Miles Hendon's pledge to the Prince of Wales

Here is the full context of the quotation Pastor Allen gave from The Prince and the Pauper in Sunday's message:

"A smile twinkled in Hendon's eye, and he said to himself--

'By the mass, the little beggar takes to one's quarters and usurps one's bed with as natural and easy a grace as if he owned them--with never a by-your-leave or so-please-it-you, or anything of the sort. In his diseased ravings he called himself the Prince of Wales, and bravely doth he keep up the character. Poor little friendless rat, doubtless his mind has been disordered with ill-usage. Well, I will be his friend; I have saved him, and it draweth me strongly to him; already I love the bold-tongued little rascal. How soldier-like he faced the smutty rabble and flung back his high defiance! And what a comely, sweet and gentle face he hath, now that sleep hath conjured away its troubles and its griefs. I will teach him; I will cure his malady; yea, I will be his elder brother, and care for him and watch over him; and whoso would shame him or do him hurt may order his shroud, for though I be burnt for it he shall need it!'"

The submission of Uncle Tom

Pastor Allen read part of the passage below to us in his sermon illustrating the attitude of a Christian slave. I have included a slighter larger context here for us for reread for private contemplation or consideration:

Legree drew in a long breath; and, suppressing his rage, took Tom by the arm, and, approaching his face almost to his, said, in a terrible voice, "Hark 'e, Tom! -- ye think, 'cause I've let you off before, I don't mean what I say; but, this time, I've made up my mind, and counted the cost. You've always stood it out again' me: now, I'll conquer ye, or kill ye! -- one or t' other. I'll count every drop of blood there is in you, and take 'em, one by one, till ye give up!"

Tom looked up to his master, and answered, "Mas'r, if you was sick, or in trouble, or dying, and I could save ye, I'd give ye my heart's blood; and, if taking every drop of blood in this poor old body would save your precious soul, I'd give 'em freely, as the Lord gave his for me. O, Mas'r! don't bring this great sin on your soul! It will hurt you more than 't will me! Do the worst you can, my troubles'll be over soon; but, if ye don't repent, yours won't never end!"

Like a strange snatch of heavenly music, heard in the lull of a tempest, this burst of feeling made a moment's blank pause. Legree stood aghast, and looked at Tom; and there was such a silence, that the tick of the old clock could be heard, measuring, with silent touch, the last moments of mercy and probation to that hardened heart.

It was but a moment. There was one hesitating pause, -- one irresolute, relenting thrill, -- and the spirit of evil came back, with seven-fold vehemence; and Legree, foaming with rage, smote his victim to the ground.

While many will say that applying sentiments such as those expressed above by Tom in today's context of employer and employee would seem oddly inappropriate (since the employer seldom has life-or-death power over the employee), there is nevertheless, an applicable principle. In Tom's words "...dont bring this great sin on your soul," I am reminded of a Christian teacher who once said that, in our submission as Christian employees, we should have more concern for the good name and reputation of our emplyers (thereby exercising ourselves in preserving and protecting it)than we have for our own. While this may seem hard to do, it was incomparably harder for Tom to lay down his life in order to try to save his master.

Detectives in Togas

Pastor Allen's reference to the conditions of slavery in Roman times provided a useful historical frame of reference for his exposition of Ephesians 6:5-9 for us this past Sunday. While he was correct in transposing this into "employers and employees" for our own contemporary application, it is good for us to realize that Paul had a particular challenge in interpreting the gospel to his own world and time.

As a defender of classical Christian education, I am often asked why we would have children learn so much about the Roman and Greek world. These two great civilizations and cultures still impact much of what we know and practice even today. They are particularly relevant to Christians in helping us understand the world to which the New Testament writers were speaking.

The book depicted here, Detectives in Togas, is a standard curriculum item in most classical Christian schools. Besides being a ripping good adventure yarn for pre-adolescents, it provides invaluable insights into the role of slavery (Allen's theme in the message), the geography of Rome, upper, occupations and life styles of Romans in the various social classes, and hosts of details about daily life in those times. As one student put it after reading the book, "I ended up never minding to learn Latin at school; after all it was the language of Caius, Rufus, and the rest of the gang." (Charlotte Esser, Germany).

Brother Lawrence's Practice

"It is enough for me to pick up but a straw from the ground for the love of God." Brother Lawrence

When Pastor Allen quoted from this little book, The Practice of the Presence of God, I realized, almost for the first time, how much I have internalized its message for the past thirty-plus years of my life. I read it not long after graduating from college, and it made eminently good sense to me. It was particularly applicable to my time in the military, since much of that work was unfamiliar, unnatural, and not especially pleasant for me (cleaning details, kitchen police work, motor pool maintenance, etc.). Thinking of doing those jobs to the glory of God was a large part of my mental and spiritual health in those years.

Brother Lawrence's message having become second nature to me, I have often had a hard time, especially in recent years, hearing fellow believers grousing over conditions in their work life, when they should be honoring God with the hands and their heart (attitude). So, like Allen, I recommend a renewed familiarity with this little book, especially to our fellow Dove Mountaineers.

Catechetical Reminder: Holy Trinity

Q. 6. How many persons are there in the Godhead?
A. There are three persons in the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.

The icon above has been a favorite of mine since I discovered it in Germany while visiting the Brotherhood of Jesus. Below is my favorite Trinity hymn, also discovered during that time period, while worhshipping in army chapels.

God Father, praise and glory Thy children bring to thee.
Thy grace and peace to mankind Shall now forever be.

Chorus: O most holy Trinity, Undivided Unity;
Holy God, mighty God, God immortal, be adored.

And thou, Lord coeternal, God's sole begotten Son,
O Jesus, King anointed, Who hast redemption won.

O Holy Ghost, Creator, Thou gift of God most high;
Life, love and holy wisdom, Our weakness now supply.

Icarus and Daedelus: critical obedience

Pastor Allen's use of the classic myth of Icarus and Daedelus is a great illustration of the critical nature of obedience, one that any parent should want to establish in a child's heart from an early age. There are hundreds of great works of art depicting this anicent tale, and I have reproduced just a few of my favorites above. From left to right, they are by Elias, Rubens, Van Dyck, and Breughel.

Atticus Finch: role model

For all of us who read To Kill a Mockingbird in either high school or college, Atticus Finch is a memorable character and a great choice by Pastor Allen in his illustration of wise fatherhood. Consider Atticus's advice to daughter Scout:
"If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it." Of the film adaptation, Gregory Peck later said that Atticus was the best character he ever had to play.

Some interesting trvia about the impact of this one book comes from Wikipedia: "One year after being published, To Kill a Mockingbird had been translated into ten languages. In the years since, it has sold over 30 million copies and been translated into over 40 languages. To Kill a Mockingbird has never been out of print in hardcover or paperback and has become part of the standard literature curriculum. A 2008 survey of secondary books read by students between grades 9–12 in the U.S. indicates the novel is the most widely read book in these grades. A 1991 survey by the Book of the Month Club and the Library of Congress Center for the Book found that To Kill a Mockingbird was rated behind only the Bible in books that are "most often cited as making a difference", and has appeared on numerous other lists that describe its impact."

Children and parents in natural law

Here is the full context of the quotation Pastor Allen used from John Stott in last Sunday's message:

“Children, obey your parents..., for this is right.” Child obedience belongs to that realm which may be referred to as 'natural law'—the law which God has written on all human hearts (Rom.2:14-15). It is not confined to Israel's law or to Christian ethics; virtually all civilizations have regarded the recognition of parental authority as indispensable to a stable society. It is not surprising, therefore, that Paul includes 'disobedient to parents' as a mark both of a decadent society which God has given up to its own godlessness and of 'the last days' which began with the first coming of Christ (Rom.1:28-30; 2 Tim.3:1-2).

Letter to a Teacher

You may want to reread the letter with which Pastor Allen opened his sermon yesterday, so I have reprinted it for you below. It comes from Haim Ginott's Teacher and Child, a book which has become a standard in teacher education.

Dear Teacher,

I am a survivor of a concentration camp. My eyes saw what no man should witness:
Gas chambers built by learned engineers.
Children poisoned by educated physicians.
Infants killed by trained nurses.
Women and babies shot and burned by high school and college graduates.
So I am suspicious of education. My request is: Help your students become human. Your efforts must never produce learned monsters, skilled psychopaths, educated Eichmanns. Reading, writing, arithmetic are important only if they serve to make our children more human.

I thought it would be interesting to look at some of Ginott's other most oft-repeated quotations:

“Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression.”

“I've come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It's my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or de-humanized.”

“Teachers are expected to reach unattainable goals with inadequate tools. The miracle is that at times they accomplish this impossible task.”

“If you want your children to improve, let them overhear the nice things you say about them to others.”

“Parents often talk about the younger generation as if they didn't have anything to do with it.”

“Fish swim, birds fly, and people feel.”

“Each of us carries within himself a collection of instant insults.”

If some of these phrases sound vaguely Biblical to us, we might consider that Ginott was Jewish, and probably familiar with Old Testament wisdom. Compare some of the verses below (from both Old and New Testaments):

Psalm 34:13
Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

Psalm 52:2
The tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

Proverbs 10:20
The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth.

Proverbs 15:4
A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.

Proverbs 18:21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

James 3:6
And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

Proverbs 12:18
There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.

Ephesians 4:15
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

Ephesians 4:31
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

And, last but not least, from this week's sermon:

Ephesians 6:4
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Catechetical reminder #2: idols of our own making

This week's catechism questions reminds us of our human proclivity to create objects of veneration other than the true and living God. While it is easy for us to deride those who would worship a golden calf (historic idols) or an elephant god (non-western idols), the neon sign reminds us that we are quick to make, and justify, myriad idols of our own.

Q. 5. Are there more Gods than one?
A. There is but one only, the living and true God.

"Set your affection on things above, not on things upon the earth..." Colossians 3:2

More about Father Roque

Pictured here is the missionary on whose life the film The Mission was based. Pastor Allen use him as an example of a single person who was used greatly by God. Here is some more about his life:

Roque Gonzalez y de Santa-Cruz was the son of noble Spanish parents, and he came into this world at Asuncion, the capitol of Paraguay, in 1576. He was an unusually good and religious boy, and everybody took it for granted that young Roque would become a priest. He was in fact ordained, when he was twenty-three: but unwillingly, for he felt very strongly that he was unworthy of the priesthood. At once he began to take an interest in the Indians of Paraguay, seeking them out in remote places to preach to and instruct them in Christianity; and after ten years, to avoid ecclesiastical promotion and to get more opportunity for missionary work, he joined the Society of Jesus.

These were the days of the beginnings of the famous "reductions" of Paraguay, in the formation of which Father Roque Gonzalez played an important part. These remarkable institutions were settlements of Christian Indians run by the Jesuit missionaries, who looked on themselves, not like so many other Spaniards did as the conquerors and "bosses" of the Indians, but as the guardians and trustees of their welfare.

It was to bring about such a happy state of things that Father Roque labored for nearly twenty years, grappling patiently and without discouragement with hardships, dangers and reverses of all kinds, with intractable and fierce tribes and with the opposition of the European colonists. He threw himself heart and soul into the work. For three years he was in charge of the Reduction of St. Ignatius, the first of them, and then spent the rest of his life establishing others reductions, half a dozen in all, east of the Parana and Uruguay rivers; he was the first European known to have penetrated into some districts of South America.

More news from Marlene!

From an e mail sent last week after Marlene's first day of work:

"Here are a couple of pictures from my first day. The large plane outside the hangar actually belongs to Samaritan's Purse, but AIM Air flys it for them. In the other picture you can see a new plane that uses jet fuel, and the offices where I work are on the third floor. Today I worked with the secretary of the General Manager. She's a very nice Kenyan lady named Jackline.

I've just finished my supper, and am feeling a little tired. There's no elevator in the building, so I'm a little sore from going up and down those flights of stairs!"

The Call

The Os Guinness book from which Pastor Allen quoted on Sunday was published in 2003. Here is its product description from Amazon:

The Call continues to stand as a classic, reflective work on life's purpose. Best-selling author Os Guinness goes beyond our surface understanding of God's call and addresses the fact that God has a specific calling for our individual lives.

Why am I here? What is God's call in my life? How do I fit God's call with my own individuality? How should God's calling affect my career, my plans for the future, my concepts of success? Guinness now helps the reader discover answers to these questions, and more, through a corresponding workbook - perfect for individual or group study.

According to Guinness, no idea short of God's call can ground and fulfill the truest human desire for purpose and fulfillment. With tens of thousands of readers to date, The Call is for all who desire a purposeful, intentional life of faith.

The Calling of Walking Alone

I Corinthians 7:
32 But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:
33 But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.
34 There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
35 And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.


Pastor Allen's commentary on this passage:

The message of our culture is: Marriage and/or sexuality are absolutely necessary for a fulfilled life. (But see verse 32).

Focus on the eternal; hold the here and now lightly. (See verse 33)

An unmarried man is free to pursue the things of the Lord. (See verse 33)

A married man is anxious, devoted to worldly things; he serves Jesus through serving his wife and children. (Also in verse 33).

Allen spent a year caring for children and going to school at night while Huntley worked days to support family; he gained an appreciation for the challenge of the married woman, as expressed in verse 34.

Perhaps one of the most insightful things Pastor Allen talked about is that this status may change within one's lifetime. We should be sensitive to the needs of brothers and sisters who are going through a change in the calling they had become accustomed to. We need to be their family during such stressful adjustments.

Football is only a game

Only spiritual things are eternal. Nevertheless, I'd like to think the ball hit the turf instead of the foot. Go Wildcats!

The answers actually are in Genesis

From Answers in Genesis comes a new book by founder Ken Ham and researcher Britt Beemer, Already Gone: Why your kids will quit church and what you can do to stop it.
Based on a study of one thousand twenty-somethings who were raised in the church but no longer attend, this study found that we are losing our kids in elementary, middle school, and high school rather than college, and the "Sunday school syndrome" is contributing to the epidemic, rather than helping alleviate it. This is an alarming wake-up call for the church, showing how our programs and our approaches to Christian education are failing...and our children are paying the price. Though the statistics reveal a huge disconnect between our children and their church experience, Already Gone shows how to fight back for our families, our churches, and our world.

It was Rags Ragland who first connected me to this interesting study, and I am happy to see that Dove Mountain has implemented some of the necessary reforms recommended in this volume. First of all, the new Knights, Squires, and Ladies program is much more likely to be effective than traditional age-based Sunday school precsely because it forms meaningful relationships across age boundaries. Secondly, by using the Westminster Catechism as the framework for the scripture memory and study, children are being exposed to doctrine that really sticks with them, as opposed to moralisms and lessons taught as "stories" instead of the history they truly are.

Answers in Genesis is a multi-faceted ministry that is probably best known for its Creation Museum, but it is a great source of educational and inspirational materials of a wide variety. Take a look at what they are doing here.

From whence, authority?

One of the books I end up recommending over and over to parents is Tedd Tripps's Shepherding a Child's Heart. Here is an excerpt from its early pages on where the authority for good parenting comes from:

"Our culture tends toward the extreme poles on a continuum. In the area of authority, we tend toward a crass kind of John Wayne authoritarianism or toward being a wimp. God calls you by His Word and by His example (emphasis mine) to be authorities who are truly kind. God calls you to exercise authority, not in making your children do what you want, but in being true servants - authorities who lay down our lives. The purpose for your authority in the lives of your children is not to hold them under your power, but to empower them to be self-controlled people living freely under the authority of God....As a parent, you must exercise authority. You must require obedience of your children because they are called by God to obey and honor you (emphasis mine). You must exercise authority, not as a cruel taskmaster, but as one who truly loves them."

Chocolate Pudding Revenge

Okay, here's a test of whether anyone is reading these blogs or not. If you felt as badly for Annette Johnson as I did on Sunday when Steve was supposed to be feeding her chocolate pudding, join me in showing her some sympathy by bringing her a chocolate pudding cup this coming Sunday. Wouldn't that be fun?

News from Africa!

From two recent e mails from our sister Marlene Luartes in Kenya:

"Here is a picture of the Guest House where I'm staying. I'm on the middle level. There are two other buildings, one a residence hall and the other is offices, and an additional building is being constructed. They hope to complete it by December. The space is really needed. They could use more workers! The Africa Area Director is here, as well as the Kenyan Bible Translation & Literacy organization, and folks from other SIL branches where the situation isn't stable...like the Central African Republic and Sudan.

I should be starting work on Monday. Please pray for good relationships with both the Kenyan and expatriate staff. Here in Africa we have many members from Europe, so I have to adapt to more than one new culture. At least within the mission culture we have much in common!

Please also pray that I will get into a small group that will be of good support for me. It's strange being here and not knowing anyone. In my previous new foreign experiences at least I had a husband with me! I'm beginning to really empathize with all our wonderful single ladies in Wycliffe!

The WA volunteer coordinator and his wife had a nice potluck at their home last night. It was good to meet the rest of the volunteers...an eclectic group with many talents! They are constructing a new three-story building here on the center, so several of the volunteers are working on that project."

Pastor Allen's Book Recommendation

At the end of his message Sunday, Pastor Allen recommended (challenged!) that we take a look at The Love Dare, and take the dare! Here is the product description of this book from the Amazon web site:

"Too many marriages end when someone says 'I've fallen out of love with you' or 'I don't love you anymore.' The Love Dare discusses how these statements reveal a lack of understanding about the fundamental nature of true love.
As featured in the popular new movie Fireproof, from the team that brought us the #1 best selling DVD Facing the Giants, The Love Dare is a 40-day guided devotional experience that will lead your heart back to truly loving your spouse while learning more about the design, nature, and source of true love. Each reading includes Scripture, a statement of principle, the day's "dare," and a journaling area and check box to chart progress.

Dare to take The Love Dare, and see your marriage change forever."

On a personal note, I have to mention that the Kendricks, who wrote the book and the movie on which it is based, are pastors at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia, located in the same neighborhood in which Dove Mountaineer Linda Askew (yes, my wife!) grew up!

From Self Love to Spouse Love

Ephesians 5:
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

Words of wisdom from Pastor Allen's exposition of this passage:

v. 28: No one needs instruction on how to love himself. Our economy is based on self love: L'Oreal says, "Because I'm worth it." McDonald's says, "You deserve a break today."

v. 29: To have empathy means to be "in feeling with." We husbands should respond to our wives' circumstances as though they were own own.

On reading each other's meanings: "Men are digital; women are analog."

On reading moods: "When we think our wife is being picky, critical, ill-tempered, snappish, she's saying, "I feel fat, old, unattractive, useless."

Finally, "Two things wives need to be convinced of:
1. Will you take care of me?"
2. Will you love me and desire me?"

Breaking Bread, Breaking Sin

One of the things I like about the way we observe communion at Dove Mountain is that Pastor Allen visibly breaks the loaf right before our eyes. I am reminded of a communion meditation on this subject written by Pastor Douglas Wilson. Reprinted here from his blog, it is entitled "Breaking, Bread, Breaking Sin." For any of you are reading this before going to church today, may it help you as we prepare for the Lord's Table.

"This bread is the sacrament of the body of the Lord, as He put it. And when He picked it up in the institution of this meal, He took the bread that represented His own body, and He gave thanks, and He broke it. The remarkable grace and love that we see here is striking, but there is something else to be learned from this. Jesus broke the body that was to bear our sins, and in that breaking we see the salvation of the world. What else does God break? When we think about this, we should come to recognize what sorts of things are broken in the world as we commemorate this meal in true evangelical faith.

God breaks the images and idols (2 Kings 23:14). God breaks the houses of the sodomites (2 Kings 23:7). God breaks the weapons of war (Ps. 76:3). God breaks the jaws of the wicked (Ps. 3:7; Job 29:17). In short, God breaks all rebellion and sin.

In this memorial, we can see how He does this in such a way that we are not consumed. God made Him who knew no sin to become sin on our behalf (2 Cor. 5:21) so that we could be broken with Him, and restored and made whole with Him. Jesus took on the likeness of sinful flesh so that all those corruptions could be placed on Him, and there broken forever (Rom. 8:3). God condemned sin in the flesh, and in that condemnation, in that breaking, you can see your only hope.

In just a moment, I will lift the loaf of bread up and I will break it. Just as surely as you see that bread broken, so you are invited to see your sins, all of them, broken forever.

This is good news indeed. Come, and partake of it."

A Taste of Peru in the Old Pueblo

For those of you who missed it, the Evening in Peru fund raiser for the Peru Dental Missions trip was a spectacular cultural event. In the photo at the left you can see Deb Tilley presiding over the silent auction, which featured many quality Peruvian crafts, homemade items (such as Betty Hill's famous apricot and fig preserves), and some wonderful Christian calendars and journals.

Jack and Jill Hauschildt's spacious back yard and patio were festively decorated with many Peruvian artifacts, colored lights, and table centerpieces of crafts, colorful flowers, and Peruvian flags. Oscar Infante provided live South American background music during both the auction and dinner, and Amy Hauschildt showed an informative and inspiring power point presentation of the work of International Dental Ministries.

The Peruvian menu included an appetizer of Papas a la Huancaina (potatoes with a spicy cheese sauce) and an entree of Aji con Gallina (creamy chicken stew) served on a mound of rice with hard boiled egg garnish and a choice of several spicy sauces. For dessert, diners enjoyed Arroz con Leche y Mazamorra Morada Combinado, a rice pudding accompanied by purple corn compote.

After-dinner entertainment featured Jorge and Alicia Zapata in a demonstration of traditional Peruvian dances. Wade Remer emceed the evening, giving a thoughtful challenge for Dove Mountaineers to support this worthy project. His remarks and the generosity of those present netted over $1400 toward the cost of this mission trip. Pastor Allen Cooney brought up team members Amy Hauschildt, Jill Hauschildt, Allison McCurdy, and Jared Grinney for a dedicatory prayer at the conclusion of the evening.

An entertaining Peru quiz game informed attendees that there are there are 92 languages in Peru, and also provided a useful map of Peru to take home. Beautiful Spanish language bookmarks from "Women Who Change the World" were another "take home" souvenir of the evening.

I am impressed that so many Dove Mountaineer hands played a part in making this a memorable evening. The next time you hear of a mission event at DMC, you can be sure that it is a quality event, and well worth your time in attending!

Aesthetics to the glory of God!

Okay, this is not extremely pertinent to Dove Mountaineers, but I'm sharing it here on the excuse that (1) it's about folks with whom we share our building, and (2) it's about some folks whose have Dove Mountaineer last names, like Remer, Vos, and Melvin/Strong.

Pictured here are the members of the 2009-2010 Pusch Ridge Academy Fighting Lion Marching Band. It has been my joy to write their drill for the fall show this year, and I have also been engaged in their rehearsals, teaching the drill to them. First of all, I would like to say that they are a delightful group of covenant kids, and it has been a huge joy to be around them and work with them for the last six weeks. The culmination of their hard work will take place tomorrow at the annual University of Arizona Band Day. They take the field at about 8:45, and are a joy to behold.

The music for their show is from Grease, which was first a Broadway play and later a movie. The three selections are "Summer Nights," "Born to Hand Jive," and "We Go Together." Originally, there were to have been four selections, but their director, Mrs. Pam Reed, was approached by some of the band members who reminded her that the lyrics (which, of course, are not heard in a marching band performance) to the fourth selection contain some offensive language. So first of all, I give props to these responsible teenagers for having the conviction not to bring such language into the minds and memories of those listening, and secondly for the courage to speak up about it to adults (Mrs. Reed and me). For those who sometimes doubt that Christian teenagers are any different from the prevailing youth culture, may such a testimony as this put such doubts to rest.

While Grease may not seem a very spiritual theme for a Christian academy band to perform, it has nevertheless afforded the opportunity for some great spiritual lessons and discussions with the students. First of all, these are songs of great joy, and learning to perform them with good expression, both musically and on their countenances, has been an opportunity for the band to learn to think of performing as their gift to others, the audience.

Secondly, the process of tackling much more complex and challenging marching maneuvers and patterns than they had ever before attempted has afforded occasions to discuss such Christian concepts as orderliness, attention (devotion) to detail, submission to authority, and bearing their testimony, not to mention perseverance in keepng with a diffcult task until it is completed. Our opening prayers each morning have frequently spoken of doing this "to the glory of God," very fitting since PRCA's motto is Soli Deo Gloria (to God alone, glory!).

Like any group of young people about to perform on a gigantic stage (in this case, Arizona Stadium), they might have some nervousness about getting through the morning without embarrassing mistakes. If God brings it to your remembrance, would you pray for these young ambassadors of Christ tomorrow morning? Or better yet, come and see them youself! If that's not possible, you can still se the show repeated at the next two home football games, October 9 and 16 at...well, you know - the stadium right outside where our church meets!

More resources for husbands

As a follow up to Pastor Allen's message on Ephesians 5:25-27, I did an internet search and came up with this rich site listing no less than fifteen current books for men on this topic. Of the book pictured above, the description reads:

"Men need models. Some men have grown up with dads who were not good role models for how to love their wives. Sadly, most have not. From the crucible of real-life experience and study of God's Word, Larry McCall delivers a powerful message that there is a model of perfect husband-wife love. Here is help for any husband or band of brothers who desire to grow as husbands. It is Bible-based, Christ-centered, and grace-promoting. The key is to start at Ephesians 5:25."

Sounds like it's worth taking a look at!