As you prepare for worship today...

You have all heard the truism that you are what you eat. This is true on a number of levels, and of course it is also false in other ways. No matter how carelessly you eat, you are not going to turn into high fructose corn syrup. And no matter how finicky you are when you eat, you are not going to turn into a bean sprout. So it is not true that “you are what you eat” on that level, for which we may thank the Lord.

However there are ways in which it is true. Scripture teaches that we become like what we worship, and if you worship your food, there will be transformations in accordance with this principle. Eating and drinking is not simply a matter of refueling. Far more is involved than this, and a fussy eater is a fussy worshipper. A careless eater is a careless worshipper. In both instances, the behavior reinforces itself, and a downward spiral sets in.

But if you worship Jesus Christ, the true calling of every Christian, you become more and more like Jesus Christ. Here is another way to think of it. This bread, this wine, set on this table, is the grace of God. You are invited now to come and eat and drink that grace. Now if you become what you eat, what should be happening? You should be turning into the grace of God.

This is the grace of God to you, which feeds you, and you become the grace of God that feeds others. You receive gracious food so that you might become gracious food.

Come, and welcome, to Jesus Christ.

Douglas Wilson

A Rare Cancellation

Coming from my Southern Baptist background, one of the things that has fascinated me is how often other groups (especially Presbyterians) pre-empt Sunday School. At many churches - Catalina Foothils is a good example - there is a huge summer break, and then any other unusual event during the school year causes a cancellation, as well. Of course the Sunday nearest any holiday is verboten - before Thanksgiving, practically the whole months of December and January, Rodeo Week (for crying out loud!) and so on. Meanwhile, back in my upbringing I can remember "business as usual" with both Sunday School and church at their regularly scheduled times once when Christmas fell on a Sunday!

When I started the WorldMovers class a little over  a year ago, several people asked my, "How long are you planning on?"  I toyed with so many answers, most of which were too sarcastic:  "Until we've solved all the world's problems - probably a couple of months" was my favorite. Others:  "We'll stop when all the prayers have been answered," "Until there's no more news," and "As long as the world turns," were other favorites. Sometimes at church when people ask if we are meeting today I reply, "Let's see, did the sun come up?  Then I guess we'll meet!"

Please forgive the sarcasm. Tomorrow we will not meet, for the very deserving reason that we will enjoy a potluck with our entire Dove Mountain family followed by a Town Hall "Q and A" with our current pastoral candidate. Hope to see you there!

The cover story of the issue pictured here (July 30) will be our next discussion and prayer focus, for Sunday, August 7. See you then, as well, I hope!

Dr. Silver of Princeton: Science facts are superior to religious opinions; Indiana Supreme Court: That's just your opinion, professor

On Friday, June 24, a federal court temporarily suspended portions of Indiana’s House Bill 1210, which contained a provision aimed at defunding abortionist organizations, like Planned Parenthood, within the state. And although this suspension was disappointing, other aspects of the court’s decision were a boon for pro-life groups in Indiana and the whole nation. The reason is because the court upheld a key portion of the bill that requires women seeking abortions to be informed that “human physical life begins when a human ovum is fertilized by a human sperm.”

In other words, human physical life begins at conception.

And the news gets even better: the court’s ruling came after Lee M. Silver, expert witness for Planned Parenthood, argued that “‘human physical life’ is meaningless” because “it is not a scientific term.”

Silver, a Princeton University professor and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, told the court he had considered the opinions of Catholic theologians and bishops who believed life begins at conception but rejected them because they were belief-based. He said the position was “an understandable religious position” but not a scientific one. (Silver was not pressed to explain why he believed it was belief-based.) Silver told us much about the hole which many scientists have dug and fallen into regarding abortion, the beginning of life, and the nature of being human, when he said, “The scientific community does not accept the ‘fact’ that a fertilized egg, let alone a fetus, is human physical life.”

Dr. Randy's "One Thing"

Four things we learn from Nehemiah:

1.  Nehemiah asked the right questions.

2.  Nehemiah listened.
3.  Nehemiah sat down and felt deeply.
4.  Nehemiah acted decisely.

Sounds pretty relevant for our times, doesn't it?  It was encouraging to see several people take Dr. Carlson's "One Thing" bracelet on Sunday.  I pray that they will be successful in seeking out and accomplishing their "One Thing."

Here is the book that Dr. Carlson was referring to in his message:

Clarity from the Bayly Brothers

The televised statements of President Obama and Speaker Boehner on Monday night left us with the best crafted statements of each side of the current budget crisis.  Before I had time to write my own analysis, I found this very excellent anaylsis from the Bayly brothers' blog:

"The battle over money going on between President Obama and the House of Representatives is worth watching because, for years to come, it will be used as an example proving something. Just ask Newt Gingrich.

Exactly what it proves remains to be seen and is largely a function of the degree to which those of us who oppose government-gone-wild make our voices heard in support of what the freshman class and Speaker Boehner are trying to do.

So, good citizens, speak up.

Last night in his plea for support of unlimited government, President Obama said:

Most Americans, regardless of political party, don't understand how we can ask a senior citizen to pay more for her Medicare before we ask corporate jet owners and oil companies to give up tax breaks that other companies don't get.

To understand such deceptions...
...keep in mind that "to give up tax breaks" is the opposite of asking an elderly woman to "pay more for her Medicare." What that elderly woman is paying more for is not, actually, her Medicare, but the services and products she's buying from doctors, hospitals, and pharmacists. And the tax breaks President Obama is asking the rich man to give up are not, actually, money that belongs to the elderly woman that the rich man is selfishly keeping from her.

Either implicitly or explicitly, what government-gone-wild men always try to do to confuse the matter is speak as if government is a commodity both the poor elderly woman and the nasty rich man are purchasing, and the problem is that the nasty rich man is refusing to pay his fair share, thus leaving the frail elderly woman to pay more than she can or ought.

But can we clarify matters, here? The elderly woman and rich man are not buying "government." The only thing being bought is doctoring and pills and that doctoring and those pills are being consumed by that elderly woman--not the rich man. Further, she isn't his mother--some other man not in the picture is the one who should be helping her pay for her doctoring and pills because she's his mother. But instead of honoring his own mother as he ought, he's demanding the president and his cronies force some other mother's son to fork over more of his own mother's support for the support of another son's mother.

Government isn't a commodity that the elderly woman pays for. Contrary to our unlimited government men like President Obama, no limited government man has ever asked any "senior citizen to pay more for her Medicare." What we've asked is for that senior citizen to pay more for her own pills and her own doctor and her own hospital room.

Medicare isn't a commodity that's paid for either by the frail elderly grandmother or the mean grasping rich man--take your pick and show us what you're made of. Medicare is products and services senior citizens holding membership in the AARP demand and want President Obama to force rich men to buy for them. And rich men don't give up "tax breaks." They look down the barrel of the gun held to their head by President Obama and pull out their wallet and pay for the pills and doctor and hospital of some other man's mother.

That's what it means to "give up a tax break." It's not to stop holding on to money that rightfully belongs to the government or another man's elderly mother. It's to fork over your own elderly mother's money so some other man doesn't have to support his own mother.

When the rich man gives up tax breaks, he is submitting to the government forcing him at gunpoint to work for that elderly woman rather than his own wife, children, parents, grandparents, church's diaconal fund, African orphans, crisis pregnancy centers, and on the list goes until the government steps in and forces his duty and charity to stop.

Never forget this. Unlimited government men are always trying to destroy marriage and the covenants of love binding us together as God ordained with goverment and its police and courts and social workers and transfers of wealth done at gunpoint.

Limitless government is always about it taking a village--thus rendering fatherhood impotent.

Ask African American men.

Does this mean I'm opposed to any transfer of wealth or ministry of compassion carried out under the aegis of government and funded by taxpayers?

No. There are times when this is right.

What I oppose is rhetoric intended to bamboozle the serfs or foment class hatred. Also the taxation without representation we habitually give ourselves to by spending the money of our great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandchildren who will be forced to spend their lives working to pay taxes that service debt they've inherited from us. Also the limitless goverment men hiding their pandering to the NEA and the AARP behind talk of "senior citizens" and "our children."

Also the transfer of our entire economy to the jurisdiction of King Obama and his cronies.

Also the transfer of authority over our own households and children to Queen Michelle and her dieticians.

Stuff like that."

Couldn't have said it better, myself.  

(HT:  Eddie Taylor.)

Fruits of her labors

Our family first met Dave and Jan Persons in the early 1980's when they enrolled their children, Carlina and Andy, at Shiloh Christian School in Sierra Vista.  I has been our joy to follow their translation adventure ever since then.  At the time of David's unexpected death, Andy was living in our home in Sierra Vista while assting me with several projects at Shiloh School.

From the early years of life in the village, through the slow process of translating in Bisbee with a language helper, through the faith journey of raising financial suport, through the lonely "reassessment" of the project following David's passing, Jan has steadily persevered in order to hold this New Testament in Lachixio Zapotec in her hands.  This fall, the villages which speak this language will hold a special dedication celebration for the arrival of God's Word in their native tongue. 

Continue to pray for Jan as she sees this event through to completion and ties up the remaining loose ends in this process.  Jan, we rejoice with you in God's faithfulness, and thank Him for your perseverance!

A little something for Monday morning

The song is from Murray Wylie's extraordinary oratorio, Jerusalem Passion, which was first performed in 1985 in Wylie's native Australia.  The song has alwys inspired me with a vision of unity in the body of Christ, so I asked my son Timothy to create a video for it.  Enjoy!

As you prepare for worship on the Lord's Day

From the breaking of the dawn to the setting of the sun,

I will stand on ev'ry promise of Your Word.

Words of power, strong to save, that will never pass away,

I will stand on ev'ry promise of Your Word.

For Your covenant is sure,

And on this I am secure—

I can stand on ev'ry promise of Your Word.

When I stumble and I sin, condemnation pressing in,

I will stand on ev'ry promise of Your Word.

You are faithful to forgive that in freedom I might live,

So I stand on ev'ry promise of Your Word.

Guilt to innocence restored,

You remember sins no more—

So I'll stand on ev'ry promise of Your Word.

When I'm faced with anguished choice, I will listen for Your voice,

And I'll stand on ev'ry promise of Your Word.

Through this dark and troubled land

You will guide me with Your hand

As I stand on ev'ry promise of Your Word.

And You've promised to complete

Ev'ry work begun in me—

So I'll stand on ev'ry promise of Your Word.

Hope that lifts me from despair, love that casts out ev'ry fear,

As I stand on ev'ry promise of Your Word.

Not forsaken, not alone, for the Comforter has come,

And I stand on ev'ry promise of Your Word.

Grace sufficient, grace for me,

Grace for all who will believe—

We will stand on ev'ry promise of Your Word.

Reminder for WorldMovers

This is the issue we will be discussing this Sunday:  the cover article on Mitt Romney.  I've already given away the three copies paid for by the church, so remember to bring your own, as there will not be extras in class.

Thanks for all the participation on the books issue last Sunday.  And special thanks to Marlene for agreeing to report on the Tony Perkins book.

Some of you expressed interest in Brad Heath's advice for readers, so I  am reprinting it here:

1.  Read widely.  Do not be too specialized. Read from a broad range of topics and styles.

2.  Read deeply.  Read books that are hard for you.  Read important books that challenge and stretch your thinking.

3.  Read outside your own time.   Escape the smothering conformity of our popular culture by reading books from other times and cultures.

4.  Read classically.  Read the books that, through history and continued acclaim, form the canon of essential reading for any well-educated mind.

5.   Read with purpose.  Develop a plan.  Make a list.  Write it down.  Keep a journal.

6.  Read aloud to your kids.  Remember, the best children's books are the ones adults like the most.  If a child' book seems absurd or boring, do not inflict it on your child.

7.  Read and buy quality books.   The medium is nearly as important as the message.  When possible, buy new of used hardback editions instead of paperbacks.  Begin to build a family ibrary with quality hardbound books.

8.  Read down the footnote trail.  Where did your favorite authros get their inspiration?   To what books do they refer?  One good book generally leads to another.  Search the out and read them. 

9.  Read in a specified place.  We have a dedcicated place  for TV and eating, why not books?  Create a designated place in your home conducive to quietness and reflection. devoted to reading and studying.  Building a famly library cab be one of the greatest educational inducements you ever undertake.  It models a love of learning and leaves a legacy for future generations.

10.  Read enjoyably.  Make Anthony Trollope's words true for yourself, "this habit of reading, I make bold to tell you, is your pass to the greatest, the purest, and the most perfect pleasures that God has prepared for his creatures...It will make your hours pleasant to you as long as you live."

And a reminder: If you would like to read Brad's whole book, you can find it on Amazon.  The title is Millstones and Stumblingblocks:  Understanding Education in Post-Christian America.

In Search of...."Pretty Good"

From the July 16 New York Times:


"Some parents in affluent suburbs such as Millburn, N.J., are working to keep out specialized "boutique" charter schools, which they say would divert resources and students from public schools. They say charter schools, conceived as alternatives to low-performing urban schools for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, are unnecessary in successful districts. Supporters say the charters expand school choices that should be available to all students."


Since I no longer have a separate blog devoted to education, readers of Dove Mountaineers will have to put up with the occasional rant about education.  And there is so much to rant about!

First of all, the parents in Milford would not have come up with this "objection" if

1. The teachers' unions had not already "alerted " them to this danger and brainwashed them with greedy and irrelevant hysteria.
2. They had not been throughly grounded in collectivism and anti-free enterprise proganda by attending public schools themselves.
3. They themsleves had attended very rare and "boutiquish" schools which teach logic.

Applying said logic, look closely at the two allegations against the charter schools in this article:

They "divert resources" from public schools.    However,

• Charter schools are public schools.   They are government controlled, government funded, and do not restrict admissions, except by virtue of size limitations.
• They have a right to the same resources as any other public school.  The monies ("resources") follow the student.  If the students choose to go to a particular public school, the resources will go there.
• No state that grants charters sets aside special resource provisions for charter schools that are not avilable to any other government funded school.

They "divert students" from public schools.

      And here is the real objection.  According to the political agenda of the teachers' unions, parents and students should never have the freedom to choose a performing school over an underperforming school, because it threatens their job security. 
      How? If charter school A is clearly outperforming neighborhood school B, it will gradually (or rapidly, in some cases) siphon off students from neighborood school B.  And with the students, comes the per/pupil share of that district's tax money.   Since staffing is based on enrollment, some teachers at neighborhood school B will eventually lose their jobs.  They could, you might suppose, just switch over and teach at charter school A, and no doubt some do. 
      However, charter school A probably outperformed neighborhood school B by: 
               (a) hiring only campetent teachers with a willingness to improve at their craft;          
               (b) holding teachers accountable for the performance of their students;          
               (c)  dismissing incompetent teachers;  
               (d)  requiring each teacher to teach to a standard set by the school itself, instead of forming an island of non-achieving autonomy within his or her classroom.

Make this your template whenever you hear or read something about school choice:   Opponents of school choice believe schools exist to provide jobs for incompetent people.  The benefits to students never come into the discussion.   If adults do not want there to be a high-achieving school in their district, these adults want America's future to be lead by marginally educated graduates of mediocre schools. 

But we are in crisis mode, and "pretty good" leadership is not going to get this country out of the mire it is in.  Especially "pretty good" leadership that believes that the state is the only beneficent provider of education, and that a fictional egalitarianism is not only achievable (it isn't), but desirable. (?!)
      

Planned Parenthood on the Run

Read about the latest trouble that Planned Parenthood is in:

http://www.presidentialprayerteam.com/issues/

The amazing ladies of Peace Class

In 1988 Shiloh Christian School in Sierra Vista had its largest graduating class ever.  The 25 students had mostly been together since elementary school, and had forged strong brother-sister bonds.  Known as Peace Class, this may have been one of the most talented groups of young people I have ever taught.  In March of this year, five of the Peace Class sisters reunited for the wedding of Angela Tumpkin, who was Head Girl in her senior year.  

From left to right, they are Tamra Fowler, the sister of the groom (not a Peace Classer), Angela Tumpkin, Tiffany Taylor, Sabrina Gidley, and Pamela Hoston.  These talented ladies have served the Lord in children's ministry, music ministry, nursing, school administration, church administration, audio-visual ministry, sacred dance, short term missions, and elementary. secondary, and post-secondary teaching.  Three of them are now raising their own covenant children.

May the Lord continue to bless the adventures He has set them on!  

Stop! Pray! Now!

It is rare that I copy something wholesale from another source to reprint here, but in light of our commitment in WorldMovers to pray faithfully for our nation, I believe this article will remind how very much our nation needs prayer right now - this week!

We Can’t Afford a Deadbeat Government

Chuck Colson

Do you believe in miracles? I do. I’ve witnessed them. I’ve experienced them. And right now our country desperately needs a miracle to get us out of an otherwise-impossible dilemma.

Absent a deal to increase the debt limit, on or about August 2nd, the United States will no longer be able to meet its obligations to its creditors.

Don’t be fooled by talk about “technical defaults” or “a few days delay”: Defaulting on our obligations would be an absolute catastrophe that could conceivably trigger an international financial panic. Interest rates on government-issued debt alone would rise, worsening budget deficits.

Even worse would be the hit to our reputation. The dollar is the world’s reserve currency for one reason: safety. If we default then the single biggest reason for these investments would be gone. Investors would be forced to conclude that the American political system is not up to the task of governing.

I wouldn’t blame them.

Two horrific possibilities, therefore, are staring us in the face: First, the Democrats and Republicans don’t reach a deal, the debt ceiling is not raised, and we default. The second awful possibility is that they extend the debt limit without a deal to reduce runaway government spending. We’d be bankrupt as a nation in two years; the currency will collapse.

So, we've got to get a deal that extends the debt limit as little as possible, while reducing the deficit by 4 to 6 trillion dollars. And that’s where the miracle comes in. Because both sides don’t want to anger their political base. But to get a deal, both sides will have to risk it: For liberals, that means cutting spending until it hurts, for conservatives, it means giving in on refusing to raise revenues. That appears to be the latest deal breaker.

I don’t want to see taxes increase. I believe tax increase stifles growth and encourages big government. I like Reagan’s statement, “Starve the beast.” But at the same time, nothing in Scripture says a government can’t raise taxes. Besides, we’re not talking about raising taxes as much as we are cutting out corporate welfare in the form of lucrative tax loopholes.

If it takes this to get a deal, why not.

The why not is that both sides know that the big-money interests are behind those loopholes. Who will look in the face of big money and risk millions in political contributions by voting against them? Only someone with courage, a virtue in short supply these days in Washington.

Look, as someone with a well-deserved reputation as a political street fighter, I understand the political pressures. As a Christian and an American, I am appalled at the way our so-called “leaders” are playing chicken with the Full Faith and Credit of the United States.

While both sides maneuver to obtain the maximum political advantage, the countdown to default is inexorably heading toward “0.” While people can disagree about the right levels of government spending and revenues, we ought to all agree that our bills must be paid and that we have to stop hemorrhaging money with disastrous deficits.

It’s time for our leaders to risk angering their political bases -- even their political futures -- to do what’s right for the country.

We don't deserve it, but please God, cause our public servants to do the right thing. And yes that would be miraculous.

This article published on July 13, 2011. Chuck Colson's daily BreakPoint commentary airs each weekday on more than one thousand outlets with an estimated listening audience of one million people. BreakPoint provides a Christian perspective on today's news and trends via radio, interactive media, and print.

From the Book of Common Prayer:

A Prayer for Congress

Most gracious God, we humbly beseech thee, as for the people of these United States in general, so especially for their Senate and Representatives in Congress assembled;  that thou wouldest be pleased to direct and prosper all their consultations, to the advancement of thy glory, the good of thy church, the safety, honor, and welfare of thy people;  that all things may be so ordered and settled by their endeavors, upon the best and purest foundations, that peace and happiness, truth and justice, religion and piety, may be established among us for all generations.  These and all other necessaries, for them, for us, and thy whole c hurch, we humbly beg in the Name and mediation of Jesus Christ, our most blessed Lord and Savior.

Amen.

From Steve's Message..

The five imperatives:

1.  Preach the word.
2.  Be prepared
3.  Correct, rebuke, and encourage.
4.  Do not follow after "ear ticklers".
5.  Discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Happy Lord's Day!

One of the first verses I remember learning as a child was Psalms 122:1 .  Here is a delightful arrangment sung in an Indian congregation (notice the separation of the men and women!).

One more Sunday...

This is still the issue (at right) we are discussing tomorrow - any article other than the cover story on the two creationist books.  We didn't really get to any of the other book reviews, so it might be nice to hear from anyone who is familiar with any of them.  Since Rags asked a somewhat provocative question about the value of reading last Sunday. I will be bringing the work of a friend of mine on why Christians should read.

It was great to see the Bailey's last Sunday!   We had a pretty full room, what with Pete being relegated to the couch. Speaking of those who were absent, remember to pray for Vera Likens.

I have three church-purchased copies of the next magazine (pictured at left).  Let me know in class tomorrow if your subscription has not begun yet, and I will give you one.

And now for a little fun...and history



McLarty coat of arms

 As an addendum to the history of my Presbyterianism from the previous two days:

I recently joined Ancestry.com and have learned lots of fun things about my ancestry.  I won't go into all of it here, but one thing that was delightful to learn was that I have Scottish forebears on my maternal grandmother's side.  My great-grandmother was a McLarty!  

Ever since seeing marching bagpipes in sixth grade, I have wanted to be Scottish.  Askew, by the way, is English.  When I finally began researching my English ancestry, I learned that the Askews are from Yorkshire, in Northern England.  I took some solace in the fact the ancestral village, Aiskew, is near the Scottish border, anyway.

The emblem of the Church of Scotland:
St; Andrew's Cross
and the Burning Bush of Moses

I thought I might be in luck when, in college, I found out that my paternal grandmother was a McSwain.  But I was immediately informed that she was Irish (I had assumed that any name that started with "Mc" had to be Scottish).  I have since learned that both the McLarty line and the McSwain line are part of that great migration to the Carolinas in the early nineteenth century known as the "Scotch-Irish."  They seem to be Scots folk who had immigrated to Ireland a generation or two before making it to the new world.

Anyway, it is both an irony and a joy to me that I have "come home" to the Church of Scotland, which is the indisputable source of all American Presbyterians.  And in respect to my English forebears, I love the Book of Common Prayer.  And in light of the fact that I am now "Reformed enough" to sign the membership requirements for those Dutch Reformed schools I mentioned in yesterday's blog, I should mention that my maternal grandfather was a Kuykendall.  Although the Kuykendall's are clearly Dutch, the family line from which my mom is descended had already been Baptists for several generations when she was born.

A little more history

(Part two of "Why a Baptist boy became Presbyterian")

Where it all began for me  -
FIrst Baptist Church,
Cartersville, Georgia

The truth is...there were several other theological and ecclesiastical wanderings between the church of my youth and the church of my present. 



The post-Southern Baptist period actually began when I was drafted into the army.  Without going into the details here, I'll just say that for the first time in my heretofore parochial life, I met real Christians from a vast variety of denominational backgrounds.  I also met some not-so-impressive individuals claiming to be Baptists (or whatever).  It probably destroyed my categories forever.  During the next twenty or so years I wandered in and out of various faith groups, mostly non-denominational and charismatic.

As far as doctrine and Biblical interpetation went, these groups were still of the more or less "do-it-yourself" variety, just what I had been trained to expect and admire in my Southern Baptist upbringing.  Although sincere and Bible-believing, none of these groups put a lot of stock in "formal" study.  I remember hearing the phrase "systematic theology" a few times and wondering what it meant, but no one else seemed interested. 

Two peculiar incidents stand out among the myriad of spiritual experiences I had during those years.  The first was stumbling across the writings of Francis Schaeffer while I was in the army.  I knew he was "on to something" (Little did I realize at the time that he was a PCA member), but I could not find anyone else who was as much energized by his writings as I was.  Lacking anyone to discuss him with, I relegated him and his thinking to the "curiosity" category, and went on reading the "inspirational" writers that my leaders were promoting.


Sullivan Barracks Chapel,
Mannheim, Germany

The second peculiarity was a Bible study in our military chapel that did a bad job of exegeting certain Bible passages to support a conclusion that contradicts "perseverance of the saints."  Of course, I didn't know that phrase as point five of Calvinism at the time, but when Calvinism was finally explained to me many years later, I immediately dismissed any serious consideration because of that one night of bad teaching.

In the midst of busy and (mostly) pleasant church life during these years, there was always the sneaking suspicion in the back of my mind that I might be missing something.  So steeped was I in Baptist "Separatism" and charismatic "spiritual superiority," however,  that I was quite sure that if there were more to the thoughtful Christian life, it could not be found in one of those older denominations.  Those churches, we had resolutely written off as "dead" and beyond hope of resuscitation.

The wild card in this saga of "protectionism" against historic Christianity was the fact that I was engaged in Christian education throughout these years.  While most of the Christian schooling world's thought and ethos during the seventies and eighties was guided by Baptist thinking and principles, there were lots of co-belligerants from other theological backgrounds (even we charismatics had to be careful around the strictest Baptist educators to avoid being stigmatized).  After all, we had plenty of common enemies - the World Council of Churches, political and religious liberals, Biblical modernists, etc.  In fact, with all this in common we generally got along quite well - we charismatics, Nazarenes, Baptists, Assemblies of God types, and non-denominational Bible churchers.

 At some point during this period of time I encountered those "Dutch Reformed" schools who were members of Christian Schools International.  I remember thinking it was peculiar that members of that association had to sign a statement of faith that was slightly different from the standard "evangelical" statement of faith that most Christian schools, missionary groups, and para-church ministries always use to position themselves theologically.  The CSI statement of faith actually used the word "Calvinism" in its requirements, something I regarded as quite odd as a basis or test of doctrinal orthodoxy.  And because of the prior army experience, I believed it was something I couldn't agree to.   So I just put it (and their schools) out of my mind.

Enter the classical Christian education movement.  In 1991, while a graduate student at University of Arizona, I was reading every book on education that I could find.  Somewhere I got hold of the recently published Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning by Douglas Wilson.  When I was about halfway through the book, I looked up at my wife Linda and said, "Because of this book, I will never teach the same again!"  At the end of the book was the statement, "For more information and materials about classical Christian education, call this number."

I rushed to dial the number on the last page of the book, and imagine my surprise when the voice at the other end of the line said, "This is Doug Wilson."  "Well," I said, "I just finished your book and I'm calling for more information and materials."  After a chuckle at the other end, I figured out that I may have been the first one to call.  "When we put that statement in there," Wilson explained, "We were thinking way off in the future."  We don't really have anything to offer you right now..." he went on.  Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, "...except maybe a subscription to our church magazine.  How about that?"   "Sure,"  I replied without much enthusiasm - or expectation.  Little did I know how much this would change my life.

After the first three issues, I came to several conclusions about the magazine, Credenda Agenda, and the church, Community Evangelical Fellowship of Moscow, Idaho (now known as Christ Church).

1. These people were not "stealth Calvinists," or "Cradle Calvinists;" they were "cage stage" Calvinists with an agenda!

2.  These people had read all the authors I had thought about, but never read.

3.  These people spoke about theology in a manner that made it really matter - and I felt terribly inadequate.

The arrival of each issue provoked a "love/hate" response in me.  On the one side, one is always tempted to feel that anyone who knows more than you do must, of necessity, be arrogant.  But I knew better.  There was not an ounce of condescension in what they wrote.  Well, maybe some well-deserved ridicule of evangelical silliness, when appropriate.  But not nearly the kind of condescension I found daily in the charismatic groups toward those poor souls who were not "walking in the fulness of the spirit."

But I was steadily drawn in by the sound reasoning, the fearless approach to topics I had never heard discussed in Christian circles, and the broad references to a whole host of books I now realized I needed to know more about.  I decided I needed help at this point.

Knowing I couldn't turn to the leaders of my own church and expect them to actually look at and evaluate reading matter that wasn't "Spriit-filled," I turned to two close colleagues in Christian education, Wade and Brad.  Both were Christian school principals of schools sponsored by charismatic churches, just like me.  Two other things we had in common - we liked to read, and none of us had any formal Bible or theology education.  We lived in Safford, Sierra Vista, and Yuma, so most of our visiting had to be by phone. 

The arrival of each issue prompted a flurry of phone calls.  The issue that (not so well from our point of view) critiqued the charismatic movement came under particular scrutiny by us.  But after months of puzzling, railing, and helping each other understand what we were reading, I remember the day when one of us said, "You know, I'm starting to buy into this."  The other two were immediately relieved, because they, too, had been thinking the same way.  Down the road, we three took several trips to Moscow.  Now Wade owns a house there, his children were baptised at Christ Church, and Brad and I are both PCA elders.  All from one magazine!

How did the magazine do that to me?  Here are a few observations:

1.  I read the foot notes.  They led me to sources like Calvin's Institutes, the Spurgeon archives, Martin Luther's writings, the Westminster Catechism, and contemporary authors like Sproul and Piper.

2.  I realized the necessity of systematic theology.  All the "odd" passages of scripture that I had previously written off as "difficult," now had a context in which to fit.  The Confessions of the Reformation have stood the test of time and intense scrutiny.   

3.  I realized the centrality of the sovereignty of God.  Non-Reformed evangelicals may think they believe God is sovereign, but they are not consistent.  When I came to understand God's sovereignty, all my philosophical questions fell into place.

4.  I wanted to be connected to church history.  Reading the documents of the Reformation, and the history that produced them, gave me a "place" in history and a grasp of the "big picture." 

5.  I found the fellowship of kindred minds.  Whereas I had previously felt oddly disconnected among many evangelicals, I had now found the people who loved Francis Schaeffer (for example), and weren't shy to talk about his writings.

Remember my concern about Bible studies in which we pooled our ignorance?  Now I can (as one Reformed pastor puts it) wake up in the morning remembering what I believe!

So there's your answer, brother Rags.  Next question?

A little history

A few weeks ago in WorldMovers Sunday School class, Rags Ragland asked, "How come you switched from Baptist to Presbyterian?"  Like a lot of Dove Mountaineers, Rags is a member of our church by virtue of his confession of faith in Christ, not an adherence to things Presbyterian.  And like a lot of the great questions Rags asks, I told him it does not have a short answer, and I promised to save it for another time.

Statue of Peter Waldo, founder of the
Waldensian "Poor Preachers," at the
Reformation Monument in Worms.

Before I even begin to tackle the personal side of this question, let me clarify some of the terms we use around here.  As I stated in the paragraph above, what it takes to be a member of Dove Mountain Church, is a confession of faith in Christ alone as our source of salvation, through grace alone and by no works of our own.  There are no test questions on the Westminster Confession, Presbyterian polity, Calvinism, or the Five Solas.

However, there is an affirmation of those ancient formulae required of those who become officers.  This past Sunday you saw the ordination of two new elders and five new deacons.  As one of those men, I am affirming the tenets of those documents listed above...and much more as well.

In this blog I want to particularly explain one of the more subtle things that I am affirming, something different from what I believed as a Baptist.  As I do this, remember that this is not a position to which members must agree, but it is part of what responsible Presbyterian leaders embrace as the heritage of our faith.

Baptist and Presbyterians are not both Protestants.  I'll give you a second for that to sink in. 

As an inquistive young person growing up in a Baptist church, I had many curious questions about church history.  Baptists of that day and age were great about publishing literature for both morning classes (Sunday School) and evening classes (Training Union).  These Bible-based curriculum guides (referred to as "quarterlies" in the vernacular, since we got new ones every thirteen weeks, year round) covered a wide range of topics.  The morning quarterlies were strictly Bible exposition, and we moved steadily through the scriptures from Old Testament to New, rarely leaving out a single verse.  The evening quarterlies covered a variety of aspects of the Christian life - from missionary stories to moral character development, from inspirational topics such as forgiveness, prayer, and faith to an occasional word or two about church history.  Our dedicated lay adult leaders were often not much more informed on the topics than we were, so we studied the quarterlies together, seldom wandering much outside of what the quarterly had to tell us.  If a question were deemed important enough, we could be referred to the pastor.  Rarely did anyone's curiosity propel them to that extreme.

I can't resist an aside here about some of the peculiar topics taught in those evening training sessions.  Using scriptural supports, I was drilled in Baptist "distinctives" which I assumed were either held by all Christians or defined other Christians as being in "error" if they did not hold to them.  Among these distinctives were:  the necessity of total abstinence from beverage alcohol, an extreme view of separation of church and state (which to this days often puts Baptists on the side with atheists in certain court cases), and the Baptist interpretation of "priesthood of the believer."  The outworking of this latter principle was that no one could ever really tell a Baptist, with any authority, what any scripture means.  The individual believer (regardless of age or education) was said to be perfectly competent to teach himself.  It also meant that Bible studies usually consisted of "this is what it means to me," with no wrong answers - ever.  By the time I was in college, I labelled this practice "pooling our ignorance."

I remember the day, as an eighth grader, that I discovered that the church had a library!  In those pre-internet days, this was a great boon to my inquiring mind.  Since I often spent long hours at the church on Wednesday afternoons while my mother was working in the kitchen as Church Hostess, the library became my refuge - a great source of information to me.  At last I could get some answers beyond the rudimentary information provided in our age-group classes.

It was then and there that I discovered that Baptists are not Protestants.  At least, not according to some leaders.  [Remember that priesthood thing?  No one ever has to agree on anything.]  This view, called Baptist Successionism, essentially holds that there is an unbroken line of non-conforming Christians from the apostolic times in the first century after Christ all the way to the present.  The historical basis for this assertion centers around some little known groups, such as the Albigensians of southern France and the Waldensians of northern Italy.  The Albigensians claimed their heritage went all the way back to the first century, but there are no actual historic evidences of their movement prior to the eleventh century.  The Waldensians can be proved to have appeared around the eighth century, although they also claim an earlier origin.  Both groups were anti-sacerdoctal and were never a part of the Catholic Church.  In fact, both groups were persecuted extensively by the Church over several centuries.  The Albigensians, or Cathars, eventually died out in the fourteenth century, but the Wandensians persisted, many being absorbed into other non-Catholic groups.  A Waldensian Evangelical Church exists in Italy in the present day.  

 

Back to Baptist Successionism:  to those holding this belief, it is important that there is an unbroken line of non-Catholic Christians going back to the time of Christ, who were never part of the Catholic Church (which many of them still consider to be the Whore of Babylon).  Therefore, those holding this belief consistently distinguish themselves from historic Protestants - those who protested the abuses of the medieval Catholic Church (which was their church at the time) and set about to reform the practices deemed to be non-Scriptural.  To Baptist Successionists, their hands are "clean" - they never were part of the "whore."       

Other than a few overlapping beliefs, particularly adult baptism (as opposed to paedobaptism), there is no clear or indisputable evidence that either the Anabaptists of Reformation times or present day Baptists have any direct connection to the Albigensians or Waldensians.  In light of several unbiblical beliefs of each of the two groups, Baptists should wish and hope there is no connection.  But many Baptists have held to this connection, including renowned preacher Charles Spurgeon, who wrote:

"We believe that the Baptists are the original Christians. We did not commence our existence at the reformation, we were reformers before Luther and Calvin were born; we never came from the Church of Rome, for we were never in it, but we have an unbroken line up to the apostles themselves. We have always existed from the days of Christ, and our principles, sometimes veiled and forgotten, like a river which may travel under ground for a little season, have always had honest and holy adherents."  

So to finish up this part of the story, as someone who as a child was better informed (thanks to the church library) than most adult adherents about Baptist origins and history, it was kind of a big deal when I accepted ordination on Sunday as an elder in an historically "Protesting" denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America.  It means that I am accepting the laying on of hands by presbyters whose tradition and succession go back to the Church of Rome.  While it is true that the Roman Church declared those Protestants to be just as heretical as the Albigensians and Waldensians (and therefore just as separate and condemned), there are some holdovers that betray our heritage as Protesting Catholics:  paedobaptism, liturgical practices in our worship, communion as a sacrament, and a respect for the seasons of the liturgical calendar, among others. 

 

 Why that no longer bothers me is the subject of the next blog.

I John 3:1

As our guest pastor, Denny Howard, preached on I John 3:1, I couldn't help but think of this wonderful musical version of the verse. It has been a standard song in every Christian school in which I have taught.  We always sang it as a round (canon), just as the Marantha Singers do here.

As we prepare to worship on the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

I missed noting Trinity Sunday here on the blog a few weeks ago.  Since our current pastoral candidate, Ed Eubanks, has admitted to enjoying The Book of Common Prayer (of which Pastor Allen also admitted to being a huge fan), I include here today the introductory prayer for the season of Trinity.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hast given unto us thy servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity; We beseech thee that thou wouldest keep us stedfast in this faith, and evermore defend us from all adversities, who livest and reignest, one God, world without end. Amen.

A reminder for WorldMovers

This is the issue we will be discussing this Sunday - the cover story on World's choices for books of the year.   Two of the most interesting ones are about "theistic evolution," which should be fun.

I really appreciated our prayer time last Sunday - lots of thoughtful participation.  And, of course, Millie's book report was delightful!

Since we can't move the World by force, we move it by prayer;  we set it on fire with small sparks!

Emergency response planning

Not long after becoming headmaster at Cornerstone Christian Academy, a parent approached me with some concerns about student safety.  That began is five year period of research on school safety plans, which resulted in Cornerstone Emergency Response Manual for teachers, regular training days and procedure rehearsals, and the assmebly of various emergency supply kits to cover a wide variety of situations.  To be honest, much of this work ws done by asssistant Headmaster Brian McKinley, but the whole faculty grew wiser in the process.  Many parents were involved, as well, and when Cornerstone was visited pursant to accreditation, both the parents' Saftey Committee and the Emergency Manual were commended as exemplars for other schools.

I thought of all those hours we invested in emergency preparedness when I read an article in the June 18 World about how Missouri churches had responded to the famillies afflicted by the recent tornado which struck Joplin.  One of the things that struck me was this paragraph: 

"Community Outreach Minister Jay St. Clair of College Heights Christian Church said his people were able to respond quickly because they already had a system in place to help and to serve  the community.  'Once you have a church that is working in community outreach, you already have a lot of the logistics in place...and this is just extended during a crisis.' "

Thank God that College Heights Church already had resources and systems in place to be used of God in response to the crisis in Joplin.  It would be great if all churches had a community outreach committee to think through and anticipate the kinds of emergencies that might strike in their area.  As with the case of   Joseph's preparation for the seven years of famine, people of faith could be a great testimony to God's grace and love in such circumstances.

Trivia time

Finishing up the issue of World that the WorldMovers class did not complete in class next Sunday, I bring attention to these items of trivia:

• Americans spend less on Fathers' Day gifts than on Mothers' Day gifts:  $94.32 for fathers and $126.90 for mothers.  And I think the mothers deserve even more!
• Earth's moon is shrinking, according to the Smithsonian Institute, because of cooling of the moon's core.   Okay... the scientists admit it's only "slight" shrinkage.
• The Supreme Court upheld Arizona's law that revokes or suspends the licenses of business that hire illegal immigrants.  The vote was 5-3, with Elena Kagan recusing herself.
• In another Surpeme Court decision,the state of California was given two years to reduce its prison population by 40,000 prisoner.  Supposedly, the prison system isn't treating the prisoners "right" becuase the failities are overcrowded.  So releasing 40,000 of them back into society is good for California...exactly how?
• During the Clinton administration, the CIA hatched a plan to sabotage Iran's nuclear program.  And now, nearly 15 years later, former CIA operative Jeffrey Sterling is on trial for leaking this information to the NY Times.
• Egyptologist Sarah Parcak has used satellite imagery to reveal the whereabouts of seventeen lost Egyptian pyramids.  Those ancient builders were even busier than anyone previously imagined! 
• "Noodling," the art of catching catfish by hand, in now legal in 17 states, with the addition of Texas recently.  In order to "noodle," one has to stick one's hand in a hole at the bottom of a lake or river and wait for the catfish to sink its teeth into one's flesh.  Then the bite victim hauls the catfish up before it lets go.  Really.  AND there's a web site - CatfishGrabbers.com - really. 

Two paragraphs from my newest favorite book

"How did the early church supplant...diverse and often hostile ideas?  It studied, critqued, argued against, sometimes adapted, and finally overcame them.  Individuals also demonstrated their commitment by authentic living, to the point of sacrifice and even death.  One of the most amazing success stories in history is the way Chrisitanity supplanted classical religions and worldviews to emerge as the leading influence on Western culture.

What does this suggest about the best strategy for engaging global secularism today?  We often hear Christians speak about recovering the vitality of the early chruch.  But which aspects of the early church are they thinking about?  It's a safe bet they are not thinking about the way the early church went on the offensive against the dominant intellectual systems of the age.  Today's churches pour their resources into rallies, friendship evagelism, and mercy missions that distribute food and medicine.  And these are all vital.  Yet if they aspire to the dynamic impact of the early church, they must do as it did, learning to address, critiqute, adapt, and overcome the domnant ideologies of our day."

Saving Leonardo, Nancy Pearcey, p.14.

Summer movies: Entertainment has consequences

It used to be that when Christians evaluated movies, they could be obssessed with factors like the amount of violence, quantity of foul language, and explicitness of sexual activity.  And those features, still matter...to Christians....of course. 

But in our time, movies are more than colored celluloid with action and adventure scenes.  There are no neutral plots, and all the ideas therein have implications....and consequences.

It is with this sobering thought in mind that I wish to commend the movie reviews in World magazine. Of course, they do include the obligatory ratings for sex, violence, and language.  But beyond those, World also provides intepretation of how the film manipulates the viewer's mind and emotions...and that's where worldview comes in. 

So here are thoughts of World reviewers on three of this summer's favorites.

Kung Fu Panda 2, reviewed by Michael Leaser:   "....what drives the story are several characters' pursuit of 'inner peace.'  The means of achieving inner peace in this film's universe is definitely Taoist-oriented and leans toward humanism..."

Midnight in Paris, reviewed by Alisa Harris:  "Midnight in Paris slyly critiques the human tendency to bemoan the emptiness and frivolity of every generation - our propensity to see the foreign as superior to the familiar, and believe that changing our setting can change ourselves."

X-Men: First Class, reviewed by Rebecca Cusey:   "...will mutants choose to value human life or to strike pre-emptively in the human versus mutant war they foresee?  Effects are fun, but gravitas makes a movie great.  The choice between good and evil does not always seem clear-cut at the time.  One man will become Dr. X and another his archrival Magneto.  Who will be the better man morally, as well as physically?"

Just thought you would want you to know.