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Music City Bound!

For those that have been following our story for the past year or so, we have wonderful news! We have been called by a wonderful church in Nashville where I will serve as an assistant pastor! We are feverishly working to get our house ready for sale and arrange all the other details that come with a big move. I could write a long post about all the things we love about this church and the leadership and the people to whom we'll be ministering, but I'll just say it is everything we had hoped to find and more. We're not sure what our transition will look like just yet. I will be there no later than July 1st, but hope to be there much earlier than that. We'll keep you posted here as events unfold. And for those that have my contact info, my email address at yahoo won't change, so you shouldn't have any trouble reaching us as we settle in in Nashville.

What a tremendous answer to much prayer! God has blessed us in every way beyond anything we could possibly (and mistakenly) think we deserve. Thanks so much to friends that have been praying and encouraging us this year. And for friends in Nashville and East Tennessee, we'll see you sooner than later!

Quote of the Day

I just ran across this while reading a New York Times article about the split taking place in the Democratic Party. This is a GREAT line coming from a hardened liberal (William Louis-Dreyfus). He's talking about Hillary Clinton.

"At the end of the day, all she had to do was open her mouth for me not to believe her," Louis-Dreyfus said.

Isn't this fun? Are we[1] having fun yet Democrats? Woo hoo!

[1] The use of the first person plural in connection with the noun "Democrats" is in no way intended to communicate, implicitly or explicitly, that the author identifies himself with the Democratic Party or any of its candidates.

(HT: Todd Bradley)

A Theology of Suffering

I'm beginning to appreciate in my ministry the importance of not only having a sound theology of suffering, but of the importance of teaching this to your people as well. Scripture speaks loudly and often on the subject, but it is strangely absent from much of our preaching and teaching in America today. I'm not sure if this is because so few of us really seem to suffer (or at least we don't think we do or admit that we are suffering). But the gap in our ministry efforts reveals itself quite plainly. It shows itself when our otherwise godly and orthodox church members turn to "preachers" such as Joel Osteen for encouragement. Osteen's secret is quite simple and yet, I believe, profound. Osteen acknowledges suffering and he offers a solution. Those of us committed to orthodoxy instinctively recognize something wrong with his message, even if we can't always put our finger on it. That something is this: Osteen's answer is wrong. Specifically, Osteen tells people that their suffering is not a normal part of this present life. He tells them that if they do the right things, they can leave that suffering behind, right now. Our flocks, those God has placed in our care, hear his message and they too often succumb. Why? Because they are not hearing often enough from their pastors on the subject. Their pastors too seldom acknowledge their suffering and place it in a redemptive context. Ambitious though it may seem, I want to offer just such a thing over the course of several posts here on the blog. Stay tuned!

Friday's Fantastic Flying Footage

Here's another aerobatic video. This time we have Patty Wagstaff. This video offers not only the flying, but some great insight into Wagstaff's thinking and competitive aerobatics in general.

I'd love to get some aerobatic training. I think the draw for me is that it's the closest you can come to dogfighting without being in the military. Of course, being trained in aerobatics also makes you a safer pilot in general aviation aircraft (assuming you use it responsibly!). Enjoy!

Financial Responsibility

Quick! When is the last time you spent $10 and what was it for? Fast food? Parking? Tipping the waiter at a decent restaurant? Chances are you can't even remember it because the amount is so forgettable. And if you do remember it, chances are the thing you bought is digested, service rendered, or broken. Do yourself a favor. If you are under the age of 40, go to wired.com, click on "subscribe" and start 12 issues of goodness for just $10. I'm telling you. Seriously. This is the best $10 you will ever spend. You know all those subscriptions you've had in the past? You know how they arrived and then sat unread on your coffee table? Me too. This past December I finished my first 12 issues of Wired. I read every word. I'm just sayin'.

On the Subject of Deaconesses

For those who like to follow the issues being addressed by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America, one of this year's overtures proposes a study committee be formed to consider whether or not the Book of Church Order speaks to the ordination of women as deacons, either forbidding or permitting it. You can read a brief article about it on the PCA's online news site, byFaith Magazine. This will likely be more interesting in June 2009 (assuming this overture is approved) when the committee presents it's findings. Earlier in the Spring of 2009 they will likely publish their report so that the delegates will have time to consider it before voting on it.

For the language of the overture, please read here. This is a list of all overtures to this year's GA (received so far). You want Overture 9. The sections in the BCO that are pertinent are referenced in the overture. You can find an online version of the BCO here.

Of note is the language in the overture not only asking for clarification of the BCO, but requesting that this issue be studied biblically. This would seem to be the result of a lesson learned from last year's report re: Federal Vision. Also, don't miss the subtle nature of two separate questions here. First, what does Scripture teach on this subject? Second, if the position is sustained that women may not be ordained, can men be licensed and ordained who take an exception to this? There are also a handful of other equally interesting questions. This will be an interesting discussion. Let's pray that the next two years find our leadership thinking through this biblically, with respect and charity for one another, keeping in mind what is best for the Church and brings glory to God.

Friday's Fantastic Flying Footage

Welcome to another installment of F4. Last week was a miss. Leslie and I had our minds on other things. But it's back this week with some aerobatics. Sean D. Tucker and Patty Wagstaff are two of America's finest, and certainly best known, aerobatic pilots. In this video Tucker shows off some great stunts to a nice piece of music.

Most aircraft are designed for stability. The Cessnas I trained in will just about right themselves in most circumstances. Aerobatic aircraft, on the other hand, are intentionally designed to be unstable. They must be very intentionally flown in every phase of flight. Imagine driving your car. Most cars, if maintained properly, will continue more or less straight down the road for at least a few seconds as you turn around to dig for something in the back seat or try to get your hands-free setup in the car in order (sort of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?). But imagine if your car really wanted to go hard left or right as soon as you let go of the steering wheel (no great stretch of the imagination for some of you that DON'T maintain your cars well). You would have to concentrate completely in every moment on keep the car going precisely the direction you wanted it to. This is the nature of the aerobatic aircraft. They're designed that way so that they can maneuver easily through the different spins, turns, and somersaults you'll see in this video. Now add an engine that is ridiculously overpowered for the airframe, and presto! You have an aerobatic aircraft. Enjoy!

That Ancient Serpent...

“The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.” Gen 3:14 ESV

BBC Online has run an article recently on a fossil of a serpent that had vestigial legs. I don't especially feel the need to comment on it, but thought others might enjoy reading about it.

Great Irony

There are those of us around the church for the past several years that have been pointing out a growing trend that we could only support anecdotally, but which has now been confirmed statistically. The church growth movement, in its desire to appeal to unbelievers with its style of worship, abandoned and encouraged other churches to abandon, "cold" or "dead" liturgical elements. Worship, including the architecture of our churches, was transformed over the course of several decades so that it was "less offensive" and "less alien" to the unchurched. This, we were assured, made the unchurched feel more at home, more comfortable. The implication being that they would come back to worship again and perhaps even be more inclined to confess faith in Christ. I do not (despite my critique) believe that these men and women have believed and taught this out of malice. I think they were sincere in their desire to evangelize. But their zeal was (if I may be so bold) out of ignorance. Has God used their churches to bring some to Christ? I do not doubt it. But He used a fundamentalist independent baptist church to bring my family to Christ as well. That doesn't mean we should embrace such as the best and truest system of doctrine or form of worship.

Now, as many of us have been saying for sometime, it turns out that the unchurched would really rather come to a church that has Gothic architecture and observes a high liturgy. We might ask the question, "Will the church once again adopt this approach in order to bring in the lost?" There is no need for speculation. The answer is, "Yes, they already have." Particularly within a "discussion" called the Emerging Church. These churches have largely begun to reintroduce elements of high liturgy in their churches. They use candles, stained glass windows, liturgical colors, etc in an attempt to bring in the unchurched. But these attempts, while heartwarming on the surface, turn out to be largely disconnected from any system of doctrine or historical identification with the church. Put another way, they usually don't know why they are using these elements or how to use them. Their use is disconnected from their theology and their worship. They are there simply as an appeal to the unregenerate.

Meanwhile, just as a clock is right twice a day, the historic churches that have faithfully allowed their theology to impact their worship forms and their architecture are benefiting from this new-found hunger among the lost. This preference will soon fade and the unregenerate will be looking for something else. I hope that those historic churches will take advantage of this time to double check themselves, making sure that they are preaching Christ and Him crucified. I suppose I mean this: Although we should not let the appetites of the unregenerate influence our worship, the fact that their appetites now coincide with our worship form may be considered providential. I also hope that our historic churches will not, as this fad among the unregenerate fades, give in to the renewed temptation that is sure to manifest itself; namely, to adjust our worship to reflect the appetites of the unregenerate in order to keep them among us.

Instead, let's continue to consider what worship looks like that is consistent with Scripture. Let's ask ourselves if we, as a body, are being obedient to the righteous standards given us in Scripture. And then, if we find ourselves in accord with Scripture, let's trust that God will act in His time and in His way, to bring the lost sheep of Israel into the fold.

(HT Jared Nelson @ Dead Theologians)

The Hard Work of Trusting

As my friends and family are aware, I am currently participating in a one-year pastoral internship in hopes of being called to ministry in the PCA in the coming year. This internship comes to an end (for better or worse) at the end of June, which is quickly approaching. I've been rather selective in the opportunities I've sought, and naturally that means interviews have not abounded. However, Leslie and I will be out of town this weekend interviewing with a church that is seeking an assistant pastor. We're excited about the trip and looking forward to meeting the men and women of this church. Your prayers for our weekend are appreciated. We pray that in the short time we're together we will gain an honest evaluation of one another.

Seeking a call to ministry is a bit of an odd duck. I'm not looking for a job, and hopefully they aren't looking for a cog. We're looking for a family among and to whom we can minister the grace of the gospel and who will minister it to us. This means that far from being an interrogation in which we seek to give them the answers we think they want, the next few days will (hopefully) be a time of getting to know one another, and asking and answering important questions with integrity. This is only possible if we rest in the knowledge and comfort that our part in this is obedience and integrity, and God will work out his plan for our good. That may mean a calling, and it may not.

But such things are difficult when the realities of financial well-being seem to press in on you. And getting to know someone well is difficult in the time that we have. So please pray that we will rest in God's sovereignty. Pray that we will find great joy in meeting brothers and sisters in Christ, regardless of the short-term outcome. And pray that the lesson that I teach on Sunday will be on the mark, not because a call is in the offing, but because I have an opportunity to preach the gospel to the people of God and want to represent Him well.