I have mentioned that Elisabeth feels constrained to sit on every rock in the park to take a picture. She has a similar obsession with drinking fountains - not to take pictures, but to drink. Of course, she's intent on being able to push the button herself and drink at the same time. This one, with its step, makes that possible.
Three times in the New Testament the Gospel is explicitly treated as a command by the use of he word obey, and all in the context of those who do not obey.
The good news is a command: repent and believe. It is not merely an opinion for a person to adopt to make their life more meaningful. Nor is it merely a historical fact to which one must intellectually assent. Not to obey is to disobey, and to bring on oneself the terrible things spoken of here.But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” (Romans 10:16)
This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. (2 Thessalonians 1:5-8)
For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? (1 Peter 4:17)
We are commissioned to bring good news, to tell the story of God's marvellous and mighty acts for the salvation of the world. We must not withhold this story from anyone. To keep it to ourselves, as though it were a private 'in-house' story of the Church, as though Jesus were Lord of the Christians, but not the lord of all, would be intolerable sectarianism. We have no right to keep silent about it, and if we try to do so, we deny its truth. (Weston, Paul. "Lesslie Newbigin: Missionary Theologian." Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. 2006 p182)
This morning I listened to the beginning of Death by Love: Reflections on the Cross where Mark Driscoll drilled the fact that Jesus is not to be pitied; He is to be worshiped. Then this evening I read Jesus' own words to those who mourned and lamented for Him as He went to the cross:
" . . . do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children . . ." (Luke 23:28)
"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (v34)
Last week we read in Elisabeth's children's Bible about God calling Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldeans. In the margin, the Bible noted a little of the history of Mesopotamia. Just for fun, I asked Elisabeth to try to articulate it, and she did! So far as I know, it is her first six syllable word!
Yesterday was Elisabeth's first time in Sunday School! We're going to straddle the fence and let her go to Sunday School during the education hour, and (until her third birthday) nursery during the service. The first week seemed to go well, and she loves her new teacher!
Yesterday I went to a Save Darfur rally, expecting to learn how I could be active and influential in ending the crisis in Darfur. I was disappointed by all but one of the speakers. There was a lot of hype, but not much content - and very little that I had not already heard. (I was very disappointed by the spokesman from the National Council of Churches, who said he primary reason for the NCC's particpation was a sense of moral responsibility - not love for Jesus Christ.)
On something as critical as Darfur, there is much that can, and should be said, even by people who have no relationship with Christ. As the crisis is so great, it must be said well. At a rally like this, the critical thing is to enable participants to become advocates after the rally is over. I wish they had done that.
This summer when we were flying to visit family and friends, Elisabeth sat next to the window. While in flight she asked me,Daddy, what is holding the airplane up?
That is a very good question, and very difficult to answer in 2-year-old concepts.
Perhaps I can clarify this by reminding you that it is obvious that in New Testament times, in the early days of the Christian Church, they did not preach in the manner that has become customary with us. They did not take a text out of the New Testament and analyse it and expound it and then apply it, because they did not have the New Testament. Well, what did they preach? They preached the great message that had been committed to them, this great body of truth, this whole doctrine of salvation. My argument is that this is what we should always be doing, though we do it through individual expositions of particular texts. This, to me, is the general relationship between theology and preaching. (Lloyd Jones, Martyn. "Preaching & Preachers." Zondervan: Grand Rapids, MI. 1971. p67)
One of the things that I love about our local Barnes & Noble is that they have an entire rack devoted to Caldecott Medal books, so it is easy to quickly find the good books.
Yesterday, however, I learned that the presence of so many books can be a distraction. We picked up Kevin Henkes' Kitten's First Full Moon from the Caldecott shelf, and although Henkes is an excellent author Elisabeth was frequently distracted from the story by other children and other books. Whereas at home she usually sits through multiple books with good comprehension, at Barnes & Noble, it is rare to make it through a book.
Lesson learned: Check things out from the library and read them at home.
After a weekend with her grandparents, Elisabeth's Grandma commented on Elisabeth's throwing arm, "She throws like a girl." (It was not intended as flattery.) So I figured it was my fatherly responsibility to make sure that our little girl be recognized for her feminity in areas other than her throwing arm.
Our bowling alley apartment configuration works well for teaching a child to throw, so we took full advantage for throwing lessons. After working on the arm motion and stepping forward with the foot opposite her throwing arm (in both of which she showed significant progress), Elisabeth said to me,
"I don't want you to teach me; I just want to do it."
In recent days, Elisabeth has become quite the storyteller. She has realized that we tell stories about people and places, so she does the same. It is not uncommon to hear her say,
"I came here with my sister last Saturday."
"My grandfather likes to do that too!"
"I was in Chicago with my friends."
An outstanding toy - for parents and kids.
Yesterday Rebecca got on the bus with Elisabeth. As the bus was fairly empty, Elisabeth realized that all eyes were on her, and she exclaimed (to everyone on the bus),
Grandma and Pop-pop took me to Old McDonald's for ice cream!
“Now I do not mean to affirm that in all cases there need be the preaching of false doctrine which involves an open and direct denial of the evangelical truth. It is quite possible that both to the intention and the actual performance of the preacher any departure from the historical faith of the church may be entirely foreign. And yet there may be such a failure in the intelligent presentation of the gospel with the proper emphasis upon that which is primary and fundamental as to bring about a result almost equally deplorable as where the principles of the gospel are openly contradicted or denied. There can be a betrayal of the gospel of grace by silence. There can be disloyalty to Christ by omission as well as by positive offence against the message that he has entrusted to our keeping. It is possible, Sabbath after Sabbath and year after year, to preach things of which none can say that they are untrue and none can deny that in their proper place and time they may be important, and yet to forgo telling people plainly and to forgo giving them the distinct impression that they need forgiveness and salvation from sin through the cross of Christ’ (Grace and Glory, 237-238).” (82, footnote 211) (HT: Justin Taylor)
This selection from The Letters of Geerhardus Vos captures what I have been thinking and feeling for some time. One can preach "things of which none can say that they are untrue" without preaching the Gospel. Not only so but "the result is almost equally deplorable as where the principles of the Gospel are openly contradicted or denied."
An emphasis on what is primary, central and essential, accompanied by an utter dependence on the Holy Spirit to give life to dead people through the faithful presentation of this message is absolutely essential. The absence of these two conditions (right emphasis, complete dependence) perpetuates spiritual death, because the absence of either openly contradicts or denies the principles of the Gospel.
We speak of the Copernican revolution as that change which challenged the prevailing European notion that the world was the center of the solar system, and suggested instead that the Sun was that around which the earth and other bodies orbit.
I believe that I am undergoing a Newbiginian Revolution which is challenging my prevailing notion that reason forms the center of our cognitive system, and contending instead that God is the center - without whom there is no reliable knowledge.
For an outstanding treatment of the Enlightenment, its effects on western society, and the church in particular, check out Leslie Newbigin: Missionary Theologian.
Recently I have been thinking much (not only with regard to worship) about knowledge. Knowing of a person requires the Knower, and the Known. Jonathan Edwards has helped me to see more clearly the relationship of subject and object, and how we glorify God in worship:
God is glorified not only by His glory's being seen, but by its being rejoiced in. When those that see it delight in it, God is more glorified than if they only see it. His glory is then received by the whole soul, both by the understanding and by the heart. God made the world that He might communicate, and the creature receive, His glory; and that it might [be] received both by the mind and heart. He that testifies his idea of God's glory [doesn't] glorify God so much as he that testifies also his approbation of it and his delight in it [Jonathan Edwards, The "Miscellanies," ed. by Thomas Schafer, The Works of Jonathan Edwards, vol. 13, ed. Thomas Schafer (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1994), 495]It is the last line (which I have bolded) that has been immensely helpful to me. It is the difference between stating the worth of Jesus Christ as an idea, and as that which has taken control of our hearts. The latter always implies (if it does not explicitly state) the subject, me. "You are altogether lovely to me" speaks not only the objective beauty of Christ, but of its power to fill and transform the subject, me. There are two ways to hear the same phrase. One is parochial, confining beauty to what I can see: "You are lovely to me . . . and I am the judge who decides what is lovely." The other is God-entranced: "You are lovely to me . . . because You have awakened my heart to behold and love Your beauty, of which I see but a ray."
True maturity is being able to deal with immature people in ways that are gentle, loving, firm and genuinely help them to mature. Such maturity is most pronounced when it is seen in times of crisis.
Recently I have come across The Rebelution, a blog by a couple of 17 year-old twins, who have remarkable depth for their age. They have been a great reminder to me of the depth and maturity that can be present in teen-agers, despite what our culture says.
HT (Justin Taylor)
Growing up, my parents read to us daily from Operation World, the Bible, and a missionary biography. I remember loving it, and now I want to share that joy with Elisabeth. However, I've been mindful that she's only two, and I'm inclined to be overeager. So it was with great joy that I recently saw how Elisabeth's natural abilities and interests intersect with my desire to teach.
Elisabeth loves maps, and has a remarkable spatial awareness. She can find and name somewhere between 6 and 12 countries on a world map, and can point to ask many places and say, "_____ lives there." Just this week I realized that since Operation World highlights one country each day, it would be perfect for connecting with her little laminated map. I can tell her the place, a little bit about it, and mention anyone we know who lives there - and then she can have the joy of finding and naming it on the map! So this week she has discovered Norway, Oman, and Pakistan!
Last night we had a strategic planning meeting for our church. We closed with the early evening prayer from the Book of Common Prayer:
O Gracious Light,
pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.
Reading:
It is not ourselves that we proclaim; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants, for Jesus' sake. For the same God who said, "Out of darkness let light shine," has caused his light to shine within us, to give the light of revelation - the revelation of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:5-6
Elisabeth has been resisting naps for the last week or so, which has left me without the afternoon time to which I've been acustomed to work, blog and email.
Does anyone have suggestions on how to help a toddler self-soothe to sleep in the early afternoon?
At present, I can't get any pictures to load on Blogger, which means no shots of Elisabeth. Sorry! As soon as they get it fixed, I'll put some up.
John Bunyan was imprisoned for preaching the gospel, and would have been released, if only he would consent not to preach. Bunyan had four children under the age of ten when he was imprisoned, one of whom was blind; their mother had little means to care for them with their father imprisoned. Yet he would not consent not to preach, and his wife, though severely strained by that choice could not have given him a stronger support. In 1661, she went to the authorities to plead again for his release, and this was their exchange:
"Would he stop preaching? "
"My lord, he dares not leave off preaching as long a he can speak."
"What is the need of talking?"
"There is need for this, my lord, for I have four small children that cannot help themselves, of which one is blind, and we have nothing to live upon but the charity of good people."
Matthew Hale with pity asks if she really has four children being so young.
"My lord, I am but mother-in-law to them, having not been married to him yet full two years. Indeed, I was with child when my husband was first apprehended; but being young and unaccustomed to such things, I being smayed at the news, fell into labor ,and so continued for eight days, and then was delivered; but my child died."
Hale was moved, but other judges were hardened and spoke against him. "He is a mere tinker!"
"Yes, and because he is a tinker and a poor man, therefore he is despised and cannot have justice."
One Mr. Chester is enraged and says that Bunyan will preach and do as he wishes.
"He preacheth nothing but the word of God!" she says.
Mr. Twisden, in a rage: "He runneth up and down and doeth harm."
"No, my lord, it is not so; God hath owned him and done much good by him."
The angry man: "His doctrine is the doctrine of the devil."
She: "My lord, when the righteous Judge shall appear, it will be known that his doctrine is not the doctrine of the devil!"
Bunyan's biographer comments, "Elizabeth Bunyan was simply an English peasant woman: could she have spoken with more dignity had she been a crowned queen?" Source
I want to live like the Bunyans, in utter integrity, believing that this Good News is more to be valued than freedom, comfort, and life
Today was my first time streaming video on the new Desiring God website. (I've found it well done, and well organized.) In Piper's sermon last Sunday, he says,
You cannot be a loving person and not want your life to count for reaching unreached people. It is pure hypocrisy to say, "I love human beings," and do nothing in your life, have no increment of ambition, to see that the gospel reach people who don't know Him.That is to say, the Gospel of necessity transforms our hearts with love for God and love for people such that we desire God to be glorified in the glad submission of all people, and we want other people to taste of the beauty and joy that are found truly and only in God.
Elisabeth has picked up on the fact that when we part from friends, we often say,
"Have a good ___ (afternoon, evening, etc.)"She has also realized that the other person usually says, "We will."
"Have a good noon we will!"and bursts into laughter (because we do).
This Sunday I preached on John 6:35-51 and developed this theme: The Triune God is our salvation; He shatters our pride in order to give us unshakeable hope in Him.
There is no question to me as I prepared that God intended me to not only deliver this message, but to embody it - having my pride shattered in order to trust truly in Him. Being broken is grace, when He does it to us.
Recently a fellow parent-blogger pointed me to a couple of excellent resources on blogging. Bob Kauflin writes on Blogging to worship God and Suzanne Hadley writes on Blogging Responsibly.
The articles challenged me to dig deeper with some more substantial reflection, which I look forward to doing. Now that Blogger has enabled Labels, those who just want Elisabethisms can go straight there, or the latest Photos, and those who want to see what I'm digging through can dig with me. (My apologies for the foibles of Blogger Beta. The labels don't work perfectly, and neither does the search, but I think they're working on it.)
"I would willingly exchange my learning for the tinker's power of touching men's hearts." (John Owen, to King Charles, on why he went to hear John Bunyan, an uneducated 'tinker', preach.)O how I resonate with Owen - and I don't even have any great learning to renounce in exchange for that power!
I did often say before the Lord, that if to be hanged up presently before their eyes would be means to awake in them and confirm them in the truth, I gladly should consent to it. (DG)
One real view of the glory of Christ, and of our own concern in it, will give us a full relief in this matter. For what are all the things of this life? What is the good or evil of them in comparison of an interest in this transcendent glory? When we have due apprehensions of this, when our minds are possessed with thoughts of it, when our affections reach out after its enjoyments, let pain, and sickness, and sorrows, and fears, and dangers, and death, say what they will, we shall have in readiness wherewith to combat with them and overcome them; and that on this consideration, that they are all outward, transitory, and passing away, whereas our minds are fixed on those things which are eternal, and filled with incomprehensible glory. (Owen, John. "The Glory of Christ." Glasgow: Christian Heritage. 2004. p30)
On the basis which has been laid down one can speak briefly of the purpose with which the Christian enters into dialogue with people of other faiths. This purpose can only be obedient witness to Jesus Christ. Any other purpose, any goal which subordinates the honour of Jesus Christ to some purpose derived from another source, is impossible for the Christian. To accept such another purpose would involve a denial of the total lordship of Jesus Christ. A Christian cannot try to evade the accusation that, for him, dialogue is part of his obedient witness to Jesus Christ.
But this does not mean that the purpose of dialogue is to persuade the non-Christian partner to accept the Christianity of the Christian partner. Its purpose is not that Christianity should acquire one more recruit. One the contrary: obedient witness to Christ means that whenever we come with another person (Christian or not) into the presence of the Cross, we are prepared to receive judgment and correction, to find that our Christianity hides within its appearance of obedience the reality of disobedience. Each meeting with a non-Christian partner in dialogue therefore puts my own Christianity at risk. . . . The Christian who enters into dialogue with people of other faiths and ideologies is accepting the risk. But to put my Christianity at risk is precisely the way by which I can confess Jesus Christ as Lord - Lord over all worlds and Lord over my faith. (Weston, Paul. "Lesslie Newbigin: Missionary Theologian." Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. 2006 p168, 171)
As I read this, and it rings true in my heart, I can't help but draw the inevitable conclusions. Could it be that we have sought to share the good news in a way that doesn't put our own Christianity at risk? Could it be that we expect only our partner in conversation to be changed through the cross? Or could it be that we so little proclaim the good news of Christ that our Christianity is never placed at risk in dialogue, and is therefore never refined, and we are laden with chaff?
Today Elisabeth opened up a little Gideon's New Testament and said,
"The Golden Rule sums up the Law and the Prophets."She uttered a half dozen other things that I wish I could have caught on video. But she was aware - and so were we - that songs were the source of her insight. She was alluding to Do to Others on Hide 'em in Your Heart CD. Thank God for good music!
We haven't yet hit our stride in family devotions. We read to Elisabeth from her children's Bible every night, and talk about it. We usually go through a small section of the catechism, and then we pray together. Yet this is not really family devotions. It is good, and helpful, but I'm looking forward to that time when we can truly have family devotions in a way that engages us together as a family. Today this post on Doing Family Devotions was very helpful to me, and I hope will be helpful to others.
HT: Justin Taylor
Elisabeth and I were just talking about whether or not to use the potty seat that sits on top of the toilet seat to make sitting on the big toilet more comfortable. In classic Elisabeth fashion, she replied simply:
"I prefer not."
To put it even more sharply: the hope, of which the Church is called to be the bearer in the midst of a famine of hope, is a radically other-worldly hope. Knowing that Jesus is king and that he will come to reign, it fashions its life and invites the whole community to fashion its life in the light of this reality, because every other way of living is based on an illusion. It thus creates signs, parables, foretastes, appetizers of the kingdom in the midst of the hopelessness of the world. (Weston, Paul. "Lesslie Newbigin: Missionary Theologian." Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. 2006 p146)
In the last week or so, I have been so thankful for the Body of Christ. A week ago Saturday, Rebecca was on call, so good friends of our watched Elisabeth (on one day's notice) for the morning so that I could help paint at church. This past weekend, another couple took her for a whole day so that we could go to a wedding. Then Monday night other friends came to watch Elisabeth for the evening as Rebecca was on call again, and I had a meeting at church. In addition to all that, another couple approached us (without any solicitation whatsoever) at church and said that they want to take Elisabeth for an evening and send us on a date! How richly blessed we are to be surrounded by such friends, who reveal Christ to us in their love!
Yesterday Elisabeth surprised me by loading and zipping the zipper on her rain jacket. I have never seen her do it before. A whole new world of self-dressing is now opening!
Last night Elisabeth (and, by consequence, her daddy) slept all the way through the night for the first time in a month! Since we came back from vacation at the end of July, Elisabeth has been waking in the night, either to call for one of her parents, or to toddle on into our bedroom and crawl up on the chair at least once - and sometimes several times - in a night. What bliss it is to sleep all the way through the night! Thank God!
The relation between the Church in a 'place' and the secular reality of that 'place' is intrinsic, not extrinsic. It is not just that it happens to be located in that spot on the map. It is the Church of God for that place, and that is because the Church does not exist for itself, but for God, and for the world which Jesus came to save.
I do not think we shall recover the true form of the parish [the Church of God for a place] until we recover a truly missionary approach to our culture. I do not think we shall achieve a truly missionary encounter with our culture without recovering the true form of the parish. These two tasks are reciprocally related to each other, and we have to work together on them both. (Weston, Paul. "Lesslie Newbigin: Missionary Theologian." Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. 2006 p133, 142)
In the past several weeks, the parish principle has been brewing in me, realizing that the very definition of the Church is the mission of God to a particular place. We are His ambassadors, which makes the Church a local embassy of the Kingdom of God among those who do not acknowledge His rule. We are not an affinity club for Christians of similar doctrine, worship preference or social agenda. We are placed in a place to bring the good news of the Kingdom to that place, and if we function otherwise, we are dysfunctional.
Elisabeth is recently thinking herself quite mature and able to manage things alone. Not infrequently she will ask me if I can go out, and she can stay home alone.
On Friday night I said to Elisabeth that baby Zoe might come over to play with us for the evening so that her parents could go out on a date. Elisabeth asked me immediately,
"Are you going out with them?"
She has also shown interest in staying in the lines when she colors, rather than scribbling all over the page. Some months ago she began to localize and start writing inside the shape she wanted to fill (but then ended up all over the page. Now she fills in most of the space with marginal spillover (so that you can at least tell she was trying to fill in the shape.
Today Elisabeth did a somersault (by herself) for the first time! Pictures to follow when she becomes more accomplished . . .
Today Elisabeth and I stopped into a Dunkin' Donuts to use the restroom. When we came out, we surveyed the donut menu and chose one. The person serving us thought Elisabeth as so cute that he gave her three free donut holes!
That's not the first time that has happened this week. Earlier in the week we were in a small shop that had loose candy. We didn't even end up buying anything, and the manager gave Elisabeth a free bag of loose candy. (I had one happy and wired little kid.)
I'm at a bit of a loss (and looking for input from my computer savvy friends). I use my Palm for everything - to such an extent that my friends and family make fun of me for it. I love being able to carry everything in my pocket. The problem is that my "brain" is now failing.
Just today I realized that when I have been creating new Memos in Palm Desktop, they disappear when I sync - both from the Desktop, and on my Palm. So I checked out the record limit (I'm not anywhere near the 32,767 record limit), as well as the memory on my Palm to see if I had reached capacity and for that reason it was deleting them. (My Palm wasn't quite full, but I moved over most of the applications to my expansion card so that there is abundant memory left on the Palm - and the problem persists.)
Any help? I feel handicapped not being able to reliably store information!
Beware that the genre of music is much more akin to Broadway than children's tunes. (The music makes me smile just as much as the silly lyrics.)
My two favorites are Snoozers and I like to Fuss.
I think this is a great example of solid content with great aesthetic quality.
On a humorous note, Elisabeth opened this book yesterday and began reciting Birthday Monsters instead!
If you find yourself with leftover turkey or chicken, here is the best recipe for tetrazzini that I have found. It is easy (most ingredients may be found in the pantry without going shopping), quick (in prep time), and very tasty!
I think I am beginning to get a glimpse of the glory of God in the unmasking of capitalism. What I mean is this: Throughout His teachings, Jesus employs the principle of investment and return not as negative things, but as simple reality. Many of the parables late in His ministry turn on this truth. For example, in the parable of the minas (Luke 19:11-27) the two servants who invested their trust and gained a return are given responsibility in proportion to their return, and the one who did not invest becaues he feared is condemned, and his trust is taken from him.
What strikes me is that Jesus doesn't even comment on the market system, in which there is investment and return. Rather, His teachings consistently place Himself as supreme in this context. In the parable of the minas, the point is that we are stewards of what does not belong to us, and that we are called to invest actively and give the returns to the Master, who owns everything. This is the unmasking of capitalism - not that it is wrong to seek profit, that anything we have is a trust (that is to say, not our own), and we will answer for our use of it because all that we have, and all that we gain, belong to the Master.
I am quite sure that there is a spiritual meaning to the parable of the minas (i.e. the trust given is the good news of the Kingdom). Yet I cannot escape the fact that Jesus spoke in terms of money, and that this gives the parable meaning on both a spiritual and a material level.
Yesterday we candidated for pre-school (two hours, twice a week - nothing too intense). There was a structured play time for the two year olds during which they were assessed by the teachers. Meanwhile, there parents were able to chat with the admissions director in a circle of chairs nearby. While we were talking, Elisabeth interupted us to say loudly,
"Daddy, can you go away?"I explained that the parents were talking, and that she could continue playing, which she did.
"You can go away. I'm going to school."
Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty,On Monday I learned the truth of this proverb. After a fun morning outing, we came home for Elisabeth's nap (for which I thought she would be exhausted), but she wasn't about to sleep, and she, because she was tired, had difficulty obeying the instruction to stay in bed. That tends to shorten my nerves, and my typical approach is to put her in the running stroller and go for a run, which usually puts her to sleep in just a few minutes - and I get some exercise.
and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. (Proverbs 16:32)
Elisabeth has been doing watercolor painting again this afternoon. She asked me to paint a horse for her, which I did. Then she said,
"I want to take a picture of you doing such a good job painting."
Is there any question that kids imitate what they see and hear?
Recently I have been realizing how detrimental it can be to pick up after one's children. Put another way, I have seen the importance of routines for kids.
Now, whenever we come home, the first thing that Elisabeth does is take off her sandals and put them on the shoe rack. She does it without being asked because she knows that is the routine, and because I'm not going to pick them up for her.
It took a long time to establish that routine without needing to remind her (most of the summer), but I am so thankful now because it would have been less helpful to her (to say nothing of our family) to let her take her shoes off, and then pick up after her.
Some talk of it as an unreasonable thing to fright persons to heaven; but I think it is a reasonable thing to endeavor to fright persons away from hell - tis a reasonable thing to fright a person out of a house on fire. (Jonathan Edwards, quoted in Piper, John. "The Supremacy of God in Preaching." Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books. 2004. p93)
If any of you that are heads of families, saw one of your children in a house that was all on fire over its head, and in imminent danger of being soon consumed in the flames, that seemed to be very insensible of its danger, and neglected to escape, after you had often spake to it, and called to it, would you go on to speak to it only in a cold and indifferent manner? Would not you cry aloud, and call earnestly to it, and represent the danger it was in, and its own folly in delaying, in the most lively manner you were capable of? Would not nature itself teach this, and oblige you to it? If you should continue to speak to it only in a cold manner, as you are wont to do in ordinary conversations about indifferent matters, would not those about you begin to think you bereft of reason yourself? . . .
If [then] we who have the care of souls, knew what hell was, had seen the state of the damned, or by any other means, become sensible how dreadful their case was . . . and saw our hearers in imminent danger, and that they were not sensible of their danger . . . it would be morally impossible for us to avoid abundantly and most earnestly setting before them the dreadfulness of that misery they were in danger of . . . and warning them to fly from it, and even to cry aloud to them. (ibid. pp52-53)
We are called to the ministry of the word and prayer, because without prayer the God of our studies will be the unfrightening and uninspiring God of insipid academic gamesmanship. (Piper, John. "The Supremacy of God in Preaching." Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books. 2004. p63)
One of Elisabeth's favorite books is Birthday Monsters, a silly, clever rhyming story. Elisabeth loves them it for it silly characters, charming illustrations and memorable rhymes. She has almost the whole thing memorized. Today she recited most of it for me while we were out - and we didnt' even have the book with us!
Boynton books are great because they're clever enough that parents aren't immediately bored after the twelfth reading.
(I have at least six of them memorized.)
On Sunday I made this teriyaki pork roast in the crockpot. It was super easy and very tasty, so I thought I'd pass it along:
3/4 cup apple juice
2 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs vinegar
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp garlic poder
1/8 tsp pepper
1 lean boneless pork loin roast (2 1/2 lbs.)
The outcome was delicious, and the preparation only took about 10 minutes!
Today at the laundromat, Elisabeth was given Lychee Jelly by the proprietors. They speak almost no English (possibly fewer than 50 words in all) but are wonderfully kind, love Elisabeth and often give her things.
I had never seen Lychee Jelly before, but really liked it. It has the consistency of a stiff jello, with chunks of lychee (which I enjoy) in it. Elisabeth wasn't crazy about it, so I got to finish it!
What a fascinating world this is!
In preparation to preach (which has been rescheduled to September 3), I have read The Supremacy of God in Preaching by John Piper.
At 105 pages, this is one of the shortest Piper books I've read. Perhaps because it is so short, he gets straight to the point, and develops it well.
In typical fashion, Piper lays the theological foundation before he gets practical. The goal of preaching, he says, is the glory of God; the ground of preaching is the Cross of Christ; and the gift of preaching is the power of the Holy Spirit.
His section on the Holy Spirit is particularly helpful because he points out that we honor the Spirit by honoring His Word, and by relying on Him to communicate through us - avoiding the perils of academic study, and groundless 'Spirit-led' preaching. It closes with very practical counsel on how to rely on the Spirit in the very act of preaching.
Part 2 of the book is called How to Make God Central in Preaching and extracts 10 principles from the life of Jonathan Edwards. Edwards' preaching was marked by authority and power, and he had a deeply spiritual and Scriptural eye for discerning genuine religious experience. I'll simply enumerate them here:
This is an excellent read on what preaching can, and ought to be. Look for quotes to come . . .
We just got a new (used) toy that exemplifies a category of toys that I love. I gravitate toward toys that encourage creativity, that have multiple outcomes, and that require critical thinking.
I have a Granddaddy to thank for that, who not only loved such toys, but also invented them. He had that inventive, creative spirit that was not content just to play with other people's creative toys, but to design his own . . . for the grandkids!
Some men speak much of the imitation of Christ, and following of his example; and it were well if we could see more of it really in effect. But no man shall ever become 'like him' by bare imitation of his actions, without that view or intuition of his glory which alone is accompanied with transforming power to change them into the same image. (Owen, John. "The Glory of Christ." Glasgow: Christian Heritage. 2004. p66)
Elisabeth has begun telling stories. Yesterday she told us that the ants from Ants'hillvania lived in a barn (pictured in a painting on our wall).
Today she told me about her friends who go to school with her.
I look forward to many interesting and creative stories!
We tried out pesto pizzas with the basil pesto we made on Sunday, and they were excellent, a great variation on our regular pizzas.
43. What did God do to save his people from his anger and
punishment?
He sent his Son so that whoever believes in him would not perish but have
everlasting life.
Last night when we were practicing this question from the catechism, Elisabeth turned to me quizzically and said, "Cereal?" At first I was just as puzzled by her question as she was by the catechism. Then I realized the connection. "No, sweetie, not Life Cereal, but living forever with Jesus."
I know in the contemplation of [the glory of Christ] , it will quickly overwhelm our reason, and bring our understanding into a loss: but to this loss do I desire to be brought every day; for when faith can no more act itself in comprehension, when it finds the object it is fixed on too great and glorious to be brought into our minds and capacities, it will issue (as we have said before) in holy admiration, humble adoration, and joyful thanksgiving. In and by its acting in them it fills the soul with 'joy unspeakable and full of glory' (1 Pet. 1:8). (Owen, John. "The Glory of Christ." Glasgow: Christian Heritage. 2004. p106)
Today I tried something new: blogging in the park. I recently got a new laptop and decided to bring it with me today, should Elisabeth fall asleep in the stroller on our outing to a new park, and a museum. She did in fact fall asleep (within steps from our home) so I walked to the park, found a wireless network, and was able to work (and blog) for about two solid hours! Praise God for the potential of being able to use naptimes in the park!
I feel passionately about the words, "I forgive you." Not surprisingly, one of the things I do frequently as a parent is to correct Elisabeth. When I do, I require her to say, "I'm sorry, Daddy, for _____," so that she connects her repentance with a particular action. Every time I respond, "I forgive you," (and I often make her look me in the eye when I say it).
Why do I care? The common replies, "It's OK," or "Don't worry about it," minimize the offense if they acknowledge it at all. "I forgive you" recognizes the offense, and puts it forever in the category of yielded to the merciful God. I want Elisabeth to know clearly that an offense has been committed, that we both know it, and that before God I have truly forgiven her. In so doing, she learns the reality of sin, and of forgiveness - and sees modeled (many times per day) the way that we live in the light.
I am amazed at how Elisabeth is learning the rules of water colors. She has learned to soften the paints by putting a drop of clean water on each color when she begins. She knows that she has to rinse the brush between colors, and she has even mastered wiping the brush in the rim of the glass (to squeeze out the excess water) in a way that doesn't flick painty water across the room! It is a great reminder to me that kids learn to do as they are taught. If I take the time to teach her the rules of painting, she learns; if I don't, she learns that she can do it however she likes (and make a mess). Either way, I am the teacher.
Blogger has just made some improvements that you'll begin to see soon. One improvement is adding Labels so I can categorize the posts. You'll see Quotables, Elisabethisms, Recipes, Parenting, etc. I think that will be a big improvement.
They have also added a layer of privacy, which I wanted. So if you are a regular (or even occasional) reader, send me an email (leavened@gmail.com) and I'll add you to the invite list so that when I switch over to the service that offers more privacy, you'll get an email inviting you to register so that you can continue reading as you did formerly.
And finally, I'm going to toy with some template changes to make the blog easier to navigate - so you can let me know whether you like it or not.
Elisabeth has been loving her paint set from uncle Roger & auntie Haley. We're painting almost daily now!
Elisabeth enjoyed the sun with Auntie Megan on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.
[The Church] derives its character not from its membership but from its Head, not from those who join it but from Him who calls it into being. (Weston, Paul. "Lesslie Newbigin: Missionary Theologian." Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. 2006 p127)I find Newbigin so refreshing in helping me to think about how to be the church. Everything draws the distinctives away from ourselves to the One who calls us into fellowship with Himself through His Son.
We love to cook, and I've thought about trying to integrate that into this blog, to share some of the good recipes we've found. One of the (many) weaknesses of Blogger is that you can't easily tag your posts or categorize them. If they did, I would have a Recipe tag.
So, notwithstanding Blogger, I'm going to share some fun ones that we've found recently.
Yesterday we made a big batch of basil pesto that we put on green beans last night and tonight we used the pesto to make chicken fettucine with pesto cream sauce, which I highly recommend. It was very easy (since we made the pesto yesterday) and full of flavor.
In the last couple of weeks we have transitioned from "nap time" to "quiet time." Elisabeth often would not go to sleep during her nap time, and so it became something of a struggle. So we decided that she needed the quiet rest time, even if that didn't include a nap (although hopefully it does). So far I'd say she naps about 30% of the time, and the rest she plays in her bed (and is still learning that she has to stay in bed the whole time).
Right now she's sleeping (hooray!) which has enabled me to begin to catch up on many things that have fallen behind in the absence of her sleep.
Recently I listened to John Piper's mini-bio on Martyn Lloyd-Jones. I highly recommend it as a call to prayer for revival. However, perhaps I appreciated most that Piper avoided hagiography by giving a critique of Lloyd-Jones' practice by applying his own principles. It was especially helpful because it was a reminder that right words must be followed by right action. As such, it was an encouragement to seek, trust and wait on Christ perseveringly.
I've been a little light on posting this week due to being very busy. Parts of three days and all of one evening I was learning how to lay hardwood with a friend from church who was redoing our nursery floor. He did an outstanding job, and I learned a lot in the process.
How does a stay-at-home dad refloor a nursery? Great friends! Auntie Millie took Elisabeth to the park one day while I worked, and Auntie Megan played with her another. What a treat for Elisabeth!
Writing should pick up in the next few days . . .
The Church is the pilgrim people of God. It is on the move - hastening to the ends of the earth to beseech all men to be reconciled to God, and hastening ot the end of time to meet its Lord who will gather all into one. (Weston, Paul. "Lesslie Newbigin: Missionary Theologian." Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. 2006 p126)What a needed reminder of our fundamental identity.
Elisabeth today changed her tune. Now she says:
"Mommy is the cutest, and Daddy is the biggest."
The relation between the Church in a 'place' and the secular reality of that 'place' is intrinsic, not exrinsic. It is not just that it happens to be located in that spot on the map. It is the Chruch of God for that place, and that is bcause the Church does not exist for itself, but for God, and for the world which Jesus came to save.O how important it is for children to learn this while they are yet children!
[Newbigin asked a group of elders] "What is this church for?" There was, of course, a long and embarassed silence and then I received the answer, "It caters to the needs its members." "Then," I said, "it should be dissolved." The Church does not exist for its members. (Weston, Paul. "Lesslie Newbigin: Missionary Theologian." Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. 2006 p133)
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