Sometimes in our attempts to conjure profundities, we just sound foolish. Sometimes silence speaks the most wisdom.
Most sincere apologies for not having written anything for almost a month!
Last month, I read some very cool news from my dear old Wheaton. For the full press release, you can click here. It seems that the Billy Graham Center Archives of Wheaton College are opening up to the public more treasures from the past.
The story of missionary couple Jim and Elisabeth Elliot, who served among the Waorani people of Ecuador, is widely known to American evangelicals through their published writings as well as the movie entitled "End of the Spear," which was based upon their story. After Jim and four fellow American missionaries were martyred by the Waorani (also called the Huaorani, or the Auca Indians by non-Waorani) on January 8, 1956, Elisabeth Elliot returned to continue ministering to the people who had taken her husband's life, she edited and published his journals, and later wrote more than 20 books.
In January, the Billy Graham Center Archives made additional writings available for the first time, as the 54th anniversary of the missionaries’ murder approached. Thirty previously unpublished letters, dated from 1953 to 1959, provide insights into the relationship the Elliots had with the Williams Community Church of Williams, Oregon. The church was one of several which provided financial and prayer support for the Elliots. Williams Community Church donated the letters to the Archives last year. They are now posted at wheaton.edu/bgc/archives/docs/Elliotletters/intro.htm. I might add that Jim and Elisabeth happened to have graduated from Wheaton as well. :)
The story of those martyred missionaries and the glory that God brought about through their tragic deaths is a story worth remembering. For myself, it definitely brings to mind some ideas about the theology of suffering and how God's ways are far beyond our own understanding. Sometimes it seems that by allowing evil, God brings about an even greater good than if He had not. (For more on this, just read some Alvin Plantinga's God, Freedom, and Evil). Or for a Biblical reference, some good examples would include:
Do you have an opinion? Leave a comment!
-RCW
Last month, I read some very cool news from my dear old Wheaton. For the full press release, you can click here. It seems that the Billy Graham Center Archives of Wheaton College are opening up to the public more treasures from the past.
The story of missionary couple Jim and Elisabeth Elliot, who served among the Waorani people of Ecuador, is widely known to American evangelicals through their published writings as well as the movie entitled "End of the Spear," which was based upon their story. After Jim and four fellow American missionaries were martyred by the Waorani (also called the Huaorani, or the Auca Indians by non-Waorani) on January 8, 1956, Elisabeth Elliot returned to continue ministering to the people who had taken her husband's life, she edited and published his journals, and later wrote more than 20 books.
In January, the Billy Graham Center Archives made additional writings available for the first time, as the 54th anniversary of the missionaries’ murder approached. Thirty previously unpublished letters, dated from 1953 to 1959, provide insights into the relationship the Elliots had with the Williams Community Church of Williams, Oregon. The church was one of several which provided financial and prayer support for the Elliots. Williams Community Church donated the letters to the Archives last year. They are now posted at wheaton.edu/bgc/archives/docs/Elliotletters/intro.htm. I might add that Jim and Elisabeth happened to have graduated from Wheaton as well. :)
The story of those martyred missionaries and the glory that God brought about through their tragic deaths is a story worth remembering. For myself, it definitely brings to mind some ideas about the theology of suffering and how God's ways are far beyond our own understanding. Sometimes it seems that by allowing evil, God brings about an even greater good than if He had not. (For more on this, just read some Alvin Plantinga's God, Freedom, and Evil). Or for a Biblical reference, some good examples would include:
- the story of Joseph (Genesis 37-50 --- see especially Joseph's statements in Gen. 45:4 and 50:19-20),
- Job (the book of Job),
- Jesus (the Gospels --- Matthew, Mark, Luke, John),
- the early church's martyrs (the book of Acts), and
- Paul's words about God having allowed him to have a "thorn in his flesh" (2 Cor. 12:7-10).
Do you have an opinion? Leave a comment!
-RCW
Encouragement,
Godly Priorities,
Living Out My Faith,
Noteworthy News,
On Death,
The Problem of Evil
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I am beginning to teach a college and young adult Bible study class on Sunday. For curriculum, I am using John Piper's Don't Waste Your Life.
The premise is so very basic, but the message somehow seems to be so needed among those in our churches today. I am not sure why the enormous disconnect (between church on Sunday and the rest of the work week Monday through Saturday) continues to be so prevalent, but when I look around, it has every indication of being an epidemic.
Here is the message:
Life is so precious. You have but one to live. A simple but unforgettable proverb used to rest above the sink where I once did dishes to help pay for my theological education. I was often caught up in worship as I scrubbed. It read: "Life is like a shiny penny. You may spend it however you wish, but you may only spend it once."
John Piper shares of a similar jingle which was hung prominently in his home and continually brought him inspiration as a young man:
"Only one life, 'Twill soon be past; Only what's done for Christ will last."
What this "jingle" DOES NOT mean is that only Bible study, prayer, time at church, mission trips, and the like count for worthwhile or even "eternal" pursuits. What is DOES mean is that anything that you do for Christ...a worshipful act of any sort - whether it is reporting for your job 15 minutes early on a Monday just to be sure and set a Christian example of a godly work ethic, or changing your baby's diapers so that your spouse doesn't have to because you want to love them with Jesus' own sacrificial love, etc. - only what's done for Christ will last. This clarification is so important because it helps us not to see life divided into compartments of "sacred" time and "secular" time, but to embrace ALL of our life - every single circumstance or activity - as "sacred" time. May every moment be unto Him!
One of the many things I love about one of my own alma maters, Wheaton College (which for the record is where John Piper went to school as well back in the 60's
), is its motto: "For Christ and His Kingdom."
The Bible says: You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body" (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
So, what is the verdict? Is your life "counting" by bringing glory to God? Or are you wasting it by worshipping and pursuing other things? Where does your relationship and growth in Christ fit into your priorities? Make HIM your single passion and suddenly real, abundant, eternal life will begin.
-RCW
P.S. For additional related thoughts on this subject matter, there is a wealth of literature. A good start is the book of Proverbs or the book of James, perhaps even Ecclesiastes. The book entitled The Call by Os Guinness is pure gold. You can also see my previous entry here. In the world of literature, there is a phenomenal short work by Samuel Johnson about a prince named "Rasselas" who has to choose a way of life (readable online here). I read it in a literature class in college and it has never left me. These are only a few for starters.
The premise is so very basic, but the message somehow seems to be so needed among those in our churches today. I am not sure why the enormous disconnect (between church on Sunday and the rest of the work week Monday through Saturday) continues to be so prevalent, but when I look around, it has every indication of being an epidemic.
Here is the message:
Life is so precious. You have but one to live. A simple but unforgettable proverb used to rest above the sink where I once did dishes to help pay for my theological education. I was often caught up in worship as I scrubbed. It read: "Life is like a shiny penny. You may spend it however you wish, but you may only spend it once."
John Piper shares of a similar jingle which was hung prominently in his home and continually brought him inspiration as a young man:
"Only one life, 'Twill soon be past; Only what's done for Christ will last."
What this "jingle" DOES NOT mean is that only Bible study, prayer, time at church, mission trips, and the like count for worthwhile or even "eternal" pursuits. What is DOES mean is that anything that you do for Christ...a worshipful act of any sort - whether it is reporting for your job 15 minutes early on a Monday just to be sure and set a Christian example of a godly work ethic, or changing your baby's diapers so that your spouse doesn't have to because you want to love them with Jesus' own sacrificial love, etc. - only what's done for Christ will last. This clarification is so important because it helps us not to see life divided into compartments of "sacred" time and "secular" time, but to embrace ALL of our life - every single circumstance or activity - as "sacred" time. May every moment be unto Him!
One of the many things I love about one of my own alma maters, Wheaton College (which for the record is where John Piper went to school as well back in the 60's
), is its motto: "For Christ and His Kingdom."The Bible says: You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body" (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
So, what is the verdict? Is your life "counting" by bringing glory to God? Or are you wasting it by worshipping and pursuing other things? Where does your relationship and growth in Christ fit into your priorities? Make HIM your single passion and suddenly real, abundant, eternal life will begin.
-RCW
P.S. For additional related thoughts on this subject matter, there is a wealth of literature. A good start is the book of Proverbs or the book of James, perhaps even Ecclesiastes. The book entitled The Call by Os Guinness is pure gold. You can also see my previous entry here. In the world of literature, there is a phenomenal short work by Samuel Johnson about a prince named "Rasselas" who has to choose a way of life (readable online here). I read it in a literature class in college and it has never left me. These are only a few for starters.
- Last night I attended a visitation for my wife's grandmother. She was 97.
It was one of the most crowded visitations I have ever seen. About 800 people passed through over a 4 hour period to pay their respects to the family and see the deceased one last time. The funeral home where the visitation was held bore her name, she being its original owner, though even now it (and several others) is still being run by my father-in-law.
This afternoon the services were held at the Funeral Home and I was reminded of the power which resides in a believer. The stories, testimonies, and tributes that were paid to Mrs. Eaton were overwhelming. Her spiritual life left a faith legacy that will endure for many years.
~~~~~~~~~~~
- Take a minute right now and think about your own life.
Is there a single passion that drives you? What would people have to say about you when you die? We often don't like to think about our own death, but the truth of the matter is that the Bible seems to encourage it!
Take for example such passages like:
Philippians 2:3-4 : "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."
Ephesians 5:15 : "Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise."
Psalm 139:23-24 : "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way."
Philippians 3:18-19 : "For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies to the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite and whose glory is in their shame, who set their mind on earthly things..."
This last example is especially useful since it employs one of the most frequently used metaphors that the Bible uses in admonishing us to live the examined life. For you will notice that when it speaks of this manner of living, it is with the metaphor of "walking". For example, in the Old Testament as well as in the New Testament, the expression the writers will use the regular verb of "walk" to speak of "the way in which one lives his or her life." So, for instance, if you go to Biblegateway.com and type in a keyword search for "walk" , you will find that in Deuteronomy 11, both meanings are used nearly side by side:
"Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." -Deut. 11:19
"If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow—to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways and to hold fast to him." -Deut. 11:22
Another good passage to see the Bible encouraging the reader to live an examined life is the rather poetic personification of wisdom in Proverbs 9:1-10, which reads:
"Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars.
She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table.
She has sent out her maids, and she calls from the highest point of the city.
'Let all who are simple come in here!' she says to those who lack judgment.
'Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed.
Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.'
Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse.
Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.
Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.
'The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding...' "
*(The bold-texted areas in the passage above are my own added emphasis and not of course in the original text.)
And these are only a few Biblical examples among many I could choose!
~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Even so, the Bible is not the only place that we find the encouragement to truly look deeply and intently at our own lives and ask critical questions about ourselves.
Perhaps the most well-known phrase attributed to the founder of Western philosophy, Socrates, is the statement: "The unexamined life is not worth living."
What a gripping statement! As you think for a moment about one of the most central realities to mankind (death and life), ask yourself: "What kind of life am I leading? Is my life lived by impulses or whims? Or am I someone who 'lives on purpose' ? What governs my decisions? Is that governing impulse a worthy one or a selfish one? How can I live a life worth living?" These are questions that should be a part of every believers daily routine. Like inhaling and exhaling, so should the believing Christian inhale (examine) and exhale (implement any necessary changes).
What kind of legacy will YOU leave behind?
~~~~~~~~~~~
- Glance back up for a minute at Psalm 139:23-24.
Our own prayer should mimic that prayer : God, may I be obedient to the Bible and make my life one that is worth living. Make me examine my own live every day to see where I need to change. Where my self and where what's right conflict....may I be the one to change. Do this in me, I pray. Amen.
*For those still wondering about the title of this blog entry, the word "THANATOPSIS" means "a meditation upon death." If this definition was unclear to you at the beginning, think about the title of this entry once more. *
-RCW
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