Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Competition at Seminary

It was an odd way to begin an academic career.  Almost from kindergarten, school has been a competition.  But when Dr. Guthrie addressed the incoming class at Covenant Seminary at the beginning of this past semester, the tone was markedly different.

He stood up before a room of eager incoming students and told us that our career in seminary was not about us.  It isn't about us looking good.  It isn't about us looking smart.  It isn't about having our intellectual itch scratched.  It is about the people that we would be pastoring when we leave seminary.  It is about our brothers that we will minister with.  It is about growing in our love of the Lord.

Because of these things, our experience at Covenant  is to be an experience of community.  Instead of competing with each other, we support, love, and care for each other.  The professors intentionally give us group assignments, and even finals, because it's not about us, but about the community of believers called the church.  If we do not learn this here, we may never do so.  If we don't learn this at seminary, we will do damage to our churches when we leave.

It is a lesson that is hard to learn.  Most of us at seminary have a certain type-A personality and a drive to learn.  It can be hard to take an exam and not wonder how you measure up.  It is difficult to unlearn what our educational and cultural institutions have taught us for so long.  But it is an important message.  It is something that, once grasped, will benefit others.  And that is a good thing, because, after all, it's not about me.


"Cor meum tibi offero, Domine, prompte et sincere."

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy Keller

Tim Keller's congregation in New York has a majority single demographic.  It is for this reason that "The Meaning of Marriage" is a book that speaks so well to an under-served demographic in the marriage resource genre.  Most books on the subject seem to focus on those already or just about to be married (like Bryan Chapell's excellent "Each for the Other*"), or focus on "biblical" courtship/dating.  Very few Christian books on a popular level, at least that I'm aware of, make a compelling case for marriage then go on to explain what a biblical marriage looks like.  Keller's book does just that and does it rather well.


Like "Each for the Other," Keller's book revolves around Ephesians 5, though he focuses on verses 22 to 33.  He also goes back to creation in Genesis 2 in his exegesis of the Ephesians passage.  But before getting into the meaning and focus of Ephesians 5, he looks at much contemporary research to make a case for marriage over against cohabitation, extramarital affairs, and the prevalent "hook-up" culture of today.  He does this exceptionally well, and offers a prophetic voice against the self-centered search for the "perfect" person that so riddles our nation today.  In fact, the first chapter of the book should be required reading for any single person who is interested in marriage at some point.  (As an aside, Keller does an excellent job of recognizing that while his book focuses on marriage, there is no shame for those called to a single a life.  He includes an entire chapter dedicated to singleness).

Over eight chapters, Keller addresses a range of topics concerning marriage.  From what marriage is and what it does, to pastoral help and hope for how to "make it work," Keller's experience and learning are on display throughout.  He (and his wife, Kathy) discuss topics as wide-ranging as headship, sanctification, and sex.

"The Meaning of Marriage" has wide appeal.  It is useful for those who are married, those who are single, for pastors and counselors, for men and women.  It is wise and winsome, and does not pull any punches.  It certainly stands out in its ability to address single people.  It does this better than any marriage book I've yet read, though it is certainly not just written to singles.  His vision for what marriage should be, and what the church should do to support that are highlights of the book. 

With "Each for the Other," it is a book that deserves to be on every married couple's bookshelf (and not just as decoration).  Would that I had read these about nine years ago.  The biblical basis and pastoral heart of these books make them so much more valuable and prophetic than the books that weigh down many a Christian bookstore shelf.

Upon reading "The Meaning of Marriage," you will know better how to love your spouse, and you will understand the Gospel more fully.  Certainly a book that is worth your time.


*In contrasting these two books, "Each for the Other" addresses marriage then family.  "The Meaning of Marriage" addresses singleness then marriage.  If I had to give one to a married couple thinking of starting a family, it would be Chapell's.  If I had to give one to a single person, it would be Keller's.  If it was anyone outside of those specific circumstances, it's a real toss-up, but you can't go wrong either way.

"Cor meum tibi offero, Domine, prompte et sincere."

Monday, December 19, 2011

Each for the Other by Bryan Chapell


I read "Each for the Other" after a marriage seminar with Dr. and Mrs. Chapell.  More than I would have guessed going into the class, the seminar and this book have benefited my marriage greatly.  Perhaps other than the marriage retreat that my wife and I attended with Doug and Mary-jane Kittredge at New Life in Christ Church, this book has helped me understand how to relate to my wife in a more biblical and Christ-like fashion.

This is book is divided into three sections, and revolves around a discussion of Ephesians 5:21-6:4.  Section one is about the husband's duty to love and care for his wife.  Section two is about the wife's responsibility to love and support her husband.  Section three is about how couples who use their resources to support each other function as parents and in society.

Dr. Chapell does an excellent job of maintaining the biblical instructions for marriage without succumbing to an exegetically uninformed breed of chauvinism.  Both husband and wife are to relate to their spouse in love.  To  be sure, each has different roles in the marriage (the husband to enable his wife's flourishing through Christ-like leadership, the wife to support her husbands growth), but each does this in light of the love that they find in Christ.

Dr. Chapell's sensitive writing and excellent examples make this book extremely helpful, and quite easy to read.  He does not skirt the culturally unpopular aspects of the Scripture, nor does he allow chauvinism and past abuses any leeway.  In the end, he shows how in a Gospel-centered marriage, instead of "headship" and "submission" leading to a dictatorial reign, it leads to place where not only both spouses, but children and society benefit as well.

"Each for the Other" is a great book for married couples to read and digest.  Because it is based on sound exegesis, this book avoids easy yet ineffective prescriptions, and instead cuts straight to the underlying heart of Christian marriage.  Since the focus is on how couples relate, he does not address singles very much (see Tim Keller's "The Meaning of Marriage" for a helpful chapter on marriage for singles).  As such, I think this book is more beneficial to those already married (albeit, not unhelpful to those who are about to get married).  But for any married person, this is a very helpful and beneficial read. It certainly helped me in my marriage, and any book that points us back to Christ, what he did, and how that applies is certainly worth the time.


"Cor meum tibi offero, Domine, prompte et sincere."  

Monday, December 12, 2011

Finals Week

Things have been a bit stressful around here.  The pace of life has been relentless for the last month.  The last couple of weeks have seen a couple papers, a final project, and four final exams due in quick succession.  It has been some time since I have had to wrestle with this kind of stress.  I graduated from college in 2003 and I did not have children then.  These past few weeks have been a real learning experience in several ways.


First, and most obviously, I've learned and consolidated a lot of information during my preparation for finals.  My professors did an excellent job of choosing exam questions and assigning papers that underscored the major aspects of the lectures and readings that we had this semester.  


Secondly, I learned a lot about working in community (a big focus at the seminary).  In my beginning homiletics class, we had to write a sermon in a group of six.  The goal of this assignment was that we would teach each other, help each other understand more of the material, and to show us how to work together and compromise.  It was a good experience.  Our finished project is an interesting collection of different styles and diverse backgrounds.  Then, in my Introduction to Covenant Theology class, we took an oral exam as a group of three.  We learned to rely on and support each other, and to work for the benefit of the others in the group.  Both of these exercises help to prepare us for ministry.  In the future, as a member of a session, I must know how to work with others to lead the church.  These assignments are designed to begin to teach me these valuable skills.


Finally, I learned that my grades are not the only, or even most important thing.  There is certainly enough to do during finals that one could easily spend every waking moment studying, preparing for exams, and working on papers.  But, as a father and husband who is preparing for ministry, acing my exams while failing as a father and husband is not really preparation for ministry.  The qualification for being an elder is not academic brilliance, but faithfulness to one's calling, both as a Christian and as a husband or father (cf. 1 Timothy 3.1-7).  Not that I should be lazy and fail to work in my studies, but I should not study to the detriment of my family.  I am certainly not sure that I succeeded in living this out, but it is certainly a lesson for life in ministry that I will take out of the process.


As my first full-time semester at Covenant Theological Seminary comes to a close, I am thankful for all my professors and classmates who helped me learn these valuable lessons.  I am grateful to be at a place where teaching does not only occur in the classroom. I am thankful that the school is so focused on practical preparation for ministry and not just academic ability, while simultaneously pushing us to be scholars.  I am thankful that my family is patient with me as a learn to balance academics, family, and preparation for ministry.  Mostly, though, I'm thankful that my true worth is found in Christ, and not in my own efforts.



"Cor meum tibi offero, Domine, prompte et sincere."

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Creation Regained by Albert M. Wolters



Creation Regained by Albert M. Wolters is a short, 120 page book about the creation and how the fall affects it.  The edition that I have (pictured below) is updated with a 25 page postscript that updates this work a bit.

While this book is short, it does not want for depth.  Contained in its pages are a good bit of theological and philosophical terminology.  That does not mean the book is not worth the effort, but I imagine there are better primers for those new to books on Christian worldview.

The book is divided into five chapters.  Chapter one answers the question, "What is a world-view?"  Chapters 2-4 concern creation, fall, and redemption, respectively.  The final chapter is on "Structure and Direction."

This last chapter was, for me, the most interesting.  Wolters considers many of the structures that we encounter.  Structures are created institutions, things like family, government, education, society and the like.  These structures, in a post fall world, are not orientated in the way that should be.  The direction of these in a post fall world is not towards God and his glory, but away from God.  In other words, after the fall, all of society, all of creation, suffers under the curse.  But what is important for Wolters is the affirmation that these things, in and of themselves, are not evil.  Their orientation is wrong because fallen humans utilize them.  In redemption, these structures are being renewed.  Ultimately, at the consummation of the Kingdom, all will be renewed and glorify God.  

This short, albeit slightly technical, book is a good summary of the Dutch Neo-Calvinist/Kuyperian worldview.  I would not recommend it as an introduction to the topic, but for those interested in the subject it is a worthwhile and interesting read.  He does spend a little bit too much ink in the first few chapters fighting off a Lutheran sacred/secular dichotomy, but by the last chapter the book finds it stride and considers the subject positively instead of polemically.  Perhaps that is why the final chapter is by far the best and most interesting.  All in all, a book worth reading if your interest gravitate toward this subject.



"Cor meum tibi offero, Domine, prompte et sincere." 

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Greek

It seems appropriate, in light of the exam that I took yesterday, to write about the experience of taking first year Greek in seminary.  It is a right of passage for all first year seminary students.  A crucible to refine and soften us.  I have no military background, but I think the analogy of boot camp for your brain would be appropriate.  


It is a frustrating process.  The majority of the task is relentless memorization.  Memorization of vocabulary.  Memorization of noun declensions.  Memorization of verb inflection.  Memorization of rules.  Memorization of when to break the rules.  And worst of all, memorization of principal parts.

On the surface, this seems like a mere academic endeavor.  Sure, you get to know the feel and meaning of the New Testament more fully, but you don't need it to understand the Bible, especially with the many language tools available.  In fact, I imagine at some seminaries and graduate schools, Greek is mere academic exercise.  Here, though, things are different.

Two weeks ago I met with Dr. Bayer to discuss preparing for the exam.  While we talked about learning the language I mentioned how much I appreciated his exegetical insights and his wonderfully devotional prayers.  He responded by sharing the motivation that he and his colleagues share in the language classes.  Greek, he said, is not just about learning a language, but about building community as we study and struggle together.  It is about learning humility.  It is about managing stress and time.  It is about relying on God.  It is about our sanctification.

As much as I enjoy being able to read a Greek New Testament, and as valuable as that will prove in my ministry, the process of sanctification that I am going through and the peers who share that experience with me are the real benefits of learning the language.  I have made some very good friends as we study, struggle, and learn together.  These are relationships that will be with me long after the fourth principle part of ἐρκομαι has been lost somewhere in my memory.

I am truly blessed to have professors who see their task of getting facts into our heads as secondary to growing Jesus in our hearts.  I am blessed to have classmates and friends who encourage me when I'm down, motivate me when I'm tired, commiserate with me when I'm frustrated, and celebrate with me when I manage to pass a quiz or test.  Most of all, I'm thankful for a God who is my Father.  A Father who has graciously put people in my life who can help me see the spiritual benefit of a seemingly "academic" task.




"Cor meum tibi offero, Domine, prompte et sincere."

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Creation Care and My Friend Louie

This past Friday my family and I had to say goodbye to our cat, Louie.  He was the quintessential lap kitty who could always be counted on to keep us warm (even in the midst of summer).  He was certainly a scaredy-cat, but he was very friendly, and once he got to know you, he would let you pet him for hours on end.

Over the course of the last few weeks, Louie became very ill.  He was quickly loosing weight, had stopped eating, and there were some signs that there was something seriously wrong.  A visit to the vet confirmed that he had something, either a foreign object or a growth, that was causing him to bleed.  There was a chance that further expensive tests, surgeries, and treatments may reveal a method of treatment that could save him, but it would have been quite a difficult process.  With the serious discomfort our Louie would face, and because we could not afford a sustained, uncertain treatment plan, we made the difficult decision to let Louie go.

On Tuesday of this past week, Dr. Jay Sklar gave a lecture on Genesis 1-2.  Part of our discussion revolved around our duty as humans made in the image of God to care for His good creation.  We are to care for our earth, and the creatures in it, and facilitate its flourishing.  As I sat at the vet's office contemplating what would be best for our sick cat, I couldn't help but wonder if I was living up to our calling as God's vice-regents in creation.  I think Louie had a better life than most animals, and lived longer than he would have in the wild.  We tried make our home a good place for him, and fed and cared for him as best we could.  But nevertheless, the final days of his life make me wonder if we did all we could have done.

What is perhaps most clear in all of this, though, is the impact of Genesis 3.  This world does not work as it should.  Death has come to reign in the world though the rebellion and sin of our first parents.  We cannot live up to the calling of Genesis 1-2 because of the events of Genesis 3.

But there is great news to be found even in this.  God in His infinite grace and mercy has a plan to overcome our rebellion.  He is redeeming us through His Son, Jesus Christ, and through Him, all creation will be restored and made new.  As Paul says in Colossians 1.15-20:
 
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross." ESV


Praise be to God for the redemption He has given in His Son and the restoration of all His good creation.  As the end of the story says, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." -Revelation 21.4

Soli Deo gloria.

"Cor meum tibi offero, Domine, prompte et sincere."

Friday, November 4, 2011

A Lecture Worth Hearing

On Thursday at Covenant SeminaryDr. Sklar lectured on the Exodus community.  We are beginning to study hermeneutics.  Since the Pentateuch was written to the Exodus community, the professors want us to know and understand that community.  In so doing, we can better understand the text and how it related to its original audience.

We began our discussion with God's revelation of His name to Moses at the burning bush.  He is YHWH.  He is the God who is known by His action in the world.  He is the one who made promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  He promised Abraham in Genisis 12.1-3, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”


 As the Israelites in Egypt looked around, they could see that they were indeed a great nation.  If God kept this promise, surely He will keep the rest of the promises of His covenant.  The God of promise, Yahweh, is their king.  He is all-powerful.  He keeps His promises.  He is Israel's covenant-keeping God and Lord.

As they wandered out from Egypt into the desert and faced trials, they knew that they had a Sovereign, all-powerful God who had adopted them as His children.  As His children, they were to be about the Father's business.  As Dr. Williams said, "What God is doing in Abraham redemptively is what God intended to do with Adam creatively."  Israel was God's redeemed people.  They were part of His re-creation through a redeemed, covenant people.

Because God is who He is, each and every Israelite could look back to this event, the Exodus, and know that God keeps His promises.  They are to remember this during the Passover.  They are to confess the Lord's grace to them.  They are to remember His salvation.  They were called out of Egypt to the land, not just for rescue, but to do something.  They were to be a nation of priests, a holy nation.

The Exodus was God's great redemptive act for the nation of Israel in the Old Testament.  As this community received the Pentateuch, they were to look back on God's faithfulness to His covenant with Abraham and have faith that he would uphold His word.  And in that confidence, they were to be what Adam failed to be.

The Pentateuch, then, answers the questions of a people half way to the destination, a people wandering in the wilderness.  "How do we know we will inherit the promises?"  "How do we praise God?"  "What is a faithful member of the community?"  "What is a kingdom of priests?"  And most importantly, "Who is Yahweh?"

Today, there has been yet another great redemptive act of God.  God Himself has come to earth to be what Adam could not, and what Israel could not.  God, through Christ, was reconciling us to Himself.  Jesus fulfilled the promises made to Abraham.  He is the "seed" of the promise.  He has reconciled us to God and has made us, His church, a nation of priests, a holy nation.  And so we, like the Exodus community, are to be about our Father's business.  Out of love for God we are to live lives of service to Him.  We should live as a thankful people.  That thankfulness should cause us to live a life that is pleasing to Him.  As Calvin said in his Institutes, “Here indeed is pure and real religion: faith so joined with an earnest fear of God that this fear also embraces willing reverence, and carries with it such legitimate worship as is prescribed in the law." (1,2,2)

As Paul says in Romans 12.1, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."


"Cor meum tibi offero, Domine, prompte et sincere."

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges

Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges is a relatively short, easily readable, and very clear introduction to the Doctrines of Grace.  It is written at a popular level, but its reflective character and sincere exhortation make it a valuable read for any Christian.


In Transforming Grace, Bridges starts with some of the frustrations of the Christian life (a chapter called "The Performance Treadmill"), then demonstrates how God's grace is not just for our justification, but for our sanctification and our whole life as well.  He goes on to discuss the doctrines of God's free grace against the tendencies towards legalism and anti-nomianism, and shows in concrete ways how these doctrines apply to daily living.


If someone were to ask me what book I would give a new Christian to help them understand their salvation and God's grace towards them, I would be hard pressed to find a better, simpler, and more practical book than Transforming Grace.  There are certainly more technical works that go into much great depth, but as an overview, this book is very good.  As someone who is not new to the faith, I still found this book an encouraging reminder of the great salvation that we have in Christ.  This book is at its best when it causes you to sit back and marvel at the wonderful grace that God has shown his people.  This quality alone makes this book a worthwhile read.




"Cor meum tibi offero, Domine, prompte et sincere." 

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Finding a Church at Seminary

One of the things that new seminary students and families who move to seminary face is the search for a new church.    It can be an intimidating task.  Here in Saint Louis  there are twelve PCA churches with a Saint Louis address, and at least that many more in the greater Saint Louis area.  Add to that some good churches in other denominations, and the search for a church home can be daunting. In fact, there are students here who have been here a year and have not yet settled on a church.


We didn't want to be in that state of flux for that long.  We decided to do a few things to facilitate finding a good church home.  The first thing we did was decide that we were not going to look for a church with good scholarships for their seminary students.  If we happened to land at a church that did offer financial support for seminary students, great.  But that was certainly not the goal.  Secondly, because I am under care of the James River Presbytery, we wanted to stay in the PCA.  With those two things in mind, we began to talk with people that have lived here for awhile.  We told them about the type of church that we were looking for and visited churches based on their suggestions.  Finally, we decided that we would land when we found a church that fit, be it the first or twenty-first that we visited, provided that the church had the marks of a true church.


It would have been easy for us to be dissatisfied and to keep looking for a church that was exactly like the church we left, but you will almost never find that.  When we visited Covenant Presbyterian Church we found God-honoring worship and we heard the Gospel clearly preached.  Each member of the church was assigned to an elder to facilitate pastoral care.  The people were welcoming.  We were invited to a cook-out for seminary students, and the kids liked the nursery.  We decided to make Covenant our church home for the next four years, and have been blessed immensely during our first few months there.  We sincerely miss our church at home, and we are gladly keeping our full membership there, but we praise God that he has given us such a warm and wonderful body of believers with whom we can worship while here in St. Louis.




"Cor meum tibi offero, Domine, prompte et sincere."

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Words of Life by Timothy Ward

Timothy Ward's "Words of Life" is an excellent orientation to Bibliology.  Instead of jumping straight into a discussion of the traditional labels for the Bible in Systematic Theology, Ward works from the ground up.  He discusses the Bible's view of itself, then looks at this view in light of modern speech-act theory.  Next he develops a doctrine of Scripture from a Trinitarian and theological perspective.  Only after developing a Biblical and Theological view of the Bible does he begin to discuss it doctrinally, using the traditional categories of the Bible's necessity, sufficiency, clarity, and authority.  This is an extremely helpful method.  When we begin with the doctrine first, we miss the depth and breadth of these affirmations.  Working from the ground up makes these doctrines much more visceral and causes them to land with a greater impact.


Another helpful aspect of this work is Ward's decision to place the discussion of inerrancy as a subcategory in his discussion of the Bible's authority.  Evangelicals (myself included) often miss the point of the doctrine of inerrancy because we are quick to affirm it, but do not take the time to understand it.  Ward shows us that while inerrancy is important, it is an outworking of what the Bible is and does, and not vice versa.  As I heard it explained once, we hold that the Bible is inerrant because it is true, not that it is true because it is inerrant.


This is a very good, clear summary of the doctrine of the Bible.  It places the discussion in the modern linguistic discussion without loosing any of the historic orthodox doctrine of the Scripture.  Because of its contemporary voice, we will see if it has legs to last down through the years, but now, it is an excellent and helpful work.


"Cor meum tibi offero, Domine, prompte et sincere."

Stress and Contentment

I have been in seminary for about half a semester.  In those two months, I have learned that life in seminary is very stressful.  New seminarians face time pressure, financial pressure, academic pressure, and family pressure.   Many of us are coming from good careers into a world of uncertainty.

As I interact with talented professors and peers thoughts creep into my mind that question my sufficiency for the calling to vocational ministry.  There are many here who are better equipped than I, and I wonder if in four years time I will have done well enough to find a church calling.  There is no doubt that most of my peers would concur, seminary is stressful.

What is ironic about the stress of seminary, though, is that the remedy for this stress is preached to us daily.  In class, in chapel, at church, and in our reading seminarians are faced daily with the Gospel.  Our sufficiency in Christ is demonstrated daily.  The realization that we are never good enough is proclaimed and accepted.

In the first lecture in my beginning homiletics class, Dr. Chapell highlighted this.  It is not until we realize our insufficiency that we will be able to preach with any efficiency.  If I do not know that I need God's grace, I'll never be able to proclaim that grace to others.

As I stay up until after midnight studying, or wake up at 5:00am to review paradigms, I must remember that I am not here working for myself.  I am here working for Christ, His kingdom, and His church.
"Cor meum tibi offero, Domine, prompte et sincere."

Sunday, October 9, 2011

My heart I offer

In my first systematic theology class at Covenant Seminary, one of my professors suggested that each of us in the class choose one modern, and one ancient pastor/theologian as mentors.  His intention is that we get to know two of our fathers in the faith as intimately as possible.  Mostly, this means that we read everything that they put on paper.

I am still undecided about the modern theologian (any suggestions would be welcome), but I knew straight away who the ancient would be:  John Calvin.

I first became acquainted with Calvin's work during my undergrad.  I didn't really read him until the summer of 2010 when I started reading the Institutes.  Instead of the stodgy, rationalistic, ethereal man I expected to find, I found a passionate pastor who loved the Bible.  He is brilliant, to be sure, but his writting is pastoral and deep.  It takes some time and work to read him, separated as we are by nearly 500 years and different languages, but the effort is worth it.

The title of this blog is "My heart I offer."  I took this from Calvin's motto, "My heart I offer, Lord, promptly and sincerely."  For me that is a prayer and a goal.

This blog will contain reflections.  Here I hope to reflect on theology, on life at seminary, and on preparation for the ministry.  It may be a bit amorphous at the beginning, and as schoolwork piles up, my blogs may be sporadic as well.  In all of it, though, I hope it will live up to the title.

My heart I offer, Lord, quickly and sincerely.