One Tuesday last spring, I had to make an early morning grocery run and ended up in the checkout line right behind a young, ringless, tired-looking girl buying a pregnancy test.
Knowing the statistics for abortion in this country, it would've been naive not to wonder if -- depending on the revelation of the contents of that box -- an abortion was in her future.
I thought of saying something to her, but no words came. And no words came when I got home and tried to make sense of my thoughts in writing.
Now I know what I wish I had written.
I wish I had written this movie:
I wouldn't call it a pro-life movie so much as a pro-love movie (by love I mean "charity," like the KJV Paul and Jonathan Edwards).
Made me think about how the fruit of the Spirit can be worked out -- not hypothetically or ideally, but in our real-life interactions with the people around us -- even when life's realities are ugly and hard to accept.
One commentator on a blog I read said, "This is what Christian film should be." I think he's right.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Encouragement From the Life of John Newton
I was blessed with a copy of The Roots of Endurance this past weekend. Not to be delayed with any prefatory or introductory material, I quickly opened to the section on John Newton and read about the fruit of God's grace in the life of a sailor/slave-trader turned pastor/hymn writer.
God's grace poured out on Newton produced in him a genuine love for others that effected in him "habitual tenderness." Piper quotes Newton's own words in describing the life of a believer:
Piper tells stories of lives impacted by the kindness and tenderness displayed in Newton's life (if you want to read the short biographical account, stop by the church and I'll loan you the book). One man, who at first made fun of Newton, gave testimony of the impact of Newton's habitual kindness saying, "His discourse so comforted and edified me, that my heart, being by this means relieved from its burden, became susceptible of affection for him." That man was led not only to have affection for Newton, but experienced the kindness of our God and Savior and later served as pastor to the church where Newton pastored before moving London. Newton's tenderness led people to experience the grace of God for themselves.
May Newton's life and words call us to action this week:
1. Let's know much of God's love (stay in His word and in prayer);
2. Let's display the tenderness of our kind King in our interaction with others.
May God use us to show His kindness, tenderness, love and grace to those around us this week!
God's grace poured out on Newton produced in him a genuine love for others that effected in him "habitual tenderness." Piper quotes Newton's own words in describing the life of a believer:
"He believes and feels his own weakness and unworthiness, and lives upon the grace and pardoning love of his Lord. This gives him an habitual tenderness and gentleness of spirit. Humble under a sense of much forgiveness to himself, he finds it easy to forgive others."Newton, captivated by God's love for him, was willingly and joyfully bound to love all with whom he came in contact. Newton said, "Whoever...has tasted of the love of Christ, and has known, by his own experience, the need and the worth of redemption, is enabled, Yea, he is constrained, to love his fellow creatures. He loves them at first sight." It was said about him, "Mr. Newton could live no longer than he could love."
Piper tells stories of lives impacted by the kindness and tenderness displayed in Newton's life (if you want to read the short biographical account, stop by the church and I'll loan you the book). One man, who at first made fun of Newton, gave testimony of the impact of Newton's habitual kindness saying, "His discourse so comforted and edified me, that my heart, being by this means relieved from its burden, became susceptible of affection for him." That man was led not only to have affection for Newton, but experienced the kindness of our God and Savior and later served as pastor to the church where Newton pastored before moving London. Newton's tenderness led people to experience the grace of God for themselves.
May Newton's life and words call us to action this week:
1. Let's know much of God's love (stay in His word and in prayer);
2. Let's display the tenderness of our kind King in our interaction with others.
May God use us to show His kindness, tenderness, love and grace to those around us this week!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
On Secret Atheism
Psalm 14:1 says, "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who understand, who seek after God."
In 1682, Stephen Charnock wrote a series of Discourses on the Existence and Attributes of God. His words are still relevant. He begins by noticing from Psalm 14 that evil practices flow directly from disbelief, and that the man who says there is no God smothers in himself those things that call for belief in the Divine.
Sometimes its easy to notice the outright atheism that declares boldly "there is no God," while ignoring behavior that points to disbelief in my life. Charnock says, "Yet there is something of a secret atheism in all, which is the fountain of the evil practices in their lives, not an utter disowning of the being of a God, but a denial or doubting of some of the rights of his nature."
The life of faith is not simply believing that God exists, but believing what the Bible says about God's nature and living in light of that revelation. God's word tells us He has made a way for sinners to made right, by faith we throw ourselves on His grace and ask for forgiveness because of what Christ has done. God's word also tells us that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). What is the response of faith? Check out 2 Corinthians 7:1 (maybe read 2 Corinthians 6:16-18 for context).
Reading Charnock's thoughts I have been encouraged take three measures against what Charnock calls the "atheistic bubblings" within a man's heart:
1. to know God; to know His nature well,
2. to notice areas where my behavior points to unbelief - behaving in a way that shows I don't really believe what the Bible says about who God is (for example, if I believe God is pure, insists on purity, and knows my thoughts, my thoughts should be pure),
3. and to fight that disbelief by reading more about who God is in His word then asking the Spirit to help me live in light of that revelation.
In 1682, Stephen Charnock wrote a series of Discourses on the Existence and Attributes of God. His words are still relevant. He begins by noticing from Psalm 14 that evil practices flow directly from disbelief, and that the man who says there is no God smothers in himself those things that call for belief in the Divine.
Sometimes its easy to notice the outright atheism that declares boldly "there is no God," while ignoring behavior that points to disbelief in my life. Charnock says, "Yet there is something of a secret atheism in all, which is the fountain of the evil practices in their lives, not an utter disowning of the being of a God, but a denial or doubting of some of the rights of his nature."
The life of faith is not simply believing that God exists, but believing what the Bible says about God's nature and living in light of that revelation. God's word tells us He has made a way for sinners to made right, by faith we throw ourselves on His grace and ask for forgiveness because of what Christ has done. God's word also tells us that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). What is the response of faith? Check out 2 Corinthians 7:1 (maybe read 2 Corinthians 6:16-18 for context).
Reading Charnock's thoughts I have been encouraged take three measures against what Charnock calls the "atheistic bubblings" within a man's heart:
1. to know God; to know His nature well,
2. to notice areas where my behavior points to unbelief - behaving in a way that shows I don't really believe what the Bible says about who God is (for example, if I believe God is pure, insists on purity, and knows my thoughts, my thoughts should be pure),
3. and to fight that disbelief by reading more about who God is in His word then asking the Spirit to help me live in light of that revelation.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
food for your worldview
Yesterday I finished the last in a sermon series by John Piper called Spectacular Sins and Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ.
I know that everybody is busy and that it is hard to find the time to listen to a one-hour sermon (much less seven one-hour sermons), but I think that this series would help each of us to deal with questions and doubts that we encounter both in our own minds and as we share Christ with others.
Two things that I especially appreciated about this series were (1) the continual assurance that God is bigger than any bad things that happen in the world, and that He has the final say so that His purpose ALWAYS prevails, and (2) the holistic picture of God's redemptive plan from creation to eternity; this plugged in very well with our study of the Old Testament in Sunday school.
All seven sermons are great, but here are three in particular that helped me:
The Pride of Babel and the Praise of Christ
The Sinful Origin of the Son of David
Judas Iscariot, the Suicide of Satan, and the Salvation of the World
I know that everybody is busy and that it is hard to find the time to listen to a one-hour sermon (much less seven one-hour sermons), but I think that this series would help each of us to deal with questions and doubts that we encounter both in our own minds and as we share Christ with others.
Two things that I especially appreciated about this series were (1) the continual assurance that God is bigger than any bad things that happen in the world, and that He has the final say so that His purpose ALWAYS prevails, and (2) the holistic picture of God's redemptive plan from creation to eternity; this plugged in very well with our study of the Old Testament in Sunday school.
All seven sermons are great, but here are three in particular that helped me:
The Pride of Babel and the Praise of Christ
Genesis 11:1-9
Answers questions about God's plan in creating many tongues, tribes, and nations.
Answers questions about God's plan in creating many tongues, tribes, and nations.
The Sinful Origin of the Son of David
1 Samuel 12:1-25
If Israel sinned in asking for a king, how come there were already prophesies of the Redeemer coming through a kingly line?
If Israel sinned in asking for a king, how come there were already prophesies of the Redeemer coming through a kingly line?
Judas Iscariot, the Suicide of Satan, and the Salvation of the World
Luke 22:1-6
Who was in charge at Jesus' betrayal?
Who was in charge at Jesus' betrayal?
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
further up and further in
Tonight I received a wonderful gift.
An old legal writing professor of mine gave me 40 minutes of phone time brimming with her wisdom, experience, and encouragement for a class I teach. Some of the things that she mentioned made me want to shout "Yes! I am not the only person to have experienced that!" And some of the advice she gave answered questions that I hadn't even thought to ask.
As we talked, I thought about two things. First, we share a kinship from being on the same path. And, second, she has a lot of wisdom from being further along.
The most valuable part of our phone conversation, though, is that we're not only on the same path of legal-writing-professor-hood. My old professor and I are both on the path of being a disciple of Christ.
We talked about doing all to the glory of God, and what that means when you teach part time and don't feel like you can give each project the attention perfection would require. She told me about how she came to realize that her stress in grading assignments wasn't inappropriate to bring up for prayer by her friends at church. She encouraged me to pray over my workload, realizing that my responsibilities are a stewardship before God.
We share a kinship from being on the same path. And she has a lot of wisdom from being further along.
The blessing I received in my professor's gift shouldn't have come as a surprise. God built Christian community this way. Part of what my professor was doing tonight was fulfilling a Titus 2 role of teaching a younger woman how to walk -- in the midst of real-life problems -- on the path of discipleship. Part of what she was doing was imparting some of the counsel and wisdom Solomon talked so much about in Proverbs. Part of what she was doing was being a mentor, like Paul was to Timothy -- pointing out the things that are trustworthy in a world where there are so many choices.
Tonight I received a gift. But my professor wasn't the giver. She was the channel. My gift came from my Father, Who gives every good and perfect gift.
Are you putting yourself in a position to receive this gift? Are you "plugged in" with someone who is walking the same path as you, but is further along?
Your parents may be a good start. And in your area of study, or in your chosen career, do you have a mentor who would be willing to share experiences with you? Someone you can call with question, or whose life stories you can glean for experience of God's direction and faithfulness?
If not, these are some things to pray for. And, if so, these are precious gifts that call for songs of thanksgiving.
An old legal writing professor of mine gave me 40 minutes of phone time brimming with her wisdom, experience, and encouragement for a class I teach. Some of the things that she mentioned made me want to shout "Yes! I am not the only person to have experienced that!" And some of the advice she gave answered questions that I hadn't even thought to ask.
As we talked, I thought about two things. First, we share a kinship from being on the same path. And, second, she has a lot of wisdom from being further along.
The most valuable part of our phone conversation, though, is that we're not only on the same path of legal-writing-professor-hood. My old professor and I are both on the path of being a disciple of Christ.
We talked about doing all to the glory of God, and what that means when you teach part time and don't feel like you can give each project the attention perfection would require. She told me about how she came to realize that her stress in grading assignments wasn't inappropriate to bring up for prayer by her friends at church. She encouraged me to pray over my workload, realizing that my responsibilities are a stewardship before God.
We share a kinship from being on the same path. And she has a lot of wisdom from being further along.
The blessing I received in my professor's gift shouldn't have come as a surprise. God built Christian community this way. Part of what my professor was doing tonight was fulfilling a Titus 2 role of teaching a younger woman how to walk -- in the midst of real-life problems -- on the path of discipleship. Part of what she was doing was imparting some of the counsel and wisdom Solomon talked so much about in Proverbs. Part of what she was doing was being a mentor, like Paul was to Timothy -- pointing out the things that are trustworthy in a world where there are so many choices.
Tonight I received a gift. But my professor wasn't the giver. She was the channel. My gift came from my Father, Who gives every good and perfect gift.
Are you putting yourself in a position to receive this gift? Are you "plugged in" with someone who is walking the same path as you, but is further along?
Your parents may be a good start. And in your area of study, or in your chosen career, do you have a mentor who would be willing to share experiences with you? Someone you can call with question, or whose life stories you can glean for experience of God's direction and faithfulness?
If not, these are some things to pray for. And, if so, these are precious gifts that call for songs of thanksgiving.
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