Last night we had our penultimate prepared childbirth class. While it has been a pain-in-the-butt to get out to Lakewood Ranch every Tuesday night, I would say the trek has also been well worth it. All four of the couples are quite different from each other, but we all share a common bond. We’re all going through the same thing.

Our common experience has created a certain level of fellowship. Nothing creates fellowship with others quite like suffering, and there has been plenty of that for some of the ladies (and soon will be for all parties involved). In Seminary, I became fairly close with a lad who had back problems. And over the years, I’ve developed a special connection with those who have anxiety/depression, those with kidney stones, gastro-intestinal stuff because I’ve had/still have some of the aforementioned.

Recently I’ve seen this same sense of connection with others as well. Paul reminds us that we share not only in the power of the resurrection (which we like), but also in the fellowship of Jesus’ sufferings (Phil 3). A deeper fellowship, not only with others, but with Jesus, is entered into when we suffer. We have the opportunity of identifying more closely with Jesus, our suffering Savior. In Christianity we have a God who CAN identify with us because he knows first hand what its like. Just an encouragement to draw near to Christ (he already draws near to us) and to others even when we don’t feel like it. Don’t forfeit this deep fellowship.

This past week I took a “study leave.” It’s actually part of my package here at Hope, and am thankful it is (its not given de facto in the PCA-though it should be!). I spent time reading, reflecting, being refreshed, and probably some other ‘r’ words as well.

Part of my study time was to see what some other churches were doing. One church where I know several staff members and elders is Redeemer Pres in Riverview. They have been blessing their community for several years by offering a soccer league called Boyette Sports.

Boyette Sports has become a cheaper option than a regular soccer league (only 65 dollars per child) and the coaches have a devotion with the kids, accompanied by a league wide devotion for all involved. Currently they have 150 kids (now in their 4th year), though they started out with only 50 the first year. All of the coaches are members at Redeemer Pres and have been trained in both soccer and the gospel.

I think perhaps the greatest catch of the league is that everything takes place one day a week. They come at 9 am for practice and devotion and then a game from 10-11 am. Parents like not having their weeknights taken up by practices.

Anyhow, I finally got to witness this ‘operation’ on Saturday, and was greatly encouraged by the church participation in this ministry. But it was also encouraging to see folks embrace a mindset intent on blessing the community. The ministry is simply called Boyette sports (instead of Redeemer Sports), because it is intended to bless the Boyette area community and serve them by offering a cheaper, more time efficient place for families to enjoy a Saturday together.

Ultimately, one dude saw a need (those lacking money/time) in his community and encouraged the church to help meet it. Different churches do different things. We’re doing a coffeehouse/art show again this year in hopes to give both the church and the community a chance to see some creative gifts. In the end, we want to be a church (and individuals) who bless our community. So much so that if we were to disappear, or spontaneously combust (it happened to the Spinal Tap drummer), our communities would seriously miss us. Can we say that about our churches or homes? I think that’s a good question to continuously ask.

I had to get to church a little bit early today to move chairs back into place. Randy was already there, along with his son Collin and another young adult who had anticipated practicing music-not setting up chairs. Collin, as usual, was full of questions this morning.

I was greeted by, “When the Israelites were enslaved, were they victims of war or was it something else?” Then it moved on to more natural stuff like Orca Sharks and the Ice Age-typical 6 year old questions. He really does ask me some good questions; in fact I’ve come to expect good questions from him.

And he didn’t disappoint. While we were setting up the chairs, he asked, “Can you let me know whenever the church needs something done, so I can come up here and help?” Wow.

When I think of faith like a child, I tend to think of someone who simply believes because God says it in His word. But this child’s faith also included participation and connection to the local church. And I think that’s part of child-like faith: a simple connection and desire to serve the church. Not serving out of guilt or to escape problems at home, but out of true desire. Some have this faith, and some don’t. But this is the kind of faith worth praying for. And I need to pray like this because even pastors (who HAVE to serve the church), are to do it not out of compulsion but instead with eagerness (I Peter 5:2). Thanks for the reminder Collin.

Wed afternoon an acquaintance called me up to ask if he could spend the night. That night. He needed to get to a meeting at our church very early. I told him that I would get back with him as soon as I talked with my wife (I’m trying get better at not making decisions without her).

As soon as I talked with Amy, we felt it would be a good use of our baby’s room right now. Just this week I took the bed out of that room, and so I simply put the mattress back on the floor, threw some sheets and pillows on the mattress and went to bed. Since he was arriving at 12 am, I left a key under the mat and then prayed it was him when the door opened at midnight. It was and so everything was fine. A shower and few bowls of cereal later, and we said our goodbye’s. Not really a big deal sacrifice on my part. But it meant a ton to him.

What struck me was one of his comments before he came, “I don’t know you that well (and he didn’t, but since he was a ‘legend’ at RTS-I did know all about him) and feel guilty about asking to stay.” Certainly, at the very least, a Christian brother, ought not feel guilty or even weired when asking to stay for the night.

I think most of us probably would have felt ‘weird’ if not guilty, if put in his same situation (though some of us would have asked a few days earlier). Why is this? Shouldn’t we be so gracious with our homes that people wouldn’t feel weird in asking? That they could approach us with their need? I know there is always a sense of weirdness when we display our dependence upon others, but some of it comes from the idea that a home belongs to ME. Sharing it with others is optional. Having others in it is optional. But its really not optional. We are blessed to bless others. Period.

Some folks at my church have astounded me with their hospitality (among other things like showing mercy to members in need!). Its challenged me greatly and for that I’m grateful. They’ve expressed to the world that their house is really not theirs to hog, but theirs to share. And its theirs to share, because they understand know God is responsible for them having such a home. Its His house, and they are the stewards of the house. All we have is ultimately His.

Things are always easier to share if they aren’t ours, aren’t they? A bag of chips, 6 pack of beer, kayak, money, etc…Well it should be the same way with our homes. And it shouldn’t be weird for renters or many (or some) ‘homeowners’ since the bank owns just as much as we do! When we begin to view our homes as His and not OUR own private sanctuary to ourselves, I think we’ll open them up more to others. I certainly need to think more along these lines, and I so I thought I’d pass it on your way.

As good as our speaker was at the conference, I could have missed all this great stuff if I had let some peripheral stuff he alluded to on Friday night bother me. He of course used the trendy word, “Christ-follower” instead of “Christian,” and had a misunderstanding (in my opinion) on the place of corporate (Sunday church) worship.

Lately I have found it incredibly helpful to learn from others outside our own theological camps without completely embracing questionable or distinctive doctrine. I’ve enjoyed John Stott, but I will not embrace his understanding of Hell (very questionable). I love and have learned from John Piper and Marc Driscoll, but I’ll not abandon my belief in infant baptism (distinctive). I’ve been challenged by Donald Miller’s Searching for God Knows What and Bill Hybell’s Just Walk Across the Room video series, but I’ll not embrace their soteriology (the how of salvation; not reformed-distinctive). Our comm group has really benefited from Hybell’s emulation of Jesus’ methodology of evangelism: being an actual friend to “sinners.”

I love Reformed PCA writers like Tim Keller and Randy Pope, but there’s a number of folks out there who will continue to challenge and encourage me. Yet I doubt I will ever depart from my Presbyterian distinctives. Nevertheless, the body of Christ at large has much to offer, even those who are outside your normal comfort zone. Perhaps even people who use trendy language like “Christ-followers” instead of “Christian.”

Last Friday and Saturday were busy days for me, my wife, and 3 appreciated and very helpful volunteers. We, along with over 12 other churches, had our annual Disciple Now weekend. Just like last year, Stuart Hall came in and delivered some incredibly relevant, humorous, and challenging talks.

The first night Stuart took a page out of “John Piper’s playbook (of course Johnny Pittsburgh as we call him ‘stole’ most of his stuff from Jonathon Edwards)” on having a deep passion for God. We have settled for less than God offers as we are far too easily satisfied (C.S. Lewis, and Jeremiah 2 if you want to get technical). Even our obedience has become duty instead of delight, and very often pastors can lead to that problem. So that hit me in the gut. But in the words of Mellencamp, it “hurt so good.” I needed it.

He concluded the final two sessions addressing the males and females, respectively, respectfully, but truthfully. Really truthfully. Guys were reminded that our specific struggle related to validating ourselves through what we do: am I good enough, do I have what it takes? Clips from movies like 300 and Saving Private Ryan helped illustrate his point. If illustrations are priceless, movie clips are one step better than that.

The ladies were hit the hardest for sure. He challenged them with the fact that women want to hear someone tell them they are beautiful, loved, cherished. And of course he showed clips from the Titanic, The Notebook, and The Wedding Singer.

Ultimately only through Christ are these deep longings met. Yet he reserved the sharpest criticism to young ladies who often ignore the fact they have been bought at a price, and have cheapened themselves in settling for less. Anyone who will look at them (he hit the heart issue behind the way girls often dress) or tell them they look ‘hot’ or will make out with them is who they will settle for. And this is so often the case, isn’t it? How many women settle for losers/deadbeats simply because they fail to grasp that Christ has already displayed their worth before the world?

This post was getting really long, so I’ll continue some more thoughts on it later. However, because of my leaders that I trusted, I was able to miss the talk directed at the guys. Instead I accompanied Amy at the Baby class and saw some disgusting slide shows and I learned how to put a diaper on a baby doll. My first. Seriously.

The church needs leaders who will step up and do the work of ministry. And my leaders did just that: leading group studies, loving on the youth, and having deep conversations with them. It was beautiful to see God’s church at work and how expendable I am! The more expendable I am the better.

Unless you’re completely out of the loop, you’ve heard of the “Polk County’s finest” who beat up another cheerleader. Wisely, one of them video-taped everything and so it appeared on You-Tube. I’m not sure if one of them posted it, or if the cops posted it afterwards. Feel free to let me know who was responsible for the posting.

Regardless, video taping their malfeasance was on the other side of brilliant. It really was. Beating up a helpless lass reminds us of the affects of sin on the heart. Videotaping it reminds us again, that sin also affects our minds. We are dumber because of sin’s presence in our world.

Sometimes we can limit acting on our stupidity by looking at history. A wise man (not sure who) once said that he who doesn’t study history is doomed to repeat it. These young ladies probably didn’t know about Richard Nixon and the Watergate recordings. I’ve done stupid stuff in my life (not stealing government information or anything like that), but Nixon’s mistakes certainly taught me NEVER to videotape myself in the act!

Studying Church History can really keep us from repeating mistakes which have already been dealt with in the past. They can also actively help guide us as we deal with philosophical, missional, theological issues for today. None of us will probably video tape ourselves committing heresy, but we can save ourselves from much error as we look to the issues which have confronted the church throughout its history.

This post is not meant to be polemical against any particular person; it was primarily inspired by some rationally challenged teenage girls who right now, have to be scared to death as they face life sentences for a few very bad ideas.

Here is a the link to my article from the Bradenton Herald. This time I have no ‘beef’ with them for changing the title. I forgot to give one. Maybe its just what psychologists call “learned helplessness:” subconsciously, why try when it never works?

Anyhow, they did leave out two particular sentences. Now these forgotten sentences didn’t change the overall point of the article. But they did however, in my opinion, perhaps, slightly alter the tone of the article. It sounded as though I think of myself as just as busy as the busiest person. That is not true, nor do I hope that to be true. Some people are objectively busier than others. That truth was left out. Nevertheless, the evaluative questions I raise in the article can, and I think ought to be asked by us all. I have to ask them regularly so that my calendar doesn’t fill up without thinking of relationships with my wife and family, (and soon to be kid), my church family, outside the church family, neighbors, etc…

For one of our Christian Ed classes, we will be discussing Tim Keller’s The Reason for God. It is a fantastic and easy read, and provides great insight not only for the non-believer to deal with, but also for the believer. We are constantly coming under attack from our own doubts, and so the book can be a helpful resource to strengthen the faith of the believer as well. For more info on the book, click here.

Keller, borrowing heavily from people who’ve gone before him (but expressing more clearly) operates from the pre-suppositional apologetic method. In layman’s terms, this is a method which assumes that people are holding on to some sort of truth already, but they are suppressing it. So instead of attacking simply with external evidences (they are not neglected but used to supplement), the questions then are directed at the unbeliever’s/believer’s doubts. Their doubts actually require a greater step of faith.

This method assumes that every belief, whether in God or human rationality has some starting point requiring faith (read Romans 1:18-ff). In other words, every truth claim is ultimately circular. How does one know that the scientific method alone can lead to truth? How can there be no absolute truth? Ultimately it’s circular. I believe that because it makes the most sense or feels right (faith in personal rationality or feeling). All claims come back to faith in God or faith in self to determine what is good, true, beautiful (what Adam and Eve did way back when). Proverbs 1:7 gives us the correct starting point: fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.

Keller tackles a number of common and specific objections to the Christian faith and shows that these objections really require a greater step of faith. A middle age (not middle-aged) Church father Anselm said we must believe that we may understand, instead of understand that we may believe (Aquinas). Keller invites people into the Christian worldview, which does make more sense of the world, and is what folks already somewhat believe (though suppressed).

Another Christian philosopher Pascal reminds us that “Submission-and use of reason; that is what makes true Christianity (Pensees XIII 167).” Of course the former comes first, and that’s why I have enjoyed Keller’s approach in The Reason for God.

I would highly recommend reading the book, but also listen to his lecture and Q and A at Cal-Berkeley and at Google. Here’s the YouTube of his Google presentation. Yes he actually got invited to speak at Google. How cool is that? If you want the MP3 format from either of these-I just listened instead of watching them-leave me a post with your email address. I’d be happy to send it.

On Tuesday, the doctor we were supposed to have went to a baseball game. That’s OK though because we really can’t understand what he says anyway. And he probably wouldn’t have let me do what the midwife did: use the doppler thing.

Now when you hear the word “doppler” you probably think weather. I did too. But this doppler thing actually is something doctors, midwifes, and folks like me (sometimes) use to check out the baby’s heartbeat. And in my humble opinion, it sounded like a good heartbeat. Its slowing down now to about 135 or so beats per minute. Of course I checked with the midwife just to be sure, but I knew what I was doing.

They have these doppler things on E-bay nowadays, but I figured I would probably rather spend large sums of money on the child when he/she is actually outside the womb. Nothing against the child or doppler things. Maybe its just me…