Not a compelling vision

A recent letter to parents from our principal closed with these words:

"Reading, writing and math are lifetime skills we should all continue to sharpen."

It struck me that those words, while true, are not at all a compelling vision of education. What teachers, to say nothing of children, get excited about the mechanics of reading and writing, or the ability to perform mathematic procedures? Those skills are the means to meaningful ends, and when they are employed to meaningful ends are exciting. Using math to solve a real problem provides satisfaction; using words effectively to persuade someone to stop littering is gratifying; reading literature that provides a compelling vision of what is good, true and beautiful is a delight.

I pray that we, as parents, would be gripped by a compelling vision of truth, goodness and beauty (rooted in the gospel) that shapes our understanding and pursuit of education - and our dialogue with those who are intellectual descendants of John Dewey.

The trickle up effect

Lesslie Newbigin, explaining the theology of Augustine, states:

"Thus love creates order first in the family and among neighbors and then, by extension, in the city and the nation." (Foolishness to the Greeks p104)

Love creates order, beginning first in the family. Where parents love their children by calling them to love Christ, the proper order of all things is established: 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.' Then the second commandment falls in place, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' As Augustine says:

"Consequently, since he is ordered to love his neighbour as himself, he advises his neighbour [and children] also to love God." (ibid. p104)

Thus, notes Newbigin, "It is love that creates justice."

As a parent and educator, I marvel at the divine wisdom of this 'trickle up effect.' It begins in the home, in every home, where faith works through love. Love establishes order in the home, by which justice reigns, and character is formed. Those who experience such love and justice in the home are there prepared, by faith, to love their neighbors. The neighborhood is thereby infected with the love and justice of God through faithful parenting. And as the leaven works through the dough of society, love for God creates order "by extension, in the city and the nation."

The establishment of justice in society is not distinct from, but must flow from, faith in Christ shown in love, beginning in the home. Of this justice, John Owen rightly says,

"The greatest mercies and blessings that in this world we are made partakers of, next to them of the gospel and the covenant of grace, come to us through this channel and conduit ['the proper work of magistracy' i.e. good government]" (Overcoming Sin and Temptation p352).

In this season where all eyes are on presidential candidates, it is wise to set our hands also to the work that we can do in the home that is the gospel way to the just governance of the next generation.

The Easter Story

Yesterday I read aloud Lilly's Big Day in Elisabeth's class. I also gave her teachers The Big Picture Story Bible to preview the sections on the Easter story. I explained that I wanted to be able to share with the class what Easter is about through a book written for children. I want them to understand that it isn't about bunnies and eggs.

After previewing the book, they declined (although the teacher's aid was riveted by The Big Picture Story Bible and I left it with her to read). It was a good reminder to me of where tolerance ends. As Lesslie Newbigin states:

"But if we are talking as the Bible talks about God, who is Creator and Governor of all things, who acts in specific ways, and whose purpose is the criterion for everything human, whether in the public or the private sectors, then there is an inevitable conflict." (Foolishness to the Greeks p67, emphasis mine)

The death and resurrection of Jesus call the entire modern world into question. I could not read it to the kids as a nice story (it can hardly be called 'nice'), or even merely a good piece of literature (and I think it is excellent children's literature). I would be reading it as the true story about the defining event in the history of the world - and that is a dividing line.

So I look forward to sitting with the teachers privately, away from the kids, and talking about this event that defines all of human existence. And I pray that the nonsense of the Gospel will penetrate their hearts, and give them life.

You're not a child!

Elisabeth turned to me yesterday in worship and said,

"You're not a child!"

Several times when we have talked about being children of God, she has been confused and said, "You're not a child. You're a grown-up." Her perplexity is understandable. Where else do we ask grown-ups to be children? Yet this is precisely where I am humbled in her presence and have to say,

"The only way for Daddy to enter God's kingdom is to become like you. There is no room for grown-ups in the Kingdom. God only accepts people who receive His Kingdom like children. That's the way that I need to be a child - and the way that you need to stay a child."

Foolishness to the Greeks

It is a rare thing for me to reread a book. I often return to a good book and reread passages from it, but I cannot remember when I last finished a book and picked it up to start reading it again from the beginning.

However, when I finished reading Foolishness to the Greeks, I returned to the beginning and started rereading. On my first encounter with Newbigin, I had to reread just to understand what he was saying because his paradigm was so different from mine. (I daresay my outlook was so syncretistic that I couldn't understand another Christian who didn't share my syncretisms.) Now that I've undergone a sort of Newbiginian revolution, I am reading voraciously to understand. In Foolishness to the Greeks, he explores this question in depth:

"What would it mean if, instead of trying to explain the gospel in terms of our modern scientific culture, we tried to explain our culture in terms of the gospel?" (p41)

In doing precisely that, he has completely upended my world view. My understanding of education, commerce, and the church have undergone a seismic shift.

"The former statement (i.e., that the tomb was empty) can be accepted as a fact only if the whole plausibility structure of contemporary Western culture is called into question." (p62)

In other words, "it is idle to suppose that any kind of peaceful coexistence is possible between these two ways of understanding history" (61). The truth of the good news of Jesus says that the modern Western vision (its plausibility structure) is not only inadequate; it is false because it claims to see truth. It is not merely an invitation to adopt a belief system. It is a call to conversion "in which the most real of all realities is the living God whose character is 'rendered' for us in the pages of Scripture" (64).

If you haven't recommend Newbigin, I highly recommend starting with Foolishness to the Greeks.

Ash Wednesday

On Wednesday, when I picked Elisabeth up from school, she pointed at my forehead and asked, "What's that, Daddy?" I asked her to tell me what she saw, and what it looked like, and then we talked about the ashes and the cross. I told her that when our rector put the ashes on my forehead, he said, "Remember that you are dust and ashes; for you are dust and to dust you will return." And he prayed for me, that this would be a season of seeking, finding and resting in Jesus.

Elisabeth was intrigued, and I was delighted. It was a wonderful reminder to me of how vivid certain elements of worship can be to children. I remember her asking similar questions as we sat at the back of the Maundy Thursday service last year (at which there is a foot washing). All of the symbolic actions beg the question, "Why?!" When used purposefully and well, these actions tell the story of the Gospel, of our wickedness, and God's great love in Christ.

As we enter this season of Lent, I am deeply grateful for the symbols, and even more grateful for the Reality that they present. I'm excited to be attentive to what Elisabeth is seeing, hearing and experiencing so that I can impress this great good news through which the Holy Spirit gives new life.

The subversive act of prayer

We are blessed in this season of life, with many wonderful friends. For the first time in our lives, several of those close friends are not Christians. As we frequently invite friends to join us in our home for meals, I'm forced to cross a new bridge: how/if to give thanks to Christ for food before we eat. In general, I explain our practice of praying before meals to our guests, and ask if they would permit me to pray before we eat. So far we haven't met with refusal, but it has opened my eyes to how subversive that action is.

In praying to God through Christ before we eat, we are speaking with the living God in front of people who don't know Him, who are by nature (as we were) enemies of God. We are bowing before the One to whom we owe our very existence, when our guests may not acknowledge His existence. Furthermore, if I was invited into the home of a friend who invoked another god before sharing a meal with us, I could not, in good conscience, participate. But that is exactly what I am doing in inviting our guests to pray with us: to participate in speaking to God in Christ.

If I am not mistaken, that 'small' action is potentially very threatening (in both good and bad ways) to our guests. We are calling them to acknowledge a Reality that they deny, by humbly pausing before Him. Regardless of their religion, prayer challenges the most basic assumptions of what is, and what is real. And that can be very threatening - in a way that causes people to clam up in fear, or in a way that opens the door to authentic, transparent communication about the Gospel.

I am finding that in crossing that culture gap, particularly with friends who have young children, it is wise and helpful to invite them to join us, to explain what I'm about to do (so it doesn't seem hokey-pokey, or ritualistic), and to pray - and silently pray that the Spirit would awaken them to the glory of Christ.

Come Ye Sinners

Recently we have begun including singing in our family worship time (despite the fact that I still can't play the guitar). Our CD player does a much better job than I could.

We started out using one of the songs from the Seeds of Praise album, Praise the Lord (from Psalm 148). I thought that this would be a good fit for Elisabeth as it is Scripture set to upbeat music. However, after about a week of Praise the Lord, she picked up one of my CDs, Indelible Grace, and asked if we could sing Come Ye Sinners, a great old hymn set to new music.

So for the last week or so, we have been singing Come Ye Sinners every night, while Elisabeth follows along the lyrics with her finger. That experience has made me even more grateful for rich hymns and the context that they give to explain and impress the truth of the Gospel. Each verse is an exposition of that great and glorious truth: "not the righteous, not the righteous; sinners Jesus came to call."

What better way to plant the great truths of the Gospel than through song?

The Family Worship Book

Before reading Family Driven Faith, I hadn't thought much about the difference between family devotions and family worship. Voddie Baucham primed the pump so that when someone offered to buy me a book for Christmas, I knew precisely what kind of book I wanted. Through some helpful reviews on Amazon, I found The Family Worship Book, which I am pleased to commend just as strongly as they did.

For those who are unconvinced of the importance not merely of Biblical instruction in the home, but of regular family worship, this book provides a helpful and brief overview of why Christians in generations past have considered it indispensable. The author, Terry Johnson, is quite forthright in tracing his heritage to the Westminster Confessions and Catechisms - and provides explanation for why he leans on them so heavily (which you will probably see popping up in my quotables in the days to come). I think his argument is compelling for those who are already sensitive to the issues (as I was), and I think would be very challenging to someone who has not considered the responsibilities of family worship.

Many books are good at casting vision without providing any practical resources for doing so, and I am pleased to say that such is not the case with The Family Worship Book. The author is diligent to outline what he sees as the important elements of family worship, and then offers a sample liturgy for how to conduct family worship. In addition, he includes:

• two catechisms, sans proof texts (including the Westminster Shorter Catechism)
• a great list of hymns and psalms (sadly without scores, although he recommends several CDs that have numerous of the psalms and hymns on them)
• a list of 50 important passages for memorization (including great OT texts)
• a family reading record that uses a harmonization approach for reading with young children
• a great selection of Scriptures for call to worship, and confession (reprinted, so you don't have to look them all up)
• the Apostles', Nicene, and Westminster creeds
• and a recommended pattern for introducing (and reviewing) psalms/hymns, memorization passages, and the creeds.

With a few bookmarks, this is a rich resource for beginning to practice family worship rather than just talking about its importance. I haven't yet found a better book to call and equip parents to lead their families in fellowship with Christ.

Overcoming Sin and Temptation

When I arrived home from my travels last weekend, I told my wife, "I finished Overcoming Sin and Temptation!" (It is the book that I completed, and not the struggle!)

I first read John Owen at full length in The Glory of Christ, and found the experience to be both challenging and richly rewarding. In all honesty, I would say that Overcoming Sin and Temptation is just as rewarding as The Glory of Christ, but (at least for me) more challenging reading.

So why tackle 407 pages of small print, precise language and archaic syntax? Owen has such a clear view of the glory of Christ, the nature of the Gospel, and how to wage war on indwelling sin that on almost every page I was struck with fresh insight. On the very subject Owen notes:

"Growing in notions of truth without answerable practice is another thing that indwelling sin makes use of to bring the souls of believers unto a decay. . . . By this means, from humble, close walking, have many withered into an empty, barren, talking profession. . . . And generally this is so when men content themselves, as was said, with the notions of truth, without laboring after an experience of the power of them in their hearts, and the bringing forth the fruit of them in their lives, on which a decay must needs ensue" (p386).

He did not intend people to read his writings just to get insight; in fact he saw it as potentially destructive! Rather he wrote a theological treatise on how to kill that which can take what is good and make it deadly to us. There are few authors that I have found that so successful navigate the course to faithful doctrine and faithful practice. It would seem that this very reality is the reason that Owen wrote: there was much true profession without answerable practice, and much falling away, even in the midst of true doctrine:

"This is indwelling sin. So wonderfully powerful, so effectually poisonous it is, that it can bring leanness on the souls of men in the midst of all precious means of growth and flourishing. It may well make us tremble, to see men living under and in the means of the gospel, preaching, praying, administration of the sacraments, and yet grow colder every day than others in zeal for God, more selfish and worldly, even habitually to decline as to the degrees of holiness which they had attained to." (p370)

Those are sober words; and yet Owen is convinced that through the Gospel we are given everything we need for life and godliness, which he presses on believers with tremendous force.

It is this reality, the insidious power of sin and the glorious power of the Gospel, that makes such difficult reading worthwhile. After reading Owen, I see how trifling vast swaths of contemporary Christian literature (and my own writing!) are. We simply don't have the acquaintance with indwelling sin, or the Gospel, that Owen had. So, from three centuries ago, he offers timely warnings, and powerful counsel.

I can't escape from commenting on how I read Owen as a parent. I no longer read simply for myself; all of my reading is for my family as well as myself. I have found no one better (yes, I think he is even more helpful than Jonathan Edwards) for treating the subtleties of our hearts, and applying the gospel remedies. Dozens of times in the course of reading this book (which has been at least six months), I have been corrected in my parenting, though Owen rarely makes direct references to the responsibilities of parents. In fact, I think someone should apply Owen's theology (which is simply careful, practical, Biblical systematics) to child-rearing. Any takers?

The Jesus Story Book Bible

We're always looking for good children's Bibles. Right now, we are reading through The Jesus Story Book Bible right now (on loan from a friend, who has ours), and have to admit it is with mixed results. I should preface that by saying that we love The Big Picture Story Bible, which I have read through well over a dozen times with Elisabeth.

The Jesus Story Book Bible does a great job of prefiguring Christ through the stories of the Old Testament. That is the tremendous virtue of the book. The downside is that I wouldn't characterize it as great literature. Maybe after one or two really thorough revisions it could arrive at the place where all the words are well-chosen; but it is not there yet.

Now that I think about it, the reason that I so much prefer The Big Picture Story Bible to The Jesus Story Book Bible is the theological bias of each. The Big Picture takes the Kingdom of God as the central motif, and clearly tells the Gospel, with remarkable economy of language, through that lens. The Jesus Story Book treats 'God as lover' as the central motif, and often drifts into Sleeping Beauty type language (and in my opinion misrepresents the nature of God's desire for human beings).

So in my opinion, the scales are balanced on the Jesus Story Book: great prefiguring, but sloppy language and theology. In some ways far better than standard children's Bibles, but in some ways missing the mark. I highly recommend The Big Picture Story Bible for its rich literary and theological quality, and I'd encourage you to check out the Jesus Story Book and see if I'm overly critical!

Destroying self-confidence

One of the great missions you have is to get self-confidence out of your children's hearts. . . . We teach children to despair of themselves and to flee to Christ, to flee for grace and mercy . . . (John Piper in Fathers Who Give Hope)

This is the litmus test of whether parenting is faithful to the Gospel. If the good news of Christ is not true, then Piper's words are nonsense; if the good news of Christ is true, then Piper's admonition is the only wise way to raise children.

Liturgy

On Sunday, our prayer of the day was:

Almighty and everlasting God,
increase in us the gifts of faith, hope and charity;
and, that we may obtain what you promise,
make us love what you command;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one god, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even as we were praying, I was grateful that from a young age Elisabeth is hearing the great truths of the Gospel in prayer so that she learns that they are not "finer points", but teach us how to know and approach God. Thank Christ for good liturgy!

She's not my friend

Yesterday Elisabeth announced that one of her classmates was not her friend. She explained,

"She doesn't listen to the teacher!"

It made me think of King David's words:

I hate the work of those who fall away;
it shall not cling to me.
A perverse heart shall be far from me;
I will know nothing of evil. (Psalm 101:3-4)

I could understand why Elisabeth was saying that she didn't want to be this girl's friend: she's a brat. And so in a certain sense, I don't at all want her to be this girl's friend. Yet in another sense, I do. The same King David said:

Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me. . .
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you. (Psalm 51:11, 13)

David had just confessed his own grievous sin, and pleaded for mercy - and therefore was jealous to turn other sinners to the Redeemer.

I don't want Elisabeth merely to avoid this girl because she's disobedient. I want her to learn to be a friend in a way that doesn't condone her rebellion, but invites her to receive mercy. If she can learn this lesson well early, it will serve her (and her friends) well for the rest of her life.

Gospel Language for Kids

Ray Van Neste reviews children's books on The Children's Hour. He has pointed me toward some excellent literature, and so I check in there now and again.

He recently wrote an article called Evangelizing our Children for a local publication on the importance of presenting the warnings and promises of the Gospel to our children. His thesis is that:

No gospel plea makes sense unless the hearers know their need of rescue from judgment.

He draws on John Brown of Haddington (Scotland) as an example of one who did not shy away from presenting the reality of hell right alongside the promise of being reconciled to God through Christ.

It was a great reminder to me that our age likes to celebrate the positive and turn the eyes off the negative. However, in the case of the Gospel, without the bad news (that we have cut ourselves off from God through our sin), the good news (that God reconciles us to Himself through His Son) makes little sense.

I need more mentors like John Brown.

Questions

I'm convinced that the best conversationalists ask great questions. Justin Taylor just spotlighted some great questions for fathers to ask their children. While they're geared to older children, I think they're a good starting point for asking young children good questions.

Today I asked Elisabeth a question that is accessible for her age: "Why does Jesus love us?"

She answered, "Because we love Him and do what He commands."

It was a great reminder to me of how daily I need to be speaking and embodying the good news the when we were enemies, rebels and disobedient, God reconciled us to Himself through His Son. I want Elisabeth (and any other children God gives us) to clearly understand that we are commanded to love and obey Jesus, but that His love for us precedes our love and obedience, and is not conditioned on it.

That is good news!

Public truth

I have posted a number of times on public truth. Now, I'm excited that there is a new organization in New York that is engaging social issues through the Gospel with the conviction that this good news is for all, and is the core of addressing social issues. They have a kick-off meeting next week that includes Jim Wallis, for those in the area.

How kids think

My sister-in-law just put me onto an intriguing new blog called How Kids Think that is exploring how to teach a biblical worldview. I have many questions about how to do that, and so I plan to be a regular reader - and thought other parents might be interested too.

Gospel Humility

“If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring,
we would have been like Sodom
and become like Gomorrah.” (Romans 9:29)

I think this is the key that unlocks gospel humility. In fact, I don't know how to receive this in a way that is not shattering. All that we can say for ourselves is that if the Lord had not intervened, we would have become like Sodom and Gomorrah.

I very often look at myself and think that I am doing well. Perhaps I don't boast out loud, but the proud attitude is just as deadly. This word from Isaiah, repeated by Paul, is the cure for my arrogance, if I will believe that it speaks the truth. But far too often I flatter myself in my own eyes so that I don't see or feel the weight of this truth.

I want to live daily in the wonder of this reality: I, who would have run down the path of Sodom and Gomorrah, have been forgiven, released and reconciled to the God whom I had offended! He called me when I was His enemy, and purchased my repentance because I would never have repented. He has established the way of perfect, unshakable (because it doesn't depend on me!) joy, and destroyed every boast that is not boasting in Him.

Just as much, I want Elisabeth to taste this from childhood. I want her to be in awe and wonder at our God who justifies the wicked, and makes His enemies into friends. I long to save her from the folly of pride and arrogance that have ensnared me. I want her to feel the reality of our rebellion, and the unfathomably good news of Christ. This, I believe, is what it means to love my daughter.

Reading about Noah in public

Yesterday I found myself reading the story of Noah in a Doctor's office while I waited for an appointment. As I read aloud (and thought about the people overhearing it), it struck me how revolutionary the story is. Although the story involves an enormous boat, lots of animals, and a rainbow (all kid-friendly themes), it is ultimately a story of sin, judgment and mercy.

Tonight at dinner I asked Elisabeth some questions about the Noah story to see if the main point of the story was registering with her. I asked her, "Why did God send the flood?" She replied,

"Sometimes the forecast is for rain, and sometimes the forecast is for sun."

It made me happy that she sees that God is the author of everything, including the weather, but it also made clear that the flood as judgment hadn't impressed her. So we talked a little bit about why God sent the flood as judgment and why in mercy He told Noah to build an ark. The expressions on her face changed entirely as she began to see what the story was really about.

This encounter was even more vivid to me, as I had read in my devotions just yesterday that this kind of wickedness was not limited to Noah's time. God said through Ezekiel that the people of Jerusalem were so faithless that "even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord God" (Ezekiel 14: 14). This was not the only time that wickedness reigned, or that judgment came!

It is becoming increasingly clear to me that reading the Bible on its own terms is revolutionary. Reading aloud in public was the gracious occasion of this realization: the message with which we are entrusted simply is not polite dinner conversation. It is the message of sin, wrath, judgment and mercy. The reason for the ark was the flood; the reason for the cross is the wrath of God against sinners. I needed to be reminded of that.