Never Not Witnessing ...

God shows his favor to certain people by sending them to Wisconsin for Christmas break and following up with 12 inches of snow. The rest have to spend Christmas in places like San Diego or New York.

For my part, I'm in northern Wisconsin speaking to a group of high school students at a conference at Camp Forest Springs (Westboro, WI). We've been considering some of the life lessons from Daniel, so far, and I thought I'd pass on one of them.

Daniel lived a life of immense integrity. From his earliest days in captivity, he stayed faithful to the law of God and refrained from eating unclean food from the king's table. Later (in Daniel 6) -- much later, in fact, probably 67 years later -- Daniel is still the same man, faithful to God and responsible in his work. Those who hated him and sought his life had to make Daniel's unwavering devotion to God illegal in Persia in order to trap him in "wrongdoing".

If you follow Daniel 6 to the end, though, an amazing thing happens, even more amazing than Daniel's safe night's stay in a lion's den. The regent of Babylon, Darius the Mede, actually sends a message throughout the whole empire urging people to reverence the great God whom Daniel serves.

Daniel could never have broadcast a message like this to so many people. However, he never stopped broadcasting the message about what he believed and valued to those who knew him. That is why his life had such an impact in the kingdoms of Babylon and Persia.

Now, I know a lot of people who would say they are not good at witnessing. They don't feel like they've got the personality, platform, or answers to lead people to the Lord.

Bosh!

Take a cue from Daniel's life. You are always witnessing. You can't stop witnessing. You can never not witness. Your life and conversation are a ringing testimony to the things you think are true and valuable and worth giving your attention and money to.

We are always leading people to our lord. It's simply that our lord may not be Jesus. If He is central to our thinking, desiring, planning, behaving, etc. then we will lead people to Him, unless we purposefully hide our faith in Him through fear.

However, if something else -- like career, sports, acquisitions (i.e. my new Kindle), or a new boyfriend -- commands all our thoughts, desires, plans, etc. then we will unwittingly, but invariably, lead people to this lesser lord.

So, think in these terms: You are great at witnessing and you're always doing it. The question is really, what message your life communicating?

"Adult Content"? Seriously?

In my forthcoming work (in four volumes) "On The Appropriate Use of Euphemisms in Social Discourse", I intend to marshal the strongest of arguments against the modern habit of calling vulgarity, pornography, etc., "adult content".

"ADULT content"? Seriously? If I were to warn readers about "adult content" on my site, what would I be warning them about? A lively discussion of religion or politics? A criticism of some vain ideology in higher education? A witticism about social norms? A discussion of the appropriate use of euphemism? Surely this is all "adult content".

How ridiculous that we have landed upon "adult content" as a euphemism for "pornographic content" or "vulgar content" or "violent/harmful/scandalous/scatological/obscene content".

As an adult, I raise my voice in objection and declare these things to be juvenile (at best) or diabolical (at worst). Calling base and worthless material "adult content" is a moral tragedy parading about as a harmless euphemism. May I live to see the day this unfortunate phrase ... passes away.

The Wideness of God's Mercy

Today, I've been meditating on three passages that speak to the wideness of God's mercy towards us in Christ. His provision for us is greater than we realize, greater by far than we utilize.

"He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32)

"... all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God." (1 Corinthians 3:21-23)

"But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom." (Luke 12:31-32)

The incarnation of the Son of God tells us how far the Father has gone (and will go) to provide for those He's chosen. This is a wonderful reality. In the words of the Psalmist, "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it." (Psalms 139:6)

The Craft of Writing Made Simple

To begin at the beginning is, next to ending at the end, the whole art of writing; as for the middle you may fill it in with any rubble that you choose.

– Hilaire Belloc, "On Getting Respected in Inns and Hotels".

Christmas Eve Reflections

Though I spent most of the day lazing about with my new Kindle (which I'm not supposed to open until tomorrow), wrapping gifts, and snowshoeing through 12 inches of fresh snow in Northern Wisconsin, I spent a portion of the afternoon with my Bible - Matthew 1 & 2. Three things strike me afresh as I reflect on the account of Jesus' birth:

1. The (only) four women mentioned in Matthew's geneaology have tarnished reputations. Many of the men are worse. It draws attention to the fact that God Himself did not disdain to draw near to sinful people. It is an amazing display of the divine humility, and it gives me hope that God would associate with a person like me, too.

2. Jesus came to "save his people from their sins" (Matt 1:21). No doubt, he came to do many other things, as well. He set an example for us to follow, he rendered justice on the earth, and he did other fine things. But first and foremost, he came to set God's people free from their bondage to sin. That is what Jesus' incarnation is all about.

3. Next to no one knew the Messiah had come into the world for almost two years. When magi arrived from the east, Herod and the religious leaders were caught off-guard by news that a new king had been born. How humble was the coming of our King, humble in every conceivable way.

"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich." (2Co 8:9)

May the grace of Jesus Christ enrich your celebration of Christmas yet again this year.

Boldly To Go

I have done it. I have resolved boldly to go where approximately 750,000 other people have gone in the fourth quarter of this year alone. I have ordered a Kindle from Amazon.

Perhaps you will think less of me for giving in to the "Most Wished For, Most Gifted, Most Extraordinarily Unique Technogadget of the 21st Century" hype, and perhaps I have. But it might be illuminating to see how I warmed up to the Kindle:

Nov 2007-Nov 2009 (early): Ridiculed the product as an expensive, snobbish-looking, pitiful excuse for a real book, made to suit the fancy of a culture that has lost its mind but retained its money.

Nov 2009 (late): Read the description of the Kindle on the Amazon site and reflected, "Perhaps it is not an utterly worthless piece of junk made to gratify the vain pretensions of an undereducated and overpaid population."

Dec 2009 (early): Stumbled upon a link to manybooks.net, where I discovered 45 FREE (i.e. public domain) titles by G.K. Chesterton, along with 64 FREE books by George Macdonald, along with 71 FREE books by G.A. Henty, along with ... you get the point.

Dec 2009 (mid): Ignored the advice of my good friend, Drew, ordered a Kindle with free two-day shipping, and began downloading all the books I wanted at manybooks.net. I presently have more books to load on my Kindle than I could possibly read in a decade of leisure.

Now, I'm sitting around relishing the day I'll get to join the ereader revolution, December 25, 2009. I'll post my review of the Kindle as soon as I've had a chance to put it through its paces, because there aren't enough half-baked reviews of the Kindle online already.

The first book I intend to read: The Ballad of the White Horse (an epic poem) by GKC.

In Sickness and In Health

Fifteen years ago today, Katie and I stood in front of a modest gathering of friends and family in Auburn, AL and vowed to stick with one another as husband and wife, "for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; forsaking all others, til death do us part."

Fifteen years on, we're both sick ... and happy to be sick together. Katie managed to make it downstairs this evening to open cards and gifts. Then, our three oldest kids huddled in our bedroom to watch the movie "Up!"

Perhaps we had envisioned a slightly different anniversary celebration. (I think it included a 6th grade boys basketball game and hamburgers at Culvers.) But you could hardly envision happier children this evening ... or more satisfied parents.

The past three days of sickness and home-bounded-ness probably tell more about our marriage and our love than any night out could. It's not always pretty or easy, but we would rather be together through the troubles than separated at ease.

So here's to fifteen great years in the rear view mirror and to all those that lie ahead. May they find us as happily together as we have been tonight ... and healthier.

It's Official: We're All Down

Katie and I have been around the block a few times with sickness: sick pets, sick kids, sick spouses. But never have we experienced a pounding like this week. Presently, all six of us are on antibiotics for strep throat or sinusitus. Three have thrown up.

Thankfully, my strength began to recover just as Katie's began to fail. That means one of us has been well enough to look after the kids. (This is the sort of thing no one tells you about before you have kids.)

Please don't think of this post as an e-complaint, though. It's more a statement of wonder, that so foul a state should befall all six of us in the span of a day. It's so unlikely, I had to share it.

BTW: The dog is not sick ... yet.

Updated "First Circle"

I just discovered on Amazon there's an updated edition of The First Circle by Solzhenitsyn. Apparently, the Harper (1968) and Bantam (1969) editions were edited so the book would make it out of the Soviet Union when the author was in exile in Kazakhstan.

This puts me in a moral dilemma. Do I continue to read the edited version? Or purchase the latest edition? If you have never read anything by Solzhenitsyn, you should probably begin with One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. Short and powerful. I'll never forget Alyosha the Baptist in the prison camp.

Even so, The First Circle is a powerful book so far, a study in freedom, fear, and love.

Sick, but ...

It's official. I've got strep throat (i.e. excruciating pain in the throat, fever, chills).

However, I'm also reading Solzhenitsyn's The First Circle (about life in the Soviet GULAG).

Really, I don't have it that bad.

God On Campus by Trent Sheppard

Just got a new book from Trent Sheppard (a friend) entitled, God on Campus: Sacred Causes and Global Effects. It traces the impact of prayer movements and revivals on American campuses from colonial days to the present.

Trent is articulate and energetic in person, and I suspect his voice will carry well into print. If you are looking for a smart read over the break, I recommend picking up a copy at the publisher's website (www.ivpress.com) or on Amazon.

The arrival of this book seems providentially timed to my reading (or continued reading :-) of George Marsden's Soul of the American University.

Why I Am a Reluctant Blogger

"An Englishman can communicate with Manhattan by wireless, and he may yet communicate with Mars by wireless, and in both cases nothing remains but the deeper and darker problem of thinking of something to say."

—GK Chesterton

Tis' the Season

Three recent happenings assure me the end of the semester has arrived and the Christmas season is upon us:

1. The temperatures plummeted to single-digits, while the wind gusted up to 45 MPH yesterday.
2. The Illini Navigators convened for our annual Christmas party.
3. And I got a nasty sinus infection.

"We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year."

In The Beginning

Upon the occasion of beginning another blog:

Well, so I did; but yet I did not think
To show to all the world my pen and ink
In such a mode; I only thought to make
I knew not what: nor did I undertake
Thereby to please my neighbor; no, not I;
I did it my own self to gratify.

John Bunyan. The Pilgrim's Progress. "The Author's Apology for his Blog."