Trivial Pursuits

I read a quote today that was quite startling and goes along with a previous post about why the church doesn’t seem to care about learning the Bible (OT especially):

“For centuries, theologians have been explaining the unknowable in terms of the-not-worth-knowing.” - HL Mencken

Of course people aren’t interested in learning more about the Bible—they haven’t been shown why it matters or what the benefit is. They see knowledge dispensed with no real impact on their daily lives. In a “me first” culture, people must first come to a realization about why studying the Bible for its depth affects them positively. They don’t care about a bunch of interesting (at least in our minds) factoids. They want convincing that studying the Bible is worth the time and energy. I think deep down people do want to grow, but they need a reason to try.

It is like someone who becomes overweight and doesn’t care until they have a heart attack. Then they realize the need for proper diet and work. Or it is like a senior in high school who does not pay attention in algebra class, missing the formulas and concepts needed to balance equations, thinking that there is no need to know these things since s/he is exempt from the final. Only to find out a week before said final that s/he will be forced to take it, and failure on the test will result in failure to graduate.

Our churches are full of spiritually overweight and uninterested people. Blissful ignorance like that found in the student permeates our sanctuaries. But leaders do little to correct such faults if we dispense the truths of the Bible like Trivial Pursuit answers. And the result is church full of people whose spiritual pursuits are just that—trivial

The First Day

Well my first day of teaching came and went without incident…well, mostly. They seem to be your average college freshman—not wanting to do a lot of work, figuring they will be bored out of their minds, etc. Perhaps the most tell-tell thing of what I am dealing with came from a young lady who thought that sunglasses were appropriate indoors. I had put the question out there, “Why haven’t you had much interaction with the Old Testament?” I assumed a variety of answers would come, and they did. But she was the first to speak:

“Ugh. We’re all human and the Old Testament is b-oring. Right? (looking around)”

Ah yes. I can’t wait until we tackle the Kings. She will be loving it. Another girl stated that her interaction with the OT was limited because at church they learned mostly about Jesus and the NT. I responded, “So you attribute it to a deficiency on the part of your churches?” She was quick to tell me “No.” But in reality, that is the root of the problem. Our churches fail to give the whole picture of God’s interaction with humanity. It is so easy for preachers to rip a Pauline saying out of context, or retell a parable of Jesus, and we congregations miss the richness of the entire Bible. Well, my major goal is to convey the OT to at least these students in a new, exciting, and hopefully long lasting way that will stick with them.

With Fear and Trembling...

“I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.”
1 Corinthians 2:3-5

It is with a decent amount of trepidation that I begin this day. It is the first day of the Fall Semester at Milligan College. And this is not just any semester, but one in which I have been conscribed to mold young Christian minds in the faith. I have been charged with teaching Old Testament Survey to incoming freshmen students. It will be their first class and for many it will be the first taste of thinking outside the conservative, Sunday School box of Christianity.

It is my charge to set the foundation for the rest of the students’ learning while at the school. A lofty task if you ask me. And perhaps what scares me the most is not that I will be unable to answer a question, or that I do not know everything about the Old Testament, but that I will not properly convey the information, causing a crisis of faith in these spiritually immature minds, leading them down the dark road of apostasy.

I am indebted to many who have shaped me and patiently worked with me through the difficulties of the Old Testament. I think of Dr. Paul Kissling who would not let me leave GLCC with the same stubborn pride that I came in with. I think of Dr. Chris Rollston who could explain the contradictory, difficult material of Old Testament in such a way that I could wrap my brain around it.

May God use me to be the first step on a stairway that leads closer to Him, and not further away.

The Apprentice

**Adapted from a Reality TV lesson series for my youth group this summer**

“If you don't go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don't deserve me.” Matthew 10:38 (Msg)

Jesus calls us all to be His apprentice. To follow after Him. To learn from Him. To be His disciples. He says that if you want to be called a Christian, you must be a disciple—an apprentice.

Accepting Christ is like accepting a job in Trump’s Corporation. You are committing to Jesus’ organization—the kingdom of God. You say that you believe in what Christ stands for, in the goals He is trying to accomplish, in expanding the kingdom of God. It isn’t about making money, or building huge skyscrapers. It is about spreading love. It is imitating Christ’s example. It is about using what you learn and who you are to change the world.

But Jesus doesn’t just choose one person or a few people. Jesus’ kingdom is made up of thousands and millions of apprentices. Every person who believes in Christ is an apprentice. Jesus doesn’t want some apprentices and some people who just file paperwork. He wants every one of us to make an impact in His kingdom by becoming more like Him.

Being a Christian doesn’t end when we accept Christ and are baptized. Being a Christian isn’t just about obeying the 10 commandments. Being a Christian is about becoming like Christ. About learning from Him to become who He wants us to be. Being a Christian is about being His apprentice. May we seek out ways to become more like Christ in everything we do so that we may see His kingdom expand and grow.

Baby Dedication

Yesterday for Elijah’s 1st birthday party we had a baby dedication service included in it. I am not overly big on them, but it was nice nonetheless. The following are some snippits from it with some thoughts to follow:

To Sam & Carrie: We are so glad that you bring Elijah today, sharing your joy with us! You are parents! This child=s life indeed reveals God=s gracious blessing. As Samuel was to Elkanah and Hannah, so Elijah Samuel is to you.

Your heavenly father entrusts Elijah to you. This child=s physical and emotional care matter deeply to God, but his spiritual nurture is even more significant! Will you, as believers, choose to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength?
Sam & Carrie: We will.

To Sam & Carrie: The Lord commands believers to impress the love of God upon their children, talking about God=s commandments at home, teaching God=s grace. As parents, will you live in such a way that Elijah understands both holiness and forgiveness?
Sam & Carrie: We will.

To Sam & Carrie: Do you pledge that you will prepare Elijah=s spirit so that he may one day choose Christ as his own Savior?
Sam & Carrie: We will.

To Elijah:
Welcome, baby Elijah! Sam and Carrie chose this name specifically because of its meaning. Elijah means “My God is Yahweh.” Samuel means “Asked of God.” May this be your heritage as well. May serving God always be your life’s goal and may you have such a strong relationship with Him that you can come before him in confidence and be willing to respond to His calling.
_____________________________________________________________

There are a few things that struck me from it. First, the calling to “live in such a way that Elijah understands both holiness and forgiveness” struck me as profound. The paradox of perfection and grace has always intrigued me. But now with a child it is even more interesting. How do I teach my child to strive for holiness and at the same time be willing to forgive and be forgiven? I guess that is something I will figure out.
The second thing was the call to “prepare Elijah=s spirit so that he may one day choose Christ as his own Savior.” Too many Christians just inherit their parents’ faiths. At the same time, I can’t force my child to believe and live out his faith. Instead, I can just prepare the soil, and let God do the growing.
Finally, the last thing with the names. That is the only part that Carrie and I wrote. It meant the most to us because his namesake was involved. If he can live up to his name, I will have done my job as a parent.

An Anniversary

Today is a special day in my household. Though some of you may realize that it is the 1-year anniversary of this blog, an even more important event has taken place—my son turns 1 year old today. I am not sure how the beginning of my blog and his birthday coincided, but that is just the way it goes.

I started this blog with the hopes of ironing out some of my theological quandaries and questions. I termed this blog “Second Call” because I wanted to reexamine my relationship with the Savior. It was as if God was calling me a second time to follow Him. But I never thought that “Second Call” or even my first calling would mean taking care of a baby. I grew up thinking I would have an office job somewhere, put in my 9 hours, and then go home to see my family. But life doesn’t always turn out as we think it will—sometimes it is better.

It has been my privilege and honor to take care of Elijah. He’s something else. As he grows and his body and personality change, I see him take on various qualities and his mother and me. And through this little baby, I learn new things about myself too. I haven’t ironed out all the rough spots in my theology. In fact, I haven’t written much on this blog for quite a while. I guess I haven’t had the time or desire. Spending most of my time with this little guy seems to far outweigh being viewed in the ranks of Calvin, Luther, or Augustine.

I hope to keep thinking about spiritual things—it keeps me sane most of the time. But I hope that God uses this time with Elijah to reveal new mysteries about Him—ones I could not comprehend by just reading His Word and thinking upon it, but by experiencing His Creation, both great and small.