Alaska Pastor

Vacation - a relaxing time so far.

2009-11-25T23:47:00.000-08:00

I'm enjoying a rare "staycation" this week. Usually when I take a vacation, it means travelling somewhere. Those times are enjoyable too, but there is something particularly relaxing about having some time off at home.

But, it's not as though we've been idle. So far this week we've gone bowling and ice-skating, played at "Bouncing Bears" (an indoor playground for kids), and visited the Iditarod museum. Robyn and I left the kids with Gran and Papa one night and had a nice dinner together. And tomorrow we're having a large group of people over for Thanksgiving.

But it's been a lot of fun to spend more time with the kids as usual, and to have my parents visiting. Here are some pictures from the last couple of days.

This is Moriah's first day of ice-skating. We figure kids growing up in Alaska ought to learn how to ice-skate.

Meredith has come a long way since she first started ice-skating.

I'm also proud of the way Maggie has improved.

The same goes for Sander.

Gran and Papa Paul with the kids at the entrance of the Iditarod Headquarters.

Sunday recap, and the first day of vacation

2009-11-23T20:02:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a particularly busy Lord's Day. I taught the adult Sunday School class in the morning before the service. The passage was Genesis 9:18-29, which includes the famous - or infamous? - verse in which Noah curses Canaan to be a "servant of servants" for his father Ham's sin. Incredibly, this verse was often used to defend the slavery of blacks, on the supposition that Ham's descendants included black Africans. This is a good example of an abuse of Scripture, and thankfully this interpretation has long been discredited.

The morning service was special for a couple of reasons. First, a new family formally became members of the church with their profession of faith. Second, I had the honor of baptizing two little girls. One was the baby of the family we had just received as members, and the other was our very own Monica. What a privilege it is to apply the sign and seal of God's covenant promises to the children of God's people! Some people were surprised at how much water I applied to their heads. I used a handful of water for each word, "Father," "Son," and "Spirit." So, the babies got fairly doused. But, as the water signifies the washing away of our sins by the grace of God, why not use a lot of it?

Here is a picture of the two girls. Monica is the one sleeping!

After having company over in the afternoon, I then preached at the evening service. By the end of the evening, I was exhausted. But today was the first day of a week-long vacation. I've been looking forward to this week off for a while now. I can use the break. Here is a picture of our family after the morning service.

Moriah's baptism, and a rat

2009-11-22T00:51:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I have the great privilege to baptize our fifth child, Monica. Not only is it a blessing to have Monica receive the sign and seal of God's covenant mercies, but it is a great honor to be the one to administer the sacrament to her.

The only other child of ours that I personally baptized was Moriah, our fourth. That was in 2007, when I was still serving as the pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Norman, Oklahoma. Here I am holding Moriah, with elder Dave by our side.

The baptism itself went well enough, but I'm afraid the the day will always be remembered for something far less auspicious. It was the day the rat appeared at church.

After the service was over, some of the kids were playing in the dining hall behind the sanctuary when they saw the grey rodent scurrying across the floor. The kids were besides themselves with excitement. They were not afraid, mind you, just delighted to see a rat running around dining hall. I grabbed a broom with every intent to kill it. But the children would have nothing of it. At first I ignored their protests, but then I figured the spectacle of my bludgeoning a little furry creature to death could create a scene so unpleasant I would soon regret it. So, I opted for a more palatable way to deal with the rat. With help from others, I managed to trap the little rodent it in an empty garbage can. We then drove it out to a field and let it go.

I hope nothing like that happens tomorrow. I'd like to remember the day Monica was baptized simply as the day Monica was baptized.

Here is the little creature who got far better treatment than he deserved.

"Where is your treasure?"

2009-11-20T22:35:00.000-08:00

Every year at this time, as I'm thinking about my message the Sunday before Thanksgiving, I recall the sermon I heard many years ago that pricked my conscience and increased my desire to learn more about the Christian faith.

It was 1992, and I was living in Lexington, Kentucky, where I was wrapping up a master's degree at the University of Kentucky (I still root for the Wildcats in basketball). I was 23 years old and not a believer at the time. But God was at work on my heart. I started to take a real interest in Christianity, remembering some of the Christian friends I had in college and wanting to know more about their faith in God (I recognized they had something within that I lacked). So, out of the blue, with no invitation or encouragement from anyone, I up and visited a local Presbyterian church. I was disappointed in the message, though. Even though I knew next to nothing about Bible, I recognized something wasn't right about the sermon. It didn't scratch where I itched.

A friend in school then invited me to a church he attended on Sunday mornings. I don't remember for sure, but I think it was a Presbyterian church as well. However, unlike the first church I attended, the preacher spoke as though he had a message from God to deliver. I don't remember much of the sermon, but I think the general theme was thanksgiving. What I do remember very clearly was him saying, on the basis of Matthew 6:21, "Where your treasure is, there your heart is also. Where is your treasure?" This last question drilled right into my heart. I couldn't stop asking myself, "where is my treasure, after all?" I knew it wasn't in heaven, and that that wasn't right.

Within a few months' time, after more study and after hearing more good preaching (though at a different church, because I soon moved from Kentucky to Missouri), I became a believer in Christ. As I think about that Sunday, though, I am struck by a couple of things. First, it is fascinating to me that of all he said in the sermon, it was one simple question that took hold in my heart. It wasn't even the gospel itself, but a word that spoke to my conscience and was instrumental in leading me to accept the gospel. Every sermon should center on Christ and the gospel, of course, but God may take one truth or one question and use it to speak to a sinner's heart. Second, I am reminded by the power of preaching. I don't think reading the same words would have had the same effect. There is just no replacement for the preaching of God's Word.

Gran and Papa Paul's visit

2009-11-18T22:52:00.000-08:00

Today my parents, a.k.a. "Gran and Papa Paul", arrived today from Missoula for a ten-day visit. Their visits are a win-win-win situation for all involved: they get to spend some time with the grandkids, the grandkids get to spend some time with them, and Robyn and I get spend some time together.

Here they are yukkin' it up at the airport:

A thought on Romans 8:18-25, and dipnetting

2009-11-17T23:04:00.000-08:00

I just finished preparing a sermon on Romans 8:18-25. In the course of thinking and writing, dipnetting - of all things! - came to mind. "Dipnetting" is catching salmon by extending a large net into the river. Alaskans have the privilege to dipnet on a few different rivers during the summer. The purpose is not so much the sport of catching the fish, although it's a blast, but to stock the freezer for the winter months.

After a very productive day of dipnetting last summer, we gave thanks to God for his bounty. And, we marveled at the way God, through the natural workings of his creation, provides such an abundance to meet our needs. While all of this is true, my passage in Romans brings another thought to mind.

According to Paul, creation, because of man's sin, has been "subjected to futility" (Romans 8:20). The apostle was thinking of the curse God put on the earth after Adam and Eve's sin, that the ground would not readily yield its fruit for mankind. Rather, "cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;...by the sweat of your face you shall eat bread..." (Genesis 3:17-19).

In the light of these verses, perhaps our success at dipnetting that day also should have reminded us that such tremendous bounty is the exception, not the rule. Usually, the earth yields its fruit, whether its grain or fish, only after much painful toil. How many places in the world are there in which you can catch dozens of large, delicious fish in a hour or two simply by scooping them out of the water? Precious few, I would guess. No doubt our success was a great blessing from God. But it was an exception to the way things usually are; it was the exception that proves the rule, and the curse. Most of the time, creation yields its fruit only with great difficulty.

And this brings to mind a not-too-serious question, but one which may concern many Alaskans: will there be dipnetting in the new creation? I say yes, on the basis of John 21. The Lord, in his resurrection body, commanded his disciples to cast his net on the side of the boat. The haul? 153 fish, "large fish" to be precise. Need I say more?

John Murray on Romans (with a baby picture to boot)

2009-11-17T00:10:00.000-08:00

At the Sunday evening services, I've been preaching through the book of Romans. Unlike my preparation for the morning sermon, which is far more comprehensive and thus takes much more time, I'm relying almost entirely on one commentary. And that is John Murray's The Epistle to the Romans.

In my opinion, this is a great commentary for several reasons. First, Murray writes so clearly. He makes it very easy to follow his reasoning, thought for thought, as he considers the meaning of any given verse or phrase. He's also succinct. It seems most newer, scholarly commentaries spend more time commenting on other commentaries than the text itself. To some extent, Murray does so as well, but always in a helpful way. I get the sense that he's writing to the pastor or interested layman, and not to the scholarly guild.

Maybe most importantly of all, he seems to strike the perfect balance between a rigorous exegesis of the text at hand, with a sensitivity to, and respect for, the Bible's teaching as a whole. Again, modern commentaries often fail to do this, even those written by evangelical scholars. They tend to isolate the text under consideration from the rest of Scripture. It's as though it's wrong to bring any other biblical teaching to bear upon a given text or verse in order to help clarify its meaning. But no one who takes the Scripture to be God's Word actually reads the Bible in this fragmented way. No doubt the fact that Murray was both a exegete and a systematic theologian enabled him to strike this right balance.

In any case, it's been a blessing to work through Romans with Murray as my teacher.

Now, here is the picture of Monica. As you can see, it was taken just a few minutes ago right as I was about to start this blog. This is one of the few pictures we have of her smiling!

Sunday night recap

2009-11-15T23:34:00.000-08:00

This is a real quick rundown on the day. Robyn and I have been watching the HBO miniseries John Adams on DVD on Sunday nights, and I want to catch as much of the movie as we can before it gets too late.

Today was quite cold. Tonight the temperature at the church was minus 8. But one thing I love about Alaska is that very rarely does the weather keep people at home. Whether it's bitter cold or driving snow, Alaskans just go about their daily routines. So we had the usual attendance at church.

Today we formally bid farewell to a special family who is moving to Jordan (the country, not the small town in eastern Montana where my dad was born!). They will be missed, especially by our children who have gotten to be good friends with their kids.

In Sunday School we discussed God's covenant with Noah (Gen. 8:20-9:17). We were reminded of how profound the difference is between the world view of one who accepts the Scripture as God's Word, and one who does not. For example, Genesis 9:6 grounds capital punishment for murder in the truth that man is created in the image of God. If a person does not regard Genesis as speaking with any sort of authority in regards to a contemporary issue like the death penalty, and if he does not believe man is made in God's image, then he may object to the idea of capital punishment. He may do this on the grounds that it is just another form of killing, or that it doesn't "work" (i.e., it does not deter other would-be murderers), or for some other reason. But if a Christian enters into debate with him on this issue, they will simply talk past each other because the real issue is not the death penalty itself but the authority and veracity of Scripture.

This holds true for a whole host of other hot-button issues, including abortion, homosexual marriage, and population control. Just below the surface in so many of these controversial subjects are two profoundly different, even antithetical, understandings of God, man and the world.

So much for a short rundown. I preached from Matthew 21 this morning, on the parable of the tenants, and from Romans 8:12-17 this evening, on our being children of God and joint-heirs with Christ by virtue of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Now - movie time!

Snapshots from the day

2009-11-13T23:31:00.000-08:00

If it's really true that a picture is worth a thousand words, below are a few thousand words' worth of pictures from today.

Since snow is on the ground, I now do my running indoors. There's a great indoor track just five minutes from our house that is inexpensive and never crowded. It's located in what used to be called the "Multi-Use Sports Complex" (an uninspiring name, to say the least), but is now known as the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center. Here is the plaque at the entrance of the facility. Recognize any familiar names on it?

On Friday afternoons I often make this local coffee shop my "office". For some reason, whether it is the background noise, or the change of scenery, or - most likely - the caffeine, I'm able to be quite productive here. It's called "Pandemonium".

In front of the coffee shop is this giant wooden, saddled salmon. Where else but in Alaska can you ride a salmon?

And speaking of pandemonium, here are a couple of shots from home. This one is of three eager catechumens, barely able to contain their joy at learning the Westminster Shorter Catechism with dad.

Finally, here is a picture of Sander being, well, Sander. Robyn and I wondered, did he get this way because of too little attention, or because of too much attention?

The majesty of God

2009-11-12T23:27:00.000-08:00

I've begun the second volume of Herman Bavinck's Reformed Dogmatics, "God and Creation." Bavinck begins by discussing the incomprehensibility of God, the teaching that we can never have an exhaustive knowledge of God. He is infinite, we are finite. He is eternal, we are time-bound. He is the Creator, we are the creatures. By virtue of God's transcendence and radical distinctness from all that we are and know as finite creatures (i.e., his divine majesty), complete comprehension of him is impossible. Yet, because God has revealed himself to us, we can still have genuine (but not total) knowledge of him. Though Scripture says, "Behold, God is great, and we know him not; the number of his years is unsearchable" (Job 36:16), we also read, "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (John 17:3).

After showing how Christian theology, including that of the Reformation, had always maintained this doctrine of God's ineffable majesty, Bavinck notes that over time the stress fell more on knowing the will of God rather than on the knowledge of God himself. He writes, "It is as if people had lost all sense of the majesty and grandeur of God. Disregarding all so-called metaphysical questions, people rushed on to the will of God in order to know and to do it" (pg. 41).

This made me think that perhaps there is a profound theological problem that is common both to liberal Christianity and to much of today's evangelical Christianity. In many ways the two are far apart. But could it be that both movements spring from an impulse to stress the knowing and doing of the will of God, at the expense of focusing on the glory and majesty of God (and making God's glory central to the life and worship of the church)? Liberal Christianity long ago jettisoned serious consideration of the holy character of God in favor of social activism. Modern evangelicalism, on the other hand, while adhering to the basic tenets of orthodoxy, seems far too preoccupied with knowing the "how to's" of Christianity (how to have a good marriage, how to be good parents, how to have less anxiety, etc.). Both tendencies seem to share at least this in common, in Bavinck's words: it is as if people have lost all sense of the majesty and grandeur of God.

McCheyne's hymn, "When This Passing World Is Done"

2009-11-12T00:24:00.000-08:00

This Sunday evening I'm preaching from Romans 8:12-17, which ends with the promise that believers will be glorified with Christ. In the course of doing a little reading on what it means that we will be glorified with Christ, I came across this hymn. I didn't realize we had it in our hymnal, and I don't ever recall singing it. But it is a gem. It speaks not only of future glory with Christ, but also of the infinite debt of thanks and praise we owe to God for the riches of his redeeming grace.

"When This Passing World is Done"
Robert Murray McCheyne

When this passing world is done,
when has sunk yon glaring sun,
when we stand with Christ in glory,
looking o'er life's finished story,
then, Lord shall I fully know,
not till then, how much I owe.

When I hear the wicked call
on the rocks and hills to fall,
when I see them start and shrink
on the fiery deluge brink,
then, Lord, shall I fully know,
not till then, how much I owe.

When I stand before the throne,
dressed in beauty not my own,
when I see thee as thou art,
love thee with unsinning heart,
then, Lord, shall I fully know,
not till then, how much I owe.

When the praise of heav'n I hear,
loud as thunders to the ear,
loud as many waters' noise,
sweet as harp's melodious voice,
then, Lord, shall I fully know,
not till then, how much I owe.

Chosen not for good in me,
wakened up from wrath to flee,
hidden in the Savior's side,
by the Spirit sanctified,
teach me, Lord, on earth to know,
by my love, how much I owe.

November 9th - First day of snow this winter

2009-11-09T22:57:00.000-08:00

We knew the white stuff had to come soon. And it came, this morning - about six inches of it.

This is what we see when we look out our dining room window. Not a bad view!

This is the church:

The mist coming off the lake was pretty.

Another shot of Wasilla Lake.

Meredith is smiling after her orthodontist's appointment - maybe because it was painless.

The first snow always looks nice. In a few months we'll be sick of snow, but it was fun to have some today.

Sunday night recap

2009-11-08T23:42:00.000-08:00

Tonight I'll begin and end this recap with a picture, and put one in the middle for good measure.

First, here are the kids after their visit yesterday with a face painter at Fred Meyer's:

Now for a rundown on the day. I had a full load today, filling in for Ron for Sunday School in addition to preaching in the morning and evening. The Sunday School lesson was on Noah and the flood. I've preached through Genesis before, but in my studies I didn't pay much attention to the chiastic that is present in various parts of the book, and which modern commentaries often discuss. Chiasms just never interested me much, but I was impressed with what appears to be a definite chiastic structure to the entire flood narrative (Genesis 6:9-9:19). It certainly supports the view (which I hold) that Genesis was substantially written by one author (Moses) and is not just a patchwork of various strands of oral tradition clumsily thrown together by a later redactor, as higher critical scholars have maintained.

While chiasm was on my brain, I also realized our children have a chiastic structure!:

A Girl

B Girl

C Boy

B' Girl

A' Girl

In any case, it was good to look at the account of Noah and the flood from this different perspective.

In the morning I preached from Matthew 21:23-32, which includes the parable of two sons who are both commanded by their father to go and work in his vineyard. The first one says he won't, but later changes his mind and goes. And the second says he will, but doesn't go. The point is, notorious sinners such as tax collectors and prostitutes (the first son) were entering into the kingdom before the religious leaders of Israel (the second son). One application I made from this parable was for those growing up in the church. Being a member of the church does not save a person. But, I said, you are saved in the same way that drunkards, and drug addicts, and the promiscuous, and the adulterous, and cheaters and liars, and every other great sinner is saved, by the blood of Christ shed upon the cross. In other words, all who enter the kingdom of God, come in the same way - by God's grace and the work of Christ.

Here is Monica and Moriah at the morning service:

It's not the most flattering shot of Monica we've taken!

At the evening service, I preached from Romans 8:5-11. In a nutshell, we have the hope and promise of resurrection in the face of death since the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us and will also give life to our mortal bodies.

Finally, the night ended with some serious excitement: SNOW! Even though this will be our third Alaska winter, the kids were thrilled to discover there was snow on the ground outside. Here the kids are checking it out.

The Heidelberg Catechism

2009-11-08T00:31:00.000-08:00

Today Robyn and I (and Monica, of course!) attended a Reformation Day Conference hosted by Covenant Bible Church in Chugiak. The speaker was Dr. Lyle Bierma of Calvin Theological Seminary, and his subject was the Heidelberg Catechism.

Being Presbyterian, I am much more familiar with the Westminster Standards than the Heidelberg Catechism, which is used as a confessional standard by Dutch Reformed churches. In fact, apart from small portions, I had never even read it until this week. But knowing this conference was coming, I decided to read through it ahead of time. I didn't quite finish, but got a good taste of it.

As Dr. Bierma pointed out, the Heidelberg catechism is much more pastoral and applicatory in tone than the Westminster Shorter Catechism. The theology is the same in both, but the Heidelberg speaks more directly to the heart. I thought, how much more valuable is this little catechism, written sometime in the 1560's, than so much of the popular "inspirational" Christian literature on the shelves today? It's too bad more Christians aren't familiar with it (and obviously I say the same for the Westminster Standards!).

One good point Dr. Bierma made was that the stress on assurance found throughout the catechism was a response to the general lack of assurance medieval Christians suffered because of Roman Catholic teaching. I've heard before that the Protestant teaching that we can be assured of our salvation, by faith in Christ, was considered the greatest heresy of the Reformation by some Catholic theologians. But what a great doctrine it is - that I can know I am saved by the finished work of Christ on the cross!

That theme of assurance is present in Question and Answer 26, which I thought was wonderful:

What do you believe when you say, "I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth"?

That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who out of nothing created heaven and earth
and everything in them,
who still upholds and rules them
by his eternal counsel and providence,
is my God and Father
because of Christ his Son.

I trust him so much that I do not doubt
he will provide
whatever I need
for body and soul,
and he will turn to my good
whatever adversity he sends me
in this sad world.

He is able to do this because he is almighty God;
he desires to do this because he is a faithful Father.

Meditating on these words is good for the soul!

Leviticus and Christ

2009-11-06T23:41:00.000-08:00

As long as I can muster the necessary mental focus, I enjoy listening to sermons, lectures, and theological discussions on my mp3 player while I run. During my run today, I heard a very timely discussion about the significance of the Old Testament sacrifices that are spelled out in the first five chapters of Leviticus. It was "timely" in a purely personal way, as I'm now reading through the book of Leviticus in the course of my regular Bible reading. The guest of the discussion was an Old Testament professor at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary by the name of Dr. Ben Shaw.

Leviticus is not the first place I would go if I just wanted to read some Scripture for edification or comfort. I'd be surprised if there is anyone who would! But Dr. Shaw explained how the various sacrifices detailed in Leviticus point to Christ, and shed light on his work on the cross. A couple of points he made were helpful to me, even if by way of reminder. First, the animal sacrifices were given by God in order to teach the Israelites that, if they are to worship God and be in his holy presence, there must be atonement for their sin. And that needed atonement was signified by the killing of various animals at the altar of God.

This idea, that their must be the shedding of blood to take away sin (Heb. 9:22), is not popular, both in general thinking and in some quarters of the church. It is seen as primitive, offensive, and somehow contrary to the idea of a God of love. Yet how else to explain the death of Christ on the cross, especially in the light of the old covenant sacrifices? "You know that he appeared to take away sins" (1 John 3:5).

The second helpful point Dr. Shaw made was, the fact that the sacrifices were repeated over and over pointed to the need for a once-for-all, perfect sacrifice. This was not new to me, because Hebrews teaches this very thing (Hebrews 10:1-18). Yet it helped to think about it from the perspective of the Old Testament saints. Here they were, watching over and over again, year after year, the continual sacrifice of animals. Some, by faith, must have understood - there is a better, more perfect sacrifice coming that will take away my sins once and for all.

I don't know if I'll ever preach through Leviticus. But there is nothing like knowing it, like all of Scripture, bears witness to the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

Bavinck on Apologetics

2009-11-05T23:43:00.000-08:00

No argument, proof, or evidence, no matter how compelling to the mind of the believer, can by itself convince a person of the truth of the Christian faith. Only the Spirit of God can engender faith in the human heart. That much is sure. But, one apologetic appeal that I believe can be useful is the perfect sense Christianity makes of the world, and our experience in it. That is not to say Christians have all the answers (indeed, believing in Christ raises all sorts of new and unanswerable questions), but only Christianity provides the comprehensive worldview that comports with all the facts of life.

I came across this quote from Herman Bavinck's Prolegomena that says it well. He's speaking of the benefits of apologetics:

Secondly, it (apologetics) teaches that Christians, even though they cannot confer faith on anyone, need not hide from their opponents in embarrassed silence. With their faith they do not stand as isolated aliens in the midst of the world but find support for it in nature and history, in science and art, in society and state, in the heart and conscience of every human being. The Christian worldview alone is one that fits the reality of the world and of life. (pg. 515)

I thought this was a good reminder that the truth of Christianity is never totally foreign; at some point the truth must resonate with every person because it describes how things really are.

Trueman on ministry, the internet, and so-called "British pubs"

2009-11-03T21:19:00.000-08:00

At Westminster one of my church history professors was Dr. Carl Trueman, who at that time was fresh off the boat (O.K., airplane) from England and just beginning his new teaching position here in the States. He was an immediate hit among us students, not only for his engaging lectures, but also for his unique perspective on almost everything.

His latest article at Reformation 21 is, as usual, thought-provoking. As the title of this post indicates, he does write about America's versions of the "British pub" (which he says resemble nothing back home), but more significantly he offers some good thoughts about the nature of God's call upon his people to service in his Kingdom. Most of us, Trueman argues, are called to serve locally: Like all believers, I am called to serve others, and primarily to serve where God has placed me.

He goes on to say:

This realization that the Lord has called me - and I am guessing, most of us - to serve first and foremost wherever we actually are - our families, our congregations, our denominations, and our workplaces - is surely a sobering one. It lacks so much ambition, and shows such a limited vision, after all. Yet in this regard, I think the church is best served by those with such limited ambitions and myopia. I am not much of a web-wandered but on the odd occasion I do a bit of websurfing, I am struck by how many Christians, pastors, professors, and laity, have blogs, Facebook pages, and Twitters going. How many millions of Christian hours are wasted writing this stuff, engaging in mindless blogthreads, and telling the world about personal trivia?

And further:

When I see Christians blogging so much, I wonder how many sermons are being prepared on the fly because of lack of time, how many parishioners go unvisited, how many prayers remained unprayed, how many words of love and affection to spouses and children are never said, how many books - let alone the Bible - are left unread, and how many fellowships atrophy through lack of any real, meaningful social and spiritual intercourse. Indeed, to summarize: how many online "communities' (sic) prosper to the detriment of the real, physical communities into which the Lord has placed each and every one of us? How many complain of insufficient time to do the boring routines of the Christian life - worship services, Sunday School, visiting the sick and the aged, fellowship, Bible reading, prayer - and yet always somehow manage to fit in a quick twitter or blog or podcast or change to their Facebook status?

As a pastor - and speaking as one who started blogging again recently! - I find these challenging thoughts. There is an undeniable appeal to blogging, and to using the internet generally, in that it offers an escape from the too-strict confines of the local and the routine. Yet, as Trueman reminds us, that is just where you and I are called to serve.

It boils down to a question of priorities. Based on my few years' experience as a pastor, it seems to me that so much of the work of ministry is getting priorities straight. There are a million worthy things to be done. But what is most important (not "pressing", but truly important)? I could be missing the mark even while doing that which is valuable in itself. There's no question I can spend too much time on the internet, or blogging (and sometimes do). But I can also spend too much time reading the Bible, or studying, or talking on the phone, or visiting, or counseling, or even praying, if there is at that time some more important work I ought to doing.

The crucial question is, from the perspective of eternity, is this activity the most important for me to be engaged in, right now? There's no easy answer to that question. But in general, as Trueman argues, God calls you and me to serve him right where he's placed us.

Monday meanderings

2009-11-02T22:21:00.000-08:00

First, here is a picture of Moriah's odd choice of places to sleep that I described in yesterday's post:

Here's a girl who takes Psalm 84:10 very seriously: "I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness." Not even sleep will keep her from her post!

We did something unusual today. At the advice of a friend who is a mom, we went to the local humane society to play with the cats and dogs. I had never done that before, so I didn't know what to expect. But it was great fun both for the kids and for us. The workers were very welcoming and gave us access to almost all the pets with the exception of the puppies who have already been claimed for adoption. Apparently they don't let strangers play with them for fear of their getting injured somehow. I didn't quite follow, but that's their policy.

In any case, we first played with several different kittens. Growing up, it seemed we always had kittens around. I had forgotten how playful they are. Next, the older kids spent a little time with the one puppy there who was yet to be adopted. Finally, we took an adult lab to a yard outside for a few minutes. He seemed like a good dog - full of energy and eager to fetch.

After that, we looked at a pop-up camper for sale at the Butte (there is a local town called "Butte", but everyone here refers to it as "the" Butte for some reason). We liked it but are not sure if we'll see it again.

Here are some pictures from the humane society.

Sunday night recap

2009-11-01T23:21:00.000-08:00

I'll start this Sunday night recap with a little incident that happened Saturday night. Caught up in the excitement of the evening, because we had so many trick-or-treaters coming to our door, Sander got carried away and somehow hit his head on the edge of a desk. I didn't see it happen; I just saw a kid coming upstairs with blood all over his face. It would have made a pretty good Halloween get-up, only it was for real. For all the blood, though, the cut wasn't too deep - no stitches or super-glue required. Best of all, at least from Sander's point of view, he got to go to church sporting this big colorful band-aid on his forehead.

At Sunday School, Ron did another fine job teaching from Genesis. One verse we discussed is, I think, one of the most intriguing in all of Scripture: "Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him" (Genesis 5:24). It is so matter-of-fact, and raises all sorts of unanswerable questions (Was his body transformed into an immortal body? What will happen to Enoch at the resurrection? Why did God do this?). Hebrews tells us this, at least: it was by faith that Enoch was taken up by God (Hebrews 11:5).

In the morning I preached on Matthew 21:18-22, in which Jesus cursed the fig tree for not bearing any fruit. When his disciples asked him about it, he taught them about faith and prayer. I said that, first, Jesus cursed the fig tree as a sign of God's judgment that hung over Israel because of her fruitlessness. Next, I argued that Jesus then taught his disciples about faith and prayer in order to show them how they, unlike Israel, may bear genuine spiritual fruit. I think the most salient point was, in order for us to bear any good fruit, we must be united to Christ by faith.

In the evening it was Romans 8:1-4. I followed John Murray in saying that the freedom from condemnation in view in v. 1 ("There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus") is not so much freedom from the guilt of sin as it is from the power of sin (though obviously Paul, and the Bible, teaches that in Christ we are free from the guilt of sin). It seems counterintuitive, but I believe the context supports this understanding.

The last couple of days I've had a few meetings with different people about various matters, sometimes of a more difficult and delicate nature. I found myself more than once wishing I had more wisdom, and wishing I knew just the right words to say.

We had a "where is a camera when you need one?" moment after the evening service tonight. Somehow Moriah managed to fall asleep on the floor in the doorway separating the sanctuary from the fellowship hall. Her body was propping open one of the doors, so people could walk in or out of the sanctuary by stepping over her. One member did take a picture, and I hope to post it after she e-mails it to me.

Finally, here is a great quote from Augustine that a member of the church e-mailed to me recently (along with many other memorable quotes):

The church is like Noah's ark - if it were not for the storm outside no one could stand the stench inside.

Reformation Day Reading - Luther's "Christian Liberty"

2009-10-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

On this day, in 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, an act which seemed inconsequential at the time but became the spark for the Protestant Reformation. For that reason, October 31st is not only Halloween, but more significantly for those of us who cherish the Protestant understanding of the Christian faith, it is "Reformation Day". With that in mind, I set out this week to re-read Christian Liberty, a little tract written by Martin Luther that I had first read in seminary. In it, Luther describes the Christian faith in a clear, powerful, and memorable way.

Luther sets out to explain the true freedom a person comes to possess and enjoy in Christ. As I read it, I thought about the very title of the booklet: "Christian Liberty". Many people would consider that an oxymoron, since by nature we are prone to view Christianity is anything but the way of true freedom. Christ is not the source of personal freedom, but a threat to it!

In any case, Luther begins the work with this seemingly paradoxical statement:

I shall set down the following two propositions concerning the freedom and the bondage of the spirit:

A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none.

A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.

As he goes on to explain, a Christian is perfectly free in that he no longer pursues good works as a means of salvation. Moreover, he is a "lord" because God causes all things - even the cross and death - to serve his salvation. And a Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all in that he is called to serve his neighbor for the sake of Christ. Indeed, he is to be nothing less than a Christ to his neighbor.

The key to this paradox is understanding that a Christian, because he possesses all things in Christ through faith and faith alone, has no need to pursue works as a means of obtaining righteousness and eternal life. And because of his deliverance from works as a means of salvation, a Christian is now free to serve. Therefore, according to Luther, a Christian ought to think this way:

Although I am an unworthy and condemned man, my God has given me in Christ all the riches of righteousness and salvation without any merit on my part, out of pure, free mercy, so that from now on I need nothing except faith which believes this is true. Why should I not therefore freely, joyfully, with all my heart, and with an eager will do all things which I know are pleasing and acceptable to such a Father who has overwhelmed me with his inestimable riches? I will therefore give myself as a Christ to my neighbor, just as Christ offered himself to me; I will do nothing in this life except what I see is necessary, profitable, and salutary to my neighbor, since through faith I have an abundance of all good things in Christ.

Again, the freedom of the Christian consists in his full and free justification apart from works. But this freedom, which is through Christ, is a freedom to become like Christ - a humble servant of others:

Although the Christian is thus free from all works, he ought in his liberty to empty himself, take upon himself the form of a servant, be made in the likeness of men, be found in human form, and to serve, help, and in every way deal with his neighbor as he sees that God through Christ has dealt and still deals with him.

In this way, Luther in this tract draws out for the Christian the implications of that glorious Reformation truth which Luther championed, justification by faith alone.

I'm no scholar of Luther or Calvin, but my understanding is that while Luther emphasized the doctrine of justification by faith alone, Calvin gave far more stress in his theology to the believer's union with Christ. Which is why I found the following passage remarkable. In it Luther gives a thrilling description of our being united with Christ as a bride is with her bridegroom:

Christ is full of grace, life, and salvation. The soul is full of sins, death, and damnation. Now let faith come between them and sins, death, and damnation will be Christ's, while grace, life, and salvation will be the soul's; for if Christ is a bridegroom, he must take upon himself the things which are his bride's and bestow upon her the things that are his. If he gives her his body and very self, how shall he not give her all that is his? And if he takes the body of the bride, how shall he not take all that is hers?

Here is the "great exchange" - we give Christ our sin and death, he gives us his righteousness and life. And by faith in Christ we obtain eternal salvation and enjoy perfect freedom. Now there is something worth celebrating on October 31st!

Herman Bavinck on the Internet

2009-10-29T21:36:00.000-07:00

Well, sort of. Herman Bavinck died in 1921, so technically he couldn't have written about the internet (but in one sense, he is "on" the internet - see the Bavinck blog). However, an article I came across today - on the internet! - reminded me of something I had read in Bavinck's Prolegomena.

According to the article, today is the 40th birthday of the internet. Way back in 1969, on October 29th, a team of computer engineers, led by a Professor Leonard Kleinrock, enabled two distant computers to "talk" to each other for the very first time. And the rest, as they say, is history.

This is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, I had no idea the internet is almost as old as me (I was born in August of that year). So, when I tell my children, "Listen, when I was your age, there was no such thing as the internet!", I now know that statement is technically incorrect. And this is good to know, because if there is a logical or factual flaw in anything I say, sooner or later my eldest daughter will discover it and try to use it to her advantage.

Second, it is interesting because of how much a part of peoples' lives the internet has become since its invention four decades ago. The internet is certainly a big part of my life. Whether that is a good thing or not is debatable, but the fact is I find it hard to imagine what life was ever like before e-mail, Facebook, online shopping, online news, Wikipedia, blogs, internet radio, Google maps, st.louis.cardinals.mlb.com, and so on.

The internet is a two-edged sword. Like any technology, it is morally neutral in itself but in our hands it becomes an instrument either for good or for ill. E-mail and Facebook is a wonderfully convenient way to communicate with others, and to stay in touch with friends. But is my life really enriched by knowing what 80's song my college buddy is most like?

And I'm not convinced the internet saves us much time. Sure, it is much faster to send pictures to relatives via e-mail or Facebook, compared with the old-fashioned method of developing film and using "snail-mail". But the internet could very well be the biggest time-wasting device ever created (it may be a toss-up between it and television). Who hasn't kicked himself after spending needless time on the computer, knowing there are far more pressing and important things to be done? When it's all said and done, the increasingly-rare person who avoids all things internet may prove to be the wisest among us.

I'm also struck by the strange way the internet distorts human relations and interpersonal communication. I've known of an online "dating" relationship that completed fizzled once the two people actually met in person. Typing words onto a screen is a wholly inadequate substitute for face-to-face interaction. And, the internet is probably the world's worst forum for engaging in theological (or political) debate. I can't believe some of things Christians will say online.

On an even more serious level, the internet has been the means for all sorts of wickedness. What immediately comes to mind is the pornography epidemic it has fostered. If the devil tried to create the perfect tool to make pornography as accessible as possible to as many people as possible, all as secretly as possible, he would have invented the internet. And this torrent of online pornography only spawns more depraved and dangerous sexual sin.

On the other hand, the internet can serve the interests of the Kingdom of God. Used rightly, it can be a great tool for the church (though it can never be a substitute for the church!). I personally benefit from various Christian websites, blogs, online books, articles, lectures, and sermons. And I'm sure many, many other believers profit as well from the all the good resources online.

What does Bavinck have to do with all this? In a section in which he discusses the necessity of written Scripture, Bavinck argues that the increasing complexity of the world demands a fixed and unchanging, and thus inscripturated, Word of God:

Scripture is the word of God that has completely entered into the world. It makes that word universal and everlasting, and rescues it from error and lies, from oblivion and transcience. To the degree that humankind becomes larger, life becomes shorter, the memory weaker, science more extensive, error more serious, and deception more brazen, the necessity of Holy Scripture increases. (472)

And then what he wrote next is extremely relevant for our information and internet age:

Print and the press are gaining in significance in every area of life. The invention of printing was a giant step to heaven and to hell.

If the printing press was a giant step to heaven and to hell, how much more so the internet?

Another word on memorizing scripture

2009-10-28T22:52:00.000-07:00

I came across a passage today from Herman Bavinck's Prolegomena that also testifies to the value of memorizing Scripture. He isn't writing about that topic per se, but what he says is certainly relevant:

All believers have the experience that in the best moments of their life they are also most firm in their belief in Scripture. The believer's confidence in Christ increases along with their confidence in Scripture and, conversely, ignorance of the Scriptures is automatically and proportionately ignorance of Christ (Jerome). (pg. 440)

In other words, we cannot grow in the knowledge of Christ, unless we are growing in confidence in, and knowledge of, the Bible. So to memorize Scripture, as unexciting and mundane it may seem at times, is one sure path to growing in the grace and knowledge of the person of Christ.

Memorizing Scripture

2009-10-27T17:41:00.000-07:00

I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
Psalm 119:11

I don't know the Bible as well as I ought. I'll be honest, as a pastor, there are times when I am embarrassed by my lack of mastery of the Scriptures. When speaking with others, relevant passages will come to mind, but I cannot recite them verbatim. So I'll say something like, "I'm paraphrasing here, but in some place Jesus said,..." Or every so often, someone will ask, "Where is the verse that says (such and such)?" And I'm a bit ashamed when I can't give a quick answer.

It's only a small consolation to know I'm not alone in this. We live in a day and age in which most people are biblically illiterate. I remember once, before I became a Christian, watching a football game on T.V. with a friend who grew up in a church-going home. After the screen flashed the ubiquitous "John 3:16" sign someone was holding up, I asked my friend, "I see that everywhere - what does that mean?" I had no idea, but even worse, my church-going friend didn't know either! So, both in and out of the church, people simply don't know the Bible.

And in case you're wondering, John 3:16 says - "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." It's O.K., I didn't know it either!

While this ignorance is understandable, at least for Christians, it's inexcusable. Obviously the solution is to read and study the Bible more. But an indispensable part of that study is committing Scripture to memory. Psalm 119:11 says, "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." The way to store up God's Word in your heart is to memorize it.

Psalm 1 says the man is blessed who delights "in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night" (v.2). The word "meditate" in Hebrew means literally to "groan" or "utter". The idea is that of a person going over and over in his mind some portion of God's Word, muttering it to himself as he does. Here you see the close connection between meditation and memorization. Memorizing Scripture is really forced meditation. As you say the same words over and over, they become fixed both in your heart and mind.

This is one great value of a diligent and consistent effort to memorize Scripture - you are meditating on God's Word. And in the hustle and bustle and push and pull of our complicated, busy, distracted lives, if you don't plan to meditate on, and memorize, Scripture, it won't happen. In the parable of the sower, when Jesus spoke of the thorns that will choke the word that has been implanted in the heart, he said that they stand for, among other things, "the cares of the world" (Mark 4:19). As busy people taken up with all sorts of concerns and worries, we must take care lest the cares of the world leave no more room in our minds for thoughts of God. Thus, memorizing verses and passages will help you to ponder and meditate on God's Word. And, as Psalm 1 says, this is the way to be blessed.

Another benefit of memorizing Scripture is that once you commit a verse or passage to memory, it becomes yours; you own it. The Spirit will bring it to mind at just the right time to minister to you, or through you, to another. And that brings up another reason to commit Scripture to memory, especially for preachers. If you are a pastor, I am convinced that nothing will make your preaching and teaching ministry more effective over the long haul than a growing mastery of God's Word. When I preach or teach, or counsel, how I wish I knew the Bible better! Nothing lends weightiness to a minister's words than a well-chosen verse or passage that speaks right to the heart of a matter.

How do you go about memorizing Scripture? It helps if you are young! Children have an amazing capacity to memorize, and I am glad my kids are memorizing both Scripture and catechism (and, I have to give a hearty thanks to their Sunday School teachers, and to their mother, who regularly assign them Bible verses to memorize).

If you're not young, here is what works for me. I work on memorizing a larger passage at the same time as three or four different verses. Right now, I am trying to memorize Psalm 119 and at the same time various New Testament verses. I work on Bible memorization 15 minutes at a time, using 3 X 5 note cards. I don't get to it every day, and there will be stretches of days or even weeks at a time when I don't work on memorization (it's a lot like physical exercise that way). But the beautiful thing about memorizing Scripture is, it is always time well spent. And diligence and consistency will pay big dividends.

Now, I will say the following not in order to boast, but to show that it is possible even for someone with average intelligence to memorize a large portion of Scripture: while I was serving as a one-year pastoral intern, I memorized the entire book of Romans. All 16 chapters. I did it for one hour of seminary credit, but the real benefit was getting into Romans, and getting Romans into me. I couldn't recite it now, but the exercise was still worth every minute I put into it.

Paul says in Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly." One sure way to have Christ's Word indwelling in you richly, is to commit it to memory. Memorizing is hard work - it is grunt work! - but it is never wasted time.

One Monday in the life of the Johnson family

2009-10-26T22:45:00.000-07:00

Here's a photo tour of our day. Monday is my day off, and I usually spend it with Robyn and the kids.

On Mondays, just like on Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and Fridays, and Saturdays, and Sundays, I like to start off with a hot cup of coffee. Maggie was awake, and seem interested in the coffee-making process, so I taught her how to do it. I'm always looking to give my children new and exciting learning opportunities. What could be more exciting than learning how to make dad's morning coffee!

Here is our usual Monday breakfast - cinnamon rolls. Robyn makes these from whole-grain wheat, and so they are very healthy.

What every kid loves - a trip to the dentist! The three older kids had their teeth cleaned today. And, believe it or not, they were very excited to go. We'll see how long that lasts. Here's Sander, "laid-back" and ready to get those choppers cleaned.

In addition to the free toothbrush, floss, sticker, and toy each child received, they each also got to take home flavored chapstick. Moriah spent the rest of day applying it to her lips. Though Moriah gives us a lot to worry about, at least today we did NOT have to worry about her precious lips getting chapped. I told Robyn, trying to be witty, "We should start calling Moriah 'Suzy Chapstick'." Silence. I forgot my rule with Robyn - no references to pre-1985 popular culture (I'm a tad older than her, you see).

Here's Meredith waiting patiently for her turn in the dentist's chair. As you can see, she is a reader.

After the dentist, it was off to one of our favorite Monday destinations - Wal-Mart! Moriah took it upon herself to add one apple to our cart. Maybe licking her fruit-flavored lips all day gave her a hankering for the real thing.

Monica is safely ensconced in her child-seat cocoon.

If you factor in Monica's car seat, we are a TWO cart Wal-Mart family.

Our plan was to spend some time at another favorite local haunt, Wonderland Park. As you can see, the weather was less than "wonder"ful. So, instead....

...we to a new cafe in town, The Metro. Here the kids are enjoying a peach and cherry steamer.

Meredith had her first swimming lesson today. I was proud of how hard she tried.

There you go - a fairly typical Monday for the Johnsons.

Sunday night recap

2009-10-25T23:16:00.000-07:00

First, baseball. I just read that Tony La Russa will very likely be returning as the Cardinals' skipper in 2010. I am glad to hear it. Like all Cards fans, I still have a very bitter taste in my mouth after the 2009 post season: three games, three losses. There is some unfinished work to be done, and who better to see to it than "TLR"?

Now, for the real business of the day - worship. Worship was the general theme of my morning sermon. I preached from Matthew 21:12-17, the account of Jesus cleansing the temple. Matthew includes the intriguing detail that Jesus, after wreaking havoc on the merchantmen and moneychangers, healed the blind and the lame. It is very likely that these people were limited in their access to the temple because of their physical defects (a supposition based on Leviticus 21:18 and 2 Samuel 5:8). For that reason, Jesus' healed them for the very purpose that they might draw near to the altar of God for worship. The lesson for us is that, in order to truly worship God, we must first be healed by Jesus. Christ must cleanse us from our sin and guilt, making us whole, so that we might draw near to God and worship him.

In the evening I preached from Romans 7:14-25. The great question interpreters have struggled to answer is, was Paul speaking of his pre-conversion state, or of his experience as a believer? Following John Murray, whose commentary I am using for my sermons, I based my sermon on the latter understanding. Paul was writing about his struggle with sin as a Christian. I said that, in this passage, the apostle comes within an inch of disowning his sin, i.e., blaming it on the sinful nature within him (v.20). But he says this not to evade responsibility for his sin, but in order to argue that, because he belongs to Jesus Christ, sin is a contradiction of his most basic identity. And as Christians in the heat of the battle against sin, we also must remember that before all else, we are those united to Christ. In a very real sense, our sin is a contradiction of who we are.

I talked with a member after the service about this passage. We both agreed that it is one which can easily be mis-applied, to make excuses for sinning. But, I believe this passage, properly understood, should be a great encouragement for us as we engage in the very difficult struggle with sin.

It was a good day at church. Like always, there were reasons to be encouraged, plus one or two things that were less than encouraging. But, if I believe the words I preached this morning, we were gathered before the presence of Christ to worship him. And that is always a good thing.

Not glorious enough

2009-10-23T15:32:00.000-07:00

About this time each year, I take our cars to a local tire shop to have studded tires put on for the winter. This is a ritual known up here as "change over". This morning, as I waited for the shop to open (it's a good idea to arrive early since everybody else is doing change over, too), I finished listening to a debate between Christopher Hitchens and Douglas Wilson on the existence of God. I wrote earlier that this debate, and others between them, is the subject of Collision, a new movie soon to be released.

I also wrote that I was struck by Hitchens' worshipful tone as he spoke about the transcendent beauty of the universe. His point was that an atheist, though he denies the existence of God, is not unable to appreciate the numinous and awe-inspiring. In fact, according to Hitchens, only by jettisoning age-old religious superstitions has man been able to discover the beauty of our universe. He appealed to the stunning images of the far reaches of space taken by the Hubble Space Telescope (thus the starry picture above). How can anyone say that a burning bush in the wilderness is more glorious, or beautiful than that? Or how can the miracle of Jesus casting a legion of demons into a herd of swine be considered anything other than vulgar in comparison to the revelation of beauty found in nature?

I believe there are good answers to these questions. But, what I found fascinating in his argument was the explicit language of worship. He spoke of the "absolute magnificence," "underlying beauty," "majesty", and "awe" of nature. This is why I believe that Hitchens may be in fact closer to pantheism than atheism. Though he denies God, he transfers to nature the language of worship and awe that properly belongs to God.

What Hitchens implies by all of this, is that nature, or creation, is sufficient in itself to satisfy our innate longing to experience the transcendent, the glorious, the numinous. And there I believe he is wrong. As awe-inspiring as the Hubble images may be, they, or any wonder of creation, cannot in the end answer to our God-given longing for eternity. Nature is finite, but we are created in the image of an infinite and eternal God. And we were made to know him. "He...put eternity into man's heart" (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Therefore, nothing less than God can satisfy our longing for the transcendent. Hitchens has replaced God with nature, and is in effect worshiping what John Calvin called a "shadow diety".

Ravi Zacharias said, somewhere, that the only thing that can sustain wonder in the human heart is another person. God has given us the creation, with all its beauty, so that we would be led by it to know the Creator who made it. Only when we look to God do we find the one source of beauty, majesty, and wonder that will fully satisfy our heart's longing for the eternal and transcendent.

When Jesus prayed his high priestly prayer in John 17, he said, "Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world" (v.24). Jesus knows what is the deepest longing of our hearts, and that is to see (and worship) that which is infinitely, eternally glorious. That glory is not found in nature, but in Christ.

Miscellaneous

2009-10-22T00:33:00.000-07:00

Last night I took the lovely and talented Mrs. Johnson out for a long-overdue date night. The three of us - Monica goes wherever mom goes - had a relaxing time. First we enjoyed a delicious meal at a new tapas restaurant in Wasilla called The Grape Tap. We followed that with some coffee and checkers at Pandemonium, a favorite coffee shop of ours. With all humility, and all due respect for my worthy checkers opponent, I crushed her. Though it's probably not fair to play any game involving thought with someone who has spent all day at home with five young children. But, excuses aside, for now I am the reigning checkers champ in the Johnson home.

While running today, I listened to an engaging debate between atheist Christopher Hitchens and Christian pastor Douglas Wilson. I didn't catch the title, but the subject was the existence of God. There are several reasons why this debate interests me, the first being simply the subject itself. I am also a bit familiar with both men. I love reading Hitchens - he's such a good writer. As for Wilson, he is well-known among evangelicals, especially Reformed Christians. I'm not a particularly huge fan of his, but I've profited from some of his writings.

Also, the debate took place at my alma mater, Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia. I wish I had been there to see it! At any rate, I'm about half-way through it. Both men are intelligent and well-spoken, so I don't anticipate a clear "winner" emerging. Like all debates of this sort, the atheists will think the atheist won, and the theists will be sure the theist came out on top.

My impression of Hitchens' main argument is that it comes perilously close to pantheism - nature and God are one and the same. I say this because he emphasized his belief (!) that we can find beauty, and transcendence, and wonder in nature with no need to reference a divine being. In other words, he almost spoke in worshipful tones about the glories of our universe. That struck me.

There's a documentary coming out soon featuring a series of debates between the two men, of which this was just one. It's called Collision, and should be fun viewing.

Sander - "The Boy"

2009-10-20T00:03:00.000-07:00

My sister, when talking with my parents, used to refer to me as "the boy". She did this after we had already grown up, just because it sounded kind of funny. As though I was more of an afterthought than a full-fledged child such as herself: there's Meredith, and then there's "the boy". She didn't mean anything by it but to be funny, and you probably had to know my sister to appreciate the humor of it.

But with four sisters, our only son, Sander, really is "the boy". And if there is anyone who thinks gender differences are wholly shaped by culture and environment, and not hardwired by God into our very DNA, then I invite you to stay a few days at our house to see the difference first-hand.

Without any prompting or pushing on our part, Sander has taken an interest in sports. I thought about that today as I was playing Nerf-ball catch with him in the living room. As far as I can remember, our two older daughters have never asked me to play catch with them (however, they do like to join in when Sander and I are playing). I also don't recall our girls making sound effects. Without teaching or example, Sander started making sound effects, often to accompany his description of shooting something. And he likes to "announce" baseball plays: "grand slam home run by Albert Pujols!" There's no question in my mind this boyish stuff comes from within. He's a guy, he can't help it.

I love my girls dearly, but with four daughters, I'm sure glad we have "the boy" around, too.

Sunday night recap

2009-10-18T23:21:00.000-07:00

Sunday's are always long days, but today was even longer since I was up at 5:00 a.m. This was not by choice, at least not my choice. Moriah decided at that time that she just had to have her doll, and so did what she always does when she needs something in the middle of the night: she called out to Mom and Dad (just like some alarm clocks, her cry for help begins quietly and then slowly increases in volume until it can no longer be ignored). So I got up and gave her her "baby". And there was no going back to sleep after that. This sort of thing happens more often than I would like, but "this too shall pass." At least I don't have to wake up once or twice each night to feed Monica.

Rob, a member of the church, taught the adult Sunday School class. Today's passage was Genesis 4:1-16, in which Cain murders his younger brother Abel. The best question we pondered was, why did the Lord accept Abel's sacrifice but not Cain's? There is no definitive answer to that, other than "by faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain" (Hebrews 11:4).

At the morning service, the ranks were thinned somewhat. Many of the missing were out of town or sick. We're definitely in the sick season; I was out of commission myself on Thursday due a virus. Thankfully (if I was superstitious, I would knock on wood at this point), our family has avoided the flu and viruses (other than mine) thus far. However, I can't help but think our time will come soon enough.

At the evening service, I preached from Romans 7:7-13, in which Paul explains how the law, though in itself is "holy and righteous and good," becomes the means by which sin comes alive in the human heart, grows, and ultimately destroys the sinner. So God's law is inherently good, yet through it sin shows itself to be "sinful beyond measure." The good news, as I pointed out, is that as we - by God's grace - become conscious of our sin in response to God's law, we also become conscious of our desperate need for a Savior. And so the law in this way leads us to Christ.

We had an amusing conversation at dinner time. For some reason, we got on the subject of cameras, and Robyn and I found ourselves explaining how in the "old days" people had to use something called "film" to take pictures. And in that primitive era, you couldn't immediately see the picture you just took. Someday I'll tell them about really ancient technology, such as the 8-track cassette or the rotary phone.

Come visit Alaska - young or old

2009-10-18T00:21:00.000-07:00

I wasn't planning to post a blog tonight, but in reading a few pages from Alaska - Saga of a Bold Land before bedtime, I came across this interesting quote from a 19th-century visitor to Alaska:

"There is one word of advice and caution to be given to those intending to visit Alaska for pleasure, for sightseeing. If you are old, go by all means; but if you are young, wait. The scenery of Alaska is much grander than anything else of the kind in the world, and it is not well to dull one's capacity for enjoyment by seeing the finest first."

I agree with the observation that the scenery of Alaska is unbeatable. But I disagree with the counsel to wait until you're old to come and visit. We like visitors, so we want you to come while you're still young!

Sinclair Ferguson on Romans

2009-10-16T23:35:00.000-07:00

Dr. Sinclair Ferguson is the senior minister of First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, South Carolina. He once was a professor at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, but by the time I studied there, he had left to serve elsewhere. I was fortunate enough, however, to sit under his teaching for one winter term class. I wish I had had the opportunity to study under him much more than that.

However, he is still one of my teachers. I've read some of his books, and have listened to some of his lectures and sermons on tape and online. For what it's worth, in my opinion, he is one of the most gifted teachers and preachers serving the church today.

For my devotional reading, I'm working my way through Dr. Ferguson's book, In Christ Alone. This morning's chapter was on the book of Romans, which I found especially engaging since I am now preaching through Romans in the evening services.

Ferguson reminded me in this chapter that the gospel, as expounded so fully in Romans, is the gospel of grace. Though not an original insight by any means, it is refreshing to hear this again - we are saved by the sheer grace of God through the death and resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ.

Ferguson writes: "This gospel of God, Paul's gospel, is massive. And what makes it so is grace - sheer, undiluted, overwhelming grace. Massive grace!" Of course, to see why he says that, you must read the chapter. Or better yet, read Romans itself.

But I like the thought that grace is massive. I pray that I, and those who sit under my preaching in the evening services, will be struck by the force of this amazing grace as we study Romans together.

Derek Kidner on Psalm 81

2009-10-14T23:31:00.000-07:00

Every Wednesday evening we have a prayer meeting at the church. It's small, usually just two (or sometimes three) families, counting my own. I would be encouraged if more attended. But, we pray believing Christ is also present, and that God will in some way use our prayers to advance his kingdom.

Each week we briefly read and discuss a Psalm. We started with Psalm 1, and tonight we looked at Psalm 81. Since there are 150 total Psalms, we are more than half-way through the Psalter. So, as I've discovered with the Calvin's Institutes study group, with regular and consistent meetings, it's amazing how much progress can be made over time through an intimidatingly long book. In the same way, I just finished yesterday the first volume of Herman Bavinck's Reformed Dogmatics. It's over 600 pages long and not exactly breezy reading. I started a few years ago, read it in fits and starts, and probably never read more than 10 pages in one sitting. Now I'm ready to tackle volume 2. I may not finish until 2013, but that's alright.

Back to the Psalm 81, one of my favorite commentators on the Psalms is Derek Kidner. He's scholarly and a solid exegete, but what sets him apart from most other commentators is how well he writes. He can pack more thought into a few short words better than any other biblical commentator I've come across. And he always seems to capture the heart of what a verse or passage is saying.

For example, Psalm 81:11 says,

But my people did not listen to my voice;
Israel would not submit to me.

Kidner writes: "The distaste of my people for my voice and for me is almost too common to seem inconsistent. Yet it is as if the lock rejected its key, or the fledgling its parent; such was the demented human material God handled, and handles."

That is just one example that I happened to come across tonight. But as I read him earlier today, I thought how nice it is to read a commentary that is so well-written. I read several commentaries in the course of my weekly sermon preparation, and some of them (mostly the newer, academic sort) read like an instruction manual for a household appliance: technically precise, but inelegant and dry as dirt. That's why when I study a Psalm, I always look forward to reading what Kidner has to say.

Calvin's Institute Discussion Group

2009-10-13T22:51:00.000-07:00

Our Calvin's Institutes reading group met this evening for the first time since June. Though our meetings have been sporadic, little by little we are making headway. At this time, after about two years and 725 pages, we are somewhere around the half-way point. It's been a great blessing to read, digest, and discuss the Institutes on a regular basis.

Miscellaneous

2009-10-12T22:20:00.000-07:00

Why do I feel so wiped out at the end of my day off? With five children eight and under, including one newborn, life is hectic. I'm not complaining; we are blessed to have a large family. But the energy output of five little ones over the course of a day is both incredibly high, and incredibly draining.

Thankfully, we were able to get the kids outside for a while to play. The whole family went to a local park where we walked on trails, and I played soccer with the munchkins while Robyn nursed Monica. It was an afternoon of 60 degrees and brilliant sunshine. Is this really Alaska on October 12th? I see that in Missoula, Montana, where my parents live, the low yesterday was 12 degrees. I guess sometimes you have to go far north to get the balmy weather.

As for a large family, as we shopped at Target today I found myself conscious in a way that I hadn't really been before of how many children we have. People probably assume we are Catholic, Mormon, or simply ignorant of the wide variety of available birth control options! Oh well, let people think what they want. While I don't happen to believe that having many children is in itself a sign of true virtue and godliness, or that being a large family somehow puts us a cut above others, we are deeply grateful that God has blessed us with five little ones.

On a completely different subject, I see that the four teams for the two League Championship Series' are now set. I'm mostly disappointed that the Cardinals are not one of them, but I also wish at least one non-West Coast or East Coast team could have a shot at the World Series. It's special when a small-market team can defy the odds, and the payroll handicap, to slay the giants. Each one of the four teams left in the playoffs rank in the top nine of total payroll among all major league clubs. The Yankees, of course, are first in that category. Too bad the Twins (24th overall in payroll) couldn't play David to New York's Goliath.

If you're internet savvy, this probably won't be news to you at all. But I recently discovered a great internet radio station, Pandora. You tell them a favorite artist, and they play a station that features both music by that artist and similar music by other artists. It's a lot of fun, and free.

Robyn and I often read a book together on Monday nights (I read, and she listens). We are now making our way through Roland Bainton's Here I Stand, a biography of Martin Luther. It's a fascinating read, full of interesting details about Luther's life. Also, the author does a very good job covering the ideas and events of the early Reformation. It's hard to fathom now, given the age in which we live that is so indifferent to theological questions, that an idea like justification by faith alone could stir up such passions.

Well, Robyn just walked in and said - "Why are we wasting our lives in front of a computer!?" Good point. We're going to read about Luther now, and enjoy a little peace and quiet.

Sunday night recap

2009-10-11T23:59:00.000-07:00

Today was Pastor Appreciation Day, and the church showed their appreciation to me with two large cakes. It was a thoughtful gesture that, along with several handshakes and "thank-you's", made me feel that my service at Grace is received with gratitude. Of course, I am also always encouraged by the casual expressions of appreciation that I get from time to time.

The work of a minister is sowing seeds in faith, believing that the real fruit of one's labor will only be revealed in time to come. Unlike building a house, or some other work that produces an immediate tangible result, so much of I what I do is a sort of spiritual investment. One day Christ will reveal the true value of my ministry (a ministry which is really his, and not "mine"), and my prayer is that it will be well pleasing to him. All the same, I am heartened by such expressions of appreciation as I received today.

Today was another full day of preaching and teaching. I led the Sunday School class on Genesis 3, focusing on God's response to Adam and Eve's sin. There wasn't as much discussion this time as there was last Sunday, but I think the class was profitable.

In the morning, I preached from Matthew 20:29-34, which is the account of Jesus healing two blind men outside of Jericho. What would it have been like to have been blind one's whole life, and then to suddenly see? Though I try to avoid speculation, I said that I had to believe that the very first thing the two men saw was the face of Jesus smiling upon them. The theme of the sermon was the faith of the two men, by which they called out to Jesus, were healed by Jesus, and became followers of Jesus.

In the evening it was Romans 7:1-6. We have died to the law, and are now alive to Christ. I don't think I'll ever fully grasp the deep complexity of the Bible's teaching on the relationship of law and gospel for believers.

And now as I write this, Robyn is sitting next to me with Monica in her arms. The other four are in bed, and the house is blissfully quiet. It's been another long Sunday, and I'm ready for a good night's sleep.

R.I.P. - Cardinals 2009 season

2009-10-10T22:47:00.000-07:00

The Redbirds' season came to an inglorious end today as the Dodgers put the final nail in the coffin, taking three in a row. A best-of-five series, and not one lousy win to show for it. For us Cardinal fans, it's a disappointing finish to what was a very promising year.

I know it's just a game, and from the perspective of eternity, who won the Division Series in 2009 doesn't really matter. But still, at our house we (at this point, at least Robyn and I) enjoy rooting for the Cardinals and it's impossible not to feel let down when they lose after getting this far.

The funny thing is, when I was kid, I was one of the biggest fans the Dodgers ever had. I can still remember the names of the starters from the 1977 team. But, my baseball blood went from blue to red not long after our family moved to the St. Louis area. I caught Cardinal fever in the mid-80's when they went to the World Series twice (alas, only to lose both times). And ever since then they've been my team.

Now that their season is finished, I wonder how things are going to shape up for 2010?

God's Peace Prize

2009-10-09T18:03:00.000-07:00

No, this isn't an analysis or comment on today's Nobel Peace Prize announcement. What could I possibly say about that, that hasn't already been said? The truth is, I had been thinking about a certain verse in Genesis recently, and all the hubbub over today's big news suggested to my mind this title, "God's Peace Prize."

I've been reflecting on Genesis 3:15 as a result of preparing for a Sunday School lesson on that chapter. Here is the verse:

I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.

The speaker is God, and he is directing this curse to the serpent, Satan, who has just successfully tempted Adam and Eve to sin against God by eating the forbidden fruit. Theologians have called this verse the protevangelium ("first gospel"), because here for the first time God declares his intention to reverse the consequences of the fall by raising up a Savior for mankind. The offspring of the woman, referring ultimately to Christ, shall bruise the head of Satan, i.e., deliver a fatal blow to the one who engineered humanity's fall into sin. In the process, the serpent would bruise the heel of Christ. That is to say, Satan would hurt Christ, but not destroy him. The fulfillment of all this, of course, was at the cross.

What struck me about this first proclamation of the gospel is the fact that it is couched entirely in terms of conflict. There will be hatred, fighting, and death. And this is "good news"?

The truth this passage reveals so clearly is that there can be no salvation from sin apart from conflict and suffering. Satan, who gained dominion over mankind in the Garden, would not voluntarily surrender his rule; he had to be defeated. As for humans since the fall, our sin necessitates just retribution from a holy and righteous God. Therefore, if we are to be saved from God's condemnation due to us for our sin, someone must suffer: without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:23).

The good news is that Jesus has accomplished our salvation from sin and death. And he did not do it without war: The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). Neither did Jesus obtain our redemption apart from suffering. Only by submitting to the unimaginable agony of the cross (at which he suffered not only physical torment, but also the infinitely greater spiritual torment of bearing God's wrath against sin), could he save us from our sins.

To paraphrase Hebrews 2:14, through his own death Jesus destroyed the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, in order to bring about our redemption. In terms of Genesis 3:15, Christ bruised the head of the serpent in the very act of allowing the serpent to bruise his heel.

Thus it is that all the wonderful blessings that accrue to us in Christ - forgiveness, salvation, the knowledge of God's love, the hope for resurrection, joy, and so on - are ours only by virtue of the fiercest imaginable conflict and the greatest imaginable suffering. Genesis 3:15, the first gospel, reminds us there is no easy salvation, no cheap grace, no painless redemption from our sin.

But out of this conflict and suffering Christ gives us peace - peace with God and the promise of a world at peace in the new age to come. Jesus, warrior and sacrificial lamb, will be glorified forever as the one who gave the world true peace.

Sander's fish question

2009-10-08T23:47:00.000-07:00

Our four-year-old son Sander likes to ask questions that come from I don't know where. At breakfast this morning, as we were all talking about our day's schedule or something like that, Sander had a question about fishing:

"Daddy, when you use that kind of lure that spins when you fish, and you catch a fish with it, doesn't it start spinning, too?"

That was a doozy!

Herman Bavinck on the essence of the Christian religion

2009-10-07T12:33:00.000-07:00

Over the past few years, I've been making my way slowly but surely through the first volume - "Prolegomena" - of Herman Bavinck's Reformed Dogmatics. The work is not exactly light reading, but it pays great dividends on time and effort spent grappling with it. Bavinck was obviously an extraordinary thinker (his familiarity with the philosophical and theological literature up to his time is just mind-boggling), and reading him, even if not understanding everything, cannot but enlarge one's own thoughts about the things of God.

Here is one quote that I like, that well expresses Bavinck's comprehensive understanding of the Christian faith:

"And the essence of the Christian religion consists in the reality that the creation of the Father, ruined by sin, is restored in the death of the Son of God and re-created by the grace of the Holy Spirit into a kingdom of God" (pg. 112).

Or in other words, according to the Editor's Introduction, the "fundamental theme that shapes Bavinck's entire theology is the trinitarian idea that grace restores nature" (pg. 18). Much to think about.

Family devotions

2009-10-06T16:48:00.000-07:00

At the risk of appearing self-serving, I'm going to write about our family devotions. I say it might appear self-serving, because like any spiritual discipline in the Christian life, beginning or maintaining family devotions can be a real challenge and my writing of our family's practice could easily be interpreted as drawing attention to how pious or faithful we are. However, my goal is to encourage families who might read this to start, or continue, having times of family worship.

There is no verse or passage in the Bible that prescribes exactly what a family ought to do for devotions. The Scriptural basis for family devotions is clear (namely, the responsibility of parents, especially fathers, to bring their children up "in the discipline and instruction of the Lord"; see Eph. 6:4; Deut. 6:4-7), but God has not given us detailed instructions on how to order them. So, our family's practice is not an example for all to copy. However, what we have done has worked well and has been a blessing for us.

Normally, we have devotions twice a day (exceptions are Sundays, when we don't do devotions at all, and anytime we don't have time for them). In the morning, we go over one catechism question from the Westminster Shorter Catechism. Then, we read a passage from the Old Testament. If the passage is one that contains material not appropriate for young ears, I skip it (for example, we did not read the Song of Solomon for family devotions!). Our practice has been to start at Genesis and read through the entire Old Testament, one passage at a time. Yes, some passages, like genealogies and the Levitical laws, don't make the greatest devotional material. However, it's important to see things in perspective. Over the course of years, we'll have read through the entire Bible together as a family. And that's worth a few weeks here and there of slogging through the tougher sections of Scripture.

We then talk about the passage, a time in which the children often have more questions than there's time to answer - though the questions are sometimes only marginally, or not all, related to the actual passage! Next, we sing a hymn from the Trinity Hymnal. In the morning we sing the same hymn for about a month at a time, in order to learn it. I will pray after singing, and that ends our morning devotions.

In the evening, the format is basically the same but with a few minor differences. Instead of a catechism question, we recite some list of Bible books, usually the books of the New Testament. It's amazing how adept little minds are at memorizing! Then we read a New Testament passage (again, gradually working through the entire NT), discuss it, sing, and pray. In the evenings, we work our way through the Trinity Hymnal, singing one hymn each evening. So, we are learning the hymnbook as well as the Bible.

Now, I realize this may be daunting for some. After all, I'm a pastor and I've been trained to teach the Bible! But, I think any motivated father (or mother, as the case may be) can lead family devotions well. A person doesn't have to preach a sermon - just talk about one or two key thoughts in the passage. Maybe there'll be no comments on the passage. What's crucial is some regular time in which the family's attention is given to the Word and prayer.

Being consistent in this is a challenge. Our lives are busy and interruptions are legion. The kids may be acting up, or complaining about having to have devotions. And often I just plain don't feel like taking the trouble to get started. But I'm convinced that the habit of family devotions, no matter how spotty they may be at times, is a means God uses to richly bless a family. Will family devotions guarantee my child will come to saving faith in Jesus Christ? Of course not. There is no method or technique or practice that guarantees to bring about what only the Holy Spirit can accomplish. But family devotions are a way of instilling the Word of God into our children's, and our own, hearts and minds. And God, who is faithful to his covenant promises, and gracious and good, can and will use them to bring our children to understand, and believe in, the love and grace he has for us in Christ.

What prompted me to write this was, in fact, our family devotions this morning. We read from 1 Samuel how barren Hannah prayed to the Lord, asking him for a son and promising him that if he answered her prayer, she would "give him to the LORD all the days of his life" (1 Samuel 1:11). He did answer her prayer, and Hannah fulfilled her promise: she gave her son Samuel to the priest Eli to be in the service of the Lord all his days.

As Christians, our children belong to the Lord. What better way for us to give them to Christ than to lead them regularly, in the home as well as in church, to the Word of God that bears witness to the life-giving Savior?

Our new church sign

2009-10-05T21:20:00.000-07:00

Not really, but an amusing thought.

Sunday night recap

2009-10-04T23:24:00.000-07:00

Today was another long and full Lord's Day. It was our first Sunday to get all five kids ready for church without any outside help, since my mom flew back home on Friday. Thanks to Robyn, the morning went smoothly and we had five little bodies buckled up and ready to ride to church with time to spare. My job is rather easy on Sunday mornings: get myself ready. As for Robyn, she has six people to get ready.

I had a full slate at church today. First, I led the morning Sunday School class on Genesis. Today we looked at the temptation and fall of Adam and Eve. I was struck again by how deceptively simple the first few chapters of Genesis are. The stories (by "story" I don't mean fiction; I believe they are historical accounts) are plain enough for a child to understand, but so profound as to provide matter for the deepest of theological reflection. One verse that strikes me in particular is 3:1, in which the serpent utters his very first words, asking Eve: "Did God actually say,...?" Isn't that always the starting point for Satan's deception, to tempt us to doubt the veracity of God's Word?

In the morning, I preached on the account of the mother of James and John asking Jesus to give her sons the two highest positions in the kingdom. I thought it went better than last week, but who knows, really? One point I made, an insight gleaned from A.B. Bruce's The Training of the Twelve, is that Jesus is the only king who obtained his throne by first becoming a servant. He didn't inherit it, he didn't win it with power, or charm, or cunning, but he acquired the greatest throne of all by becoming the lowliest servant of all.

At the evening service, my message was on Romans 6:15-23. In Christ, we are slaves to righteousness, but this slavery is really the essence of true human freedom. In the middle of the sermon, I almost lost my train of thought when I saw my poor wife trying, with one arm, to drag Moriah out of the church for a spanking while with the other arm cradling Monica. I was very tempted to stop the sermon and walk down the aisle to help out, but thankfully Robyn managed to leave the sanctuary without my assistance.

A little while ago, as I held Monica at home, she smiled at me. No one else saw it though, and Robyn is skeptical that it was real. But I think I know a smile when I see one, so I'm sticking with my story.

Instant Coffee

2009-10-03T17:57:00.000-07:00

At the grocery store today there was a table set up besides Starbucks at which it appeared a worker was giving out coffee samples. Naturally attracted to a free coffee giveaway, I walked over there instinctively, like a moth drawn to the light. But more than a sample tasting, it was the Starbucks' "Via Taste Challenge." "Via" is their new instant coffee, and the challenge was to see if I could tell the difference between the instant coffee and the regular brewed coffee. I am proud to say that, with just one sip of each, I immediately identified the instant. But, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. In my experience, instant coffee has always been awful, awful stuff. When I lived in Japan people would often offer it to me, assuming this "gaijin" would prefer his Western "coffee" over their own Asian tea. I actually preferred the tea, or water, or nothing at all. But instant coffee technology must have improved since then - the Via was decent. If there were no other viable caffeinated options, I'd drink it.

The Christian Ministry, by Charles Bridges

2009-10-02T20:46:00.000-07:00

The full title is, "The Christian Ministry, with An Inquiry into the Causes of its Inefficiency." I bought this book about six years ago, started reading it, then neglected it, started it again at the beginning - reading in fits and starts - and finally just finished it today. Here are some of my thoughts on it.

As a minister constantly learning "on the job," I find books on the ministry and preaching to be extremely helpful. I learned Hebrew, Greek, and theology at seminary, but relatively little on how to be a pastor and preacher (though I believe that seminary training - or something equivalent to it - is vital to faithful and fruitful gospel ministry). I learned much more about the ins and outs of day to day pastoral work from simply observing the pastors I had, and from serving in two different churches as a ministerial intern. The best supplement to those experiences are books such as this one.

The Christian Ministry was written by an 19th-century Anglican minister, Charles Bridges. His style strikes modern ears as old-fashioned and sometimes a bit stilted (part of the reason why it took me a while to read). Also, the context in which Bridges ministered, England in the early 1800's, is obviously much different from 21st-century America. The reader must "translate" some of what he writes into his own familiar setting.

However, the strength of The Christian Ministry is that Bridges concentrates on the very fundamental principles that define and shape the character and work of the gospel ministry. These principles are Scriptural, and so as true today as they were at that time, and as they were in the days of the New Testament. He addresses virtually every aspect of the ministry, always focusing on the truly important matters: the nature of the call, the life and character of the pastor, the work of preaching, the need for faith and prayer, and so on. Here is a typically simple but needful reminder: "Who will deny, that - had he been a more spiritual Christian - he would probably have been a more useful Minister?" (pg. 164). I consider this work to be a sort of touchstone by which to evaluate and compare all other writings about the ministry. It well deserves its classic status.

As one who served as a minister himself, Bridges had a realistic view of pastoring. He writes of the struggles of ministry, as well as the joys. With regard to the struggles, I was struck by his list of the main sources of adversity in the ministry: the professing church, the world, the power of Satan, and ourselves. We often hear of the "unholy trinity" we face as Christians, the world, the flesh, and the devil. But Bridges, writing as a pastor to pastors, includes - and first, no less - "the professing church" as a source of "severe and sometimes overwhelming trials"! Thankfully, serving the church is also a privilege and a joy. But certainly the church itself is often a cause for grief for the pastor. Bridges helps the minister to see this unpleasant truth in the light of the greater call to ministry, with encouraging results.

One observation I found helpful was the reminder that one of the chief "comforts and encouragements" of ministry is the great privilege of laboring in the Word of God. In this connection Bridges quotes Proverbs 11:25, "he that watereth is watered also himself." How true that is.

I also found particularly challenging Bridges' observation that one of the "causes of the want of success in the Christian ministry" is a basic lack of faith. He writes, "All our failures may be ultimately traced to a defect of faith. We ask but for little, we expect but little, we are satisfied with little; and therefore we gain and do but little" (pg. 173). That hit home when I first read it. It is too easy for me as a pastor to simply "go through the motions" of my work and fail to look to God for his blessing on the ministry of his Word.

Somewhere (I couldn't find the page) in the book, Bridges quotes another as saying, in effect, that the ministry demands more than any man can possibly bring to it. Reading this book convicted me of this truth, but at the same time encouraged me to carry on in the work. If I, by the grace of God, grow at all as a minister of the gospel, others will grow in their knowledge of Christ. And that makes it all worth it.

Moriah and stroller

2009-10-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

Here is our little Moriah, enjoying a quiet stroll in the park a couple of days ago.

This is the way I like to think of her, rather than the crying child who woke me up five times last night. Or the screaming child later that morning.

She looks so peaceful here. I like this version of Moriah.

(picture by Gran)

In Christ Alone

2009-09-30T23:36:00.000-07:00

In the new Trinity Hymnal, which we use at Grace, one section of hymns is entitled, "Union with Christ." But it only includes four hymns! When the hymnal is revised, I hope they'll add "In Christ Alone" by Getty and Townsend.

Each month at church we have a new "hymn of the month." I chose "In Christ Alone" for the month of October, and am excited that we'll be learning it together. But I haven't heard it sung as a hymn before, so I'm wondering how it will sound. The choir sang it some time ago, but their version, though beautiful, was too complicated for the congregation to sing. I'm hoping the version we sing on Sunday will be easy to learn for the church.

Union with Christ was a major emphasis at the seminary I attended. As I've been preaching through Romans in the evenings, I've been reminded of how profound and far-reaching this Scriptural teaching is: I have died to sin in the death of Christ and I have been raised up to new life in the resurrection of Christ. I am "in Christ," therefore his victory over sin and death is my victory over sin and death. In this hymn are words to sing these glorious truths: "For ev'ry sin on Him was laid - Here in the death of Christ I live," and "Sin's curse has lost its grip on me; For I am His and He is mine."

Here is the final verse of the hymn. I think it is wonderful:

No guilt in life, no fear in death -
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from his hand;
Till He returns or calls me home -
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

Calvin on the Christian Life

2009-09-29T15:35:00.000-07:00

Almost two years ago, someone asked me if I'd be interested to begin a reading group in order to discuss John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion. Since I love the Institutes, and since I had actually led a similar discussion group in Oklahoma, I was more than eager to begin one here in Alaska. Since our first meeting in December of 2007, the group has met more or less regularly and we are almost half-way done with the entire work.

Our next meeting is in October, and the reading we will discuss then includes a section from Book 3 that comprises Calvin's vision of the Christian life. This section (chapters 6 - 10 of Book 3) is often published as a separate book with the title, Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life.

It is golden, indeed. Rather than expounding on this or that particular Christian virtue, Calvin uncovers the heart and soul of what it means to live as a Christian in this world. The Christian life is first and foremost the denial of ourselves:

"If we then, are not are own (1 Cor. 6:19) but the Lord's, it is clear what error we must flee, and whither we must direct all the acts of our life. We are not our own: let not our reason nor our will, therefore, sway our plans and deeds. We are not our own: let us therefore not set it as our goal to seek what is expedient for us according to the flesh. We are not our own: in so far as we can, let us therefore forget ourselves and all that is ours. Conversely, we are God's: let us therefore live for him and die for him. We are God's: let his wisdom and will therefore rule all our actions. We are God's: let all parts of our life accordingly strive toward him as our only lawful goal. O, how much has that man profited who, having been taught that he is not his own, has taken away dominion and rule from his own reason that he may yield it to God!" (III.vii.1).

Part of self-denial is bearing the cross of Christ: "For whomever the Lord has adopted and deemed worthy of his fellowship ought to prepare themselves for a hard, toilsome, and unquiet life, crammed with very many and various kinds of evil" (III.viii.1). But God uses this hardship for our good: "in the very act of afflicting us with the cross he is providing for our salvation" (III.viii:1).

Another theme underlying Calvin's work, but one which he does not devote whole sections to explaining, is that of pilgrimage. We must have a godly contempt for this life, so that we will set our hope on the life that is to come. Christ "teaches us to travel as pilgrims in this world that our celestial heritage may not perish or pass away" (III.vii.3). I wonder if John Bunyan ever read this sentence in the Institutes, for it was the "Celestial City" to which Christian journeyed in Pilgrim's Progress!

At the same time, Calvin affirms the worth of this world. For instance, he argues that the basis on which we love and serve our neighbor, though they may not be worthy of such treatment by human reckoning, is the fact that they are image-bearers of God. Calvin also says we must use with gratefulness the good things of this world that God has created, not only merely to sustain physical life, but also for the delight and enjoyment they bring to us. He was no ascetic; his counsel here is to enjoy the good things God has given us in this world, but all the while fixing our hearts on the better world to come.

The very last section on calling was too short. I wish that he had written more on it. Though brief, the insight is profound. Calvin writes:

"The magistrate will discharge his functions more willingly; the head of the household will confine himself more willingly to his duty; each man will bear and swallow the discomforts, vexations, weariness, and anxieties in his way of life, when he has been persuaded that the burden was laid upon him by God. From this will arise also a singular consolation: that no task will be sordid and base, provided you obey your calling in it, that it will not shine and be reckoned very precious in God's sight." (III.xi.6).

Calvin's treatise on the Christian life is God-centered, well-balanced, and very challenging. If a Christian doesn't read anything else by Calvin but this, he won't go far wrong.

Monday - a day off

2009-09-29T00:02:00.000-07:00

Robyn and I took advantage of my mom's being here, and went out on a date to a coffee shop in town called "Pandemonium." It's a bookstore, as well, and we took some time to browse the shelves. When I visit a bookstore, I always find myself thinking, "I wish I had more time to read." The work of preparing sermons involves quite a bit of reading, of course, but it is always a challenge to carve out time for general reading. I think it was John Stott who said a minister should devote one hour a day, three additional hours per week, one full day per month, and one week per year, solely to general theological study and reading. I haven't attained that, but I do try to devote some hours each week for study unrelated to sermon preparation.

We later went to Fred Meyer's, a grocery store, to pick up a few things. It was a bit dismaying to see that already an entire isle was devoted to Halloween.

Earlier today my mom and I took the four older kids to a local park. The highlight was the skate park, where the kids could ride their bikes up and down the concrete knolls and ramps. It was a little nerve-wracking to watch them do it. I've learned that a parent always has something to worry about. I was struck by that when Monica was born last week. She was not even an hour out of the womb, and I was wondering, "She's so quiet. I hope nothing's wrong." Parents' worry for their children never ends, I suppose, no matter how old the kids get.

Sunday night recap

2009-09-28T00:49:00.000-07:00

It's 11:30 at night, and four of five kids are asleep. It sounds strange to say "five kids", but as of last week that's our kid total.

Today was Monica's first day at church. I pray that, no matter how many Sundays she has in her life, she will want to be with God's people that day, worshiping her Savior.

Some people were surprised to see her and Robyn there, but Robyn has almost always made it to church the first Sunday after giving birth. The one time she didn't was when Maggie was born on a Saturday. Like I said before, she is a trooper!

On a scale of 1 to 10, I thought my morning sermon was about a 4. I preached on the parable of the laborers in the vineyard from Matthew 20. I wanted to impress upon the people a sense of the grace and goodness of God (represented in the parable by the master of the vineyard who paid the 11th-hour workers far more than they deserved). Feelings can be deceiving, of course, but I felt that though I was saying all the right things, the force of the truth itself wasn't hitting home. Of course I know God's Word is effectual despite the inadequacies of the messenger, but every preacher senses that some sermons "work" more than others.

For the evening service, I preached on Romans 6:5-14. I wish I had preached that in the morning, instead! It is a great passage, and I thought my message went well overall. I said this passage was Paul's "emancipation proclamation," by which he declared we who are in Christ are now free from the slavery of sin. All of Romans 6:1-14 is a great passage, and I hope to hear Sinclair Ferguson's sermon on this passage that is available online.

On the way to church in the evening, the clouds parted some and the sun shone on the mountains to the east of us. The snow on the upper half of the mountains was a brilliant white. Even after making the same drive to church for over two years now, I am often struck by the beauty of those mountains.

Dinner tonight was sockeye salmon baked in a butter-lime sauce. It went very nicely with a cold Alaskan Amber.

The calvary has arrived!

2009-09-25T23:37:00.000-07:00

My mom flew in from Missoula, Montana, this evening to meet her newest granddaughter, and to help out our family while Robyn recovers and we all adjust to life with Monica.

We've also been greatly helped by the kindness of friends who have provided meals for us. Tonight a family brought by a crock pot full of delicious moose stew for dinner. Only in Alaska!

Sleep was hard to come by last night. It'll be that way for a while now, until Monica learns that nighttime is for sleeping, not eating.

Tomorrow is Saturday and while I've spent some time studying Matthew 20:1-16, for the morning sermon on Sunday, I haven't given it much sustained attention. Now that my mom is here, I hope to have the time necessary to pour myself into writing the sermon. It is a grand theme, the sheer generosity of God towards sinners, and one which I would feel inadequate to preach no matter how much time I had to prepare.

Welcome Home, Monica!

2009-09-24T23:33:00.000-07:00

Today was baby Monica's homecoming. She and Robyn were discharged from the hospital this morning, and they were met at home by the four smiling faces of her siblings eager to get another look at their new baby sister.

So far Monica has proved to be our quietest newborn. I have yet to hear her raise her voice. I don't know how long this will last, but for now we are enjoying her soft-spoken ways.

The last two days have been harbingers of winter: strong winds and frost on the car in the mornings. And the snow is already half-way down the mountains. Alaskans call the first snowfall visible on the mountaintops "termination dust". Summer is officially now over.

One nice thing about this fall, however (apart from the obvious blessing of a newborn), is that we are going to receive our Alaska Permanent Fund dividend for the first time since we've been here. Many years ago when Alaska hit the jackpot with oil revenues, the government set aside a special fund, from which investment profits are sent to every Alaskan resident who has lived here at least two years (that's the simple version). This year's check for each Alaskan will be $1,305.00. Not a bad deal, I say.

Introducing Monica Sue

2009-09-23T11:31:00.001-07:00

God blessed us early this morning with a beautiful, healthy little girl. Her name is Monica Sue, and she was our smallest baby yet: 7 lbs., 1 oz., and 19 1/2 inches long. The delivery went as well as could be expected, and Robyn is feeling great. For all these things, we rejoice in the the abundant goodness of our heavenly Father.

The doctor began inducing labor at 7:25 a.m. yesterday morning. And then we waited, and waited, and waited some more. What do you do in a maternity room all day long when nothing maternal is happening? Robyn worked on her birth announcements. We watched a mandated video on the danger of shaking a baby. It is sad beyond words that some babies die at their parents' hands.

In the afternoon, with still nothing much happening, we followed three baseball games simultaneously: the Cardinals, the Mariners, and the Memphis Redbirds (the Cardinals Triple A team). One was on the computer, and two on the T.V. Robyn was having trouble keeping up with the action of all three games. I'm not sure why. We also caught a couple of "Seinfeld" re-runs. I had brought a book to read, but because I felt impatient and a little anxious about the impending delivery, I couldn't concentrate. We also prayed.

Finally, at about 10:00 p.m., the contractions began to intensify. The baby finally arrived at exactly 2:00 a.m. this morning. Robyn's doctor stayed on duty all night and did an outstanding job with the delivery and follow-up care.

The nurse who helped was a model of efficiency and thoroughness. She spoke quickly, and with a slight Russian accent, which made it hard at times to absorb the torrent of information she unloaded on us. She described every conceivable medical exigency connected with childbirth (while in the same breath assuring us that she doesn't expect that to happen, though she can't make any promises), gave detailed instructions on virtually every aspect of the care of newborns, went over various ways we could make our stay in the room more comfortable, and of course asked all the standard nurse questions. She was also Robyn's cheerleader during labor, and never left the room without asking if Robyn or I needed anything. Truly a nurse extraordinaire!

And Robyn was fantastic throughout the labor and delivery - a real trooper. I can't imagine going through what a mom endures to give birth. She's relieved to have it behind her now, and as I type this she's sound asleep. Monica is right next to her in the crib, sleeping and hiccuping in the cute little way babies do.

This is our first Alaska baby. We had a good laugh this morning over the fact that Robyn was repeatedly asked if we have running water at home. I'm not sure what they were going to tell us if we didn't, but believe it or not we DO have running water. And electricity, and indoor plumbing! I did tell the nurse we don't have cable, but that wasn't a problem.

I'll always remember what the doctor said as he was finishing his check-up the day after Robyn gave birth to our first daughter: "Now all you have to do is raise her." No problem, right?

Getting ready for the amazing

2009-09-21T22:22:00.001-07:00

Childbirth is amazing. I've been with Robyn for four deliveries so far, and each time I am struck by the wonder of it - that from the womb emerges a new human life (a divine image bearer!) where there was none before. Though conception, pregnancy, and delivery is a "natural" occurrence that happens all the time, it would seem impossible not to consider the hand of God in it. How sterile and inadequate are our scientific descriptions of the beginning of life, compared with David's words!: "...you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:13, 14).

Tomorrow is the BIG day. Robyn and I are to arrive at the hospital at 6:00 a.m. Soon thereafter, hopefully, they will begin the induction (I say "hopefully" because we've learned that Alaskans aren't always the most punctual people on earth). The kids are excited, too. And the older ones are beginning to ask the inevitable question: how does the baby come out, anyway? We tell them we'll explain it all to them when they are older.

I'm taking to the hospital some clothes, a book, my laptop, a camera, a camcorder, a cell phone, and a mp3 player. Robyn's taking the baby with her.

Lord willing, we'll have some happy news to announce tomorrow.

Sunday night recap

2009-09-20T22:58:00.001-07:00

It's almost 10:00 p.m., three out the four kids are in bed, and I'm worn out. A typical Sunday night.

It was a good Lord's Day. In the morning I preached on Jesus' encounter with the rich young ruler from Matthew 19. My main point was that when Jesus calls us to discipleship, he both demands all from us, and graciously gives all to us. I concluded by pointing out that in the account there are really two rich young rulers: the one who spoke with Jesus, and Jesus himself. As the Son of God in the flesh, Jesus possessed in himself all divine authority and glory (and riches). Yet, he made himself poor for our sakes so that by his poverty we might become rich (2 Cor. 8:9).

At the evening service, I preached from Psalm 32, focusing on the blessedness of the one whose sins are forgiven. I've been preaching through Romans in the evening, but for today I re-worked an older sermon so that I could have some time during the week to work on next Sunday's evening sermon.

And that is, of course, because this week Robyn is going into the hospital to be induced. I'm praying that the labor and delivery will go well for her. Of course, I can't wait to meet the baby and welcome her to the family.

For this reason also I am working tomorrow, Monday, which is usually my day off. When I do work on Monday, often concentration doesn't come easy. But, I know I'll have some extra motivation to be productive tomorrow, knowing what is ahead for this week.

Back to Blogging

2009-09-19T22:32:00.000-07:00

At least I hope so. It's been nearly a year since I last wrote a blog, and during that time I've often wished I had not given up. I will try to write regular entries, though it is not always easy with the press of so many responsibilities.

It's been a little over two years since we've made the trek up the Alaska Highway to begin our Alaska life. Though the time has gone by quickly, when we look at pictures from our trip here I'm surprised to see how much the kids have grown. Sander and Moriah have lived here for most of their lives!

God has blessed us the last two years. Though there have been challenges (being a pastor anywhere will involve difficulties), our family has enjoyed living in Alaska. For just one example of how life here has been good, we have a freezer full of sockeye salmon from our two summer dipnetting trips.

The kids are thriving. Robyn works hard at homeschooling Meredith and Maggie, and both of them are little scholars. There is an abundance of extra-curricular activities for the kids: gymnastics, piano, P.E., t-ball, and so on.

Life is about to get a little crazier, though. Robyn is due to give birth to our fifth child (another girl!) on Tuesday. We are both excited to meet the newest Johnson, and a bit apprehensive of the extra busyness she will bring. The house can be lively with four young children - but with five? But God has given us grace so far, and we are trusting in his faithfulness to sustain us each day.

I am enjoying the work of pastoring Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church. I find preaching twice on Sunday can be a challenge. It's not so much the actual preaching on Sunday (which is more exhausting than most people realize), but the real challenge for me is working on two different passages each week and trying to prepare a message from each that expounds the text, preaches Christ, and engages the listener. I am thankful for patient and faithful listeners!

One goal of mine is to write short book reviews in this blog (as I've done in the past). A brief recommendation for an encouraging little book: Living the Cross Centered Life by C. J. Mahaney. He reminded me of the need to remember daily what Christ did for me at the cross. A friend gave it to me to read some time ago. The day I finished it, I gave it to someone else to read!

Singing and Making Music, by Paul S. Jones

2008-10-16T23:54:00.000-07:00

For a non-musician like myself, this is a very helpful book. Paul Jones is the Organist and Music Director for Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, and has written something of a primer for understanding the role of music in the worship of the church.

There is no question that God's people are to worship him with music. The Psalmist tells calls us to "sing to the Lord a new song" (Ps. 149:1), and the apostle Paul exhorts the Ephesians to "[address] one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart" (Eph. 5:19). Exactly how we are to worship God with song and music, however, is a matter of no little debate, a debate which unfortunately has produced more heat than light.

From the perspective of a church musician, and a Christian committed to the Scriptures as the final authority in matters of worship, Jones seeks to add light to this contentious issue. His essential point is that the church, in her use of music in worship, must pursue excellence. This means both faithfulness to God's Word in matters of music, and offering to God the very best music and singing we possibly can.

I was personally challenged by his stress on the importance of church leaders having some degree of musical competence. He quotes Martin Luther as saying, "We shouldn't ordain young men to the ministry unless they be well schooled in music" (pg. 142). Ouch! - this is one area in which I am certainly lacking (every time we sing a hymn, I take a few steps back from the microphone). As a remedy, Jones calls for Christian colleges and seminaries to make musical education a much greater priority than it is now. I had never thought about that before.

Jones also covers everything from Contemporary Christian Music (of which he is critical), to the use of instruments in worship (which he enthusiastically advocates), to the myth that Luther used bar songs for his hymn tunes (which he debunks), to providing guidance on how a church can acquire a pipe organ (which probably hadn't even entered the mind of most of his readers!), to the musical genius of past Christian composers such as Bach (which was very technical, and above my head).

The book is thought-provoking, enlightening, and practical. I highly recommend it as a valuable guide in thinking through the current debates over music in worship.

Miscellaneous

2008-10-15T23:03:00.000-07:00

October 13th.
This date is an unhappy anniversary for my family. Twelve years ago, on October 13th, my sister Meredith died after a long and heroic struggle with a failed bone-marrow transplant for leukemia. I wish she could meet Robyn and the kids, and see what "the boy" (as she referred to me) has been up to all these years. I'm sure she'd have something funny to say. It makes me sad to think about it.

Pastor's appreciation.
It's always good to be appreciated. October is Pastor Appreciation Month, and the church expressed their thanks with a nice cake and balloons. It was a very thoughtful gesture, and an encouragement to me. Several people also made a point of thanking me for my service. This is a good group of people, and I am thankful that God has led us here to serve them.

"Change-over."
A fall and spring ritual in Alaska, at least in this part of the state, is "change-over." This is where you take the summer tires off your car and put on the studded tires (and vice verse in the spring) . I arrived at the tire shop at 6:45 a.m. this morning, 45 minutes before they open, and already there were 13 customers ahead of me. Nearly two hours and 55 dollars later, our Suburban was ready for winter.

ESV Study Bible

2008-10-10T18:01:00.000-07:00

I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the brand-new ESV Study Bible. I've been reading the English Standard Version since it was first published in 2001, and it is the Bible I use exclusively in preaching and teaching.

I believe it is the best English translation of the Bible out there. It is both very readable and faithful to the original Hebrew and Greek Scriptures. Whereas the New American Standard Bible is quite literal, the English is too wooden. And whereas the New International Version is very readable, the translators go too far in translating the "sense" of a verse, rather than the words themselves. The ESV strikes a good balance between the two: an accurate translation in natural English.

Morever, the ESV maintains much of the traditional language of the King James Bible. The "thees" and "thous" are updated, but the basic structure and wording of familiar passages remain essentially the same,, e.g., "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want" (ESV, Psalm 23:1).

Since it was first published, the ESV has really taken off, at least in Reformed and Evangelical circles. I think this is good for a couple of reasons. First, for the reasons I've indicated, it is a translation worthy to become, as its name suggests, the standard English version. Secondly, the more one version is uniformly read, and taught and preached from, the easier it will be for Christians to memorize Scripture.

I am excited about this ESV Study Bible. It looks to be a comprehensive resource for Bible study all in one volume: notes, maps, charts, introductions, diagrams, etc., etc. I'm going to order my copy soon.

Trueman on our financial crisis

2008-10-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

One of the more thought-provoking seminary professors I had was a church history professor by the name of Carl Trueman. Carl (at Westminster, there was an unwritten rule that professors under the age of 45 or so were on a first-name basis with the students, all the rest were "Dr." so-and-so) is from England and is able to provide a perspective on American culture and politics that we Americans might miss. Plus, he's an historian which gives him a unique take on current events.

Carl has an article posted on one of the websites I frequent, Reformation21.org. It's called "The Freedom of the Christian Market" (click here) and is a very interesting analysis of our current financial mess. You may or may not agree with him on every particular, but it is definitely worthwhile reading.

Miscellaneous

2008-10-06T23:57:00.000-07:00

Winter is coming.
We woke up this morning to a white dusting of snow on the ground. It wasn't much, and soon melted, but was a sure sign that winter is around the corner. Another sign was a number of cars that had slid off the highway which we saw on our trip to Anchorage today. In fact, a couple in our church slid off the road themselves on their way to church yesterday morning. The guardrails saved them from going off a bridge. Thanks to God, they were only shaken up and not injured.

"Cheap" gas.
I never thought I would rejoice at $3.98/gallon gas. But that is where it has dropped to now in Wasilla. Amid all the terrible economic news out there, at least this is something positive.

Bad news in the OPC.
The small denomination I belong to, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, recently decided it could no longer maintain a health insurance plan for ministers and employees. The plan was already prohibitively expensive for many, but it is the only coverage many pastors have. It will terminate sometime next year. I was not in the plan, so it will not affect me or my family personally. But I'm sure it will be difficult for some other ministers who depended on it for medical coverage.

We enrolled last year in a high-deductible plan with a Health Savings Account, which has worked out great for us so far. For younger families (or singles) with little to no ongoing health-care expenses, it is an ideal plan. You pay a relatively small monthly premium for a plan that will cover you for a major health problem, and then you are free to deposit a certain amount of money each year into a savings account from which you can draw money for regular office visits, dental work, eye care, or any other usual health-related expenses. It is an excellent option.

High-brow entertainment.
I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, but our most recent selection from Netflix was "The Three Stooges." I thought the kids would enjoy it, and did they ever. The antics of Larry, Moe, and Curly, had them cracking up (and me, too). Who needs Pixar when there are the Stooges to provide quality entertainment?

Introducing the next big political star from Wasilla

2008-10-04T23:41:00.001-07:00

Election fever has apparently gotten hold of our eldest daughter Meredith. Today she made the following campaign poster:

Vote for Meredith Johnson!!!
She will be the person to say NO! against bad laws!
Will cut taxes (maybe).
Vote for her!

This is the kind of stuff political gurus get paid the big bucks to produce. Passionate but meaningless resolve - against bad laws! A bold promise with a nice "out" in the fine print ("maybe"). We definitely have a politician on our hands.

When I asked her what office she is running for, she said, "Senator, I think." A perfect choice. First, she has a squeaky-clean past. Even the press will have trouble making a scandal out of a seven-year-old's occasional disobedience to parents (not that they wouldn't try, of course - "Meredith Johnson fails to brush teeth." "'Toothgate' scandal embroils candidate."). And, I should add, she has checked out hundreds of books from the Wasilla public library and not once has she ever advocated banning one!

But even more importantly than that, she would make a perfect Senator because she is a born lawyer. I pity the poor soul who will have to face her in debate. Trust me, they won't stand a chance.

So vote for Meredith. Heaven knows we need more Senators against bad laws.

"The Pilgrim's Progress," by John Bunyan

2008-09-16T15:43:00.000-07:00

This is a classic that every Christian should read at least once. An extended allegory of the Christian life, Bunyan describes the journey of "Christian" as he makes his way from his native City of Destruction to the goal of his pilgrimage, the Celestial City. Along the way, as he meets with assorted characters (with such memorable names as "Mr. Worldly Wiseman," "Talkative," and "Mr. Money Love"), is beset with all sorts of trouble (including "Vanity Fair" and the "Doubting Castle"), and is helped by his fellow-pilgrims and others, Christian in his journey illustrates what the pilgrimage of faith is all about.

Bunyan's story reminds us that, like Christian, and like our forefathers before us, we are "strangers and exiles on the earth," seeking a "better country, that is, a heavenly one." (Hebrews 11:13, 15). Like Christian, we must leave all behind in the City of Destruction, calling out on the way, "Life, life, eternal life." Like Christian, we must take the burden of our sin and guilt to the cross of Christ, where it falls off into the selpuchre below. And like Christian, we will at times transverse the Slough of Despond, and we will find need to escape from the Doubting Castle by taking from our breasts the key called "Promise."

The Pilgrim's Progress is also helpful for encouraging what I would consider biblical, healthy self-examination. Christian meets up with many false pilgrims, who claim to be on their way to the Celestial City, but who in fact perish along the way. They are turned aside by a love of money, or they are unwilling to suffer the reproach of the cross, or they forsake the narrow and difficult path for the way that is broad and easy but leads to death (which way Christian actually took, but was ultimately saved from it). Talkative knew all about religion but had no heart knowledge of it. Ignorance deceived himself into thinking he would receive entry into the Celestial City, but he did not have the necessary certificate to get in.

As Christians, we are prone to err like these in the story who ultimately fail in their pilgrimage. As Bunyan depicts the nature of genuine, saving faith through both the words and deeds of Christian and his companions, we are able to see our own hearts more clearly.

But more than anything, Bunyan's story is a great encouragement for those who are fellow-pilgrims with Christian. His description of the glories of the Celestial City at the end of the book is a powerful reminder of what Christ has prepared for those whose hearts are set upon "the highways to Zion." (Psalm 84:5).

World-famous Wasilla

2008-09-13T23:59:00.000-07:00

Some of you who read this blog have actually been to Wasilla and may be interested in this article from the Anchorage Daily News describing the recent invasion of international media upon our fair town.

Although the article gives the impression media types are to be seen everywhere, as far my experience goes, Wasilla doesn't seem that much different than it did a few weeks ago before the excitement began. I saw one cameraman shooting video at the main intersection "downtown" (actually, a four-way stop sign). Who knows, maybe a shot of my Toyota Camry rolling past the camera made the nightly news that night?

But other than that, I haven't seen any media here. No secret service agents, either. Mainly just the usual folks - locals and tourists.

The article quotes various international newspapers' descriptions of Wasilla. I'm afraid to say they're all pretty accurate. Honestly, though we love calling Wasilla home, the town itself isn't the charming or quaint place you might expect in rural Alaska. It is quite non-descript with lots of strip malls and a hodge-podge of buildings scattered here and there alongside the Parks Highway. But, that is part of the beauty of Wasilla. The town, and the people who live here, are unpretentious. And if you can show me a Super Wal-Mart with a better view from the parking lot, I'll move there!

Of course, the article mentions the all the attention the now-famous (or infamous?) library has been getting as a result of the alleged attempt on Mayor Palin's part to ban books from it. Apparently they have gotten flooded with calls and e-mails asking about Palin's nefarious past as a book-burner or whatever the charge is.

On reading that, I have to hand it to the library's efficient staff. Despite the deluge of outside attention, they are still able to call our house every two days or so with this message, spoken in a monotone fashion: "Hello, this is the Wasilla Public Library, and Robyn Johnson has a book on hold and we will hold for seven days. Thank you." Next time they call, I'm tempted to ask: "Did someone turn that in, or has it just been taken off the Palin blacklist?"

It's been interesting, to say the least, to see Wasilla become a househould name overnight. But, I doubt much is really going to change around here. Which is fine, because I like it the way it is.

On Being Presbyterian, by Sean Lucas

2008-09-10T23:27:00.000-07:00

Conservative Presbyterians have a bit of an identity problem in this day and age. Not that we don't know who we are (though true of some), but others outside our relatively small circles aren't sure what to make of us. To some fundamentalist Christians, we appear to be liberals, or licentious, or both. To liberal Christians, we are fundamentalists (and drinking beer won't change that notion). And from an American evangelical perspective, certain practices of ours, such as infant baptism and liturgical worship, smack of Roman Catholicism. And to many of these same evangelicals, our Calvinist teachings are coldly fatalistic. So when someone asks me what kind of church I pastor and I tell them it is Presbyterian, I'm not always sure what meaning that word will convey for him or her (the problem is only compounded by the name "Orthodox" in my particular denomination). For those completely unfamiliar with denominational monikers, as I once was, "Presbyterian" means basically nothing.

"On Being Presbyterian" is a very helpful primer for explaining the basic beliefs, practices, and history of Presbyterianism. The author, Sean Lucas, sets out to describe what can be called a "vanilla Presbyterianism" of the conservative sort. While he does not ignore some of the differences among Bible-believing Presbyterians, he succeeds in setting forth the essential features of what constitutes historic, traditional Presbyterianism. And while he obviously writes as one who is Presbyterian by conviction, the tone of the book is not strident or polemical. Lucas has the humility and wisdom to recognize Presbyterians are but one part of God's Kingdom. At the same time, he would have the reader appreciate, and even embrace, the heritage he himself has embraced as his own.

What I like about this book is that Lucas highlights what I believe are vital, but not always understood, aspects of a thorough-going Presbyterianism. There is much more to being a Presbyterian than subscribing to the so-called five points of Calvinism. Rather, as Lucas details in his book, Presbyterians are committed to many important teachings and practices: union with Christ, covenant theology (and infant baptism), a high view of the sacraments, the corporate nature of Biblical piety, the spirituality of the church, a view of God's people as a pilgrim people, the importance of worship (and the need for worship governed by Scripture), and of course the connectional nature of the church. All of these things help make up the total picture of what Presbyterianism is all about.

Because Lucas includes and helpfully explains so much that constitutes a full-formed Presbyterian identity, I will definitely recommend this book to those who are interested in learning more about Presbyterianism. In fact, we are reading it now in our leadership training course.

I particularly enjoyed reading the last section of the book, in which Lucas gives a brief history of American Presbyterianism. Though he could not possibly include everything there is to say about this, I only wish he had written more about the major role Presbyterians (and Princeton seminary, a Presbyterian institution) played in world missions throughout America's history. I would hope this impulse to spread the gospel is also a vital part of a Presbyterian identity.

Upon reflecting on this book, I thought that we who are Presbyterians are at our best when we are actually being faithful to our theology and principles. Our belief in the absolute sovereignty of God should create in us a deep humility. Our understanding of the covenant ought to inspire us to be faithful in nurturing our children in the faith. Our understanding of the spiritual nature of the church should cause us to focus all our efforts, as a church, on building Christ's Kingdom on earth and not be sidetracked by involving ourselves (as a church) in the politics of the day. Our belief in the universality of the church should motivate us to do all we can to pursue true union with other churches.

And finally, our belief in union with Christ ought to to serve to root our ultimate identity in our glorious Savior. We are Presbyterians, but even more fundamentally, we are Christians. And our Presbyterianism is worthwhile only insofar as it serves to facilitate our worship of Christ, and our service in his Kingdom.

The right book to study?

2008-09-09T22:47:00.000-07:00

Robyn and another woman at church are preparing to meet regularly to discuss a book together. The book they chose? "Don't Waste Your Life," by John Piper.

Let's see...she makes three meals a day, does laundry for 6 people, cleans the house, changes diapers, homeschools two children, hosts people regularly at home, maintains the family social calendar, keeps up with e-mail correspondence, and probably does a hundred other things that I can't think of now and don't thank her enough for.

Do you think she chose the wrong book to study?

The glory of God in creation

2008-09-04T23:04:00.000-07:00

Summer is over in Alaska, but it is not too cold to spend the day outside enjoying this wonderful corner of God's world. On Monday our family took a short hike to a viewing deck built over a small stream in which there were salmon preparing to spawn. Then, we drove to an mountainside overlooking Anchorage to pick some berries.

As I thought about our day, I was again struck with the thought of how privileged we are to live in a place of such beauty. When David meditated on the Creation around him, he proclaimed, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork" (Psalm 19:1). We got to see some of God's marvelous handiwork that day.

The salmon we observed did their part in declaring to us the glory of God. If this red salmon could talk, he'd have an amazing story to tell. He was hatched here in these waters a few years ago, along with 4,000 of his brothers and sisters. Only about 40 of them made it to the ocean, the rest dying of disease and predators. Of those 40, only 4 survive to begin the trek back to their freshwater home in the mountains. 2 are caught along the way, by a bear, an eagle, or a happy dipnetter. The other two arrive safely back to the place they were born; there they will spawn and soon die.

How do these fish come back to the exact place where they began life as eggs buried in the gravel stream bed? Nobody knows. But whatever the scientific explanation may be, this instinct is a testimony to the wisdom and greatness of their Creator. When God appeared to Job and humbled him, he did so by demanding him to explain the mysterious workings of such creatures as the mountain goats, donkeys, and oxen. If Job had lived in Alaska, God would have challenged him to explain how the salmon come back to spawn. The wonder of Creation declares the wisdom and majesty of the Creator.

God not only glorifies himself through his creatures, but he teaches us by them. Proverbs 6:6 says, "Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise." I believe there are countless similar lessons in creation, if we are able to discern them. While picking berries, we discovered there were two types to be found: blueberries and blackberries. The blueberries are sweeter and tastier than the blackberries. But they are more scarce and collecting them took much more time and effort. It was easy to pick to the blackberries, but they were not as pleasant to eat.

Isn't it a rule that the best things in life are the more difficult to obtain? The sweetest pleasures, the deepest joys, the most lasting satisfaction, are all hard-won. The pleasure of a day off after a hard work of week is usually much greater than just another day in a three-week vacation. In the spiritual realm, the same holds true. True joy, peace, and blessedness are found only in the often arduous path of following Christ. God is a God of delight and pleasure: "...in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore" (Psalm 16:11). But this fullness of joy and eternal joy is no "easy pickings." To attain it requires a life of self-denying discipleship.

God's world has much to say about God, if we are willing to listen.

Big news in Wasilla!

2008-08-30T08:57:00.000-07:00

Crawford, Little Rock, Kennebunkport,...and now, Wasilla? Now that Sarah Palin is the Republican candidate for Vice President, the little town in Alaska we call home could be that one proverbial heartbeat away from lasting fame as the hometown of the President. Will there be a Presidential Library here someday (first a bigger regular library would be nice)? Will Air Force One become a common sight in the Alaska sky? Will there be Secret Service agents prowling about every time President Palin comes home?

Of course, I'm getting ahead of myself. She's running for Vice President, not President, and there is that little hurdle of the election standing in the way. But, it has been fun to see our once-obscure town put instantly on the map. Whatever happens in the next two months, Wasilla's claim to fame will be not only as the home of the Iditarod, but also as the home of Sarah Palin.

Whatever one's views of Palin politically, it's hard not to be excited when someone from the "neighborhood", so to speak, hits the big time. It's like rooting for your third cousin who's competing in the Olympics. Even as tenuous as our connection to her may be (see below), we get to bask in a little bit of the national limelight as residents of her hometown. I guess it is just human nature to want a slice of the glory pie, no matter how thin it is.

Of course, it was big news here yesterday. I've only been here a year, so I don't know what other momentous occasions have taken place here. But, I would guess this is the biggest happening to date. Of course, Dairy Queen's grand opening in nearby Palmer last year created a stir. But this is even bigger than that!

We received several e-mails from friends yesterday about it, and some of them asked for "insider" information about Palin. I'm sorry to disappoint, but we have nothing to offer. We know people who have met her. Her high school alma mater is just down the road from the church. But, that's about the extent of any personal connection with our governor. In fact, I learned more about her yesterday than I did the past 14 months living in her home state.

I can say that, generally speaking, she is well-thought of in these parts. Most people refer to her as "Sarah", as though they know her personally. And, given the size of Wasilla, I imagine that a lot of people do. Some have wondered about the wisdom of her decision to accept the the Vice Presidential candidacy when she just gave birth to a child not long ago (and a special-needs child, at that). I trust she and her family made that decision after careful thought and, I hope, much prayer.

In any case, it will make for an even more interesting election this fall.

"With Reverence and Awe," by Hart and Muether

2008-08-26T15:08:00.000-07:00

The subtitle of this book is, "Returning to the Basics of Reformed Worship." The authors' aim is to draw out the implications that Reformed theology has for the church's worship. In their words, they have written "a brief overview of how Reformed theology informs the way we think about, put together, and participate in a worship service" (pg. 13). Though written with a view to the ongoing worship debates among Reformed churches, to their credit the authors spend more time and energy explaining basic principles of worship than merely addressing this or that specific issue. The result is a book that is edifying and helpful, even if one doesn't come to the same conclusions as the authors do on any given matter.

I found myself in broad agreement with the book. It is true that what we believe about God and man, our theology, will necessarily influence how we worship. That is the basic thesis upon which the authors build their case that Reformed theology ought to produce worship of a certain character and form. They write, "Reformed worship has always flowed from Reformed theology. Simply put, you can't have one without the other" (pg. 15). Much of the book is then devoted to explaining the principles of historic Reformed theology that will (or ought to) shape how we worship: the sufficiency of Scripture, the holiness of God, the covenant, the Lord's Day, the means of grace, and so on. As a primer on the basic truths underlying biblical worship from a distinctly Reformed perspective, this is a most helpful book.

Some points were especially good. One, the authors point out that worship is the primary means by which God builds up and sustains his people in faith. As a pilgrim people living in a wilderness but looking forward to our heavenly home, it is the ministry of the Word, sacraments, and prayer, specifically as that comes to us in worship, that nourishes our souls in our journey. In other words, Sunday morning worship is not merely a beneficial supplement in our Christian lives, but it is at the very heart of our walk with Christ. This suggests that the primary benefit of worship is not the one-time experience it produces, but the long-term blessing it brings. This reminded me of Marva Dawn's point about the character-building effects of regular worship.

Another excellent point the authors made was the relationship between the church and worship. Quoting another minister, they write, "Growth in true holiness is always growth together. It takes place through nurture, through the work and worship of the church" (pg. 138). The church is called out of the world for the sake of worshiping God, and that worship is by definition corporate worship. This (along with much the authors write) flies in the face both of American culture and of popular evangelical culture. We prize independence and self-reliance, values that are beneficial in many ways, but which make Christ's call to humbly submit to one another in the church particularly difficult (Ephesians 5:21). (I might add to that, Alaskans in particular are a cussedly independent lot!). The point here is that worship is not about my "experience" so much as it is about giving glory to God side by side with all of God's people. To grow in grace, we need the church, and we especially need to worship with the church.

So I did concur with the main thrust of the book. In their call to think carefully about our worship practices (whether actual or proposed) in light of our theology, the authors need to be heard. I may not agree with every conclusion they make, but the basic argument is sound.

The fact of the matter is that, even when believers agree on basic principles of worship (even on the narrower matter of specifically Reformed worship), they will not always agree on how to best apply those principles. What I have learned as a pastor is how desperately I need wisdom, love, and humility in addressing the matter of the church's worship.

One thing that should be said, not so much as a critique but as a response to the book, is that the form of worship is only half the story. The other half is the heart of the worshiper. The authors of this book would no doubt agree with this, but their concern is primarily on the form of worship (though they do speak of the need to worship with reverence and joy). God gave Israel a very specific form of worship but the prophets denounced the Israelites when they worshiped with formal correctness but their hearts far from God (Isaiah 1:12-17; Amos 5:21-24; Micah 6:6-8). If Reformed worship is to be Reformed according to the Word of God, then it must not only be faithful to sound theology in its form, but it must also be the expression of those who truly love God, and are seeking to obey Him. Worship acceptable to God is worship both in forms faithful to Scripture, and from hearts faithful to Christ.

Lloyd-Jones on the Sermon on the Mount

2008-08-21T15:29:00.000-07:00

As part of my regular sermon preparation each week, I spend a fair amount of time reading commentaries of individual books of the Bible. A good commentary need not inspire, but it should help the reader understand the meaning of any given text. Because this involves technical questions of language and context, reading them can become a dry and even tedious affair. Many of the newer scholarly commentaries, as they interact with the work of other scholars, sometimes read more like commentaries on commentaries rather than explanations of Scripture. And they are big, some taking up the shelf space of two or even three Bibles.

These commentaries are important and have their place, of course. But it is always refreshing to spend some time in a work that speaks to the heart as much as to the mind. In preaching through the Sermon on the Mount in recent months, one gem I've discovered that does just that is D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' book, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount. It is a collection of 30 (!) sermons he preached on the subject during his pulpit ministry at Westminster Chapel in London.

It is a wonderfully clear and insightful series of messages on what is probably the most familiar but most misunderstood teaching of Jesus. The Sermon on the Mount, and particularly isolated statements from it (e.g., "Judge not, that you be not judged"), has been taken as the ultimate expression of what Jesus was really all about: improving the world with a new social ethic, showing humanity the right way to live, etc. Throughout these sermons, however, Lloyd-Jones places the teachings of Christ in their proper gospel light. Far from being merely a superior moral code, the Sermon on the Mount is teaching that both depends upon the grace of God in Christ, and leads to the grace of God in Christ. As Lloyd-Jones puts it, "...we are not told in the Sermon on the Mount, 'Live like this and you will become Christian'; rather we are told, 'Because you are Christian live like this.' This is how Christians ought to live; this is how Christians are meant to live." And, "There is nothing that so leads to the gospel and its grace as the Sermon on the Mount."

This approach, I hope, has been reflected in my preaching. The moral imperatives contained in the Sermon, which must be declared and impressed upon the hearts of God's people, ultimately ought to bring us back to God's saving and enabling grace in the gospel of Jesus Christ. In preaching through the Sermon on the Mount, I hope my congregation has heard much about the grace of God from the pulpit, even as I have sought to proclaim the righteousness Christ demands from his disciples.

One enduring quality of Lloyd-Jones' sermons is how well he puts things. Here are a couple of quotes:

On loving our enemies: "...our treatment of others must never depend upon what they are, or upon what they do to us. It must be entirely controlled and governed by our view of them and of their condition."

And on prayer: "You will find that the outstanding characteristic of all the most saintly people the world has ever known has been that they have not only spent much time in private prayer, but have also delighted in it."

This is a eminently worthwhile book to buy and read.

Summer vacation

2008-08-14T23:42:00.000-07:00

We returned Monday night from a three-week vacation to Wisconsin and Illinois. Though normally Alaskans don't like to travel "outside" during the summer months, saving those trips for the dead of winter instead, we made our vacation plans around the Robyn's brother's wedding. John and Gina tied the knot in Milwaukee. Here the happy groom and bride are making their grand entrance at the reception.

We must be getting used to the Arctic climate here, because Wisconsin was a lot hotter and more humid than I remember it. What better place to chill out than the hotel pool?

After a couple of weeks in the Dairy State, we spent a week in Wheaton, Illinois. One special treat was taking the train downtown to check out Shedd Aquarium. The kids loved the train, and I'm sure the commuters were equally thrilled to have them as their fellow passengers that morning.

Knowing we were going to be in Chicago for months now, Robyn and I bought tickets to a Cardinals-Cubs game at Wrigley field way back in February. Despite our best efforts at cheering the Redbirds on to victory, they lost to the Cubs in extra innings. On the way back to the train station, we were heckled by some gloating Chicagoans. Cubs fans get to boast only once every century, so we didn't mind too much.

The next day I went back to Wrigley with three friends from high school. The four of us haven't been together in twenty years. Except for a few extra pounds, a few more gray hairs (or in my case at least, a few less hairs), we look just like we did in 1987.

We sat in the bleachers and watched the Cards pound the Cubs. Funny, the Cubs fans didn't have much to say to us that day!

It was a busy vacation, and at times actually relaxing. But, it is good to be home again.

Family Camp 2008

2008-08-13T22:32:00.000-07:00

One of the enduring traditions of Grace OPC is the annual summer Family Camp. For three days the people of Grace retreat to a nearby campground (as you might guess, one doesn't have to travel far from Wasilla to find wilderness!) for a time of relaxation, fellowship, play, and ministry of the Word. The church invites a guest speaker each year to give four different presentations or messages, including a sermon on Sunday morning. Past speakers include missionaries, authors, and notable ministers. But three summers ago the church invited some nobody from Oklahoma to speak and he ended up becoming the pastor of the church! (In case you didn't catch the reference, that would be me).

We had an excellent speaker this year. His name is JD Wetterling, an elder in the Presbyterian Church of America, and an author who has written several books and articles. JD has an extremely varied and interesting background: he was a fighter pilot in the Vietnam war, has worked in the business world, has spoken to various groups across the country, and most recently managed a retreat center in North Carolina. Here is JD with his wife Karen at the camp.

JD spoke to us about the "no one" statements of Jesus from the gospel of John, weaving into his messages fascinating stories from his fighter pilot days and from the interactions he's had with various people God brought into his life as a result of his writing. As someone who is usually doing the talking in church, it was refreshing for me to sit back and hear JD minister the words of Christ to us.

You can read JD's impressions of Alaska on his blog here.

One of the traditions at Family Camp is a fishing contest for the children. How was the fishing this year? Let's just say it was a bad few days to be a Rainbow trout. Here are some of the kids from the camp, including Meredith and Maggie, with their catches.

Fishing, softball, campfires, fellowship, games, good preaching - this year's Family Camp included it all. I'm looking forward to next summer's camp.

Alaska Dipnetting

2008-07-17T23:40:00.000-07:00

One of the perks of living in Alaska is the privilege to "dipnet". Dipnetting is fishing with large net at the end of a ten-foot long pole. The point of dipnetting is essentially practical: get as much fish as you can for your freezer.

Three young men from the church were gracious enough to take me along on a dipnetting trip to the Copper River. Our goal was Copper River Red Salmon, the tastiest salmon of all according to those who know.

Here is a picture of the river from one of the spots where we fished. The water is milky-gray because of all the glacial silt in it. It is also deep, very cold, and fast-running. And, there is very little shore to stand on. At some places we tied ourselves off to trees to keep from falling in as we fished.

Like all fishing, dipnetting isn't as much fun when you don't catch anything. And that's what happened for the first several hours, at least for me. I finally netted one, though, and had one of my young guides take this picture of me with the fish. It isn't a particularly large red salmon, but it was my very first fish caught in Alaska. So, it was worthy of a snapshot.

All told, I netted twelve fish. One particularly sweet catch was this King. In an earlier post, I wrote of my utter failure in catching a King this summer. I'm no longer wearing the collar!

I've never worked harder in my life to catch fish as I did on this trip. All of the spots we fished were at the bottom of steep embankments, 150 feet or so in height. The trip down was precarious; the climb up exhausting. The three young guys zipped up and down these embankments like they were a flight of stairs in a house. And they kept up the pace after hours of no sleep and eating nothing but pretzels and Runts!

The dipnetting itself was laborious, too. Imagine stirring a large vat of molasses with a broom handle. That is what it feels like sweeping a dipnet through a strong river current. I came home exhausted, dirty, and sore.

But there is something about catching a fish that makes it all worthwhile. I can't wait to try it again next summer.

"Reaching Out without Dumbing Down," by Martha Dawn

2008-07-14T13:41:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I bought several books on worship, and am still trying to work my way through them. I haven't gotten very far, but I did finally finish one - "Reaching Out without Dumbing Down," by Marva Dawn.

The title nicely captures the essence of Dawn's plea. She urges churches to carefully consider their worship practices in light of pervasive cultural factors without the church, and idolatrous tendencies within the church, that threaten to mute the church's ability to bear witness to the truth of God in her worship. The less self-reflective the church becomes about her worship, the more likely her worship will conform to the values and norms of the world. Not only will the church fail to honor her Lord in this way, but she will have nothing of true value to offer the world around her.

One point I found particularly helpful was Dawn's emphasis on the role of worship in building Christian character. The worship practice of the church will have a tremendous influence on the thoughts and lives of Christians over time. This is a perspective that I think is extremely important to bear in mind when Christians discuss (or sometimes, argue about!) worship. Worship is far more than our experience of it (as Dawn reminds us, it is ultimately about God, who is both the subject and object of worship), but it has a large part to play in forming our character as Christians. Dawn discusses all the implications this has for the content of worship.

While Dawn at times tries to rise above the "traditional" vs. "contemporary" debate in the church's worship wars, in my mind her book unquestionably makes a strong argument for worship practices that are usually considered "traditional." Whenever the church overly accommodates herself to the prevailing culture, which appears to be the major problem with many contemporary worship practices, she becomes unable to create a genuine Christian counter-culture that preserves the weightiness and majesty of God, that fosters genuine community, and that forms godly character.

The one weakness of the book that came to my mind is also a strength. Dawn rarely cites Scripture to support her thesis. She quotes at length the studies of other sociologists, philosophers, and theologians, but hardly ever directly appeals to Scripture. However, her analysis is not thereby undermined. Rather, this perspective that is really based more on observation than exegesis, serves to complement well principles of worship that are taken directly from Scripture. In other words, Dawn's book affirms from empirical study the importance of being faithful to those principles of true worship that God has revealed in his Word.

Troubling news

2008-07-12T23:00:00.000-07:00

One of the elders of our church, Dr. Bob Martin (or "Dr. Bob", as he likes to be called), just found out this week that he has advanced prostate cancer. He's looking at surgery next month, and other possible treatments yet to be determined.

It was a shock to Dr. Bob, and a shock to all of us. It is at times like this that the twin truths of God's goodness and sovereignty become especially precious. By faith we know that Dr. Bob's life is in the hands of his faithful Redeemer (John 10:28). This bad news, too, is part of the mysterious but glorious plan of the One who "works all things according to the counsel of his will" (Eph. 1:11).

As I write this, I am reminded of something I heard on the radio the other day. A talk-show host was interviewing a professor who had written a book on chance and the nature of randomness. This talk-show host is Jewish and believes in God. However, he said he had no problem believing that some things happen more or less purely by chance. In fact, he said, if something terrible happens to you, it could have happened outside the will of God.

I wonder, what kind of comfort does that "God" offer to someone who has just been diagnosed with cancer? None that I can think of. Thankfully, God is in control of all things, and while we cannot know why he allows tragedies, we do know - by faith - that he works out all things for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28). This God, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, is the God of all comfort who invests our suffering with meaning, and has a redemptive purpose for us even in affliction.

King Salmon 9, Johnsons 0

2008-07-10T23:32:00.000-07:00

That's the final score this summer after nine tries at landing a King salmon; we came home empty-handed each time.

This was our first summer to be able to fish as Alaska residents, which means it became affordable to buy the necessary license and king salmon permit (you actually have to but a separate "tag" for the privilege of fishing for a King). I've done a little fishing here and there in the past, but what was most surprising for me about fishing in Alaska is how much it revolves around the salmon runs. The Kings are the biggest, and according to some Alaskans, the tastiest (though the most-coveted salmon for eating are Copper River Reds). They also "run" first, coming out of the ocean and beginning their final swim inland to spawn and die.

When the Kings started coming in, we bought a rod and reel, and some tackle and bait, and spent a Monday trying our hand at Alaska fishing. We had no bites and saw no fish, but it was our first try so it didn't matter too much.

As the weeks went by, we (or sometimes just me) tried other spots, again with no success. In fact, we still hadn't even seen an actual flesh-and-blood King. As far as we could tell, it was a mythical creature of Alaskan lore, something like the Loch Ness Monster or Sasquatch.

But on another Monday, we went to Ship Creek in downtown Achorage and actually witnessed King salmon being caught. What a sight! My past fishing has mostly been for Rainbow Trout. But even a large Rainbow looks like a minnow compared to a King, which average (I would guess) 3 - 4 feet long and 30 - 40 pounds each. It was a thrill to see these monsters coming out of the water. I wanted to catch one!

Our best chance was last Monday night. The word was Montana Creek was "hot" (news of a productive fishing spot spreads quickly among Alaskans). While friends from church graciously watched the two older girls, Robyn and I drove up to Montana Creek with Sander and Moriah, hopeful that this might be our time.

I've never had a fishing experience like that before. There were dozens and dozens of Kings swimming just feet away in the clear water. Every so often one would splash the surface, or jump out of the water entirely. And the anglers were standing side by side, concentrated next to one hole in particular where the fish were thick. Every minute or so someone shouted, "Fish on!", and the fight began. Sometimes they landed the fish, but more often the fish cut loose, or they were "foul-snagged" which meant they had to be let go (in fact, many of the fish swimming below had brightly-colored lures still attached to them).

After an hour or so of casting near the most productive spot, I got a hit. The pole arched, the fish pulled hard, and I started pulling back and reeling it in. Some of the more experienced anglers coached me along the way: "Keep your pole up!", "Pull up and then reel down!", "Point the pole toward the beach!", and so on. Two helpful guys even fixed my reel with the fish still on, since the arm that reels in the line had come loose (I made a mental note then: "Next time, do NOT buy the cheapest rod and reel Wal-Mart sells.").

But just as the fish was about to be netted (thanks to another friendly fisherman), it cut loose and was gone. He told me that it was snagged, so I would have had to let it go anyway. But the fight was still a lot of fun.

Robyn and I had a couple of more fish bite after that, but none that stayed on more than a few seconds. Midnight struck, and the fishing was officially over. So, we came back home sans salmon one more time. But at least now we have some fish stories to tell. And that means we've become a little more Alaskan over the summer!

Family visit from Montana

2008-07-07T09:47:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, my parents, along with my aunt and uncle, made the long trek up the Alaska Highway to visit us. They camped in a pop-up trailer along the way, and survived mosquitoes and $7-a-gallon Canadian gas for the privilege of saying they have done the "Al-can."

At least during their time with us, they got to sleep in real bedrooms, take hot showers, and not worry about putting down the camper every morning.

We packed in quite a bit during their stay here. On Sunday night, our family drove up to meet them at Denali National Park, where they had arrived after driving down from Fairbanks. It rained on and off all day Monday, which is par for the course for Denali. But, we were able to get in some hiking in the park. Here is Dad and Sander walking on a trail next to Savage Creek.

One of the highlights was getting to see "Arctic Thunder," a bi-annual air show held at nearby Elmendorf Air Force base. Here are my parents, and Michael and Maryan, standing in front of one of the many jets on display at the air show. After a week of living together in the car and the camper, they're still all smiles!

Not everyone enjoyed the loud jets. This is what Sander looked like most of the time.

The FedEx plane was a huge hit with the kids. It made such an impression on Sander that he can now spot a FedEx vehicle from miles away. The other day I was driving him and his friend Christian around, and suddenly Sander screamed, "FedEx"!! I looked around and about 3 blocks away a small FedEx van was driving down the road. When Christian asked, "What is FedEx?," Sander said with confidence, "It's an airplane."

Speaking of Sander, this is a picture of him after long day away a few weeks ago. Despite what it looks like, he hasn't converted to Islam! This is where I left him for a minute to keep unloading the car, and this is where he decided to take a nap.

From Geneva to Rome?

2008-06-22T00:16:00.000-07:00

Friends of ours in Oklahoma, whose friendship we greatly appreciated then, and still treasure today, shocked us recently with the news that they had converted to Roman Catholicism.

They had worshiped at the church I served in Norman, and, like most people who find their way to OPC churches, were card-carrying Protestants and Calvinists. So the news of their new ecclesiastical commitment was surprising, to say the least.

Now, I was sure as soon as I heard of it that their decision was well-thought out. Neal is a thinker, very articulate, and well-read theologically. In fact, he teaches philosophy at the University of Oklahoma. So, I knew it couldn't be the case that they left the Protestant faith on a whim, or for some flimsy reason.

But this meant I was very curious to know what were the reasons that compelled Neal to lead his family into the Roman Catholic Church. So I've been reading his blog, in which he details the theological journey that led him Rome-ward. And, I've asked him many questions by e-mail (to which he usually responds the next day with an e-mail twice as long as mine! I thought pastors were the ones who are supposed to be loquacious!).

This has been a learning experience for me. I have to admit that I really don't know a whole lot about Roman Catholic theology. At seminary, I was immersed in the Reformed tradition (and rightly so, since it is a Reformed seminary!). The emphasis there was not to highlight what separates the Protestants from the Catholics, or the conservatives from the liberals, though obviously due attention was paid to those concerns. Rather, the emphasis was on positive instruction in biblical exegesis, apologetics, and systematic theology. All of this came from a distinctively Protestant and Reformed perspective, of course, but that perspective was given not so much in contradistinction to Catholic theology, but as the faithful and true expression of the teaching of Scripture.

Now, as a result of my interaction with Neal, I have been doing some deeper thinking about some of the tenets of Protestant theology that I have in some ways taken as a matter of course. To be sure, I am still deeply committed to the system of doctrine expressed in the Reformed confessions of faith. In my heart and my mind, when it comes to such things as justification by faith alone, sola scriptura, and other doctrines, I am convinced as ever the Reformers got it right.

At the same time, hearing a former Calvinist and now Catholic give his reasons for doubting these teachings has prompted me to try and understand better the biblical principles undergirding the system of doctrine expressed by the Reformed faith. What is at stake in our understanding of justification? What was the principle that led the Reformers to insist upon the doctrine of sola scriptura? What is the nature of Christ's church?

I do believe our friends are true Christians, and they believe the same about us. At the same time, there are some significant differences between Catholics and Protestants that cannot simply be brushed aside by good will. And, when the issue at hand is nothing less than understanding the Christian faith, which alone can save sinners from sin and death, the pursuit of truth demands honest discussion.

A general update, and some pictures

2008-06-10T23:02:00.000-07:00

The days are long, literally and figuratively. The sun is out for all of our waking hours, and even in the middle of the "night", it looks like dusk. And we are staying busy with all the usual activities - church, school, breaking up quarrels, etc. One activity we've added recently is trying to bag a "king". As in a King Salmon, the highly-coveted fish that "run" up the rivers this time of year to their spawning grounds. Kings are the, well, king of the salmon - big and tasty. And, from what we're told, they can be tough to land if you actually hook one. Not that we would know anything about that. We've been out twice so far and haven't had so much as a nibble. But, we'll keep trying. We can't be true Alaskans until we've gotten our king.

It's been a while since I've posted some pictures. Here are a few snapshots from the Johnson family over the past couple of weeks:

We had a church bowling night last night. Sander is showing off his form.

Gumpa gave Meredith and Maggie each a birdhouse kit. We put them together yesterday, and hung them up in the backyard.

Meredith next to her birdhouse.

Moriah and her "buddy".

Moriah is showing her walking skills.

Loving discipline, or child abuse?

2008-06-04T16:08:00.000-07:00

Our parenting methods would make us criminals in some countries. According to the Economist, there is a growing consensus in some parts of the world (especially Europe) that any sort of physical discipline of a child is abuse, and ought therefore to be illegal. In fact 18 European nations have already banned all forms of corporal punishment. A pan-European body, the Council of Europe, is aggressively seeking to end spanking as part of its mission to promote civil liberties. And the United Nations is pursuing a campaign to outlaw all corporal punishment, worldwide, by 2009.

Though the Economist considers this latter effort a typical bit of "Utopian dottiness" from the UN, and "wildly unrealistic," the fact is much of the Western world is moving in a direction to ban, or at least stigmatize, corporal punishment. The premise of the movement is that there is no fundamental distinction between corrective physical punishment, and child abuse. Both are immoral acts of violence that are just on different ends of the same scale.

But there is a difference in kind, not just in degree. Common sense teaches that a slap on the wrist or a spanking on the bottom is fundamentally a different creature than a blow to the stomach or head. The former is the controlled meeting out of a dose of mild pain, the latter a cruel and dehumanizing assault. A spanking (quaintly referred to as "smacking" by the Economist) is for correction for the child's own good or safety; abuse is the expression of an angry and even hateful heart whose purpose is only to hurt.

The Scriptures sanction spanking: "Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die" (Proverbs 23:13). The Bible's view of discipline in general, whether a parent's discipline of his child, or God's discipline of his people, is that it serves redemptive purposes. For the child whose parents lovingly discipline him with controlled measures appropriate to his age, it is so that "he will not die," so that folly will be driven from him (22:15), and so that his soul will be saved from Sheol (23:14). For the child of God who endures God's discipline, he will enjoy "the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:11).

The point is that corporal discipline is one means that God has given us as parents to lead them in the paths of righteousness and life. It must always be accompanied by love, and by the communication of God's forgiveness for us in Christ. By itself, spanking may correct behavior. But mere behavior modification is not God's purpose for spanking. Rather, the rod is to help a child come to understand, and embrace, the grace of God in the gospel. This is why it is imperative for parents to hug and pray with their children after spanking them.

Sadly, this is just the sort of view of spanking that is increasingly considered odd. The Economist notes that a "pro-smacking" (who would want to be called that?!) lobby in New Zealand did not win much support because "their religious rhetoric - talk of loving corrections, followed by prayers - sounded weird." In my view, it is lumping spanking with child abuse that sounds pretty weird.

In any case, the article noted that the U.S. is something of a hold-out in this matter of spanking (no doubt due to the still-sizable presence of weird religious types). So, we are not outlaws, at least not for the present.

Our Anniversary

2008-05-27T15:39:00.000-07:00

Eight years ago today, Robyn and I exchanged wedding vows and began our married life together. Since then, we've gone from the two of us living in a basement apartment in Pennsylvania to six of us living in a two-story home in Alaska. Along the way we've made stops in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Oklahoma. God has blessed us these past eight years.

According to Proverbs 31, "an excellent wife", which my wife is, should have her works "praise her in the gates." Since I cannot locate the city gates of Wasilla in which to praise my wife and her works, I will do so in the "cyber-gates". For eight years of marriage, here are eight reasons why I love and appreciate my wife:

1. She is fun to be with.

2. She is a great encourager during tough times.

3. She is very forgiving of my faults.

4. She prays for me and my ministry.

5. Since we've been married, she's morphed from having no interest in sports to becoming a major Cardinals fan. Watching or playing golf is still out of the question at this point, however.

6. She is a fantastic cook.

7. She was willing to relocate to Alaska (and, she wants me to go fishing!).

8. Most important of all, she is more devoted to Christ than she is to me.

Proverbs asks, "an excellent wife who can find?" Here's to my "excellent" wife on our anniversary!

Summer's almost here!

2008-05-22T22:57:00.000-07:00

From what I can tell so far, this is about the time of year when Alaskans let out a collective sigh of relief. Winter is definitely over and happy days are here again. The sun awaits us each morning, shining gloriously in the bright blue sky. The air is dry, clean, and crisp. Green is splashed over the landscape, and the lakes and rivers are watery again (and some will soon be teeming with salmon). It's hard to imagine a better place to be in the summer than Alaska.

I'm looking forward to this summer for many reasons, though, not only for the unbeatable weather.

First, we are trying a couple of new things at church. Honestly, I don't know how they'll go, but I'm excited to find out. First, we are focusing on outreach during the month of June. I will be encouraging our people to ask their non-church-going friends to church. I am going to preach a series of messages on the "I am" statements of Jesus that, I hope, will present Christ clearly to the hearts and minds of all who will be there. We are going to meet each Sunday at a local park with the church's trailer and offer free water and soda. And for anyone interested, we'll also have some good booklets available that deal with life's struggles from a Christian perspective. This is somewhat new ground for me and for the church, so we'll see how it goes.

Second, we are beginning a Sunday school class during the summer. The purpose of the class will be to encourage family devotions and teaching the catechism at home to our children. We'll meet as entire families rather than separating into different age groups. This is also something a bit new for most of us in the church, so I'm looking forward to seeing how it works out.

This summer also means vacation for our family. We will spend three weeks in Wisconsin and Chicago visiting friends and family there. The main purpose is to be present for John and Gina's wedding (John is Robyn's younger brother). While we are excited about the trip and can't wait to go, from an admittedly selfish perspective, it is too bad it has to be a trip away from Alaska in the middle of the summer! We are seriously considering requesting our respective families that from now on, all weddings and funerals take place during the winter months.

And while we're in the neighborhood, we're planning to catch a Cardinals game at Wrigley field. The way things are shaping up in the NL central so far, that could be an extremely significant game to watch.

Speaking of family, my parents will be coming up in June with my aunt and uncle. It will be great to spend some time with them. They are driving up the Alaska highway from Montana. Thanks to them, with gas prices being what they are, by the time they return some fortunate Saudi prince will be able to buy another private jumbo jet.

And then there's fishing. I can hardly call myself an Alaskan if I haven't fished yet. So, we are hoping to give that a try this summer. Our hope is to go "dipnetting", an Alaskan fishing style in which you literally scoop salmon out of the river by the dozens. We have a freezer in a garage waiting to be filled with pounds and pounds of salmon fillets. We'll see if our "best laid plans" come to pass.

There's a lot to look forward to this summer!

The Peacemaker by Ken Sande

2008-05-16T22:57:00.000-07:00

There is conflict in my church. There is conflict in my family. There is conflict in my marriage.

I say this not as a revelation of some serious crisis in any of these areas, but as a statement of fact that holds true for every church, every family, and every marriage. Wherever people are bound together in a close relationship, there will be conflict at some level. Interests collide, personalities don't mesh, misunderstandings take place, and communication breaks down. Of course, the ultimate source of all human conflict, whether minor or serious, and what fuels and exacerbates the tension, is sin. Sinners in relationship with each other are bound to step on each others' toes (and worse).

Since conflict is universal, it is not surprising that Christians experience it as well as everyone else. What is surprising, though, and disheartening, is how poorly Christians often respond to it. If the statistics are to be believed, divorce rates are no lower among professing Christians than society at large. And church splits are depressingly common enough to testify that believers in Christ don't do so well at managing conflict.

But the Bible is full of teaching about conflict and how to appropriately handle it. The problem is that we Christians haven't been faithful in putting this teaching into practice. Ken Sande's book, The Peacemaker, is an extremely helpful guide for us to understand and deal with conflict in a biblical manner. I had read this book once before, and recently read it again as part of a leadership training course I am conducting at the church. One of men in the class said the book was convicting. I agree. I have not always dealt with conflict (both in family and church) in the most biblical way. In Sande's terms, I have been guilty of both "peace-breaking" and "peace-faking". I pray I'll be more faithful in peacemaking in the future.

If I knew of anyone involved in a serious conflict at home or in the church (or anywhere, for that matter), and they were open to instruction, this would be the book I would recommend to them. As the author argues, if handled correctly, a conflict situation can become the very means by which the grace and love of Christ is made known.

Mother's Day

2008-05-11T23:07:00.000-07:00

This has been an unusual Mother's Day for our family. The mother, Robyn, is in Wisconsin with our baby Moriah. So, we had no special celebration for the day. Robyn's special Mother's Day treat is four days of taking care of just one kid, as opposed to the usual four.

I've been "Mr. Mom" for the past few days. Actually, so many people from the church helped out with babysitting that Robyn's absence hasn't been the domestic disaster it could have been. The kids have been fed, basic hygiene has been maintained, the dishes are mostly clean, and the house has some semblance of order. There is a good chance we will survive until Robyn returns tomorrow night!

Since it is Mother's Day, and since my own mother makes up about half of the readership of my blog, I had better say some nice things about her in this space! As I reflect on my childhood, I see some ways in which my mom had a deep influence on me. For starters, she always expressed her confidence in me that I could accomplish whatever I set my mind to do. Though she was by no means like so many moms today pushing their kids to over-achievement insanity, she made it clear that I could, and should, set my sights high for the future. My mom herself is the kind of person who sets high goals and then works hard to meet them. She strives for excellence in whatever she pursues. To whatever extent these traits are true of me, it is largely due, I believe, to her influence.

Secondly, my mom taught me to question popular assumptions and common wisdom. For example, when I was in grade-school, it was her idea to get rid of our television set. At least among everybody we knew, this was a radical and unheard-of concept. But we did it, and can there be any doubt that missing out on hours of "Dallas" and "The A-Team" was an unqualified good thing? Years later, bumper stickers appeared admonishing us to "kill" our televisions. Heck, my mom killed our television before television-killing was cool. But the lesson I learned was, just because everybody else does or thinks something, doesn't necessarily make it good or right.

I'm sure there are many other ways that my mom influenced me for good. But these come to mind. Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Some sights from Monday's trip to the Coastal Trail

2008-05-07T18:00:00.000-07:00

The Coastal Trail is a paved path in Anchorage that runs alongside the Cook Inlet. It's also directly next to the airport, so every ten minutes or so jets roar overhead so close you can almost touch them. On Monday, we packed up the kids, the bikes, and the dog, and spent a few hours on the Trail.

No sooner had we started that we saw this big guy enjoying a walk down the path, heading in our direction. Thankfully, he turned aside before he reached us.

Meredith, Maggie, and Sander all rode their bikes. As you can tell from this picture, Sander preferred to walk his bike when going downhill.

Sander was too cool for words with his shades on.

We saw this sight in Wasilla, on our way back home. I bet this pooch would like a new owner.

National Day of Prayer

2008-05-02T23:34:00.001-07:00

On Thursday at noon, our family joined a group of about 50 people gathered at Wasilla City Hall to pray for various concerns in observance of the National Day of Prayer. This was the first time I had taken part in anything like this, and I confess I attended partly out of curiosity. But the primary reason I went was in response to an invitation from a friend who is the youth pastor at a church down the road from ours.

Different pastors and others led in reading Scripture and prayer, and we spent time in small groups praying for matters such as the government, churches, and families.

I was glad I went. I am pro-prayer, and I believe that Christians are clearly commanded by the Scripture to offer prayer for the governing authorities (1 Tim. 2:1, 2). So, I am certainly in favor of the principle of a time of intercession for these concerns.

But, I did feel a certain amount of ambivalence about the event. I'm generally wary of expressions of a generic civic religion that are characteristic of something like a call for a National Day of Prayer. For example, one woman present read a proclamation from the Governor of Alaska calling for Alaskans to participate in the National Day of Prayer. Everyone there (probably all Christians) applauded after it was read, but I'm not sure why. The statement was so broad and inclusive as to endorse virtually any kind of "spiritual" activity: prayer, meditation, peace activism, promotion of social justice, or "another form of contemplative action." In other words, it was no clarion call for specifically Christian prayer. In fact, it was no clarion call for even theistic prayer - the word "God" was conspicuously absent in the proclamation.

Just by virtue of who was present, it was a Christian prayer meeting. No one was asked to not pray in Jesus name. However, my discomfort stems from a fear that Christians, though certainly well-meaning in their participation and support of these sorts of events, may be unwittingly led to compromise what is the most vital thing of all for Christians: belief that God can only be approached through His Son Jesus Christ (John 14:6). It is faith in Christ as the only way to the Father that makes Christians Christians, and therefore for a Christian to take part in any service of worship or prayer that is not Christ-centered is a serious mistake at best. Yet civic religion demands just that (unless, of course, all who show up happen to be Christian, as seemed to be the case on Thursday).

Again, I am glad Christians are praying for the nation and the local churches. At the end of the day, however, the only hope for a world perishing in sin is the good news of the death and resurrection of Christ. If the church loses this message, she has lost her gift to the world, and all the prayer and "contemplative action" in the world will not help.

A "dreadful" occurence

2008-04-30T22:36:00.000-07:00

I wrote a few weeks ago about our early-morning unwelcome visitor. Ever since then, we've been a tad paranoid about strange noises and such. Last night, Robyn was certain she kept hearing suspicious noises in the house while she was downstairs. I heard nothing, because I had earphones on while I studied. She came up to speak to me about the sounds she was hearing.

As we talked over what or who may be making the sounds, we heard a blood-curdling scream coming from Meredith and Maggie's room. I started running towards the room, having no idea what I might find there. Just after I took off, though, Meredith shot out of the room yelling with all the decibels her forty pound body could muster. She was shouting, "Maggie threw up on me, Maggie threw up on me!"

Yes, Maggie threw up all over Meredith. I'll spare you the disgusting details, but both girls needed a shower afterwards. For some reason, probably because she's been listening non-stop to "Little Women" for the last month, Meredith sometimes speaks like she's from the 1800's. So, amid her crying and screaming, she said things like "Mommy, it's dreadful!", and "I always feared this would happen to me!". Later, she apologized to Robyn for giving her "such a fright."

Ah, the joys of parenthood. We've got one sick child, and if history is any guide, we'll have four sick children and at least one sick adult before it's all over. I just hope there is a little less drama when it happens.

Presbytery in Portland

2008-04-27T22:31:00.000-07:00

I spent Thursday through Saturday of last week in Portland, Oregon, for a presbytery meeting. This is a bi-annual meeting of pastors and elders from the churches in our region of the country, which includes Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana. My denomination, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, is fairly small, so that although the presbytery covers a huge geographic area, there are only twenty or so churches in it.

I enjoyed the fellowship there, and for the most part the meeting was positive. The one major exception was a decision that we made concerning a church and pastor that will be difficult to take for both. It was a sad vote to cast, but given the circumstances, one that I felt was necessary (as did the rest of presbytery, since the vote appeared to be unanimous).

On the brighter side, we heard an excellent ordination exam by a licentiate (a man who is preparing to become a minister). I was very impressed with how well he articulated his answers, and his ability to cite Scripture to support his views. The process leading to ordination is not an easy one, and each time I witness an ordination exam I am glad that I'm done with it!

As I think of it, there are hardly any occupations that involve as much intense scrutiny as a minister. There are exams before committees involving the whole range of theological knowledge, personal questions of life and faith before presbytery, preaching sermons before presbytery, and the theological exams for licensure and ordination, also before presbytery. In addition, the process of receiving a call from a church involves interviews with pastoral search committees, church sessions, and finally, at least one Question and Answer session with the entire congregation. After I completed the latter at Grace OPC in Wasilla, one member told me I must have felt as though I had just had a job interview before 50 people! It did feel like that, but that is just the tip of the iceberg!

Back to presbytery, one thing I noticed is that I'm the "Alaska guy." I got asked a lot of questions about the dark winters, and hunting and fishing (one elder from Washington was aghast that I have not done either yet; I agreed that I can't really call myself an Alaskan until I do!). Another frequent comment I heard, and one that I've heard a lot ever since we knew we were moving here, is that someone's uncle or cousin lives in Alaska. It seems everybody has a family relation living in Alaska. Now, I'm that relative living here!

Presbytery was a good time of fellowship, but I was glad to come back home. And it was good to come back home to Alaska.

Sunday night update

2008-04-20T23:10:00.000-07:00

It's 10:15 p.m. on Sunday night, and Robyn and I are exhausted as usual at this time. We just got Meredith off to bed, and before calling it a day ourselves, I thought I would write with a quick update on the Johnson family since it has been a while since I blogged.

This picture is of Moriah in "BOB", a jogging stroller I received as a birthday present last year but never unpacked until about a month ago. It is a great piece of equipment. I can exercise and take one of the kids (Maggie, Sander, or Moriah) off of Robyn's hands at the same time. Now that summer is around the corner, I hope to be taking "BOB" out more often.

This morning I preached on Jesus' command to his disciples to "love your enemies." As I prepared for it, I remembered reading a fascinating obituary a few weeks ago about a man named Jacob DeShazer. He was a member of the Doolittle raid on Japan in the first months of WWII, and was captured by Japanese soldiers in China after bailing out of his bomber. He spent the duration of the war as a prisoner of war, suffering solitary confinement, torture, and beatings. After reading a Bible that was given to him during that time, he gave his life to Christ and vowed to return to Japan as a missionary should he live to the end of the war. And he did just that, going on to serve in Japan as a missionary for 30 years.

What a testimony of the transforming power of the gospel. A man is treated brutally by others, and by the grace of God, loves his enemies in return by giving his life to proclaim to them the love of Christ. It makes my grudges against others seem extremely petty in comparison.

I learned something interesting at the doctor's office on Friday. Sander and spent a few hours at the local urgent care to have the doctor look at his ears, which turned out to be infected. According to this doctor, new studies have shown that prescribing antibiotics for ear infections is almost pointless. They only help one in seven kids recover more quickly, and they actually have some negative side-effect in one in seven kids. He said if Sander was his son, he wouldn't bother with antibiotics. That was good enough for me. Instead, he prescribed some ear drops for the pain and the little guy has been just fine ever since.

Here's a picture from today. Moriah managed to spill a package of oyster crackers on the kitchen floor. Moriah and her partner-in-crime Brinkley gobbled up as many as they possibly could before Mom ruined the party by cleaning up the mess.

Death, taxes, and haircuts

2008-04-15T22:49:00.001-07:00

Was it Benjamin Franklin who said the only certainties in life are death and taxes? I sent in my tax returns today - just in time! - proving at least the latter is still one of life's unchanging realities. I know the former is still a certainty, but at least that doesn't happen every year.

Another to add to the list would be haircuts, at least if your name is Sander and you live in our house. Here he is stoically enduring his once-a-month buzz cut.

Yesterday I finally got around to cleaning out and washing our two cars. You have to know my family to understand this, but being a Johnson, there are certain habits written into my DNA that I am helpless to change. Johnsons back in their cars whenever possible into a parking spot. Johnsons always eat cookies with milk. Johnsons like to keep things neat and tidy. And Johnsons always keep their cars clean. Which is why I felt an increasing sense of angst every time I looked at our dirt-caked Suburban. How could I let it get that dirty? I took a couple of hours and gave both it and our other vehicle a thorough, inside and out, cleaning. It was cathartic; it was therapeutic. At last, two clean cars.

We had our leadership training class tonight. One of the books we read is Children of the Promise, by Robert Booth. Booth presents a very clear and thorough case for infant baptism. I was reminded again of the grace of God in setting the sign of his promise on our children. I respect my dear brothers and sisters in Christ who see things differently, but I just couldn't imagine not confirming in this way that our children are also heirs of God's covenant mercies.

Speaking of covenant children, here are three of ours on the couch absorbed in Meredith's latest idea, writing a "newspaper".

Miscellaneous

2008-04-10T23:18:00.000-07:00

Just when you thought it was safe to take off the studded tires.
It snowed four inches yesterday. We're beginning to understand what everybody meant when they told us that the winters are not bad here, they're just long.

I believe....
I spent this evening talking to a group of teenagers from the church about the Apostles' Creed. They asked some excellent questions, and it was great to see these young people show a genuine interest in the teaching of Bible. The discussion went far afield at some points, but that was perfectly fine with me.

But why is it that when I'm with teenagers I feel like I'm 60 years old? I think because when I was their age, there was no significant difference in my mind between a 38-year old and a 60-year old. And I'm sure it's the same with them.

Interesting news from Alaska.
I've been meaning for some time to post local news stories that are uniquely Alaskan. I came across one the other day, actually a sad story. A locally famous moose by the name of "Buzzwinkle" died. Buzzwinkle earned his nickname last winter after he ate too many fermented crab apples, got his antlers entangled in someone's Christmas lights, and then spent the day staggering through the streets of downtown Anchorage. If I remember right, Buzzwinkle had to be put down a few days ago by the authorities because he was dying of some natural cause.

Only in Alaska!

Monday report

2008-04-07T23:42:00.001-07:00

One of the challenges of having young children in Alaska is knowing what to do with them during the long winter months (and since we have an inch of snow on the ground, it is still basically winter here). This winter, we've found two activities that have worked: ice skating and sledding. Today, being a Monday and my day off, we took the kids sledding at a place just outside of Wasilla called Hatcher Pass.

What a gorgeous day to be outside! The sun was shining, it wasn't too cold, and the mountains were beautiful. As far as I can tell, Hatcher Pass could be a Vail or Breckenridge were it ever fully developed. The only drawback was the sled hill had about six inches of fresh powder on it, making it hard build up any steam on a plastic sled.

The day's comic relief was taking Brinkley for a ride in the sled. She hunkered down on the sled with her head on her paws; I think she might have been praying. The next time I tried to take her down, she bailed out right away. Brinkley is a old and wise dog, and knew sledding was a bad idea. After all, she hasn't live to be over 80 dog years by pulling stunts like that.

We treated the kids and ourselves to some hot chocolate later. Then, we came home for the usual routine: dinner and bedtime.

Robyn and I finished the day by reading together. Our current book is "1776", by David McCullough.

Our daughter, bookworm extraordinaire

2008-04-04T23:27:00.000-07:00

Our oldest daughter Meredith, age 7, loves to read. So we were not surprised by her enthusiastic response when Robyn told her about a reading contest she could enter. The rules are simple: read 40 age-appropriate books by September 15th and submit a list of them to the contest organizers (a homeschool curriculum company). The first 250 students in each age category to submit their book list receives a $10 gift certificate for the catalog. And all those who finish their books by the deadline are entered into a drawing for cash prizes.

Meredith is not the type who has trouble focusing on a goal once she is determined to reach it. As soon as she heard about this contest, like a world-class sprinter exploding from the blocks at the starting gun, Meredith began her mad dash to finish her 40 books. Nothing else in life mattered. Mealtime, which for most of us is a pleasant break from our daily activities, was for Meredith an annoying interruption. Even her piano playing took a hiatus. Instead of hearing the halting notes to "The Entertainer", we heard the regular flutter of pages as Meredith methodically worked her way through book after book after book.

Meredith tore through our personal stash of qualifying books in no time. So, Robyn took her to the library to plunder their selection. That was yesterday morning. By yesterday afternoon, Meredith was back at the library for a new stack. And then today, she had to go back to the library a third time for yet another supply. She must have been the talk of the librarian break room. Every one of them expressed amazement that she was back for more.

This evening, less than 48 hours from the time she began, she finished her list. Forty books, all duly read and noted on her list. By my calculation, she read about twice as many books in two days than I read in four years of college. She is the Princess of Print, the Queen of the Tome.

I told her tonight at dinner she is a genuine bibliophile. She asked, "What's that?" Drawing on my seminary language training, I explained to her with all the erudition I could muster what the Greek roots of the word are, and what it means. I know that at this rate, she'll be smarter than me soon. But, at least I still know a few things she doesn't.

The wait is over

2008-04-02T17:06:00.000-07:00

Spring has finally arrived to Alaska. Almost all the snow is gone, the sun is shining long hours, and the daytime highs are in the 40's (yes, that means Spring around here).

But a far more significant harbinger of the new season is Opening Day for the 2008 Major League Baseball season. Unfortunately, the Cardinals' Opening Day on Monday was a disappointment. It started out great, to be sure. The Cards had a 5-1 lead over the Colorado Rockies and seemed to be cruising towards their first "W" of the year. Albert Pujols hit a home run (which at the time, put him on pace to hit 162 homers this season!). Things were looking up. Maybe the Cardinals were putting last year's woes behind them and were back to their winning ways.

But, the game was rained out, and since it didn't last five innings, the whole thing was scratched (even the individuals stats don't count - so much for Pujol's first homerun). They played the game the next day and lost 2-1. The winning run was walked in. This does not bode well for the season.

But, there are 161 games left. And, thanks to the amazing technology of the internet, we are able to listen to every single game of the season through our computer. So, even though St. Louis is far, far, from Wasilla, we'll be able to hear Mike Shannon and John Rooney call what we hope to be another run at a pennant this year.

An unwelcome visitor

2008-03-29T21:47:00.000-07:00

Early this morning, about 5:00, while all of us were still sound asleep in our beds, the doorbell rang. I've experienced a few knocks at the door in the middle of the night, and there is nothing that will get me out of bed quicker. You just can't hit "snooze" on the doorbell.

Since it was an odd hour to come knocking, I decided to shout through the door instead of just swinging it wide open to see who might be there. When I asked, "who is it?", the voice from outside responded with obscenities. The more I asked him who he was, what he wanted, who he was looking for, the more he piled on the insults and obscenities. And, he kept banging on the door, trying to push it open, and ringing the doorbell.

It was obvious he was drunk, but the scary part was not knowing if he was just a mildly belligerent but basically harmless drunk, or an armed and dangerous, violent drunk. So, I kept the door shut.

One of the first things I told the guy was that if he didn't go away, I would call the police. He said he didn't care and that he was staying. So, I hollered at Robyn to call the police. While we waited for the cops to arrive, which seemed to take a while (Robyn called again to let them know the situation was pretty urgent), I tried to tell our visitor that he was at the wrong house. It was useless; he was convinced he was at the right house and wasn't going anywhere until I let him in. I'm thankful the kids couldn't hear the man, because although their vocabularies would have expanded significantly, it would have been with words not suitable for a pastor's children!

Robyn and the children stayed upstairs. Maggie and Moriah actually slept through the whole episode, but Meredith and Sander were pretty scared. Meredith prayed that the police would come soon, and Sander was shaking all over.

I was very relieved to see two police vehicles drive up yo the house, with their spotlights on (one of my thoughts was actually, "I'm so glad to live in a place where I can trust the police to do the job that needs to be done here."). I watched out the window as the two officers, a man and a woman, talked to the man, put handcuffs on him, frisked him, and led him back to one of the cars. Thankfully, it didn't look like he was armed or meant any harm. After they arrested him, one of the officers talked to me and didn't seem too worried about it. It appears he was just stoned out of his mind and was at the wrong house. His belligerence was because he thought I was giving him a hard time for refusing to open the door.

I couldn't go back to sleep after that, though. In my mind, I don't believe he is going to come back (unless he makes the same mistake twice!). But, I will feel better after a quiet night or two.

When we talked about it with the kids, I said that we should not only give thanks to God that it wasn't a more serious situation, but that we should pray for this man (I also explained that he had drunk too much wine or beer). Sander did pray for him tonight when I put him to bed: "Thank you for the man who knocked-ed on the door last night, thank you that the police camed-ed, and thank you that he drink-ed too much wine"!

Thoughts on preaching

2008-03-28T23:28:00.000-07:00

Our local newspaper, The Frontiersman, published an article on its website written by a local pastor containing his thoughts on the media's response to the preaching of Barack Obama's pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

I had been thinking about this myself a bit, and his article prompted me to leave a response. One of my comments was, how strangely refreshing that a preacher is making news for what he says in the pulpit, not for his scandalous conduct!

The pastor who wrote the article argued that since preaching is an art form, especially African-American preaching, it is sheer ignorance on the part of the media to parse small snippets of his sermons as though they alone actually contain the message he is communicating to his church. If the reporters knew the first thing about sermonizing, he argued, especially in the African-American tradition, they would understand that what Wright has said is not really what the congregation takes away from his sermons.

It was an interesting article, though I disagreed with much of it. The pastor was correct to say that sermons are not lectures. A sermon does aim for the heart; preaching is not merely an intellectual exercise. And, it is true that there is a great art to preaching that goes beyond simply communicating information in a didactic fashion.

If I had more space (I was only allowed 100 words!), I would have included the following thoughts:

First, preaching is all about communicating truth. The Apostle Paul wrote, "by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God" (2 Cor. 4:2). Now, preachers exaggerate to make a point, or even say something shocking in order to drive their message home. Jesus himself did this. He said to cut off your hand if it causes you to sin (Matt. 5:30). He didn't mean this literally, but was communicating the truth of the seriousness of sin.

Truth is the preacher's stock-in-trade. It is a sad thing to hear a preacher making outrageous assertions to evoke an emotional response. Can truth ever be dispensable in this way for a preacher? How can he preach God's truth with integrity if he is not committed to truth in principle?

Secondly, preaching, at least Christian preaching, is the proclamation of a message. Namely, the good news of Christ's death and resurrection to save us from our sins. Political sermons, whether on the left or right, use a sacred instrument for profane (as in, common) purposes. Do we have such a low view of the Kingdom of God, and such a disregard for the urgency of the gospel, that we forfeit preaching Christ in order to advance our agenda for this world? The first Christians turned the world upside down precisely because they preached the glory of the world to come (and that had come in Christ).

Sad news

2008-03-27T23:23:00.000-07:00

Who knows the battles of the heart that rage within a person? We found out yesterday that one of the coaches at the gymnastics school where Meredith and Maggie take lessons was killed the day before. "Coach Jay" was 42 years old, and was by all accounts a great coach and popular with the kids and parents alike. Our children didn't have him as a coach, but knew him since he worked there. I had never met him, but I distinctly remember watching him once listening excitedly as Sander explained to him that once he was four years old, he was going to take gymnastics.

Coach Jay struggled with some serious personal problems. A friend of ours, whose children took lessons from him for years, ministered to him in the midst of his struggles, helping him and speaking to him about the gospel. But he was overcome in the end. He was shot by police officers who went to his house after a call from his father in Florida who was fearful that Jay was suicidal. Apparently, Jay purposely drew their fire in order to be killed.

The whole thing is sad. Yes, God is in control and will bring good out of it. But the only right response to something like this is to do what Jesus did before the tomb of Lazarus, to weep over the evil sin has brought into this world.

Sinclair Ferguson's reflections on ministry

2008-03-24T21:15:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite preachers is Dr. Sinclair Ferguson. Dr. Ferguson is currently the senior pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Columbia, South Carolina. When I was a student at Westminster in Philadelphia, I was fortunate enough to have him as a professor for one of my classes. The class was a winter term class, which meant that for two or three weeks we met for several hours a day. I don't remember Dr. Ferguson ever consulting a single note during that whole time!

One of the habits I've acquired over the winter is listening to Dr. Ferguson's messages on my mp3 player while I jog at an indoor sports complex down the road from us. His preaching is very powerful and compelling, even recorded. I think he must be one of the more effective Christian communicators of our day.

I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Ferguson a few years ago while we were both standing in a buffet line for dinner at a Reformation Day service in a Dallas church. He was preaching that evening, and since I had him as a professor, I introduced myself to him and we talked for a little while. Since I was also at that time a great admirer of his preaching and teaching, it was a blessing to be able to talk with him a bit in an informal way.

I recently learned about a talk that Dr. Ferguson gave at a seminary campus recently that is available on iTunes. Rather than a lecture or sermon, this talk was about his reflections on the pastoral ministry at age 60. Much of it is autobiographical. He speaks of how he came to Christ as a teenager in Scotland, his formative years as a believer, the profound influence two ministers had on him (Rev. William Still and Rev. Eric Alexander), the Christian authors who shaped him spiritually (John Calvin, John Owen, and John Murray), and his struggles as an evangelical believer at a very liberal theological school. For me, this very personal account of his life was both fascinating and inspiring. I do hope he writes an autobiography someday.

His reflections on ministry were challenging at a few points. He noted the lack of prayer in today's churches, especially in those churches that are faithful to historic Reformed theology. This is a sad commentary on the state of Reformed churches today, but from my own very limited experience, it seems he's right. We just don't pray as we should.

What Dr. Ferguson had to say about preaching also left an impression on my mind and heart. Since I preach twice a week, and spend many hours each week preparing sermons, I am especially interested to hear what great preachers have to say about preaching. It is his conviction that today's preaching is far too subjective, even in Reformed churches. Much preaching today is like "finding Waldo," in which the primary emphasis is always on finding one's self in the text and seeing how it then speaks to one's own life.

What is needed, he says, is for preaching that so centered upon Jesus Christ, and the Holy Trinity, that the imperatives of God's Word are "propelled" forward into the heart as God is magnified in the preaching. Not that a sermon should be a theological lecture, but that a sermon should so manifest Christ, and so impress him upon the conscience, that the imperatives of God's Word are naturally, as it were, driven into the heart.

I was challenged by this. I felt my own inadequacy as a minister of the gospel, how little I know the Word of God, how lightly Christ rests upon my own heart. I hope to grow to be the sort of preacher that Dr. Ferguson describes (and which, I believe, he also exemplifies).

What most impressed me, I think, of hearing Dr. Ferguson's reflections was his sincerity. I couldn't help but think that this man cares about ministry because he believes the gospel. He has thought deeply about preaching because he really believes in the power of preaching to communicate Christ. He has served Christ as a pastor and teacher because he loves Christ.

I pray that I would serve as a Christian minister for these reasons, too.

He is risen!

2008-03-23T23:02:00.000-07:00

Today was our first Easter Sunday in Alaska. It is supposed to springtime, but the temperatures are still in the mid to high 30's. Yet it does feel like winter is over; the snow is nearly gone, and there is abundant sunlight. After the evening service tonight, all the kids in the church were outside running around and playing Frisbee.

I preached this morning on the resurrection from Luke's Gospel. The main point of my sermon was that as Christians, our hope is not just for a better life in this world, but our hope is for resurrection life.

Everything in the Christian faith and life hinges on the historical reality of the empty tomb. If the body of Jesus was there all along, and if his bones are still interred in some tomb in Israel, then everything I do as a pastor is a colossal waste of time. The day it is proven that Jesus was not raised from the dead is the day I stop being a minister of the gospel, because there would be no more gospel and no more point to Christian ministry. Not only that, but if Christ is not raised, everything I believe about God is false. But ever since I've been a Christian, I've never really doubted the reality of the resurrection of Christ. I believe in my heart of hearts that one day it will be revealed to all the world that the stories in the Bible of his resurrection are true. And, I believe in my heart that one day I will also be raised up from the grave.

This evening I preached on God's faithfulness to us despite our unfaithfulness. One of my favorite verses is 2 Timothy 2:13 - "if we are faithless, he remains faithful - for he cannot deny himself." One point I made was that God is faithful to us because he is true to his word and his promises. It is remarkable how there are such profound practical implications of the character of God. It is just because of who God is, that our salvation is secure and we can rest our hearts in his promises to us in Christ.

The cost of forgiveness

2008-03-21T23:42:00.000-07:00

Since today is Good Friday, we had a worship service at church this evening to remember the suffering and death of Christ. I spoke of the sufferings of Christ, both the physical and mental anguish he experienced, and the spiritual agony he endured in bearing in his soul the wrath of God against sin.

Although I didn't speak of it tonight, I have been thinking how the sufferings of Christ provide us with the true measure of the cost of God's forgiveness of our sins.

I would imagine there are few people in the world, or at least in our society, who don't know that the God of the Bible is a God who forgives. And, I would guess that a good many people are fairly confident that God will forgive their sins. As I heard it was said by someone, "God will forgive me; that's his business."

But I wonder how many people truly understand the price that God paid to get into this business of forgiveness? One might think that God, being God, could simply forgive a person's sin simply by willing to forget it. I do something similar to this practically on a daily basis. When one of my children commit some childish and harmless "sin" against me, like knocking over my water glass, he or she will apologize (sometimes!). And it is no problem for me to forgive them, because I wasn't really offended. In my worst moments, I believe that God looks at my sins in that way. They're pretty minor sins, I tell myself, and surely a God as big as he is cannot be too troubled by them. So, he can easily look past it.

But the cross reveals a different story. God doesn't forgive sin by overlooking it. Rather, sin, in any form or degree, is an offense against God's holy character. And if he is to be God, he must respond in righteous judgment against it. That is why Christ suffered as he did at the cross. The sinless Son of God bore in his body and soul the just judgment of God against sin. Only on the basis of Christ's suffering and death as a substitute for sinners, could God forgive sinners. And when you consider the depth of Christ's suffering, you begin to understand costliness of God's forgiveness.

No matter how much we take it for granted at times, God's forgiveness is valuable beyond measure. It cost him the death of his Son. Show me someone who understands the price Christ paid on the cross to take away his sins, and I'll show you someone who knows the true value of God's forgiveness.

11 days, 13 hours, 55 minutes, 33 seconds

2008-03-19T23:02:00.000-07:00

This is exactly how much time is left before the St. Louis Cardinals start the 2008 season. For the last few years, Robyn and I have followed the Redbirds. It was easier in Oklahoma than here, since some of the games were televised there. And, almost all of the games were on the radio.

Here in Alaska, we'll have to make do with whatever internet coverage we can come up with. But we definitely will be rooting for the Cards this year.

I was a huge Cardinals fan during my high school years, when my family lived in suburban St. Louis. That was in the mid-eighties, when they made it to the World Series twice, and lost both times. Both were bitter losses. In 1985 against the Royals, the Series got away thanks to a terrible, and now legendary, bad call by the ump at first base. In 1987 they lost to the Minnesota Twins. That one also hurt. I was a freshmen in college at the time, and my roommate was a big "Twinkies" fan. Not only did I have to live with the guy after the Series, but one of my fraternity "actives" (who could torment those of us who were "pledges") made me wear a Twins cap on campus the next day. Blatant hazing.

In 2004, the Cards made the World Series again. This time, they were drubbed by the Red Sox in four games. That one was also tough to swallow; they never even showed up to play.

Somehow after I married Robyn, my Cardinals fan-hood rubbed off on her. Now she's a die-hard Redbirds supporter. In 2006, we took a trip together to St. Louis to see the Cards play in their brand-new stadium. They lost that game, but went on that very year to win it all. It was a great experience after the previous disappointments.

I wonder, what's in the cards for the Cards this year? In just 11 days, 13 hours, 55 minutes, and 33 seconds, we'll start to find out. Play ball!