episode 1

It was raining on a Saturday morning and I was bored. Therefore, I am happy to introducing episode 1 of ???:

make room on the bandwagon?

Apparently, while I still can’t figure out exactly what the so-called ‘emerging church’ is, I am a member.

A friend (if you haven’t checked out peoplelaunching.com, you should) found this sporty theological quiz that puts you in your percentile according to several major theological positions.

In several twists of irony, I scored high in the ‘emergent/post-modern’ category and also in the ‘evangelical holiness/ Wesleyan category’:

1) The emergent score is ironic because, as I mentioned in a previous post, everything I read about the ‘emerging church’ tells me what it is not. I have just about finished Brian McLaren’s book, A Generous Orthodoxy. While I appreciate some of the points he makes, I wonder what-in-the-world his ideal church would look like. It kind of sounds like he empties the bucket: bathwater, soapy residue, baby, etc. I must have scored high on emergent because I think the church should be involved in social action.

2) The Wesleyan score is ironic because I had to write a comparitive paper on the Wesleyan view of sanctification and, though I appreciated some of what Wesley was teaching, I could not go all the way with his view of possible, total sanctification. I guess I scored high here because, though works don’t save us, I do believe they serve to ‘prove’ our faith. I think we need to take the book of James more seriously that we do.

So, when you get a chance, go ahead and take the survey. It is good to ask yourself how you weigh your doctrinal positions.

Here’s my full score:

What’s your theological worldview?
created with QuizFarm.com

graduation goodtimes

This weekend, I graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary. The ceremony was well-done and the keynote speaker was very well-spoken and motivating. I really enjoyed my time studying at DTS and would recommend my program (M.A.C.M) to anyone interested in missions.

That evening some friends and family came to the casa for some goodtimes. Rather than tell you about it, here are a few photo highlights. All the photos are on flickr.

upcoming Sudan trip

In July, I will have the opportunity to go to Kenya and Sudan. I will be joining a team from Fellowship Church in Dallas that is going to Malakal, Sudan with a ministry called A.L.A.R.M. to assist with a pastor’s conference that will take place. The trip is being led by our friends, Taylor and Allison, who are also currently raising support to serve with SIM in Sudan. So this trip is a summer “mission trip”, but it is, for Taylor, Allison and myself, an exploratory trip in the country we are hoping to serve.

Malakal, Sudan is the town in which SIM would like to set up its Sudan base, if possible. During the trip this summer, our team will spend 5 days in Malakal. However, Taylor and I will stay in Malakal when our team leaves at the end of the week. We will take this time to try and get a feel for the infrastructure of this town and other villages in this part of Sudan. Malakal has a very nice airport… relatively. I am hoping to get over to the airport and take a look around and talk to some people about the cost of fuel and landing fees, etc.

Part of Taylor’s goal for the extended portion of this trip is to capture video and photographs of this part of Sudan, particularily SIM’s involvment in the rebuilding effort. He will use this A/V material to begin to put together some of the videos and publications that can be used to help raise awareness about what SIM is trying to help the Sudanese church do.

This trip is expensive due to plane tickets. The cost is going to be about $4500 (almost $4,000 of which is our plane ticket to Kenya and then charter tickets in and out of Sudan). SIM has approved this trip as an exploratory trip for our future ministry. So, the cost will be rolled into our one-time outgoing expenses. If are interested in assisting in covering the cost of this trip, you can give online or contact me and I will send you more information.

Ginna, unfortunately, will not be able to come because she needs to save her time off for her maternity leave… and the idea of being in Sudan eight months pregnant didn’t sound smart. So, please keep our team in your prayers as we prepare for this trip. I will take my camera and will hopefully post a plethora of pictures of the places we are hoping to serve.

heaven is a place on earth?

I don’t want to trivialize the content of this post by giving it the same title as a cheesy 80’s love song, but I couldn’t help myself. The content of this discussion (as I hope some readers will respond) is important to me and, I think, to the church as a whole. I am seeking to gain a proper understanding of the biblical concept of “the new heavens and new earth”. What will eternity? There are a couple reasons for my interest in this study:

1) It began in my last class at Dallas Seminary which, ironically, was eschatology (the study of the end times). Going into the class, I had many questions about the timing and specifics of the rest of human history. Some people seem so sure about the way everything will turn out, and I was trying to figure out how they knew all this. Some of you may know that DTS is famous (our infamous) for some of their particular views. (I refuse to use the ‘D’ word because I have found that too many of the people who actually know what ‘it’ is are only interested in defending or disproving it. So, if they won’t budge and no one else even knows what ‘it’ is, what’s the point of talking about ‘it’?) However, in this class, my teacher took a position that pleasantly surprised me. He was not dogmatic about his interpretation of the particulars, and was not overly concerned about making us accept his interpretations. He was much more concerned about seeing the big picture of what God is doing in human/redemptive history. This was refreshing. In this class, we began with Genesis, which was pretty low in the list of books (such as Daniel and Revelation) I thought we would muck around in. The point our professor developed was that the beginning should tell us something about the end because we believe in a purposeful, sovereign God. He continued to reiterate that this world is “not as it should be”, but it is also not how it will end up. This is a painfully short synopsis of our professor’s point, but I am trying to keep this short.

1) Next, I have been studying several of the points that were brought up during my recent ordination examination. I was questioned as to the timing and details of where we go when we die and how all that works out. I had to admit that I am not exactly sure how all of that works out. My hang-up was/is this: There are passages that teach that a believer goes immediately from death to the presence of God (c.f. Luke 16:22; 23:43 ). But, there is also teaching that the “dead in Christ” or “those who are asleep” are waiting for the Resurrection that will occur with the imminent return of Christ (c.f. 1 Cor. 15:20-24; 1 Thes. 4:16) So, are believers who have passed away in the presence of God or ’sleeping’ waiting the resurrection? What will that resurrection involve? What will heaven, in its final state, look like?

3) Finally, a friend recently suggested I listen to a message by Rob Bell, pastor of Mars Hill Fellowship, dealing with heaven. Rob began by dealing with Old Testament expectation of what the end will involve. He begins in Isaiah 65, and focuses on how the “new heavens and new earth” will be a recreation of the earth. Isaiah paints a picture of an earth that is not too dissimilar to what we now know, except for its lack of pain, weeping, crying, death, anguish, toil and fruitlessness. Bell draws from this and other texts and suggests that eternity will be a physical, earthly reality in which we live on the earth that finally functions the way it was made to function.

All of these have sent me back into the Scriptures seeking a Biblical understanding of what heaven is now and what it will be like for eternity. Specifically, what are we to make of the idea of a “new heavens and new earth”? How do these biblical teachings of a “new earth” coalesce with Jesus telling us he is “going to prepare a place for us” and with passages that speak of believers as “aliens and strangers” here who are just passing through?

Here, in my estimation, is the crux. Our understanding of what heaven is like can affect how we deal with the earth. Are we to have an ‘evacuation theology’ in which we are waiting to get out of here and get to our mansion in the sky? Or are we to have a ‘recreation theology’ in which we are looking for God to return to earth and make all things new? Is heaven a place in the clouds somewhere that we will enjoy in a way totally different that our lives now? Or will heaven be similar to the garden of Eden, where we have spiritual and physical bodies and live in a world that is finally ruled completely and totally by its Creator?

These are some of the questions I am seeking understanding on. I feel they are important because they affect they way we live and interact in our world. As always, I would welcome your thoughts.

marriage, fatherhood and ordination

Last weekend, while at my home church Calvary Bible Church in Neenah, Wisconsin, I went through the ordination process prescribed by the leaders of my church. It was a great experience. [I have included some details about the proceedings at the end of this post, as I am not sure the details matter to many of you.*] But, as I have been thinking about the gravity of this proceeding and what it means, I think it invokes many of the same feelings and thoughts that marriage did…and I suspect fatherhood might.

First of all, these three things (marriage, ordination and, I think, fatherhood) all place upon a person a responsibility that is hard to truly grasp until it is upon you. Sure, you do a whole lot of prep work to prepare yourself for what you are about to tackle. But, honestly, how can you really know what it is like until it is ‘too late’ (not to make it sound negative)? I’m sure most married folk can remember that time when you finally begin to grasp the commitment that you have made and what it will entail to carry it out. I certainly don’t regret any of these events, but I am quite sure I didn’t (or don’t) completely know what I was getting into.

Secondly, I find myself feeling like I might have snuck through the cracks. Sometimes I wonder if I caught Ginna in a season of indiscretion when she said ‘yes’ (albeit after a long pause) when I asked her to marry me. Similarly, I find myself wondering if the leaders of our church were being nice, sympathetic or banking on a lot of polishing as they ordained me to a ministry for the gospel of Christ. I am quite sure that, if the Lord allows us the chance to see our little child, I will find myself asking if there was a screening process that I somehow missed or forgot.

The cool thing about all of these is watching how God, in His grace, provides the strength, patience and discernment to allow us to follow through on these life-changing steps that we couldn’t possibly have completely prepared for. That is what I am banking on…for my marriage, for our ministry and eventually as a daddy. I suppose we are headed for disaster if, the week after the wedding, ordination or childbirth, we are still convinced we have everything figured out.

* For those who do want some details about the process of ordination, as carried out by my home church, here you go:

- In preparation for this weekend, I prepared my personal doctrinal statement. In its current form, it consists of 8 points summarizing my understanding of the teachings of Scripture as it pertains to: God, God’s Word, Creation, Mankind, Salvation, the Church, the Second Coming of Christ and Eternity. This document was then sent to all the members of the ordination council, several weeks before, for their review and preparation.

- The event itself consisted of questions from the council on each of the doctrinal points. The council members were elders and pastors of the church and also a veteran missionary from our church. The questions ranged from epistemology to eschatology and everything in between.

- After almost 3 hours, Ginna and I were asked to leave while the council discussed whether to ordain me and also what areas and ways they would suggest I place specific emphasis on as we continue our training.

-Eventually, they called us back in, announced their decision to ordain me and then spent time in prayer for us and our ministry.

- It was a really neat time. Many of those on the council and in attendance were very influential in my spiritual development. Sunday school teachers, elementary teachers, youth leaders, friends and my dad were all there to participate in this process. It was a very meaningful time for me, and also for Ginna, and gave us great purpose and focus as we move forward in our preparation to go to Africa.