As 2007 dwindles down to mere days, I find myself reflecting on what has been, for me, quite an eventful year, personally and career-wise. I love those end-of-the-year top ten lists, so here is my own top ten list of favorite events, people, and moments of 2007, in no particular order.
1. Beginning my blog: What started on a cold January morning as an experiment in just how blogging works has developed into a full-blown blog. And there have been times during the year when I've loved it, and other times when I've simply endured it. And yet here I am, in December, still blogging away. I get to write, and once in a while, someone actually reads!
2. Going to Chicago on the train and seeing the musical Wicked with Katie and Jonathan. It all started out as a compromise: We would ride the train to Chicago like Jonathan always wanted, and he would come see a musical like Katie and I wanted. Everybody ended up a winner, and I ended up with a new favorite musical.
3. Going to NYC to the Book Expo with co-workers Melissa and Kevin. I truly felt like Tess in Working Girl as I was handed designer bottled water and fancy chocolates while we checked into our room at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. We saw a Broadway show and traipsed all over the city, shopping like crazy women (not Kevin--Melissa and I). Oh yeah--we attended sessions on the cutting-edge trends in book publishing as well and learned a lot.
4. Summer Sunday evenings on the patio with Henry, Katie, and Jonathan. These were the best, filled with fireflies, star and moon gazing, and mosquito bites. Ahhhhh. . .
5. Meeting Julia at Panera, talking away and drinking coffee, and realizing that a blizzard had developed while we visited. And I kind of wish we'd stayed there so the story would have been even better. What more could we need? Comfy chairs, indoor plumbing, lots of food--even a fireplace. Maybe we should revisit that this winter, Julia.
6. Attending the Philadelphia Conference with Henry. It was such a great experience to spend an evening and a day listening to some truly dynamic speakers talking about the power of God's Word. And I ran into some old friends from the Cedarville days, making the weekend complete.
7. Compiling and writing Better Than Life. It was such a great and sobering experience to research the contemporary persecuted church and to share these Christians' stories with other readers.
8. Going canoeing with Henry, Katie, and Jonathan on Labor Day. It was quite an adventure on the Thornapple River. Henry paddled, I helped a little, and Katie and Jonathan screamed at each other for several miles as we spent a late summer afternoon on the water.
9. Getting our first live Christmas tree this year. Henry and I went to the lot, picked it out, and then let it sit outside in the rain for a day so the gas fumes from the chainsaw that spilled on the tree could dissipate. After another day in the garage, our anti-Charlie Brown Christmas tree made its December home in our living room. And still every time we pull up in the driveway, someone comments that we have the best Christmas tree in the neighborhood.
10. I've saved the best for last: Henry. While we met in 2006, I think he'd agree that we discovered the treasure we had together this past year. He's my dearest friend in all the world, and watching the summer sky, walking around the neighborhood on a Sunday evening, going to the symphony, singing in the Zeeland Civic Chorus's production of Handel's Messiah--life in general--is just that much sweeter when shared with him.
May "the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands" (Psalm 90:17).
12/17/07
12/15/07
An Unexpected Journey
It has almost become a new genre in Christian biography--"telling my story." Young writers like Lauren Winner (Girl Meets God) and Donald Miller (Blue Like Jazz) have made huge entries in the Christian book market (Miller especially) with their sometimes interesting, somewhat stream-of-consciousness, reflections and personal insights on becoming a Christian and their own experiences living the Christian life. The reader comes away with a pretty good understanding of who Lauren Winner and Donald Miller are.
In the last couple of months, I've had an opportunity to read two books that would land in the Christian biography category that have conveyed personal experience in a profound, insightful way that directs the reader back to God. One of those books was Things We Couldn't Say by Diet Eman, a woman who worked in the Dutch Resistance during World War II and spent time in prison for her efforts. It's an amazing story of courage and love, and I would encourage young women, especially, to read it and find another great heroine.
But another book that has left a wonderful impression is by W. Robert Godfrey, president of Westminster Seminary in Escondido, California. The book, An Unexpected Journey: Discovering Reformed Christianity, is a warm, personal look at his experience of embracing Calvinism and the Reformed faith. As a person who grew up in the Baptist church, finding the Reformed faith in my twenties, I connected immediately with the author's experience. It also helped that I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Godfrey this fall at Reformed Fellowship's annual meeting and heard him lecture about his passion, John Calvin. I was struck by Dr. Godfrey's genuineness, and while it is immediately clear that he is incredibly learned and intelligent, it doesn't prevent him from communicating on a very down-to-earth, personable level.
It is an interesting experience, coming from the "outside" to the Reformed faith, especially the Reformed faith of the Dutch variety. Dr. Godfrey grew up in California, and his parents were Methodists who only occasionally attended church. As a junior in high school, Dr. Godfrey met his "first Calvinist," a co-member of the high school swim team whose family were members of the local Christian Reformed Church. Reflecting on his preliminary reading, the author explains: "I believe that one particular part of Calvin's message appealed to me. It was the teaching of a great and sovereign God who was truly in charge of all things." God used these early encounters with a Reformed family and a Reformed church to form Dr. Godfrey into a man who now is a great scholar, educator, and minister in the United Reformed Churches.
And yet this book is not a high-minded, intellectual exposition on Calvinism. Godfrey sets out to give a personal account of what it is to be Reformed: "For too many, Calvinism has seemed either an intellectual exercise in theology or an inherited and often unexamined religious commitment. But as I have experienced it, Reformed Christianity is not simply an inherited tradition or an expression of intellectual theology. I believe that Reformed Christianity is the best, fullest form of biblical religion." This introductory claim is developed throughout the rest of the book as Godfrey explores different aspects of the historic Reformed faith, such as congregational life, Christian disciplines, and worship.
It would seem that the intended audience for this book would be those who want to understand what the Reformed faith is and what it means to be a Calvinist. But I thought as I read how helpful and encouraging it was to be a committed, Reformed Christian reading this book, being reminded of just how precious that faith is.
Michael Horton's endorsement on the back cover of the book sums it up well: "Although written in autobiographical form, this book is really about God. Regardless of one's theological background, any believer can read with great edification this hymn to God's grace in Christ."
And that is the significant difference in this contribution to Christian biography: Dr. Godfrey drives the reader back to God, His Word, and His truth and how blessed we are to live in the comfort of that truth. What a great gift to the church both Dr. Godfrey and this book are.
In the last couple of months, I've had an opportunity to read two books that would land in the Christian biography category that have conveyed personal experience in a profound, insightful way that directs the reader back to God. One of those books was Things We Couldn't Say by Diet Eman, a woman who worked in the Dutch Resistance during World War II and spent time in prison for her efforts. It's an amazing story of courage and love, and I would encourage young women, especially, to read it and find another great heroine.
But another book that has left a wonderful impression is by W. Robert Godfrey, president of Westminster Seminary in Escondido, California. The book, An Unexpected Journey: Discovering Reformed Christianity, is a warm, personal look at his experience of embracing Calvinism and the Reformed faith. As a person who grew up in the Baptist church, finding the Reformed faith in my twenties, I connected immediately with the author's experience. It also helped that I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Godfrey this fall at Reformed Fellowship's annual meeting and heard him lecture about his passion, John Calvin. I was struck by Dr. Godfrey's genuineness, and while it is immediately clear that he is incredibly learned and intelligent, it doesn't prevent him from communicating on a very down-to-earth, personable level.
It is an interesting experience, coming from the "outside" to the Reformed faith, especially the Reformed faith of the Dutch variety. Dr. Godfrey grew up in California, and his parents were Methodists who only occasionally attended church. As a junior in high school, Dr. Godfrey met his "first Calvinist," a co-member of the high school swim team whose family were members of the local Christian Reformed Church. Reflecting on his preliminary reading, the author explains: "I believe that one particular part of Calvin's message appealed to me. It was the teaching of a great and sovereign God who was truly in charge of all things." God used these early encounters with a Reformed family and a Reformed church to form Dr. Godfrey into a man who now is a great scholar, educator, and minister in the United Reformed Churches.
And yet this book is not a high-minded, intellectual exposition on Calvinism. Godfrey sets out to give a personal account of what it is to be Reformed: "For too many, Calvinism has seemed either an intellectual exercise in theology or an inherited and often unexamined religious commitment. But as I have experienced it, Reformed Christianity is not simply an inherited tradition or an expression of intellectual theology. I believe that Reformed Christianity is the best, fullest form of biblical religion." This introductory claim is developed throughout the rest of the book as Godfrey explores different aspects of the historic Reformed faith, such as congregational life, Christian disciplines, and worship.
It would seem that the intended audience for this book would be those who want to understand what the Reformed faith is and what it means to be a Calvinist. But I thought as I read how helpful and encouraging it was to be a committed, Reformed Christian reading this book, being reminded of just how precious that faith is.
Michael Horton's endorsement on the back cover of the book sums it up well: "Although written in autobiographical form, this book is really about God. Regardless of one's theological background, any believer can read with great edification this hymn to God's grace in Christ."
And that is the significant difference in this contribution to Christian biography: Dr. Godfrey drives the reader back to God, His Word, and His truth and how blessed we are to live in the comfort of that truth. What a great gift to the church both Dr. Godfrey and this book are.
12/7/07
The Quotable Henry
At work, I've been helping edit a new book we'll release early in 2008: The Quotable Chambers. It's a huge book and a huge task, so I've taken a section of the manuscript to work on to help out my managing editor. Chambers, author of My Utmost for His Highest, definitely had a most quotable style, whether you like his theology or not. And his wife, Biddy, devoted herself to transcribing nearly every word the man uttered in his brief 43 years, so there's a lot of material to work with.
And yet my favorite person to quote these days is . . . Henry. While I haven't compiled enough to produce a book yet, it may be coming someday. But in the meantime, I'll have to share his witty, insightful one-liners as he allows me here on this little blog.
Some context: I was commenting on the irony that even though the "children of the sixties" see themselves as nonconformists and take a little pride in that, they usually, in the end, fall right into line. They support women's rights, hate any kind of rules, and like to see themselves as social activists, for example.I'll let you, dear reader, ponder that.
Henry's response: Sixties nonconformity, like teenage fashions, has woodenly predictable patterns.
Stay tuned for the Henry perpetual calendar and desk planner . . .
And yet my favorite person to quote these days is . . . Henry. While I haven't compiled enough to produce a book yet, it may be coming someday. But in the meantime, I'll have to share his witty, insightful one-liners as he allows me here on this little blog.
Some context: I was commenting on the irony that even though the "children of the sixties" see themselves as nonconformists and take a little pride in that, they usually, in the end, fall right into line. They support women's rights, hate any kind of rules, and like to see themselves as social activists, for example.I'll let you, dear reader, ponder that.
Henry's response: Sixties nonconformity, like teenage fashions, has woodenly predictable patterns.
Stay tuned for the Henry perpetual calendar and desk planner . . .
12/3/07
The Messiah
This week I will get to initiate what I hope will become an annual tradition for Henry and me. Since mid-October, he and I have been driving over to Zeeland on Sunday afternoons to rehearse Handel's Messiah with the Zeeland Civic Chorus. This all-volunteer group of over a hundred members has been performing this great piece of music for sixty-eight years. Thanks to a friend of Henry's, he was invited to join the group this year, and then he invited me. While initially I was a little leery of giving up my Sunday afternoon naps, it has proven to be a rewarding experience.
The last time I performed this music, I was a student at Cedarville College, back in--a long, long time ago. I was also singing the alto part--I'm not sure why. So I do have to remind myself, especially on "And the Glory" for some reason, that I'm singing soprano now. I'm so glad that I've participated in this. It's been wonderful to stretch myself and use my singing abilities to perform this beautiful piece of music.
I love how Handel has composed the movement of the music to reflect the words. In "All We Like Sheep," all four parts go astray in their own,seemingly mindless, way until the end of the piece where the music takes a sudden somber tone, until the four parts suddenly come together to sing, "And the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." In "And with His Stripes," the music seems to be indicating the slashing sounds of the whip on Jesus' back. And then there's the beautiful grandeur of "Worthy Is the Lamb" that nearly brings me to tears, especially when I had the thought the last time I was singing it that I couldn't begin to imagine music to honor the Lord more beautiful than this--and yet heaven's music will be even more glorious.
We have dress rehearsals tomorrow night and next Monday night for our two performances: Thursday, December 6, at First Zeeland CRC, 7:30 p.m. and Tuesday, December 11, at Central CRC in Holland, 7:30 p.m. I can think of no better way to celebrate Christmas than with this music. Come sing with me!
12/1/07
A Prayer
An author whose unpublished manuscript I'm currently reviewing for publication quotes this beautiful prayer by Martin Luther in his book:
Lord Jesus, You are my righteousness, I am your sin. You took on you what was mine; you set on me what was yours. You became what you were not, that I might become what I was not.
Lord Jesus, You are my righteousness, I am your sin. You took on you what was mine; you set on me what was yours. You became what you were not, that I might become what I was not.
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