God's Commandments, humanly approved version

Recently I wrote an article for the Presidential Prayer Team web site about legislation to promote the display of the Ten Commandments in school classrooms in the state of Texas.  Something I didn't talk about in the article is the fact that our culture, through popular media and educational outlets, has been busy rewriting the commandments for many years.  To present day ears, these comandments sound quaint;  they may even be incomprehensible to much of the population.

I tried to imagine what might be "Common Consensus" versions of each commandment.  I based these on what seem to be cultural norms of widely accepted social behavior.  The law of the land recognizes something called "community standards" in determining appropriate levels of public behavior.  Public schools also use this phrase to evaluate appropriate rules and discipline standards.  If we were to reword God's eternal commandments (the very thought feels blasphemous to write!) to reflect current opinions, here is what they might read like:   


I am the Lord your God.

You are the center of your universe and no one really knows where you came from.

You shall have no other gods before me.

Don't make narrow-minded, non-inclusive statements.

You shall not make for yourself an idol.

Everyone has values;  you are free to choose your own.

Do not take the name of the Lord in vain.

Nothing is really sacred, but you should follow social conventions in order to be well thought of.

Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.

The practices of older cultures may be of historical interest, but have only symbolic relevance to you.

Honor your father and mother.

They don't get it;  besides, even they think you should just look out for yourself.

You shall not kill/murder.

Don’t break social taboos about killing;  besides, it's certainly just as bad to kill animals for food.

You shall not commit adultery.

Practice serial monogamy:  with or without marriage, either gender.

You shall not steal. 

Don’t break social taboos about property. The ever-changing law will let you know what is acceptable.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Always insist on your own innocence. Sue others if they are not nice to you.

You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, and any thing that is your neighbor's.

Fight politically for equality, so that your rich neighbor will have to surrender his advantage.

Oh no, not more Oprah!

Promising "Health, wealth, and happiness," the new Oprah network (OWN) launches on January 1st.  Like a bad parody of the Christian television networks that thinking Christians intentionally avoid, secular America can now simply substitute faith in Oprah for faith in God and get the same vending machine promises from a benevolent "Queen."

How appropriate that this comes after the assault of secular American Christmas with its messages of "it's about family, sentimentality, giving, and indiscriminate faith."

Please, let's join hands and repeat, "I won't succomb to the enchantment...I won't be mesmerized by the incense....I will escape this ugly but alluring Underworld...."   Where's Puddleglum when you need him?

It's here! Merry Christmas!

Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Day)


Watchword for Christmas Day --

The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17

Nativity of the Lord

You shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace. Isaiah 55:12


The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. Luke 2:20



Prince of peace, remember those who have no home, those who have lost loved ones, and those for whom light does not shine and reside in their hearts today. Amen.

from the Losungen
________________________________________

Scriptures on Labor

Our most recent issue of World magazine had nine excellent articles focusing on the general theme of the world of work and the Christian concept of vocation, or "calling."    As promised, here are the scriptures which relate to this theme:                                                   

Work and our attitude toward it

1. Work is part of God’s plan for man.
     “Six days shall you labor and do all your work…” Exodus 20:9
      “In all labor there is profit, but idle chatter leads only to poverty.” Proverbs 14:23

2. Honest work results in personal satisfaction.
     “When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.” Proverbs 31:25

3. God approves and rewards diligence.
    “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no work in the grave where you are going.”

4. One who looks for excuses not to work will accomplish little.
    “The slothful man says, “There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion is in the streets! As a door turns on its hinges, so does the slothful man turn on his bed.” Proverbs 26:13-16

5. Men are to plan ahead, but also to consider God’s will in their planning.
    See Proverbs 30: for the examples of the ant, the cony, the locust, and the spider. Also in James, 4: 13-15 believers are warned about planning without considering God’s will.

Business Principles

1. Business must be conducted honestly.
    “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight.” Proverbs 11:1

2. Business should be conducted with proper safeguards.
    “Whomever you approve by your letters, I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem.” I Corinthians 16:3

3. An employer must be fair to his workers.
    “The laborer is worthy of his hire.” Luke 10:7

4. Employees are to served their employers faithfully and as unto the Lord.
    “Servants, be obedient…with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ. Not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers; but as the servants of Christ; doing the will of Christ from the heart.” Ephesians 6:5-8

5. A break in the work week is God’s plan, in remembrances of God’s rest at the end
    of the creation week, and in response to the needs of men and animals.
    “But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God: In it you shall do no work…” Exodus 20:11

Thanking you kindly for the hospitality, it's time to go home

It was great to see so many Dove Mountaineers at the Gloria Christmas Concert at Catalina Foothills Church Sunday evening. On stage were Dove Mountaineers Donita Van Stelle and John Bailey. On the row right behind me was WorldMover May Toedter. I saw old friends from Bisbee whose sister is now in the CFC Chorale. In the seat next to me was a former member of my Sunday School class when I taught at CFC. Linda and I saw many old friends from CFC, including Karen Hocker of the PrimeTimers ministry and our staff buddies Al Tellez and Scott Farris. Such reunions are always great times of renewing and catching up.

As Dove Mountaineers, we are in a unique position. Virtually all of us came originally from Catalina Foothills. That means that we have healthy connections there, and are culturally savvy enough to know when we should go back - for choir concerts, men's ministry events, educational seminars, etc. It feels good to "know our way around" there, and to not feel like a complete stranger.

But for most of us, our lot is now cast with a new family. Just speaking honestly, it has been somewhat discouraging for those of us who are "sticking it out" with Dove Mountain to see so many of our friends leaving in recent weeks. I have always been one to acknowledge the free agency of adult believers to find their own way - without guilt trips and attempts to control the lives of others through manipulation and emotional blackmail, so don't read me wrong here. I am happy when others have found what makes them happy.

But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord with the amazing family of believers known as Dove  Mountaineers.  And I don't plan to be a nomad any more. I like the new family that is being forged at Dove Mountain, and while it may be far from perfect, I plan to stick with it and enjoy the adventure that Aslan has planned for us.

Honor where honor is due...

It's easy to take good (even great!) things for granted when you have nothing to compare it to.  We live in a time when, frankly, most church musical productions have become either silly or (worse) sexy.  Imitating the entertainment standards of the lost world, many churches have thrown out the western cultural heritage that has come to us with centuries of artistic refinement and faithulness to the values of traditional Christendom: truth, beauty, and goodness.

No so with the Catalina Foothills Church Chorale.  Director Joan Ashcraft has gone to great lengths to successully blend:  the best of traditional music and contemporary compositions;  the best of professional musicians and talented volunteers;  the best of vocal styles ranging from Baroque to Black gospel;  the best of music which easily speaks for itself, with selections which elevate and educate the audience's tastes and senstivities.

The concert last Sunday may have been the best one ever at Catalina Foothills.  It shook me out of my Christmas doldrums and fired me up to worship Jesus in spirit and truth this week.    In the future, I am going to be more diligent to promote the concerts and presentations of this group everywhere that I can, including this blog.  Giving honor where honor is due, I thank God for Joan, Jane Brandt (accompanist), and all the vocalists and instrumentalists who gave so generously of their time and talent for the edification of the body of Christ at the Christmas concert, Gloria!

And now, Tucson!

Tucson joins the growing host of cities with Hallelujah Chorus flashes (see blog for November 22). This one was at the Tucson Mall on Saturday, December 18. I was there - bottom floor, right beneath the white banner on the second floor railing. It was great to see so many musical friends from so many overlapping backgrounds - church choirs, music teachers, etc. I tried to memorize the score, but had a hard time; while waiting to start, I realized that I could go back to the free score site on my iPhone and sing from that. Thanks to technology, I didn't miss a single syllable or note. What fun! Glory to God!

Fourth Sunday in Advent

Watchword for the Week -
Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face
shine, that we may be saved. Psalm 80:19

Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 80:1-7,10-14
Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25

God has made me fruitful in the land of my misfortunes. Genesis 41:52

The God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4


As you have loved us, as you have consoled us, as you have empowered us,
O gracious Lord, let our gratitude be shown by our fruit of love and
compassion for all we meet. Amen.


from the Losungen

Third Sunday of Advent

Watchword for the Week -- Be strong, do not fear!  Here is your God. Isaiah 35:4

Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 146:5-10 James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11

The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more. Zephaniah 3:15

Jesus came and touched the disciples, saying, 'Get up and do not be afraid.'  Matthew 17:
Light of the world, shine upon us so that all fear and trembling may be cast out and we may live as beautiful, creative, loving children of God  as we were created to be. In Christ's name. Amen.

From The Losungen

o

And part three....

Part 3:  Financial Matters and Men's Relations

1.  Those who are sent out by God to serve Him can expect Him to supply their material needs.   "Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel."   1Corinthians 9:14.
2.  God, in some cases, directs a believer to support himself in doing the Lord's work.  "But I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that is should be done so to me...."   1 Corinthians 9:15.  
3.  That which is valuable must sometimes be destroyed because of the danger of its leading into sin.   "And if your foot or hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire."  Matthew 18:8,9 
4.  Believers may rightully give special consideration to other believers.  "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the hosuehold of faith."  Galatians 6:10.
5.  Believers are not to base their respect for people on their wealth.   "But if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors."  James 1:9
6.  Lending and borrowing money are connected with freedom for a nation or a person.   "The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender."   Proverbs 22:7
 

More on Money

Part 2:  Giving to God and giving to People

1.   The tithe is God's minimum, taught by the law, by practice, and by New Testament approval.   "And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's.  It is holy to the Lord."  Leviticus 27:30.
2.  God blesses those who are generous with him.  "Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase;  so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine."  Proverbs 3:9,10.
3.  Giving to God should be in proportion to the way God has prospered us.   "On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper..."
4.  Giving to the Lord should be a private matter based on one's own decisions.  "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them...Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret..."  Malachi 6:1-4
5.  God considers our giving an investment;  He keeps accounts.  "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands or My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit everlasting lie."  Matthew 19:27-30
6.  Offerings to God chould be honestly and fairly handled.  2 Corinthians 8:18-22 and 1 Corinthians 16: 2-3 show that proper precautions should be taken that the money given is administered properly.
7.  Those who serve the Lord full time should also give of their substance to the Lord.  The Levites were to tithe the offerings given to them, giving their best to the Lord.  Numbers 18:26-32
8.  God expects both individuals and churches to be generous with those in need.   "Blessed is he who considers the poor.  The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble."  Psalms 41:1.
9.  God's way of providing for needs is through the gifts of His people.  "If a brother or sister is naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, Depart in peace...but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?"

As a reminder, these principles are from Haycock's Encyclopedia of Bible Truths for School Subjects.  In this excerpt , I have only included one supporting scripture for  each conclcusion, but in the full volume, Dr. Haycock always present multiple scriptures from both Old and New Testaments.

Money close to home

As I mentioned in Monday's blog, we have been praying (in WorldMovers) for the new Congress, and inevitably concerns about how they will budget and spend keep arising.  On Sunday I posed the question, "Based on Biblical principles, do we know how we want them to handle money issues?"

For the next three days, I will share here some biblical principles regarding the use of money.  I credit these to Dr. Ruth Haycock's excellent research in preparing her life work, Encyclopedia of Bible Truths for School Subjects, the secret weapon that makes Christian schools diferent from all other schools.

As you read through these, consider your own personal decisions about wealth accumulation, budgeting, discretionary spending, and so on.

1.  Whatever good things we have are gifts from God.
      "Every good and perfect git is rom above, and comes down from the Father of lights..."  James 1:17
2.  Believers are stewards over God's possessions, not independent owners.
      Parable of the talents, Matthew 25:14-29
3.  Material things should not be a goal in life.
     "For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?   Or what will a man give in exchange for his own soul?"   Matthew 16:26
4.   Money is entrusted to believers to use as God purposes.
     "But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."   I Timothy 5:4,8,16   "Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have somehting to give to him who is in need."  Ephesians 4:28
5.  God is the supplier of material needs for those who trust in him.  
     "Be content with such things as you have.  For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'  So we may boldly say:  'The Lord is my helper;  I will not fear.  What can man do to me?'"  Hebrews 13: 5,6
6.  Money will not buy spiritual blessings. 
     "You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold...but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and wihtout spot."  I Peter 1: 18,19 

7   Attitude toward money is an index of one's general attitude. 

     "He who is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much;   and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.  Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to you trust the true riches?"  Luke 16: 10,11

8.  True prosperity depends on obedience to God and favor from him.  

"This bookof the law shall not depart rom your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.  For then you will make your way prosperous,  and then you will have good success."   Joshua 1:8

Prayer, money, and leadership

Yesterday in WorldMovers Sunday School, our cover story discussion was on the new congress, especially Speaker John Boehner.  We quickly saw theat many of the difficult decisions for the new congress concern money and budgetting.  For the next three blog posts I'd like to share some of that discussion with other Dove Mountaineers for your thoughtful consideration.

One of the things that we were concerned about (and prayed about) is that those who were elected would remain true to the intentions of the electorate, without compromise.  Realistically, we undertand that the very nature of politics is compromise.  But what things are  (or ought to be) inviolable?  The short answer would be:  those things which woudl violate the revealed truth of Scripture ought to not be compromisable.  Unfortunately most Christians are either already so compromised in those areas, or so Biblically ignorant, that we don't recognize them when we see them.

In this respect, we already have one piece of good news from the new Speaker of the House.  The taxpayer funded Smithsonian Institute recently opened a display of homoerotic art featuring (among other things) images of naked brothers kissing, men in chains, Ellen Degeneres grabbing her breasts, and (worst) a crucifix covered with ants.   Congressman Boehner quickly provided leadership for the outrage against this display.

"American families have a right to expect better from recipients of taxpayer funds in a tough economy," Boehner said. "While the amount of money involved may be small, it’s symbolic of the arrogance Washington routinely applies to thousands of spending decisions involving Americans’ hard-earned money at a time when one in every 10 Americans is out of work and our children’s future is being threatened by debt.


"Smithsonian officials should either acknowledge the mistake and correct it, or be prepared to face tough scrutiny beginning in January when the new majority in the House moves to end the job-killing spending spree in Washington.”

It is important to note that in response to the public outcry, the Smithsonian has removed the video depicting Jesus covered with ants.  We can be thankful for small victories.
 
Tomorrow:  Economic questions closer to home.

Second Sunday in Advent

Second Sunday of Advent  (from the Losungen)


Watchword for the Week -- Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. Matthew 3:2

Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72
Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12

When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but the prudent are restrained in speech. Proverbs 10:19

Let your word be "Yes, Yes" or "No, No;" anything more than this comes from the evil one. Matthew 5:37

As we come closer to Christmas, we pray in Advent expectation and humble ourselves before you, O Lord. Restrain our speech so we might listen and learn and prepare for the kingdom this season. Amen.

Casting Down Idols

This is the time of year I always have to remind myself that football is only a game.  Just days after Jason Bobo, campus RUF minister at (hold your nose) ASU warned us against making idols out of all sorts of things...like, say, football...my beloved Wildcats lose a squeaker to ASU by the narrowest of margins.  "Things have a way of evening out," lamented Coach Stoops after the game.

Yes, and God has a way of casting down our idols to remind us of what is really important in life.  See you tomorrow at the Pusch Ridge library for canvassing! 

Recovering our Sense of Parish, Part 3

One very practical means of "Blooming where we are planted" is to continue the well-designed canvassing survey of the environs of Pusch Ridge.  This will take several more Saturdays to complete.  The men pictured here were the "test batch," three weeks ago, and all returned not only unscathed, but pleasantly energized.   Consider joining us for Round Two this Saturday morning at the Pusch Ridge library at 9:00 AM.  Whether we are in our final locaiton geographically or not, this is a "parish-building" activity relationally, and is helping us to build a better sense of our defined community among those of us who participate. 

Recovering our Sense of Parish, Part 2

"....we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos.  The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail.  After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed to Syria.  We landed at Tyre..."   Acts 21:1-4

When Elder Dave Bowen preached on this passage two weeks ago, he made the comment that such geographical details in the New Testament serve an important function. They point out that the Acts of God (including the Acts of the Apostles) have taken place on a real planet with real locations that still exist. In the maps above, we see that the cities of ancient Phoenicia that are mentioned in the scriptures, such as Tyre, still exist. The languages on the present day map of Lebanon give graphic testimony of the changes that have taken place in the ensuring two thousands years: Greek and Turkish control, Arabic conquest, and a brief French occupation between the world wars. Through it all, Tyre has remained Tyre, a real place on this globe, which was also real in the time of the apostles.

Back to Dave's comment... It is profound and necessary that we understand that the infinite God of all time and all space has chosen to interact with us who are temporally and spatially bound. God knows where we are (spatially) right now (temporally). That should be a great comfort to us, not only when we gather together to worship in our "tabernacle" on the Lord's Day, but throughout the week, as well.

Much Dove Mountain energy has been spent on wondering about a spatial point on Tangerine Road where we may at some temporal point have a "permanent" house of worship. That possibility has caused some to wonder about the relevance of geography and who should be a part of our body, or even targets for the same.

While geography is important, just as it was in Paul's time in the book of Acts, and just as it has been in historic Christendom through the life and work of localized parishes, it is even more important to live our fullest and best expression of Christian fellowship right now, while we still dwell in tents. For compared to the New Heaven and the New Earth, all of our "permanent" dwellings are tents.

Our recently departed sister Jan Wintz came to Dove Mountain during its time of greatest change, just a week after Pastor Allen had announced his departure. While many were leaving what they considered to be an "unstable" situation to go back to a particular church they feel to be "more permanent," sister Jan moved in exactly the opposite direction. Knowing she was near the end of her earthly life, she said, "I don't wat to die without the support of a church." She felt comforted that she had found such a place among us.

Tomorrow: Part 3.

Recovering our Sense of Parish, part 1

Some think of him as jazz, some as "bluesy" pop/rock.  Some think of him as a pianist, some as a composer.  Some think of him as a contemporary Christian artist, some as "mainstream."   One time I think of him is when I listen to "In the Light" while on hold for Steve Johnson.  [Steve's phone plays the DC Talk version, but this guy was the original composer].  As of  last week, I now think of Charlie Peacock in terms of storytelling, a genre which he currently promotes, teaches, and defends as worthy of a place in the fine arts.

Geography and history have a place in our Christian world, as was illustrated by elder Dave Bowen's sermon on November 21 from Acts 21.   As Dave said, history and geography anchor us in time and space, and remind us that God has been here and knows where we are.

In the current "tent dwelling" stage of our church, it is worthwhile to engage the question "Does God know where we are?"   To set the stage for some thoughts I would like to share in my next post about the notion of parish life, I encourage you to enjoy listening to Charlie Peacock's story of the town he grew up in.  Here's a hint:  it's not Nashville, where he currently resides.

Happy Advent Season!

What a comfort to see the Advent candles at church yesterday!  Though much around us is changing rapidly, the recurring seasons of the church calendar provide a familiar frame of reference that links us to thed eternal.

My long time friend Peggy Hester in North Carolina writes an e mail newsletter several times a week.  Her thoughts on Advent were inspiring to me today, and I share them with you here:




Each morning this Advent I am reading a Bible passage on rejoicing. Today I began with a passage in Leviticus 23 that describes the establishment of the Harvest Festival for the Jewish people of God. This festival, Sukkot, follows the time of atonement, Yom Kippur, solemn high holy days. Each of these holy times carries an admonition to rest and a time set aside for rest. First worship, then rest, confess and make amends, rest, harvest, rest, rejoice. Each of these holy days carries with it specific instructions for rest. Wisdom knew our passion for being and doing, Energizer Bunnies that we humans are. And in that Knowledge, provided a resting place for our souls if we would listen and follow.

So first, worship. I will read Advent devotionals, the Bible and sing first thing each morning offering a small worship as a beginning to my Advent days. And in that time I will take a break, a rest from the busyness of my days, the unending to do list. I will rest in the Lord while I wait for the crocuses to bloom in the desert.

Second I will remember the year past, the mistakes, the sins, the blessings and the good work I have done. I will take inventory and lift it up to God as my part in atonement. Where there is a need to own my brokeness with others, I will speak and seek healing. I will affirm the goodness, the image and actions of God in me this past year as I do the same for others.

Third, I will harvest the past year of life reaping the joys and sorrows, the gains and losses with thanksgiving for it all. Without darkness we could not see the light and without suffering, we could not know joy. Gratitude for all that has come my way in life and gratitude for all that is yet to come will be my Advent prayer song.

Then I will rejoice like Snoopy dancing on top of his dog house, balanced between this world and the next, purely delighted to be here. Life is gift. Life is good. Thanks be to God for rest and rejoicing!

Time to give thanks

Happy Thanksgiving!

During these days when many are asking themselves if there is, in fact, any distinctive identity in being a Dove Mountaineer - worth the new sacrifices that many of us are having to make - I can tell you one example of why I am thankful to be a Dove Mountaineer.  A chance remark to a fellow Dove Mountaineer while standing in the serving line at the Love and Joy Cafe on Sunday about the fact that Linda is visiting our grandchildren in Colorado this week led to a phone call that afternoon from a different Dove Mountaineer inviting my son and me to their Thanksgiving table today.  I don't know that this sensitive generosity would happen just anywhere.  I am so thankful to be a Dove Mountaineer!

Thankful for parents who choose well....

I haven't said anything in the blog here yet about the school where I am working part time this year, but Thanksgiving prompts me to list it high on the things in my life for which I am thankul.

In 1998 I wrote my dissertation on the clearly established benefits of school choice.   That was also the year that Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization (my other employer) began enabling parents to turn tax credit money into scholarships for their children to attend Christian schools.  Since then, ASCTO has awarded scholarships to over 18,000 students attending 150 Christian schools in the state of Arizona.   While that number is impressive, I am frankly surprised that it isn't even higher. 

In the intervening years, the reports about public schools have not improved significantly, but the quality of the once-struggling Christian schools clearly improves every year.  A small example from a school we all know about is Pusch Ridge, the school that graciously allows our church to use their facility.  When Catalina Foothills Church took over a struggling and academically undistinguished Christian school and renamed it Pusch Ridge, it took five years before a graduating class had just one National Merit scholar in its ranks (these students test in the top one per cent in the U.S).  Now there are routinely two or three in each graduating class, classes of only fifty to sixty per year.  Less than half the public schools in Tucson, schools five to ten times larger than Pusch Ridge, have even one National Merit scholar per year.

Pusch Ridge didn't achieve better academic status just by charging tuition and only enrolling students from economically advantaged homes (a popular myth), or by wishful thinking, either.   The school has worked hard to improve its academic effectiveness. So do Desert Christian and all the other Christian schools in our city.

This is just one evidence that when parents make intentional and informed choices about their child's education, good things can happen.   But I said that this blog would be about Veritas Academy of Tucson, Tucson's first university model school.   Here the parents not only have to choose to pay tuition for private education, many aided by those tax credit scholarships mentioned above, but they also have to share much of the teaching load as well.  Students attend classes at the school (which meets at Sabino Road Baptist Church) two days a week, much as they would when taking university classes.  Then, following the lesson plans on the school website, students study at home with their parents the other three days per week. 

I knew this model of schooling would be good, but one semester into it, I have to say that it is even better than I imagined.   Students do not get tired of being at school - or of being at home, either.  They enjoy the benefits of having companions to play with on the playground two days a week, and lots of quiet, self-paced study time at home.  Most are able to accomplish the requirements in this rigorous classical curriculum in just four days a week, leaving more discretionary time than they would normally have.  Through the school they enjoy field trips, academic competitions, and many other benefits which are often difficult for homeschoolers to manage on their own.

Best of all, parents and teachers are clearly working as partners.  There is no adversarial relationship ("Why aren't you making my child perfect with all the tuition I'm paying you?"), because we all know the child equally well, and understand his or her weaknesses and strengths.   Our meetings are not about blame, but about problem-solving. 

I still advocate the maximum amount of parental choice possible in a child's education, and for many families that will be homeschooling, or an established private school.   But the blend of responsible parenting and educational expertise available in this model is breath-takingly effective, and one of the things for which I am truly thankful this holiday season.

Catching up...

Today I found notes from the first time Steve Johnson preached, back in September I think.  The message was from  Luke 4:1-13, the temptation of Christ.

First he cited these two quotations from The Screwtape Letters.  Both are advice from Screwtape to his nephew Wormwood:

“He [God] cannot tempt with virtue as we can with vice.”


“Our work is impaired when, in the face of no evidence of God’s presence or intervention, they obey anyway.”



Then these three tips for overcoming temptation:

1. Be proactive:   Devotions, Bible reading = “spiritual sweat” - you have to work at it!
2. Be surrounded:   We are not required to do it alone.
3. Be aware:   On earth, we are never far from temptation. “The devil departed until an opportune time.”  (Luke 4:13)

Every Square Inch...

What Arthur knows...

As we are currently inundated by political ads, one can only hope that thinking people are realizing they can't all be telling the truth.  One of  the elementary principles of logic is antithesis:  A is not Non A.

One of the things someone is not telling the truth about is:  Who cares the most for the economic needs of the nation?  One side says "We show we care by fighting to give you your money back."  The other side says "We show we care by taking more money away...from the evil (implied) people who have "enough" and giving it to you (assuming every listener is more deserving than the person who nows has it)."

Granted that this is my biased interpretation of things, one can nevertheless see the screaming errors in logic in the second statement.

Arhtur Brooks (pictured above)  author of World's "Book of the Year," The Battle: How the Fight between Free Enterprise and Big Government will Shape America's Future wrote an earlier volume entitled Who Really Cares:  The Surprising Truth about Compassionate Conservatism.   Here are some interesting statistics from that book:

• Ninety-one percent of people who identify themselves as religious are likely to give to charity, writes Brooks, as opposed to 66 percent of people who do not.
• The religious giving sector is just as likely to give to secular programs as it is to religious causes.
• Those who think government should do more to redistribute income are less likely to give to charitable causes, and those who believe the government has less of a role to play in income redistribution tend to give more.
• People who couple and raise children are more likely to give philanthropically than those who do not. The more children there are in a family, the more likely that a family will donate to charity.
• One of Brooks's most controversial findings was that political conservatives give more, despite having incomes that are on average 6 percent lower than liberals.

Just thought you would enjoy some data to balance with all the rhetoric flying around...

As you think about voting and the current election...

One of the controversies in Dietrich Bonhoeffer's time was "the Jewish question."  In his biography of Bonhoeffer, Eric Metaxas summarizes a controversial address Bonheffer made on this subject. Here are some excerpts from that address, dealing withe the relationship of church and state:

" 'The church must continually ask the state whether its [the state's] action can be justified as the legitimate action of the state, i.e., as action which leads to law and order, and not to lawlessness and disorder.'  In other words, it is the church's role to help the state be the state [emphasis in the original].  If the state is not creating an atmosphere of law and order, as Scripture says it must, then it is the job of the church to draw the state's attention to this failing.  And if on the other hand, the state is creating an atmosphere of "excessive law and order," it is the church's job to draw the state's attention to that too.

"If the state is creating 'excessive law and order,' then the 'state develops its power to such an extent that it deprives Christian preaching and Christian faith... of their rights.'  Bonhoeffer calls this a 'grotesque situation.'  'The church,' he said, 'must reject this encroachment of the order of the state precisely because of tis better knowledge of the state and of the limitations of its action.  The state which endangers the Christian proclamation negates itself."

Of course, it is well to point out that Bonhoeffer was executed by the state, eventually.  And that state fell ("negated itself") to the Allies three days later.

Introducing David Benjamin!

Emerging from the clutter

A big "thank you" to those who have urged me to "come back."  I won't try to emplain the absence of my postings lately - I think the photo says it all.

For today, I just want to say to Dove Mountaineers:

1. Don't forget there is a congregational meeting this Sunday after service.
2. Hence, there will be no WorldMovers class.
3. "All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God."  II Corinthians 4:15.

See you Sunday!

Important WorldMovers announcement

There will be no Sunday School after the morning service this Sunday because of a prolonged announcement from the elders. We will continue the following Sunday (September 12) with the postponed discussion from the August 28 issue on the Afghan warrior class.

Keep praying, to move the world!

Update on Marco Rubio

Since we discussed Marco Rubio in WorldMovers last Sunday, some of you might enjoy keeping up with him through his Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/search/?post_form_id=f85049a71649c3c7ac913895bbcae39d&q=mrco%20rubio&init=quick&sid=0.8306280795731604#!/MarcoRubio?ref=search

Incidentally, he was victorious in his primary race!

The New Afghan Warrior Class

Here's an update for WorldMovers Sunday School class:

This Sunday will be our second time in the August 14 issue. We will be discussing two columns: p. 20, "A Need to Know Basis," by Janie B. Cheaney; and p. 32, "Talk, Talk, Talk, Talk, Talk," by Mindy Belz. This will be our last Sunday for the isue with Marco Rubio on the cover.

Home subscribers have already received the next issue, and those who have church subscriptions may pick them up at church this Sunday. On Sunday, September 5 we will be discussing the cover story from that issue: "Warrior Class."

A Biblical Approach to Politics

Of interest to WorldMovers and most other Dove Mountaineers is the upconing conference, "A Biblical Approach to Politics...Today!" at Desert Palms Church, PCA in Chandler on September 25 from 2:00-6:00 PM. Dr. Wayne Gruden, Professor of Theology at Phoenix Seminary, will be discussing our religious liberty in light of scripture, with comprehensive resources for understanding modern political issues. You can visit their web site here for registration information and more.

Praying for the election

From last Sunday's WorldMovers Sunday School class comes this suggestion for praying for the election:

"O God, Your plans are firm, faithful, and forever. The purposes of Your heart prevail through all the generations. Let your mighty, perfect will be done inthe elections this week and in November."

Psalm 33:11

Voice in the Wilderness

"Comfort zones are in the palaces, but the call to repentance is in the wilderness."
Pastor Allen, August 15, 2010

Colson says, "It's not too late!"

With the news of the federal court's overturning of Proposition 8 in California, comes the concern of those of us who signed the Manhattan Declaration that the law of our land will redefine the word "marriage" along political, rather than biblical lines. In an excellent Breakpoint commentary this week, Chuck Colson calls on us to not grow weary in well-doing; read or listen to Colson's admonition here.

It's "Back to School" TIme

As some thoughtful parents assign part of their children's welfare to carefully chosen teachers with curriculum and procedures that are accountably based on a definable foundation, it is well to reflect on these words by PCA pastor George Grant:

"The great pioneers of Western Christendom thus not only took the Bible to be their blueprint for living, but they passed it on to their children in blueprint form. They believed that the revelation of God to men in the Bible was the authoritative starting point and the final court of intellectual appeal on earth. They would have wholeheartedly concurred with Cornelius Van Til when he asserted, 'The Bible is authoritative on everything of which it speaks. And it speaks of everything.'"

"Thus, they taught every educational discipline to their children on the assumption that all forms of secular knowledge had been constructed on foundations of philosophical, moral, and spiritual sand. This meant that children learned to read straight from God's Precepts. They began to hammer out principles of economics in terms of God's Word. They began to develop political perspectives based upon God's Commands. They pioneered art, music, and ideas that were Scripturally grounded. Everything, in every field, on every front, was built on a fundamental rejection of the notion that there might be areas of moral, intellectual, or cultural neutrality. They understood that every realm of human endeavor must flow from Biblical principles: mathematics, biology, literature, sociology, law, music, physics, and welfare. Because God has ordained that the Bible govern them all. This is the essence of the Biblical worldview."

WorldMovers: Schedule for next two weeks

WorldMovers will not be meeting this coming Sunday (August 15) because of the potluck after church. The next WorldMovers class will be Sunday, August 22. We will discuss the article, "Investment Opportunity," on page 54 in the July 31 issue, which was assigned last time we met. Pictured above are some of the farmers in Pakistan who are mentioned in the article.

The next issue will be available at the potluck, so by the time we meet on August 22, you should also be prepared to discuss the next cover article, which is about a Florida candidate for Congress, Marco Rubio.

WorldMovers Update

This video contains interviews regarding the voting rights article which we discussed in WorldMovers this past Sunday. Featured is the lawyer who had the the courage and conviction to resign from the Department of Justice, J. Chrisitan Adams.

In review, here are some of the class's ideas at the end of the discussion:

Prayer Points:
- Pray for just leaders and government that operates by the rule of Constitutional law.
- Pray for continued healing for the African-American community, especially for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Talking Points:
- Bearing in mind the sufferings of their past, keep a softer edge in political conversations with African-Americans whose political convictions are different from ours.

Action items:
- Practice "active" listening, with patience and perseverance.
- Seek understanding with other Christians on the common ground of God's Word.

As the sacred hymn says, he was a "wee little man"

Steve's challenge from his message:

"When have we been so passionate for the things of God that we would go to the extremes to which Zacchaeus went?"

Unbridled prayer

From Pastor Allen's sermon on August 1:

“The prayer of the Christian reaches beyond its set time and extends into the heart of [one's] work. It includes the whole day, and in doing so, it does not hinder the work; it promotes it, affirms it, and lends it meaning and joy. Thus every word, every work, every labor of the Christian becomes a prayer.” Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community, Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Who influences whom?

This morning my son Ethan was talking about the federal judge's ruling in California yesterday against Proposition 8, which had declared that marriage is to be between a man and a woman. The judge, in trashing Prop 8, called the prevention of homosexual "marriage" by law one of the last forms of government sanctioned discrimination in this country.

Ethan commented that this morning's blogs and news shows are full of Hollywood personalities hailing this as a great moment in American history. We both wondered out loud why anyone would want to know what a movie or television star thinks about a legal or moral issue. The fact that our society would even be interested in what people of their stature think on serious issues is disturbing.

In the course of the discussion we wondered who else are the big "influencers"? Ethan suggested parents, but I helped him understand that his growing-up experience with parental influence in faith and politics was pretty unusual in this country. I offered the opinion that among those who influence the future "movers and shakers" of the nation, it is probably teachers in general, and college professors in particular, who wield the most influence.

And then there are the media pundits. I can't tell you how many television interviews I've seen recently regarding (for example) SB 1070, in which the interviewee (always a protestor against the bill) is asked vague, softball questions which are replied to with passionate "fighting for a just cause" rhetoric. These are edited and included in the nightly news as if they actually mean something. They don't deal with questions like rule-of-law, national security, economic impact, or international reciprocity. They basically posit that somebody made somebody else feel badly about themselves, and so the first one who points a finger and yells "Bully" gets to claim victim status with all the attendant rights and privileges. This is less mature than the squabbles I arbitrate among elementary age children on the playground.

In contrast to the hours of interviews with these poor victims, what television station aired the photos of American flag desecration at a rally this past Sunday at the state capitol in Phoenix (photo above)? Right, not one.

And for the record, I'm not mad at the Hollywood stars, college professors, and media personalities for being who they are, any more than I would hate a snake or a scorpion for being what they are. I am mad at the church for not being the influence God created it to be. This will come to pass (Ephesians 5:27, Ephesians 3: 10-11, Isaiah 11:9) although not in my lifetime. I just want someone in my generation to be found faithful in standing against the affrontery of man's (insipid) wisdom against the eternally true counsels of God.

I Voted Early

One of the discussion points which has come up frequently in recent WorldMovers classes concerns the responsiblity we have as Christians to vote knowledgably. Many of the topics we discuss in WorldMovers reflect serious situations which we may feel we have very little power to affect. We remind ourselves at the end of each class that we need to be informed (the Book of Proverbs condemn the "simple" who say "it doesn't affect me"), reflective (holding all things up to Biblical standards), influential (which is why we rehearse "talking points" at the end of each session), and prayerful (because God is Sovereign over the things we cannot change). In recent weeks, one of our most consistent action points is to become informed voters.

Today I filled out my absentee ballot in the quiet of my own home office. It is remarkly easy now, with just a few clicks of the internet, to get to know candiates (both their pros and cons) very quickly. I think there are fewer excuses now than ever before for uninformed voting. I feel more confident than I ever have that I used knowledge and understanding in my selections. I now have high expectations of the candidates for whom I voted. It is easy to fall into the rationalization that one vote doesn't count much, but voting is something I do as part of being a responsible citizen. And I take solace in the thought that my vote doesn't count less than anyone else's, either.

By the way, we will be discussing World magazine's investigative look at voter fraud and voting rights in this Sunday's lesson.

Back from the Springs

It's good to know I have a few readers who notice when I don't post - thanks to Dove Mountaineers Gary Oglebay and J.B. Phillips for noticing I was "absent" for a week. My summer travels are now officially over.

I was in Colorado for a couple of reasons, the main one of which was to visit new my granddaughter Ellie, the first Askew girl in three generations. Her dad is our son #3, Samuel (going by Sam now, of course), who works for Uncharted Waters Sports Ministry in Colorado Springs. It was fun to see Samuel in action as a ministry leader, sports coach, husband, and father.

And it's good to be back home.

Going the Distance

Right here in our own worship room (Pusch Ridge Cafeteria) Uncharted Waters Sports Ministry of Colorado Springs conducted a wonderful week of Bible-based sports activities (July 12-16) in basketball, soccer, and cheerleading for about forty children in the community, including Dove Mountaineers Henry and Daphne Newman.

UW team staff members are college student athletes, and our team hailed from California, Washington, Oklahoma, and Ohio. The theme was "Go the Distance," and included inspiring stories of contmeporary athletes as well as excerpts from the life of Paul.

Special thanks go to Dove Mountaineers Steve Johnson and Peter Dittiger for their coaching assistance.

Next stop: civil disobedience?

"...in the absence of absolute standards of truth, decisions are made by whoever is in power...."






Today's Breakpoint by Chuck Colson, which you can read here continues the commentary on the Hasting College discrimination case. Near the end of the article, Colson expresses the opinion that decisions such as this (especially the irrational statement against "loyalty oaths" by Justice Kennedy) threaten to put all of us who signed the Manhattan Declaration in jeopardy of being arrested for civil disobedience.

All I can say, is "I'm ready." It is sad to think I survived practicing the Christian faith openly in a communist-controlled colony (Macau) during the height of Mao's Cultural Revolution (1969), only to become a danger to America's well-being in my old age.

Bring it on!

What the Hastings students should and should not do

At the end of the article, Viewpoint Discrimination, in the July 17 issue of World, the question was raised whether this case will be reopened in the lower courts. The basis for reconsideration would be twofold: (1) Hastings may not have enforced the all-comers policy consistently across the board; (2) Hastings apparently did not establish the policy until after the Christian Legal Society had requested official status and been denied.

Regardless of the outcome of this second chance, I want to suggest some things that should and should not happen. First, for the responses I hope will not happen.

I hope this will Supreme Court decisions not be trivialized by inaccurate e mail forwards that end up on Snopes or TruthorFiction.com. I hope that this will not be reduced to a purely partisan issue in the upcoming election rhetoric (after all, there were justices appointed during Republican administrations who voted against the CLS, too). I hope there will not be a petition campaign (they accomplish nothing), or a protest assembly at UC Berkeley, or shrill interviews in the media. I hope there will not be badly written “letters to the editor” in major news outlets.

Here’s what I do hope. I hope that current students in the Hastings College of Law who are Christians will purpose more firmly than ever to assemble in every possible legal venue: the school café, common room, lobby, terrace, or wherever. I hope that they will practice free speech while assembled and, yes, even pray – openly, visibly, unashamedly. I hope they will invite unbelievers to participate in their coffee klatches, study groups, and lunch discussions. I hope they will discuss current events and legal issues with respect to God’s eternal revelation, and not as though human political maneuvering will be man’s salvation.

If they are further marked for discrimination or persecution, I hope they will make careful appeals. I hope that college officials will have a difficult time denying their appeals because of the wise and winsome way in which they are presented. I hope that they will have achieved respect for their intelligence and work ethic before such appeals are made, so that it will be even harder to discriminate against them in good conscience.

I hope that in completing assignments, they will give serious consideration to the Biblical principles and commands which are implicated in each lecture and project. I hope that, where appropriate, they will unashamedly quote God’s word in their assignments. And where they feel it would mean punishment or disqualification to do so, I hope that they will speak the counsels of God in their own paraphrases. I hope that they will represent and defend their cases so reasonably, that the only basis on which to censure them will be that of their faith, and not because of their poor character or scholarship.

And should any of the above activities be forbidden by the college, I hope that these Christians will unambiguously explain why this is unconstitutional and discriminatory on the part of the college. And should it still go badly for them then, I hope that they will take personally negative consequences rather than compromise or deny the reality and relevance of their faith.