Finis



T.S. Eliot

"This is the way the world ends: 

not with a bang, but a whimper."

All good things come to an end...and even the not-so-good.  For reasons that are too personal to share (even in an obscure blog), it is no longer good for me to blog under the name "Dovemountaineers."  This it it:  the final Dovemountaineer blog.

As a compulsive writer, I will continue blogging...

somewhere. Only those who ask me me personally and directly will be given the address. I will continue to blog on most of the same topics, perhaps with a little more emphasis on the regnant follies, especially that which passes for education.

Thanks for those who have commented on this blog or "followed" it in times past. I would love to keep in touch with anyone who wants to keep in touch.

And blessings to all!

This Week's issue

Although it's a bit dated by the time we get it here in the outer fringes of civilization, we will be discussing the cover story of the January 28 th issue in WorldMovers class this Sunday, entitled "Young and Restless."  Beginning on p.36, the coverage treats life issues from many different angles: the definition of personhood, current attacks on pregnancy resource centers, undercover exposes of Planned Parenthood, adopting children with special needs, Jewish pregnancy help, new pro-life laws (especially in Arizona!), and the pro-life movement outside the U.S. Lots of good information - come prepared to discuss and pray!

A Jeremiad for those who are chilled by the current foolishness

from Mark Steyn, author of After America:

“…in a democratic age, trying to persuade people who have been endowed with goodies that they did not earn to vote themselves back to sanity becomes very difficult.”

To hear a compelling interview between Steyn and Chuck Colson, go here.

School Bullies of Another Sort

Here is a link to my latest Presidential Prayer Team article.  It will only be up a couple more days.

What he said

I have referenced Chuck Colson's Breakpoint messages several times before. A recent issue, which you can read here, entitled "Breaking the Spiral of Silence," highlights a common problem in our culture. I have seen it affect the political debates, and I have seen it affect decisions by church committees. It is rampant in the media, and even though we suspect it goes on, no one admits how much it controls the direction of our world and lives. I'm not going to define "it" right here, because I hope you will hit the link and read the original - the way he said it.

I will give a quick and current example, however.Yesterday on a local radio talk show, I heard a state legislator tell outrageous (and easily refutable) lies about an organization I am actually employed by. The possible explanations for this are many, but they do not include ignorance. As a legislator he as access to the facts.

He could have been saying what he knows his colleagues and constituents expect to hear (toeing the party line), and he was probably lazily repeating the lies of others without careful thought or research. A likely explanation is that he has heard these lies so often that he actually believes them to be the truth.

As Christians, we often naively assume that others have the same "fear of God" and reverence for the truth that we know we are supposed to have. But we live in a culture of lies, and Satan is the "father of lies."  It is more work to find out the truth and speak it strictly, but to those who fear God, consequences of spreading lies are too serious to make negligence worthwhile.

Above all, we should think about how we decide what is true. The gentleman on the radio had a pleasant voice, spoke with the right amount of passion, without seeming to be a nut case. I have seen picures of himand read his biogrpahy. He is visually good-looking, and polished - educated, nicely dressed, nice family, etc. The lies he spouted would be good news to people who have been raised in a collectivist environment of class envy, lack of personal responsiblity, and blame-shifting, where there is no transcendent right and wrong and, above all, no supernatural authority to sort it all out - in other words, twenty-first century American homes and schools, in general.      

A good summation of Colson's article would be something like this: is the position I am advocating, or the decision I am voting for, based on a rational analysis of the facts? Or am I more concerned about what people (especially attractive advocates) think about which side I choose? 

A reminder for WorldMovers

I need to remind WorldMovers of two specific assignments I made last week: 

1.  Rather than my comtinuing to supply you with scriptures regarding economics, I am asking you to bring any scriptural references of your own which speak to you about the handling of money.

2.  I asked specifically that everyone read Mindy Belz's editorial, "Unreached People." I also gave Rags a book on a similar subject,and he may be ready to report on it by Sunday.

Hope to see lots of you there!

One more Tebow



Tebow with Zac Taylor, who lives
 in constant pain.

 When asked if spending time before and after a game with sick and dying people is a distraction, Tebow answered:

"Just the opposite," Tebow says. "It's by far the best thing I do to get myself ready. Here you are, about to play a game that the world says is the most important thing in the world. Win and they praise you. Lose and they crush you. And here I have a chance to talk to the coolest, most courageous people. It puts it all into perspective. The game doesn't really matter. I mean, I'll give 100 percent of my heart to win it, but in the end, the thing I most want to do is not win championships or make a lot of money, it's to invest in people's lives, to make a difference."

My turn to Tebow

Just a week after my warning that college sports can be an idol (and I stll think that), I read a column that showed how one Christian is using sports for the cause of Christ. It's a very different article about Tim Tebow than most I had read up that point, and you can read in in its entirety here.

In his entire story about Tebow, Rick Reilly never uses the words "Jesus," "religion," or "faith." No mention is made of Tebow's praying on the field or "giving glory to God" for his football skills and victories. This is not just because Reilly is not interested in those details, and he probably isn't. It's because Reilly is overcome by the effects of Christ (unnamed in the article) on Tebow's life. 

Here's my take-away from the article. Tim Tebow may be one of the first Christian athletes to seriously think about how to use this enormous wealth and world stage to demonstrate the life of Christ. Not many people can spend the money on these people that Tebow is able to afford (I'm not explaining who these people are, because I want you to read Reilly's article!). Not many people have access to the research and logistics that go into locating the cases, making flight arrangements, and designing gift baskets that I am sure Tebow can pay others to help him with. But Tebow is non-verbally saying, "If I can make this a priority on game day in the NFL, thus putting into perspective the eternal things versus the transient things, then you can take a little time out of your 'busy' life to visit a shut-in, give a small gift of encouragement, make a small sacrifice of service to someone."  

We can. We are the Body of Christ on earth. And Tim Tebow is showing us how to be His Body. Thanks, Tim.   

New sermon series begins today

And here is the text, from I Peter, chapter 1:

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

A Long Way to Go

This is the cover of the issue we will discuss tomorrow. The cover story, "The Year Ahead," begins on p. 33. For those who may feel (and they seem to be legion) that the status quo in our world is just fine, it won't be easy reading. For those of us who hate sin and love the truth, you will find lots to pray about. 

On your way to the cover story, take a quick gander at Joel Belz's editorial on p.3. In our last class we discussed Belz's social experiment, in which he interviewed WalMart shoppers, at some length. For those who missed it, Belz's conclusion was that the response of the "average American" to the question "What message would you like to send to Washington?" ranged from avoidance to shallow vulgarity. Belz's editorial in this issue concerns a reader response to this experiment that I would never have anticipated. Check it out.

   

Things we worship

It's always easier to point out other people's idols than

to repent of our own.

I say that first because I love college sports (from a fan perspective) as much as anyone I know.  It's entertaining without some of the jaded "standardization" that comes with professionalism. It's still connected (enough) with the world of education that it feels like an extension of what I do as a classroom teacher. It entertains in dozens of different ways, and it provides safe fields of combat for the warrior nature that is latent within most of us.    

Nevertheless, it took Pasor Ed referring to sports as idolatry in his sermon this past Sunday to get me to look through a different perspective. No matter how you look at college sports, it has become a religion for most of its adherents:  sportscasters who study the stats and playbooks more assiduously than the Council of Nicea or the Westminster divines studied the original autographs of scipture;  the millions of dollars expended in both direct expenses (uniforms, stadia, scholarships) and indirect (travel, fan gear, media, etc.);  the stature and weight given to the utterances of these (often poorly educated) inexperienced young men and women.  

I will still watch and enjoy college sports.  But I will add my voice to those who are correcty identifying  sports fandom as immature and time-wasting even at the best of times, and sheer and absolute idol worship at the worst.     

Better to call on Jesus BEFORE the flight!

When an Air Tran flight was delayed at take off because of a maintenance check, some passengers, who realized that most of the other passengers were the choir from Indiana Wesleyan University, asked them to sing something.  And here is the beautiful result. 

First Sunday after the Epiphany

Matthew 2:

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
11 After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.

The Latest PPT article: When "freedom" disappears

Here is my latest article for Presidential Prayer Team, concerning the most recent attacks on religious liberty in the U.S.

No "WorldMovers" class this Sunday

It's a Potluck Sunday, which means that we won't get to discuss part 2 of the end-of-2011 issue. Last Sunday we didn't get past the opening editorial by Joel Belz, but we had an excellent prayer time over the messages-that-we-would-like-to-send-to-Washington survey. Pictured at the right here is the cover of the next issue, which we will discuss and pray through on Sunday, January 15.

I would like to mention here one interesting item from the December 31 issue. We do not usually discuss the movie reviews, but Rebecca Cusey's review of The Girl with the Dragon tattoo jumped out at me. After pointing out all the moral flaws in the protagonist and emphasizing that the post-modern approbation for this character is that she is 'honest,"  meaning that each of her sexual partners knows they are not exclusive to her, she adds two thoughtful statements:

"Since redemption isn't possible, revenge takes its place.  With redemption and mercy out of the picture, the will to power becomes the ultimate goal of mankind."

It's the Worldview, stupid.

In two sentences, Cusey has given us a succinct statement of the probem with virtually all modern fiction. While it's a healthy thing that we review such movies and do not prudishly "judge" them because of bad langauge and partial nudity, most Christians miss the real point of what is dangerous: the worldview. It is dangerous because fiction manipulates us to identify with and "root for" the protagonist, and if the protagonist is devoid of wisdom or any redemptive character, then we "buy into" the lifestyle and activity of the "hero," no mater how "heathen" it may be.


I have preached this for years, but still thousands of Christian young people support these movies with God-provided money, chanting as they merge with the darkness of the mesmerizing theater, "It can't hurt me....it can't hurt me.."


Thank God for Rebecca Cusey sounding the alarm, anyway.  It's is good not to be alone in this battle.     

It's not the money, part two

It ought to horrify us, but evidently it does not. No outcry has followed the disclosure that the current reading scores are the lowest in SAT history. Nationally, the average reading score for the Class of 2011, including public- and private-school students, was 497, down three points from the previous year and 33 points from 1972. Keep in mind that the scoring system was “re-centered” (dumbed down) in the mid-1990’s, so a straight across comparison to 1972 would be even lower.

Those who make it past high school and are actually enrolled in college are disappointing even more. About 41 percent of students who graduate from a public high school in Ohio take at least one remedial course when they enroll in one of the state’s two- or four-year public colleges, according to the Ohio Board of Regents. Since remedial classes cost as much as other college courses but don’t count toward a degree, they also increase the time it takes to obtain a degree and the likelihood that a student will drop out.

Last year, Ohio spent an estimated $147 million on remedial education — money that could be better spent on other academic programs, said Jim Petro, the state’s higher-education chief. Petro is urging the four-year state universities to phase out their remedial programs over the next six years.

To address this situation, starting in January 10 high school teachers in Columbus will be paired with local college professors in order to “plan and co-teach about 200 sophomores and juniors in English and math, two subjects that give many students trouble. By partnering, the college professors will get a better idea of what is being taught in the high schools. The teachers will gain a better understanding of what is expected of college freshmen.”

Let me see if I understand this:

1. High schools in Ohio (just like every other state) are routinely graduating students who are not prepared for freshman level courses at schools like Columbus State Community College, according to the college.

           Who is being punished, fired, held to account for this?

2. Taxpayers in Ohio are being charged 147 million to “remediate” these high school graduates – who (as a result of being “remediated”) are now more likely to drop out of college.

          Who thinks this is a good idea? The taxpayers? The instructors? The students?
          Is this a costly way to avoid saying to someone, “I’m sorry, you are just not capable of passing college course work”?

3. Are the teachers and professors in the January experiment doing this out of the goodness of their hearts, or are they being paid extra to do this?

           If the latter, where will that money come from, and how much of the $147 million will it save? (Oh, wait – I just realized! It will ADD to the current expenditure of $147 million. Well, that’s good…).

4. How will this be any different from previous remediation efforts? What magic feather will they discover that we (in the field of education) do not already know about how students learn and succeed?

          I can just see the news interview of one of the high school teachers at the end of the semester: “This was so revealing to us as high school teachers! We had no idea that the colleges wanted our kids to be able to write papers with clarity, unity, focus, and subject-verb agreement! Wow! I am really going to change how I approach my high school writing classes!”

Money is still not the solution.

It's not the money, part one

In 1988, two Washington, D.C., area philanthropists offered to pay the entire cost of college for any fifth grader from Maryland's Seat Pleasant Elementary School who graduated from high school and got admitted to college. Of the 59 "Dreamers," as they came to be called, 44 graduated from high school, and another 5 got their GEDs, a higher percentage than the overall graduation rate for Prince George's County students at that time. Almost half enrolled in college, and at least 11 got four-year degrees. But most dropped out of college. Among the 59 dreamers are a doctor, an elected official, a policeman, a lawyer, a cellist, two drug dealers, a suicide, and a murderer.

Thinking that these donors may have waited too late, a different set of philanthropists set out to issue golden tickets, starting even earlier. In 1993, there were 73 third-graders at Orr Elementary in the District of Columbia, who were told that their college would be paid for. After 10 years of intensive mentoring, tutoring, summer camps and ski trips, 54 of the 73 Orr Dreamers graduated from high school. Among them was a single mother, a gunshot victim, a violinist, an artist, dozens of honor roll members, scholarship athletes and several aspiring doctors. Starting earlier hadn’t delivered much different results; their high school graduation rate was nearly identical to the first dream class.

This is particularly poignant in light of recent demands for universal, cost-free (except to taxpayers footing the bill) college admission and tutelage. Writer Michael Brooks warns, “At some point, the ubiquity and perceived societal value of a college degree will evolve into an argument for financially supporting it as an entitlement.” And university president Hamid Shirvani adds, “As soon as the word "privilege" enters the conversation, people bring up the subject of access, with the implication that if something is a privilege, only privileged people will enjoy it. But in America, access to higher education is unparalleled. No other country has so many fully accredited colle or has provided such widespread access to student financial aid.” Shirvani concludes, “…as the costs of education rise, [students assume that] government should absorb them. That is no longer possible or desirable.”

Nor is it a guarantee of success, in light of the Seat Pleasant and Orr experiences. It’s not the money, Part Two...next Tuesday (January 3, 2012).

Your spirit booster for today

I tuned in to the Outback Bowl to root against the Georgia Bulldogs (this sometimes confuses people since I am from Georgia; but like many Georgians on the west side of the state, I grew up an Auburn fan). Didn't know anything about Michigan State, its players, coaches, etc.

Some time in the second half the commentators mentioned a speech the Michigan State quarterback, Kirk Cousins, made at a kickoff banquet representing all of the student athletes of the Big Ten Conference. They seemed pretty
impressed with it, and said it could be found on You Tube. I couldn't resist taking a look. 

I was impressed too;  so much so I entreat you to push the play button right now!

One of the themes we talk about a lot in WorldMovers is the need for heroes in our time. Usually we are looking for political heroes (I am biased to believe we won't find any in that arena - ever!). But right now I'll take a hero wherever I can find one, even in the world of college sports.

Just after I finished watching the speech on You Tube, Michigan State fell behind by a touchdown with a minute and forty-six seconds to play in the game. It was a joy to watch Cousins calmly engineer a drive that took them 85 yards for a touchdown, sending the game into overtime. The drive employed five beautifully thrown passes and a long quarterback keeper, showing both Cousins' versatility and his indispensible role on the team.

And never mind the interception he threw in the first overtime. His team's defense was staunch in the third overtime, and MSU pulled out a win in the end!

The one I chose

Last week I provided links to a list of Bible reading plans to encourage Bible reading in the new year. I chose Professor Grant Horner's plan, which is almost identical to a plan I followed forty years ago when I was in the army. After Day 1 I am remembering why I loved it so much!  It's even easier to use now because there is a Facebook page here and an updateable chart which links directly to online bibles here.

Try it!  You'll like it!

Presentation Day - Happy New Year!

Luke 2:21

And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.