What are They Teaching These Kids? - Daunting Questions from the Seventh Grade

Like Dorothy, who mused to her dust-mop-like mutt:  "this isn't Kansas anymore, Toto!" - I realized that our kids were definitely not in the public school system anymore when my daughter posed a question:

"Are we Predestination or Free Will?"

She posed the question to me after intercepting a call to her mother's cell phone.

A few years back, I think I could have given my daughter - who incidentally just became a teenager last week - a very good answer to that question.  However, I am fifty years old and I find that I am less sure of anything these days.

 I was reared in a free-will theology, a great deal of my grandfather's preaching centered on the free-moral agency of man.  But, he was also a throw-back from the older era of Wesleyan circuit riders, in which it was not uncommon for the audience of a differing theological persuasion than the preacher.  He didn't seem to mind speaking to groups that might buck some of his doctrinal notions.

One of the few sermons that I remember him preaching was from the 6th chapter of the book of Esther:  "On that night could not the king sleep...".  As he worked through the story of Esther that night in the small church in LaFayette, Georgia, he stopped the sermon and announced that if anyone there was of the Predestination persuasion they were welcome at that point to dismiss themselves.

It was a joke, but the handful of people in that little church just sat there in stunned silence.  In his long history of preaching to non-traditional crowds Grand-dad had often ministered to groups that were well-decided about the origins of their faith.  In this case, he was about to agree with the predestination folks as he explained how God neatly brought all of the loose ends of that story into a neat knot.

I recorded that sermon and listened to it many times through the years.  The book of Esther became one of my favorites.  I really think that that sermon had a strong influence on my thinking, causing me to develop a deep appreciation for the sovereignty of God.

That deeply held awareness of the sovereignty of God over every situation was one of the things that drew me to a Presbyterian church based in the Reformed Theology just a few years ago.

My age, my long-held history in a free will Pentecostal church, and a felt need to be transparent with my family about where I am in this transition - all left me with no simple answers for my daughter.

Since entering the Presbyterian church, I have spent over three years mostly listening.  It helps that Presbyterians are very intentional about their worship (nothing is done without purpose) and that we have a pastor who takes the time to explain most every aspect about our worship that may be unique.

It also helps that last year my daughter completed a somewhat grueling Communicants program in the church.  It was designed to develop critical thinking and a clear understanding of the foundations of faith as this group of sixth-graders study and apply each of the 107 questions and answers of the Westminster Shorter Catechism.

I am so thankful that my daughter would ask such a question - that she is thinking along those lines; and also that her teachers care enough about her relationship with the Redeemer that they would plant it in her mind.

Uncle Roy

I cannot go through a Christmas season without thinking of Uncle Roy.  Though only brothers-in-law, he and my Dad were best buddies. Roy was part preacher and part gypsy.  He loved to buy, sell and trade and his favorite item was the thing he just bought.

He gave the appearance of tending to love "trading" churches too, since Roy didn't tend to stay very long at most places he pastored.  However, that was the "appearance" - in fact, he was quite a hand at step into troubled situations and turning them around. When the operations were running smoothly again - Roy would move on. 

He and Dad were always the hub of the commotion that was our family holiday gatherings.  They loved to discuss and debate and "carry on" as we would say; those two had a tremendous effect on the volume and hilarity of any celebration.

Roy had grown up in a rough environment and when he came to Christ, the change was overwhelming!  He used to joke that he knew so little about the Bible that some of his early sermons came from the book of "PALMS" (instead of Psalms).

At some point Roy completed the Dale Carnegie Course and that, too had a huge effect on his future.

Roy was also an accomplished speaker, addressing banquets and other dinner gatherings.  So he always had a ready supply of amusing stories and didn't mind repeating them.  Many of those stories still come up every Christmas when my family gets together.

Speaking of Christmas, my memories of Roy have a special attachment to this season.  Our families regularly spent a few days together at my grandparents' home during Christmas.

Roy was always a little mischievous and would sometimes sneak outside late on Christmas eve to pretend to be Santa Claus.  Dad would work the inside expressing alarm that the noises we heard could very well be Santa, Roy on the outside would be going "bump in the night".

I probably owe two of my prominent character traits to Uncle Roy:  I always thought it was cool that he drank coffee all the time.  Today, I am probably most comfortable when I have a cup of the dark brew in my hand.
Roy also got excited about old television shows and old movies... he loved a "cowboy-shoot-'em-up-picture".  He introduced me to Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance".  I owe much of my devotion to the wonderful world of black and white - to Uncle Roy.

Roy passed away a few years ago and Christmas - and the world for that matter - just hasn't been the same.

But he still shows up in our family gatherings- through the influence of the life he lived and the memories he made.

I don't really think that heaven is much like things around here . .  . but if it were, I suspect that about now he and Dad are leaning back in some cushy LAZY-Boy. It is likely they are discussing politics - national, state and church, or football or people in general.  If they get too loud, the other saints have but to wait around awhile; sometime after dinner, they will find the both with feet up, eyes closed and mouths open - enjoying a nap.

It's Here!

Wow.
It is that special time - Christmas Eve!
Everyone - even R. - is bedded down and I am listening to Christmas music and basking in the afterglow of this evening.

We attended a very special Christmas Eve service at church. A fresh, simple, no nonsense look at the old, old story. There was singing, reading ( I got a little over zealous with the responsive reading and "helped" the leader out by continuing to read after the "ALL" portion was completed), Advent candles and a brief challenge to recognize Christ, the light of the world - and then to be light ourselves as we go out into the world.

Our Christmas eve dinner with some of R.'s family was again warm - yet simple.

We topped the evening off with our own family's Advent Candle - lighting the Christ Candle.

Everyone seemed to be on their best behavior - maybe it's like the old poem from one of the Childcraft books that said -"jist for Christmas - I'm as good as I can be".  Ab and Mom read the Christmas story from Luke's gospel (it's okay that we heard it earlier tonight).  And AA regaled us with what has become the annual reading of Ogden Nash's Christmas poem, "Jabez Dawes".

Christmas tends to leave me sort of wistful as I realize that our children are growing up; but there are some definite advantages.  I see Christmas holding a deeper meaning with them and it makes me so proud; they are excited but not that wild kind of uncontrollable excited.

I've really been moved by the entire evening. 

What a wonderful thing God did, when He came down to be with us. ..
...came down to be like us.
...came down to show us the way...
... came down to die - for us ...
and rise again ... because He could!

Merry Christmas!

The Empty Season 3

I have submitted a couple of posts relating to the "emptiness" of the season; here is another:

Because the focus of our Christmas Celebrations seem to be so centered on people: get-togethers, Caroling choirs, mobs of shoppers and the like - those who are lonely may find their loneliness compounded by the season.
In this post, let's look at an article that may be present in many homes this year reflecting that poignant thought . . .  an empty chair.

The Empty Chair

Our Christmas will be a little different this year.  For the first time in a long time, we will have an empty chair at our family gathering.
For the first time, my Dad will not be there.  Now Mom has always truly been the hub of our family gatherings - she has been the memory-maker.  Always making certain that folks were fed good, felt welcomed and always supportive of anything that anyone did to contribute to the special nature of the event. 
Dad was more of a catalyst - he could make or break the event.  Most years Dad could be counted on to develop a case of the "Christmas Spirit" and do something wildly impractical.  In recent years around Christmas you would find there were talking doormats, a singing trout and a parrot that repeated everything you said. 

Dad was the leader of our family's "anything for a laugh" mentality. Sometimes he went too far - sometimes he sacrificed himself and became the butt of the joke. 

Dad made Christmas noisy and Dad made it fun.

At some point there went out a decree from Dad that every Christmas gathering would contain a reading of the Biblical Christmas account.  Sometimes Dad would read it, sometimes a grandchild - we all took our turn I think - it is always a solemn and moving time.

So Dad's presence meant that there would be some deep-seated respect and devotion for Christmas. Along with some irreverence and revelry.

We will all be very conscious of his empty chair this Christmas.

Other families will have similar voids; but death is not the only culprit.

For some divorce or separation has seeped in and left its black and icy mark on the family.

For others, duty has called away a military son or daughter, and for those families there is a sadness mixed with deep pride for their noble devotion.

Others still, are separated for reasons not so plain and clear cut:  an unforgotten wound, failures unforgiven ... for those the empty chair sits as a cold and silent reminder.

It is pure conjecture - but go with me on this:  God, the Father, understands an empty chair.

While it may be assigning Him too many human limitations -I would like to suggest that perhaps the Father once felt the sting of an empty chair when His own Son left heaven for a time.

Leaving to encounter weakness, humiliation, scarcity and a cruel and hideous death - that first Christmas must have been a sad one.  All of heaven perhaps missed His presence.

The ironic fact is that His "empty chair" would mean that His presence would soon be available to provide healing for all the empty places that filled the world:

For the wounded - His wounds would provide healing.
For the embattled - He would become the "Captain of their Salvation".
For those the unloved, He would come to bind up their broken hearts. 
For those who mourn - He would crush the power of death.

When the angel proclaimed His Christmas birth announcement, they reminded the shepherds - and today they remind us - that "good news" of "great joy", "peace" and "good will" accompany Him. 

This Christmas, if you allow Him, He will fill the empty seat at your table.

The Empty Season 2

In my previous post, I related what I saw as the empty nature of our society's celebration of Christmas these days.
The good thing about emptiness is that it reflects an insatiable hunger that is built into the species. . . a hunger for God.  Emptiness can be a wonderful thing; if that hunger drives us to the Bread of Life.

This post will explore the "Emptiness" of the Christmas season from another perspective:

The Empty Manger
I am amazed at how God's immense sovereignty is revealed in so many small and detailed ways in the Christmas Story.  The tome is filled with instances of people doing common stuff that they do every day, because they have to or because it is what their family does or because they want to - and God weaves their work into His story.

No better is this illustrated in the manger.

Some time ago, I was allowed to explore something of a fantasy I had to become a farmer.  So we bought two goats.  I did not realize what tremendous eating machines these animals can be, so I had to devise some way of keeping hay available at all times.  I constructed a kind of "hay rack"of wire fencing and scrap wood and attached it to the side of their pen.  It was not pretty and it didn't work very efficiently, but it did provide some service.

I wonder if the "hay rack" in which the Savior was nestled, came about in a similar fashion. Whether it came about as an after thought or was designed with great care -someone constructed it or took part in getting it into place.
What an amazing thing, that God would fill the empty work of man's hands - and make it meaningful.
Meaningful work is a gift from God.

The Empty Manger also reminds us of a phrase familiar in the Christmas story - "it came to pass..." ; things change and we need go no further than the Christmas account in The Gospel of Matthew to see that by the time the Wise Men came to visit - Jesus was no longer occupying that manger.  He was now a "young Child" and living in a "house".

We tend to want to keep Christ in the manger, meek, mild ... tiny.  However, there came a time for Him to abandon it.  That doesn't diminish the qualities of the role the manger played; it only reminds us that "to every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven".

The Empty Season 1

Once again I have been impressed with the vacuum that has evolved from our society's celebration of the Christmas Season.  As many will note - I like my Christmas celebrations with a walloping helping of sentimentality along with a generous portion of corn. Color me schmaltzy.

But even one who lacks my passion for all things sappy, couldn't help but notice that something is missing.

Having exhausted our family supply of classic Christmas Movies and shows on DVD, along with the pittance of truly good Holiday movies offered on Netflix Instant, we resorted to a program of half-hour holiday offerings from PIXAR studios last night.

The two we watched tried to drum up some kind of holiday sentiment - but it was without heart (practically without Christmas) ...it lacked anything compelling. They trotted out the same tired "we're all different but we're a family" line that has become the constant fallback for any "family" movie these days.

 Early this season, my Bible reading for the Bethel Bible Series in which R. and I are involved, took me to 1 Samuel 12: 20b-21; the aged Samuel - the last Judge of Israel was being replaced by a King.  Samuel didn't like the idea but God told him to do as the people desired.  So at the end of the coronation ceremony for King Saul (which Samuel led) he reminded the people of their penchant for choosing evil over good.  He also reminded them of God's love and patience with them.  Then he said this:

...do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing. (NKJV underlining mine)

It is that simple:  People will always following something or someone; when people turn aside from following God, the only other options are empty things.

A Christmas celebration - or anything for that matter- that ignores God and His story and influence becomes void and empty.

You can see it in the one-dimensional entertainment options that are out there this season.  You can hear it in the "Holiday" music that is often catchy or cute to begin with, but certainly has no staying power.  Finally, if you can get anyone to make eye contact these days in a Walmart - you can see it in the weary emptiness of their countenances.

I suspect that same crestfallen visage of emptiness would have been commonly reflected on the faces of most people in Bethlehem that  first Christmas night.  The entire village was full - the whole world was full ... full of empty; there was no room.

Then He came ...
Filling first a small manger ...
In a small corner ...
In a small stable ...
In the little town ...

Status Report

Change is difficult at any age, but more so when one reaches one's fifties. 

That being said, I have found myself in a process of change for the last three years or so.  I haven't written much about it because part of the flux of the situation has resulted in my being less certain about a lot of things.

About three years ago, our family moved from a denomination steeped in the pentecostal and Arminian tradition in which R. and I both grew up, to a Reformed tradition, Presbyterian church.

Big change. 

I think both of us have spent the past three years mostly listening; and that's been good.
I have had my thinking challenged almost constantly; and though that has not been fun - it has been good as well.

I like a "big-tent" mentality and find myself always searching for ways to join what I have held dear in the past with the truths I am presented with presently. I am discovering that it may just be impossible for Calvin and Arminius to exist in the same room; my attempts at wedding the two belief structures are mostly futile.

Awhile back I lunched with one of our pastors.  As we talked about how we each got to where we were at the time, he used a phrase that seemed to fit:  he said that at some point he "discovered that he was Reformed theology....".  It was as if the belief structure had been their all along - even when he was not in a Reformed church.  

In some sense, that has been the case with me:  many of the tenants of Reformed theology and many of the attributes of Presbyterian worship have been things that I have longed for for many years.

Because we are no longer a part of a group among whom we shared such a long history - and have joined a congregation with whom we share almost no history, it is sometimes difficult.  However, the discomfort that this situation may impart often has contributed to my ability to listen more.

I am very pleased with many things in this place God has led us: 

• I have a deep appreciation for the adherence to the traditions of church history this congregation embraces. 
• For a number of years we observed Advent in our home - now we also observe the lighting of Advent Candles in church as well.
• I have come to see worship more as a deliberate display of the gospel of Christ; and more about what we offer up, than about what we received.
• I appreciate the fact that most everything is done with intentionality - everything is for a stated purpose related to the gospel.
• Our children have been immersed into a culture of disciplined study and reflection on the Word of God and its application to their lives.

 I think it is good to have our thinking - and our faith challenged.  The result is that those things grounded in truth will remain and those things that can be shaken should be abandoned anyway.

The Christmas season is a reflective season for me (which is why I am so repelled by the distraction and busy-ness of it all), and I thought I would record some of these thoughts just in case you were wondering.