New Book Coming!

For the last couple of months, I've been editing a book of devotionals by women for women. Who knew that before the twentieth century so many godly women with a deep understanding of their faith and love for God were writing so much? It's been--and continues to be--a wonderful privilege editing and updating writings by women like Susannah Spurgeon, Mary Winslow, Frances Havergal, Ruth Bryan, and Katherine Parr. Haven't heard of them? You'll want to pick up the book when it releases later this fall and find out who they were and the situations God brought into their lives to bring them spiritual insight and biblical wisdom. Even though they were living in the sixteenth up to the early twentieth century, these women dealt with some of the same challenges that we women face today as singles, wives, mothers, and widows. Donna Kelderman, compiler and now friend, has done a great job combing through the  writings of these authors and pulling out delightful morsels that will encourage and instruct. 

Below is a devotional by an author I had never heard of before my work on this book: Elizabeth Julia Hasell. She lived in England from 1830 to 1887. She was a literary and classics scholar who taught herself four languages. She is also known for her theological writing, and as I read this, I felt I had met a kindred spirit who put into words my own understanding of the delightful day--Sunday.

Seasons of the Heart will be available from Reformation Heritage Books later this fall. Stay tuned!


Call the sabbath a delight. —Isaiah 58:13

It has been justly said that while most people will attend church on the Lord’s Day, the private observance of Sunday is but too little considered. Now the believer desires, above all things, to be “in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day,” to keep that day in a really spiritual manner. When the true Christian says he does not travel on Sunday or read ordinary books and that, in fact, he devotes the day, as much as possible, to holy employments, it is not so much that he feels he ought not to do this or that; it is that, with his tastes for prayer, praise, holy reading and thinking, and God’s service in the sanctuary, he has no desire to waste the time otherwise. And when we consider what the employments of heaven will be, as far as we know anything about them, it ought to seriously alarm us if now we have no spiritual tastes, no preparation of heart and soul, so as to be ready for it.

I am certain that if an ungodly person could enter heaven and could stand among its holy inhabitants, whom we all hope to join after death, such a person would be miserable and would wish himself away. If then eternity be a certainty—if it will be passed either in heaven or in the wretched abode of lost souls—how unwise are we not to be preparing for the society and the employments of that heaven, where all hope to go at last! The Lord’s Day affords us a quiet pause every week in which to “hear of heaven and learn the way.” I would say to all my readers that these verses from Isaiah are most remarkable and full of instruction. The spiritual blessing promised to those who, by God’s assisting grace, keep His day, not doing their own ways nor finding their own pleasure nor speaking their own words, is that they shall delight themselves in the Lord. They will not find the Sabbath “a wearisome day,” for God Himself will teach them to love it and prepare them for the rest remaining for the people of God, even the eternal Sabbath in heaven.
 —Elizabeth Julia Hasell

Five Years

Tomorrow, 7/11, my lovely husband and I celebrate five years of wedded bliss.The five-year traditional anniversary gift is wood, symbolizing beautiful strength.  I'm thankful to report that even though I won't be purchasing any wood products for my husband for tomorrow, our marriage is, in fact, characterized by beautiful strength.

It is the strength that comes when God brings two people together.

It's the strength that comes when we face difficult challenges together: praying, stressing, feeling sad, and holding each other up.

It's the strength that comes when we go to church together, singing together, hearing the gospel, and  talking about how blessed we are on the way home.

It's the strength that comes when we make our favorite pasta dish together ("Henry and Annette's Spicy Pesto Chicken" we call it--maybe I'll provide the recipe sometime).

It's the strength that comes when he has to bite his tongue when I'm obsessing over something crazy like my hair and I bite mine when he's obsessing over  . . . We're so strong I'm not going to tell what he obsesses over. It wouldn't be fair.

It's the strength that comes when we both get the week-long most horrible flu--together--and at the first sign of recovery, Henry goes out and picks up carry-out Indian food because we don't want to cook but we want to eat.

It's the strength that comes when we spend an incredibly romantic week in a log cabin (there's that wood) in the Smoky Mountains celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary.

It's the strength that comes when we pick through the soaked junk from the flooded basement that ended up in the garage. I find my childhood dolls ruined, and Henry throws them away for me because I can't.

It's the strength that comes when we have good times with the kids . . . and sometimes not so good. Like when they graduate from high school and college, and when one calls, crying, to say she's been in a car accident, and she's okay, but the car is totaled.

It's the strength that comes as we seek to have, with the Holy Spirit's help, the humility that Jesus demonstrated, described here in Philippians 2, the passage we chose for our wedding message:

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

It's the strength that comes from having the same love and being in full accord and of one mind, which brings us back to the God who brought us together.

At five years, our marriage is beautifully strong. May our love continue to grow stronger and stronger. I love you, Henry!

Beautiful Story That Made Me Cry

When the Rev. Thomas Vander Woude learned about a young couple planning to abort their unborn baby that had been diagnosed with Down syndrome, the priest reached out and offered a deal: Deliver the child and he would help find an appropriate adoptive family.

 

But he had to act fast.

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jul/9/hundreds-call-to-adopt-down-syndrome-baby-save-it-/#ixzz2YfCmCxV8 
Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter

It Is Written

The first marriage ceremony performed by the creator and definer of marriage:

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man.”

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. ~Genesis 2:18-25

Laws cannot recreate reality, nor can they create a new truth. Truth does not flex and bend with majority opinions. Fifty-five percent of the people in America can say that the sun is the moon and the oceans are the deserts, and that only means those who say these things are crazy, ignorant, or obstinate.Their mislabeling says everything about them and nothing about the reality of which they speak. And so it is true of marriage. The apostle Paul says that those who would attempt to redefine what the Creator has clearly defined are futile in their thinking and darkened in their hearts. Believing themselves to be wise, they are fools. Sadly, such is the situation in America today.

Aim High (no pun intended)

"Let's make it a little bit harder for our kids to get gunned down."  

~Barack Obama

We have a president who wants to "make it a little bit harder" for mass murderers to gun down children. Remind me, again, why I did not vote for such Ivy-League, Constitutional-law-professor, highest-IQ-of-any- president-ever, Nobel-prize-winning genius.

Someday, children in schools will read in textbooks that George Washington was our first president; Abraham Lincoln led our nation through a horrific civil war and brought freedom to slaves; John F. Kennedy said, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country"; Ronald Reagan returned economic prosperity after years of decline and restored the world's respect for America; and Barack Obama made it a little bit harder for a crazed murderer to walk into their building and gun them down.

So if President Obama's goal is to make it a little bit harder for murderers to gun down school children, does that mean that instead of killing twenty children and six adults, the next gunman might only be able to kill fifteen children and four adults--because it's a little bit harder? Maybe we should make gunmen wear blindfolds to make it even more challenging yet. Tie one hand behind their backs too? Make them spin in a circle for thirty seconds before they start shooting? Yes, yes, indeed, let's make it a little bit harder for our kids to get gunned down. That's a worthy goal. That's what hope and change looks like.

And if anyone out there is wondering, yes, this is sarcasm.

Drugs for Being Human

As both a former teacher and mom of boy(s), I have often feared that we are drugging our boys for the illness of being . . . boys. Rather than shaping our schools to meet boys' needs, we shape the boys with chemicals to make them  meet the school's needs. I often wonder what we'll be learning about those medicated boys' health conditions twenty or thirty years from now when they are raising boys of their own. Chemicals have consequences.

As one who has grieved deeply the loss of a young sister and a young husband, I have also known those who think the answer to grief is a pill. And you can take pills, and I have, but the person you grieve remains dead. There is no pill for that.

In a recent conversation among the three of us who live together in this house that sprang from an observation that those who have become known as hoarders are mentally ill, we observed the absurdity that seemingly everything has become a mental illness, and if everyone who ever does anything from stupid to  seriously damaging is only mentally ill, then he or she isn't responsible. He or she should just take a pill.

This editorial in the New York Times speaks eloquently of the illness of being human.

Humility the Antidote to Scandal

It's interesting how nearly every writer, every news reporter comments on one outstanding characteristic of Pope Francis I: his humility.

Perhaps we appreciate it so much because it was such a significant characteristic (perhaps the most significant?) of Jesus and we find it so difficult to achieve ourselves (at least I do):

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Phil. 2:4-6 NKJV)

As she often does, Peggy Noonan shows great insight in today's column, expressing appreciation for the new pope's humility and hoping that this trait in him will bring about reform in the Roman Catholic Church. She sees that the opposite of humility has caused the scandals that have plagued the Church of Rome:

"The Catholic Church in 2013 is falling into ruin. The church has been damaged by scandal and the scandals arose from arrogance, conceit, clubbiness and an assumption that the special can act in particular ways, that they may make mistakes but it's understandable, and if it causes problems the church will take care of it."

While Reformed Protestants have many differences with Roman Catholics, we do share this in common: we all fall into sin. Like the Roman Catholics, we can be guilty of "arrogance, conceit, clubbiness, and an assumption that the special can act in particular ways." These sins, unaddressed, can lead us into scandal.

May we seek the antidote to our "unhumility" at the cross, where we see the greatest display of humility in history. May this mind be in us which was also in Christ Jesus.

"The stage is set for potential pastoral tyranny"

At Ref 21, Dr. Trueman has a series on the importance of confessions for churches. In part 2 he considers "the way in which [confessions] bind elders and people together by setting the terms of their relationship and provide the necessary foundation of a relationship built on transparency and accountability." He explains, "If a church has no confession, or has a confession that is so minimal that it does not touch in significant ways on a relatively comprehensive set of topics covering Christian doctrine and life, [or, I might add, if a church has a solid, biblical confession and the elders choose to ignore it], the stage is set for potential pastoral tyranny. What Trueman writes is always worth reading, and both parts of this series ("I Confess") are valuable.

White as Snow

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:

though your sins are like scarlet,

    they shall be as white as snow;

though they are red like crimson,

    they shall become like wool" (Isaiah 1:18).

It has been a snowy February here in Grand Rapids. My heart sank just a little when I looked outside just now and saw the brick sidewalk that Jonathan and I cleaned off a couple of hours ago now dusted with snow. I've never been a fan of winter, and every year about this time as friends fly off to warmer temperatures, I find real challenges in fighting off the temptation to covet their sandy beach/fun-in-the-sun experiences. And this year, with my husband's new job as the systems analyst for a large local snowplowing company, snow has meant his staying up all night (for several nights in a row--whenever there is a "snow event") or setting the alarm for odd times like 3:00 am so that he can get up and send out the message to the plow drivers to get busy . . . again.

But those of us who live in snowy climates do have an advantage over those who live in places where mittens, ear muffs, and snow boots exist only in movies or picture books. Every winter, when the snow falls, we do get a lovely picture of what is described in Isaiah 1:18. Before that first snowfall, everything is dead. The grass is brown and lifeless, tree branches so recently arrayed in crimson and gold hang naked, and everything is ugly and brown. And then the blanket of white gently covers the grass, decorates the naked tree branches, and sometimes, when the sun shines, sparkles like diamonds on top of what must still be brown, lifeless grass and mud. But we forget about all the death and ugliness underneath, because everything is white as snow.

And then we pray, "Heavenly Father, thank you for sending the snow to remind us of what we look like to you when we are clothed in your Son's pure righteousness. Because even though once our sins stood out red, like crimson, impossible to be missed, they have become, in your sight, white as the snow that blankets the earth, white like wool. Thank you for the snow."

Wild

At age 26, Cheryl Strayed was a mess. Four years earlier, her 45-year-old mother had died quite suddenly of lung cancer (seven weeks after being diagnosed), and Cheryl's grief had sent her spiraling downward. She had married at 19, and  in her despair, she turned to extramarital sex and heroin, hoping to numb the pain. Eventually, she and her husband divorced. She ended up aborting a child she conceived as a result of a sexual encounter. In the wake of Cheryl's mother's death, her family, which consisted of her stepdad, brother, and sister, disintegrated. She had bottomed out.

Having never hiked in her life, the answer for her was to hike the grueling, physically demanding Pacific Crest Trail, which started, for her, in southern California and ended at the Bridge of the Gods, near Portland, Oregon. So in 1994, Cheryl, completely inexperienced and unprepared for what she would face, set out to cover 1100 miles in 94 days--alone. Wild is her account of her life before and during her PCT hike.

Interestingly, I found Cheryl's story to be an anti-Pilgrim's Progress. Both Cheryl and Christian (of Pilgrim's Progress) begin their journeys in the City of Destruction. Both carry heavy burdens on their backs. Cheryl carries her backpack, which she names Monster, filled with some things she needs and many things she doesn't. When she begins her journey, she can barely lift it, and eventually a more seasoned hiker she meets along the way forces her to get rid of the things she doesn't need, including a huge pack of condoms. Both Cheryl and Christian are in need of salvation, and while Christian finds it at the cross, where his burden falls off his back and rolls down to the bottom of the hill, Cheryl seeks it in herself, in confronting her rage at her mother's death and pushing herself physically to make it through rigorous terrain, rain, snow, heat, past bears, charging bulls, ants, snakes, and even a couple scary humans.

But at the end of her journey, Cheryl still carries Monster on her back. It's lighter, and she's stronger, but, nonetheless, Monster is still there. One reviewer noted that while Cheryl seems to feel remorse for her actions, she never really is sorry for the terrible things she's done. In her own words:

"What if I forgave myself? I thought. What if I forgave myself even though I'd done something I shouldn't have? What if I was a liar and a cheat and there was no excuse for what I'd done other than because it was what I wanted and needed to do? What if I was sorry, but if I could go back in time I wouldn't do anything differently than I had done? What if I'd actually wanted to **** every one of those men? What if heroin taught me something? What if yes was the right answer instead of no? What if what made me do all those things everyone thought I shouldn't have done was what also had got me here? What if I was never redeemed? What if I already was?” 

Ultimately, Christian arrives at the Celestial City, the dwelling place of God, and Cheryl arrives at the Bridge of the Gods, which spans the Columbia River near Portland, Oregon. Eventually she remarries, has two children, becomes a bestselling author, and writes an advice column called "Dear Sugar." Cheryl chose the last name "Strayed" at the time of her divorce because she says that its definitions fit her life: to move about aimlessly in search of something, to wander from the proper path. Unlike Christian, who follows a path that leads him to salvation in Christ, Cheryl moves aimlessly in search of something and thinks she finds salvation in herself. And yet, how can the problem (herself) possibly be the solution at the same time?

It's an interesting read in many ways. Strayed writes beautifully about her life on the trail, the wonderful things she sees, the people she meets, and the way she copes with the challenges of living in the wilderness. Her story is adventurous and fascinating. The account of  a gratuitous sexual encounter she has on the trail (Strayed seems fairly sex obsessed) disappointed me because I thought this was a serious account of a person's earnest search for peace and meaning. Including this incident in the book made me think that the author was anticipating a movie deal. And so she now has one. While I marveled at the author's perseverance and courage, I felt a sense of sadness at the end of the book that this journey had not led her to the answers to grief and despair that would set her on a proper path and bring an end to her aimless wandering.




  

His Speech Reminded Me of . . .

Much discussion in the media this week of  the president's inaugural address and just which well-respected historical figure he was channeling. Chris Matthews heard Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address (of course), and there were others who mentioned Lincoln. Another commentator called the president "a liberal Reagan," and one blogger even noted a strange echoing of Neville Chamberlain with the use of the phrase "peace in our time."

I've read the speech and marvel at the brazenness. I've been reading 10 Books That Screwed Up the World by Benjamin Wiker (I recommend it, by the way), and so when I read the president's speech, this is what came to mind. The emphases are mine.


Barack Obama:

"But we have always understood that when times change, so must we; that fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges; that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action. For the American people can no more meet the demands of today’s world by acting alone than American soldiers could have met the forces of fascism or communism with muskets and militias. No single person can train all the math and science teachers we’ll need to equip our children for the future, or build the roads and networks and research labs that will bring new jobs and businesses to our shores. Now, more than ever, we must do these things together, as one nation, and one people."

Karl Marx:

“Society does not consist of individuals, but expresses the sum of interrelations, the relations within which these individuals stand.” 

Barack Obama:

"For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers, and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts."

Karl Marx:

“Anyone who knows anything of history knows that great social changes are impossible without feminine upheaval. Social progress can be measured exactly by the social position of the fair sex, the ugly ones included.”

“Social progress can be measured by the social position of the female sex.”

Barack Obama:

"For we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it. We believe that America’s prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class." 

Karl Marx:

“The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.”

“The world will be for the common people, and the sounds of Happiness will reach even the deepest springs.” 

Barack Obama:

"We understand that outworn programs are inadequate to the needs of our time. We must harness new ideas and technology to remake our government, revamp our tax code, reform our schools, and empower our citizens with the skills they need to work harder, learn more, and reach higher."

Karl Marx:

“Philosophers have tried to describe the world--the point is to change it.” 

Just interesting.

David Murray: 10 Reasons to Confiscate Your Kids' Phones

An excellent blog post from Dr. Murray on how a parent who truly understands what is best for his or her children manages their cell phone--and social media--usage. As he points out, it is essential that we make "this wonderful technology a servant rather than a master." Children who learn to "master their cell phone . . . will stand out in their generation in so many positive ways."

Arrival at the Celestial City

The obituary notice for much-loved and well-respected former Cedarville professor, whom we knew as "Mr." Grier:

GRIER (Rockford) James Murray Grier, Th.D., age 80. Pilgrim James arrived at the Celestial City on January 9, 2013. He was born in Staten Island, NY to James Murray and Mary Helen (Hannah) Grier. While Jim was growing up, his father pastored at South Baptist Church of Tottenville/Staten Island, NY. He earned his B.Th. from Baptist Bible College, M.Div. from Grace Theological Seminary, Th.M. from Westminster Theological Seminary, and Th.D. from Grace Theological Seminary. Dr. Grier taught and preached extensively across the United States, in Canada, Hungary, the United Kingdom, and Zambia, pastored two congregations, served for 16 years as Executive Vice President and Academic Dean at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary of Cornerstone University, was Chairman of the Evangelical Seminary Dean’s Council (ESDC) 1993–1998, consulted pastors for more than 50 years while advising numerous hospital boards on medical ethics, was a highly sought after conference speaker on philosophical theology and Christian worldview across the globe, and was the distinguished Professor of Philosophical Theology at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary (GRTS) in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His publications include The Relation of the Law to Christ, Demonstrating Truth in Our Lives, Doing Theology in the Context of Church Ministry, and Calvinistic Philosophy. Before coming to Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 1982, he taught at Cedarville College (now Cedarville University) as a Professor of Philosophy (1969–1982) and served administratively in various roles. Beyond GRTS and Cedarville College, Dr. Grier had been a visiting or adjunct professor at Asia Biblical Theological Seminary, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, and London Reformed Baptist Seminary. Since 1978, he had been an Adjunct Professor at Grace Theological Seminary while holding a similar position since 1984 at Evangelical Baptist Seminary of Quebec. He also served two years as the Acting Academic Dean of Grand Rapids Bible College (Cornerstone University) from 1985–1986. His very first and final sermons were in the church that his father served for 47 years in Tottenville/Staten Island, NY. His various professional memberships were The Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) and the Evangelical Philosophical Society. His philanthropic endeavors included work at Home of Hope and Blodgett Hospital. Jim is survived by his wife of 58 years, Shirley (Stewart) Grier whom he married on July 30, 1954, his son and his son’s wife, Dr. Kevin Blaine Grier and Dr. Robin Grier; and his sister, Joyce Elizabeth Grier, as well as several cousins, nieces and nephews. Memorial service will be at Grace Community Church, 3500 New Holland, Hudsonville, MI on Monday at 7:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the “James Murray Grier Scholarship Fund” at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary.

Because he accepted a position with Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 1982, halfway through my Cedarville years, I had only one class with him, Introduction to Philosophy. But my first husband, Jonathan Selden, knowing that Dr. Grier had accepted another position, managed to take every Grier class except one (and memory fails me what that one class was). While I didn't learn much directly from Dr. Grier, I benefited from the instruction that Jon had received and passed onto me.

I didn't know Dr. Grier as well as Jon and his friends; nonetheless, our paths continued to cross on occasion after I graduated from Cedarville. A short time after Jon and I had moved on to Chicago after finishing our master's degrees, a fellow Cedarville alum, a close friend of Jon's, who had also been a student of Dr. Grier committed suicide. Dr. Grier was called upon to preach at his funeral. We were devastated, of course, but I will never forget what happened when Dr. Grier took his place at the podium. Before anything, he said, "Some scripture for our comfort," and for what seemed a very long time, he quoted from memory various scripture passages, without comment. He clearly understood that for those of us present who knew Christ, only his words would bring us relief from this painful experience. I was also moved when, in 1996, Dr. Grier came to the funeral home to express his sympathy when Jon died. It had been years since he and Dr. Grier had had any contact, so I was somewhat surprised to see him.I have recently learned that Jon and his friends were the only students of Grier ever to honor him with a festschrift.

I've had two occasions in the last five years or so to hear Dr. Grier preach: once while I was working at Discovery House Publishers he spoke during chapel, and a couple of years ago, he spoke at the Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary Conference. On both occasions he spoke about heaven, about leaving this world behind. At the conference, Dr. Grier was ill and suffering from shingles, but he spoke passionately from Revelation about the vanities of Babylon, and how it would all be gone one day when there was a new heaven and a new earth. I learned today from a person who attended his funeral last night that one of the speakers said that he had told his young son that Dr. Grier had died. His son said, "You mean that man who preaches about heaven like he's already been there?" And it was clear when he preached about heaven that he was eager to go there, to meet in person the one he had been talking about for so many years.

I also remember that this great man with so much understanding once told our Intro to Philosophy class that his favorite hymn was "Jesus Loves Me" because the song explains that we know this because the Bible tells us so and not because of some subjective human experience. Today Dr. Grier knows that Jesus loves him because the Bible tells him so, and because he is with him, and his faith has been made sight.

What Pastors Shouldn't Tell Their Wives

An excellent post from Dr. R. Scott Clark of Westminster Seminary, California, on why it is important for pastors not to share with their wives the private matters he is entrusted with.. While the lessons of this blog post are most obviously applicable to pastors and their wives and families, the principles here would apply to any church officer who is obligated to keep information confidential from members of the congregation, and not just their wives and families. As Clark reminds us, "It's a matter of integrity."

Writing as an elder's wife, I can say that it is difficult to know that there is a part of my husband's life that must be kept private from me, and yet I understand that this is necessary for the good of the church--and for my own good. He is the one who has been called to the task of leadership in the church, and not me. I asked him once if it was difficult for him, having to remain silent on things that probably at times are troubling and stressful. He explained that he was able to share these things with the other men with whom he served, so that he wasn't carrying them alone. It is a wise way to understand this responsibility.

Those who have ever learned something disappointing about another person understand that it is much easier to serve others in the church when we don't know the details of their "issues." Also, we can't be guilty of gossiping about and slandering others if private matters are kept private. In this context, ignorance is bliss. Much wisdom here from Dr. Clark.

Understanding the Word "Felon"

As an editor, I'm always concerned with the accurate use of words. It's my job to make sure that writers are using correct terms to communicate their ideas. In recent months, I've heard the word "felon" tossed around and wondered, since this is a legal term, exactly what the definition of "felon" is. A little Google research brought me to Nolo's Plain English Law Dictionary, which defines "felon" as "a person who has been convicted of a felony, which is a serious crime punishable by imprisonment or, for the most serious felonies, death."

And what, exactly, is a "felony" then? "In the United States, where the felony/misdemeanor distinction is still widely applied, the federal government defines a felony as a crime punishable by death or imprisonment in excess of one year."

So my brief research would indicate that to call someone who has not been formally charged, tried, and convicted of a felony a "felon" is premature. It all ties in with the legal principle (which is based on the principle of biblical law--see Deuteronomy 19:15 for one example) that a person is innocent until proven guilty. To publicly denounce such a person as a felon would be slanderous, and slander, as many of us know, is defined as "the utterance of false charges or misrepresentations which defame and damage another's reputation." Christians, especially, need to understand this because they would not want to be found guilty of slander, a breach of the ninth commandment.

My research has demonstrated that in the context in which I've been hearing the word "felon," it has been used inaccurately, as it has been directed against a person who has not been formally charged, tried, and convicted of a felony--one who has been interviewed by legal authorities who have determined that any charges against this person are baseless. Therefore, legal authorities are taking no action because there is no evidence to suggest he or she has committed a felony or done anything illegal at all.

As Christians, we must choose our words carefully to ensure that they accurately reflect the truth so that we are not guilty of breaking the ninth commandment and damaging another person's reputation. Someone, in our opinion, may exhibit poor judgment or take an action that we dislike, but that doesn't make him or her a felon, and it certainly is not a basis for publicly defaming him or her.

From the Westminster Larger Catechism, questions 143-145:

Question 143: Which is the ninth commandment?

Answer: The ninth commandment is, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

Question 144: What are the duties required in the ninth commandment?

Answer: The duties required in the ninth commandment are, the preserving and promoting of truth between man and man, and the good name of our neighbor, as well as our own; appearing and standing for the truth; and from the heart, sincerely, freely, clearly, and fully, speaking the truth, and only the truth, in matters of judgment and justice, and in all other things: Whatsoever; a charitable esteem of our neighbors; loving, desiring, and rejoicing in their good name; sorrowing for, and covering of their infirmities; freely acknowledging of their gifts and graces, defending their innocency; a ready receiving of a good report, and unwillingness to admit of an evil report, concerning them; discouraging talebearers, flatterers, and slanderers; love and care of our own good name, and defending it when need requires; keeping of lawful promises; studying and practicing of: Whatsoever things are true, honest, lovely, and of good report.

Question 145: What are the sins forbidden in the ninth commandment?

Answer: The sins forbidden in the ninth commandment are, all prejudicing the truth, and the good name of our neighbors, as well as our own, especially in public judicature; giving false evidence, suborning false witnesses, wittingly appearing and pleading for an evil cause, outfacing and overbearing the truth; passing unjust sentence, calling evil good, and good evil; rewarding the wicked according to the work of the righteous, and the righteous according to the work of the wicked; forgery, concealing the truth, undue silence in a just cause, and holding our peace when iniquity calls for either a reproof from ourselves, or complaint to others; speaking the truth unseasonably, or maliciously to a wrong end, or perverting it to a wrong meaning, or in doubtful and equivocal expressions, to the prejudice of truth or justice;speaking untruth, lying, slandering, backbiting, detracting, tale bearing, whispering, scoffing, reviling, rash, harsh, and partial censuring; misconstructing intentions, words, and actions; flattering, vainglorious boasting, thinking or speaking too highly or too meanly of ourselves or others; denying the gifts and graces of God; aggravating smaller faults;hiding, excusing, or extenuating of sins, when called to a free confession;unnecessary discovering of infirmities; raising false rumors, receiving and countenancing evil reports, and stopping our ears against just defense; evil suspicion; envying or grieving at the deserved credit of any, endeavoring or desiring to impair it, rejoicing in their disgrace and infamy; scornful contempt, fond admiration; breach of lawful promises; neglecting such things as are of good report, and practicing, or not avoiding ourselves, or not hindering: What we can in others, such things as procure an ill name.

Q&A a Day

One of my favorite Christmas gifts this year is the journal pictured below that has already been a lot of fun. Q&A a Day asks a new question each day of the year and provides space for only the briefest answer. Each year for five years you answer the same question, and at the end of five years, you have a record of your thoughts and activities for the last five years.

The New Year's Eve question asked what my favorite memory of the past year was. Since I have at least three very special people in my life, I couldn't pick just one. So I picked one memory for each of the people who are most dear to me.

My favorite memory with my husband was a week we spent back in August in Traverse City. Just the two of us in the dwindling days of summer. We stayed at a small cottage that we had rented the previous year, and as soon as we walked in the door, I immediately felt happy and relaxed. It's one of those kinds of places. It's small and a little rustic. A screened-in porch looks out over a small inland lake. The yard is filled with tall pines, and everything smells fresh and summery. The kids were welcome to come with us, but Katie was finishing up her photojournalism internship, and Jonathan thought he had nailed down a job and shouldn't be away. And while I love my kids and would have enjoyed having them, I must say that it was a lovely week for just the two of us. We'd have a leisurely time in the mornings, eating breakfast and then sitting out on the porch reading books while the sun grew warmer. We'd stop now and then to watch the bird activity in the trees in the yard or out on the lake. The weather was perfect all week, and we filled the afternoons with hiking, canoeing, taking a sailboat cruise in Charlevoix, and eating at restaurants we wouldn't have eaten at if there had been four of us. Not all couples are at a place in their lives where they can get away for an entire week by themselves, but if you are, I encourage you to go create what will be one of your favorite memories for 2013. 

Katie gave me my favorite memory this fall. I had purchased some beautiful mums for the front porch--the prettiest color of crimson I had ever seen. I placed the planter them in a little plant stand, but it wasn't quite as big as the stand, so there was "wiggle room." I don't remember what had happened that day, but I do remember that it had been one of those crazy days filled with minor frustrations. It had also been a windy day. I pulled into our driveway after work, and there was my planter of beautiful mums upside down. Ugh. Katie followed me into the house a few minutes later and asked, "What happened to your flowers?" I told her, "It's the perfect ending to the way this day has been." Henry and I had to go out for awhile, but when we returned, there was a whole new display of mums with one large planter and three small ones around it that had been left by my lovely mum fairy, Katie. What a sweet gesture of love--and what a great memory to have just weeks before my girl got married and became a real grown-up.

Jonathan gave me my favorite memory last spring during baseball season (I can't believe I'm saying that; I'm a sports anti-fan). I admire people who aren't afraid to put themselves out there and try something new, which is exactly what Jonathan did. All through school, he had never played any sports. But at his small, Christian high school, the teams were desperate for players, so there were no cuts, and everyone was welcome to join the team. His junior year, he joined the basketball team and then the baseball team. In both sports, he spent a lot of time on the bench, but he was a winner because he got himself into great physical condition and learned a lot about working hard, pushing himself to try new things, and being part of a team. This past year--his senior year--he played basketball and baseball again, but in baseball, he played most of the season. His junior year the baseball team had been made up of  players from two small schools, so there were lots of players. This past year, the baseball team was made up of just players from West Michigan Lutheran, and most of them were fairly young and inexperienced--and they had just enough to make a team. Jonathan struggled for most of the season, learning and improving, like the other players, and losing more games than winning, but finally, in his last game, something clicked. They were playing against the team they had played with the previous year, and they really wanted to win. Jonathan was playing right field, as usual, and he had been steadily improving at it all season. At bat, he finally connected with the ball and hit a pop fly that was caught, but none of the fans cared because we were so thrilled that he finally hit the ball. The team made an amazing comeback and beat their rivals, and Jonathan contributed by catching a couple of pop flies to right field. Afterward, during a team picture that Katie took, the other guys on the team pulled water bottles out and poured them on Jonathan--the only senior on the team. It was a great game for him to end his high school career with, and we all had fun watching the guys honor Jonathan by soaking him.

So 2012 was an eventful year for our family: Jonathan graduated from high school and started college, and Katie and Ryan got married in November. Many changes, many memories. It will be interesting to review my journal eventually and trace the providences, thoughts, and events of five years.    

The Real Spirit of Christmas

The obvious spirit of that first Christmas was one of being blessed, of having received mercy and grace from God. . . .

In our attempt to find the true spirit of Christmas, then, we need to be able to define its counterfeit.  A variety of things can make us feel good during the holidays, but many of them are cultural messages. The true message of Christmas humbles us. It shows us for what we are: poor, blind, deaf, and dumb receivers.

 This season when you are preparing your gift giving and your charitable Christmas projects, focus not on what you are able to give, whether great or small, but on what you have received [from God]. Let the grace and mercy you have received at His hands first fill your heart, and then flow through you to others. In so doing, you are inviting others to join in your grateful celebration. Allow yourself to experience the wonder and joy of gratitude in this holy season. . .  .

We are both receivers and givers at Christmas. Let's just remember which comes first.

~In Search of the Real Spirit of Christmas by Dan Schaeffer 

For more on the true spirit of Christmas listen here.

 

 

Frail Hillary

The Associated Press reports:

 "Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who skipped an overseas trip this past week because of a stomach virus, sustained a concussion after fainting, the State Department said Saturday."

Wow. The article is dated December 15, and it reports that all of this happened "last week," and her recovery will prevent her from being able to testify at a hearing about Benghazi this coming Thursday.

Which makes me wonder: If she's so frail at 65 that a bad stomach flu and concussion from last week has her in such a condition that she's unable to pull herself together enough to testify regarding the loss of an American ambassador's life (and the lives of others who were defending the embassy) while she was in charge, how could she possibly face the rigors of the presidency in four years when she'll be 69? Never mind carry on until she's 73, at least.

I used to tell my kids that if they were too sick to go to school, they were too sick to play on the computer . . . watch TV . . . talk on the phone . . . etc. So I'm thinking that if you're too sick to do your duties as secretary of state, you're probably too sick to be president of the United States.

Election 2012

"It makes no sense," was one child's response to the election results this morning. We're a political family, and we followed this election closely, all the way back to the Republican debates. This child, only 18 at the time, cast his first vote ever in the Republican primary. He recognizes the importance of his duty of living as a citizen in America even at this tender age. He understands that the principles by which a president operates have consequences.

What can I say? It makes no sense to me, either. We're all a little subdued at our house today. We've reminded him (and myself a thousand times) that God is in control; God tells us that "by me, kings reign" (Prov. 8:15). We know that his purposes are good and true. Why it is God's will to put an arrogant golf-playing, abortion-loving, celebrity-seeking Islamic sympathizer who supports gay marriage and who believes that debt brings prosperity and the government is the sovereign that should control our lives is a mystery that I must place in the "known only to God" categories and believe him when he tells us that all things work together for the good of those who love him.

And so I've had several thoughts as I've reflected on the election of 2012 and the implications it has for us as Christian citizens in a country that moves "forward" toward a world where gay marriage is becoming more and more acceptable, where the media becomes a part of the liberal candidate's campaign, where the lives of children in the womb and the lives of American diplomats and soldiers fighting terrorists in Arab Spring nations become equally disposable because they are inconvenient for someone who would rather they die.

This morning I received an email from my doctor, who uses holistic methods of treatment and has addressed certain physical issues for me effectively. I have not found this help from other medical doctors. The email announced that my doctor would not be accepting new patients because now Obamacare would not be repealed: "We are sorry that we have to close the practice, but the current and near future medical reimbursement climate does not allow us to make any other choice." They don't know how long they will be able to continue their practice for current patients.The other child (incidentally the one who had the honor of being the last person in our precinct to vote last night as the poll workers were closing up shop) also is a patient. She observed that because some women were being offered the "freedom" of free contraception via Obamacare, her freedom to seek the kind of medical care that helps her with her heath issues could now be limited. And I realized again--certainly not for the first time--that a big government of entitlements offering freedoms to some inevitably strips away the freedoms of others, whether it's the "wealthy" who need to pay their "fair share," religious organizations who are now forced to deny their convictions, or owners of small businesses who can't afford to grow because the financial burdens of growth will be greater than whatever prosperity they might achieve. And in the end, freedom is a myth, because the government owns us all. This is what the majority of Americans chose on election day.

Another harsh realization: This is the kind of country and government that more than half of Americans want. And yet unthinking citizens being drawn to superficial political leaders who obviously crave power and are motivated only by self-interest is not a new phenomenon. David's son Absalom demonstrates that playing to those who believe they are victims brings political victory. Here was a man who was scandalous (he killed his own brother) and arrogant. He was well-known for his good looks and beautiful hair. Because he had no sons, he erected a monument to himself. He won the people's hearts by sitting in the city gates and sympathizing with those who came with disputes for the king, telling them there was no one to hear them and promising justice if only he were in charge. He nearly successfully stole the kingdom from his father and certainly had the popular support of the people. I've never (not even for a moment in 2008) understood the charisma of Obama. But apparently manufacturing wars on women, attempting to achieve "fairness" for those who live in our country illegally, and promoting the rights of those who wish legal status for their immorality is great political strategy. It works.

But probably my last, and most important, realization has been that as Christians living in the kingdom of this world, we can expect rulers who are unjust. If there is a candidate who runs on the policies of defending our nation and creating a climate where the gospel may be freely preached (Belgic Confession art. 36), I'll certainly vote for him or her. But a quick glance at any instructions to Christians-as-citizens in the New Testament demonstrates that they are to be submissive to those who rule over them, and the types ruling over them in those days were Roman emperors, who were not exactly known for their sympathy for Christians. An unjust, faithless ruler does not excuse us from submitting to the government's authority--because the government that we have has been given to us by God. The church often flourishes in affliction, and perhaps we Christians in America will be finding that out firsthand. Our help is in the name of the Lord, maker of the heavens and the earth. "The best is yet to come," President Obama said to his supporters last night in his victory speech. I rarely agree with him, but on this I do. It won't happen in his four more years, though, and not while any of us Christians live on this earth.

As Christians, then, this must be our prayer as we face, for many of us, the disappointing results of another presidential election: "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Tim. 2:1-2).


 

It's All about the Bridegroom

I've  been thinking a lot about weddings lately--probably because in less than a month, our family will be experiencing one. It's interesting that when you're planning your own--as I was a little more than four years ago--there isn't a lot of time for deep reflection. But when you're not at the center of it--when you're watching from the sidelines--you start asking the questions that you probably should have been asking when it was your turn: What's actually happening here? What should be my priority as I spend thousands of dollars on one day of my life? Should I be spending thousands of dollars on one day of my life? What should we be communicating to the people we invite to celebrate this great occasion with us?

Instead, we get caught up in questions like these: What color palette should I choose? Can I afford the reception venue of my dreams? If I choose the reception venue of my dreams, what can I cut from the budget that will be less important to me? Should I use fresh flowers or artificial? Rent tuxes or purchase suits? Buffet style or a plated meal? If I invite this person, then will I have to invite that one lest he/she be offended? Unity candle or colored sand?

And in this Facebook age, when people are members of a social network of millions and we easily get lost because the next person has better vacations, a more exciting life, and more friends than we have, how far do we have to go to make our wedding stand out? What can we do that will make people sit up, take notice, and tell their coworkers on Monday, "I was at this wedding on Saturday, and do you know what they did? I've never seen that before." Planning a wedding has become a complicated thing.

Probably one of the most famous weddings ever is recorded in John 2. Clearly the people who lived at the time of Jesus (and earlier) made a big deal of weddings--probably more so than we do today. They lasted for days. It may be that they had a better understanding than we do of how important weddings were to God. One of the very first things that happens in the Bible is a wedding. And we know today that the last thing that happens in the Bible is a wedding. God is definitely interested in weddings.

And so in John 2, Jesus is on one of his early outings with his newly recruited disciples. Some think that perhaps the bride or groom was related to Mary, Jesus' mother, because when there's a problem--and it's a huge, embarrassing one--she seems to feel responsible to find a solution. The problem is that somehow the wine runs out. And that was disastrous. Mary, knowing something of her unique son's capabilities, asks him to do something about it, so reluctantly he does. He instructs the servants to fill six twenty- to thirty-gallon jars with water. Then, at Jesus' instruction, the servants draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet. The master of the banquet is surprised. Usually the finest wine is served first, and then, after everyone has had too much to drink, they serve whatever is left. No one cares any more about the quality of the wine. But this bridegroom breaks with tradition and saves the best for last.

Of course it's the best wine because Jesus created it. And we could look at that and say, "See, Jesus knows the value of a good party! He wanted everyone to keep on having a good time. He wanted them to have excellent wine! We should have excellent wine at our wedding too. We should spend thousands on a reception hall and the best food, drink, and music. Jesus set the pattern at that wedding in Cana of Galilee."

I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't have wonderful, memorable celebrations when we get married. We like to say that the wedding day is all about the bride, that it's a special day full of romance and joy that we'll never forget, a day when all eyes are on a couple who are just setting out on a great adventure. It's all about them. But if we really understand what is happening in Cana, we'll see that the point is this: weddings are all about Jesus. What Jesus was showing the people who were celebrating at Cana was that he--and only he--provides the fullness of joy that we need. He gives the best wine--he is the best wine--and he gives an abundance far beyond what we could ever ask for or imagine. The focus of any wedding should be him.

Our marriages are a picture of that great marriage that will one day take place--the one at the end of the Bible. They should point to that day, even as we celebrate the gift of marriage that God gives us here on the earth. It's a solemn thing when a man says, "I will love you like Christ loves his church and gave himself for it for the rest of my life," and a woman says, "I will submit to you as the church submits to Christ for the rest of my life on earth." There really isn't much place for silly fashions, silly behaviors, and silly breaks with tradition.

Keeping that in mind helps us keep weddings and wedding celebrations in perspective. When our first goal as a Christian couple is to show a picture of Jesus Christ and his love for his church, suddenly things fall into place. Brides aren't as eager to do something "unique" like pair formal wear with tennis shoes, wear cowboy boots, have a dance party up the aisle, or find the most elaborate reception venue possible. Because even though it's our special day, we want the focus to be on that greatest of Bridegrooms, the one who provides joy and celebration that no amount of money can purchase. And we want people to come to our wedding and say, "Mostly, I saw Jesus there. But the bride was beautiful, and the food at the wedding was delicious."