A Christian Take on Pygmalion

Ephesians 5:
25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

I thought it was interesting that Pastor Allen cited the Greek myth Pygmalion in his sermon to illustrate a Bible point about husbands and wives. I have actually heard this point preached on before, that one can tell a lot about husbands by looking at and listening to their wives. It's a very sobering thought to us as husbands, but exactly in line with the thought Paul is developing in verses 26 and 27.

There is an important distinction, of course. The sculptor in the Greek myth was designing the woman for his own amazement, but in the end, he fell in love with her. Venus had mercy on him and brought the statue to life and they lived happily ever after, more or less. Biblical husbands should already love their wives, but the end of our service to them should be to God's glory. And when husbands have done well in serving their wives, they will be truly be amazed, even more than Pygmalion!

Don't worry, ladies; it's a fake!

Perhaps it's a good time to introduce you to a few sites I consult on a regular basis. Whenever I receive one of those astonishing e mail stories, the first thing I do is check it out at Truth or fiction.com. While not as complete as Snopes.com, it is maintained by Christians with a great deal of integrity, and I can be pretty sure that it has been well researched. In the case of the article, "Good Wife's Guide, it was even debunked on Wikipedia, which has (in spite of its critics) become a highly eclectic source of information on just about anything. The thing I appreciate about Wikipedia is that it is so juried and reviewed that it will tell you in a superimposed textbox if some article contains biased language or cannot be verified by outside sources. One of my favorite terms from Wikipedia is "weasel words," which means a claim that the writer could "weasel out of," if pressed, but is nevertheless not objective or verifiable.

I recommend these sites to someone almost every week. In the case of the sermon illustration, it certainly was not relevant whether such an article ever appeared or not, and I wouldn't have known (or cared) whether it had actually been published. I only happened to discover the origin of this story because I was searching the web for information about the magazine which it supposedly came from, in order to write today's blog. But because Christians are looked upon as gullible and naive by the general population, it behooves us not to pass on such e mails without checking them out first.

None of this detracts, of course from the fact that most wives in the 1950's did hold to these ideals, nor does it take away from the value of the story as a sermon illustration. And one can still find books written for Christian wives today which say some of these same things. The notion of a loving relationship between a wife and husband, where both truly seek to serve each other in a biblical manner, is anathema to radical feminists and false egalitarans of all stripes.

When I look around Dove Mountain Church on Sundays, I am thankful that we have marriages in all stages of development, from newlyweds to octagenarians. The story of the courtship of Don and Sharon Jensen which was in our latest missions newsleter was an inspiration to all of us. And we should appreciate Pastor Allen's teaching (from Paul) on a topic which is still so needed in today's society.

John Stott on The Bride of Christ

In his sermon Sunday, Pastor Allen quoted a phrase from John Stott to support his picture of a loving husband. Here is the larger context of that quote:

“On earth she [the church] is often in rags and tatters, stained and ugly, despised and persecuted. But one day, she will be seen for what she is, nothing less than the bride of Christ, ‘free from spots, wrinkles or any other disfigurement’, holy and without blemish, beautiful and glorious.

It is to this constructive end that Christ has been working and is continuing to work. The bride does not make herself presentable; it is the bridegroom who labours to beautify her in order to present her to himself.”

Losungen - Weekly Watchword

A few months back at a Sunday service I mentioned the Losungen, a daily watchword read by over a million believers worldwide. Although published by the Moravian Church, believers from many denominations share in this tradition. If you would like to hear the story behind this practice, you can learn more here. There is also an option to subscribe to a daily update by e mail, as I do.

Incidentally, the photo above left is of a handwork tradition very popular in Europe, called Moravian stars. They are especially used for decoration during Advent.

From the Losungen, here is this week's watchword:

Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

Watchword for the Week

The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the
Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes. Psalm 19:8

Hail, Farewell, and Godspeed!

Normally, these personal stories will be entitled "Time to Meet..." but in today's case, it's actully time to say "good-bye" - for a while. Here is Marlene Luartes' back story and Dove Mountain addendum, all in one shot:

"My husband Dick and I both felt the call for Christian missions shortly after becoming believers in Christ. We found the perfect place for us in Wycliffe Bible Translators. WBT had been looking for support personnel to work in the printing area. Because Dick had majored in Graphic Arts in college it was a good fit, plus WBT is always in need of bookkeepers! After extensive field training in Mexico and Guatemala, we sailed in October, 1965, for our first assignment in the Philippines. We later served in Mexico, Brazil, and at the home office when it was in Huntington Beach, California. Dick struggled many years with a liver condition and received a liver transplant in 1988. He went to be with the Lord on October 27th, 1997, after 41 years of marriage and 32 years of service with WBT.

In 1995 I began work with the Publications Department of the Mexico Branch at their headquarters in Catalina. In November 1999 I was appointed the Supervisor of Publications, in charge of all print, audio and internet publishing for the Branch. I retired from active membership with Wycliffe as of May 31st 2008, after 45 years of service with WBT. I have three living children, eleven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. I'm looking forward to serving missions again...even for the short time of 3 to 6 months.

I will be working as an administrative assistant in the AIM (Africa Inland Mission) Air office in Nairobi Kenya. I'll be working with the secretary to the director, as well as assisting the flight and maintenance managers with administrative assistant type work. I've agreed to stay at least 3 months, and I may stay an additional 3 months. If you want to know more about the people I'll be working with go here and see their website. I think it will be very rewarding work!

I am so glad that I transfered from Catalina Foothills Church to Dove Mountain Church! It was a hard decision, since I was a charter member there, loved singing in the CFC choir, and had worked at the Welcome Desk for many years. However, I have grown to love our little congregation and our dear pastor, and I'm grateful to be able to use my gifts to serve!"

And we are grateful for you, Marlene, and will be praying for you as you undertake God's next adventure for your life!

Catechetical reminder

Q. 2. What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?
A. The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him.



The prominence of this question in the order of the catechism (#2) is a reflection of the priority our fathers in the Reformation had for the principle of sola scriptura: scripture alone. Review this question and answer many times before Sunday. You may be the one called on to answer it!

The Dance of Marriage

(similar to the Dance of Joy referenced last week, but longer with intermittent emotions expressed between joy's triumphs)




Thank you, Pastor Allen for your illustration of man's leadership in marriage: "And I watched my mom and dad dancing, she being pretty and he being cool, and I understood what marriage is all about."

Kiss Me, Kate!

“Such duty as the subject owes the prince/Even such a woman oweth to her husband;/And when she is forward, peevish, sullen, sour,/And not obedient to his honest will,/What is she but a foul contending rebel/And graceless traitor to her loving lord?"
The Taming of the Shrew, Act V, Scene ii: lines 159-164

Of course, I was thrilled that Pastor Allen quoted Shakespeare while illustrating a Biblical principle! Finding the full reference to reproduce for you here on the blog opened a different can of worms, however.

A Google search of the portion of the quote that Allen cited led to an interesting web site called "Gradesaver," which provides notes, essays, and study guides to school subjects for students to reference on the internet while preparing school assignments. In an unsigned analysis of the play, a writer (presumably a literature teacher moonlighting by writing for this site) opines that this is a "blatant affirmation of sexism," and likely to be offensive to "modern" audiences. The author then goes on to suggest that Shakepeare was surely being ironic here, his tongue firmly planted in his cheek, as opposed to the notion that Katherine could have been "transformed" to actually espouse this view.

One of the principles that we teach children in our "Shakespeare catechism" at Cornerstone Christian Academy is that, while no one can account for his personal faith, Shakespeare was educated at a time when scripture was a normal part of an English child's education, and his plays are filled with references to Biblical wisdom. But the modern educator quoted above would not know this. I know I harp on this all the time, but Christian parents who think that a secular educator will teach their child the SAME thing that a Christian teacher would (about any subject) are just naive. Dreadfully (for the sake of their children and their future as Christians) naive.

The Danvers Statement

In his sermon Sunday, Pastor Allen quoted a passage from R. C. Sproul about men and women being equal in value and worth, while having different roles to play. This is reflective of a position called the "complementarian" view of Biblical gender roles. A full exposition of this view can be found in the Danvers Statement, a document created by the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. R.C. Sproul is a member of the Board of Reference for this organization.

As unto the Lord

Ephesians 5:
22Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

23For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

24Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

Key concepts from Pastor Allen's exposition of this passage:

1. This principle is reflective of God's principle of orderliness: the Trinity governs creation, husbands lead their own wives; governments serve their citizens (who in turn obey they laws), etc.
2. This submission is different from the "pecking order" of the natural world, itself a reflection of the Fall (power struggle for supremacy and unlawful imposition of one will over amother's rights) rather than God's orderly design.
3. A wife's submission to her husband is a reflection of her faith in God; she submits "as to the Lord."
4. It was necessary for Pault to say these things, because the Fall has fostered all manner of rebellion and its glorifcation on earth.
5. Biblical submission is an act of love, reverence, deference, devotion, and joyful obedience.

We are connected!

"Twenty-first century Christians stand on the shoulders of far more saints than those mentioned in the Bible. To acquaint oneself with church history is to meet one's parents. Those who've gone before us make it easier for us to live our faith, because we see in their legacy the church's progress along the race laid before it."
Paul Grant, in Blessed are the Uncool: Living Authentically in a World of Show.

Amusing Ourselves to Death

I was blessed to hear Pastor Allen cite one of my favorite books in his sermon last Sunday. Amusing Oursleves to Death was first published in 1985, but is just as relevant today as it was when it first appeared. I am on my third reading myself. I've listed of few favorite quotations below, in hopes of enticing some other Dove Mountaineers into reading it. It will provoke, challenge, simulate, and even amuse you....but not to death!

In reference to the Second Commandment: "It is a strange injunction to include as part of an ethical system unless its author assumed a connection between forms of human communication and the quality of a culture." p. 9, emphasis in the original.

On the tyranny of the urgent: "...with the invention of the clock, Eternity ceased to serve as the measure and focus of human events." p. 11

On media as epistemology: "...we do not measure a culture by its output of undisguised trivialities, but by what it claims is significant." p. 16

In defense of classical rhetoric: "To disdain rhetorical rules, to speak one's thoughts in a random mnner, without proper emphasis or appropriate passion, was considered demeaning to the audience's intelligence and suggestive of falsehood." p. 22

On the significance of print media: "Most of our modern ideas about the uses of the intellect were formed by the printed word, as were our ideas about education, knowledge, truth, and information." p. 29

On the Founding Fathers: "As Richard Hofstadter reminds us, America was founded by intellectuals, a rare occurrence in the history of modern nations. 'The Founding Fathers,' he writes, 'were sages, scientists, men of broad cultivation, many of them apt in classical learning, who used their wide reading in history, politics, and law to solve the exigent problems of their time.'"

A linguistic digression

Warning: This isn't exactly a deep spiritual insight into last Sunday's sermon. It's a rabbit trail based on one of Pastor Allen's comments. But given the number of linguists in our congregation, I thought a brief discussion of idioms might be fun.

I loved the insight into Spanish that Pastor Allen gave when he explained that pointing to the eye and saying "Ojo!" is a way to tell someone to "Watch out!" or "be careful!" [Does everyone know Allen spent some of his growing up years in South America?] He was illustrating verse fifteen of Ephesians, "See then that ye walk circumspectly," or "Be very careful, then, how you live." It is idiomatic that one can say a noun ("eye"), but the hearer will think an action ("Watch").

I have always liked the Chinese idiom for this phrase, pictured at the left. The two words by themselves mean "little" and "heart." It translates to them as "use a little care (heart)" or, of course, "Be careful."

Since there are so many languages represented in our congregation, I wonder what other interesting idioms for this thought you might be able to supply? Or perhaps some other favorite idiom that brings to mind a familiar phrase in English? Feel free to share some in the comments section.

Carpe Diem....pro Deo!

To illustrate Ephesians 5:16 (“making the most of every opportunity, for the days are evil”), Pastor Allen cited the familiar Latin phrase, “Carpe diem,” (seize the day). I first learned it as a high school Latin student, but it has become very familiar in modern American culture, because of exposure in the movie, “Dead Poets’ Society,” and other popular references.

But while taking notes on the sermon, I decided to find out where in the world of Latin this phrase originated, since it fits a Biblical principle so well.)

Here’s the answer. It comes from Horace’s Odes, Book 1. The couplet goes:

Dum loquimur, fugerit invida
Aetas: carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero

which translates as:

While we're talking, envious time is fleeing: seize the day, put no trust in the future

Lord Byron was the first to integrate it into English in his 1817 'Letters', which was published in 1830 by T. Moore:

"I never anticipate, - carpe diem - the past at least is one's own, which is one reason for making sure of the present."

Byron's use of a quotation from Horace isn't surprising, since he had published Hints from Horace just a few years earlier, in 1811.

But never (so this may be an Allen Cooney original) had I heard “Carpe diem pro Deo” (seize the day for God). I like this version much better. And good translating, Pastor Allen!

The “wisdom” of Larry Ellison

Not being an habitué of Forbes and the like, I will be the first to admit I had not heard the name Larry Ellison until Pastor Allen used him as an illustration in his sermon on Sunday. So in case you hadn’t either, I’m here to fill in the blanks for you.

Mr. Ellison is currently the fourth richest man in the world, a multi-billionaire, and the founder of Software giant Oracle Corporation. The quote from the sermon was “The Difference between God and Larry Ellison is that God doesn’t think He is Larry Ellison” is actually the title of a biography of Mr. Ellison by investigative reporter Mike Wilson.

The point of the illustration in the sermon was that there are rich fools (just as the Bible tells us in several places). In Mr. Ellison’s case, his foolishness is evident in his embracing of just what decadent billionaires are expected to do with their wealth: live high, fast, and hard - with lots of women, private jets, yachts, and other “playthings.” He is on his fourth marriage, after a considerable bachelorhood between numbers three and four. He donates about one percent of his income to a charitable foundation (as an alternative to a legal investigation of some of his business practices), and has targeted Microsoft as the devil incarnate.

Here are some quotes to give you a sample of his “wisdom.” I could not help commenting (in italics) about a few of them.

“A corporation's primary goal is to make money. Government's primary role is to take a big chunk of that money and give it to others.” Okay, so fiscal conservatives might agree on this one. But this can’t be a complaint on Ellison’s part, because he has also stated (for the record) that Bill Clinton was a great president, and that he wishes Clinton were still in office.

“Bill Gates is the pope of the personal computer industry. He decides who's going to build.” Sounds like a jealous kid on the playground just before an epic “King of the Hill” battle.

“Bill Gates wants people to think he's Edison, when he's really Rockefeller. Referring to Gates as the smartest man in America isn't right... wealth isn't the same thing as intelligence.” Which Mr. Ellison also illustrates….

“I have had all of the disadvantages required for success.” Define “disadvantage.” Define “success.” Then define “shallow.”

“It's Microsoft versus mankind, with Microsoft having only a slight lead.” This proves the “devil incarnate” reference above, since we know who the real enemy of mankind is.

“When you innovate, you've got to be prepared for everyone telling you you're nuts.” Poor baby…join the community of Christ-followers, and….everybody PLUS his brother will tell you you’re nuts.

Sleepers, Awake!

Here are some annotations from this week's sermon:

Ephesians 5:14-21

14 for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:
"Wake up, O sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you." (1)

15 Be very careful, then, how you live(2) — not as unwise but as wise,
16 making the most of every opportunity,(3) because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be foolish,(4) but understand what the Lord's will is.
18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.(5) Instead, be filled with the Spirit.(6)
19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,
20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.


1 According to commentator Les Painter, this could be a part of an early Christian hymn. They might have used it at baptism. The new Christian would come up out of the water and the people would sing these words. ‘Wake up from the dark sleep of sin. Rise up from the death of sin. Rise into the new life of light that Christ gives you.’

2 Pastor Allen illustrated this with the Spanish word ojo, literally “eye,” meaning “watch your step!" He also told the story pf teaching his girls to watch carefully when hiking through the desert.

3 “The wise don’t waste, kill, or lose time.” He also amended the saying “Carpe Diem,” (seize the day) with the words “Pro Deo” (for God). More on this in a future blog.

4 Here Pastor Allen reminded us of the Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:13-21). He also mentioned Larry Ellison, whom I’ll speak about in a later blog.

5 Here Pastor Allen added (although its literal meaning is a valid warning!) that it can also refer to being “blissfully checked out,” which some people do without benefit of wine.

6 Pastor Allen cited decadence as antithetical to being “filled with the Spirit.”

Dance of Joy

Okay, I wanted to upload the whole Dance of Joy video for your amusement but haven't quite figured out how to do that. So you can link to it by going here. Or you can see it on Ross Newman's Facebook page. Or maybe Steve and Ross will record their own version!

Thanks guys, for another in the series, "memorable moments in the children's sermon"!

Launching of Knights, Squires, and Ladies today!

Father in Heaven,

Bless our covenant children as they begin to discover the wonders of our spiritual heritage through studying the Westminster Shorter Catechism. We thank you for the dedicated teachers you have provided for them, and earnestly entreat that each home in our congregation will be a catechizing home!

What a glorious Lord's Day it will be!


In Jesus' Name,

Amen.

Wisdom from Pastor Allen

Do NOT take your mother to see this movie!

More Greek resources

Here are the expanded Greek definitions of two of the words Pastor Allen cited in his message in Ephesians 5:

porneia
1. illicit sexual intercourse
a. adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals etc.
b. sexual intercourse with close relatives; Lev. 18
c. sexual intercourse with a divorced man or woman; Mk. 10:11,
2. metaph. the worship of idols
a. of the defilement of idolatry, as incurred by eating the sacrifices offered to idols

akatharsia

1. uncleanness
a. physical
b. in a moral sense: the impurity of lustful, luxurious, profligate living
1. of impure motives

In a previous post (August 2) I connected you to a free online interlinear New Testament. Here is an additional resource, an online Greek lexicon (where I obtained the definitions above).

"Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die..."

When Pastor Allen mentioned Mother Teresa in his sermon Sunday, I became curious to know what had happened to the order she founded since her death in 1997. For those who care about the poor and their sufferings, the good news is that it has grown and flourished. There are now over 4,500 sisters in the Missionaries of Charity in 133 countries. There is also a brotherhood of over four hundred.

We know that there have been Protestant Christian leaders whose lives have borne similar fruit. In our own congregation, we have many members who are here in north Tucson because of the unique missionary vision of Cameron Townsend, founder of Wycliffe Bible Translators in 1934. From his life and vision, there are now over 6,400 translators at work in 1,998 languages in 93 countries.

The point in each of these stories is that God speaks to and works through individuals to bring about large scale spiritual developments, inspiring many people for generations to come. Thank God for people who hear His voice and have great vision!

The Wild Donkey verse

One of the cross references that slipped past in Pastor Allen’s sermon this week was Jeremiah 2:24, a verse I am sure I had never heard taught on before. Just as he used discretion in allowing parents to excuse their children from the sermon, I will refrain from printing it here, although I do recommend reading and meditating on it yourself. It is a sobering verse to keep in mind when we need to counsel beautiful young women who want to throw away their natural beauty for the “slut” look so popular in our culture now.

Are you a sweetsmelling savor?

Just as in last week’s sermon review, I will copy below the entire passage from this week’s sermon, with footnotes regarding Pastor Allen’s illustrations and notable quotes.

Ephesians 5

1Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children(1);
2And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
3But fornication, and all uncleanness(2), or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
4Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting(3), which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
5For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man(4), who is an idolater(5), hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
7Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
8For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
9(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
10Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
11And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
12For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret(6).
13But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
14Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

1 We are, by nature, imitators; Allen and his brothers imitated Bruce Lee.
2 ”Paul’s point is that intimacy in marriage is not something to be stained, polluted, or joked about.
3 Pastor Allen’s examples of licentiousness included flirting, looking at pornography, “looking”
4 ”Covetousness is a dehumanizing desire; whatever we covet becomes our idol.”
5 Sexual covetousness is idolatry.
6 “Do not become partners with darkness.”

Happy Labor Day!

Proverbs 13:11

Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.

"O Day of Rest and Gladness!"

I recently (while doing research for this blog, as a matter of fact) came across a nicely written, but unyielding, defense of the Saturday Sabbath by a well-meaning group of Christian brothers and sisters, and it occurred to me that we all hear these arguments from time to time. Those who worship on the Lord's Day (Sunday) are sometimes accused of having "corrupted" God's commandments.

With that in mind, I thought you might enjoy reading Puritan preacher Thomas Watson on the historic origins of the Lord's Day:

"Our Sabbath is altered by Christ's own appointment. He arose this day out of the grave, and appeared on it often to His disciples, 1 Cor. xvi. 1: to intimate to them (saith Athanasius) that he transferred the Sabbath to the Lord's day. And St. Austin saith that by Christ's rising on the first day of the week, it was consecrated to be the Christian Sabbath, in remembrance of his resurrection. This day was anciently called dies lucis, the day of light, as Junius observes. The other days of the week would be dark, were it not for the shining of the sun of righteousness on this day. This day hath been called by the ancients, regina dierum, the queen of days. And St. Hierom prefers this day above all solemn festivals. The primitive church had this day in high veneration: it was a great badge of their religion: for when the question was asked, servasti dominicum?, keepest thou the Sabbath?; the answer was, Christianus sum, I am a Christian; I dare not omit the celebration of the Lord's day!."

Happy Lord's Day!

Meet Aunt Bee

Okay, I DIDN'T ask her permission to call her "Aunt Bee," but with a name like Bee Taylor, who could help but think of Sheriff Andy Taylor's aunt on the Andy Griffith show?

One of my first Sundays at Dove Mountain was the first anniversary service in September, 2008. At that service Bee Taylor gave a thorough introduction to the people listed weekly in the Dove Mountain bulletin, eloquently telling how each one serves the Lord at DMC. I knew right away this was a remarkable lady. I have asked her to tell her "Dove Mountain story" in her own words:

“I was raised in Tucson, in a family of eleven children. Our relationship with our Heavenly Father and our church was the center of our life. I attended Northern Arizona University on a Vocal/music scholarship. Community, church, and touring choirs have been an important part of my life. I was married for 21 years and have a son and daughter who have made me the happiest grandmother in the world. In 1986 I returned to the University of Arizona and earned a Bachelor of Science with an Accounting major. While living in Austin Texas for twelve years I worked for the University of Texas. I also sang with the Austin Symphony for eight seasons.

In 2005 I began attending Catalina Foothills Church, where I enjoyed the teaching/sermons, worship experience, and wonderful music. However, I believe God made it perfectly clear that CFC would not be my long-time home church. This was a first for me; I have always been heavily involved in my church family. So, I waited, enjoyed, and trusted that my Heavenly Father still knew what He was doing with my life.

One morning during a sermon, the pastor mentioned that CFC would be planting a church at Dove Mountain. In that instant I finally knew why I was at CFC; had I not been there I would not have heard that news. For days my feet barely touched the ground. I was elated, thrilled, and excited. CFC soon began having 'informational meetings' where I was able to learn more about the ‘plant.’ When it was announced that Allan Cooney would be one of the pastoral candidates, and a person to whom we could direct comments/questions, I approached him, introduced myself and offered to help in any way to plant this church. Since I had never met Allen, I gave him my business card. Later, when we had our first dinner (held in the Pusch Ridge Cafeteria) I met as many people as I could. Later that evening, Chuck Strothman spoke, saying that he would initiate the finance arm on the ‘plant.’ Since I have a financial-business background I approached Chuck, told him a bit about my background, and asked to be considered when he was looking for volunteers. He later invited me to help with setting up the financial software, as well as attend the Tuesday morning steering committee meetings.

I started looking for furniture and supplies for our church office. When Chuck secured an office on Rancho Vistoso Boulevard for DMC, we spent two Saturday mornings setting up the furniture. The facility duties were handed off to David Schmidt, who beautifully orchestrated the wonderful worship experience we have had for our first two years as a congregation. I continued working in the church office Monday and Tuesday evening, Fridays, and Saturdays to record the accounting transactions. At that time I was still working a four-days-a-week job at the University of Arizona as the Utility Accountant.

In late September 2007, I was handed another ‘assignment,’ at which time I handed off my volunteer duties at DMC to others. Eventually, Kim Ritt joined our team, blessing DMC beyond measure.

My new assignment involved surgery, chemotherapy, and ongoing challenges that have only strengthened my belief that we serve a compassionate, caring, loving, Heavenly Father. He is my constant Comforter, Shepherd, Counselor, and Warrior. Being part of Dove Mountain Church has been one of the premiere privileges of my life.”

And we are privileged to have you in our midst, “Aunt Bee!”

More about sanctification...

Before we leave the subject of sanctification (will we ever?) I want to plug a book recommended by my friend Jeremiah Richards, who teaches at Faith Community Academy and attends Sovereign Grace Church.

The Bookends of the Christian Life is an extended metaphor that Jerry Bridges has developed over the years, and which he and coauthor Bob Bevington amplify in this small volume. The two "bookends" explain not only how we as sinners can be made acceptable to a holy God but also how we can find the power to change. They are thus essential for the Christian life.

In a unique book that should garner the attention of a wide range of readers, the authors help readers answer questions like:

• How can I overcome persistent guilt?
• How can I deal with the pressure to measure up?
• Where can I find the motivation it takes to grow?
• How can I live the Christian life with both my head and my heart?
• How can I be sure God loves me?
• How can I change in an authentic and lasting way?

So what are the bookends of the Christian life? The first is Christ's righteousness transferred to dependent believers, and the second is the Holy Spirit's transformative power. All the "books" of our lives are held safe and secure between these two bookends.

Jeremiah adds, "There were many struggles I was facing as a Christian, that I was confused about. This book cut through the fog with Biblical truth. If you read this book, I am confident that you will have a greater peace and hope as you pursue Christ. You may end up as I have, saying, 'so that explains it'."

Righteous Thievery

One of Pastor Allen’s anecdotes from the Sunday sermon is worth repeating for those who were not there. When he was a teacher at Desert Christian School, there was a common use refrigerator in the teacher’s lounge. From time to time Allen would note (most perpetually hungry males can identify with this) a particularly enticing-looking item which had been there for several days untouched. On one such occasion, he took the nice restaurant-boxed sandwich and went around the office and teachers room inquiring, Is this yours?” Perhaps he was hoping (as I would have) that someone would eventually say, “No, why don’t you just eat it?”
Instead, someone asked him, “Is it yours?” That’s all it took: three innocent words and, of course, he rushed back and returned it to its shelf in the refrigerator.

I hope I wasn’t the only one who had a twinge of conscience at that story. I have tried to assuage guilt over covetousness myself, in just such a manner, many times. Pastor Allen went on to list other forms of “righteous thievery,” such as: taking pens and pencils; using someone else’s stapler, sending personal emails on company time, etc. He had more (and some better) examples, but these are the ones I recall.

For those with overly sensitive consciences, these examples do not include times when: the pens are clearly identified as free giveaways, someone offers you their stapler (and the staples inside), or you have explicit permission to answer e mails. But we should not presume upon these liberties, for one presumption can lead to a wholesale outbreak of righteous thievery.

When I was an elementary school administrator, we simplified this law down into these words for young children (who generally have a hard time understanding “public” and “private”): “Nothing is yours unless a teacher puts it into your hands.”

Any way you state it, it’s the eighth commandment. Keep it!

Be kind anyway

I perked up at Pastor Allen’s quote about kindness in Sunday’s sermon. Not only is this a great aphorism, but it comes from Plato! Afterwards Huntley (to whom Allen had deferentially attributed his knowledge of the quotation) admitted she wasn’t 100% sure it was from Plato, and encouraged my intent to research the source for my blog this week. I told her I loved such detective work, and she agreed that the internet makes it easier than ever.

Or maybe not. The initial google search produced hundreds of references, just about evenly distributed between Plato and Philo of Alexandria (of whom I knew nothing, so I had a great time learning all about him on Wikipedia; perhaps more about him another time). However, none of the information I found about Philo of Alexandria mentioned this quotation directly. So I kept probing.

One of the things I discovered is that people who cite this quote write amazingly interesting (and often provocative and disturbing) blogs. Finally I ran across a scholar who pooh-poohed the quote coming from either gentleman, since searches of the complete works of either fail to uncover an actual writing in which this line appears. He also stated that most modern references to the quote seem to have emerged in the early twentieth century (although some say as early as 1880) and a great variety of attributions have been attached to it, including “anonymous,” “ancient Asian philosopher,” “a Russian proverb,” and “St. Philo” (ironic, since Philo was a Jew).

The quotation seems to have been popularized by one-time Australian prime minister John Watson. Although this was helpful information, I kept searching a bit more, since even one of this author’s statements was blatantly erroneous (he badly misunderstood a scripture reference to II Peter 1:7 regarding brotherly kindness). There was a discussion on one site about Plato’s influence on Philo of Alexandria, as well as several opinions expressed that this doesn’t “sound like Plato.” A frustrating find was a set of hundreds of Plato quotations on “Brainy Quotes” with absolutely no reference to any work they may have come from.

Three points need to be made here:

1. I do have a life, and for those who may be concerned, this whole process did not take more than thirty minutes. It was thirty minutes spent better than playing certain video games I could mention.

2. When quoting this great phrase in the future, it is perfectly acceptable to say “attributed to Plato” without any other explanation.

3. Be kind anyway. Remember, Pastor Allen was merely extending and illuminating Ephesians 4:32.

Oh, and the guy portrayed at the top is Philo, not Plato.

A healthy congregation laughs

I looked around Sunday and enjoyed all the head-nodding, head huddling, whispered assents, and general laughter at several points in the sermon. I also enjoyed the head bowing (especially during communion), pensive contemplation, and furrowed-brow processing that I saw, but that's a story for another time...

How quick-witted can Steve Johnson be to come up with this dialogue in the children's sermon?

Hannah:

I bought it with the money I got mowing Dave Bowen's grass!"

Abigail:

"Dave Bowen has a girl mow his grass?"

Brilliant!