to hear the voice of Christ and submit to it. What voice would they rather hear than the voice of Christ?

And no child is too young to hear His voice. Consider “baby David” (Ps 22:9-10; 71:5-6), “baby Timothy” (2 Tim 3:15), and “baby John” (Lk 1:15).

If parents understand that preaching is the primary tool of the Holy Spirit to produce faith, and that it is primarily through preaching that we hear the Shepherd’s voice, they would want even the littlest lambs to be present. To send them out of the room during the sermon would be a denial of the efficacy of preaching and inconsistent with what we desire for them.

There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any words like yours. Amen.

Ahh, the oasis...

Finals week is over! After being couped up studying and testing all week (with no blog time), I'm ready for a road trip! Tomorrow, we're heading to see some friends and worship over in Illinois. Then we're bound for a cabin in the woods around Lake Michigan in time to catch the
autumn colors.

In other news, this week also proved fruitful for discipleship. Two baptist friends that I study the Bible with suddenly have a great, and it seems, authentic interest in reformed theology. They've never heard about the doctrines of grace. They told me they just want to know the truth, and they seem refreshed to hear biblical theology.

We'll start a new study next week in Genesis. I look forward to showing them God's intervening grace from page 1 of the Bible. I also invited Michael (from Taiwan) to attend and he seems interested. I'm praying that he will.

Family Devotion

In our reading of Acts 2:1-11 we see that Jesus keeps His promise to send the Holy Spirit to those that wait in Jerusalem. And indeed He came with power!

I don't think it's a stretch to say that our Lord still does this. Those that wait in the New Jerusalem, that is the Church, receive the power of the Holy Spirit. Our own shorter catechism says that the Holy Spirit ordinarily works through the preaching, sacraments, and prayer to "build us up in holiness and comfort, through faith, unto salvation." (see WSC 88-89)

Create in us clean hearts, O God, and renew a right spirit within us. Cast us not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from us! (Ps 51)

Let Taiwan Be Glad!

The school I'm in puts me in-touch with international students from 10 or so nations. Over the last month I've enjoyed forming a relationship with Chia-hwa (who goes by Michael). He's a captain in Taiwan's military and has been here for about 18 months working on a Master's degree.

He's fascinated with the idea of homeschooling (first he ever heard of it). Today this on-going conversation matured into a discussion of the Gospel. The Mormons reached him in Taiwan several years ago and he has been in LDS-led Bible Studies off and on since then. But thankfully he has been somewhat frustrated that they keep studying the Book of Mormon when he wants to study the Bible. I was delighted to explain the true Gospel to him and offer to study the Bible with him.

What a joy and opportunity to reach Taiwan with the Gospel, all from the comfort of a computer lab in Dayton, Ohio!

What's Inside the Cup?

Through a number of sources it came to my attention recently that I need a corrective in an area of my thinking. Since being introduced to the Highlands Study Center a couple of years ago, I've realized that my life should be different that those without Christ. The way I educate my children, what I find pleasure in, my rejection of yuppie sensibilities are some ways that I think we successfully demonstrate that.

These are good distinctives, and there are plenty more to wrestle over. Yet these by themselves are not the sorts of things that should show our simple, separate and deliberate lifestyle. The radical difference between my family and Christ-less ones should be our love for each other, our joy in the Lord, in short, the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.

So it's good that our family is different than the pagan down the street. Yet it's self-defeating trying to be a reforming, homeschooling family without faith, hope, and love.

Finding Faith Outside

Several times Jesus commended the faith of individuals who were considered outside of God's covenant people. Think of the centurion seeking healing for his servant (Lk 7) and the daring faith of the Canaanite Woman (Mt 15). Contrast this with the lack of faith He found in Israel. Those that grew up with the promises failed to believe them, while those from outside counted on them being true.

Should I then be surprised to find strong faith in people who belong to a church that is less biblical than mine? We who understand more of God's word, are we not also slow to believe?

Baby Shoes, Never Worn

I heard a story recently about a man who wanted to achieve the effect of a great novel in only a few words. He wanted to capture the tension, the relationships that make a novel so meaningful, but do it without the length. His result was one sentence long: "For Sale: Baby Shoes, Never worn".

A little over a week ago my mom stumbled across Candy, a 16 year-old girl who was about 2 months pregnant. A couple of years ago, Candy's mom died suddenly of an aneurysm while playing cards with the children. Her dad is an alcoholic. Candy has grown up dirt poor in a trailer I wouldn't kennel my dog in. She's currently on probation from school for fighting, and cries a lot.

The news of her pregnancy was not an occasion for joy. The truant officer had warned her that if she gets pregnant she'll be sent to Juvenile Justice. Her boyfriend told her that he'd also go to jail because he's 19 and she's only a minor. Candy's father wanted the abortion done by this weekend.

My mom, who aborted a baby decades ago and only recently realized what she's done, aggressively intervened for Candy's little baby. She quickly asked us if we'd take this child and call it our own, which we whole-heartedly agreed to do, and then pleaded with the family's grandmother, father, and older sisters, to let the child live and enjoy life in our home.

She contacted adoption lawyers, adoption counselors, and for the past week labored to dissuade the family from abortion. Gradually, the tide started to turn. On Thursday, the grandmother supported adoption. On Friday, Candy's father changed his mind and said it was up to Candy.

I suppose there's some law in South Carolina that before you can have an abortion you must watch their film. Candy's sisters told mom that Candy couldn't make it through the film without changing her mind. Regrettably, they were wrong. Mom received a phone call yesterday, saying that Candy miscarried. The baby's gone.

Whether she miscarried or aborted I don't know. But I did learn some things about the pressures a pregnant teenager faces, and that since abortion is legal it creates an "easy out" that's hard to resist.

President George W....

Our four-year old daughter, Grace, was startled this week by all the signs posted in the front yard of many of the houses in our neighborhood. She thought everyone was putting their house up "For Sale". Kristin explained that the signs are for the upcoming election of a president.

My daughter said, "Do they say George Washington?"

"No", my wife replied while driving the van out of the neighborhood.

"Why not?" wondered Grace from the second row.

"Because he's dead."

"Does Daddy know?!?", exclaimed Grace.

Mom replied sympathetically with a "Yes, Dear".

"What did he die of?", asked Grace.

"uh...I don't know", said Kristin, which satisfied our daughter's curiosity for presidential happenings.

To be Humbled, Yet Not Discouraged

Moments ago I finished a math test in which I did very poorly. After preparing for this test for many extra hours, I still scored well below the class average. How hard it is to not be discouraged, but rather to rightly understand this humbling experience...

O Lord,

My sin is to look on my faults and be discouraged.

You have made me what I am, and placed me where I am;
help me to acquiesce in your sovereign pleasure.

I forget to submit to Your will, and fail to be quiet there.
But Scripture teaches me that your active will
reveals a steadfast purpose for my good,
and this quietens my soul and makes me love You.

All my distresses and apprehensions prove
that this is but Christ's school,
to make me fit for greater service
by teaching me the great lesson of humility.

(Selections from Valley Vision)

Looking for a Good Samaritan

School can be a survival-of-the-fittest experience, despite all the talk about “cooperate and graduate”. When a classmate doesn’t understand the lecture or homework, rare is the person that takes the time to help him out. Understandably, we all have plenty to do already, just like the religious leaders that passed by the beaten-down man along the way.

Here again is where the Gospel should make a radical difference in our life. When we see someone who obviously needs help, we should be willing to set aside our plans for a while and give him a hand.

A Good Whippin'

And he entered the temple, and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be a house of prayer,' but you have made it a den of robbers."...And he was teaching daily...the people were hanging on his words. Selection from Luke 19:45-48

Christ didn't stop cleaning things up after this bit of rough-housing. He continues this work, driving out some from the Church while teaching others daily.

And for a different purpose, whip in hand (or a rod if you prefer), He beats on me now. But if He strikes me with a rod I will not be driven out. Indeed if He strikes me with the rod, He will save my soul from Sheol (Prov 23:13-14).

O Christ, daily drive-out and teach-in. And may I hang on Your words.

Pressure-Cooker

The pressure is on here at school. The time period between mid-terms and finals, with all the projects and papers coming due, is said to be the most stressful period. I certainly feel the stress. Sometimes I wonder if God hasn't blinded me to higher learning--I lack the eyes to "see" a math problem many others find straightforward. But what has my hopes up is that some of my fellow students are feeling the stress, too. This is a welcome thing, because now I can finally see a need in their lives. And it creates a teaching opportunity for the Gospel.

Sometimes we fail to consider that the Gospel applies to more than fixing our sin problem. Yes, that is our largest problem, and one we greatly underestimate and neglect. But how gracious that the Gospel also includes promises from God to help us in our stressful times and in all our difficulties.

What comfort are found in promises like these!
"Cast all your anxieties upon Him, for He cares for you" 1 Pet 5:7
"Our God is a very present help in times of trouble." Ps 46:1
"Come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest...For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" Mt 11:28,30
"The LORD remembers us and will bless us: He will bless the house of Israel, he will bless the house of Aaron, he will bless those who fear the LORD - small and great alike. May the LORD make you increase, both you and your children" Ps 115:12-14
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" Rom 8:28

Ripe for Reforming

Today was a harvest day. The tiny Bible study I've been attending finished reading the first chapter of Titus. After discussing it, one of the men who attend said he was struck at the need for an elder-led church and when he moves in a few months he plans to look for one. Since his background is fundamentalist Baptist, he asked for some help in finding the right church. He's also recently determined to homeschool his children and is starting right away.

What a joy to see a brother journey down the path of reformation!

Baby Needs a New Home

We receive e-mails like the one below pretty frequently. Most of the situations involve a church-going girl who becomes pregnant by a young man of a different race. The young girls' parents rule out abortion. But the birthfather isn't popping the question. Adoption is their solution.

And then there are some situations, like the one below, that are sadder and criminal (or seems like it ought to be).

This birthmother is borderline mentally retarded and she used drugs during the first trimester. Her last three drug tests have been negative. She is getting routine prenatal care but she still drinks alcohol daily. She placed through us 6 years ago and the little boy is smart and beautiful. The fees are $11,000 and I don't think she is going to have any living expenses because her bills are paid by the government. She is due in November but does not want to know the sex of the child. I know this is a difficult situation but if you have any families that would be open to this, could you please let me know? The BM is getting anxious and wants to look at families.

Learning to Drive

Perhaps you've seen young children enthusiastically try to steer a shopping cart down an aisle. They usually spend more time stuck on the side of the aisle than they do going forward.

There may be a parallel here to how we discipline children. How do we consistently correct our children without exasperating them? Lately, this aisle has seemed mighty thin as we bump from the too tough side right over to the too lenient side.

Perhaps this is only because we're still learning how to drive the big shopping cart.

A Rock and a Hard Place

Help me to see that although I am in the wilderness
it is not all briars and barrenness.

I have bread from heaven, streams from the rock,
light by day, fire by night,
thy dwelling place and thy mercy seat.

I am sometimes discouraged by the way,
but though winding
and trying it is safe and short;
My great high priest stands in the waters,
and will open me a passage,
and beyond is a better country.

excerpted from Valley from Vision

Then I Will Go to the Jews

After talking with many adoption agencies here in Ohio we've asked Jewish Family Services to conduct our homestudy. I hadn't considered them until I heard from a classmate that they "tolerated" his convictions regarding biblical discipline of children. We contacted them and have a good first impression. We'll meet together for the first time this week.

To say the least, it's disappointing that the Christian adoption agencies we tried first were just as skeptical of biblical discipline as the secular ones.

I wonder...can the adoption process be taken back from the State, like the pioneers of homeschooling did with education? Why couldn't a church's elders, who are accountable for me and my household before God, vouch that my home is and will remain safe for a child, and the State accept that? Isn't there a need for adoption pioneers to rise up in the Church and find a way to welcome into the Kingdom of God these thousands of orphaned children?

French Fries and Beer

Isaiah, like most 2-year olds, loves french fries. Especially McDonald's variety. But he also likes rootbeer, a word a little too big for him to pronounce.

This explains the strange looks we enjoy when we walk into McDonalds and he excitedly calls out for "Beer! Beer! Beer!"

Here I Beg...

We've decided that the local Reformed Episcopal church is not right for us at this time. But among the many things we like about it, I'd like to point out one thing in particular.

Communion is received by beggars alone. Down on my knees, arms stretched upward and hands cupped, I wait for the bread of heaven and the cup of the New Covenant. Body and soul, I acknowledge my righteousness is as filthy rags and so here I beg hungering and thirsting for a righteousness not my own. And then through the Church, Christ feeds me, and I am satisfied.

What a powerful picture of the Gospel!

The price of doctrine, when is it too high? 
 
In this town of around 500,000 no church is a perfect fit for us.  So trying to decide on the right church requires trade-offs.  The question is what do you give up?  Liturgy?  Doctrine?  Community? 

Our tendency has been to hold-on to doctrine.  Usually this comes at the expense of community, which explains why we drove 45 minutes to worship in Georgia.  But while there we also discovered liturgy.  The price of doctrine in Dayton seems higher and may require trading-off both community and liturgy.

I'm also re-valuing community.  I'd like my children to have friends close enough that they see each other a lot.  I'd like for my family to be in a church that is able to serve its community.  Is this possible in a church where the people are spread out across several counties? 

If a church has doctrine but its people are not able to serve one another, and outsiders, as a church, is the price of a common doctrine too high?

Lemonade for Sale

Some neighborhood children we hadn't met yet were selling lemonade down the street.  50 cents a cup.  There sign also says for another half-dollar you can hold a live toad!  We overlooked any sanitary violations and went for the lemonade.

I asked the 4-year old proprietor what his proceeds were going towards.  His assistant, an older sister, told me that he's saving up for a new game for his game boy. 

A game-boy at 4 years old?  Maybe this is why I don't see many boys playing outside anymore. 

Our Baptist Betters?

I first heard this phrase in response to the Southern Baptist petition to remove their children from the government schools.   I commended them for it, too.  After the SBC convention, I asked around and found someone who was there when the issue came up.   According to this person, the general response was that "it was too strong"; however, I think a committee was formed to study it. 

Don't you hate it when you present a topic with thorough Biblical references and your audience doesn't even come up with some Scriptures of their own before dismissing your position as "too strong"?

At school, I've joined some Baptist friends in an informal Bible Study.  One of these friends longs for the resurrection of the Promise Keepers and the other was a very active supporter of the Federal Marriage Amendment.  But during our study the first friend couldn't find Titus on his own, and the other had never heard of the account where God initiated the covenant with Abraham.  Just more proof that we need to focus on the health of the Church before we start fixing things outside. 

Throwing a Party

I was pleased to see WORLD address "third" political parties and especially the Constitution Party (see 17 July issue).  Mr. Veith argued that a vote for the Constitution Party during the presidential election is a vote for the Democrats and will likely lock-in more liberal Supreme Court Justices.  However, he supported the idea of electing stronger Christian statesmen at lower levels in order to build a grassroots movement that some day may be ready for the national election.

I'm still left with a nagging objection to this approach.  If I vote for the party that most closely aligns with my convictions, not only do I vote my conscience, but as more and more voters do this, won't the major parties be led to find out why their base has left them?  And wouldn't this be a strong encouragement to reform? 

But if I vote Republican, only in the hope of defeating the Democrats, how would they get the signal to reform? 

Hellboy...

Somedays I think we're raising one. 

We had a friend over who is thinking about homeschooling.  My older son beaned my other children with rocks in the head and narrowly missed our friend's children.  My younger son wouldn't share his toys, was fussy, and lived up to the "Terrible 2" stereotype.

I don't think we'll convince many to homeschool when we make an impression like this.   

A Gospel-Haunted Life  
  
We're learning the hymn, Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah.  Lyrics like, "open now the crystal fountain, whence the healing stream doth flow", and "be thou still my strength and shield" are full of faith and love. 
 
Many folks love hymns like this, partly because the tune is familiar, and partly because the language rightly commends faith in God despite adversity.  
 
But when does our life get beyond the mere enjoyment of these sentiments?  Why don't I live more like God is "my battleshield, sword for my fight", "mine inheritance now and always",  and "his kingdom is forever"?
 
If I give intellectual assent to the power, love, and faithfulness of God, but live as if I don't really believe it, I'm only letting the Gospel haunt me.  How much better to believe, to trust, to act in faith!      

Thy Word is a Lamp
 
I worshipped at a reformed Episcopal church for the first time today.  Much of the liturgy was new to me, but one new part in particular moved me.
 
I'm accustomed to standing during the reading of the Scripture to be preached, but in this church the reading was handled in even a more reverent and inspiring way.  As the congregation rose and sang Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, the acolyte proceeded from the alter with a cross followed by the rector holding up the Word of God.  They stopped in the middle of the congregation, we turned to face the rector and the singing quieted.  Then, in the midst of the people, the words of Christ from St. Matthew's Gospel were spoken to us. 
 
This approach presented a vivid reminder that our Lord humbled Himself, dwelt among those He came to save and with Him we have the very Word of God.     

Spending a lot of time in the Pub
 
I've been listening to the back issues of St. Anne's Pub and enjoying them.  Their critique of evangelical evangelism got me thinking more about what has and is influencing me in this area.  I wouldn't be surprised if many folks coming out of evangelicalism and into a reformed church share the same thoughts.
 
There seem to be two common American approaches to evangelism to avoid.  First are those that proclaim a very diluted gospel (think "4 Spiritual laws") without living out the consequences of the gospel (i.e. their life has no obvious elements of mercy, compassion, love for their neighbors, etc).  And second are the social gospelers.  These have mercy, service, etc, but proclaim very little gospel.
 
Seeing the problems with these approaches is not enough.  We must sew back together the proclamation of the Gospel and a life full of the claims of the Gospel.       
 
 
    

Let Us Welcome The Newly Baptized

I'm delighted to see that my previous church, North Macon Presbyterian has begun to use scripted prayer. I'd love to witness the beauty of this worship service when these two children are baptized on the Lord's Day. Here's an excerpt from the Worship Guide...

Congregational Prayer
ALL: Almighty God, we thank You that by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ You have overcome, sin and death and have brought us to Yourself. We thank You that by the sealing of the Holy Spirit, You have bestowed upon us the forgiveness of sin, the resurrection to newness of life and have bound us to Yourself and to your service. Renew us, O Lord, by the same Holy Spirit, granting us an inquiring mind, an affectionate and discerning heart, and the courage to will and persevere in all that You would call us to, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

PASTOR: Dear Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray for Jerry and Stacie, who come with Rachel Morgan and Nicole Elizabeth, to declare publicly their allegiance to your Son our Savior: Deliver them, O Lord, from the way of sin and death. Daily open their hearts to your grace and truth. Fill them with your life-giving Spirit. Keep them in the faith and communion of your holy Church. Enable them to love others in the power of the Spirit. Send them into the world to be a witness to your grace and love. And preserve them until they arrive in their heavenly home to enjoy the fullness of your peace and glory.

PEOPLE: Lord, hear our prayer.

PASTOR: Father, we pray for these two children, Rachel Morgan and Nicole Elizabeth. Deliver them from the way of sin and death; open their hearts to your grace and truth; fill them with your life-giving Spirit; keep them in the faith and communion of your Church; prepare them to witness to your love; and bring them to the fullness of your peace and glory.

PEOPLE: Lord, hear our prayer.

PASTOR: And for these parents, Jerry and Stacie. Grant them grace so to live before their children, teaching them, praying with them and for them, that by their faithful living and through the power of the Gospel, all the promises of the covenant may be fulfilled in their lives.

PEOPLE: Lord, hear our prayer.

PASTOR: And we pray for ourselves, the congregation of North Macon Presbyterian Church: Grant us grace to see Rachel Morgan and Nicole Elizabeth as our own; to love them, pray for them, and assist these parents as duty done to You,
the one true God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

PEOPLE: Lord, hear our prayer. Amen.

The Welcome
PASTOR: Rachel Morgan and Nicole Elizabeth have been received into the one holy catholic and apostolic church through baptism. God has made them members of the household of God, to share with us in the priesthood of Christ. Let us welcome the newly baptized.

ALL: With joy and thanksgiving we welcome you into Christ’s church to share with us in his ministry, for we are all one in Christ.

PASTOR: The peace of Christ be with you.

PEOPLE: And also with you.

I'm Pro-Church

I love this from the Book of Common Prayer:

"O Gracious Father, we humbly beseech thee for thy holy Catholic Church; that thou wouldest be pleased to fill it with all truth, in all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, establish it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of him who died and rose again, and ever liveth to make intercession for us, Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen".

What if...

...There was a small town with only two churches. Thanks to creeds, confessions, and a rich history of gifted teachers, one of the churches was blessed to possess nearly all of the Truth. The other church had significantly less, and sadly, was content with that.

Yet, the people of the blessed church, knowing that they had more Truth, became unteachable, and over time came to live out only a fraction of what their church professed.

Regrettably, the other church taught against much of the Truth they lacked; however, they were able to consistently live out what Truth they did have.

If you've just moved into this town, which one would you choose?

Look What We Got...


With the move out of the apartment and into our rental house, we're up to 11 address changes in 10 years. This may explain why when asked for our mailing address or phone number, we pause a little too long before replying with shaky confidence.

So far the unpacking is going well, thanks in large part to the loving service of the church we've been visiting. They've kept children for several hours, prepared several delicious meals, and helped rearrange several pieces of furniture.

We've also met two homeschooling neighbors--a great praise. Oddly enough, since moving into our house (2 days ago), four people have invited us to a church. I might have thought I was back in the Bible belt, except that none of the invites were to Baptist churches...

Back to unboxing...

Proclaiming Without Living

I'm finally getting to Ken Myers letter (from Mars Hill Audio) that he sent out sometime in May. Assertions, like this one, hit hard:

I believe that Christians make a great mistake if they separate proclamation, that is, the announcing of the basic truths of the Gospel, from faithfulness, that is, the living out of all of the consequences of the Gospel.

The rest of his letter is powerful, too, but the quote above resonates most strongly with me at this time. In the past I have prayed, sought out, and took opportunities to proclaim the Gospel to those around me. But admittedly, my life lacked some basic consequences of the Gospel, such as, love for my neighbors, mercy, compassion, service.

It's my heart's desire here to both proclaim the Gospel while also consistently, clearly living out the claims of the Gospel.

A Mad Baptism

Some new friends from church invited me to join them on a regular canoe trip down one of the rivers here in the Dayton area. This time it was the Mad River, named after a local hero here, not because of any Bermuda-triangle like effect.

As the only unexperienced canoe-man, I rode as a spectator. After about 5 minutes of turns and scenic straight-aways I received the Mad Baptism. It's as close to death as I've ever been.

The bend in the river was narrow and tight, requiring the canoe to sweep out 90 degrees and then back another 90 very quickly. At the entrance to the bend was a large felled tree with thick limbs and branches, many submerged. The tree had been skinned barkless by the force of the current as the water rushed into the bend.

Unknown to us at the time, our canoe, newly out of the shop after a lengthy repair, was a sluggish turner. As we approached the bend, the canoe lumbered slowly in the direction of the turn, but not nearly quick enough. We lightheartedly mused about this and prepared for a light bump into the tree. The last thing above water that I remember was hearing the front of the canoe tap the tree.

In a flash, quicker than can be believed, the entire 3-man canoe was sunk deep, fully submerged in a split second. Underwater and unable to see at all I felt something on top of my head and something else over my shoulders. Oblivious to my peril, here I was, still smiling, thinking I would pop back up in an instant. That feeling soon passed as I struggled to surface but was unable.

How I eventually surfaced I don't know. But when I came up, there I was wedged in among the limbs of that fallen tree. The current was strong enough to pin me to the limb in front of me. I looked up and saw the two bobbing heads of my friends and thanked my Savior.

You can understand my amazement and delight, when listening to a sermon the next day, I heard:

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine. When you pass through the water, I will be with you; in the rivers you shall not drown. Isaiah 43:1-2

Happy Second Birthday, Isaiah

Birthday Q&A with our 2-year old:

Q. How old are you?
A. Good.

Q. What's your name?
A. Baby.

Q. What's YOUR name?
A. Yea-yeah
*sounds kinda like Isaiah

Conversational English and the Gospel

We're almost at the end of our 6-week stay in the apartment complex. What has surprised me the most hasn't just been how loud footsteps from the apartment above can be, but how cosmopolitan this apartment community is.

Much more than anywhere else I've lived, the nations are gathered here. This is largely due to the homogeneous (read yuppie) neighborhoods I lived in for most of my adult life.

I've heard many different languages while walking the dog near the community pool and tennis court. Last week I started asking some of the people about their backgrounds. There are a lot of Asian families, some Africans, and even one Arab family that I've seen so far.

These families have been friendly and enjoy meeting other people that live here. For many of them English is a second language, this seems especially true for the young mothers I've seen. It seems that a church could easily reach-out to this multi-ethnic community by offering conversational English classes to the ladies. Through the relationships that would be formed over time, this could be a great opportunity to proclaim the gospel to other cultures.

A Work of Necessity


Just after sunrise I saw a strange sight off in the distance while taking Glory out for a morning stroll. From afar it looked like a drunk cat wearing a straw hat. For several minutes the dog and I stood staring at this thing that was aimlessly wandering around the field, occasionally bumping into a tree or a curb in the parking lot.

As we neared the strange animal, we saw that here is a poor little raccoon with its head completely stuck inside a metal can. Who knows how long it had wandered around. The can must of prevented it from realizing that a very eager Border Collie was near by. The raccoon was totally oblivious to our presence.



Being the Sabbath and thinking that perhaps this is like a "donkey that fell into a pit", I decided to help. Here at last, a work of necessity! My first attempt was to kick the can from its side, hoping it would free the raccoon while I remained at a comfortable distance. This resulted in the raccoon spinning around in the air, but landing with the can still firmly in place. A more gentle approach was required. I stepped on the metal can with one foot and this allowed the creature to dig its claws into the ground and free itself.

At this point I thought the fun was over, although Glory laid down in front of it as a sign of friendship (she has no mean bone in her body). But the raccoon was in a bad mood and let her know it with a hiss and growl. We turned to go back to the apartment, but the raccoon, realizing it had no clue where it was, decided to follow us at a comfortable distance.

The furry raccoon decided that our van was a safe looking place and I spent several minutes trying to coax it out from underneath. This failed and it decided to seek better shelter from the engine compartment. So once again the raccoon was stuck in a metal can.

It stayed in our van until we had to leave for church. I opened up the hood and there it was staring at me from on top of the battery! It refused to leap out, and I couldn't succeed in prying it out with the stick I had, so it got a free ride to church this morning (a 30 minute drive). Once there I opened up the hood and as far as I know it hopped out during worship.

Here's Eli enjoying an easy homemade game.

It's called "Double-Ball" and I'm told it's about 800 years old. It's an early Native American form of Lacrosse. All you need is a smooth stick, 2 tennis balls, and a sock. Tie the balls in the sock so that there's a knot in the middle. You use the stick to pass and catch the double-ball.

Besides being fun for a young child to make, it's also pretty easy to throw and catch over long distances. Young boys who aren't quite ready to catch a touchdown pass or an over-the-shoulder pop-fly, can enjoy snagging a long bomb from their dad's stick.

Becoming Uriah Heep

The hypocritically humble Uriah Heep from Charles Dicken's own favorite, David Copperfield , had good reason to at least feel humble. After all, compared to those around him, his conditions were quite humble.

I can relate to Uriah Heep. Everyone else seems either better off or more gifted than me. Wallowing in the mire of self-deprecation, I can start hating more than just my shortcomings. Of course it starts with hating myself, forgetting that "by the grace of God I am what I am and His grace toward me was not in vain". But with that comes ill feelings towards my classmates, who are ahead of me only because they had better college math teachers than I did. This spills over into anger towards my family for not understanding my needs, my teachers for their inability to teach at my level, and on and on.

A better approach is needed. I must do my best, for when Paul says, "whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord", I suppose this includes Calculus, too. But beyond that I am to trust our Sovereign God. His plan cannot be thwarted. And remarkably, He is out for my good. I can trust Him even though the hill is difficult and there any many "signs" telling me to despair and turn some other way.

Falling behind my classmates in every subject is a humbling experience. I am not going to rise to the top of this class. This is true in many other areas of my life. There are many great things that I will never be. But I am comforted by the words of a reformed Scot preacher Andrew Bonar (1810-1892), "The Lord shows me that He wishes me to be one of the common Levites who carry the pins".

After all, the true heroes are not the intellectual geniuses, the sports stars, the bold and the beautiful. But instead, the real heroes, the ones for whom the world is not worthy, are those who diligently seek the one true Rewarder.

I can stop wringing my hands and instead fold them.

Go to the Ant

Kristin spent the day at a Ladies Retreat hosted by the church we've been attending, Covenant Presbyterian. The speaker was Judy Rogers. Our whole family has enjoyed her music since we learned of her during our time in Georgia.

The mothers at this church have been getting together frequently, which has helped Kristin and our children get out of the apartment and make friends. I especially like an exhortation I saw from the pastor's wife. She wrote, "remember to schedule your life
around YOUR church not fit your church into your life's SCHEDULE.:-)".

From Doug Wilson's blog, concerning the Ronald Reagan funeral...

The comment I want to make here concerns that which is before us right now, as we consider the funeral and the events surrounding the funeral. The events of the last week have shown us (in the civil realm) the potency of symbols and the power of liturgy. Ideas are important, and ideas have consequences. But liturgy has consequences also. Liturgy moves people, and it is not an irrational and emotional display when it does so. In many ways, and on many levels, Reagan was a class act. How he has left us has been no exception. This has been a grand example of what C.S. Lewis described with the Middle English word solempne -- a joyful and august solemnity.

The striking thing about this is that it represents the polar opposite of most worship in most evangelical and Reformed churches.

Spankers Need Not Apply

I wrote earlier about the difficulty in finding a trustworthy agency to do our homestudy. Since then we've received the list of adoption agencies that the local Crisis Pregnancy Center uses for referring birthmothers.

Today I contacted two of those agencies. Both look down on any form of "physical discipline". Both think that spanking could be okay if it's a last resort, done with only an open hand (no wooden sticks, etc), and rare (one said 8 times in a childhood).

I understand that these policies are intended to protect the children, who in the case of young children have often been abused by their birth parents. But the policies leave no room for biblical discipline in the adoptive family. And of more concern to me right now, paying a social worker to come to my house for a homestudy and find that we "abuse" our children, is a tremendously risky proposal.

We deeply want to care for and raise another child, especially one who would otherwise be without a loving, Christian family. But we seem blocked by the very folks whose job is to find loving Christian families for needy children.

The 'Nevers' of the Gospel

O Lord, may I,

Never rest in a system of doctrine that does not teach me to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, or help me to live soberly, righteously, godly;

Never rely on my own convictions and resolutions, but be strong in thee and in thy might;

Never cease to find thy grace sufficient in all my duties, trials, and conflicts;

Never forget to repair to thee in all my distresses and troubles, in all the dissatisfactions experienced in creature comforts;

Never fail to retreat to him who is full of grace and truth, the friend that loveth at all times, who can do exceeding abundantly for me;

Never confine my religion to extraordinary occasions, but acknowledge thee in all my ways

Never limit my devotions to particular seasons but be in thy fear all the day long;

Amen.

adapted from The Valley of Vision

Witnessing from Weakness

I've been thinking about my classmates here at AFIT. Since we spend so much time together, including lunch most days, it's probably the best assignment I've had to speak of Christ and the gospel. However, since my classmates are all at least a decade past the college years, it would be easy for me to write them off as past their "formative years". But I see no such evangelism-exemption in Scripture.

The more challenging obstacle for me is my class-ranking. Many, perhaps most, of my classmates are better suited than me for a technical master's degree. I am far from being the brightest student in class. Since these folks know me through my performance in class, this will affect my attempts to evangelize. When I witness, it will be from a position of weakness. When I speak to them about the wisdom of God it will be "that guy who we have to help in calculus and programming" who is talking.

Yet, God often honors the efforts of those who are seen as weak by their hearers. Think of Paul before rulers. Or on Mars Hill. Or think of simple fisherman before the Sanhedrin.

This really may be my best opportunity at evangelism.

The Heart of Anger

I appreciate blogs like Buried Treasure that don't hide the fact that neither our children nor us are perfect.

In that spirit, I've mentioned before the struggles we have with sinful anger in our children and our parenting. Kristin and I recently read the only book on this subject I know of, The Heart of Anger, by Lou Priolo.

I was initially skeptical of the book, since most of the Christian "How-To" books seem to forget the gospel. They make you think that if you do these 7 things then your marriage will be better, your job more satisfying, etc. They almost all fail to mention the essential role of the Holy Spirit in sanctifying us, and also the means He primarily uses (the preaching of the Word, the Sacraments, and prayer).

However, this book was good, it avoided those errors more than most. As far as addressing how to avoid sinful anger, I found it helpful. For instance, it pointed out from Proverbs a couple dozen ways that parents can provoke their children to anger.

I also thought the author did well to address the parent's crucial task of ensuring that positive behavior replaces poor behavior. He says, "biblical discipline involves correcting wrong behavior by practicing right behavior, with the right attitude, for the right reason, until the right behavior becomes habitual". For example, when my son says something mean to his sister, he should not only apologize, but also restate his remark to her appropriately (words, tone, and non-verbal communication).

Lastly, I found the book similar in tone and theological perspective to Shepherding a Child's Heart.

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Kyriosity warned me, but it came too late, we had our first adoption meeting with the Lutheran Social Services agency.

I was foolish enough to think that since this was part of the Lutheran church (forgetting altogether about the unorthodoxy of some Lutheran denominations), they would have a Biblical approach to their homestudy.

We met with one of their social workers to understand their homestudy process. Since spanking would come up in the homestudy, I asked upfront about their view; I expected a Christian explanation. But what I got was the view of any government social worker...."There is always a better option than physical punishment (their term). Perhaps as a last resort, but there is always a better way..."

He then went on to say (warn?!) that another family, who had applied to be a foster family, was discovered to have spanked their children. That family lost permission to foster or adopt and are currently under investigation.

This agency seems to me to be just a government agency with "Lutheran" as their first name.

Why is it so hard to find someone to do a homestudy from a Biblical perspective?

Sorry for the lack of posting. Most of my wrestling this week has been with calculus. We've covered 23 chapters in 4 days of class. And since the last time I thought about a derivative was 11 years ago, I'm having trouble keeping up.

Repentance

Again today I read a statement that I often encounter, "this [book, message, etc] is for Christians. If you haven't repented and accepted...". So often we seem to be told that a Christian is someone who has repented and believed the gospel [past tense]. This lacks humility and is a dangerously-incomplete confession of the faith. A Christian is someone who repents and believes [present tense]. Chief sinners, like us, should also be chief repenters.

Tonight during family worship my son showed repentance in a prayer for God to make him kinder to his family. We do struggle with sibling rivalry and with radically different personalities in our children. Tonight it struck me that Kristin and I have been so focused on correcting him that we are not also remembering to enjoy him.

It was refreshing for us to hear him repent tonight, now he needs to hear his parents do the same.

Summary of Biblical Theology

I became interested in this book because of the influence the author had on my pastor. I found his redemptive-historical preaching style to be powerful and engaging and I wanted to know what "redemptive-historical" meant.

Biblical Theology is Special Revelation told as epic history. It's somewhere between exegesis and systematic theology. It tracks the growth or development of the gospel in the Scriptures over time. Importantly, it relieves, to some extent, the unfortunate tendency to rely upon proof texts when defining fundamental doctrines. Instead, it traces these truths throughout the whole of the Bible.

Starting with pre-redemptive special revelation (e.g. creation), everything disclosed here is largely symbolical. Don't misconstrue this to mean that the events weren't actually real. It's real symbolism embodied in actual things. The symbols are not expressed in words so much as in tokens. These tokens prefigure and convey assurance concerning the future realization of the things symbolized.

In early redemptive relevation (the Fall to pre-Flood), it's important to note that here, as in all of the Old Testament, the concept of a personal Messiah is approached very gradually. It sufficed for fallen man to know that through His divine power and grace God would bring victory over the serpent. In that faith could rest. The object of their faith was much less defined than ours. But none the less, the essence of this faith was the same, trust in God's grace and power to bring deliverance from sin.

In Noachian revelation, note the rapid development of sin's power. In the first generation after Adam you already have murder. Sin proves powerful enough to prostitute the gifts of God's common grace. Soon there is no trace of the sense of sin in Cain's line. In Seth's line, the continuity of redemption is stressed. But even the good kept alive is not enabled to force back evil. While the power of redemption remained stationary, the power of sin waxed strong. Once the Sethites and Canites intermarry, the continuity of God's work appeared in danger, and the lesson of the destructive power of sin had been fully taught, the time had come to teach the finishing lesson of the judgment.

During the Patriarchal period, God checks the power of sin (e.g. division of tongues) and the actual beginning of the people of God, the first embodiment of objective religion, the nucleus of the Church is found with the call of Abram. The idea of faith suddenly springs into prominence. The patriarchs learned that God reserved to Himself the fulfillment of the promises (e.g. great nation, land, blessing to all people). They had learned to look upward to a form of possession of the promises identified closely with God Himself, instead of just a temporal fulfillment by possessing Canaan, etc.

Revelation in the time of Moses, consisting of the theocracy, typifies the perfected kingdom of God. When apostasy on a general scale took place, they could no longer remain in the promised land. The history of Israel was shaped by God intentionally so as to mirror all important situations befalling the people of God in all subsequent ages.

Prophetic revelation guarded the unfolded theocracy in order to keep it a true representation of the kingdom of Jehovah.

New Testament revelation, contained the speech of the Son, and so no higher speech was possible. It includes the Apostles, who are witnesses and interpreters of the Christ. Jesus regarded the whole Old Testament movement as a divinely directed and inspired movement, as having arrived at its goal in Himself. In His numerous appeals to Scripture, Jesus shows the Scriptures are a book for the people and that they cannot be broken (Jn 10:35).

This may be my longest post ever, so if you read this far, I hope you have a refreshed sense of the majesty and the oneness of the Scriptures.

Geerhardus Vos (1870-1949) is the author of Biblical Theology.

Adoption Options

We've found a couple different adoption agencies here that we think are worthwhile. Since we only plan to do the homestudy and post-adoption follow-up locally (our plan is to use an agency called Special Link for actually adopting a child), we're trying to decide who locally should do the homestudy. We've ensured that the homestudy will be conducted on biblical grounds (e.g. spanking is biblical not abusive, etc), so the real decision is, to which agency do we want to write a fat check?

One option is a small business ran by a Christian lady. Another is a Lutheran agency. We probably can't go wrong with either one, but we're wondering who should have the primary role for ensuring that we're a good family to adopt a child? It seems to us that this is more of a responsibility of the church, rather than just a state-certified agency. So I hope to involve our church in our homestudy. We're open to other thoughts.

Church Invitations

Part of a new assignment is getting out-of-the-blue invitations from people I meet to attend their church. Usually I know that their church wouldn't be a good fit for my family, but I appreciate the person's invitation. But conveying this can be difficult.

Today while entering an auditorium for a briefing I was invited to a large Baptist church. I only had a moment to reply, so I said, "How's the preaching?" His brief response painted a sad picture all too common today.

"Well, it's okay", my friend said a little surprised at my question, "the preaching is not very deep. You get that in a small group which meets during the week".

I declined the invite, but not without feeling blue for those that worship at a place that minimizes the preached Word.

Revenge of the Nerds?

As my first week here at the Air Force's Institute of Technology progresses, I'm struck at how single-faceted this place is. Like the city of Oz where everything is green, everything here is only hi-tech. The school library is a 3-story modern facility, but only stocked with technical books and journals. Books, books everywhere and not a drop [of literature] to drink! I'm not surprised that there are no liberal arts degrees here, but it seems there would be value in at least some liberal arts classes. The only offering that comes close is a single elective on just-war theory. The military instructors are uniformed, but otherwise, stereotypical 10-pound brains. Yesterday, the faculty seemed to enjoy giving us a "diagnostic" math exam containing 50 advanced calculus problems. I might have scored a 10% on it. This is the revenge of the nerds.

More than grumbling, I hope to raise a point while I'm here that the military relies too much on technology to win our nation's wars. While effective in destructive power and precision, it only forces our enemies to wage asymmetrical warfare. And at this our technology is unable to bring closure to a conflict.

To balance our approach to warfare, we need to comprehend a culture where religion is not just an individual, private thing, as it is here. Our western leaders need to fathom a society knitted together by a single religious conviction, as we see in the Islam of our enemies. If we can't understand our enemy, but instead rely only upon our technology to kill them all, I'm afraid we can't find peace, much less victory.

I'm no Doug Phillips

Doug Phillips has posted some great photos of a recent family trip cross-country. Looks like they had a lot more fun than we did! I didn't follow through with an early plan to stop along the way at state parks and maybe even hit a Roadfood restuarant.

Instead I reverted back to going after the land speed record. The worst part of the trip: lunch at a Burger King/gas-station along I-65 somewhere in Tennessee. There ought to be a law...fast food is bad enough already without the gas station atmosphere.

Some highlights from the trip: Kudos to the road engineers who laid out the approach into Cincinnati on I-75. The city is completely masked by some foothills until you round a bend in the road and then all of a sudden there it is in full view down in the valley just across the Ohio river.

I also greatly benefited from listening to the lectures on "America's Wars--a Biblical overview and evaluation" produced by Canon Press. I hope to bring up some of the points here in an elective course on Just War Theory. Thanks go to the BadgerMum for recommending them.

Living in Ohio

Our move back North was a good one. We packed six weeks of provisions into the car and van; enough to last us until we move into a house in July. For the time being we've rented a furnished apartment.

I had doubts about my 13 year old car making one more cross-country drive. Over the last 10 years it's gone from Alabama to San Antonio. From there to New Jersey. Then over to Illinois. Next down to Georgia. But even loaded down with stuff, including our confused Border Collie and son it made it up the hills of Tennessee and across the fields of Kentucky. God is good. I did have to turn-off the air conditioner on steeper climbs to keep up speed. I also found that sunflower seeds are good for fighting off the "sleepies" during long stretches.

Regrettably, we said good-bye to our Georgia church family (and the wonderful worship); but there are some promising options here, too. Both Kristin and I are longing to get settled and plugged-in again. It's tough to always be starting-over.

Today was the first day at AFIT (Air Force Institute of Technology); I saw several familiar faces from previous assignments. It's fun to catch up.

I also finally finished Biblical Theology by Vos. I hope to post some thoughts on it in the near future.

Cardboard Cottage

I type this from what is left of our home. Except for the computer, everything else that will fit has been taped shut inside a hundred or so cardboard boxes stacked throughout this house.

There are a 100 things flying around in my mind that I should be doing, but I'd like to record a portion of the remarks I made at my farewell luncheon.

After I led a toast to my co-workers, I sought to honor Christ with these words,

"Any success I've achieved in this job I owe in large part //large part// to Christ. This has been my favorite job in the Air Force, even though it has been stressful at times. I've had one other stressful job, that was flightline maintenance. Over time the pressure got to me. It made me defensive, cynical, bitter, cold. It got to the point that my supervisor counseled me on my bad attitude. And he was right!

"For those that know me, if that surprises you, I want to explain the two most important things I've learned about work during the last year or so. First, the Bible encourages hearty, diligent, excellent work. My God does all things well, and so should I. Second, and don't miss this, I'm slowly learning how not to work or expect affirmation from people or personal reward. Don't get me wrong! These things are good and we supervisors should reward our people. But the point is we don't always get it right. How much better it is that I get to entrust myself to One who judges justly!

"So those two things: Excellent work, Trusting One who judges justly; have kept me from that bad attitude that ruled me before.

"I don't say these things to lecture you, but as a simple way for me to honor Christ. I think some of you have enjoyed working with me or have enjoyed the fruits of my labor. I want you to know it's only because of Christ that you have enjoyed that. If it wasn't for His work it would have been a whole different experience."

All is Well?

This e-mail was sent last week to over 10,000 people that work on Robins Air Force Base, my current home:

"All Robins Personnel,
In light of concern regarding the safety of your children within the Houston County School System, Mr. Carpenter, Houston County School Superintendent, informs that all is well. He appreciates all your inquiries and wants you to know that there was only one isolated event at Warner Robins High School and it was handled quickly and effectively. Please be assured that your children are safe and doing fine today."


I asked around and learned that in the last two weeks the local high school has had 3 attempted suicides and one actual. They've also found a horde of guns and ammo in a student's car, plus one gun in the school building.

Break Camp

My posts will be few and far between until we are settled in Ohio.

We break camp next week when the movers show and then we'll put Georgia in the rear-view mirror.