The Sanctity of Life: Abortion and the Human Conscience

"The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good 
conscience and a sincere faith."-  1 Timothy 1:5

 

Today, thousands of churches in the US are celebrating what has come to be known as "Sanctity of Life Sunday". President Ronald Reagan designated January 22, 1984 as the first National Sanctity of Human Life Day. That day was chosen to coincide with the 11th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court that legalized abortions in the nation. Beginning in 1984, coinciding with the 11th anniversary of the ruling, the third Sunday of January was designated as Sanctity of Human Life Day, the closest Sunday to the original January 22 date.

This morning, I was blessed to hear our pastor Ryan Fullerton preach a great sermon on the human conscience, particularly as it applies to abortion. This post is almost entirely based on the sermon he preached this morning. I know there will be some reading this who have had an abortion, and others who have been involved in an abortion decision. Others still might be considering abortion and some could never see themselves getting an abortion. This post is meant to proclaim again the necessity of continuing to speak for the unborn and the power of the gospel in renewing consciences and giving new life. 

A clear conscience is the softest pillow. The Bible teaches that every person was created with a conscience as a barometer of morality and right living. However, this gift was not untouched by sin. As a result there is such a thing as a bad conscience and we cannot rely on our own Jiminy Crickets perfectly to tell us how we ought to live. We cannot just follow our hearts. The conscience of many has been seared when it comes to abortion in the US and even more so in Canada. In the last 35 years, there have been over 3,000,000 (reported) abortions in Canada. That's roughly the population of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, PEI, and Nova Scotia combined. The truth is that the Canadian conscience in general is not appropriately stirred when it comes to the issue of abortion. 

The Confused Conscience (Romans 2:14-15)
We have all experienced a conflicted and confused conscience. We all lack the clarity we need to make all the proper moral decisions we are forced to make daily. When it comes to abortion, the confused and conflicted conscience has resulted in the deaths of millions around the world. Nicole's testimony was recently published in New York Magazine as part of a series of testimonies in an article entitled "My Abortion". Listen to her conflicted and confused conscience:

"It was this past spring. The due date’s coming up—I’m dreading it. I wanted to keep it. My boyfriend always had football practice, so he couldn’t go to the doctor appointments with me. If he’d gone, he would’ve felt differently. But he said, “No way.” I wanted to show him that I loved him enough to do it for him. When I was thirteen weeks, we made an appointment at the closest clinic in Kentucky, four hours away, but the night before, we decided not to go. At two in the morning, he called and said, “Get dressed.” I said, “I don’t want to go.” We both cried the whole way there. I don’t think abortion is killing, but I’d always been against it. When I told him the credit-card scanner at the clinic wasn’t working, he asked if I was making it up. We went to get $1,000 from a gas-station ATM. I was hysterical, and he said, “Okay, you don’t have to go back.” I was so happy. Then he said, “We drove all this way. Stop crying, act like a woman.” I was angry, but I was so sleepy and tired of fighting. When I had the ultrasound, I asked for the picture and a nurse said, “Seriously?” A month later, he said he regretted it too. When I cry about it, I cry alone. He thinks it would make me sad to talk about, but I don’t want our baby to think we forgot. I’ve never heard of anybody else having an abortion here." [italics mine] 

The Defiled Conscience (1 Corinthians 8:7)
We have all heard the stories of mass murderers and criminals. However, many of us have also been disturbed by their incredibly clear consciences. They are actually convinced that they did nothing wrong. There is no regret, no remorse, no guilt. It takes a great deal of sin to get our conscience that hard and calloused, but the path towards this dead conscience is a conscience that is repeatedly defiled. It is fascinating how much shame and guilt we can feel even if we don't think we should. We can be intellectually convinced that our actions are morally permissible, but we might still experience the defilement of a conscience. Take for example this testimony entitled, "I Am Pro-Choice! Why Do I Regret My Abortion?": 

It was a very early, first-trimester abortion, but nevertheless, I was pregnant and I chose not to continue the pregnancy even though deep down I desperately wanted a child. I made this choice based on my relationship with the baby’s father, who dropped me off at the clinic and I never saw again, despite having a three-to-four-year, on-and-off relationship. He promised me marriage and more children when we were ready for it, i.e. 5 or 10 years from now.His last words to me were, “Don’t worry, I’ll be back.” But that never materialized. I am only 25 (24 at the time of the abortion), but I am now convinced I missed my only chance to have a biological child. Is that crazy? I haven’t dated, least of all had sex with anyone, since that day. It feels like a part of me died that day and will never return. I am no longer upset about the end of our relationship (good riddance!) but I am truly disturbed by the entire experience. I have nightmares about my experience at the clinic, though I know they followed every medical and legal step to the T. I wish I could forgive myself and move on, but I just can’t. I wake up every morning and it is the best minute of my life before the knowledge of what happened returns to me and the cycle of sadness and regret begins all over again. I am a liberal woman and as pro-choice as you can be! Which is even more upsetting! Can you please offer me advice on moving forward with my life and freeing myself from this unending cycle of regret?

The Clean Conscience (Hebrews 10:22)
So what now? The only hope for the misery of a guilty conscience is the death and resurrection of Jesus. You can't deal with your unsettled conscience by trying to be a better person. Turn to the Lord, he died to cleans the conscience and the guilt that leads to death. He died so that defiled consciences could be purified. Taste his sweet conscience-cleansing grace! 

What are the implications of understanding and believing in the sanctity of human life? It's not simply about abortion. It's not simply about thinking carefully about the method of birth control we choose to use (although that is a very important implication too!). Greed, sexual immorality, convenience, financial stability have all led to abortions. It is true that having less children might make your life more convenient. It is true that the raising of children does not come without many hard days and nights. Much in the same way, choosing to speak for the unborn will not be easy, convenient, or appealing most of the time. Genetic disorders are no legitimate excuse for abortion. Neither is teenage pregnancy, rape, or financial situation. How then should you and I live in light of these truths? Here are some suggestions:

1) Do not think yourself too high or too low to speak against abortion
2) Do not think yourself too high or too low to speak positively about all children
3) Financially support and volunteer at a "Women's Pregnancy Center"
4) Increase your political activity
5) Cultivate a culture in which every child is welcomed

New Year's Resolutions Anyone?

That exciting time of the year has come and gone again! The end of a year full of smiles, laughs, tears, and sadness is gone and a new one is just beginning. For a few years now, New Years means one thing more than almost any other thing - New Year's Resolutions.

I know New Year's Resolutions are not everyone's thing, but they're definitely my thing. I love thinking about the year that just went by and making new resolutions for the coming year based on what learned and what I want to do differently or the same. One of the resolutions I made for this coming year is to be more disciplined and intentional about these blog posts. I'm not going for anything crazy, I just want to write at least one post every week. Seeing as it is still early in the year I wanted to write about my New Year's Resolutions, how they help me, and how they might help you too (not mine, but your own if you decide to make some).

What are my New Year's Resolutions? Oh wouldn't you like to know! To be honest, a lot of them are rather personal and so I'm not going to share them here publicly, but it's not something I'm trying to keep secret, so feel free to ask! However, I will share that this year I have made 30 resolutions. I probably took the most time to think about them, and to write them down than I ever did before. They are all typed out and printed on nice thick paper for me to see every day. They are divided by category, all based on how I can better honor the Lord with my life. They involve God's glory in my heart, in my body, in my marriage, in my church, in my schooling, in my ministry, in my family, in my mind, and in my relationships. 

So what value and benefit do I see in taking so long to think of and to type these resolutions, all of which are destined to not be perfectly kept even this month? 

They Help Me THINK:
I think we could all do with a little bit more introspection. We very rarely make time to evaluate our day at work, our morning, our day, much less our entire year. And yet as December draws to an end, most people find themselves unusually introspective. For some reason the end of the year gives us a chance to be honest with ourselves about ourselves. "Maybe I do need to lose a lot of weight this year (though you if you had asked me a month ago I would have said no)". "Maybe I should make some more time to be with my kids". "I think it's about time I start reading the Bible more consistently". For myself, these past few week of introspection, of evaluating my time, my money, my thoughts, my struggles, my joys, my desires, and my family has been of great help. Regardless of the resolutions there has been a lot of thanksgiving in my life recently and a lot of pleading for change in my own heart for many things in the year to come.

They Help Me AIM:
For some people, making New Year's Resolutions is making a recipe for failure. "It's totally crazy for me to think that for the WHOLE YEAR I'll be able to get up at 6:00AM every day so I can stop being late for work and getting to read my Bible". It might be, it might not. "What's the point of saying I'll get all my homework done before 10:00PM since I know that it won't be the case every time?" I think a lot of us rightly ask, "What is the point of making a resolution you can't fully keep?" For some people not perfectly keeping their resolutions is synonymous with failure. For me, in the very least it gives me a clear view and a clear trajectory for where I want to go and what I want to do. Some of my resolutions are brand new, I just came up with them this year! I have never resolved to pray for my pastors and church leaders every single day - this will take some serious intentionality. These kind of resolutions will probably be the hardest to keep Others, I've had for a few years and I have slowly gotten more focused and disciplined and have truly learned the benefit of continuing to aim in that specific direction.

They Help Me With PURPOSE:
I have found that the fun and sometimes silly resolutions are the ones that fail the most. "I want to be able to count from 1-10 in 10 languages by the end of the year". Sure that sounds kinda fun, and it would be cool to say. The problem with resolutions like these is that they are weak - they lack any kind of proper motivation and purpose other than "just for kicks". Maybe you do see purpose in being able to count to 10 in multiple languages, if so that's great! But for most of us, that resolution is destined to fail. Why? Because resolutions stand and are lived based on purpose, motivation, and conviction. You need something STRONG to carry me through the year waking up at 6:00AM! You're going to need some serious motivation to get me going to the gym three times a week! For this reason thinking about WHY you want to do what you want to do is just as important. I decided this year to base all of my 2014 resolutions on Scripture (yes, even the one about learning Arabic this year). I have a verse that I am hoping carries me through my tendencies to not keep my resolutions.

Am I going to keep all of my resolutions perfectly every day this year? Absolutely not - and I know that. But even the process of coming up with them and thinking so deeply about my life has been tremendously helpful (regardless of how consistent I am in keeping them). I would therefore highly recommend looking at your life, evaluating your year, challenging yourself and committing to a few changes this year!

What about you, do you have any New Year's Resolutions? What's been your experience?

Parenting Funnels

This past week in our Family and Leadership Ministries class we had a mini parenting class. We looked at the Scriptures and discussed and dialogued about different parenting strategies. I want to share some of the things I learned, not because there's someone out there who I think needs to hear this, not because I am starting some sort of parenting crusade. I just wanted to quickly share some of the things I learned this week that Courtney and I both found helpful and interesting in thinking about how we would want to parent one day.

There are an infinite number of parenting strategies, philosophies, styles, and ideas out there. And I don't really know much about most of them. Part of what we discussed this week was related to parenting and freedom for children. We learned about two different models when it comes to the way parents tend to parent their children:

The Inverted Funnel:

In this model, parents give children a great deal of freedom and choice in the early years. When the child is young, parents in this model give the child a number of choices: What do you want to eat? Do you want to go to bed? What do you want to wear? Do you want to finish your food? The same parents are also accustomed to providing a lot of feedback and end up negotiating frequently: "No, we can't eat ice cream this time. It's not good to have ice cream for breakfast." "I think maybe it is time to go to bed, you seem really tired and it's getting late." "How about you just eat three more spoon-fulls." It is all done with the best of intentions and with the thinking that the child needs more information to help them make decisions. One of the things missed with this approach is the sinful nature of the child and their inability to make proper decisions most of the time. "If they could only understand, if I just talked to them a little and helped them understand." That doesn't help most of the time, the reality is that children are not meant to decide what they eat, what they wear, or when they go to sleep. They shouldn't really be the final authority on when they have to sit at the table and when they can get up.

Another problem that often arises in these cases is that children begin to feel entitled to an explanation. Suddenly the explanation for why they have to put on a coat is necessary before obeying. Everything requires the parents to give an answer, and not just any answer, a good answer. This answer needs to be satisfactory to the child, who is growing intellectually and requires more sophisticated explanations for why they are being told what to do. All of a sudden, kids find themselves feeling restricted and unsatisfactorily instructed to do things. Mom and dad are more strict about bed times and when they need to stay sitting down and when they can move around. What tends to happen in this model is that the freedom/explanation/feedback begins to squeeze as children grow up. By the time the child is a teenager, parents (still with the best of intentions) if things are not going well, will restrict freedom, but it's the wrong time to do that. At this point in time, children are supposed to get ready to leave, but parents reactively squeeze in the authority and freedom.

The Funnel:

The idea behind the second model is essentially to reverse everything. This (I think) is the on that seems the most unnatural model or the one that we are least used to. It is definitely the one that takes the most intentionality. The idea here is to parent with the right priorities for the children. This model assumes that the most important thing for a 1-3 year old to learn is first time obedience. They don't need an explanation for what you are asking them to do. They don't need to know why they need to clean up the toys. What they need (primarily) is to understand that when mom and dad ask you to do something, you need to do it. They need to understand that they need to trust mom and dad even if they don't understand everything. Children who are accustomed to explanations and answers for everything often begin to develop a sense of anxiety and burden. They have grown accustomed to making decisions based on the level of satisfaction of the explanation and information they receive. It ends up not being based on obedience and trust on the parents.

"Because I said so" doesn't really cut it for a 15 year old or even a 10 year old. But a 2 or 3 or even 4 year old really shouldn't need much more than that. "You put your shoes on because dad told you to." The reason you start so tight is so that you have somewhere to go. Once the children have learned about the authority of their parents and that ultimately their obedience does not depend on "well that's not a good reason," then the parents can begin to loosen up. As children grow, their choices naturally grow. It's supposed to be like that. You begin to choose what you want for breakfast. You can decide how you're going to do your hair. You can more or less decide when you go to sleep. That is the natural way of maturity and adulthood. By the time children reach the teenage level, they have been well taught about respect and obedience and parents have slowly "loosened" up, and the children know that. They are given the freedom they want and expect (little by little) and are ready to be sent out in the world!

I am not a parent. Therefore, in a sense I really don't know anything about parenting. Anything. Yet in an other equally true sense, I've been learning quite a bit. Like a swimmer learning technique, the water is the real test. God-willing one day I'll be a parent too. Until then, I will continue to be amazed with parents and how they manage their homes and their lives with their children. But let's not forget to continue to study and to learn, even about our parenting!    

When Men (and Women) Are Told to "Act Like Men"

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love."

-  1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Act Like Men.

These three words have created quite a buzz over the past couple of weeks, especially in Southern Ontario. A few months ago it was announced that a conference would take place in Hamilton, ON featuring Mark Driscoll, James MacDonald, Matt Chandler, and Greg Laurie - Act Like Men Conference. There was a lot of excitement in my circles about the conference and, sure enough, about 8,000 men gathered this weekend to worship and learn from these speakers on this issue.

Right at around the same time, another group of churches and individuals were feeling more and more uneasy about the conference and the message they felt it was trying to spread. They organized a counter-conference, also in Hamilton, with the goal of presenting different evangelical perspectives on gender roles and biblical masculinity. The Act Like Men? Broadening the Conversation on Men, Women and the Church was organized as an "anti gender discrimination" conference and held last weekend. Coincidentally, and in a totally unrelated manner, my pastor in Louisville (several hundred miles away from the ALM Buzz...) preached through 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 this morning, as the next text on our series on 1 Corinthians.

Needless to say, I have been thinking about these three words a lot over the past couple of weeks. For some people, these words have been a reason to gather with great anticipation and excitement with other men and worship. For others, these words have been almost offensive and discriminatory. (See blog posts by organizers and participates here and here) So what are we to make of this verse and these words? 

When Paul wrote these words to the church in Corinth, he was indeed addressing the whole church - including the women. As Dr. Westfall rightly pointed out in "ALM?", from this passage, we gather that Paul wants women to "Act like men" too. So what did Paul have in mind when he told the church to "act like men"? In Paul's days, it was a male characteristic to be bold and courageous. Paul is not saying this view was the right view to have or the wrong view to have, it simply was the case. Paul is making an appeal for men and women in Corinth to not be afraid, to be strong. He adds to that, "be watchful, stand firm in the faith, be strengthened". It would have communicated a similar exhortation as someone saying "be watchful like a watchdog" or "be strong like a lion" today. It probably would not have been offensive to say such a thing to a woman or to a man. 

That seems to be what Paul had in mind, but there is much more baggage in these three words today. The concept of biblical masculinity has been distorted by being pushed too far off both ditches on the road. Some people have (quite pathetically) taken biblical masculinity to be synonymous with dominance, exploitation, and license for abuse. In other more subtle ways, biblical masculinity has been exclusively associated with meat, sports, and hunting. Men like myself who enjoy activities such as reading and playing violin have to raise our eyebrows and question this definition of manhood. On a more personal note, I think that some of the well-meaning people who have put so much energy into the "ALM? Conference" sought to take a stand against this kind of understanding of what it means to be a man. I would have too, except that I HIGHLY doubt that the ALM conference was organized to encourage this distortion. I did not attend the conference, but that is not the impression I get from the promo video:

"You're not going to sit on your death bed and think about how your business is doing or how much money you made. You're going to think about God and you're going to think about your family!"

- G. Laurie

"My church will be served by me. My wife will be loved by me. My family will be led by me!"

- M. Driscoll

"Let sound biblical theology call you again and again out of a life of compromise, out of a life of self, out of a life of short-sighted self-serving!"

- J. MacDonald.  

I could be wrong. But this conference was not organized to get guys to be more competitive. It was not organized to get men to play rougher sports or put away their origami. It is not calling men to grow more chest hair or to grunt more frequently. The speakers are looking to inspire husbands to love their wives. To inspire men to serve their churches. To inspire men to put away greed and self-fulfillment and think about their families. Is this really what is upsetting some people?

My guess is no. But then why so much resentment against these men and this conference?

Nurturing love (1 Thess 2:7) and courageous boldness are both characteristics that ought to be present in both Christian men and Christian women. Christ himself displayed both and if you and I are in Christ, these things are for us to display as well. However, some characteristics are best emulated in either males or females. There is no masculine parallel to a mother tenderly nursing and caring for her infant. Paul simply looked to that exemplary characteristic and sought to display it as well. Similarly, there's a time for toughness and courage, and Paul calls women to exercise this "manly" characteristic as well.

Jesus was a man. He demonstrated tremendous conviction, courage and boldness as he led his disciples, rebuked the Pharisees, and took the full wrath of God on the cross. He was a man. But this man also washed his disciples' feet, and did "spiritual laundry" in Ephesians 5:26-27. (thank you Dr. Westfall for pointing that out!) While it is true that Jesus and Paul displayed both stereotypical "male" characteristics and "female" characteristics, it is not as though God is doing away with his original creation of roles and gender in the New Testament.

Why an "Act Like Men" Conference? Again, I am not sure about all the details of the conference. However, it seems like the speakers and organizers are aware of a pattern of weakness, laziness, and ignorance in this area in men. Although both men and women are called to be courageous, to be strengthened, and to be watchful, this conference is simply gathering the men and trying to equip them to do just that as men, and not as women. Some find a conference about equipping men to lead their churches and to lead their families something that should be countered and opposed. Paul certainly did not shy away from specifically and distinctly calling men, husbands, and fathers to lead. Throughout the Scriptures, God has maintained and highlighted the distinct roles of men in women even when these are overlooked or distorted.
    

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them" - separately and distinctly, in the image of God. 

For some more thoughts on these issues I recommend the following blog posts:
"When Men are Too 'Manly'" - James Dwyer
"1 Corinthians 16:13-14" - Ray Ortlund

My Great Commission Resurgence

The Great Commission and I go way back.

I was starting my undergrad and as I was learning about biochemistry, I also began to learn about the Great Commission. Jesus' famous last words in Matthew 28:18-20 were the core of what the "Cru" was about on campus. Campus for Christ (C4C) existed to fulfill the Great Commission beginning on our campus and going to all the nations. It was our mission, it was what we were about, and in my mind, it was what set us apart from other Christian groups I had been a part of. The idea of relying on the authority of Jesus as the strength to risk everything to go to all the nations and make disciples was radical. But this mission was one that I was willing to try - at least for those four years.

This former thinking of mine reveals my complete ignorance about the nature of the Christian life and the Great Commission. The call to risk it all and to "go outside the camp" (Hebrews 13) is not something that is or should be unique to any Christian group. It is not something that is meant to characterize any one particular church, para-church organization, or denomination. It is the one purpose and duty of the Christian - of all Christians. As my understanding of the Great Commission grew, my passion for missions increased and I was blessed to be a part of a few missionary trips in the summers. Slowly, my thinking adjusted and I began to see the broadness of the call. The call was not just for McMaster University and a certain group of Christians there. It was not one of the good options we had for four years before we all graduated and moved on to "real" life. The Great Commission is the real life, the real abundant life of the Christian.

Today, however, marked another significant milestone in my life and my role in the Christian Commission. It started with a great time of prayer and study of Romans 2. My heart was stirred deeply and distinctively as I was reminded of the pending judgment for all people. Later in the morning, I was blessed to hear Dr. Greenway, the new Dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism, speak on "A Full Gospel Ministry". This, my friends, was an unbelievable sermon. My heart was deeply moved as I felt a resurgence of the Great Commission in my own heart. As I heard the words in 2 Cor 5:17-21, I once again considered the option of doing ministry overseas, of simply leaving everything behind and of realigning my life agenda with the agenda of a missionary that the Lord Jesus has already assigned to me. I left today's chapel service for the first time considering changing my concentration in seminary. Graduating from the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism would be an invaluable experience and undoubtedly a life-changing one. I left chapel knowing at least one thing - no student graduating from Southern Seminary (even from the school of Theology!) will graduate without being drenched with exhortation and encouragement on their role in the Great Commission and the reconciling of all peoples.

After chapel, I also spent some time reading Russell Moore's essay, "Theology Bleeds" and David Platt's "Outside the Camp". My heart continued to be enlightened to the glory of the Christian call:

"One purpose: the glory of God. He has created us, He has commissioned us, and He has commanded us to devote our lives and our churches to His glory in all the world. This is our purpose." - D. Platt

Platt's essay pointed to the next missing piece in my understanding of the Great Commission. The mission is not just for all Christians, it is for me! It had become incredibly easy for me to see how everyone ELSE had to strap their boots on and get going on the Great Commission, while at the same time keeping my "future plans" of local church ministry untouched.

The people of God have always been tempted to retreat from the mission they were given. The Israelites were not confident in the conquering of Canaan, the persecuted Hebrews in the New Testament were holding back from their mission as well. We must realize that distractions, physical dangers, temptations to remain comfortable, and hesitancy to leave family have always been there. And they will never go away. It is so easy to be willing to obey a Jesus who does not call us to go to the hard places. It is so easy to be willing to obey a Jesus who looks like us, who values comfort like us, who is okay with us staying where we want. The problem with that god is that it is us and not the real Creator of the universe who's heart is for ALL people.

Today I recommitted my life the Great Commission. I have reprioritized the needs of the world and the calling given to me by God over my own comforts. Today I needed to repent. The spiritual noise and glitz in North America is unbelievably sedative to the Christian who is not waging war on the principalities of this world by intentionally living missionally and evangelistically.

Let us not be lulled, not any more. Let us join the Spirit birthed resurgence for the Great Commission. No spirit-dwelled husband, wife, student, office worker, lawyer, musician, or pastor will ever know what it means to abide in the one Who's heart has always been for all nations until they surrender their lives to that same heart and mission. No Christian will completely understand the gospel until they understand their duty in gospel ministry for all nations. It is only us who have been given the ministry of reconciliation. So let us go forth as ambassadors. May we live lives and die deaths of Christ commanded Great Commission.

The First Two Weeks of Classes and Syllabus Shock

Once again I find myself writing a lot later than I would have wanted to, although the title of this post probably gives a good hint as to why. We have now finished our second week of studies at Southern and I think I can finally say I am getting over Syllabus Shock.

 

I was in denial until the end of my first week, but I was finally able to admit it and self-diagnosed myself with a mild case of Syllabus Shock. Apparently it's pretty common around here, although I kind of chuckled and raised an eyebrow at the concept the first time I heard about it. 

 

Apparently there's something in that first week of classes that "infects" you as you look at your reading lists, papers and tests that are on their way to you faster than you can get ready for them, not to mention adjusting to a new neighbourhood and way of doing (and writing...) things, together with family, church, work, and ministry responsibilities and maintaining a solid foundation for what you're doing by prioritizing your time with the Lord, without failing to maintain communication with friends and family back home and...

 

It was a little overwhelming.

 

It really doesn't have THAT much to do with the syllabus, but those syllabi seem to jump-start the whole "condition".

 

With that said, these two weeks have been great. We're pretty well adjusted to our schedules and routines, but nothing is as set and clean and straightforward as the nice 8-4 jobs we were used to. We've done quite a bit of exploring although there's always more to do. There's so much that has happened that it's hard for me to really know what to say here to try and summarize things, but I decided to answer a few questions we've been getting a lot and some that I'm making up myself because they're relevant to our first weeks here in Louisville.

 

What's the weather like down there?

Hot. Just... hot. Every day it's over 30ᴼC from the time we leave our house (7:45AM) to the time we get home, whether that's at 1:00PM, 4:00PM, or 6:00PM. The humidity almost always makes it feel like its over 40ᴼC so things often feel very sticky. I don't really mind it too much, but Courtney is really looking forward to the fall.

 

What do you miss the most about Canada?

Family and church hands down. But also my puppy Champ and some Nestea-powder, which we haven't found here. We also haven't found good popcorn salt... I kind of miss being able to read the French side of the cereal labels. A Tim Hortons around here would also be nice...

 

What do you like the most about Louisville?

Lots of things. We both love the country feel in the city. It's probably well known that Courtney is a small-town girl and I'm more of a city guy and that's why Louisville is so great. There's lots of old neighbourhoods and houses with big trees and big yards, away from lots of traffic, but the downtown is only a few minutes away. It really is a beautiful city with some really amazing people. 

 

What's your apartment like?

I'll work on a post and dedicate a whole post to that :).

 

When are you coming/going back to Canada?

Keeping Proverbs 19:21 in mind, we really don't know. We are hoping to drive up for Christmas but at this point we're not sure of a trip before that.

 

What classes are you taking?

- Intro to Church History (this one is probably the most interesting)

- Greek (Μου αρέσει εκμάθηση της ελληνικής γλώσσας)

- Theology of the New Testament (I get to see Schreiner twice a week)

- Theology and Practice of Personal Evangelism (this one is probably impacting my life the most)

- Family and Leadership Ministry (I'm very glad Courtney and I are taking this one together)

 

How about that sohthern accent?

What accent? No, sometimes it doesn't even feel like we're living in the south (probably because we are in the northern-most part of the south). You do hear it a little, but not enough to get me to drop my "eh's". (And for the record, "you guys" is still better than "y'all")

 

Feel free to post any questions or thoughts or if you're curious about any aspect of our lives right now! I'll be working on something about our apartment and neighbourhood soon!

 

The Meditation of the Majesty of Our King (Psalm 145:5)

"On the glorious splendor of your majesty and on your wondrous works, I will meditate"
-  Psalm 145:5

This is probably one of the most simple and straightforward verses in the psalm.

In the same way that David commits his soul to extoling God and blessing His name, he is now committing to the internal discipline of remembering and meditation on the Lord.

Here we see two things David wants to bring, keep, and stir in his heart. The first thing that David wants to commit himself to is the meditation of the wonder, awe, and splendor of God's majesty. As a king himself he is aware of the idea of a kingdom. He knows what it is like to rule over a people, to be in the highest position of authority over a region. David knows The trials and hardships of ruling justly - he understands the differences of people, the difficulty of maintaining peace, and the incredibly high honour that he has as the king of Israel.

In the same way, he looks to the heavens and thinks of the majesty of the King of kings and there he pauses. He stops at the thought of the majesty of his King and the perfection of his rule. There is no king who rules as perfectly as the Lord, there is no king with the power and authority of the Lord, there is no other as splendid as the Lord.

Secondly, David commits himself to the meditation and amazement of God's wondrous works. Every circumstance and event is approved and governed by the hand of God. Time itself does not bypass His authority and power and time itself is under his command. The events in our lives, the moments of joy, the seasons of pain, the days of doubt and the times of blessing are orchestrated and given to us by the Lord.

David has seen the hand of the Lord move. He knows that God is always working in and handling this plant and this universe of ours. What place does the meditation of this all-powerful God have in your life? Should we not commit ourselves to the daily meditation of the majesty and works of the Lord too? Would we not be strengthened by pausing and stirring up our affections for the Lord by meditating on the one splendor of the one by whom, through whom, and to whom all things were created? The discipline and delight of communing with God involves far more than simply reading a Bible. It requires the meditation of these two great realities.

Declaring the Mighty Acts of God as Praise (Psalm 145:4)

"One generation will commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts" -  Psalm 145:4

The greatness of God is not something for us to keep to ourselves. It is far too vast to contain within our own experience and memory alone - it must be proclaimed.

The capacity to perceive and enjoy the greatness of God is a grace of God Himself, but it is ultimately for the growing of His fame and for the furthering of the vision of the glory of God. The picture that David gives us in this verse is that of parents showcasing the greatness of God to their children. It is that of grandparents speaking of the goodness of God to their grandchildren. It is the intergenerational dialogue of joy and awe in families, in churches, at work, with other Christians and with non-Christians.

The means resulting in the communication of God's glory and greatness is the proclamation of His mighty works. The commendation of the works and acts of God is an incredibly helpful and repeatedly commanded way of honouring and displaying the nature of God to others and to ourselves. To intentionally remember and keep track of the proofs and evidences of the greatness of His generosity, perfect timing, perfect knowledge, or perfect patience helps us maintain and store up nuggets of sustenance for our own joy and awe in the Lord.

Part of the way we will notice maturity in your own heart is by growing to perceive the hand of the Lord in all things. This will clear and expand our vision of the greatness of God in all His majesty for all to see and enjoy. Let's not shy away from declaring or commending what we know are the works and mighty acts of God to the people that the Lord brings to us every day - so that we might, "Every day... bless... and praise your name forever and ever" (Psalm 145:2)

The All-Surpassing Greatness of God (Psalm 145:3)

"Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable" -  Psalm 145:3
 

At this point, after stating his desire and his longing to extol and praise the Lord, David begins to articulate and explain what pulls his heart to such strong affection and worship of God.

 

The first characteristic of God that David mentions, is His greatness. The greatness of God which encompasses all of his attributes is the very reason why God is worthy of praise. His greatness is the characteristic that defines all of His other attributes and what separates His love from our love, His justice from our justice, His willingness from our willingness, His generosity from our generosity. His greatness is His perfection. It is the greatness of God in all of who He is that makes Him worthy and deserving of our devotion and adoration.

 

Everything about God should be seen and understood as superlative and infinitely more perfect and encompassing - especially as it relates to our own traces of such characteristics. The Lord is to be praised in accordance with His nature. The greatness and ultimate perfection and greatness deserves and requires nothing less than the greatest honour and devotion.

 

Ultimately, the outer fringes of God's never-ending and infinite holiness are too vast and effectively too great for us to completely see and understand. On one hand, they can be so clearly perceived and we can be so genuinely amazed by God's holiness and perfection in every way, but at the same time we must keep in mind that the glimpse of God that we can see is at best partial, blurry, and imperfectly informed. It is a glimpse of the truth nonetheless.

 

Do you see that the greatness with which you see God, and the way you stand in awe of Him will directly impact the way you worship and praise Him? David's desire to bless and praise the name of the Lord forever is attached to his desire to maintain a healthy and appropriate view of God's awesome greatness. We must understand that part of the maturing process of a Christian involves maturing in our eyes to see Him clearer each day, accompanied by growing awe. We must never be satisfied with the boundary that we think we see of God's greatness, that boundary does not exist, it is never really there. Without a growing understanding of God's greatness, our worship will plateau and plummet. 

Recounting the Story of Our Move

Well, we are here, we made it!

 

It's been a very busy week and I would have really liked to post something earlier on, but I guess one week is not too bad. The whole experience of packing, moving, and getting here was an adventure in and of itself, and it deserves it's own post. I will write something, hopefully tomorrow, about our first few days here.

 

It all started with the pickup of the truck. We had booked our 17' foot truck (we went for the bigger of the two options we were considering: the 14' and the 17') well in advance over a month ago. We had heard and read stories about people not getting what they had asked for or not getting what they wanted in time so we called and confirmed our order early in the week to make sure we were going to be able to get our 17' truck at 8:30AM so we could start loading ASAP. The lady was very kind and assured us that everything was okay and sent an e-mail confirmation about our order, the pickup location, and the pickup time.

 

Courtney and I went to pick up the truck at 8:20AM on Thursday morning (this was last week...) and after waiting about half an hour in line (I don't mind having to wait in lines too much) we finally got to talk to the rental rep who informed us that they did not have a truck for us. Again, he was also very polite and told us that they only had the 14' if we wanted to switch to that one instead. The customer that had the truck we booked was supposed to return it by 11:30AM that morning. The thing was that we didn't know for sure if they were going to return it in time. He tried calling the customer but no one picked up, he checked all the locations in the area to see if there was a 17' truck in the area that we could borrow - nothing. They only had ONE 20' truck at a different location and that was it. I was already not feeling super excited about having to drive what seemed to me like a HUGE 17-foot truck for 9 hours on the interstate, the idea of having to get a bigger one and having to pay more for gas wasn't too appealing. He did say that we would get a deal on the gas though. We decided that we were going to wait until 11:30 and see whether our truck came in or not. By the time we left, my mom and brothers were already at our place waiting for us so we could start loading. Courtney's parents were on their way.

 

The morning came and went and we got a call at around noon saying that the truck never came but that they did have a 20' that had arrived at their facility that we could take. We needed a truck so we decided to go for it. After another 45 minutes in line and a bit of a stressful morning, we had a truck, got a discount, and we were ready to start loading! It took a couple of hours but we JUST managed to fit all of our stuff into the bigger truck and had everything piled pretty much to the top - it would not have fit on the 17-footer!

 

We spent that night in New Hamburg and got up early the next morning to start driving. My parents and brother met us in the morning and we started the caravan to Kentucky. Departure time - 3:30AM.

 

The truck ended up being quite fun and easy to drive and we made it to the border with no problems. It was the shortest crossing time we'd had so we were just hoping that the inspection and the actual crossing was going to go well. And it did... except for the fact that I wasn't able to open the lock we decided to put in the truck that morning. I didn't have the code for it and even after frantically texting Courtney's dad for it, we still weren't able to open. We as in myself and the other 3 border-patrol officers. In the end they ended up cutting the lock, were very polite and kind, and let us go through no problem!

 

After a few stops to get gas, some coffees, and a quick lunch stop, we finally got to what would be our new apartment at around 3:30PM (12 hours later - a record long drive!). By then, we are all quite tired and the idea of unloading things was not too appealing. However, we knew that it wouldn't be as nice not to have a bed to sleep in, and we would have to go buy another lock for the truck if we didn't unload before it got dark. We ended up giving the unloading a go and with the help of our neighbors (about 5 of them) we were completely unloaded in an hour!

 

Our next-door neighbours are a married couple from Indiana and they were moving in when we got here. He is starting his M.Div. as well at Southern and they had one little guy who is turning 1 this month. It was great to see and meet our neighbours the first day and get a sense of how nice the community around here was going to be.

 

After talking to our neighbours about their move too, we found out that they had the exact same problem with the truck as us. They ordered a certain size for a certain time, and when they got there it wasn't available. They ended up going with the bigger truck, and much like us, they wouldn't have been able to fit their stuff if they had gotten the truck they wanted, when they wanted it. The way the trucks ended up working out reminded us again of the Lord's sovereignty and favour in our move. Also the fact that although both Thursday and Friday were supposed to be rain-days in Mississauga and Louisville, and we didn't get rained on at all, really encouraged us and gave more reason to thank God for a safe and smooth trip :).

We're Moving Next Week! - Update

We are now starting our last weekend in Mississauga before the big move. These past couple of weeks have been wonderful - wonderfully relaxing and wonderfully busy. We've been able to enjoy one week of relaxation at the cottage with Courtney's family and one week of rest and relaxation at Blue Mountain with my family. Also, now that we are both done work, there's been a lot of "TO DO's" that need to be checked off and of course some packing that needs to get started.

We've been able to enjoy great times with our families and friends and have been very, very encouraged and blessed by all the support and help we have received from so many of our friends. A lot of people have been wondering where we are at with the moving process and if we are "all set for the move". I thought it might be fun to write a little post with some updates with how we are doing, where we are at with our "TO DO's" and what still needs to get done. So, if you're interested, enjoy!

 

THINGS IN LOUISVILLE:

Most of the things that need to be set up in Louisville are set up. We have our courses picked, everything school related is on track, we only need to buy our books - 24 books for me and 16 for Courtney (we'll be sharing 13 of them though so it's really only 27 we need to get...) *gulp*. Once we get to Louisville we'll be importing our car, getting a Kentucky license plate, applying for a Kentucky Driver's License (which requires a written and a road test...) and Kentucky Driver's Insurance. We also need to get our renter's insurance and our internet set up. Finally, we'll be looking to get new cell phone numbers as soon as possible.

 

TRAVELING THINGS:

Most of our traveling documents are also ready. I had to apply for an urgent passport renewal earlier this week since it expires next year. Because we are applying for a 3-year visa, our passports cannot expire prior to the expected date of our return to Canada (Spring 2016). We will be going and having our visa interview on Monday (you can be praying for that...) which will make the actual trip down next Thursday a lot smoother when we have our truck full and don't have to stop at the border for the interview. We also have our moving truck booked and will have some help for our loading day (next Thursday).

 

FINANCIAL THINGS:

It is actually unbelievable to me what God has chosen to provide for us financially. I would have NEVER thought that we would be leaving for Louisville in the financial situation we are in. We by no means have extra money that we don't know what do with, but instead the Lord has chosen to provide for our daily and short-term needs financially and with the faith that we need to continue to look to Him for what will need tomorrow. For example, we were very happy when we received notice that we had both received a scholarship for $1600 for our first year of studies! I also received an offer of employment for a job on campus that I'll be starting in 2 weeks! Things like these have kept our spirits up and our eyes on the Lord. Our family and friends have also been a huge, huge blessing in this area by offering meals, giving gifts, and just encouraging us in trusting and looking to the Lord for our needs.

SPIRITUAL THINGS:
Spiritually, these past couple of weeks have been great because of all the "time" we have. I haven't had this much time to spend in the Word in and prayer in a long time and although there have been many hours that could have been better spent lately, I've really been enjoying spending time in the Psalms and in prayer every morning. Whether it is packing, running errands, or spending time with friends and family, our eyes and minds have been on the leading of the Lord. These past couple of weeks have been very exciting and busy, but there has also been significant times of sadness and tears as the date of the move gets closer and closer.

Aside from this, we have began our packing (as you can see in the picture) and we're making good progress on it. I'm feeling very, very excited about the move, about starting school and about starting this new chapter in our lives. I am going to miss our family so much, our friends, our church, our small group, our city, our ministry here, and everything that is so familiar. At the same time the Lord has so much more refining to do in us and for the next couple of years this work will be done in unfamiliar territory away from our church, family, and friends - and it will be AWESOME.  

The Daily Devotion of Joyful Worship (Psalm 145:2)

"Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever" - Psalm 145:2
 

After summarizing his heart and summarizing the Psalm, David decides to reword his first verse and repeat it. "I will extol you my God and King, and bless your name forever. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever" (Psalm 145:1-2). This second verse seems to focus on and emphasize the frequency and the permanence of the adoration. David has such a strong desire and derives so much pleasure from it that it is his desire to continue in it every day for the rest of his life.

There are very few things that we resolve or that we desire to do every day. Some of the things we do daily such as brushing our teeth, having lunch and checking e-mails, we do every day but there was never a resolve to do so. They are simply things that either out of necessity or simple habit have become part of our days. The worship of the Lord is not such. The extoling of God cannot become routine like brushing our teeth, it is not something that is simply done and produces a checked box. It is a sacrifice that is experienced at first very dimly and faintly. The next time it might be just as dim and nearly empty, but it grows. The praising of God in the heart is an act that grows in brightness, in vividness, in clarity, in authenticity, and in intensity.

It is this growing pleasure and understanding of the appropriateness and necessity of daily, devotional adoration to God that produces its daily resolve. It is the growing sweetness and enjoyment of the presence of God that produces the desire to day "tomorrow again!". It is tomorrow's time in prayer that allows you to taste the sweetness again and gives you a little bit more understanding as to what the prayer is all about. It is devotion that produces more devotion and the dim light that produces a little more brightness the next time.

David's resolve and desire to bless the name of the Lord went beyond any circumstances that he might face in the future. He understands that worship is not dependent on anything other than the unchanging recipient of the adoration and praise, God Himself.

What is it about God that draws men to such devotion? What is it about God that calls man to enjoy prayer and adoration regardless of pain, joy, suffering, exhaustion and gladness? Surely it must be something great and not found in anyone or anything else. What else can require and receive such affection and fidelity? David will answer these questions for us in the verses to come.   

The Ultimate Joy and Purpose of Man (Psalm 145:1)

"I will extol you my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever" - Psalm 145:1

A few weeks ago I began a study of Psalm 145 out of a desire to maintain and grow in awe of God. It was Dr. Paul David Tripp who led me to this Psalm as rich text and source of admiration and wonder. Over the past couple of weeks I have been meditating on this Psalm, verse by verse, word by word, and allowing my mind and heart to soak in this song of joy and awe of God.

 

This Psalm is one of the acrostic Psalms - each line begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This is characteristic of Hebrew poetry, but it also serves to memorize the text. This poetic psalm was likely one that was memorized by most Jews and they used the acrostic to help their memory. This is not an uncontrolled and thoughtless pouring out of thoughts and feelings in a matter of seconds resulting in the Psalm written. Rather, it is likely that it was carefully worded, ordered, and thought through to maintain the integrity of the acrostic while keeping a logical flow. 

 

This first line of the Psalm both introduces and summarizes the heart of David. He writes this line as the thesis and intent of his song. To extol the Lord, and to bless His name forever and ever - that is his desire, and it is out of that longing and with that pursuit that he pens the text. There is a resolve in his heart, a strong desire that he would continue to delight in the Lord in adoration for the rest of his days. 

David refers to God as a king, as his king. David was probably writing this line during his reign as king in Israel. Nevertheless, he is quick to see his own kingship and dominion over the nation as nothing more than his service and devotion to the real King and Ruler of Israel and the entire universe.

 

To extol God is to praise His name highly. It is to see the majesty of God and to rightly respond in worship and adoration. This cannot be done unless one sees God first, and so, worship begins with the setting of our eyes on God, looking to Him, and beginning to understand who this being is. Meditation and quiet reflection then becomes necessary to rightly respond to God. Responding to an idea, or thought, or memory of who God might be will not result in any praise or adoration of the real King.

 

In the last part of the verse, David shows the devotion with which he wishes to continue to praise God - "forever and ever". This is something so great for David that he wants to follow this pattern on a daily basis. In the next verses, he will begin to unfold why anyone would desire such a devotion and why any being would be worthy of such adoration.

 

The Journey to Finding an Apartment in Louisville - The Decision

I previously wrote about our trip down to Kentucky a few weeks ago. After looking at a few apartments, Courtney and I needed to decide between two different options. For more details on the two options, you can read my post here.

 

We decided we would spend a week in intentional prayer and see where the Lord would lead us and hopefully one of us would feel inclined to change our minds on the apartment we would apply for. For myself, there were a series of events over the two weeks following our trip that have taught me a lot about making important decisions, about trusting the Lord in prayer, about trusting the leading of the Holy Spirit, and about the beauty of a life not lived for myself. Here are the situations that acted as definitive steps on our way to our decision.

 

PRAYING – NOT MY WILL BUT YOURS:

The very first thing that I believe lead to peace and clarity in our decision is a prayer we prayed together the first night we got back home. Just before we fell asleep we closed our eyes and we prayed, “God, we look to you for wisdom and guidance in this decision. Please allow our hearts and minds to be open to what you will lead us to, give us strength to be honest with each other about where we feel you are leading us individually, and give us sensitivity to not ignore your leading”. As soon as I said “Amen” I automatically sensed “you should apply to the first apartment”. It was real, it was there, but it was just a feeling, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

 

THE WORD – ELIJAH’s UNCOMFORTABLE JOURNEY:

We started a series at Harvest looking at the life of Elijah starting in Chapter 17. The first Sunday after we got back Robbie preached on 1 Kings 17:8-16 on a message titled “Walking in the Will of God”. One of the points Robbie made was that the will of God involves the test of believing. Both Elijah and the widow were tested in their faith for the Lord. Robbie made the point that contributing to the kingdom of God is always better than contributing to the kingdom of self. Spiritual maturity involves growing in generous giving, sacrificial giving, cheerful giving, and faithful giving.

 

COUNSEL – LIVES LIVED FOR THE LORD

It was at around this time that I began looking into Christian biographies. One of the biographies I heard our first week back was the biography of Charles Simeon. I saw and heard about this man with whom the Lord walked for many years. I saw the faith that the Lord gave him to endure trials, to not avoid suffering, and to remain faithful in the calling he sensed for his life. He endured so much suffering, so much disease, so many deaths in his family, so much discouragement, so much affliction, so much discomfort, so much alienation, so much hatred, and so much loneliness. When asked, after 49 hard years of ministry he was asked by one of his friends how he had surmounted persecution and outlasted all the great prejudice against him. He answered, “My dear brother, we must not mind a little suffering for Christ’s sake”. That line stuck with me. We indeed must not mind a little suffering, and we must certainly not mind a good dose of discomfort. I was inspired to have such a loose grip on material possessions and on personal comfort and instead to have a strong vision and desire for the gospel, for ministry, for sacrifice.

 

SACRIFICE – NOT MY KINGOM BUT HIS KINGDOM

One of the things Courtney and I both knew would probably have to happen if we were to choose the second apartment, is that we would probably have to stop our sponsorship of our two little kids through Compassion Canada. By choosing to stop the sponsorship of Yulianis and Lincon, we would essentially have the $100/month that we would need to make things work at the second apartment. After days of prayer, hearing about Elijah, hearing about, a pool and a nice balcony didn’t seem as desirable as a ministering to people that might have never heard about Jesus. It didn’t seem adequate or right for us to stop sending money to our two sponsor kids who are being fed with the Gospel , with love, and with daily necessities in Colombia through Compassion Canada so that we could enjoy what would be a more comfortable and glamorous place. I began to see that this decision was not about us, but like everything else in our lives, it was about the Lord.

 

FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT – WHEN I ABIDED MOST IN CHRIST

Despite all of these things, for most of the two weeks after we got back, I really wanted to live in the second apartment and was kind of hoping that Courtney would change her mind. At work, I would be thinking about how nice it would be to have a pool to relax in during the hot summer, and to read and to study. I thought about how nice it would be to have the nice patio. I thought about how hard it would be to have such a tiny kitchen. I just thought about how nice it would be to live in the second apartment. This is what I thought about, most of the time. However, this is not what I thought after a deep time of prayer, this is not what I thought after worshiping the Lord and hearing his Word preached on Sunday, this is not what I thought after spending time learning about the life of Charles Simeon. When I felt like I was leaning the least on my own understanding, when I felt like was trusting the most in the Lord, when I felt like I was acknowledging most his purposes and his desires, I thought about how great it would be to live in the first apartment.

 

When I thought about all these things, it seemed clear to me that if the Holy Spirit does in fact lead the people of God, this is very likely the way He does that. We ended up applying to the first apartment after being convinced that this was the right thing for us to do at this point.