Mission Safari: The Next Chapter(s)

A Family Violin

This past year Ben has taken violin lessons. We were suprised that he wanted to take music lessons, much less violin. Nonetheless, he has really enjoyed taking lessons. Earlier this summer, he was visiting his Grandpa Burchel who plays the piano quite well. Ben talked him into playing a few "duets". They had a great time.

After doing this, Grandpa showed him a violin that his father used when he was living. Apparently, the violin was made in the late 1880's somewhere up in Canada. And, according to Grandpa Burchel, Great Grandpa Burchel was quite the fiddler. Anyway, the violin was in decent shape except needing a new bridge. Well, Grandpa Burchel decided to pass along the violin to Ben who was ecstatic.

We found a music store in North Carolina that specializes in restoring Violins. They were very pleased with the quality of the violin and had to make a few restorations. When Grandma Burchel came down to meet with Marti to fly to Kenya, she brought the family treasure. Ben again was so excited.

Last night we finally had it tuned. Ben played it for the first time. I don't know if it is my imagination or what, but he actually sounded better. He is so proud of it. He wanted to show it off so enjoy the pictures.

Still Praising God

We sang this Andrea Crouch song this morning during worship. I think it speaks well to the thankfulness that we have for God.

How can I say thanks for the things You have done for me Things so undeserved, yet You give to prove your love for me? The voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude All that I am and ever hope to be I owe it all to Thee

To God be the glory
To God be the glory
To God be the glory for the things He has done
With His blood He has saved me;
With His power He has raised me;
To God be the glory for the things He has done

Just let me live my life, let it be pleasing Lord to Thee
And should I gain any praise, let it go to Calvary

With His blood He has saved me;
With His power He has raised me;
To God be the glory for the things He has done

Praising the Lord

My earlier post praises God for His intervention in Marti's travels. Below are some of the comments of our praying friends:

What a relief! And with what grace our God of Details brought Marti to where she is supposed to be. I hope that you will rest a little easier tonight. We will continue in prayer for Marti and her Mom, and in prayer for the rest of you as you prepare for Belgium. C.F. in Newberry, SC.

Hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! T.C. in Edwardsville, IL

Great answer to prayers. Our God is an awesome God! A.F. in Greenwood, SC.

Thank you for the sharing the wonderful news of God's gracious provision for Marti and her mother :-) I'll keep them in my prayers as they attend to many things in Kenya over the next week. G.K. in St. Louis, MO.

Praise the Living God! F.M. in Thomasville, NC.

All we can say is WOW...God is so good! L.K. in Greenwood, SC.

Amen to all of that brothers and sisters.

Do You Believe In Miracles?

"Do You Believe In Miracles?" Al Michaels, 1980

Today, I kept thinking about this great quote from Al Michaels as he described what had just transpired on ice in the 1980 Olympics when the underdog United States squad had just upset the almost unstoppable Soviet hockey team. I still get chill-bumps everytime I hear it. Now, why would I be thinking about that quote in the middle of summer in 2004? Well, it is because we experienced a miracle the past 24 hours. Let me explain.

As many of you know, Marti left yesterday to fly to Nairobi to make housing arrangements for us. We are now at over 90% of our support (another 'miracle' of sorts) and are making these final necessary arrangements. Then, next week, I will travel with the children and meet her in Belgium to begin our month long cross cultural training in Belgium. Anyway, when she arrived at the British Airway counter yesterday, she was informed that although she had a valid passport, it was only valid for the next four months and they (British Airway) would only allow her to travel onto London.

Obviously, this was a major obstacle. However, we prayed about it and decided to send her on and notify our prayer team. I did so, and began the process of praying and waiting. Praying that she would be able to complete her journey and waiting to see if God would answer these prayers. In doing so I sent the following email to our prayer team:

Dear First Responders,

Well, I have both exciting news and a VERY URGENT REQUEST.

First the good news. Back several months ago when we learned that we would be doing our Pre-Field Training in Belgium, we decided to have Marti leave a week early and go into Kenya to look for housing. We prayed that we would be at 90% of our support so that she could make the necessary arrangements for housing. 2 weeks ago we were only at 80%. We prayed (as well as you) for support to continue to come in. Last night when we went to bed, we did the math and found that we were at 88%. We were excited. However, we weren't at 90% - until this morning when we learned of another pledge! So only 2 hours before Marti left, we were at 90%. So far so good.

However, this afternoon has been difficult. Although Marti left in time to get to the Atlanta airport 4 hours early - 2 long lines of accidents delayed them until 2 hours before flight. Then, when they went to check in their luggage, the airline would only allow her to check her bags to London. This is because her passport expires in 4months. We knew that it needed to have at least 3 months remaining for Belgium. We did not know that she needed 6 months for Kenya. So…….

After prayer, she is boarding the plane as I write this. She will arrive in London tomorrow at 7am London time. She has a 3 hour layover. We are asking you to pray for the following:

1. That when she arrives at the ticket counter in London that they will allow her to board the plane to go to Nairobi. Then…

2. That when she arrives in Nairobi they will allow her to get her visa in the airport (we have always just gotten our visa in the airport in Nairobi).

3. That God will give her peace about the uncertainty of the next few days.
4. That God will give her rest on the overnight airtravel.
5. That God will heal her sore throat that makes this trip difficult.

Apparently the 6month rule is not NECESSARILY hard and fast, just a guideline. Her papers (Passport) are valid. We believe that through prayer, our God can be glorified through making the "impossible" happen. If her papers were not valid, we would not ask for prayer - it would be our fault.

We praise God for how He answers prayer, in the past, present, and future.

Well, the praying and waiting continued for most of today. Finally this evening, I was able to send the following update:

A Going-Away Present

Have you ever wondered what people really think about you, especially when you are leaving a community? This question has certainly been on my mind lately as we prepare to wrap things up in Newberry and move on to Nairobi. Even though I have only been here 6 years, I have wondered about the impact that I have had here. I have wondered if anyone would miss me or care that I have left.

During the first part of this year, I had the opportunity to say my good-byes to my patients. I have had some great words of encouragement and even shed a few tears. But I really hadn't heard from my colleagues - the other doctors on the medical staff at my local hospital. Certainly several of them have asked how I was progressing toward leaving. And certainly, things have been "normal" as I have worked in the Emergency Room part time over the past several months. But yesterday, I learned part of the answer - "do they care".

I received a phone call from the PR lady at Newberry County Memorial Hospital. She said that she and the CEO wanted to come by and give me a "going away" present. I was honored and anxious to see just what kind of "gift" it would be. When they arrived there were two small cube shaped presents wrapped. I was intrigued by the shape and size. What could it possibly be I wondered. Before giving me the gift, the CEO told me that it was a gift from the Medical Staff, Administration, and the Board of Trustees. He then told me that they had thought long and hard about what exactly they should give me as a token of appreciation. He then handed me the gifts saying that they think that they came across a gift that would suit me.

I was pretty excited to think that they had "thought long and hard" about the gift. As I began to unwrap the gifts, I knew almost instantly what it was. As I took off the paper and then took the gift out of the box, I was delighted to see.....

Suitcases and Piles

Suitcases and Piles. Suitcases and Piles. I have to admit that I am getting tired of Suitcases and Piles. I didn't realize over a year ago just how much I would be living among Suitcases and Piles. I am not sure that we have had a day, much less a week where there hasn't been some suitcase laying around the house. The suitcases are either being packed or unpacked. I haven't minded the travel, but I have begun to despise the suitcases. It would be one thing if I were a Business Traveler since it would only be my suitcase. But to have suitcases for a family of five laying around, it gets to be a bit of a burdensome sight. At present there are 5 partially packed suitcases in our bedroom, with 2 more in the hallway and one by the kitchen table.

On top of (or next to) the suitcases are the piles. There is a pile of new books in my bedroom, including aa pile of clean clothes (some to be packed in the suitcase), and a pile of magazines. The den and kitchen are the same. There is a pile of things (shoes and clothes) to take to Kenya, a pile of new homeschool curriculum next to the school table, and who knows how many piles of books for the kids, Marti, and myself.

It sure does seem that I am complaining. I am not. I am just giving a written picture of what our apartment looks like right now. I bet it is looks similar to the houses of all our missionary friends who are currently stateside raising support. Suitcases and Piles. Suitcases and Piles.....

Why Do We Read the Bible?

Have you ever wondered, "why do we read the Bible?" Often we do it out of habit, or discipline, or a desire to learn something about God. But have you ever stopped to realize that it is the means by which God communicates with us? Sometimes this seems difficult to believe, especially when we are reading the Old Testament. We either get freaked out by the sacrifices or bored with the details.

Today, out of discipline, I was reading my Bible. The passage that my reading program (again, habit) had to read was 2 Kings 1-4. When I initially saw that I had to start there, I thought, "Great, I really need to be encouraged, not discouraged by a bunch of wayward and wicked Kings." But, once again, God showed me His humor and love.

As I read about the end of Elijah's ministry and the beginning of Elisha's, I was amazed. I read how Elisha doggedly followed Elijah wanting to "have what he had". He recognized that Elijah was indeed a "holy man". He knew that Elijah talked to God and he wanted the same relationship. Then, I read as Elijah was taken up in the chariot Elisha grabbed on to his cloak. He assumed his "mantel". Then, the next 3 chapters tell of the incredible start to Elisha's work - how he parted the waters, "healed" the waters with some salt, provided for a widow miracously with her small "investment" of oil, brought the boy back to life, "fixed" the spoiled stew, and fed many people with a few loaves. Amazing stuff!

Now, one might wonder, what does God want to communicate through all that? Are we being called to heal and part waters and cure waters and miraculously feed hundreds? Maybe. But what God wanted to communicate to me today was this: "Tim, you have many things to do over the next few days, weeks, and months. Don't you think that if I can do all of these incredibly miraculous things through Elisha, that I maybe could handle a few of the details of your life?"

Now obviously I did not hear a voice say that. But my spirit was encouraged with that comforting thought. My God is a God of miracles - great and small. All He desires is that we chase after Him with wild abandon and allow Him to do the work through us.

Pretty comforting stuff, don't you think?

Dear Daddy: A Letter from a Missionary to his Father

Dear Daddy,

A few months ago you sent me a “Dear Son” letter. In it you shared what our call to missions means to you. That letter has meant so much to me. It contained your thoughts and feelings, but more importantly your blessing. That is the best “going away” present you could have given me. Thanks!

Now, as we draw ever closer to departing, I want to write you and tell you what you mean to me. I’ve been thinking back over the years about what I have observed and experienced as your son. As I have reflected, I realize that I have lived with a godly man – a man who lives out the Christian life.

First, I have realized that you have a servant’s heart. I have thought back over the years at the literally hundreds of times that I watched you serve others. I remember driving around with you on the Saturday before Easter collecting all the ingredients for the Sunrise Easter Service breakfast. I remember all those times that we visited the widows singing Christmas Carols, or driving them home after choir practice. I remember collecting shoes and clothes for the kids at Prather Elementary school. I remember that you showed me how to serve others.

I also realize that you are an example of the command to “honor your father and mother”. You have been such a faithful son to Grandmother and Granddaddy. You have visited them weekly for who knows how long. You have never criticized them – even when they have been wrong. You have been an encouragement to them. Thanks for modeling that command to me.

Another command you have modeled is “husbands love your wives”. Again, you have been a faithful husband. I honestly can not remember a time that you criticized or argued with Mother – at least not in front of me. You have been her faithful companion on dozens of trips out of town for Medical Assistant meetings. You have been her encourager. You have provided for her. You have always done the little things that matter in a marriage.

Finally, I have thought a lot about how you have followed Paul’s command “encourage one another and build each other up”. I don’t think I have ever adequately thanked you for the incredible encouragement and support you have been to me my whole life. For as long as I can remember, you have always been there to encourage and cheer me on. I think about the hundreds of baseball and soccer games that you attended – rain or shine, snow or sleet. I remember the number of incredibly cold, snowy soccer games that you attended. I think about all the road trips we took. I think about all the stinky hot gyms you suffered through to watch my brother wrestle. All just to be there and encourage, win or lose.

I think about all the times we went camping with Royal Rangers. I think about all the weekly meetings of Royal Rangers - all the noise -all the annoying young boys and teenage boys. Just to be with us.

Then, as I got older and spread my wings a bit, you were there to encourage me. Like the time that I wanted to move to the state capital to participate in the Internship Program for State Government. Rather than talk me out of it, you encouraged it. Then, when I wanted to go away to college, again, you supported me, encouraged me, helped me.

I remember when I felt God calling me into ministry that you encouraged me – even if it meant going as a medical missionary. I remember when as a very late teen, I told you that I wanted to get married. You didn’t argue (I’m not sure I would do the same!). You gave me some things to think about and then supported my decision. Basically, at every important decision in my life, you encouraged me, supported me, helped me.

So, when it came time to share with you our decision to go into full time missions, I knew in my heart of hearts that you would encourage and support me. But, wow, did I underestimate just how much you would do it. I have been so blown away at your generosity, encouragement, participation, and love. I have been humbled.

So, this is my Father’s Day present to you – to tell you just how much you mean to me. You have been a quiet servant, a man who honors his mother and father, a man who loves his wife, and a man who encourages. You have shown me how to love God and love others. I hope that in 25 years my sons can write a similar letter of love and respect for me. Thanks Daddy.

Love,

Your Son,

Tim

Am I Living in Grace?

Before leaving a spiritual retreat, one often wonders how well they will apply the lessons learned. The same was true for me after attending Living In Grace. I wondered, how will the truths that I reflected on last week change my heart and my behavior? It is scary to think that "nothing" will change.

Well, as I reflect on this busy week I see that there are some "glimmers" of hope that God is continuing to do a work in my life. One truth that I learned was the wickedness of the human heart. I am much more aware of that these days, especially my own heart. I definitely see the tendency towards Phariseeism in my life. But thankfully, the Holy Spirit is convicting me of these sins much more often and I find myself more repentant - towards God and my family.

I also see that I am more patient with the children, especially when they sin. I find myself desiring to get to the "root" problem, rather than focus on the outward behavior. For instance, today Ben (my 8 year old) started teasing a 5 year old friend. They were in the woods playing and Ben and another of his friends started "scaring" the 5 year old. Well, the 5 year old went home crying and so Ben's behavior came to our attention. Interestingly, I did not have a desire to "chastise" him, but rather to help him understand that this was wrong and therefore sin. We talked about that teasing was lying. We also talked about the fact that it puts another person down. Ben realized his sin (he was very concerned about being a liar). He cried, said he was sorry, and wanted to pray and ask for forgiveness. So we did.

This is not the work of Tim Hutchison. This is the work of the Holy Spirit - both in my life and in Ben's. We praise God that He is doing something in our lives.

Pastoral Letter on the Gospel and Race

Currently the PCA is conducting its annual General Assembly in Pittsburgh. I was aware that the following letter on Race was to be presented and voted on. I am pleased that the PCA has taken this step to move towards repentance for racism and embrace reconciliation. Here are the highlights of the letter as reported on ByFaithOnline, the PCA Web Magazine.

The 32nd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America, meeting in Pittsburgh, Penn., adopted a Pastoral Letter on the Gospel and Race at its meeting on Wednesday, June 16, 2004.

"The Gospel and Race: A Pastoral Letter" was adopted by the General Assembly. This letter is commended to PCA churches to clarify the position of the denomination on important issues relating to racism in the past, present, and future. It is also intended to provide guidance for members as they examine their hearts with respect to this issue and to lead the flock the Lord has entrusted to its care.

The letter seeks to provide a definition of racism, a theological perspective on racism, pastoral responses to racism and discussion of pastoral issues relating to racism.

The report stated, "Racism is an explicit or implicit belief or practice that qualitatively distinguishes or values one race over other races. From a biblical perspective, it is the position of the PCA General Assembly that racism, as it is defined in the letter, is sin, and that repentance must follow both individually and corporately.

"James reminds us that 'faith without works is dead' (James 2:26b). We call on each elder, session, presbytery, committee, and agency of our denomination to study this letter and seek to turn from the sin of racism even in its most subtle of forms. You are strongly encouraged to engage the leadership of your church in examining this issue with the objective of developing specific actions you will follow to lead your congregation in conviction and repentance of this sin, whether in its most subtle or most overt form.

"It is the prayer of the General Assembly that our Lord Christ will be glorified and that His grace will be poured out upon each of us as individuals as we struggle daily with sin and as we rest in the promise of reconciliation found in His Gospel."

Praise the Lord. To read the whole article click here

Learning to say , “I’m Sorry.”

As we get closer to departing the U.S., I have been reflecting on our life here in Newberry. I realize that this community and the people in it have influenced us in many positive ways. I am going to start posting some occassional essays on the how Newberry has impacted our lives. I will entitle the series "From Newberry to Nairobi". I hope you will enjoy these. My first essay is titled "Learning to say, 'I'm Sorry.'" Enjoy!

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As I sat at my desk getting ready to start seeing patients on a busy Friday afternoon, one of my employees knocked on my door, motioning that she needed to tell me something privately. “Dr. Hutchison, I don’t know how to say this, but Mrs. Smith, well, um, she says she doesn’t like you, and, well, she wants another doctor to take care of Mr. Smith.” As she said this the words exploded in my ears like fireworks. On top of the line of patients for this afternoon, I now had a disgruntled patient who needed my attention.

However, instead of raising a shield of defense, I asked Cathy to explain the situation. As she related the message her husband, Mrs. Smith’s pastor, shared with her over lunch, I began to review my interactions with Mrs. Smith over the past couple of weeks. Mr. Smith was dying. The night before I had admitted him to the hospital from the nursing home for the third time in 3 weeks. In fact, until 2 weeks ago, he had been the patient of an Internist for the past twenty years. But his declining health necessitated a nursing home admission. As the Internist did not admit to the nursing home, our practice was asked to accept him at the nursing home which one of my other partners did last week. But unfortunately, a flare up of Mr. Smith’s emphysema required readmission to the hospital last weekend. As the physician on call for the practice, I met Mr. And Mrs. Smith for the first time last week. At that time, I tried to reassure Mrs. Smith that despite the fact that I was the third physician to see Mr. Smith that week, I had indeed reviewed his chart to be able to provide good care for him during the hospitalization.

As I reviewed his chart, I learned that he was 92 years old and had a long history of chronic medical problems including COPD, CHF, Depression, Hypertension, and Dementia – all of which he was taking several medicines for.

I Love My Job

Not everyone can truly say that they love their job. I do. And not because of its "perks" (which it has) - these perks are usually balanced with its share of "downsides". But I love being a doctor.

Take today for instance. I had the opportunity to help teach the Advanced Trauma Life Support to the first year residents in Emergency Medicine, Orthopedics, and General Surgery over at USC in Columbia today. Most of the faculty of the ATLS Course where fulltime faculty at USC. I was the only "community guy". But they treated me with open arms because I was the "guy on the frontline". But that wasn't what I love (the being accepted thing). What I really liked was the opportunity to teach. To share my experiences as a small town Family Doc and ER doc. I loved the challenge of reviewing the literature and preparing my lecture. It was great.

And then, tonight, I am working in my "small" ER. Sarah, my 11 year old, wanted to come shadow me. She has done it before and loves to see the patients and the things we do here. She is funny. She points out the obvious - "why did that patient come in just for a bee sting?" or "They came in for a sore throat? Why didn't they just take some medicine and gargle with water at home?" Good questions, great insight! But the best part of having her here is the opportunity to share what I do. I am just a doc taking care of folks coming to the ER for some relief of their pain. Hopefully I treat them well, give them some good advice or the right meds and they will feel better. And hopefully she will see the great joy there is in serving others. She may not end up being a doctor (and I'm not sure I would counsel her as a young lady to pursue this with her desire to have a family - but that is another topic for another time), but I do hope that she will want to help people with whatever she does.

Man, what a blessing today has been. To teach residents and to share an ER shift with my daughter! I thank God for the opportunities that I have in medicine.

Prayer: The Language of Grace

This session was led by Ron Shaw, the Director of Spiritual Life at MTW. He is just an awesome unassuming type. When he speaks you just believe him. And we he tackles a subject like prayer you know that he practices what he preaches. But I digress. Let’s move on to this wonderful topic of prayer.

Ron started the session by stating,

“Prayer is the practice of the resurrection of Jesus. Prayerlessness is the denial of His resurrection.”

He followed this by quoting Martin Luther,

“Prayer is the real calling of all Christians.”

Ron then pointed out what John Calvin thought about prayer. He stated that although most people think that the central doctrine that captured Calvin’s interest when he wrote the Institutes of the Christian Religion was predestination. However, Calvin only devoted twelve pages to the doctrine of predestination. In fact, John Calvin saw prayer as central to the Christian faith. In his chapter on prayer he devoted 70 pages to this topic; the chapter was entitled “Prayer, which is the Chief Exercise of Which, and By Which We Daily Receive God’s Benefits.”
Again, if this is important to these guys (Luther and Calvin) then I need to pay attention as well.

Ron then made this observation. He said,

“A lot of Christians live as functional atheists.”

He further explained that we live as if everything depended on us. He continued,

“When I want to be in charge, that’s unbelief expressing itself.”

Instead of relying on a divine God, we often rely on a divine “me”.

Ron made some interesting observations about the Great Commission.

Putting Away Sin: The Discipline of Grace

One of the criticisms of the Reformed faith is its central doctrine of grace. Many folks mistakenly think that such a teaching of grace gives people an excuse to ignore the laws and commandments in the Bible. They think that this gives license to live how we want because “it doesn’t really matter how bad I see because I can be assured of my salvation.” Or that somehow it allows sin because, “there is nothing that we can do to make God love us less.” But, as Dr. Kooistra points out,

“Grace is not a substitute for holiness – it is the power for holiness.”

Or as he also states,

“Grace is the presence of Christ living His life in and through us.”

Dr. Kooistra then took us to Psalm 34. He shows us how a close look at this psalm confirms this teaching. In this Psalm David has been rescued by the hand of God. Then in the verses 2-5 we see David respond in this “freedom” by “boasting in the Lord”, “Exalting God”, “Seeking God”, and “Looking for God.” He is drawn into the Lord. Later in the Psalm (v. 11-14) we see that the result of grace produces a desire for obedience.

We are then directed to scripture that shows how the life of grace is marked. It shows a desire to walk in step with Christ (Gal. 5:24), that it is a life of spiritual integrity (Mark 9:24), it is a war against our sinful flesh (Rom. 8:13), and that it is a war against Satan (John 17:15). These are certainly not actions or attitudes that loves to sin, that looks for the freedom to sin, that delights in sin.

Grace allows us to recognize that we are sinners but that we can live in the power of the Holy Spirit. We do this not because it will earn us our salvation, or that it will gain us crowns in glory. We desire to live holy lives out of gratitude for the great love that God the Father shows us. As Paul writes in Galatians 2:20:

“I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who LOVED me, and gave himself up for me.”

The Love of Others: The Sign of Grace

If you have been following my entries this week, you have probably picked up on the fact that we are truly enjoying the week. It has been an incredible time of learning and application. Marti and I have really been blessed to meditate on such central truths to our faith. At this point, it is difficult to say which session has been the best or the most influential. But I must say that our session on Loving Others has been quite important.

Dr. Kooistra introduced the session with a paraphrase from Francis Schaeffer. He said,

“You can’t have true ministry without both orthodoxy of doctrine and orthodoxy of community.”

Basically, to have right doctrine is not enough; we must also have the right love for others.

Our ability to love others must start with God’s love for us. We can risk vulnerability by the certainty of God’s love. If, as Dr. Kooistra points out, Jesus was willing to give up heaven, life, and righteousness for us, then certainly we can risk loving. Otherwise, if we try to love in our own strength, then we will fail. As Dr. Kooistra taught, “Unless the love of God washes over us daily then we can’t love others as Jesus loved us.”

Discord within the church is the way Satan discredits the church. Satan is a wise enemy. He has learned (for the most part) that attacks from within (arguing and disputes) are far superior in stopping the advance of the Kingdom of God than attacks from without (persecution). Dr. Kooistra poignantly states,

“we have little impact on the culture because we love so little.”

Or as New Testament scholar F.F. Bruce succinctly says,

“The love of God displayed in His people is the strongest apologetic that God has in the world.”

Dr. Kooistra then closed with these thoughts on why Biblical love of others is “easy” to recognize.

The Holy Spirit: The Agent of Grace

Today’s first session (our 6th session this week) focused on the work of the Holy Spirit. I know some of you are probably saying, “Wow, I didn’t know that Presbyterians even believed in the Holy Spirit.” Well, not only do we believe in the Holy Spirit, but we believe that we are indeed filled with the Holy Spirit and that our lives, families, and churches are DEAD if we do not allow the power of the Holy Spirit to work in and through us. So, yes, we do believe that not only is there a Holy Spirit but that He is, in fact, alive and well.

Dr. Kooistra started the session by stating,

“The Holy Spirit brings God’s touch to us – It brings the presence of God into our lives.”

He further went on declaring that Jesus told His disciples that it was actually BETTER for himself to go away and SEND the Holy Spirit – in John 16:7 Jesus says,

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.”

Jesus knew that it was better for the Holy Spirit to live WITHIN us rather than Around us (when Jesus was here).

Repentance Part 2

As part of my “homework” tonight, I am to write out the elements of genuine repentance as seen in Psalm 51. This psalm gives great insight to what genuine repentance looks like.

1. A repentant heart calls out for mercy to a merciful God. – Verse 1 says “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness.”

2. A repentant heart recognizes and acknowledges that it is sinful and accepts full responsibility for that sin. It does not shift blame. – Verse 3 says “For I acknowledge my transgressions.”

3. A repentant heart recognizes that it sins against God. – Verse 4 says “Against You, You only, have I sinned.”

4. A repentant heart recognizes that it has always been sinful. – Verse 5 says “I was brought forth in iniquity.”

Repentance

Our sessions have been excellent so far. But in our session on repentance, Dr. Kooistra was a little too personal! I mean, it is ok to talk about our sinfulness, God’s love, our need for humility. But when you start talking about our need for repentance, well, that’s just “meddlin’”! We Christians love to talk about our sin IN GENERAL and our need IN GENERAL for God’s love, but to talk about our need for SPECIFIC REPENTANCE, whoa, now, step back, don’t get so personal, don’t talk so straight!

Dr. Kooistra compared and contrasted the “repentance” of King Saul and King David. It was a fascinating study of 1 Samuel 13 and 2 Samuel 12 (get out your Bible and read these - they are great). We see from these two passages the attitudes of Saul and David when confronted with sin. On one hand Saul minimizes the sin, shifts blame to others, and saw no need for God’s help. On the other, David saw the problem (the magnitude), that it was HIS Sin, and his great need for the cleansing power of God.

Dr. Kooistra then showed what true repentance was not. He pointed out that repentance initially does not focus on the personal damage done, or the damage done to others, or the mess the sin produces, or the consequences of that sin, but what that sin does to God. True repentance focuses on how sin breaks the heart of God.

I was struck by the fact that repentance does not depend on self-discipline, but calls out to God and asks to be changed. I was also impressed on our need to really examine deeply what is in our heart – to confess our very specific sins. To not worry about the damage it will cause me or the ones I love. In reality, I learned that repentance can not occur until I am truly honest with myself and with God. As Dr. Kooistra said,

“A repentant heart takes personal responsibility, it does not make excuses.”

Finally, we learned that repentance really must be our posture in the Christian life. We must make, as Luther says,

“Repentance a way of life.”

We must continually ask the Lord to “seek our hearts and see if there be any unclean way” in it. We must continually be mindful that we can not ask God for revival unless we are willing to be changed ourselves. A life of repentance is not a defeated way to live, but a victorious way to live. As Dr. Kooistra stated,

“Repentance is the door to change.”

Nonetheless, this session struck home. It was amazing how I truly desired to confess and repent of my specific sins. It was amazing how it took my appetite away until I could go and do this. As Psalm 51:17 says:

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

2500 Hits

No, I'm not talking about how many hits the Cardinals had against the Cubs today. I have now had over 2500 hits on my blog. Thanks to all who have stopped by. I will continue to write of our adventures as long as folks continue to read them.

Humility

I don’t remember who sang this country song but I remember this line from it:

“It’s hard to be humble, when you’re perfect in every way.”

It seems a funny song until you realize that just about everybody feels that way about themselves. We don’t take the sin of pride very seriously because we don’t really value the virtue of humility. How many business books are titled How the Meek Shall Make Millions ? Or how many coaches encourage their teams to go out and “Play with Humility?” We just don’t get it as a culture. Sadly, we don’t get it as a church either.

This is particularly sad when we realize that Jesus is described in Philippians as Humble. This is one of His most critical attributes. It was his humility that enabled him to go to the cross – not His sovereignty, or his love, or his creative powers. It was in Philippians that we learn:

“Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross…” Philippians 2: 6-8

This is what we have learned in our fourth session of Living in Grace. Humility is the overall look of grace.