Civilisation

I used to think that Halloween was evil. I heard stories of sacrifices and saw scary non-Christians traipse around town attempting to frighten people and took those sorts of things to be confirmations of my suspicions. In fact, I've had that conviction until very recently. However, I read an article by James B. Jordan that seriously challenged this view and, more than that, painfully pointed out that my conclusions weren't as well-grounded as I'd thought.

Now, I hate to have misled you, but I don't think that I want to discuss the Christian versus pagan ownership of Halloween as much as I want to discuss whether it even matters. Say there's a celebration, and no one really remembers where it came from - some traditions point to Christian sources, others pagan. Now certainly one could spend hours researching and debating to find a conclusion and, though I believe that has its merits and is very often the best course of action, let's assume that it's "neutral", that the argument could go either way. What do Christians do? It seems to be Christian (as it celebrates some sort of event or facet of Christianity), but it also seems pagan (as most of the world seems to celebrate it having no regard of its spiritual significance).

Hopefully, you grimaced when you saw "neutral". We know from Genesis that nothing in this universe is neutral, that God has commanded us to go and fill and subdue the whole earth, to turn a jungle into a garden. In short, we are called to civilize this world and to reclaim it as God's. Since we also know that God's truth is not relevant only to matters of the church or the family, but to the entire universe and all it contains, it seems to make sense that as Christians it is also our glorious calling to go out into the world and subdue all things to Christ: politics, the arts, family, nutrition, academia, etc. So to conclude that something is "neutral" in this world doesn't make sense to me: it is either Christ's or it is Satan's, and eventually all things will be Christ's.

Now here's the point that I reach and don't quite understand what the Bible tells me to do. The Old Testament is very clear in instructing the Israelites to touch no unclean thing, to be separate from the world; that when they come upon a pagan "high place" and conquer it, they don't use it and build on top of it - they destroy it. That is part of conquering Satan's kingdom and replacing it with God's. But how does that apply now? We know that nothing is unclean inherently, but since the world has taken hold of such things as Halloween, drinking, Christmas, dancing, smoking, etc., does that mean that Christians reject them outright? Or do we point out that the world has claimed ownership over something that isn't theirs, and proceed to reclaim it for Christ? I suppose I'm asking how to know when to reject the world and when to redeem it (if any such dichotomy exists).

The Adequacy of Inadequacy

After fighting my computer to post an entry a few days ago (and losing), I guess I’ll try it again.

God is amazingly mysterious by creating me to have convictions yet to hold them humbly. I’m to have faith such that I would die for what I know to be true, yet I am to also hold these loosely, knowing I could be wrong. So, here are my thoughts, although I’m very much aware of the likelihood of being mistaken or at the very least needing correction.

Being the fellow peer and friend of (younger) men, it seems to me that what most causes this great Fear of marriage is a complete insecurity in their inadequacy. Now at first glance that may appear to be quite sensible. Why, of course they’re uncomfortable with the idea of being incompetent – shouldn’t they be? But this fear of being a failure, of being less godly than their wife, of being a poor leader, in short, of being a “schmuck”, is one of the greatest attributes of a man, at least in my mind.

To recognize their great weakness in contrast to their great calling seems to magnify the grace that is poured out into marriage and the faith that is required to take part in it. The Gospel seems to be not only essential in marriage, but also beautifully pictured in it as well. Men are the masters and lords of their home, but are also humble, broken vessels serving their families.

So I was thinking that, although young men may end up frozen by this fear, perhaps it is a constant awareness of this “inadequacy” that qualifies them to be godly husbands, because they are driven to their knees in faith, begging for the grace of God. (And I know that’s what I’m looking for in a man. ;) )


"To walk the narrow way is to realize, moment by moment, that we are totally unable to obey God and do our duty and yet His grace at work in us makes us able. A sense of inadequacy is a gift. It is the starting point for the working of the grace of God in our lives." Philip Lancaster

One of the many great blessings of children...

I definitely see how babies spur on our sanctification - even if they're not your own!

I babsit a family's 16-month-old boy a few times a week, and we've been working on learning the sign for "more". He's a very fast learner, however his intellect is matched by his strong will! So he's learned exactly what "more" means and that he must tell me "more" to get more food, but sometimes he just doesn't feel like doing that. :)

Well, yesterday was one of those days. He simply refused to say "more". He would scream, reach for the food, cry in frustration and get upset with me. But no matter how many times I asked him to say "more", he wouldn't. He became so desperate to eat (and not to comply) that he began trying to eat the leftover crumbs on his high chair. It was so sad to watch! It broke my heart to see how hungry and sad he was, and that he didn't know that I was trying to help him.

And after thinking about that, a sudden understanding of his situation hit me. How many times have I refused to submit to the hand of God? How often do I do that just because in my pride it doesn't seem particularly natural or convenient? And how many times do I wrench at and resent what is happening in my life because I really do believe that God is withholding something good from me?

This seemed so clear to me because I was relating to this child the way that God relates to me. It was awful to realize that, in reality, most of the time I am an immature child, refusing the generous love of my father out of an infantile pride.

A Must-See Before You Cast Your Vote

It's always good to see people who don't take themselves too seriously. But what about those who don't take others seriously? Hmmm...well, they are so darn funny regardless!

Green Acres

It's great living with a family. I get the opportunity to learn so many lessons (the first and most obvious being the benefit of keeping your daughters at home). But the one that has become most relevant lately is the tension between contentment and circumstances.

I have been racing to graduation for the last year and a half now. I came to realize that I didn't like so much the lifestyle of a full-time student and wanted very much to be done with it. Yet now, as the time appproaches (less than two months!), a fear is creeping up. What if life after graduation isn't so great? What if all this time I've just been a sufferer of the "grass is greener" syndrome, and won't be a bit happier even with the different circumstances I think I want?

I was talking with the Mother Cook about this, and she says it's very possible. She reminded me of Proverbs 15:15, which says that "All the days of the afflicted are bad, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast." I must remember to rejoice in all my circumstances, and to be focused on the task at hand that God has given me. One of her favorite phrases is "Wherever you are - be there." That's a very hard concept to grasp as a 21-year-old young lady wanting to be married.

But the excitement is very real. I really don't appreciate my circumstances right now as much as other circumstances God has given. The accomplishing of this task will be a very real relief and joy. So, whereas I know that my fear of discontenment and my desire to be rid of this set of circumstances are both realities (with which I must deal both now and in the future), the Reality is that my God is sovereign and has withheld absolutely no good thing from me.

Now, if I could just remember to believe that... :)

Lisa Sbisa has marvelously displayed God's brilliance as Creator: she has blogged about floss. I just have to giggle when I think about how creative, delightful, hilarious and beautiful God made us. :)

The Magna Carta of Christian Freedom

Driving home today I was listening to Dr. Rufus Fears' lectures on freedom. This particular topic discussed St. Paul's significance in the history of Christianity and freedom. It has been quite a whirlwind for me to think of such "sacred" topics as freedom, natural law, spheres of authority and the existence of God in the context of this "secular" course tracing the history of liberty.

I understand (or, at least I thought I understood) that God proclaimed with the dominion mandate in Genesis chapter 3 that nothing is "secular" - all is His. Every idea, every event, every invention, every job, every person: all of the universe and its history is ordained by Him and will inevitably give Him glory. Yet to hear Dr. Fears explain Paul's writings to the Romans and Galatians set against the backdrop of the Roman Empire and the budding idea of the liberty of the soul was astounding. The writings of Paul changed the course of history. Not just my history. Not just Christian history. Not even just American history. It changed the entire course of the universe. Truly my God is a great God, worthy of fear and praise.

The Creator has spoken. He speaks in so many different ways that my tiny mind can't seem to comprehend. The universe is a declaration from God. Adam, Moses, David, Aristotle, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Socrates, Jesus: they are all declarations from God. Just as an unknown jailer guarding Paul named Julius is a declaration from God; and the acorn that I stepped on as I walked inside the house is as well. God has declared that He is God, and His is the kingdom and the power and the glory. Forever.

Under the Son

It's never done. Have you ever noticed that? My efforts to accomplish a task, call that person, take that drive, make someone smile, get over that issue, learn that new thing, read that book - all of them are curtailed by more things to do and become. I am constantly bombarded by an urgency to be productive while equally being overwhelmed by the urgency itself.

But work is such a lovely thing. It makes me strong; it teaches me patience; it creates in me a desire to create; it slows me; it reminds me that I am a servant and not a master. I imagine myself in the garden with Adam and Eve. I see the trees and flowers and bushes - all needing my attention. I sweat and I labor- but I do stop. And what I've sown is reaped in the most perfect way. I till the land and it is always more fertile. I prune a bush and it always blooms brighter and fuller. The harvest is always plentiful and satisfying. This is work as it was meant to be. And although the land is now cursed and I myself am cursed with a fallen nature, I still see God's beauty in work. When a man comes home after a day of work, exhausted, I smile to think that God blesses that. And when I see a mother, satisfied with a dizzying day of brooms, diapers, pots, pans, upset grocery clerks, crayons, bath tubs, dogs and car seats, it makes me smile to see how God blesses that.

When I think on what my work should look like within the circumstances God has given me, I think of Jesus. He said "It is finished". I am never finished. I am constantly in motion, waltzing around and around as I go about checking off my to-do list. Is it really possible for me to be finished? God has declared that it is! Christ has come and accomplished for me all that I could dream to do or become: He obtained my righteousness and sealed the victory of God over Satan. Yet, He has also given me so many tasks: to love, to give, to learn, to share, to tell. In the already-but-not-yet of living here on earth, I suppose I am called to trust in the already and labor in the not yet. I labor with the glorious hope and promise of rest.