I asked professors who teach the meaning of life to tell me what is happiness.
And I went to famous executives who boss the work of thousands of men.
They all shook their heads and gave me a smile as though I was trying to fool with them.
And then one Sunday afternoon I wandered out along the Desplaines river
And I saw a crowd of Hungarians under the trees with their women and children and a keg of beer and an accordion.
-Happiness, Carl Sandburg
Last month I drove out to Michigan for work. On my way I stopped and was able to spend time with a good friend of mine. My friend is on staff at her church as a youth minister. I had toyed with the idea of youth ministry from time to time but ultimately knew it wasn’t where I was supposed to be. So, I listened to the trials and joys of working with the youth. It became very apparent that the joyful times primarily came from the youth while the trials stemmed from the parents. It amazed me to see how absent many of the parents actually were. The youth ministers were the ones building relationships, investing, looking out for, and essentially parenting these kids. This is not the first time I’ve heard such things from a youth minister. It breaks my heart to hear, time and time again, stories of parents dropping their kids, their problems, and their disinterest for parenting at the door of the church. Out of sight, out of mind.
Now, I’m not a parent. I hope to be, someday. I can’t attest to how difficult it is to raise children. I know it’s hard, there were times growing up when I was a huge pain in my parents side. But, they were my parents. They understood the responsibility that came along with raising a child. They invested, they cared, they took the time to know what was going on in my life whether I wanted them to or not. They were consistent and persistent. I know plenty of parents who are this way. It isn’t perfect, but it is a beautiful thing.
So, with tomorrow being mothers day, thanks to all of you moms who do so much for your kids.
I have a new book review in the May/June issue of Modern Reformation. I took a look at Paul Zahl’s book Grace In Practice. Check it out!
Since December I’ve been planning and coordinating the 2008 Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology which was held in Sacramento, Atlanta, Grand Rapids, and Philadelphia. This conference began 35 years ago by James Montgomery Boice. Since the end of February I have been traveling across the country meeting some incredible people and listening to some excellent teachers in the reformed community speak on the subject of the atonement.
Traveling has been a bit chaotic and I’m thankful I have amazing friends who have put up with me as I’ve been pretty uneventful and exhausted. I haven’t been able to read, write, or do so many of the things I love. However, God has been doing some incredible things. Looking beyond the long nights of travel, long days in the office, and the last minute crunch of scheduling God has blessed me with some amazing moments. I’ve been able to see parts of country that don’t necessarily fall on my top 10 list of places to visit.
In each city I’ve had the opportunity to talk with dozens of people who are committed to the gospel. They are real sinners who are in love with their Savior. Little did I know it was exactly what I needed. It was so refreshing to see a group of people pay money and give up their weekends to come and hear teaching that will help them grow into who God has designed them to be. I met simple people with amazing stories. The plenary sessions and seminars were great, but it was the people I met that impacted me the most. What an exhausting and incredible couple of months. While I’m sad its over, I’m glad I now have time to slow down and see what else God has in store.
Sometimes I wonder how awkward it must be for actors to watch themselves in film and on TV. We all think we sound different then we do. We all think we act distinguished and diplomatic. But, when we are faced with the reality of who we are and how we act it can be a bewildering thing. I’m glad I don’t have to watch a day in the life of me. I’m sure it would be incredibly uncomfortable. Sometimes, though, I wish I could.
Some times I wish I could see a clearer picture of how I treat people, how I talk, and how I interact. I would love to view my mannerisms and attitude as an outside observer. I would love to see whether I cut people down with my words, whether I embrace and seek to understand their varying viewpoints and interests, whether I am caring, or whether I actually invest in the lives of others. I fear that as much as I’d like to do those things my tendencies are just the opposite.
Judge a little less, open up a little more.
I support an environment of learning that encourages engagement with critical scholarship through the lens of a redemptive historical narrative.
I support a study of Scripture that wrestles with the hard questions, yet seeks to point the individual back to the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I support Christian ministry and academics that are done openly, honestly, and humbly.
I support ministers and professors who teach an individual how to learn and how to engage our culture through the Biblical lens of Scripture.
I support the truth that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God.
I do not believe the Westminster Standards are inerrant and I will not hold their teachings higher then the teachings of Scripture.
I support the concept of reformed and always reforming.
I support Christian ministry and academics that seeks to engage and shape the culture in a way that is Biblical and effectively reaching people.
I support those who seek to answer the difficult questions being asked, those who seek to shape the worldview of an individual by showing them the dynamic truths of the word of God.
I do not support those who turn inwardly and ignore the questions being asked.
I graduated from Westminster Theological Seminary in May 2007. During that time I spent my days studying Systematic Theology, Apologetics, Biblical Studies, Church History, and Practical Theology. I read a number of books from Van Til, Wright, Enns, Machen, Calvin, Bavinck, etc. Each of these books had a tremendous impact on the way I read Scripture, interact with the culture, and seek to serve. I spent time in office hours seeking to learn and gain as much as I could from these great men. I learned from them both in and out of the classroom. I saw them share their hearts, their love for the Lord, and their passion to share the Gospel.
With all of the events leading up to the Board’s decision to suspend Dr. Enns I have watched the student body kept half in the dark. I have watched certain individuals (who should have acted with a higher degree of maturity and leadership) participate in websites like Dude Where’s My Seminary (which thankfully has been taken down). I have listened to people who never sat under some of the professors “in the majority” criticize their teaching, their theology, and their right to be at Westminster. The book in question, Inspiration and Incarnation, is a fantastic work that has deeply impacted my life. I understand, according to Dr. Lillback, that not all the WTS students have liked the book, although I have yet to meet a student who’s faith is being crushed by the work. Either way I recommend that everyone gets their hands on a copy of this book and reads it over before making their decision.
I support Dr. Enns.
The next few ways we can serve the church don’t need a lot of explanation, they just need action.
XI: Give to The Poor
XII: Clothe the Naked
XIII:Comfort the Downcast
XIV: Feed the Hungry
Lately there have been a lot of issues that have angered and saddened me. Some of them on a national scale and some on the local front. I realized yesterday after receiving some frustrating news, that with all that’s going on with politics, war, power struggles, religious issues, etc. I forgot how big God is. Right now He is working. He is doing exactly what needs to be done. While men and women make a multitude of bad decisions, He still has ultimate authority.
“God is wise enough to handle a complex generation, and his people need to be as well.”
unChristian p.183
I received news this morning that friends of mine lost their 7 1/2 month old daughter. What do you say to that? How do you respond? It never seems right when parents have to bury a child. A flood questions and emotions accompany such an event. As I sifted through the multitude of questions that came to my mind this morning, I wondered, am I asking the right questions?
No matter the situation, regardless of the circumstances, God does what He wills. He does what is right, He does what is good, He does what is necessary. In the midst of uncertain events when emotions are at their height and confusion abounds, I am constantly reminded of the words of Job: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return, the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (1:21).
As I have observed the struggles this family has gone through I have asked God: how is this fair? why? can’t you take it back? In the end I realized I have been asking all the wrong questions, they have been asking all the right ones. In the few conversations I’ve had with the family, along with reading their blog over the last few months, I’ve seen them constantly ask the questions: how can God be glorified through these circumstances? how can we show the love of God through this trial? Their questions have always been geared around where is God and what is He doing at this moment?
Since I’m still learning how to ask the right questions I definitely don’t have a lot of answers. It is in the best and worst times of life when we learn to ask the question what is God doing at this moment, that I am reminded of the answer my seminary professor once gave, exactly what He’s supposed to be.
