In Your Anger, Do Not Sin

I'm not known to be an angry person. Actually, there are times that I should be angry that I'm not--whether it's cowardice or apathy, I'm not sure. The past week has been difficult for us, and gave me an occasion to attempt to be Christlike in a situation that demanded I be angry.

We're living in the base Temporary Lodging Facility (TLF) until our house is ready late this month. The TLF is very appealing to the eye (and the wallet)--recently remodeled, two-bedroom, full kitchen and laundry. But the monsters come out at night--it's infested with earwigs, a black, beetle looking bug with a pincher at the tail. It's mating season and each morning we find them in the children's beds, in the towels, all over.

I've requested pesticide treatment three times--nobody has shown. I've gone through a can of Raid, a bottle of Ortho, and 3 fumigators, but military bugs die hard. Last night, with Kristin in tears, we woke the children up and checked into an off-base motel about midnight.

Today I filed a formal complaint and met with lodging management. I was able to communicate with controlled anger--I didn't blow up and I didn't back-down. They promise that the bug guy will come tomorrow. I pray he will.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

We made it to Albuquerque; thanks be to God. Here are some highlights:

Good

• Visiting with several friends along the way
• Worship in Oklahoma
• Met with birthmother in OKC
• Every hotel lodged our pets and had an indoor pool
• No mechanical troubles with the cars
• TravMatix provided accurate info along the way
• Gilead audio book--quietly beautiful narrative and message

Bad

• Eli and I locked the keys in my car in Indiana while it was running with the dog inside; Kristin was in Illinois and backtracked to rescue us with help from the Illinois Rest Area staff, Quizno's Staff, and others
• Rocky-McTocky died in Texas. This bubbly beta had been with us for several years and this was his third road trip. Grace took the loss especially hard, throwing herself onto the hotel bed and wailing, "he was my best friend!" We gave him a proper toilet burial with eulogies. Rocky-McTocky is survived by beta-friend Flash

Ugly

• Pretty much all of Missouri road system. St Louis traffic (due to a major factory fire/explosion and resulting evacuation) and lots of detours and alternate routes
• My underpowered, overloaded car in the mountains of New Mexico. I floored it going downhill to build up speed and at the bottom cut the air conditioner to get a few more horsepower to lumber over the hills

Packin' Up, Movin' Out


It's a 22 hour trip!!

The move starts tomorrow when the packers arrive and should end 8 days later with a safe arrival in the Land of Enchantment. The blog will be on-break 'til then.

The Rod of God

During a combined Sunday school today I presented my research on the future of Islam to about 70 people. I was pleased to get some more "mileage" out of my school project, and I think it was well received.

I adapted the presentation for today's audience by teaching on the great Islamic threat in the days of Luther. In his time Christians in Western Europe faced the very real possibility that they would soon live under the rule of Islamic law. He wrote several treatises refuting Islam and, surprisingly, was instrumental in publishing an updated Qu'ran.

Luther was unwilling to advocate any form of "holy war" and got into big trouble for teaching that the Islamic threat was the well-deserved rod of God for the transgressions and unbelief of Western Europe. We explored some parallels to the Islamic threat of our day, and if it is a "rod of God" then what is it for?

This was our last Sunday with our Lutheran friends. We look forward, Lord willing, to stopping in at Heritage PCA in Oklahoma City next Lord's Day and worshiping with our pastor friend, Mark Balthrop, once again.

June 18, 1994 

Move over, Mapquest

Next week we'll make our longest road trip. Kristin and the children will be in one car and I and the animals in the other. A frustrating part of past road trips was the difficulty in picking good resting points along the way. Whether we were ready for a hotel (that allows pets) or a McDonald's with an indoor playland, we'd often waste time exiting the Interstate hoping and not finding what we needed.

Thankfully, it appears that TravMatix has gone a long way towards fixing that problem. Based on our route and our hotel and eatery preferences this free product lists, by Interstate exit, every place that meets our criteria. They even claim to tell you who has the cleanest restrooms along the way!

Breaking Down

We've been pretty busy this week preparing for the packers to come on Monday. I had hoped to visit a couple more fun family places before leaving this area, but my 14-year old car was falling apart and it's taken more time (and money) than I thought to get it ready for the 1,400 mile trip to Albuquerque. At home, our air conditioner has also been on the blink for a few days and has kept me tied up.

But what really is troubling is my waning passion for God over the last few months. My Bible reading has suffered, I cover only a fraction of what I used to. I've intentionally read more this week, but it feels too much like drudgery. My prayer life is in the same slump. I have a hard time paying attention to the Preached Word. Family prayer time sounds canned.

Is this spiritual slump because we've been without the Lord's Supper for several months while sojourning in a Lutheran church? Or perhaps a lack of fellowship here has something to do with it? We're envious of Valerie and want what she has.

The stress of a move easily results in spats and coldness between Kristin, the children and I. We're not strong enough to resist that temptation on our own. I need to set a good example for my family, and earnestly pray for the fruit of the Spirit as we move.

Adoption Update

The adoption process is ripe with perplexing decisions that keep you in prayer and Proverbs. Readers of this blog have seen us wrestle with race and health already. Every adoption opportunity comes with a unique set of risks and consequences.

Should we celebrate over the news that after many months of trying we have been matched with a bi-racial girl due in November? This is wonderful news for us -- a birthmother likes us! She likes us!! -- but we aren't popping open the wine bottle just yet.

This is a private adoption, not through an adoption agency but a lawyer, which means that we pay monthly support to the birthmother throughout the pregnancy. If she surprises the lawyer and us by deciding to parent then we would loose a significant amount of money.

After several hour-long conversations with the Bados--a Christian husband and wife adoption law firm in Oklahoma City recommended by Special Link--we have decided to go through with this risky venture. We plan to visit with them and the birthmother in OKC during our move out West in a couple of weeks.

The Horse and His Boy

One of the many great things about the Dayton, Ohio area is the metroparks. Each one has their own appeal; the children have enjoyed farm chores at a restored 1800s farm, I've nearly drowned in the Mad river, and Eli has done two week-long horse camps. Here's a picture from today's end-of-camp show where Eli and Garth (the hairy one) cantered and even did a little barrel racing.

 

Update: Beat-the-Buzzer Evangelism

Today I met with a classmate who wanted to understand my faith. We had a lengthy, in-depth conversation about the Christian gospel.

About a year ago my friend was teaching at a Mormon church on the history of that faith and while doing his research lost all confidence in the Latter Day Saints. Regrettably, he rejected more than just the Mormon faith, he dismissed all forms of Special Revelation. Today he is a Deist, reading their anti-Christian websites. His "apostasy" from Mormonism threatens his marriage and has alienated him from extended family.

I didn't intend to take an "Evangelism Explosion" approach, but my friend said that when he appears before God he'll say that God didn't make it clear enough what to believe; it's too hard to tell which prophet (Mohammed, Joseph Smith, Buddha, or Jesus) to believe. I mentioned the uniqueness of the Resurrection and a Gospel of grace. I wished I would have thought of C.S. Lewis' Liar, Lunatic, or Lord question.

I also took a Van Til tactic, talking about what his "final authority" is for deciding what to believe--reason or the Scriptures. I also informed him of the trustworthiness and authenticity of the Scriptures compared to other historical documents.

In the end what he wanted was a personal vision, direct revelation, or a miracle to tell him what to believe. I explained from Hebrews why the first two weren't going to happen, but the third very well may (referring to the miracle of the New Birth). I offered to give him my copy of C.S. Lewis' Miracles. He has read Mere Christianity, Screwtape Letters, and told me he'd read it, too.

I offered to follow-up with him at his convenience. Perhaps he'll call or write after we move. Overall I feel I presented the Gospel clearly, pleaded with him earnestly, and provided him with reasonable responses to his questions. Yet I don't have any chummy feelings about this conversation; here is a man who has heard the Gospel and doesn't believe. I pray that will change.

Graduation Dinner

Here's a picture of us at last night's Air Force Institute of Technology graduation dinner. It was held at the National Museum of the Air Force where we dined between wonderful, restored military airplanes, feasted off a 10-station buffet, and were entertained by a military band. It was a grand time--a rewarding end to a year of brute force learning.

 

Does Theology Have to Make Sense?

Martin Luther knew it was absurd to believe such things as "God is man, the son of a virgin, crucified, sitting at the right hand of the Father." A reasonable man cannot stomach such contradictions. Reason always attacks theology that is faithful to the Bible, and so Luther retaliated.

Luther, according to The Foolishness of God, lambasted reason as "a big red murderess, devil's bride, a damned whore, a blind guide, the enemy of faith." He defended the sole authority of Scripture in all matters of faith; reason must yield to faith.

He fires more than a few broadsides at Calvinism for its desire to "play carpenter with God's Word; whittling away at it until all the pieces fit." Luther sought to maintain the paradoxical nature of Christian doctrine. I'll summarize just one area (election) in this space.

Reformed theologians often say that a man must be either a Calvinist or an Arminian -- that is, he must find the answer to why some are converted and others aren't, either in a difference in God or a difference in man. A true Lutheran can only say, "A plague on both your houses!" Luther says without reservation that the will of God cannot be hindered, and just as firmly he asserts that man can resist the will of God. We should not tear ourselves to pieces over this mystery; the Lord simply wants both truths to stand.

This provocative book claims that Calvinism remains true to the law of non-contradiction in doctrines such as election, perseverance, conversion, and the Lord's Supper, while Lutheranism doesn't see how you can do that and be faithful to all that the Scripture says. Lutherans simply resolve not to explain apparent contradictions, resisting the pressures of reason to act as judge over God's truth.

This was an interesting read and reminded me of Dr. Rayburn's lecture on "Preaching the Poles".

Which is Worse in a Church: Worldliness or Pharisaism?

Our pastor's bold sermon yesterday reminded me of some comments I've heard in the past from homeschoolers when looking for a church. They show up Sunday morning for worship, take a look at the congregation's appearance (especially the mothers and teenagers), and automatically know if this is the place for them.

Here's the quote from yesterday's sermon that brought this to mind,

The conservative churches of today, and we are one of them, are in greater danger than ever of falling into the idolatry of Pharisaism. Pharisaism is the chief idolatry because it is all about circling the wagons to exclude the unclean and maintain moral values. When you are worshipping the false pharisaic god, you exclude those who do not pass the latest moral acid test. In some churches that acid test is drinking, smoking and dancing. For others the acid test is your political persuasion, your stance on abortion or how loudly you denounce homosexuality. We are investing too much of our time in passing legislation designed to make our country more moral and not enough time practicing mercy.

The pastor has a point. When I look around a church body and see immodestly dressed women, wild-looking teenagers, and bored men I label that church as "worldly" and move on to a place that's "safer" for my family. This approach probably does lead us to churches that have circled the wagons to exclude the unclean.

But there is a counterpoint. If those worldly-looking people in the church have been there for years, perhaps even raised there, and yet they still look, think, and act like the world then it's clear that in not circling the wagons the church went too far and gave away the farm.

Parenting the Poles

Our children are basically perfect. This is what the grandparents say when they spend time with one child at a time. But when the Bailey children are grouped together, watch out! Their behavior swings violently between two poles; they're either cruel to each other, or annoyingly goofy with each other.

In any given day our children fall off both sides of this horse many times. This afternoon I explained this observation to my oldest child (7); based on his response I think he may have got it, "This is what you mean by "self-control?" Right!

Maturity is at least knowing how to stay out of both the meanness and silliness ditches. My children are slowly learning this; as am I. I'm better with self-control now than I was as a new parent. I was better then than I was in college, and so on.

Naturally, children have childish behavior, which is often unpleasant. The difficulty for the parent is to patiently teach the children how to keep out of the ditches they keep falling into.

Gladness from Mourning

I enjoyed an e-mail exchange on transracial adoption with a friend of a friend from Georgia this week. This adoptive mother has a story to tell, here's an excerpt with names removed,

Our little girl is full African American (now 2 1/2 yrs old). We went into our adoption process wanting to provide a covenant home to a child that needed it...seeing race as a rather non-issue. Yes, we'd have things to overcome even in ourselves, but they were based on society rather than the Word so we NEEDED to get over them. We never expected what was to come.

Our daughter's race has not been a non-issue for our family but a radically positive one. As [Pastor] Piper mentions, when bringing one of a different race into your family, you are forced to recognize an individual outside of a lumped-together race. My Mississippi grandfather (who initially had an intense period of mourning regarding our adoption choice) eventually came around with tears in his eyes commenting that our daughter was "the first black girl to ever love him". You can translate that as the first he'd ever loved, or allowed to crawl up in his lap for sure!

Amazingly, graciously, we've been blessed with one positive experience after another, and an almost alarming absence of negative experiences. Black strangers have literally hugged me in the mall "for embracing their race". Socialites in our church have seen their elementary-aged-kids attach themselves to our ever-lovable little girl...even took her to show-n-tell at their predominately white private school since they didn't have a baby sister like their classmates to show off!?!?

In summary, we have realized that transracial adoption is amazing, exciting, and sanctifying in so many ways. We hope to bring at least one more AA child into our family before too long.

Our friend also provided the following links (here, here, and here) to some of John Piper's thoughts on race and the family.

Kristin and I hope that our adoption will be soon; in the meantime we're thankful for our Georgia cheering section!

The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Montgomery County

Kristin says...."talk about gross"; but when young boys are involved I find frogging to be much more satisfying than fishing. Yesterday we caught 7 frogs in about 20 minutes; Saturday's fishing expedition resulted in boredom and no fish.

Catching frogs is also more exciting than catching little fish. The frogs aggressively attack the worms above the water (fun to watch). Frogs are easier to de-hook (no sharp fins and a big mouth). And best of all, once de-hooked you can play with a frog for as long as you like!

Gone Froggin'

The War on Terror As I Understand It

I finished my research project on Islamic Terrorism. My focus was mainly on how information technology (satellite TV, internet, etc) is moving Islamic culture towards extremism.

Many Americans ask "why do they hate us?" The answer: U.S. policy toward the Middle East (e.g. supporting corrupt tyrannies) and especially our policy with the Palestinians. For us the Palestinian problem is just one issue out of many; for the average Arab it is the most important issue of his life.

Most people identify Madrassas (Islamic religious schools) as the main propagator of anti-Western hate. In some cases (Saudi and in the Stan-lands) they are problematic, but by far the larger problem is with the media.

In a land that banned the printing press for several hundreds of years and censors all forms of media, satellite TV is breaking through the information blockade. Up to 90% of homes in some Middle East countries have satellite-TV dishes, and 30 percent of the stations are independent (i.e. uncensored). This is a great opportunity to influence the Arab people.

Regrettably, the Islamic extremists have capitalized on this opportunity, waging a full-scale propaganda war against the U.S. Violent anti-West "values" are inculcated into Arab children at a very early age and saturate the lives of every viewer.

Only 2 percent of homes in the Middle East have internet access but every Islamic terrorist group has their own web site. Why? The internet is their outreach vehicle to Muslim communities and sympathizers around the world. Yahoo! Groups, and other tools, provides anonymous command and control of the terrorist networks in addition to recruitment, training, and fundraising.

The U.S. is a latecomer to this war of ideas. We've made some naive attempts to engage in this battle, but find ourselves at a disadvantage reaching out cross-culturally to an audience that long ago turned against us.

We must find and popularize the moderate, indigenous voices of the Middle East before the mass population moves from what today is mild opposition of the U.S. to militant opposition.

An Alien Nation or is it just Alienation?

Because it was TRs that first woke up Kristin and I to the twin dangers of evangelicalism and thoughtlessly consuming modern culture, we naturally thought that those outside mainstream-Presbyterianism had the answer. We didn't know that just because someone understands the problem well doesn't guarantee that they also have the right answer. The '60's offer the classic proof text.

A funny thing happened. As our convictions widened (I won't say deepened), the churches that interested us kept getting smaller and farther away. The typical PCA church didn't suit us anymore, and the double-earring wearing male worship leader at the one in this town cemented our feelings. Fortunately, a lack of courage on my part (and the level-headedness of my wife) moderated my impulse to do something really wild.

The Church, as the people of God, is an Alien Nation in some sense. But what we felt as we spent time in TR-ish churches was not belonging but rather alienation. What we wanted was a church that lives together before God in a reverent way, but what we got was more like a weekly club for the misfits of Presbyterianism.

That's too one-sided. I can't explain why the TR-type churches we've seen are the coldest we've ever known. Maybe it's not so much "penal-colony" syndrome as it is how far apart the people of the church live. Or maybe the problem lies with us. We move too often; surely this is at least partly responsible for our feelings of isolation.

It took time but we're finally realizing that it's not just the TRs who are aware of the cultural and ecclesial problems of today. Some mainstream PCA evangelicals get this; they just don't let it define them. When we move next month we so strongly hope to find a warm, friendly reformed church close to where we live. Enough with alienation; life in the Alien Nation shouldn't have to be this way.

Beat-the-Buzzer Evangelism

I had a nice surprise at the gym today. One of my classmates came up to me and wanted to meet before I move to New Mexico to talk about my faith. During the last year he has "let go" of much of what he believed (his background is Mormon) and is basically a Deist at this point. He's curious to know more about what I believe, not because he's ready to embrace it, but simply to understand.

We plan to get together next week. Please pray for God's illumination.

Some Recommendations

Skip McDonald's on your next road trip and enjoy some of the best food in America by looking here before you head out.

Listen to some of America's best speeches here. Several are good for Memorial Day. (HT: www.worldmagblog.com)

Kristin laughed and cried throughout this easy read (HT: Carmon's blog). The children and I really like this ranching story, (HT: Rick's blog).

Roamin' Catholics

I was worried about dinner tonight. I invited a military family over to eat with us who are new to the area; they have 5 young children and eagerly talk of more. They also homeschool. Since this is Trinity Sunday, I had put together a devotion for after dinner on that topic but were worried that the family might be Mormon. But when they offered to bring a bottle of wine my fears were put to rest--they're either Reformational or Catholic!

They are Roman Catholic. This is the first homeschooling Catholic family we've met. We enjoyed dining with them very much. I was able to learn why they homeschool instead of using a Catholic school, who their influences are, and some things about their family catechism time.

They are a great family; someone we'd enjoy spending more time with. The wife is a cradle Catholic, but the husband was baptized in the Methodist church, like me. His understanding of the differences between Roman Catholics and Protesting Catholics lacked a little, and he is such an affable guy, I can't help but wonder what would happen if we had more time together.

And he brings a mighty fine wine!

Amazing Adoption Stories Part 1

A big howdy to the Geaslen family! Thanks for relaying the amazing adoption story to us tonight. Since the mainstream media often relays only horror stories about domestic adoptions, it's good to hear and pass on some good news.

While we wait for our adoption in God's timing, we have opportunities to speak to many people about our experiences. As Kristin spreads the news about the many black American babies that need loving families to adopt them, some extended family of the Geaslens wondered why they have never heard of any as they wait to adopt. They inquired, found out that their agency does not do transracial adoptions, and just recently switched to one that did. Right away the situation changed.

Just a few days ago they received a request to meet for lunch with a birthmother who needed to place her 10 month old child. At the end of the meal the birthmother decided this was the right family to raise the child and placed her in the hands of her new mother right there in the restaurant! Needless to say the adoptive family was surprised to go from childless to parenting a 10 month old in a matter of minutes!

We rejoice that this child now has a loving two-parent home--complete with a special aunt, uncle, and several cousins!

God is Good

The folks in charge of base housing at our next base (Kirtland AFB) called yesterday and offered us a house! We were delighted to accept and very surprised since it was just the day before when they told us everything was booked.

Living on base is great for the family--no commute time, often home for lunch, etc. And in this particular situation, the church we're most interested in is close to the base. It would be great to work, live, and worship in the same community!

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"

Weaker Brothers

I've been reading studies on how using the Internet is affecting people's lives in terms of social relationships, community commitment, and psychological well-being. Although I'm reading this for a class, the results of the studies are relevant to me as a blogger and blog-reader.

Most studies show that time spent on-line forming relationships often displaces face-to-face relationships with family and your own community. On-line relationships are weaker on average than those formed and maintained off-line. On-line friends, because they are not embedded in the same day-to-day environment, are less likely to provide tangible support (like a small loan, rides, or baby-sitting) and less likely to understand the context of your life. People can form strong relationships on-line, but they are rare.

Application: Don't spend more time and attention on weak ties at the expense of what should be strong ties in the real-world.

Although this wasn't included in the studies, I'd like to point out another healthy precaution with the Internet--watch your doctrine closely. In the blogosphere you will come across more arguments for and against every conceivable theological position than you ever would encounter in real life. Just thinking back to the last week, blogs I enjoy have surprised me by denouncing inerrancy and a 6-day Creation.

As threatening as higher criticism was for pastors in the 19th and 20th centuries, the "wider criticism" provided by the Internet may be more dangerous to the laity. As a general rule, when it comes to theology, don't talk to strangers.

Family Worship



Since Eli can read well enough now, he participates more in family worship. One way is by reading the opening Psalm with me responsively (we alternate reading every 2 verses). Standardizing on one Bible translation within the family avoids confusion.

I'm regularly tweaking the liturgy, currently it looks like this:

• Opening Hymn (first verse only, from memory)
• Opening Psalm (a short one)
• Gloria Patria
• Bible Passage (short reading, lately from Portals of Prayer)
• Meditation on Passage (lately from Portals of Prayer)
• First Catechism , Scripture memory, or Creed
• Missions Moment (from Operation World)
• Prayer requests
• Family Prayer (everyone takes turn praying)
• Lord's Prayer in unison
• Benediction

This takes about 20 minutes and happens between dinner and bath time. Now that I've written it out, I see that a closing hymn would be nice, too. The children especially enjoy the missions moment, where I briefly talk to them about the needs of a different nation each night. In addition to finding that nation on the globe, Eli enjoys showing everyone the nation's flag from a book he bought at a library book sale.

There's still work to be done concerning the Hebrews 12:28 command to worship God with reverence and awe, but the ants-in-the-pants are gradually going away. Also, this is not the primary time for learning new memory work, it's better if that happens other times in the day. This is simply a time of coming together to worship God as a family.

A New Adoption Strategy

When we move to New Mexico, if we haven't adopted yet, we're going to change our strategy. To date, we've focused on domestic non-Caucasian babies. There is a constant need for families to adopt these babies.

But we continue to get rejected over and over simply because we already have children. There is such a strong preference among birthmothers, and the adoption agencies that counsel them, for childless couples. Did none of these folks like their brothers and sisters?

In a recent situation, the birthmother and adoption agency decided to keep the baby in foster care rather than place the child with us. They're still waiting for a childless couple to materialize.

So once we get to New Mexico we're going to also look at international adoptions. We prefer to meet a need here in our own country, but that appears unlikely.

Luther's Warrior Children

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

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

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

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

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

Happy Birthday Blog

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

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

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

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

Tokenism

A recent WORLD interview contained an interesting observation from Daniel.

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

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

Call Waiting

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

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

Meanwhile, we wait for the next call.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Adoption Update

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

We would appreciate prayer.

Air Force Academy Rejecting Christianity
excerpts from Rocky Mountain News

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Exactly," Rosa said.

Our Next Assignment


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

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

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

Quirky Albuquerque

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

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

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

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

What Denomination Are You (Now)?

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

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

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

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

Close Calls

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

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

Tele-Islamists

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lutherans and the 5 Points

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

Free Lectures on Papal Succession

The Teaching Company has offered these two free lectures

From Tom Rolling, president of Teaching company:

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

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

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

Rags to Riches

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

The Local Church

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

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

The Jihadi Mat

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

A Tale of a Local Wonderwoman
from the Dayton Daily News


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here's where it gets weird.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Islam's New Golden Age

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

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

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

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

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

Terri Schiavo and our Moral Confusion

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read the whole article here.

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

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

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

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

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

Resurrection Day 2005

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

Here's part of today's sermon.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our Incredible Easter Family Photo

Wanna guess what movie we saw recently?

The Spirituality of the Cross

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

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

"the way of the first evangelicals..."

Smiling Faces....Beautiful Places

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

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

Lack of Courage?

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

Vocation Conference

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

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

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

the conference

Prayer for our Leaders

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

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For Your Listening Pleasure

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

How to Hear a Sermon

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

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

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

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

Thanks to Pastor Mark Horne for the link.

Adoption Update:

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

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

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

Adoption Update

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

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

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

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

Pure Unadulterated Speculation on Dreams

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

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

3 Good Things About Blogs

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

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

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

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

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

Religious Urban Legends

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

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

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

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

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

Jammy Rides

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

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

Here we are just back from our first jammy ride.