Category Archives: Uncategorized

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Baby Cade

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‎6 lbs and 6 oz. Not bad for being 3 weeks early. They’ve taken Cade to the nursery to check him out b/c he’s a little “younger” than he normally should be. Amy’s had wicked bad shakes the past half hour, so we’re hoping those will end soon. She is finally slowing down a bit, and listening to some Indelible Grace, Pilgrim Days on the Ipod.
 
Thanks ya’ll for praying and we’ll trust that Cade will get a good check-up at the nursery.
 
Here’s a few pics if you’re not a facebook friend.


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More drugs

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4 CM dialated, and the pain and contractions have increased a bit. Since I was just told, “Don’t talk to me,” I think any pictures are out of the question! More narcotics have just arrived so we should probably be able to resume watching Arrested Development fairly soon.
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Epidural and Contractions

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I was expecting to go on a men’s fishing retreat some lads at the church and I have been planning and working towards for the last few 5 months. Obviously the Lord had different plans this morning, and we’re now at the hospital, as Amy is being induced.  The amniotic fluids were too low for Cade’s liking.

Amy has had the epidural and is not in any pain. She’s having some contractions, so they’ve lowered the Petosin. Her Blood Pressure is getting lower and causing some light headedness, but they’re monitoring everything closely. 
If you are a betting person, the doctor has set the “Over-Under” at 10 pm. I’m praying for the “under” right now, but its hard to tell what will happen.  Vegas called me and they’re taking Cade plus the points. But who knows?
Just please remember to be praying for Momma and Baby. Thanks!
BTW: In case you think this blogging is insensitive or invasive or voyeuristic, please know that Amy is in favor and it gives you, our friends a chance to partner with us in prayer, as well as to share our joy.

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Blessings

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One of main theological emphases-I would say probably my Top 3-is that we are blessed SO THAT we can be a blessing to others. We’re not blessed so that we can simply revel in the blessing, contra the American mindset. Now I’m not an ESV “homer,” as some definitely are, but there is one very clear difference with Gen 12:1-3. This more recent translation than the NIV accurately takes into account the Hebrew purpose clause, connecting the blessing with the purpose of that blessing: “so that you will be a blessing. in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Regardless of translation, the purpose of our blessing is clear. Richard Pratt, a former seminary professor of mine, recently preached a sermon called “How to be the Unfrozen Chosen.” I highly recommend checking this one out. It’s well illustrated, short, challenging, practical, and appropriate for the American, not just Presbyterian. Here’s the link for the church website, just look under the sermon title. The date is 8/29/10

http://www.orangewood.org/share/sermons/

When I started this blog post, I didn’t realize we would be having the blessing of a son today (obviously Lord willing). So I’ll be updating the blog with birth updates ASAP.

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Is it ever right to be a consumer?

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I just preached my first sermon in a series on Philippians this past Sunday. Our lovely assistant Scott was able to get it up on-line through a file sharing program called dropbox, even though he’s in Alabama waiting on his granddaughter to be born! File-sharing makes life so much easier and this free program helps me in everything from updating nursery contacts to sharing family pictures. 
Anyhow, I preached on the joy of gospel partnership against the lack of joy which springs from a consumer/spectator mentality. It’s one of my shorter ones b/c we had communion and a baptism, and that’s probably good for me.
There is a question that I ended up raising for myself: While the consumer/spectator “just come to church and never talk about it or serve or connect or plug in,” isn’t biblical, don’t you have to be a consumer at some point?
Yes, I think you do at some point. I know I certainly was when I interviewed at churches. Based upon my previous 3 churches, there were certain things that I was looking for, and couldn’t be part of it. I don’t think its possible to decide on a church without some sense of being a consumer ever, at all. Is the Word being preached clearly and relevantly? Is the church Reformed? Is the worship honoring to Christ and at the same time something you can engage with (not necessarily prefer)? Sometimes people want to find a church based upon fellowship, and I don’t think that’s wrong.

The problem is that the consumerism which may draw us to a church usually goes unnoticed and untamed, and so it usually keeps us from connecting and serving and submitting. It keeps us from using our gifts to fill in the holes and needs of the church. 

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Why Join a church? Part III: Commitment of partnership

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This is probably (but just like I never leave the house without forgetting something, who knows?) the final posting in the “Why Join a church series?” It’s not because I don’t think there are a plethora of reasons, but because I just don’t feel like discussing more reasons like discipline (protecting you, your family, your church family from YOUR sins, or protecting you, your family, or your church family from YOUR FAMILY’s sins), or some opportunities to serve as teachers and lead which only come with membership.
When you join a church, you are agreeing that you are on the same page with the direction of the church. It does not however, mean that you agree with every decision the elders make (remember, they are elected by the people so its important that you elect ones according to I Tim 3 and Titus ), but the general direction of the church. The specifics just need to fall under the general direction. Now as a caveat, when the general direction isn’t agreed upon by the elders, that makes it difficult if not impossible to uphold your membership commitments.
 And it is possible that the church could change and be wrong. But it is equally possible, and perhaps more likely, if you have good elders with a common vision, that your specific opinion could be wrong. 
So you are committing to support that general direction without griping or complaining, or maintaining a grumbling spirit, like the Israelites did before they made it to the Promised Land. Our senior pastor Barret once said that he doesn’t expect from members “to complain about the music, I might expect that from visitors, and perhaps regular attenders.” We do have music at Redeemer which incorporates old and reworked hymnody, as well as older/newer praise songs. One reason that we can do so without griping (and I know the worship style is not to everyone’s taste-for some its too traditional and for others too contemporary), for the most part, is because we have had it that way from the beginning. And I can’t prove this exhaustively, but from the newer folks I’ve spoken with who do have different preferences, I can tell many have embraced their membership commitments.
In addition, when you join a church, you are agreeing to “support the church in its worship and work.” Supporting includes tithing as part of your partnership. The work “koinonia,” from which we get the words “partnership” and “fellowship” also can mean “giving.” This is one way to partner. But the “Treasure,” aspect of the pithy, but helpful, “Time, Talent, Treasure” alliteration also includes your property. 
I think using your house, or boat, or land to bless others is also part of this commitment which you make when you join. In my last church, one man never had anyone over to his house for hospitality, but he regularly used his land for monthly paintball. That was part of his membership commitment, which he joyfully did.
Many of us have Time or Talent that is often unused in gospel partnership. When you join, you are publicly committing to use your gifts and passions, or perhaps simply time, to serve where is needed.

Anyhow this is my “take” on the public commitment you make regarding church support. You can do many of these things without joining, but its hard to deny that making the public commitment doesn’t means something.

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Why Join a church? Part II: "Membership type" relationship

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This is the 2nd post on why I think you should give serious consideration to joining a church. When ideas or words aren’t mentioned in the bible, sometimes there’s a reason they’re not mentioned.  But other times, just because something is not mentioned specifically, or verbatim, does not mean that its not a good idea. In fact, it might be something quite biblical. Such I think is the case with church membership; the concept is quite biblical.
While there is nowhere in the bible that says, “You need to join a church,” I think there is a reason for it. It is assumed that the individual believer already has or is commanded to have such a “membership-type” relationship with a local church.
Here are some passages describing this relationship:
  • The elders are commanded to watch over the individual as a shepherd, willingly, not selfishly out for gain or power (I Peter). 
  •  The individual and family if applicable is to “respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work (I Thess 5:12-13)”
  • Hebrews 13:7 has to say about this relationship: “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
Whether these people “joined a church” by going through a membership class or not is irrelevant. They were instructed to have this type of relationship with the elders of a local church. And the elders, were to have this type of relationship with them.


So you really can’t play the “its not in the bible card.” It’s not healthy to fail to be in submission to elders. If you are going to wander away from the truth, the faith, or live in sin, harm your spouse, who is going to come after you? Yourself? To think you’re incapable of this is rooted in pride, not to mention ludicrosity. 
Now I know there are some elders who are yahoos. And I know there are elders that probably aren’t even believers; we have them in our denomination too, unfortunately. And you may have been burned by some church leaders and are justifiably slow to pull the trigger. And  I hate this for you.
But if they are acting legalistically or unbiblically, you don’t have to follow that command. And they will be judged harshly for doing so. That’s quite sobering, and something our lead pastor reminds the elders. But the failure of one party, doesn’t preclude the responsibility and blessing for the other party to be faithful. Same thing with government (Rom 13) and marriage (Eph 5). We submit as to the Lord.
In conclusion, does the bible promote church membership? It promotes these type of lovingly, respectful, submissive relationships where leaders serve the needs of the sheep. That’s what people affirm when they join a PCA church, and a number of other different Reformed churches. 
“Do you promise to submit yourself to the government and discipline of the church, and to study its purity and peace?”
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Political Friday

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A good friend of mine and I hit up a conference today put on by the Family Policy Council of West Virginia. The conference featured keynote speaker Wayne Grudem, who discussed his new book Politics According to the Bible. Although I registered Republican, I’m fairly, or perhaps, extremely a-political. However I don’t think that’s a great stance to take-and neither does Grudem for that matter-so in addition to some good fellowship time, I figured it was worth hearing another voice on this issue.

In the end, he summed up some wrong ways to view religio-political (my words not his) involvement, like politics promoting/enforcing religion, politics are the realm of the devil, do evangelism not politics, etc, and presented what he thought was the correct view.

It gave me something to think about. And he did remind us that the body of Christ is made up of parts and there will be those who go deeper into politics than others. We should respect those who may feel called to a more active political involvement without blasting others who feel called in different directions. And vice versa. Still, I’m thinking through such involvement more so now than before.

The most moving speaker was a lad speaking on behalf of International Justice Mission, which seeks redemption and justice in the international slave trade. There were numbers of heart-breaking but redemptive stories of rehabilitation for victims and justice for traffickers. My friend and I were blown away. I’m going to look into this one further. Here’s a helpful website mentioned in the talk called the Polaris Project involved with stopping the lucrative slave trade industry.

Unfortunately West Virginia is one of the “dirty dozen” states which has failed to keep up with proper recognition and legislation against this prevalent evil. You can check that out by going to the above link as well.

The conference concluded with some lad who continued to appeal to the founding fathers and the need to speak up for the right to assemble in worship. The right to assemble was being threatened, so somehow the church doors were threatening to close. He was my least favorite, mainly because freedom to assemble has NEVER stopped the spread of the church. Rome and China seem to come to mind. I felt he might have been a bit alarmist, even though he was a lawyer working cases relating to religious freedom. He was a little too “founding fathers,” morality centered, and Religious Right for my taste.

In the end, the conference proved helpful to think through how my faith should drive my politics and political involvement. I think the I.J.M. seems like the best place for me to explore.

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Law and Order more than just entertainment for Grant

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CNN.com has been featuring some pretty good articles lately. I actually like going to that site better some times because foxnews.com usually has some pretty sketchy celebrity pictures near the bottom of the page.
Anyhow, I came across this one the other day, discussing Christian singer Natalie Grant’s involvement in ministering to sex trade victims. The most fascinating part of the article was HOW she got involved with it in the first place: by watching Law and Order. I love that show and regularly watch all 3 of them.

And its also nice to see, that for its sometimes suspect ideologies on religion, homosexuality, and the like (though there is always a fair pro-life vs pro-choice tension among its characters), something quite good has come out of it. All it took was one episode featuring the reality of this oft overlooked, or at least under-realized, present day malfeasance.

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Texting Safety

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When I watch Connar chase balls down our driveway, I’m impressed with the “angles” he takes to position himself so the ball doesn’t roll past him. If only Sabby Piscitelli, the Buc’s starting strong safety last year would have taken such angles, he may still have a starting job. But recently he was demoted, and he didn’t take kindly to it. 
For him it was not only that he didn’t deserve the demotion (yet its hard to argue that he wasn’t the the worst player on a terrible defense), but how he received news of it: via text message.

I guess some things are best said in person. It is so much easier to send a text or an email than actually talking man-to-man or woman-to-woman. But here is another good reminder that doing what is efficient and safe, doesn’t equate to doing what is right.