Eyes-Closed Worship

"Modern evangelical worship is not truly corporate worship. It is rather an assembly of individuals who worship God individually while standing in the same room together." (Unknown)

Note something in the videos below: All the saints are singing with their eyes wide-open. In Paul's first letter to the church at Corinth he identified several ways that the saints were misusing and abusing one another. Paul's solution to every abuse was the same: "Look to Christ and understand your union with him and all who are joined to him by faith."

Jesus died to unite his people to the Godhead in him (in Jesus). But he also died to unite us together as one body in him (in Jesus.) Worshipping with our eyes closed cuts us off from the very ones whom Christ died to unite us together with. Other saints are not distractions to be shut-out and ignored. They supply what we lack as we worship God in the assembly, and form a significant portion of the prize secured for us in Christ's death and resurrection.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, eyes-closed worship says, "I don't really need those around me to worship God in spirit and truth. And I really prefer to embrace Jesus "a la carte"; just the head, but not the body, thank you."

Eyes-open worship affirms our utter insufficiency apart from the many diverse members of Christ's body, and delights in God's gift of the same. Eyes-open worship embraces Christ as he offers himself; "totus Christus"; all of Christ, head and body.

O Sing a New Song!

O Sing a New Song to the Lord from Daniel Foucachon on Vimeo.

These are a couple of videos taken at a recent Christ Church (Moscow, ID) psalm-sing. The people singing are congregants and not necessarily members of any formal church-choir. They are joyfully singing divinely inspired lyrics from "God's Hymnbook" (Psa. 95:2). And they are singing loudly and skilfully (Psa. 33:3). I love how the four-part singing simultaneously pictures God who is one and many (one God and three persons) and the many diverse members of Christ's body who are gloriously fitted together to form one body in Christ (Rom. 12; 1 Cor. 12). Soli Deo Gloria!

Before Thee Let My Cry Come Near from Daniel Foucachon on Vimeo.

I'm Unhappy and You're the Reason

"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content." (Philippians 4:11)

Unlike Rat, in the Pearls Befor Swine comic above, Paul believed that contentment was an internal, not an external problem. By God's grace, the Apostle to the Gentiles had learned the ability to be happy regardless of his circumstance or situation. Sadly, many Christians today tend to operate more like Rat with his "I'm unhappy, and you're the reason" way of dealing with discontent. I say "sadly", because, whereas Paul could be happy in every situation, these Christians cannot be happy any situation, even in the midst of great blessing.

The Danger of "Quiet" Times

We are all Gnostics to some degree, perennially inclined to favor the spirit over the body, preferring isolation to community, and prone to reduce our religion to "right-thinking" devoid of loving deeds. But God likes matter. He created it. And He likes community. He created that too.

In fact, He likes them so much that He has eternally joined Himself to human flesh so that He can live in community with mankind forever.

For those of you silently objecting to the charge of Gnosticism right now I have an observation and a question. Firstly, why are you objecting silently? Why aren't you railing at your computer screen out-loud? And secondly, when you pray alone, do you do so silently or vocally? Do you pray with or without the body that God has given you?

As Justin Taylor observes here there really is no Biblical warrant for silent prayer. The psalmists, prophets and even Jesus himself prayed spirit and body.

Is it mere coincidence that that vibrant, communal, public, service-oriented religion is waning at the same time that "Quiet Times" are held in such high esteem? I think not. As our fathers-in-the-faith noted, "Lex orandi, lex credendi" (The law of prayer is the law of faith.) In other words, how we pray shapes what we believe and ultimately how we live. This is no trifling matter.

So stop praying silently like Socrates, and start praying vocally like David and Daniel. Turn your quiet-times into noisy -times; daily discipling yourself to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength.

The Violence of Sanctification

A field of ripened grain is a beautiful sight to behold, but, in that state, not very useful as nourishment. Several acts of violence are necessary to transform the grain-on-the-stalk into steaming loaves of freshly-baked bread.

Although we Christians repeatedly express our desire to be useful in the Lord's service, few of us welcome the several acts of violence required to make us so. In truth, we would rather remain the waving heads of grain in the field than suffer the trauma of the scythe, the threshing floor and the grindstone. But, as Samuel Rutherford noted:

"Be content, ye are his wheat growing in our Lord's field. And if wheat, ye must go under our Lord's threshing instrument, in his barn-floor, and through the sieve, and through his mill to be bruised, as the prince of your salvation, Jesus was (Isa. 53:9), that ye may be found good bread in your Lord's house."

Take and Eat

Revelation 10:8-11) And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

In the grips of his glorious vision, John was commanded to take, and then eat “the little book”, i.e. God’s inscripturated Word. The Angels did not tell John to merely read the book. He was told to eat it.

By design our weekly worship service is packed with God’s Word, read, sung, prayed and preached. But this is no automatic blessing, for “to whom much is given, much will be required.” It is, in fact, quite possible to merely dabble with God’s self-revelation, to treat it like you would any other book, to merely hear or read it, instead of eating it. Here are three common ways of dabbling with God’s Word:

By turning it into a mere intellectual exercise: Analyzing it. Dissecting it. Criticizing it. And looking for apparent contradictions or inexplicable difficulties

By turning it into a mere moral map, or “how-to” book: How to have a nice life. How to have a happy marriage. How to have well-behaved children. How to manage your finances. How to overcome low self-esteem and other crippling conditions.

By turning into a mere collection of uplifting and inspiring phrases: If you are content to “cherry pick” your way around the Bible, ignoring whole books, chapter and large portions of chapters, this is very possible. There are enough “refrigerator magnet” verses for 3 or 4 refrigerators. And if you’re too uninspired to do that yourself, your local Christian kitsch distributor would be happy to sell you a book of two of “inspiring” verses.

But God said “take the book” and God’s messenger said “eat the book.”
How do you know whether you are dabbling with God’s Word or “eating” it? If you are eating it, then you, like St. John, are being transformed and energized by it.

The food we eat, when it is metabolized by our bodies, either builds up the body with new or repaired tissue, or is used for energy that is expressed in activity. If you are “eating” God’s Word, then Christ’s body (and you in it) is being edified, built-up and strengthened as a result. If you are “eating” God’s Word, and not merely using it (God help you) as a play-thing, then you are activated in deeds of love and mercy in the service of Jesus Christ.

Do not fool yourselves. Take and eat. The question then, is not what will you do with any portion of scripture that is read, sung or preached in your hearing. But rather, what will God’s Word do with you? Christian, take and eat. Do not dabble. Do not truncate the taking in and digesting of God’s Word into a mere intellectual, practical or inspirational exercise. Your Creator and Redeemer purposes to heal, cleanse and transform you by means of His holy Word. So, take and eat.

Modern Court Jesting

During the age of kings and queens court jesters served a very important function. They were not employed for mere comic relief. Jesters had unique royal permission to mock the ideas, fads, policies and practices of the day. If any other of the king's counselors would have attempted similar ridicule or punditry, they would quickly have been relieved of their heads. As social critics, the court jesters lampooned with hilarity and satirized with impunity.

Most of the time SNL is just downright silly (or crude.) But, at their best, they serve us as court jesters; mocking the aspects of our society that truly need to be mocked. And thereby helping us to look at, and think twice about, certain cultural phenomena. Twilight-mania is one such phenomenon, and below you will find SNL's well-deserved poke at the same. Enjoy.



For a more serious critique of Twilight I highly recommend Doug Wilson's series in the webzine version of Credenda Agenda which you can find here.

Dude, Perfect

I don't care how many times it took to get these shots. It's still pretty cool. Enjoy.

Guitar as Rhythm

I often remind my guitar students that the world can be very neatly divided into two categories: "guitar players" and "cattle." If you are the former, the video below is a "must see." If you are the latter, just keep mooooving along little dogie.

The Refiner’s Fire, Part I

Into His likeness
We all must grow
Ever more like Him
Body, mind and soul

Into His likeness
That's my destiny
He will complete the work
He began in me

In the third chapter of his first epistle, John exults, “Beloved, now we are the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that when [Jesus] shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”

John begins with two indicatives: We are (present tense) the children of God. And, our present imperfections will not last forever (i.e. the best is yet to come.) Looking forward, John revels in the sure knowledge of two future realities: Seeing Jesus in person, and being like Jesus. And note how John connects these two things together, seeing Jesus transforms us into his likeness.

This amazing transformation will be completed the instant that we behold Christ face-to-face. But prior to that wondrous moment, God is continually molding us into ever increasing Christ-likeness. As Paul notes in Romans 8:29, God’s purpose in predestination is not mere salvation from the flames of hell. Those whom God has “called according to His purpose” have been predestined “to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Jesus.)

To be quite honest, this is a lengthy, painful and arduous process. As a pastor friend of mine once noted, “Sanctification is long, slow and hard.” Amen, brother.

Although it is true that God is using everything to accomplish this task of remaking us in Christ’s image, there are three specific means that God seems particularly inclined to use: Word, Sacrament and Trials.

Word – As David noted in Psalm 19, “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” To which Paul added in his letter to the Romans, “do not to be conformed to this world, rather, be transformed by the renewing of your minds.” God the Holy Spirit shapes and molds us by His Word (see also Hebrews 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Sacraments – The central glory and import of baptism is union with Christ (Romans 6:1-5). All secondary benefits flow from this primary benefit of being covenantally joined to Christ in the water of baptism. At the Lord’s Table we partake (covenantally) of the body and blood of our Savior Jesus Christ. Although much more could be said about this, “You are what you eat” will suffice for this discussion. Communion is co-union with Christ. (This, by the way, is a powerful argument for frequent Communion.)

Trials – In his letter to the Philippians, Paul expresses his supreme desire to know Christ in “fellowship” of Christ’s sufferings “in order to become like him…” Initially this is not a pleasant thought. Who in their right mind would like to go through a trial just for the sake of being miserable? But remember what John wrote (see above)? Apprehending Jesus transforms us into his likeness.

So, embrace God’s purpose for you in salvation: Christ-likeness. Embrace the means that He has ordained to accomplish this arduous task. Read your Bible diligently and listen actively to sound preaching in order to apprehend Jesus by faith. Embrace the import and glory of the Sacraments, reminding yourself daily of the central meaning your baptism (union with Christ) and running eagerly to the Communion Table to feed upon him by faith.

And learn to glory in trials and tribulations, knowing that God is refining your faith (1 Peter 1:7) and perfecting the image of His Son in you (James 1:1-4; Malachi 3:3).

The Blessed Sledgehammer

We serve an awesome jealous God
Whose anger burns when we
Deem anything more precious
Than his sovereign majesty

In Deuteronomy 6, Yahweh commands His people not to "go after other gods" reminding Israel that He is "a jealous God among" them. For this very reason the LORD will always set Himself against anything that we love or trust more than Him. God knows that we can only be truly happy when He is our supreme happiness. And so, in an ongoing display of covenant-kindness, He takes His cosmic-sledgehammer to anything that we place above Him. And this, as Samuel Rutherford noted, ought to be an occasion for rejoicing.

"I am most gladly content that Christ breaketh all my idols in pieces: it hath put a new edge upon my blunted love to Christ. I see he is jealous of my love, and will have all to himself." (Samuel Rutherford, The Loveliness of Christ)

Who Has More Fun Than People?

The Surest Tonics

Most of the time, the best solution is the simplest solution. And more often than not, the simplest solution is overlooked. Our problems are complex (we think) and therefore (we reason) so must be the solutions to our problems. But as C. H. Spurgeon observes below, sometimes in the grip of despondency we just need to go for a walk in the woods (or a mountain-bike ride in the hills.)

As the "prince of preachers" notes, to not make or take opportunities to refresh ourselves amidst the "fresh air of the hills" is to make of ourselves "a self-immolated victim." God forbid!


"There can be little doubt that sedentary habits have a tendency to create despondency in some constitutions…To sit long in one posture, poring over a book, or driving a quill, is in itself a taxing of nature; but add to this a badly-ventilated chamber, a body which has long been without muscular exercise, and a heart burdened with many cares, and we have all the elements for preparing a seething cauldron of despair, especially in the dim months of fog –

When a blanket wraps the day,
When the rotten woodland drips,
And the leaf is stamped in clay.

Let a man be naturally as blithe as a bird, [or else] he will hardly be able to bear up year after year against such a suicidal process; he will make his study a prison and his books the warders of a gaol, while nature lies outside his window calling him to health and beckoning him to joy. He who forgets the humming of the bees among the heather, the cooing of the wood-pigeons in the forest, the song of birds in the woods, the rippling of rills among the rushes, and the sighing of the wind among the pines, needs not wonder if his heart forgets to sing and his soul-grows heavy. A day's breathing of fresh air upon the hills, or a few hours’ ramble in the beech woods’ umbrageous calm, would sweep the cobwebs out of the brain of scores of our toiling ministers who are now but half alive. A mouthful of sea air; or a stiff walk in the wind's face, would not give grace to the soul, but it would yield oxygen to the body, which is next best.

Heaviest the heart is in a heavy air,
Ev'ry wind that rises blows away despair.

The ferns and the rabbits, the streams and the trouts, the fir trees and the squirrels, the primroses and the violets, the farm-yard, the new-mown hay, and the fragrant hops - these are the best medicine for hypochondriacs, the surest tonics for the declining, the best refreshments for the weary. For lack of opportunity, or inclination, these great remedies are neglected, and the student becomes a self-immolated victim." (Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students)

On Every Page

"The Old Testament is Jesus predicted; the Gospels are Jesus revealed; Acts is Jesus preached; the Epistles, Jesus explained; the Revelation, Jesus expected." (Alec Motyer, Look to the Rock)

Only Jesus Himself Will Do

Here's a question: "Why are so many church-goers weak, struggling and depressed these days?" The simple answer would be: "Well, they're not being taught God's Word." But too often these "struggling saints" are in churches that take the Bible and doctrine very seriously. So, what gives?

In the twenty-fourth chapter of his Gospel, Luke records the conversation that took place between Jesus and some disciples on the road to Emmaus. In this conversation Jesus disclosed the key to understanding all of Scripture: Himself. In essence Jesus said, "The whole Bible, front to back and side to side is about me."

In the sixteenth chapter of his Gospel, John records Jesus' last words to his disciples before his passion and death. In this discourse Jesus promised to send the gift of the Holy Spirit after he had returned to his heavenly Father. But he also revealed the purpose of the Holy Spirit when he said, "He shall glorify me." (John 16:14a)

In the law of Moses, God's people were thrice forbidden to "boil a kid-goat in its mother's milk." In other words, the Israelites were not to take something intended to nurture and sustain life and turn it into a means of slow death. As noted above, the Scriptures were given to reveal Jesus who is himself the resurrection and the life (John 11:25). The Spirit was given to reveal Jesus who is himself the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). Therefore, to the extent that preaching reveals the person and work of Christ, it brings life. And to the extent that it ignores or obfuscates Christ, it brings death. As M. Craig Barnes notes:

"Protestant churches today are filled with people who have learned the right answers to the questions about the content of our faith. They know the stories of the Bible, the teachings of the prophets and apostles, and why their particular brand of church has interpreted the Bible the way it has. But in every soul the insatiable thirst for holiness perseveres. The living water that can quench this thirst is not more right information about Jesus. Only Jesus himself will do. And Jesus is not a what; he's a who. So the preacher dare not reduce the person of Christ to orthodox theology about him, or the souls of everyone in church that day will leave as parched as they arrived." (M. Craig Barnes, The Pastor as Minor Poet)

The God-fearing Greeks in John 12 approached Philip with a profoundly insightful request: "Sir, we would see Jesus." It's high time we asked the same from those who bring us God's Word.

The Main Source of Your Unhappiness

Modern psychiatry tends to take a dim view of talking to yourself. But the Bible depicts talking to yourself as the epitome of mental health, provided you are saying the right sorts of things. Here’s what Martyn Lloyd-Jones has to say on the matter:

“The main trouble in this whole matter of spiritual depression in a sense is this, that we allow our self to talk to us instead of talking to our self. Am I just trying to be deliberately paradoxical? Far from it. This is the very essence of wisdom in this matter. Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself? Take those thoughts that come to you the moment you wake up in the morning. You have not originated them, but they start talking to you, they bring back the problem of yesterday, etc. Somebody is talking. Who is talking to you? Your self is talking to you. Now this man’s treatment [in Psalm 42] was this; instead of allowing this self to talk to him, he starts talking to himself, ‘Why art thou cast down, O my soul?’ he asks. His soul had been repressing him, crushing him. So he stands up and says: ‘Self, listen for a moment, I will speak to you’. Do you know what I mean? If you do not, you have but little experience.”

“The main art in the matter of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself. You have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself. You must say to your soul: ‘Why art thou cast down’–what business have you to be disquieted? You must turn on yourself, upbraid yourself, condemn yourself, exhort yourself, and say to yourself: ‘Hope thou in God’–instead of muttering in this depressed, unhappy way. And then you must go on to remind yourself of God, Who God is, and what God is and what God has done, and what God has pledged Himself to do. Then having done that, end on this great note: defy yourself, and defy other people, and defy the devil and the whole world, and say with this man: ‘I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance, who is also the health of my countenance and my God’.” (Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression)

So grab a good cup of coffee, grab your Bible and then grab yourself by the lapels and give yourself a good talking to. Stop listening to your random fear-and-ignorance generated thoughts, and start talking to yourself, recollecting, rehearsing and recounting who God is, what He has done and what He has promised to do. True and lasting joy awaits those who will, regardless of present circumstance or situation.

If you would like to hear more on this I strongly recommend that you listen to this sermon by C. J. Mahaney. I have never heard a finer exposition of Psalm 42.

Thunder Road

My son Jason has been working many long hours to restore his 1980 Honda CX500 Deluxe. As you can see, he did a great job. Nice work Jas. Keep'er under a hundred, son.





Well the nights busting open
These two lanes will take us anywhere
We got one last chance to make it real
To trade in these wings on some wheels
Climb on back
Heavens waiting on down the tracks
Oh-oh come take my hand
Riding out tonight to case the promised land
Oh-oh thunder road, oh thunder road oh thunder road
Lying out there like a killer in the sun
Hey I know it's late we can make it if we run
Oh thunder road, sit tight take hold
Thunder road (Bruce Springsteen, Thunder Road)

Worship with "Crowd Appeal"

Regarding worship, modern Christians tend to place a premium on creativity and immediacy. While the historic Church has favored biblical fidelity and long-term effect when crafting and preserving worship liturgies.

Sadly, we moderns have too readily set aside "tried and true" in favor of "new and improved" heedless of the long-term consequences of "worshipping God the way that I want to." As Simon Chan observes:

“One of the reasons many churches have abandoned good liturgical practices is a failure to understand why these practices developed. Sound liturgical practices may not have an immediate effect on worshipper, but if we know that they are right practices, then the absence of any obvious immediate effects should not prompt a quest for alternatives with greater crowd appeal. Instead, we should be looking for ways to improve the practices. We persevere in them because they are true; and the truth not only sets us free from the pressures of false demands that the world imposes on the church but also makes us into the people we know God wants us to be.” (Simon Chan, Liturgical Theology)

Of Rainy Days and Crowns

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." (St. Paul)

We finite creatures tend to get stuck in the moment. We easily forget that our present sufferings serve a larger purpose and will not continue unabated forever. And thusly convinced, we grumble and groan to the same extent that we see our sufferings as random accidents to be stoically endured. And we are discouraged and embittered to the same extent that we lose sight of "the glory that is to be revealed."

We use our puny selves as yardsticks to measure the magnitude of our trials and conclude that they are mountainous. Paul used the glory of Him who fills the universe as the yardstick to determine the size of his sufferings and concluded that they were miniscule.

Present affliction, disease, abandonment, heartache, alienation and/or depression are painful to be sure. And no suffering is easily borne. But if we are to bear the various trials that God has promised to send, and as James commanded, to rejoice in them, then we must learn to view the tests of today in the blazing light of future glory.

As John Trapp once noted, "He that rides to be crowned, will not think much of a rainy day."

The Fellowship of Suffering

“…that I may know Christ, and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings.” (St. Paul)

It’s a little bit odd, but there is nothing like a service project, family vacation or backpacking trip gone horribly wrong to bond people together. And it would seem that the worse the weather/hardship/discomfort, the more intense and long-lasting the bond that is formed in the crucible of suffering.

This helps to explain the otherwise inscrutable desire of Paul to experience the sufferings of Christ. Like his Savior, Paul too had been misunderstood and misquoted, misused and abused, betrayed and abandoned, tried and imprisoned by his moral inferiors. And yet, when the dust of affliction had begun to settle, the net effect was what Paul could only describe as “fellowship” with Jesus.

I think this intimate communion is what Samuel Rutherford had in mind when he penned, “Well’s them who are under crosses, and Christ says to them, ‘Half Mine.’”

No Pain, No Gain

There is a curious side effect to aerobic exercise. After a certain period, usually about 20 minutes, the body releases endorphins ("any of a group of hormones secreted within the brain and nervous system and activating the body’s opiate receptors, causing an analgesic effect" - Oxford English Dictionary) into the blood stream causing, what some have termed, "the runner's high."

For me this happens at precisely 22 minutes into my workout. The first 21 minutes of the bike-ride or run are mostly about pain and the persistent pleas of various joints and muscle groups to "cease and desist." But then, miraculously and quite wonderfully, at 22 minutes, my body's cries morph from "Stop, you idiot!" to "Nice going buddy...we're with you...go for it." If you've never experienced this, trust me, it can be rather addicting.

Similarly, there is a mysteriously potent comfort that comes to the faithful as they undergo various trials, afflictions and sufferings. It is a consolation so profound and so unlike the day-to-day graces that God regularly bestows, that those who have experienced it long to experience the heavenly solace again, even if it means obtaining it through suffering. As John Bunyan once wrote:

"Look how fears have presented themselves, so have supports and encouragements; yea, when I have started, even as it were at nothing else but my shadow, yet God, as being very tender of me, hath not suffered me to be molested, but would with one scripture or another, strengthen me against all; insomuch that I have often said, 'Were it lawful, I could pray for greater trouble, for the greater comfort's sake.'"

When Up is Down and Down is Up

Down?
Elizabeth Elliot's husband, Jim, was murdered by the Auca Indians giving her the opportunity to show them the love and forgiveness of Christ and lead a great number of them to salvation.

Joni Eareckson Tada was paralyzed as a young girl, giving her a global platform from which to declare the perfectly wise and loving sovereignty of God.

John Bunyan was imprisoned for over 18 years during which he conceived and wrote one of the top-selling books of all time, The Pilgrim's Progress.


Up?
Kenneth and Connie Parker were winners of a $25 million jackpot. Their 16-year marriage disintegrated just months after they became rich beyond their wildest dreams.


Jeffrey Dampier, a $20 million winner, was kidnapped and murdered by his own sister-in-law.


In 2002, Jack Whittaker won the largest individual payout in U.S. lottery history and immediately assured everyone, "I can take this much money and do a lot of good with it right now."

But it didn't work out like that.

Whittaker's life was consumed by hardship, including the death of his beloved granddaughter Brandi, who was a victim of a drug overdose, and the breakup of his marriage. "If I knew what was going to transpire, honestly, I would have torn the ticket up," said Jewell Whittaker, Jack Whittaker's ex-wife.


Explanation
"As the wicked are hurt by the best of things, so the godly are bettered by the worst." (William Jenkyn)

In the Cellar of Affliction

"When I am in the cellar of afflction, I look for the Lord's choicest wines." (Samuel Rutherford)

"We often learn more of God under the rod that strikes us, than under the staff that comforts us." (Stephen Charnock)

"It is said that in some countries trees will grow, but will bear no fruit, because there is no winter there." (John Bunyan)

Here's a question: When you find yourself amidst the pain of affliction, what is your first response? a) Cry out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Please take the pain away right now!" or b) Exult in God's fatherly care and kindness and begin to prayerfully consider what He is trying to teach you.

If we are honest, most of us would have to answer "option a", but "option b" is certainly more consonant with the "For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives" of Hebrews 12:6.

Although our flesh tries to argue otherwise, the pain of affliction is not evidence of God's abandoning us. It is in fact just the opposite. It demonstrates that our heavenly Father is here and actively loving us as His children. And, were God to answer our pleas to take the pain away, the lesson intended to produce Christ-likeness would vanish with the pain.

If nothing else, the pain of affliction ought to direct our attentions and affections heavenward. As Thomas Watson put it, "When God lays men on their backs, then they look up to heaven."

Lord, make it so for all who love You. And start with me.

The Diamond Dust of Heaven

"Adversity is the diamond dust Heaven polishes its jewels with." (Robert Leighton)

"One son God hath without sin, but none without sorrow." (John Trapp)

"Affliction may be lasting, but it is not everlasting." (Thomas Watson)

"Not to be afflicted is a sign of weakness; for, therefore God imposeth no more on me, because He sees I can bear no more." (Joseph Hall)

"The Lord does not measure out our affections according to our faults, but according to our strength, and looks not what we have deserved, but what we are able to bear." (George Downame)

"A common but futile strategy for achieving joy is trying to eliminate things that hurt: get rid of pain by numbing the nerve ends, get rid of insecurity by eliminating risks, get rid of disappointments by depersonalizing your relationships. And then try to lighten the boredom of such a life by buying joy in the form of vacations and entertainment." (Eugene Peterson)

Cadre of Christian Crescent Wrenches

Last night at our Reformation Day Feast we heard from Russ and Sherrie Cole who will be travelling to Haiti next week to spend several months working at the Ebenezer Glenn Orphanage in the town of Dessaline. In his presentation, Russ very humbly referred to himself as a "crescent wrench - not the perfect tool for any job, but usually helpful."

Having spent some time in third world countries I know full well the value of the "crescent wrenches" of this world; men who can repair, rebuild or replace motors, transmissions, plumbing, generators, water-purifiers and water pumps with journeyman-skill and craftsman-like patience. Although these multi-talented saints are not usually gifted teachers and preachers. They are most often the ones that earn the trust of the locals and over time gain a hearing for the good news of our Savior.

So let's hear it for the Cadre of Christian Crescent Wrenches! May the Lord add to their number and continue to bless the nations, pave the way for Gospel preaching and glorify Jesus with their "get'er done" skills and humble service.

Cannabilistic Science

Christians tend to get all discombobulated and vexed when the science du jour asserts something contrary to the Bible. But instead of sounding the alarm, rallying the troops and storming the bastions of unbelieving science, believers would be much better served by simply exercising patience. For, as Spurgeon notes below, the greatest enemy of faulty science, is...well...science.

"See how often science has altered its very basis. Science is notorious for being most scientific in destruction of all the science that has gone before it. I have sometimes indulged myself in reading ancient natural history and nothing can be more comic. In twenty year's time some of us may probably find great amusement in the serious scientific teaching of the present hour, even as we do now in the systems of the last century. It may happen that in a little time the doctrine of evolution will be the standing jest of schoolboys." (C. H. Spurgeon)

Some people allege that the Church's unwillingness to accept the heliocentric (sun-in-the-middle) cosmology proposed by Copernicus early in the 16th century as evidence of the Church's need to accept the "science of the day." But in fact, the Church had a difficult time embracing Copernicus' new (and correct) way of viewing our solar system simply because it had already embraced the "science of the day" that posited a geocentric (earth-in-the-middle) solar system centuries before (oops!)

Because scientific history is replete with theories that have been proved either false or inadequate, Doug Jones has suggested that we, in proper humility, wait for at least 2000 years before we call anything a "law" of science. This is, of course, frustrating for moderns who are addicted to fast food, microwave ovens and TV shows that resolve complex situations in under an hour. But given man's God-given curiosity and amazing ability to uncover what God has covered (Proverbs 25:2) 2000 years might not be long enough.

Fear Not

"'Fear not' is one of Jesus' most frequently repeated phrases. This is because the enemy of our faith is not doubt but fear. Our level of fear is the indication of how little of God's perfect love we have received. No one gets caught up in God's drama for their lives without having to take huge risks. Those who believe they are the beloved move from one risk to the next, not because they expect to always succeed, but because they don't care if they fail. How bad can failure be? They can't lose the love of God.

Since the subtext of being the beloved of God lies beneath so many presenting issues, minor poets can never run out of love sonnets. We have to keep finding new ways of saying the same thing: 'You are the beloved of God.' But it is important that we not become sentimental about this love. The Scripture makes it clear that God chastens and disciplines those who are loved (Rev. 3:19). This is no ordinary lover we have; this one will be impossible to manipulate. It is God who molds us, and sometimes that hurts. Love isn't always easy on us, but it is always our salvation." (M. Craig Barnes, The Pastor as Minor Poet)

Law and Gospel

Some modern theologians, following Martin Luther, contend that the Law of God always/only accuses and condemns, and that the Gospel always/only encourages and saves. But a careful reading of the Bible indicates that this hermeneutic (way of interpreting Scripture) is too simplistic. In Psalm 19, "the law is perfect converting the soul." And in Paul's letter to the Corinthians, the aroma of Christ (the Gospel) is life to some and death to others.

Instead of "law versus Gospel," perhaps a better, more Biblical dichotomy is "belief versus unbelief." To the believer all of God's Word (law and Gospel) is blessing. He rejoices to hear the news of God's free grace in Christ Jesus, and regarding the law, he exults with the psalmist, "O, how I love your law, it is my meditation day and night!" In stark contrast, the unbeliever hates with equal vigor both the law that exposes his sin, and the Gospel devoid of his merit.

Martin Luther's "law/gospel" distinction was certainly helpful as he battled the works orientation of the 16th century Roman Catholic Church, but unhelpful as a permanent hermeneutic. Martin Bucer, the Reformer of Strasbourg, took Luther's teachings and refined them, retaining both the death-dealing and life-giving properties of God's law. Viz:

"Bucer absorbed everything Luther said on human sinfulness, on human failure to fulfill God's law, and on the impossibility of becoming justified through works. He agreed entirely with Luther that Christians must place their trust solely in Christ, not in their own deeds and accomplishments. But Bucer was driving at a much broader understanding of God's law. God certainly accuses us and convicts us of our sins, but we have to go beyond this understanding of God's law, which remains external and foreign to us human beings. Christians, however, relate to God's law in a new way: they consent to it in their hearts and are moved by the Holy Spirit to live and behave according to it. Borrowing from Aristotle, Bucer described the way the law works in Christians as Entelechia, as an 'active and effective energy.'" (Martin Greschat, Martin Bucer - A Reformer and His Times)

Tradition

"When writing about church history, we have to go back to the very beginning. Our pastor was born in 1930." (Sally Brown in the Peanuts comic strip)

"Tradition is the living faith of the dead. Traditionalism is the dead faith of the living." (Jaroslav Pelikan)

"Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who happend to walking about." (G. K. Chesterton)

Mosaic Taskmasters

"Surprisingly, Jesus begins his litany of woe (Matthew 23) by commending the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees. They sit in the seat of Moses, and Jesus' disciples are to 'do and observe' what they say.

They may sit in the seat of Moses' seat, but they are not Mosaic in their conduct. Moses came to break the yoke of oppression and free slaves, but the scribes and Pharisees 'tie up heavy loads and lay them on men's shoulders' and refuse to lift a finger to help. Despite their teaching, they are more Pharaoh than Moses.

These are sobering words for pastors. We, too, 'sit in the seat of Moses,' but are capable of turning the gospel of freedom into an instrument of oppression. We must be aware the hypocrisy of announcing 'Let my people go' with our lips while saying 'bricks without straw' with our lives." (Peter Leithart in Touchstone )

Greater Love Hath No Man...

When we hear Jesus extol the virtue of "laying down our lives for one another" most of us begin to fantasize about how noble we would look saving a dear one by pushing them out the path of an oncoming bus and perishing in the process. Allow me to butcher an old comedian's observation: "Dying is easy, moving your friend is hard." And that's why I am always so amazed at the turnout when one our our families needs some help to move their belongings. And even more amazed by the cheerfulness of the service rendered!

Thanks Halls, Thodys, Johnsons, Blacks, Lolos, Madsons, Eiferts, Wiley, Tracy, Knight and Lindman! Well done thou good and faithful servants.



Here are a few more pics.

Human Life is Finite

"There can be 999 trees in our garden to which we can freely go an enjoy their fruit, but where do we pitch our tent? Under the one tree we cannot have. We begin to obsess over this thing that we do not have, and we let the rest of the garden go to weeds. How can we get the one thing that is missing? It's right there. So judging the garden that God gave us and called "good" to to be not good enough, we reach for more than we were created to have."

"From the beginning we were created to be receivers, not achievers. Nothing is more countercultural to contemporary Americans."

"Freedom is found not in escaping limits, but of discovering the goodness of life within them. Our culture tells us just the opposite. It claims that we won't be free until we buy the more expensive car or house, make the next move, or get the next promotion. But none of those achievements are capable of making us free. Typically, they only enslave us."

- M. Craig Barnes in The Pastor as Minor Poet

We Are Made in the Image of God

"Pastors never trust the self-image of anyone. That's because most people construct their identities from an assortment of borrowed images. The typical American today strives to be as attractive as the models on fashion magazine covers, as successful in work as Bill Gates, as sensitive a spouse and parent as June Cleaver, and as death-defyingly healthy as Lance Armstrong - all while maintaining the inner peace of the Dalai Lama. The fact that these images are often in conflict with each other creates tension within the heart of the individual, who tries desperately to meet all their demands."

"The restoration of Christ, often referred to as conversion, does not make us into different people but converts us back to what God designed us to be from the very beginning - specifically, creatures who bear the mark of holiness. This is a progressive process through which we are changes "from one degree of glory to another" (2 Cor. 3:18). But our movement through this sanctification occurs not through our own efforts at developing piety. It is only as the Holy Spirit binds us into the life of Christ that we are able to take on this holiness. Thus, our spirituality is always vicarious, since it is through this union in Christ that we are made holy. He is the image of God that we bear on our lives."

"Rather than using the few reflective listening skills we learned in our Introduction to Pastoral Care seminary classes, whichi is only another way of holding up the judgemental mirror, we pastors need to hold up Jesus Christ. "See him?" we say. "That's who you really are. Everything else about you is just pretending."

- M. Craig Barnes in The Pastor as Minor Poet

Adept With Our Thumbs

"We don't fight horizontal battles without reference to the spiritual battle. Obviously. But if we fight "spiritual" battles only, then we are to real spiritual war what video gamers are to actual combat. Adept with our thumbs." - Douglas Wilson

"We have no king but Caesar!"

To reject Christ as king, is to embrace the state as king. There is no third option. The state is very happy to play the role of savior, but in times of relative peace and prosperity needs to fabricate crises from which to "save" its citizenry. Therefore "watch and pray."

The Pastor as Minor Poet (part 1)

"There is no shortage of formulas for creating a successfully constructed pastorate being peddled in the professional religious market today. All of these formulas are based on the assumption that pastors need to meet the expectations of those who are already in the church and especially of those who are not there yet...But when we [pastors] begin with our identity in Christ and the pastoral call to assist others in becoming fully alive in him, we are freed from the drudgery of being managers and service providers to pursue something more creative - being poets of the soul...I present this not as the normative or even preferred image, but simply as another biblical description of the calling of those who have been blessed with a vision that allows them to explore, and express, the truth behind the reality. Poets see the despair and heartache as well as the beauty and miracle that lie just beneath the thin veneer of the ordinary, and they describe this in ways that are recognized not only in the mind, but more profoundly in the soul...What the congregation needs is not another strategist to help them form another plan for achieving a desired image of life, but a poet who looks beneath even the desperation to recover the mystery of what it means to be made in God's image."

"Poets are devoted more to truth than to reality; they are not unaware of reality, but they never accept it at face value. The value of reality is only found by peeling back its appearance to discover the underlying truth. This is why poets care about the text, what is said or done, but only in order to reveal subtext, which reveals what it means. They value the reality they see primarily as a portal that invites them into a more mysterious en¬counter with truth. This is what distinguishes poets from those whose contributions to society are focused simply on following a particular text. Engineers, for example, follow their textbooks in constructing a bridge that leads across the deep ravines. And one hopes that they have been very, very devoted to those texts. By contrast, a poet who crosses the engineer's bridge will go home and spend all day constructing verse that reveals the longing of the soul to find such an overpass when we stand on the banks of a disaster and peer down into the valley of death."

"A good poet is hard to find, and nothing is more tragic than wasting one in a busy office."

- M. Craig Barnes

Bikestry

As my old pastor used to say, "Who has more fun than people?" (HT: Doug Milner)

Maintaining the Unity of the Saints

In his book, Vintage Church (co-written with past Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church, Seattle, WA) Gerry Breshears distinguishes between four different “levels of certainty” regarding doctrinal truths, and maintains that discerning what’s essential and what’s merely controversial is foundational for maintaining Christian unity within a local church. Here are the four “levels of certainty.”

Truths that we would be ready to die for: These are truths, which if denied, would put a person out of the realm of core Christian orthodoxy, and quite possibly indicate the absence of saving faith. An example of this would be the doctrine of the Incarnation (the teaching that Jesus is God and uniquely came to earth in the flesh.) For other examples, think of the sorts of truths asserted in the Apostles’ and Nicean Creeds.

Truths that would be ready to divide for: These are truths which are not essential to salvation nor core tennents of Christian orthodoxy, but would probably be necessary for warm fellowship and meaningful partnership in a local church. Examples would include church polity (who rules and how they rule), the meaning and practice of the Sacraments (who are the proper recipients and how are the elements to be administered.) As Breshears notes, “Such differences are legitimate as long as the unity of the body of Jesus Christ is affirmed and dividing points are truly central issues.”

Truths we would debate for: These are the sorts of truths that are debated intensely, emotionally and sometimes even hotly between members of a church that are growing in Christ, loving one another and ministering together. Examples would include worship music, liturgy, pulpit fare, modes of Christian education and budgetary issues. These debates are conducted in the context of true Christian community and actually serve to unite the brethren. As Breshears notes, “The wrestling may be prolonged or painful, but we do it while maintaining regular fellowship, joining together in worship and proclamation.”

Truths we decide for: These are the sorts of truths that simply reflect or express little more than personal tastes or opinions. Examples would include diet, recreation, music, clothing, entertainment, etc.

Breshears concludes with this helpful comment: “Divisive people are ones who elevate lower-level issues to divide-fors. False teachers treat die-for issues as questions open for humble discussion. As we utilize these levels as a community of believers, we can avoid the trap of being unnecessarily divisive on the one hand and compromising the faith on the other.”

Translating Joe Cocker (finally!)

Although it took a team of translators working around the clock for nearly four decades, they were finally able to translate Joe Cocker's With a Little Help From My Friends performed in 1969 at the famous Woodstock concert. FYI: Zondervan is already seeking permission to do a "gender neutral" version of the same. Enjoy.

Wedge Mountain Wowie

On a whim I decided to hike up Wedge Mountain today. Wow. Beautiful, crisp Fall day in Central Washington. It doesn't get any better than this. The views of Snow Lake and a mountain called "The Temple" were spectacular. You can view the pictures here.

Famous Last Words

As the author of Hebrews noted, “It is appointed for every man to die once, and then the judgment.” Here are some "last words" from some men who knew they were about to face that judgment. May God grant us grace to make our appearance before His throne with appropriate humility and faith.

William Pitt (18th century British Prime Minister and friend of William Wilberforce): “I have, like other men, neglected too much to have any ground of hope that can be efficacious on a deathbed, but I throw myself on the mercy of God through the merits of Christ.”

John Randolf (18th century American statesmen and orator): “Remorse, remorse, remorse! Let me see the word. Show me it in a dictionary. Write it then. Ah! Remorse – you don’t know what it means. I cast myself on the Lord Jesus Christ for mercy.”

John Bunyan (author of Pilgrim’s Progress): “Weep not for me, but for yourselves. I go to the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ; Who will, no doubt, through the mediation of His blessed Son, receive me, though a sinner…”

Richard Baxter (17th century pastor, theologian and prolific writer): “I am the vilest dunghill worm that ever went to heaven. Lord! What is man; what am I; vile worm to the great God?” When assured by a friend that he had been very blessed by his writings, Baxter replied: “I was but a pen in God’s hands, and what praise is due to a pen?”

Thomas Paine (patriot, acknowledged atheist and author of Common Sense and The Age of Reason): “I would give worlds, if I had them, that Age of Reason had not been published. O Lord help me! Christ help me! O God what have I done to suffer so much? But there is no God! But if there should be, what will become of me hereafter? Stay with me, for God’s sake! Send even a child to stay with me, for it is hell to be alone. If ever the devil had an agent, I have been that one.”

William Pope (18th century leader of a band of infidels who would often mock God by kicking around and then tearing up Bibles): “I have no contrition. I cannot repent. God will damn me. I know the grace is past…You see one who is damned forever…Oh, Eternity, Eternity!....Nothing for me but hell. Come, eternal torments…I hate everything God has made, only I have no hatred for the devil – I wish to be with him. I long to be in hell. Do you not see? Do you not see him? He is coming for me.”

What Kind of EccesiAnimal Are You?

Socrates once said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." And this being true, it is often helpful to have some direction or criteria as we do so.

According to Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, WA, “People who come to church need to be assessed so that the church leaders can identify who they are and what they need.” So the question is, “What kind of ecclesi-animal are you?”

Horses are vibrant leaders who pull a lot of weight and run fast. Horses need to have character, sound doctrine and agree with the vision of the church.

Colts are emerging leaders who need training, testing and opportunities to lead. If properly broken in, a colt can be developed into a horse.

Fish are non-Christians who are spiritually lost and often not actively looking for God. Fish need a Christian friend to lovingly introduce them to Jesus and his church.

Eagles are skilled leaders who are being developed within the church with the express kingdom purpose of leaving the proverbial nest and leading a ministry elsewhere, such as missions work and church planting.

Mules are faithful workers who dependably and continually do whatever is asked of them in the church. Mules need to be thanked and protected from burnout.

Cows are selfish people who wander from church to church, chewing up resources without ever giving back to the church until they kill it. A fence needs to be built around the church to keep the cows out.

Squirrels are people who are generally liked because they are nice, but they rarely do anything meaningful. Squirrels need to be put to work in the church.

Stray Cats are socially peculiar loners who linger around the church. Stray Cats need a friend to bring them into the church and an opportunity to serve other people so that they can be meaningfully connected to the church.

Rats are people who appear to have the potential to have a fruitful ministry, but they lack dependability, humility, or maturity. Rats need to be rebuked, and if they do not repent, they must be strategically ignored until they commit to no longer being a waste of time and effort.

Sheep are people who have legitimate needs that require patient and loving support. Examples of sheep include widows, orphans, and those who are seriously ill or fighting addictions. Sheep need to be loved and served.

Ducks are disgruntled people who continually quack about whatever they are unhappy about. Ducks need to stop quacking, or the pastor(s) must go duck hunting before the ducks drown out everyone and everything in the church.

Wolves are false teachers whom Satan sends into the church to devour Jesus’ sheep. Wolves need to be quickly identified, rebuked, and if they are unrepentant, they must be shot before their false teaching destroys people in the church.

Snakes are evil people sent by the Serpent on a mission to destroy the church through anything from sexual sin to starting rumors. Leaders must stomp on the heads of snakes before they bite people and infect them with deadly venom.

Behind Every Good Man...

Fernando Ortega - "Give Me Jesus" from Adamson.TV on Vimeo.

It Just Takes Too Much Faith to Be an Atheist

(HT: S. S. Thomas)

Don't Worry, Be Happy

“What is happiness?” There are basically two kinds of people who ask this question. The first sort asks the question in an attempt to prove to themselves and others that their present circumstance makes it impossible for them to be happy. The second sort of person asks the question genuinely, seeking answers, and open to the wisdom of those “older and wiser.”

If you are really interested in understanding how to obtain happiness, try reflecting upon and then rewriting the following in your own words.

"Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty." (Eliphaz to Job, in Job 5:17)

"Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding…he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he…whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he…But happy is he who keeps the law." (King Solomon)

"I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve." (Albert Schweitzer)

"I think I began learning long ago that those who are happiest are those who do the most for others." (Booker T. Washington)

"If only we'd stop trying to be happy we'd have a pretty good time." (Edith Wharton)

"You can never get enough of what you don't need to make you happy." (Eric Hoffer)

"The true way to render ourselves happy is to love our work and find in it our pleasure." (Francoise De Motteville)

"Happiness cannot come from without. It must come from within. It is not what we see and touch or that which others do for us which makes us happy; it is that which we think and feel and do, first for the other fellow and then for ourselves." (Helen Keller)

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us." (Helen Keller)

"Many people have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose." (Helen Keller)

"All seasons are beautiful for the person who carries happiness within." (Horace Fries)

"Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others, cannot keep it from themselves." (James M. Barrie)

"The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make heaven of Hell, and a hell of Heaven." (John Milton)

"The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers." (Scott Peck)

"The greatest part of our happiness depends on our dispositions, not our circumstances." (Martha Washington)

"There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life -- happiness, freedom, and peace of mind -- are always attained by giving them to someone else." (Peyton Conway March)

"Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

"If you observe a really happy man you will find him building a boat, writing a symphony, educating his son, growing double dahlias in his garden. He will not be searching for happiness as if it were a collar button that has rolled under the radiator." (W. Beran Wolfe)

The First Rule of Economics (Mis)Applied

Just Kidding!

Funny and amazing. Famazing!

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

A Thanksgiving Service in Hell

"Let us not glide through this world and then slip quietly into Heaven, without having blown the trumpet loud and long for our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Let us see to it that the Devil will hold a thanksgiving service in Hell when he gets the news of our departure from the field of battle." - C. T. Studd

The Government Can!!!

Funny Music + Sad Topic = Very funny video.
Enjoy.

Rogaine!

According to Tim Hawkins, as Eric Clapton rolls into the winter of his years, his classic "Cocaine" will must needs be replaced by "Rogaine." Enjoy.

If Your Lord Call You to Suffering...

"If your Lord call you to suffering, be not dismayed; there shall be a new allowance of the King for you when ye come to it. One of the softest pillows Christ hath is laid under his witnesses' head, though often they must set down their bare feet among thorns." (Samuel Rutherford)

Samuel Rutherford on the Lord's Seemingly Harsh Dealings

"Let not the Lord's dealings seem harsh, rough, or unfatherly, because it is unpleasant. When the Lord's blessed will bloweth cross your desires, it is best in humility to strike sail to him and to be willing to be laid any way our Lord pleaseth; it is a point of denial of yourself, to be as if ye had not a will, but had made a free disposition of it to God, and had sold it over to him; and to make use of his will for yours own is both true holiness, and your ease and peace."

Matthew Henry on "The Difficulties of Providence"

“The difficulties of providence, otherwise unaccountable, may be resolved into this—God intends in them to show himself, to declare his glory, to make himself to be taken notice of. Those who regard him not in the ordinary course of things are sometimes alarmed by things extraordinary. How contentedly then may a good man be a loser in his comforts, while he is sure that thereby God will be one way or other a gainer in his glory!”

Charlie the Lonesome Cougar

Here is an actual retouched photo:


A few weeks ago I rode the Freund Canyon loop with Doug Milner and my son Jason. On the way down a cougar jumped onto the trail behind me and chased me down the hill, swatting at my rear tire! I was completely unaware and oblivious to the danger (ignorance is bliss!) Jason, who was coasting down the trail behind me, stood up on his pedals and yelled at the top of his lungs. The cat froze, jumped off the trail and into the brush trail-side. As my son rode past the cougar it accelerated and ran along side Jason for about 25 meters.

There were a few other close calls which you can read about in a Seattle Times article here.

The Fish and Wildlife folk tried to track, tranquilize and relocate the mountain lion, but before they could do so, it attacked some livestock at the base of the canyon, and was shot by the farmer. Thus endeth the short saga of Charlie the Lonesome Cougar.

I'm Greener Than You...

"Nissan announced that they’ve developed a new car that gets 367 miles per gallon. It’s called the Nissan Fred Flintstone....In a related story, Toyota just announced their new car will get 500 mpg, plant rainforests, and give birth to endangered pandas." (Conan O'Brien)

Insufferably Inarticulate

This is a rhetorical masterpiece. Unlike modern-speak, every word in this short monologue counts and every inflection conveys the proper and intended meaning of the speaker. This should be required viewing for everyone who uses the English language either professionally or conversationally. Enjoy.

Whereat Our Cups Ranneth Over

Brother Andy caught two humongous salmon out of the Columbia River yesterday morning and his first impulse was to celebrate and share (I love our folks!) So he and Julie invited four other families from church over for a salmon feast (for a total of 25 souls!) The salmon was grilled to perfection, one fish slightly candied and the other smothered in herbs and spices. The Halls brought over a delicious Texas German potato-salad to supplement Julie's home-made corn bread (made with home-ground corn.) Wow! After dinner and some wonderful table fellowship, including some amazing stories of God's preserving graces and a toast to John and Marillyn who were celebrating their 22nd wedding anniversary, we sang psalms out of the Cantus Christi together for about 40 minutes. After each psalm a half-dozen little hands would shoot up with a suggestion of what to sing next! And then to top off an already perfect evening, we all, the whole lot of us, divided into two teams for a rousing game of "Trivial Pursuit" whilst partaking of apple-crisp, sweet zuccini-bread, whipped cream, banana cream-pie and ice-cream. "How good and pleasant it is when the brethren dwell together in unity." 'Nuff sed. Amen.

What is That?

What a privilege it is for us to care for our parents in the "winter of their years." Enjoy. (HT: Brian Nolder)

Acapella Tribute to John Williams (Star Wars)

Clever and humorous. Clemorous. (Soundtrack by "Moosebutter") Enjoy.

Guitartistry

A-mazing.

Don't Buy Stuff You Cannot Afford

Houston, we have a problem. When Saturday Night Live is dispensing better wisdom on money than either the government or the Church it might indeed be time to buy gold or convert our hard-earned dollars to some stabler currency.

P.S. I love Steve Martin's facial expressions in this sketch.

Monty Christie

Forty years later this sketch is still quite funny. Enjoy.

True Feminine Happiness

A.W. Pink once noted, "None of us break the laws of God. Rather we break ourselves upon them." When God through Paul exhorts women to be into their husbands, into their children and into their homes (Titus 2:4) He has their true happiness in mind. The Feminist revolution promised happiness to the women who would forsake God's ways. But statistics are increasingly indicating that it was a vain promise all along, as noted in the following blurb from the June 26 edition of "The Week."

"By virtually every measure, American women are better off today than they were 30 years ago, said Ross Douthat in The New York Times. They are “wealthier, healthier, and better educated,” they can leave abusive husbands and sue sexist bosses, and they enjoy “unprecedented control over their own fertility.” And yet, a new study by University of Pennsylvania economists Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers found that over the past few decades, women’s self-reported happiness has actually decreased, “both absolutely and relative to men.” Is the culprit the decline of the two-parent family and traditional sexual mores? Or is it the famous “second shift,” in which women still do most of the housework even as they work outside the home? Whatever the explanation, the reality is that the feminist revolution has “delivered women to greater unhappiness.”"

And let's be honest, "If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." The woman, as the hub of the family wheel, cannot but affect all of the family. Like the "root of bitterness" of which the author of Hebrews speaks (12:15), a woman's unhappiness "defiles many." May God restore his people to the true happiness of His ways.

Our Buttons Bursteth, Yea, Verily

Our lovely daughter Rachael has long been a piano and vocal virtuoso but is now branching out into choral conducting. Click here to view her in action at SPU's year-end concert last week. A-mazing!