John The Baptist

After School Program Narrative

2012-01-31T19:18:00.000-08:00

Gateway Academy After School Tutoring

Program Narrative February 1, 2012

Members of the advisory team:

· Lyra Done’

· Alice Gwin

· Cecilia Teal

· Rachael O’Meara

· Cheryl Brake

· John Schneider

· CJ Falcione

· John R. Wible, Principal

Summary

This is an after school tutoring program for selected 3^rd graders at Brewbaker Primary School. The program is held in the new building of Gateway Baptist Church on every Wednesday that school is in session. The program will be sanctioned by Brewbaker Primary School. Teachers will recommend students for the program based on academic need. Consents will be obtained from parents.

Students are picked up at school either by tutors or volunteer drivers, given a snack prepared by Amy Schneider, and tutored individually by volunteer tutors on homework and subjects of particular difficulty as determined by the student, student’s teacher, and parents. There is still discussion as to whether the tutoring period will end with a group devotional.

Tutors will be selected from volunteers, adults and youth, primarily of Gateway affiliation, though not necessarily. Tutors must submit to a background check and will be supervised by the principal. Sessions will be held in individual pods in the gym.

A recreational period, also held in the gym, will follow supervised by volunteer recreation supervisors and Gateway youth volunteers.

After the recreation portion, students will be dismissed to their parents if they choose not to stay for the remained of the evening activities. Parents wishing their students to remain will pay $10.00/month to cover costs of supper. Students remaining for evening activities will eat together in the sanctuary with tutors or “house parents” at their tables to further the teaching of life skills such as proper table manners and respect for others.

After supper, tutors/house parents will remain with their students for 20 minute worship. After worship, students are dismissed to AWANA program and supervised by AWANA leaders. Parents must pick up students promptly at 7:45 pm.

Students

A student/tutor ratio of 1:1 was desired with 1:2 as a maximum. The maximum number of students to start would be 20. Only 3^rd graders will be allowed in to start with and perhaps grow into the 4^th grade next term. Program will be continuously evaluated for improvements.

Selection of the students must be a school function as we are not privy, under federal law, (FERPA) to any information on students. The principal of Brewbaker would have to initiate contact with the 3^rd grade teachers to recommend students and to survey the parents as to level of interest. Parents must sign a disclosure form to allow Gateway to have their contact and other information.

Tentative Schedule

· 3:10 – pick up from Brewbaker

· 3:30 – snack served in the kitchen by Amy Schneider then to sanctuary to eat. Snack time must be supervised by tutors

· 3:45 – “school” (instruction/tutor) time begins.

o Supplies and materials such as pencils and paper will be obtained and available

o Tables will be set up in pods in the gym.

o Tutors will start with reviewing homework and assisting with it.

o Afterwards, tutors drill on areas of known weakness using resources such as work sheets and games to be provided by Gateway in a library of such to be set up.

o Reading would also be encouraged when above is completed. Student can read aloud as can tutor. Principal will consult with Brewbaker librarian on appropriate books.

o Math would also be emphasized.

o 4:30 to 5:00 – play time supervised in gym or outside by selected youth or recreational supervisors. Supervision of transition from play time to pick up time must be provided

· 5:00 to 5:15 – Possible devotional time (under discussion)

· 5:15 to 5:30 - Dismissal, parents to pick up (or)

· 5:30 to 6:00 – Supper

· 6:00 to 6:20 – Worship

· 6:20 to 7:45 – AWANA

· 7:45 – release to parents

Background Checks

Principal is pursuing background checks consisting of Alabama criminal history and Sex Offender Registry. If youth tutors cannot be checked, recommendations from their school authorities must be obtained.

Insurance

Assistant Pastor is exploring what insurance would cover transportation of student from Brewbaker.

Additional Activities

We are mindful of the Brewbaker Librarian’s desire to add a reading component to the program and Bruno Resende’s desire to be a resource for soccer and to partner this ministry with his sports ministry, possibly some afterschool or Saturday soccer camps.

Revised program tenets:

· Meets once a week on Wednesday from 3:10- 5:15. Folding into the Wednesday evening program of supper, worship and AWANA, if not amenable to finesse will have to be deferred.

· Program goes through May and ending there. Re-evaluate in May as to whether or how to interface with Gateway summer programs or find other summer programs.

· We are developing a protocol book for students and tutors.

· Training for tutors needs to be secured and will be required.

· Confidential background checks need to be run on all tutors and others who have direct student contact for the protection of all. A simple in-state criminal history and search of Sex Offender Registry.

· Designated drivers pick up at school. All drivers must show driver’s license and proof of insurance and must affirm that they have no convictions for DUI or reckless driving in recent years.

· Program ends at 5:15. Children not staying are picked up at that time by parents. It is the parent’s responsibility to pick up and pick up promptly. Cost would be free thus far. Evening meals would be $10.00 a month.

· We need to assess available rooms in gym bldg.

· Principal (John Wible) would be responsible to assign fill-in tutoring. Permanent “floaters” are needed. Tutors are responsible to report to Principal when they will be absent – hopefully give 24 hour notice. Back-up volunteers will be needed on ad hoc basis.

· If the parent wants the child to stay for the evening program starting at 5:15, cost is $10.00/month regardless of how many Wednesdays in the month. If a child stays for part of evening program, he stays for all and is picked up at 7:45 by parents.

· Habitual tardies and no shows are grounds for dismissal from the program.

· We will present a mechanism to account for all students at all times if they stay for the evening program.

Needs

Volunteer personnel: tutors, drivers, recreational supervisors, and “house parents.” “House parents” are non-tutoring adults who will, in absence of tutor, sit with the students during supper teaching manners and appropriate behavior. They will likewise sit with and supervise student during the 20 minute worship period.

· Someone in charge of volunteer personnel;

· Someone in charge of student follow up;

· Someone in charge of facilities coordination;

· A secretary and a Vice-Principal;

· Someone to work on development of policies and procedures including student enrollment forms with appropriate information such as emergency contacts and medications. What to do in case of health emergency or weather emergency? What are grounds for dismissal of student or tutor? Secure a release and hold harmless from parents. Secure a medical proxy from parents in case of dire or immediate emergency requiring immediate 911 transport to hospital ED.

John's Christmas Poem - 2011 "The Puriwat of Rajpur"

2011-12-29T05:13:00.000-08:00

The Purwat[1] of Rajpur[2]

By John R. Wible. [3]Begun in 1978,[4] completed in September-October, 2011[5]

In Rajpur, the Purwat with majesty did sit,

Exalted high upon the Ruby throne,

Whose dais filled the great Hall there, at least the most of it,

With each and every kind of precious stone.[6]

Beside the Purwat there stood the Khybear[7] to the left,

And to the right, the Ivory Dumar,[8]

Who opened mighty floodgates wide,

From whence proceeded hence,

The River of the Purwat’s great pow’r.

The pow’r to make and make again,

At His majestic call,[9]

And echo same from One to One,

Gush forth like liquid Ruby from the Hall.

The pow’r to make and make again,

How can this thing be so?

How can such might be latent lie,

Within the Ruby flow?

And who is touched by the liquid flame,

To be changed to flesh from stone?

“Oh, is it I,” one dares to ask,

“Who can such glory own?”

The question shocks the spirit man,

And to the soul gives pause,

“Nay, who am I to ask of such,

And based upon what cause?”

At once, the Khybear dains to speak,

Give voice His trifurcated tongue,

The sound of such I cannot bear,

Nor with the Three be among.

And even though the Khybear, He,

His face and feet I hear,

Felled on my face I find myself,

A ‘quivering with fear.

Gives back the shout, the Dumar does,

And three times louder than before,

Pow’r of pow’r and might of might,

Echoes from wall to crown to floor.

“It is done,” the speaker speaks.

“The River’s flow ne’er stopped,”

And washed me o’er from face to toe,

Until my body sopped.

“Woe is me, I am undone,

A man of hollow lip,

That ope’ of aweful ocean tide,

Until the Ruby sip.”

The taste of curried gall, it is,

More bitter than be borne,

Hollowed by the years of me,

Until my teeth they’ve torn.

O’er once and twice and thrice again,

The taste each crevice fills,

And all the vacuum vanishes,

“'til soon my soul it thrills.

“Oh, strange and unfamiliar taste,

This chutney of the soul,

Can You my weakness wash away?

And make, remake me whole?”

“It can, It can,” the Purwat,

Proclaimed, now drink it all.

Oh, take it in, its savor seek,

Salvation mixed with gall.”

And then I realized my lips,

Well full with new-found floods,

Which sprang from them each time I spoke?

The Royal Ruby Blood.

“Now, make and make and make again,”

I hear the Khybear bleat,

“And give to all, do all I say.”

And then He took His seat.

But yet the Dumar grew in form,

E’en larger than before.

And with each iteration’s growth,

Less visible each pore.

And in a wild and winsome way,

I wot that He the Ruby had become,

That filled my lips; He bade me speak,

‘til the Purwat be known.

The sky rolled in and covered up,

The vision I had seen,

The Purwat, upon His throne

The Khybear had entered in.

And became as e’er before,

With Purwat be one

The Dumar, too, in some strange way,

The threefold person now done.

And so it was, and so shalt be,

As from the time before.

The Purwat exalted high,

Above this human floor.

And I am filled to overflow,

On Ruby-hu-ed sips,

And nevermore will speak to man,

With hollow, haughty lips.

[1] Purwat (pronounced Poor-a-what), is a combination word of my making. The word was given to me in the vision. It is a combination of two ancient words from two ancient languages, Hindi and Khmer. In the Rig Veda, the ancient Hindu writings, “pur” is referred to more than 30 times and means city, castle or fortress. “Wat” is from the ancient Khmer language of Cambodia and means “temple.” In ancient times before Christ, in fact, before recorded history, peoples of Indian descent inhabited modern Cambodia such that it was known by British and French scholars as “Farther India.” “Purwat” then, is the title that was given to me for Jehovah God, the triune “Temple City” by extension, and the City that is a holy temple.

[2] [2] Rajpur is a small town in Uttarakhan State in Northern India, where I saw the vision. It also is an ancient princely state on the banks of the River Mahisagar in Western India. It is perhaps in this reference that I first heard the name some 33 years ago. The term, “Raj” means might or power in Hindi, thus Rajpur would mean the City of Power.

[3] John retired from the Alabama Department of Public Health in June of this year and serves at the call of the Lord.

[4] [4] I began this poem in 1978 shortly after Amy was born. I was never able to get past the first verse and I wondered why. It is now clear that God began a vision for me in 1978 but did not complete the vision for some 33 years. Is it a coincidence that 33 years is the span of Jesus’ life on Earth? I cannot say nor do I compare myself to Him. I merely point out the significance. Annotations are posted on Face Book.

[5] This poem is the verbalization of a vision I received in Northern India during a prayer session in a Tibetan refugee village. Upon reflection, it is basically the same vision that the prophet, Isaiah saw and recorded in Isaiah 6, q.v. In the vision, I saw the Triune God in Heaven dressed in 17^th Century Indian garb. God the Father was seated on a huge Ruby coloured pillow in a full lotus position. To His right were God the Son (Khybear) and God the Holy Spirit (Dumar). From the throne emanated a ruby coloured river that descended from Heaven to the room in which I stood praying over a man who had abscesses on his back. The ruby flow covered the floor and came to my feet. Then it came through my body and exited out my hand which was on the sick man. The flow was God’s healing power. It was a double gift. A gift of healing to the man and a gift of God’s permitting me to be the instrumentality of that healing. Please Isaiah 6:1-8 and Acts 7:54.

[6] See also the 1816 Coleridge poem, “Kubla Khan,” which must have influenced me in the distant past.

[7] Khybear (pronounced Khyber,) is a made up word using the Khyber of India to the Northwest of Rajpur and Bear for “Chi Bear,” Amy’s first stuffed animal.

[8] Dumar (Dumar Kachar in Madhya Pradesh, to the Southeast of Rajpur,) is the second place name used. Dumar was Amy’s second animal. Dumar is also one of the “scheduled casts” of Madhya Pradesh.

[9] See Gen. 1:1 and Rev. 21:1.

Scriptural Basis for Public Health

2011-10-07T16:44:00.000-07:00

In aide of a recent trip to Northern India, I wrote the following as part of a paper on the connection between public health, scripture and the role of the community pastor in developing countries. Below is the excerpt dealing with the scriptural basis for public health, sometimes referred to as "community health."

Public Health and Ministry

Scriptural Basis for Public Health in Ministry

By John R. Wible, General Counsel (retired)

Alabama Department of Public Health (USA)

Public Health in the Old Testament

God created the Heavens and the Earth.[1] Then after all the “things,[2]” God created man.[3] An interesting thing about man, man is created in the image of God.[4] God exists in a spiritual “community.” While God is One, [5] He is composed of three separate personalities or persons.[6] The three persons must of necessity exist or “live” in perfect community. Since man is made in God’s image, man is also made to live in community.[7] While God’s spiritual community is perfect, man’s is not because of the fall of Adam and Eve.[8] Note that it was not until after the fall that Adam “knew” Eve and she bore her first child.[9] Many more followed and the human race was on its way.

Early on, we note that God institutes childbirth and states that it will be full of “sorrow” and pain.[10] When there were few people, there was no need for many rules or practices by which to govern the human race, but as the race grew in size, God had the need to create certain conventions by which the race governed itself and by which the race protected itself from itself. One of those conventions was the giving of the Law to Moses. Obviously, prior to Moses, there were many civilizations, all governing themselves with various laws for the protection of the society.[11] We shall, however isolate on the law recorded in the Bible as revealed to Moses, especially those that deal with community or public health.

Likewise, prior to the giving of the law to Moses there are a number of “plagues” referred to in the Bible, some of zoonotic origin, IE., the infestation of the frogs, [12] lice,[13] flies,[14] and locusts.[15] Others, however, are of contaminatory origin[16] and others of pathogenic origin, IE. diseases of livestock and human boils.[17]

The list of “plagues” would not be complete without reference to the plague of natural disaster, localized or “targeted” hail,[18] and of course, the coup de gras, the plague of death itself found in Exodus 12: 29-30.We will perhaps never know the etiology of the plague of death that fell selectively on the Egyptians and apparently, the non-observant Hebrews who failed to put the lambs’ blood on the door posts as instructed by God through Moses. Professor Greta Hort theorizes that the plagues were all a “chain reaction” beginning with an algae bloom.

[The] first plague, of blood, was supposedly a massive amount of red algae, plus a huge quantity of red earth washed into the Nile by excessive rains on the Abyssinian plateau. These algae allegedly de-oxygenated the water, thus killing the fish, which somehow gave rise to anthrax bacteria. The frogs then sickened, left the river (the second plague) and died. Hort’s third plague was mosquitoes, which had bred in the floodwaters, and her fourth was the biting fly Stomoxys calcitrans, breeding in the decaying plants left by the retreating Nile flood. The livestock disease of her fifth plague was anthrax spread by the dead frogs. The sixth plague, of boils on animals and people, was supposedly skin anthrax transmitted by the biting flies.[19]

Of course, also according to Hort, the seventh plague, of hail and thunder, was a coincidental local weather feature, which also promoted the locusts of the eighth plague. The ninth plague, of darkness, was allegedly caused by a desert sandstorm known as a khamsin, which blotted out the sun by throwing into the air the blanket of fine red dust from the first plague, left on the ground when the widespread Nile floodwaters receded.

Hort’s tenth plague was not the death of the firstborn, but the destruction of the last remains of the ‘first-fruits’ of the harvest, ‘due to a corruption of the Bible text.’ [20] Needless to say, Hort’s theories are widely disputed by both scientists and Biblical scholars.[21]

Beginning with their freedom from the Egyptians brought about by God at the Red Sea in Exodus 14, the Hebrews or Israelites come to the critical time and place in their history – the giving of the law by God to Moses at Mt. Sinai. The first three commandments deal with man’s relationship to God, but the last seven deal with man’s relationship to himself in community.[22]

While we Christians all know and can probably quote the Ten Commandments or “Words,” the ancient Israelites did not isolate on the Decalogue alone, but took God’s words on an equal footing with the Decalogue. Hebrew scholars tell us that the ancients saw God as giving in the Torah, or first five books of the Hebrew Bible, a total of 613 “commandments.”[23] Many of them dealt with public or community health.

Proverbs 1:7 states that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning [starting point] of knowledge". When we look to Scripture for instructions about health, it is remarkable what God, our Creator has revealed. Among the 613 “Words,” we find powerful tools designed to prevent disease and promote health. In fact, God told the Israelites, through Moses, that if they followed the “Words,” or the “Law,” they could avoid the curse of disease.

For example, the Biblical reference to clean and unclean animals is plan and straight forward. Nevertheless, many assume these ancient dietary regulations are no longer relevant and that Christians have been liberated from "outdated" restrictions. Some commentaries often spiritualize away these important laws. However, others get the fact that "priests were public health officers in addition to their religious role."[24] Religious leaders in ancient Israel taught people not to eat unclean animals.[25] A close examination of the life and times of the Israelites in relation to these animals reveals that many of these “unclean” animals were, in fact unclean because they carry disease-causing organisms.

We now know that eating undercooked flesh of pigs, bears, rabbits, dogs and horses can transmit tularemia and trichinosis to humans.[26] Moses told them that all shellfish were considered unclean. Modern science tells us why. Crayfish and lobsters are scavengers that feed on dead organisms that can transmit disease. Filter-feeding clams and oysters concentrate viruses that cause hepatitis and paralytic or neurotoxic shellfish poisoning.[27] Liver fluke infections are common where raw fish and crayfish are widely consumed. These diseases can be prevented by not eating foods God called "unclean." A common expression is that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” In practice, then, avoiding these foods was cheaper and more effective than treating disease.

Likewise, the prohibition against drinking the blood of the animals found in Lev. 11:2, et seq., served to prevent parasitic infection.[28] Meat was to be eaten on the day it was slaughtered or at the latest, the next day. Otherwise it must be incinerated.[29] This obviously prevents the ingestion of meat that has become tainted. Further, meat offered for sacrifice must be “without blemish.” Besides the spiritual and prophetic nature of such command, we must remember that meat offered for sacrifice was not all consumed by the fire, but the priests were entitled to eat a portion thereof which was their sustenance.[30] Their diet should be low in animal fat.[31] This prevented obesity, referred to as a sign of complacency and apostasy by Nehemiah. [32]

Another example of Moses’ Law and community health is found in Leviticus 11:32–40. There are found admonitions to avoid contact with animals that have died. Likewise, porous earthen vessels, potentially contaminated, were to be destroyed to avoid spreading disease. Again, in modern times, we learn that these biblical regulations are consistent with sound microbiological techniques, and are fundamentally important in fighting infectious disease.

It was the priests' job to teach and explain these laws. Priests were to designate as unclean those who had contagious diseases characterized by skin rashes, such as leprosy, measles, smallpox and scarlet fever. Such individuals were to be isolated from others to prevent the spread of disease.[33]. These biblical guidelines are the basis of medically sound quarantine procedures that have been used for centuries.

Bible guidelines include avoiding contact with personal items of sick people that could transmit germs.[34] Contaminated items were to be washed or burned (which destroys microorganisms). Biblical health instructions even applied to dwellings—mold or fungal growth had to be scraped off, or a house would be quarantined or demolished. Cracks, which harbor ticks and other disease-bearing bugs, were to be plastered.[35]. The priest functioned as both a public health educator and a building inspector, to promote health and prevent disease.

The Levitical Laws acknowledged that body fluids could be a vehicle for transmitting disease.[36] Contact with human waste materials, nasal discharges, tears, saliva and other fluids, or contact with soiled towels or linen, can spread infectious disease. Trachoma—a leading cause of blindness—is spread by contact with soiled hand towels and eye-seeking flies. Those coming into contact with fluids from a sick person had to wash their hands and clothes in water, bathe, and remain isolated from other people until evening as a precaution against spreading disease.[37] Men and women were to bathe after having sexual relations.[38] The purpose of these sanitary laws was to promote health and prevent disease. They were not just ceremonial rituals.[39]

One of the most practical and powerful biblical admonitions stated that when people live together, human wastes were to be deposited outside the living area and buried.[40] Further, the “latrines” were to be posted so no one would walk over them. The same practice was practiced even as late at World War I. [41]Today we know that this prevents waste materials from coming into contact with people, flies and other organisms that transmit disease. It likewise, prevents the contamination of water supplies. A number of enteric diseases, such as diarrhea, dysentery, hookworm, roundworms, cholera and typhoid, result from contact with human waste. Thus, Mosaic command concerning wearing shoes and not using human waste as fertilizer were also important preventive measures.

The sanitary disposal of human waste, and access to clean water, are two of the most important ways of preventing disease.[42] One physician stated that if these two goals could be achieved, nearly 75 percent of Africa's diseases would disappear! [43]And it was to the priests, today, the pastors, that God has given leadership in the promotion of these goals.[44]

The segregation of persons who had come into contact with something “unclean” or who had contracted leprosy was the early forerunner to modern quarantine.[45]

The Levitical Law took a strong stand against adultery, fornication, homosexuality and other unhealthy sexual activities.[46] Sex outside marriage was labeled a sin, and in many cases was punishable by death in Old Testament times.[47] Public policies like this—promoted by religious leaders and backed by civil authority—were designed to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, today, including HIV/AIDS.

Clean water was also a public health concern of the Mosaic Law. Flowing water such that encased in limestone and freed by Moses in Exodus 17:6 was preferable to standing water as stagnant water might contain natural pollutants such as dead animals or animal waste or vectors for disease.[48] The “fiery serpents” which infected the Israelites in Numbers 21:6, et seq. may have been caused by a parasite ingested by the drinking of stagnant water. In Exodus 15:25, Moses “sweetens” the bitter water at Marah by stirring it with a barberry stick. This may have had the effect of disturbing the stagnant water and allowing the fresh water below to well up.[49] Lastly, Elijah is seen to be purifying by the addition of salt, polluted water that had caused an epidemic of spontaneous abortions in 2 Kings 2:21.

New Testament Arguments for Public Health

I wear a bracelet that has “WWJD” on it which stands for “What Would Jesus Do?” Jesus clearly had a wonderful healing ministry as reported by all the gospel writers. [50] However, equally as clear is Jesus’ support the Old Testament public health requirements referred to supra. Matthew 5:17-18 tells us:

¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸ For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

In Matthew 8:1-3, Jesus heals a leper and then tells him to go show himself to the priests as the Law of Moses commanded.

¹ When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. ² A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

³ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. ⁴ Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

The same event is recorded in Mark 1:40-45 and Luke 12:5-16.

In John 8, we find the sweet story of the woman taken in sin. In this story, while Jesus is teaching, some men bring a “woman taken in sin” to Jesus to judge. In response, Jesus dares “he who is without sin” to cast the first stone. Of course, none do. Jesus forgives her sin and tells her to go and sin no more. While there is deep theological meaning in the story, it is also a statement against the spread of communicable disease. If the woman were a prostitute, and the evidence from the story is so, she could well be infected with a sexually transmitted infection (STI.) If so, by telling her to do her sin no more, Jesus is controlling the spread of the STI.

² At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. ³ The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴ and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵ In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” ⁶ They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ⁷ When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

⁹ At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. ¹⁰ Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

¹¹ “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

In 1 Tim. 5:16, we find Paul’s famous quote concerning wine, “Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.” It may well have been that Timothy was frequently infected with waterborne illness from drinking polluted water. The alcohol generated in the fermentation process in wine kills off these impurities. For this reason, Timothy is urged to avoid polluted water and drink wine instead.

The clear thrust of many biblical principles is to prevent problems before they arise. Proverbs 22:3 states that "a prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished." From a community or public health perspective many diseases can be prevented merely by taking wise precautions ahead of time. The sanitary disposal of human and animal waste prevents contact with people, flies and other organisms that can spread disease. Sexually transmitted diseases—including HIV/AIDS—can be prevented by obeying biblical instructions concerning chastity. That is why God instructed religious leaders to promote these behaviors. That is why today’s pastors must take up that mantle.

[1] Gen. 1:1.

[2] Gen. 1:6-25.

[3] Gen. 1:26.

[4] Id. and v.27.

[5] Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:4; Galatians 3:20; 1 Timothy 2:5.

[6] Genesis 1:1, 26; 3:22; 11:7; Isaiah 6:8, 48:16, 61:1; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14). In Genesis 1:1, the Hebrew plural noun "Elohim" is used. In Genesis 1:26, 3:22, 11:7 and Isaiah 6:8, the plural pronoun for “us” is used. The word "Elohim" and the pronoun “us” are plural forms, definitely referring in the Hebrew language to more than two. While this is not an explicit argument for the Trinity, it does denote the aspect of plurality in God. The Hebrew word for "God," "Elohim," definitely allows for the Trinity.

[7] Gen. 1:28.

[8] Gen. 3:16-19.

[9] Gen. 4:1.

[10] Gen. 3:16.

[11] See Gen. 10.

[12] Ex. 8:2-6.

[13] Ex. 9:16-17.

[14] Ex. 8:20-24.

[15] Ex. 10:3-15.

[16] Ex. 7:15-21.

[17] Ex. 9:3-10.

[18] Ex. 9:14-26

[19] Hort, G., The Plagues of Egypt, 2 parts, Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 69:84–103, 1957; 70:48–59, 1958. Hort was ‘a scholar of medieval English literature and religion,’ neither a zoologist, hydrologist, botanist or biologist.

[20] Hort 1958:52–54.

[21] Cf. Sparks, B., Red algae theories of the ten plagues: contradicted by science, 2 parts, Bible and Spade 16(3):66–77, 2003 and 17(1):17–27, 2004, among others.

[22] See Ex. 20:1-17.

[23] Kaufmann Kohler and Isaac Broydé , “The 613 Commandments”, The Kopelman Foundation, Jewish Encyclopedia, 2002.

[24] Comments on Leviticus 14:1, the Expositor's Bible Commentary.

[25] Lev.11; Deut. 14

[26]Benenson, Control of Communicable Diseases Manual, 1995.

[27] Id.

[28] Gwilt, J.R., Ph.D.,“Public Health in the Bible,” Perspectives on Public Health,” Sage Publications, accessed 9/3/2011.

[29] Lev. 19:6.

[30] Paul refers to this in 1 Cor. 10:25-29

[31] Lev. 3:17.

[32] Neh. 9:25,26.

[33] Lev. 13.

[34] Lev. 13:47–59.

[35] Lev.14:33–48.

[36] Lev.15.

[37] Lev. 15:11.

[38] Lev. 15:18.

[39] Lev. 15:31.

[40] Deut. 23:12–14.

[41] Gwilt, supra.

[42] Water and Dirt—matters of life and death, World Health Forum, 1997, Vol. 18, pp. 266–268.

[43] Winnail, Douglas S., “Defeating Disease, How the Bible Can Help.” Tomorrow’s World, Jul-Aug, 2002.

[44] Deut. 4:1–8.

[45] Numb. 5:2 and 19:11.

[46] Lev.18.

[47] Lev. 20:10–13.

[48] Lev. 11:35.

[49] Gwilt, supra.

[50] A summary example is found in Matthew 4:23-24: “ ²³ Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. ²⁴ News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.”

Suffer the Little Children

2011-10-02T18:12:00.000-07:00

The following is a sermon I wrote and delivered at Bal Vikas Kendra, an orphanage with which we have a partnership in Derhadun, Uttarakand, Northern India. I'll have more about our trip in a later post

Suffer the little Children

Introduction: It is wonderful to once again be in Dehra, the beautiful hillside valley of beautiful mountains, beautiful lush greenery, and beautiful people and most importantly, a beautiful God. Though I am a foreigner in your country, I am a brother. I have been here before in reality and in my dreams. When my daughter who is 33 years old was but a baby, I began a poem about an unknown place in India where she, my daughter lived in my mind, Raj Pur, just up the road here, I found out. I wrote:

In Raj Pur the Puriwat with majesty did sit

Exalted high upon the ruby throne,

Whose dais filled the great hall there,

At least the most of it,

With each and every kind of precious stone . . .

I never finished the poem, for I had never been to Raj Pur or in fact, never heard of it or her sister-village the beautiful Dehra. But in 2007, I came here and saw it and the images I had imagined only in my head, became real. It was changed some, yet it was the same, just like India, it changes some, but its heart remains the same.

Ah, Dehra, the place of poetry a paraphrase of a song about a Scottish Village,

(Sing) Dehradun, Dehradun, blooming under sable skies.

Dehradun, Dehradun, there my heart forever lies.

Let the world grow cold around me, let the Heavens cry above,

Dehradun, Dehradun, in thy valley there’ll be love.

Witness “Return to India” by Ruskin Bond on the Book Our Trees Still Grow in India.

So this is old Dehra of mangoes and lemons,

Where I grew beside the jackfruit tree

Planted by my father on the sunny side

Of the house since sold to Major-General Mehra.

The town’s grown hard, none know me now or knew

My mother’s laughter. Most men come home as strangers.

And yet, the trees my father planted here, these

Trees – old family trees – are growing still in Dehra.

But I am not called here to praise a village, a beautiful vegetation, or even a beautiful people. I am called here to praise a Beautiful God, whose Son came to save us all. All - isn’t that a wonderful word? Jesus came to save us all, men … women … and children. It is about those children that I would speak today in a message entitled, ‘Suffer the Little Children.”

I speak today from an auditorium that is only used as a church house. It is the assembly hall for a great orphanage wherein live many beautiful children who are like me – orphans. For you see, I grew up an orphan until adopted, and then my adopted father left and I was once again an orphan of sorts, though I had a mother.

Isn’t it wonderful that we have a Heavenly Father who still never leave us or forsake us? One who cares for us though were ourselves don’t care and who loves us though we are unlovely?

This orphanage is a picture of the world, a great orphanage where we all, young and old, rich and poor, with or without a family, are spiritual orphans with no father to love us – until we allow God to do so. In that sense, we are all little children hoping for a Father to come take us by the hand and say, “Let’s go home.”

I say to you, we have such a Father, God … and what’s more, we have an Elder Brother, Jesus who loves and cares for us, His chosen children, those who will follow His leadership.

Let us see what that Great Father says in His word about children.

People were also bringing babies to Jesus for Him to place His hand on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to Him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. (Luke 18:15-17.)

The same passage is found in Matthew. 19: 35 and Mark 10:13-16. This is a passage so important that God chose to have three Gospel writes put it to pen and ink.

In reading that passage, I see two parts:

1. The little children and

2. The disciples.

Who are these little children? The little children of the world. We used to sing a song in Bible School, perhaps you did too. “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.

What are the characteristics of these little children?

1. Loving

2. Caring

3. Trusting

At least until the world and its failed system teach them that only the weak are so and teach them not to be so – loving, caring and trusting. But, if you look at it carefully, if we truly want a Father and an Elder Brother, God and His Son, Jesus, that is how we must approach him – as a little child, loving, caring and trusting.

Little children know that they do not know the answers, we the world-wise educated are not so fortunate. We “know” all the answers – except that we don’t know. In fact, we don’t know anything. To this, Jesus says:

I praise You, Father, Lord of the Earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. Luke 10:21. See also Matthew 11:25.

Until we become like those little children, we will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven, a place even more lovely than Dehra.

But what of the little children in the story? The disciples rather than rushing them to the Master to bless, stopped them. They said, “No, Jesus is too busy for such as these.” Too busy? Jesus, I think not. He says in the KJV, “suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not.’ Which little children? All little children. In fact. To forbid the little children is to bring down upon oneself a curse. Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me, but the one who sent me.

. . .

If anyone causes one of these little ones – those who believe in me – to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. Mark 9:37; 42.

So, we are all little children and should bring other little children to Jesus for only He can bless, only He can comfort, only He can guide and lead only He can truly love. Rather than forbid them, I submit it is our duty not only to bring them, but to go out into the highways, the rainforests and mountain village, the deep woods and deeper cities and bring them in. Did He not say so?

“Go ye, therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you and lo, I am with you even always, even until the end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20.

After we have first ourselves been so brought and so blessed and then have so brought them to Him, it is our duty and privilege to teach and make disciples of him, like ourselves – only better, I hope.

Great theological truths we shall not teach, only God reveals those, rather we teach them a simple message, be just what they are and have always been – little children – loving, caring and trusting. We teach them keep on coming to Jesus every day for love, care and guidance – keep on coming to Him like the little child comes to His Father every day with his arms stretched out . Crying, ABBA, Father, I need You.” For need him we do and always shall.

We have the rare privilege to teach them to love unconditionally like they already do. In other words, teach them not to change, to remain as they are, little children. To love unconditionally as my daughter loved and loves me though I make mistakes that cause her grief. The difference is that this Father makes no mistakes. We teach them to love like that, expecting nothing in return. [1]

Why, you might ask? Because as I John 4:10 teaches us, because He first loved us. First loved us – when we were not like little children, we were not loving, caring or trusting, rather we were unlovely, uncaring and wary as though He were a Cobra.

When we come to Him, we learn it is not so. He is not a Cobra, ready to pounce, but an Eagle, ready to put us on His shoulders and carry us high – to soar where we have never soared before and could never soar before.

We teach them to love, care and trust by our words, yes, but more by our actions. I have learned in the study of language that though one does not speak the language, he can converse an another speaker by his actions. Approximately 80% of communication is non-verbal. The apostle James knew this fact when he said:

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after the widows and orphans in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27.

Thus, you see, we are all little children and we should love the little children, our brother and sister little children as Jesus and James told us to do.

We should bring them to Him by our saying and our doing. We should, ourselves, learn to spend time with Him to let Him carry us on those Eagle wings and soar with Him in spiritual heights that cannot be written in words or spoken in voice.

We are to teach the little children to be little children and to carry other little children to Jesus and we are to minister to them in His name for we, little children, are His hands and feet, his eyes and His voice, the reflections of His like in the world.

Above all, we do what we do by our actions, not by mere words. Our words pass away, but His word will never pass away.

What then does it come down to? Love, not as we posses but a love we can only be given by Him. But then, there comes a time for little children to grow up, to mature, to become elders in the faith.

For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was child, I thought as a child, I talked like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 1 Cor. 13:11, 12.

Never, however losing our child-like characteristics of love, caring and trust.

The singer, Allen Jackson once wrote song in the United States. It was after a dark time, when the towers of New York fell and Americans were angry. Such devilment is just that, devilment, but when we lose our love, we do engage in devilment. We cease to be little children and become angry old men. Let it not be said of us. Rather let this be out watchword.

I’m just a singer of simple songs, I’m not a real political man.

I watch CNN but I’m not sure I can tell you the difference in Iraq and Iran.

But I know Jesus and I talk to God and I remember this from when I was young,

Faith, hope and love are some good things He taught us and the greatest of these is love.

And the greatest of these is love.

So let it be written, so let it be done. “Suffer the little children to come unto me and for bid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.” AMEN and AMEN.

[1] John 13:34-35; Romans 13:8 and I John 3:23.

Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning? 9/11 Tribute

2011-09-09T14:07:00.000-07:00

Departing from my customary practice, this week, I do not celebrate the "song of the week" sung at Gateway. Rather, I publish herewith the text of Alan Jackson's tribute to 9/11, "Where were You when the World Stopped Turning?" I put together a presentation over the song. For a copy of the presentation go to the following link.

9/11 Tribute - PowerPoint

If you can't get the musical background, go to my Facebook page and download it.

For a YouTube of Alan Jackson's premier of the song, see:
Alan Jackson Video

Of 9/11, Dr. Charles Stanley observed:

When Foundations are Shaken

By Dr. Charles Stanley

"One decade ago, the United States of America experienced a massive attack by terrorists. Our people were shaken by the realization that the country is not as safe as we once thought.

"Of course, it grieved me to learn of the events that occurred and the lives that were tragically lost. But at the same time, the horrible situation led to some positive outcomes. For example, our nation unified and people served with courage and selflessness.

"One of the biggest benefits, I believe, was that many of us realized our great dependence upon God. Safety in this world is an illusion. Sadly, the peace and blessing we have experienced in America has led to much complacency and self-dependence. Sometimes we need to be shaken out of our forgetfulness and into reliance upon Jesus Christ.

"Just listening to the news these days can rattle our sense of well-being. There is always something unsettling taking place. But as believers, we should look at life from a biblical perspective. We are children of the living God, not people who seek security only in the natural, secular world. Our hope and refuge is firm: through Jesus Christ, our relationship with the Lord is eternal. Everything else we possess could be destroyed in a moment.

"Worldly circumstances—natural disasters, wars, and assorted turmoil—may have an effect on everyone, but they can't control the believer's heart. Let your hope rest in Christ alone. Only by finding security in the arms of Almighty God can you remain unshaken in times of uncertainty.”

Hebrews 12:25-29 (NASB)

The Unshaken Kingdom

²⁵ See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. ²⁶ And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN.” ²⁷ This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. ²⁸ Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; ²⁹ for our God is a consuming fire.

Follows text of the song.

"Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)"

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?
Were you in the yard with your wife and children
Or working on some stage in L.A.?
Did you stand there in shock at the sight of that black smoke
Risin' against that blue sky?
Did you shout out in anger, in fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry?

Did you weep for the children who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don't know?
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below?
Did you burst out in pride for the red, white and blue
And the heroes who died just doin' what they do?
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself and what really matters?

[Chorus:]
I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell
you the difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?
Were you teaching a class full of innocent children
Or driving down some cold interstate?
Did you feel guilty 'cause you're a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone?
Did you call up your mother and tell her you loved her?
Did you dust off that Bible at home?

Did you open your eyes, hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep?
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Or speak to some stranger on the street?
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Or go out and buy you a gun?
Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watchin'
And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns?

Did you go to a church and hold hands with some strangers
Did you stand in line and give your own blood?
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love?

[Repeat Chorus 2x]
And the greatest is love.
And the greatest is love.

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day?

"How Deep the Father's Love for Us" Story of the Song

2011-09-05T17:25:00.000-07:00

“How deep the Father's love for us,” by Stuart Townsend, The Story of the Song

Stuart Townsend is a British Christian worship leader and writer of hymns and contemporary worship music. His songs include "In Christ Alone" (2002, co-written with Keith Getty, Townsend's first collaboration with any other songwriter),"How Deep The Father's Love For Us"(1995), "Beautiful Saviour" and "The King Of Love".

In 2005, Cross Rhythms magazine described Townsend as "one of the most significant songwriters in the whole international Christian music field". The Christian website Crosswalk.com commented that, "the uniqueness of Townsend’s writing lies partly in its lyrical content. There is both a theological depth and poetic expression that some say is rare in today’s worship writing".This theological depth runs in the family.

Townsend, son of a Church of England vicar in Halifax, West Yorkshire, was the youngest of four children. He studied literature at the University of Sussex.Townsend started learning to play the piano at age 7.At the age of 13, he made a Christian commitment, and began songwriting at age 22. He has led worship and performed events across the world, at many conferences and festivals.

The depth of “How Deep” derives from Ephesians 3:14-19 wherein the Apostle Paul declares:

¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

There is more to the depth aspect than the theological depth of Stuart Townsend. Townsend’s touching anthem points to the depth of God's love for us, that He would sacrifice His only son to save us, and to Christ’s love that he would willingly submit. The song is a powerful reminder that "His wounds have paid my ransom."

The Prince of Prophets, Isaiah fore spoke of this depth of both suffering and love in Isaiah 53:3-5.

He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

The prophesy finds its fulfillment in the passion narrative recorded in all four Gospels.

Angela Mackey observes of both the song and the depth of Christ’s love:

My eyes pricked with tears – tears seem to come frequently – as I choked out the words to the song. Grateful, humbling, overwhelming tears. The kind that come from deep joy, deep sorrow, and the awe of amazing grace. The joy that God would save me, the sorrow that my sin would cost Him so much, and the awe that He gave it all for me. How Deep the Father’s Love for Us we sang while taking the bread and the cup. Reminders of what He did for us. His body broken, His blood shed, to make “a wretch His treasure.”

Hear a YouTube video presentation at www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV2zMZ-nZ7k

Lyrics: How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that left Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
(REPEAT)

"It is Well With My Soul," Story of the Song

2011-08-28T18:41:00.000-07:00

Story of the Song, “It Is Well With My Soul”

Today’s piece, “It Is Well With My Soul,” has perhaps one of the most famous and well documented song stories. All the stories agree, and I doubt if I could improve upon it. Thus, I will give an extended quote about the song and then add my personal note which will be very appropriate as we approach the 10 year anniversary of that fateful Day, 9-1-1.

According to Faithclipart.com:

Horatio Spafford (1828-1888) was a wealthy Chicago lawyer with a thriving legal practice, a beautiful home, a wife, four daughters and a son. He was also a devout Christian and faithful student of the Scriptures. His circle of friends included Dwight L. Moody, Ira Sankey and various other well-known Christians of the day.

At the very height of his financial and professional success, Horatio and his wife Anna suffered the tragic loss of their young son. Shortly thereafter on October 8, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed almost every real estate investment that Spafford had.

In 1873, Spafford scheduled a boat trip to Europe in order to give his wife and daughters a much needed vacation and time to recover from the tragedy. He also went to join Moody and Sankey on an evangelistic campaign in England. Spafford sent his wife and daughters ahead of him while he remained in Chicago to take care of some unexpected last minute business. Several days later he received notice that his family's ship[the SS Ville du Havre] had encountered a collision. All four of his daughters drowned; only his wife had survived. [Spafford was informed of the news by the receipt of telegram from his wife which read, “Saved alone, stop.]

With a heavy heart, Spafford boarded a boat that would take him to his grieving Anna in England. It was on this trip that he penned those now famous words, When sorrow like sea billows roll; it is well, it is well with my soul.

Philip Bliss (1838-1876), composer of many songs including Hold the Fort, Let the Lower Lights be Burning, and Jesus Loves Even Me, was so impressed with Spafford's life and the words of his hymn that he composed a beautiful piece of music to accompany the lyrics. The song was published by Bliss and Sankey, in 1876. [Bliss named the tune: Ville du Havre after the ill-fated ship.] For more than a century, the tragic story of one man has given hope to countless thousands who have lifted their voices to sing, It Is Well With My Soul. (Inserts are mine.)

The Spaffords later had three more children, one of whom (a son) died in infancy. In 1881 the Spaffords, including baby Bertha and newborn Grace, set sail for Israel. The Spaffords moved to Jerusalem and helped found a group called the American Colony; its mission was to serve the poor. The colony later became the subject of the Nobel prize winning Jerusalem, by Swedish novelist Selma Lagerlöf.

The Georgia Southern University marching band Southern Pride plays the song at the end of each win.

On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, I was at a training course on a federal reservation at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. We learned of the crash into the first tower shortly after breakfast and into the first session of the day. It was decided to abandon the train for a while and watch on giant-screen TVs which had been used to run the PowerPoint presentations.

Then the second tower was hit and we all were overcome with a wide variety of emotions. I, like many, many people, felt the need to call loved ones, so I called my daughter, Amy, then a student at Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth. During the phone conversation, I broke down into uncontrollable sobbing. Amy’s firm confidence that God was still in control finally calmed me down and I was able to go on with the conference – which basically broke down after that.

The next night, Wednesday, I needed desperately to go to church, so I went downtown to the First Baptist Church in time for the evening fellowship dinner. I was a little let down to learn that the speaker would talk with us over dinner and it would be a man from the State Baptist Convention giving some sort of useless report. I endured that waiting to see what God was going to do.

And do He did. Sitting at my dinner table was a choir member. He and I had talked about music and how I was a sometimes choir director. He asked if I would like to attend choir rehearsal as a guest. I readily agreed.

As most First churches of large cities do, they had a great choir, over 200 members. I was issued music like a member and we all took our seats in the choir room. In a minute, the director came in. He told us to put away our packets that we were not going to have a regular rehearsal. He said let’s sing “It Is Well With My Soul.” We did – all 201 of us. I wept again through all the verses, but I got it. Spafford didn’t know it, but he wrote those words just for my grieving soul.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

And in that moment I knew that it was, in fact, well with my soul.

“Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7, KJV)

Follow now the famous words:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Refrain:
It is well (it is well),
with my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

Refrain

My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Refrain

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

Refrain

And Lord haste the day, when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Refrain

"You'll Come" - The Story of the Song

2011-08-20T15:11:00.000-07:00

You’ll Come,” Story of the Song

“You’ll Come,[1]” by Brooke Gabrielle Fraser Ligertwood, known professionally as Brooke Frazer in 2007, is based on Hosea 6, especially vv. 1-3:

¹ “Come, let us return to the LORD.
He has torn us to pieces
   but he will heal us;
he has injured us
   but he will bind up our wounds.
² After two days he will revive us;
   on the third day he will restore us,
   that we may live in his presence.
³ Let us acknowledge the LORD;
   let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
   he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,
   like the spring rains that water the earth.”

Hosea is the hard but lovely story in which God commands Hosea, one of His prophets, to live out the metaphor of God’s unending love for us even though we constantly and consistently betray Him. Hosea is told to go and marry Gomer, a woman of ill-repute, which he does. True to her reputation, she continues her unfaithfulness and eventually runs off. Hosea, who has every right to have her put away (divorce) or even stoned as an adulteress, nevertheless, humiliates himself before the people and comes after her – time and time again.

The object of the living metaphor is that though we sink into sin and disgrace, as sure as the sun rises and as sure as the rain falls in Palestine in the summer and winter in the season, God will come after us. He will literally “move Heaven and Earth” to bring us back to Himself.

Brooke Fraser, born in New Zealand in 1983, has been writing and singing Christian music and some light pop music since the early 2000s. She has performed with numerous Australian and Kiwi groups, most notably, Hillsong, which has probably the best known version of this piece.

In 2006, Brooke was led to Africa where she immersed herself in Rwanda, ultimately, with her husband, Scott Ligertwood, adopting a Rwandan orphan, Albertine, about whom she wrote one of her most popular songs of the same name, Albertine, which went double-platinum in 2006. In between her musical concerts, she devotes a great deal of time to fund-raising for the children of Africa.

Hillsong’s version of this beautiful piece may be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RmZFaruXhs

The text reads as follows:

I have decided I have resolved
To wait upon you Lord
My rock and redeemer shall not be moved
I’ll wait upon you Lord

Pre Chorus
As surely as the sun will rise
You'll come to us
As certain as the dawn appears

Chorus
You'll come let your glory fall
As you respond to us
Spirit reign flood our hearts
With holy fire again

Verse 2
We are not shaken we are not moved
We wait upon you Lord
Our Mighty deliverer my triumph and truth
I'll wait upon you Lord

Bridge
Chains be broken
Lives be healed
Eyes be opened
Christ is revealed

[1] As a humorous aside, when I first saw this song listed in the program, I misread the title as “Ya’ll Come,” an old country sing used by Alabama’s colorful Governor of the late 1940s and early 1950s, “Big Jim” Folsom as his theme song.

"In Christ Alone" Story of the Song

2011-08-14T05:57:00.000-07:00

"In Christ Alone," The story of the song
Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townsend
Copyright © 2001 Kingsway Thankyou Music

Of this modern hymn, the composer, Keith Getty states:

Of all the hymns we have written, this hymn is the most popular wherever we go. Ironically, it is the first hymn we ever penned together

I had a strong very Irish melody that I could imagine a large crowd singing. I wanted it to become a hymn that would declare the whole life of Christ and what it meant. Something that could teach people the foundations of what we believed in Christ, the God who changed all of history and who wants a relationship with each us.

Stuart penned a quite incredible lyric, which the two of us edited, developed and rewrote for a couple of weeks until it became "In Christ Alone".

As well as being a creedal song, it fires people with hope that here is the God who even death cannot hold, "No guilt in life, no fear in death, this is the power of Christ in me".

Getty goes on to quote a particular moving story written in a letter he and Townsend had received from a soldier at war. He quotes:

I wanted to share a song that has been a real inspiration to me. It is a new hymn written, I believe, a year or two ago but it has the feel of the traditional hymns. I have listened to it almost every night and even tend to sing/reflect on its words on my trips across... It has been an inspiration to me because in each of it verses it reminds me of fundamental principles.

It moves immediately to Christ's burden for those who scorned him. Boy, can I relate. We are losing soldiers here everyday to people that we are trying to help. To know that Christ purposefully gave his life for us helps me to understand that he knows that soldiers are dying and that he is in control.

Till on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live

No matter how many times I hear that verse, I get chills up my spine. The picture of Christ standing in victory, the image of sin's grip being broken and the promise that I am his and knowing that he in fact is mine brings him incredibly close to me.

As I drive down the highway with my M-16 pointed out the window and my 9MM pistol tucked in my flak jacket pocket. I can tell you that I feel more secure in claiming the promise "No power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from his hand till he returns or calls me home" than I do with that rifle and pistol.

Debra Atkins of “Cross.com” writes in 2004:

Since its initial creation . . . several versions of “In Christ Alone” have been recorded by artists around the world, and Townsend admits to having a few favorites. “I've heard some wonderful recordings of it. “The Newsboys’ version is really fresh and exciting, and the one done by Alan Asbury is superb,” Townsend says. “But the one that always moves me most is when we recorded it with a congregation of 8,000 at the Stoneleigh Bible Week in England a couple of years ago [2002]. When we finish the third verse, about the resurrection of Christ, there’s an extraordinary burst of praise from the congregation that at the time was overwhelming, and listening back still sends a shiver down my spine.”

Neither Townsend or Getty give us the scriptural text for this hymn, but may I suggest that in the prologue to 1 Timothy, the Apostle, Paul writes, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope. . .” Paul, here by implication means to say that Jesus Christ is not only our hope but He is our “one and only” hope, reminding us of that most often quoted verse, John 3:16, wherein the “Beloved Apostle,” John says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. NIV.

Paul goes on to say in Romans 5:5, “and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” When we take Jesus as our one and only hope, we cannot be disappointed. Paul, again, in Romans says, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Roman 8:38,39.

A lovely setting of “In Christ Alone” has been recorded by Natalie Grant. Note the solitary Irish flute and fiddle, reminiscent of the old Gaelic feel of the tune referenced by Townsend. See the video at the following: http://www.gettymusic.com/hymns-inchristalone.aspx.

The text follows:

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

"Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me" Story of the Song

2011-08-07T05:36:00.000-07:00

“Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me” Story of the Song

“Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me” has been a staple of hymn singing since around 1830. The words were written by Augustus Toplady with the tune by Thomas Hastings. Coinciding with the American Declaration of Independence, Toplady penned the words in 1776.

Toplady, born in Farmingham, England 1740, was a sickly child disliked by his relatives. However, says Robert J. Morgan in Then Sings My Soul, “Augustus was interested in the Lord. . . By the age of 12, he was preaching sermons to whoever would listen. At 14, he began to write hymns.” A staunch Calvinist, he wrote an article about God’s forgiveness, “intending it as a slap at [John] Wesley [for his Arminian theology.]” Morgan reports that Toplady ended the article with an original poem, “Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me.” “Oddly,” says Morgan, “it is remarkably similar to something Wesley had written . . . “O Rock of Salvation, Rock struck and cleft for me.”

How did Toplady come to write that poem? John Telford (1851-1936), author of the Methodist Hymnal states:

Sir William Henry Wills, in a letter to Dean Lefroy, published in the [London] Times in June, 1898, says ‘Toplady was one day overtaken by a thunderstorm in Burrington Coombe, on the edge of my property, Blagdon, a rocky glen running up into the heart of the Mendip range, and there, taking shelter between two massive piers of our native limestone rock, he penned the hymn,

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

There is a precipitous crag of limestone a hundred feet high, and right down its centre is the deep recess in which Toplady sheltered.’

While the text of Toplady’s poem refers mostly to New Testament themes, it has roots in the Old Testament. “Let the water and the blood, from Thy wounded side which flowed, Be of sin the double cure, Save from wrath and make me pure” is clearly a reference to Jesus propitiatory death on the cross found in John 19:34; this propitiation is a more veiled allusion found in the lyric of verse two, “. . . tears . . . zeal . . . These for sin could not atone; Thou must save and thou alone. In my hand no price I bring, only to Thy cross I cling.” This line is most likely the answer to Wesley’s Arminianism, commented upon by Morgan, supra.

However, the motif, “Rock of Ages,” reminds us of the passage in Exodus 33 wherein Moses, after having to intercede for the rebellious Hebrews, seeks a fresh vision from God. Verses 18-21 state:

Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!” And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” Then the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by.

The composer, Thomas Hastings (1784-1872) was an American self-taught musician, songwriter, chorister and author of many “how-to” books used in “singing schools.” He is most famous for this tune, Toplady, which set to music Augustus’ poem and was first published in 1831. He penned almost 1,000 hymn tunes and 600 hymn texts. His son, The Rev. Dr. Thomas Samuel Hastings, who became president of Union Theological Seminary, said of him:

He was a devout and earnest Christian, a hard student, and resolute worker, not laying aside his pen until three days before his death.

Story of the Song - "Nothing but the Blood" by Matt Redman - July 31, 2011

2011-08-03T14:10:00.000-07:00

Nothing but the Blood by Matt Redman

“Nothing but the Blood” by Matt Redman draws heavily from the standard hymn of the same name by Dr. Robert Lowry. It is off his CD, “Facedown,” a collection of intense worship songs designed to bring the listener and participant into close communion with God. A bit of a bio of Matt Redman was featured in the July 16 post entitled, “Blessed Be Your Name.”

This week’s feature song falls squarely into the genre of modern hymns as opposed to “gospel songs” in that its focus is squarely vertical from the singer to the Father.

Matt’s website tells us:

With ''Facedown,'' Matt continues to bring to the church prolific songs for corporate worship. ''Worthy, You Are Worthy,'' with Chris Tomlin and ''Nothing but the Blood,'' a potent cross-centered proclamation of cleansing and restoration, are destined to give voice to worshippers around the globe.

Matt tells us nothing about his thoughts concerning the song, but Bill Dagle writes about the old hymn of the same name by Dr. Lowry (1826-1899). I suspect Matt had the same text in mind.

Dagle writes:

Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, would write these words, "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God." (Romans 3:25) The emphasis of this verse is on the shed blood that satisfies or propitiates our sin debt. Another way of saying the same thing is, "What can wash away our sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus." More than likely it was this verse or one like it, dealing with the subject of blood, which caused Pastor Robert Lowry to write a hymn.

Born in Philadelphia, on March 12, 1826, young Robert accepted Christ as his personal Savior at the age of 17 and later graduated from Bucknell University with high scholastic honors. In the 73 years of his life here on earth, he pastored churches in Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York City and Brooklyn. Along with his preaching, Dr. Lowry also had the gift of music in the writing of hymns. When asked about his method for writing songs, he would answer by saying:

I have no set method. Sometimes, the music comes and the words follow. I watch my moods, and when anything strikes me, whether words or music, no matter where I am, at home or on the street, I jot it down. My brain is sort of a spinning machine, for there is music running through it all the time. The tunes of nearly all the hymns I have written have been completed on paper, before I tried them on the organ. Frequently, the words of the hymn and the music have been written at the same time.

He [Lowry] supplied the music for such familiar hymns as We’re Marching to Zion, Savior, Thy Dying Love, Where Is my Wandering Boy Tonight, I Need Thee Every Hour and Fanny Crosby’s song, All the Way my Savior Leads Me. The words and music would come together in 1864 to produce Shall We Gather at the River. Then, in the Easter season of 1874, Christ Arose would flow from his pen and his heart. Finally, in 1876, Pastor Lowry would give us the answer to our sin debt in his song, Nothing but the Blood.

Down through the ages, man has tried to work off his sin debt in good works and religion, only to fail. The Bible says, "Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness." (Hebrews 9:22) Robert Lowry understood this very well:

Oh! Precious is the flow, That makes me white as snow,

No other fount I know Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Nothing But the Blood by Matt Redman

Your blood speaks a better word, Than all the empty claims I’ve heard upon this earth
Speaks righteousness for me, And stands in my defense, Jesus it’s Your blood.

[Chorus]
What can wash away our sins? What can make us whole again?
Nothing but the blood, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can wash us pure as snow? Welcomed as the friends of God
Nothing but Your blood, Nothing but Your blood King Jesus.

Your cross testifies in grace, Tells of the Father’s heart to make a way for us
Now boldly we approach, Not by earthly confidence
It’s only Your blood.

[Chorus]

[Coda]

We thank You for the blood; We thank You for the blood,

We praise You for the blood; We praise You for the blood,

Nothing but Your blood, Nothing but Your blood, King Jesus.

Story of the Song, "Jesus Paid it All" July 24, 2011

2011-07-23T18:15:00.000-07:00

“Jesus Paid it All,” the Story of the Song.

“Jesus Paid it All” was written by Elvina M. Hall (1820-1889) with the tune, “All to Christ,” by John T. Grape (1835-1915). It is based on 1 Peter 2:24 which states, “He, Himself, bore our sins in His body.”

Ira D. Sankey (1840-1908) known, himself, as the “Sweet Voice of Methodism ,” an American Gospel singer and composer of music for such hymns as "Faith Is the Victory," "Trusting Jesus," and "Under His Wings," wrote about “All to Jesus.” Sankey was an associate of D. L. Moody and Spurgeon in evangelistic work in the U.S. and abroad as solo singer/music director. Sankey quotes Mr. Grape as stating the following.

Our church was undergoing repairs, and the cabinet organ was placed in my care. Thus afforded a pleasure not before enjoyed, I delighted myself in playing over some of our Sunday school hymns. I determined to give tangible shape to a theme that had been running in my mind for some time, to write, if possible, an answer to Bradbury’s beautiful piece, “Jesus Paid It All.” I made it a matter of prayer and study and gave to the public the music now known as “All to Christ I Owe.” It was pronounced very poor by my choir and friends, but my dear wife persistently declared that it was a good piece of music and would live. Time has proved the correctness of her judgment. Soon after, the Rev. George W. Schreck called on me to select anything new that I had to offer. On hearing this piece he expressed his pleasure with it and stated that Mrs. Elvina M. Hall had written some words that would just suit the music. I gave him a copy of it and it was soon sung in several churches here in Baltimore [Maryland] and well received. At the suggestion of friends I sent a copy to Professor Theodore Perkins and it was published in Sabbath Carols. Under the providence of God it has been going ever since. I trust that it has not failed to accomplish some good to my fellow-men for the glory of God.

Sankey writes:

On New Year’s night, 1886, some missionaries were holding open-air services in order to attract passers-by to a near-by mission, where meetings were to be held later. “All to Christ I owe” was sung, and after a gentleman had given a short address he hastened away to the mission. He soon heard footsteps close behind him and a young woman caught up with him and said:

“I heard you addressing the open-air meeting just now; do you think, sir that Jesus could save a sinner like me?”

The gentleman replied that there was no doubt about that, if she was anxious to be saved. She told him that she was a servant girl, and had left her place that morning after a disagreement with her mistress. As she had been wandering about the streets in the dark, wondering where she was to spend the night, the sweet melodies of this hymn had attracted her, and she drew near and listened attentively. As the different verses were being sung, she felt that the words surely had something to do with her. Through the whole service she seemed to hear what met her oppressed soul’s need at that moment. God’s Spirit had showed her what a poor, sinful and wretched creature she was, and had led her to ask what she must do. On hearing her experience, the gentleman took her back to the mission and left her with the ladies in charge. The young, wayward woman was brought to Christ that night. A situation was secured for her in a minister’s family. There she became ill and had to be taken to a hospital. She rapidly failed and it became evident that she would not be long on earth. One day the gentleman whom she had met on New Year’s night was visiting her in the ward. After quoting a few suitable verses of Scripture, he repeated her favorite hymn, “All to Christ I owe”…and she seemed overwhelmed with the thought of coming to glory…Two hours afterward she passed away.

Today's version has been re-written by Kristian Stanfill of Hillsong, giving the old standby hymn a modern feel.

The full text of Mrs. Hall’s words follow.
I hear the Savior say, “Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray, Find in Me thine all in all.”

Refrain:

Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.

For nothing good have I, Whereby Thy grace to claim,
I’ll wash my garments white, In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

Refrain

And now complete in Him, My robe His righteousness,
Close sheltered ’neath His side, I am divinely blest.

Refrain

Lord, now indeed I find, Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots, And melt the heart of stone.

Refrain

When from my dying bed, My ransomed soul shall rise,
“Jesus died my soul to save,” Shall rend the vaulted skies.

Refrain

And when before the throne, I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down, All down at Jesus’ feet.

Refrain.

Story of the Song, "Blessed Be Your Name" by Matt Redman

2011-07-16T17:30:00.000-07:00

July 17, 2011. Our first worship song this Sunday is “Blessed Be Your Name” by Matt Redman. It comes from the 2002 Album, “Where Angels Fear to Tread.” Matt says of this song, Blessed Be Your Name is a declaration of something which we've both (referring to his wife, Beth) found to be true in the tough seasons of life. To worship God and trust Him no matter what will always be the best path to take.”

Matt’s recording of the song reflects the barrenness of a desert, perhaps in Africa where Matt has ministered and which he might well have experienced firsthand.

Matt Redman and his family are based in Brighton, England where they are part of St Peters, a new church planted out of HTB (Holy Trinity Brompton,) a vibrant Anglican Church in London. They are excited about the challenge of working in a city which is currently one of the most unchurched in the UK. Previously they were part of Passion City Church in Atlanta, USA with pastors Louie and Shelley Giglio, and continue to work alongside the Passion movement.

Matt has been leading worship full-time since the age of 20 and this journey has taken him to countries such as South Africa, Japan, India, Australia, Germany, Uganda, Croatia and the Czech Republic. His early compositions include The Heart of Worship, Better is One Day and Once Again. More recent songs have included Blessed Be Your Name and You Never Let Go, both written with wife Beth and encouraging us to worship God through the storms of life.

Matt doesn’t say upon which scripture he specifically wrote the song, but perhaps he was thinking of Job 1:20-21 which states,

Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, and said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

Job makes this statement at a similar time to one Matt describes, except to a much greater degree as Job, a wealthy and blessed man by all accounts, has just learned that his sons and daughters have been killed and all his animals either stolen or burned up.

Job is further tested and questions God about the tests but ultimately learns that the important question is not “what” or “why” but “who.” Who is in control of all things? Job, Matt and each of us learn that ultimately, God is in control of all things. That is the most important thing you can know because you can rely on Him implicitly. If you are able to hold onto that one eternal fact, then no matter what the storms of life may be, you can say with Job, and Matt, “blessed be the name of the Lord.”

The full text of Matt’s lyrics follows:

Blessed Be Your Name

In the land that is plentiful

Where Your streams of abundance flow

Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name

When I'm found in the desert place

Though I walk through the wilderness

Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out

I'll turn back to praise

When the darkness closes in, Lord

Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name

When the sun's shining down on me

When the world's 'all as it should be'

Blessed be Your name

On the road marked with suffering

Though there's pain in the offering

Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out

I'll turn back to praise

When the darkness closes in, Lord

Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away

My heart will choose to say

Lord, blessed be Your name

The Dad I Never Knew

2011-07-09T19:08:00.000-07:00

This is dedicated to the memory of William Wilson Wible, the "Dad I Never Knew." In my childhood, there were certain circumstances that took Dad out of my life. I did not see him again until I was in my 40s. I met him really only a few times, but I got to know his other children and to appreciate especially my brother, David. On the occasion of Dad's funeral, I penned the following poem entitled, "The Dad I Never Knew."

The Dad I never knew, you see,

He must have been a Man.

“To obvious,” you say? Then,

I’ll explain it if I can.

Some shades of men are lily-white,

While others, kudzu-strong.

Nine to five is good enough,

Yet others know that’s wrong.

A Man has mitts with fingernails,

That stain their tea-glass black.

Men put lotion on their hands,

And powder down their back.

The Dad I never you, oh, oh,

Was surely one of These,

Rather never one of those,

Who always tried to please.

No matter what the issue was,

He’d take a stand and stay,

There, on that spot he’d carved,

Until his final Day.

“How,” you ask, “how could I know,

The Dad I never knew?”

I’ve seen him in the face of Them,

The ones who loved him true.

Men are Loved, while men are liked,

Tho’ it’s not eas’ly thought;

It does not ‘twine around one’s brain,

It’s more quickly caught –

By seeing what their life has made,

The children they have sired;

And what a legacy is left,

When they are old and tired.

I’ve seen his passed-down progeny,

And watched the jobs they’ve done;

The hours given in bright daylight,

Or past the setting sun.

The Dad I never knew, you see,

I knew him after all.

“He lives this day, yet past his Day,”

You mark it on the wall.

The Dad I never knew, oh, oh,

He surely was a Man;

And I will be a Man some day,

Just like him if I can.

From “No” to “Yes in Six Easy Weeks”

2011-05-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

I am retiring after almost 37 years in Public Health. May 31, 2011 will be my last day at this job. I’m not going to travel or do a “honey-do” list or even take another job. God has privileged me to do some ministry and then rewarded me with some teaching opportunities. That’s the bottom line, but how did He get me here?

Before Mardi Gras, had you asked me when I was going to retire, I would have told you honestly that I didn’t know, sometime, but not now. In other words, I had no plans to retire, though I have planned for retirement. But God began to work – to do God-sized things in me, and for me when I do something God-like it is always God that does it, because I assure you that I not capable of doing such things on my own. In fact, I am a coward, afraid of change and afraid to take “leaps of faith.”

Mardi Gras came and went and Ash Wednesday came ushering in the Season of Lent. Now, I’m a Baptist (this is written under the by-line of “John the Baptist” after all.) Baptists don’t celebrate lent. However, the Sunday after Mardi Gras, my Pastor, Alan Cross (HTTP//:Downshoredrift.typepad.com/) preached a sermon in which he challenged us to give up something for Lent. When we missed what we had given up, we were to think not of what we missed, but rather, what God had given us and we were to give thanks for those things.

“Fine,” I thought, sarcastically, “I’ll give up watermelon.” That’s what I always give up for Lent (it’s out of season and besides that, it gives me indigestion.) In other words, I completely and utterly blew this off. But God didn’t.

Along about this time, Pastor Alan had been leading us in a Bible study on Wednesday nights in which we are studying the Christian life, what it really is and how it plays out – how you actually do it. We had just read a chapter on contemplative prayer in which one reads a small portion of scripture, bathing it in prayer and then concentrating on the words asking God to speak through that small passage to reveal something of Himself, His purposes, or His ways to us. I had first rebelled at that idea also, as I have been a daily Bible reader for a long time and I know how to do this. Nevertheless, God lead me to try it – so I did.

I began to cut down the morning Bible reading to a simple devotional thought as I sat in the Lotus Yoga position on my kitchen floor. Then I would read and pray over the passage asking God to speak to me through it –speak not in a “burning bush” experience like Moses, but in the “still small voice” like Elijah heard. Shortly after adopting this practice, one morning I read over a passage several times and prayed that prayer. My practice then is to loosen up and go for a walk continuing in the spirit of prayer, usually fighting thoughts of what I’ll do today.

On this particular day, I was then walking and God spoke to me in the casual way that He sometimes does as though he were walking along side me –as He actually is. In fact, my name for God is “Jehovah Nike,” the God who is personal enough to walk beside me, yet is great enough to “Just do It.” God said, “so, what are you giving up for Lent?” I said, “watermelon, what do I usually give up for Lent? You know I don’t give up stuff for Lent.” God said, “No, really, what are you giving up for Lent?” I replied, “You’re serious about this aren’t You?” He nodded, “Yes.”

I walked a little further and said, “OK, if I were to give up something for Lent, what would you want it to be?” He said, “Well, what’s the most precious thing in the world to you?” I immediately started feeling sick at my stomach, because the first thing that immediately sprang into my mind was my job at Public Health, where I am General Counsel – not my family, not my church, not anything else, but my job, it is who I am, my identity, my escape – my life. I said to God, timidly, “My job.” “OK,” he said, “that’s what I want you to give up.” I thought about that some and then began to argue with Him. This argument lasted for several blocks. God began to remind me what all He had done for me especially over the last 2 and a half years since I fell out of my tree and cracked my head. And I began to feel that no matter what, God had a history with me of taking care of me.

So, reluctantly, I stopped in my tracks, dropped my head, gave out a long sigh and said, “OK, God, if that’s what you want, I will give it up – but You’ve got to help me. You know how important it is to me.” He said, “Yes, I know and I will help you. Look for a push and a pull. Then the conversation was over.

I mused over what He meant by the “push and the pull.” Later that week, I was reviewing some proposed legislation from the State Legislature – bad legislation. It seems that the Legislators think, at least publically, that state employees like me are the reason our state’s economy is so bad. We are in the public’s view, overpaid, over-benefitted and generally, as my Mother would say, “sorry.” The more of such legislation I read and the more political rhetoric I heard, the more I began to sour on state service – not on my Department, the friends with whom I work or the work we do, which I still think is of utmost importance – but on state service. Sour – like an already-sucked lemon.

The coup-de-gras was when of my lawyers, Greg, who works six or seven days a week during the legislative session, told me that one of the freshman legislators had remarked to him, “What do you know, you’re just a bureaucrat.” I was heart-sick for Greg. I went back to my desk and said to myself, “You know, I could leave this job.” Then I heard the voice of God say, “That’s the push.”

The pull came soon. That next Thursday night, we had a business meeting at church. Pastor Alan remarked that he had several ideas he’d like to implement and would like to hire an associate pastor, but that we needed to shelve the idea for the time being because we did not have the funds to take on additional staff. I began to wonder, “is this what God is calling me to do?” God said, “Why don’t you ask Alan?” So, I did.

I scheduled a lunch with Pastor Alan and told asked him, “What would you think if I retired and volunteered to be your associate pastor full-time at no cost, just expenses? Alan’s reply shocked me because I expected he’d be doing back over flips at the idea of having someone like (self-important) ME as associate pastor and for free!

But he wasn’t! He said, “Actually, John, I have someone else in mind who has the skill-set I’m looking for to fill that position.” Then he wisely said, “Why don’t you go back and pray and ask God what HE wants you to do, not what I want you to do.” Thus ended our discussion and I went back to the office feeling rejected, let down and unwanted.

After a couple of hours, God asked me, “So, are you over your pity-party or do you need a little longer to wallow in it?” I said, “No, I’m a big boy, I’m over it.” Then He said, “Good, then let’s get down to work on what I want you do. That night and by the time I finished my prayer time the next morning, God had led me to write about seven different ministries I had either done before or wanted to be involved with, the sum of which would be more than a full-time job. I wrote notes on them in my journal and shared the ideas with Pastor Alan.

He said, “John, I’ve been thinking many of the same thoughts you’ve had. Why don’t you look into some of these ideas, talk with the people who are involved and see if they can confirm that this is of God. ( I need to always remember that just because I have an idea doesn’t necessarily mean it is of God. It can be the voice of the “wild hare” that I’m hearing. So I began to talk to the people who were either involved in the ministries or who would be the subjects of them and received unanimous support for the ideas. I reported this to Pastor Alan, and I came up with three main ideas or areas of ministry.

One involves ministry with Latinos, since I speak Spanish. I don’t know how this will play out, but our church has basically a one-man ministry with them and that one man has 3 regular jobs. He welcomed me to come along, so I will.

Secondly, since I co-teach a senior adult Sunday School class and am an old music director, I have long heard that the Seniors really don’t care for our style of worship – contemporary, and they miss the old hymns. Thus, I proposed to have a day a week that I’d meet with them at church in the middle of the day, have a brief music lesson, so they will be challenged to learn, sing some standard hymns – eventually working up to hymn choral arrangements, give a brief devotional thought at the end and then have a fellowship lunch. The Seniors loved that idea.

Thirdly, I had thought of several ways to minister through education, teaching and tutoring. Alan and I discussed and he told me of a concept he’s had to take our home-school cover, Gateway Academy, which is already established and state sanctioned, and marry it with 3 days a week of on-campus instruction in various subjects taught by people who know that subject. Also, take 2 days a week after school to tutor some of the children in our neighborhood in their public school subjects. Lastly, do this in a missional format, wherein we find the funds to offer this to the children and students in our neighborhood, many of whom would otherwise be school drop-outs, at minimal cost, perhaps $100 a year plus “sweat equity” on the part of their parents, to keep them involved.

Alan asked me if I’d be willing to help put this together, to build it from the ground up. That excited and challenged me. God will have to do it, but I’m ready to let Him use me to do it. In this framework, I’m also able to do some other teaching things I wanted to do: teach music and teach some history. I’d also have to recruit the other teachers and tutors and work on funding sources. When built, we could turn it over to someone who’s been a school head-master.

Perhaps, this could also evolve into a mother’s day out ministry to our community for the same population that may have already dropped out.

Underlying all this would be my “ministry database.” I collect the contact information on every person and their family involved and follow up with them on a periodic basis to see how they are doing and ask them frequently how I can pray for them. I've long realized that follow-up is one of the major short-comings of most churches. Since this need will get too big for one person, I would recruit the Senior adults to come along side and help do this continuous follow up on an organized basis.

The cherry on the top came the next week when I stopped by at the University of Alabama Birmingham, School of Public Health (UAB) to discuss some contracts my Department has with UAB for my services. I wanted to tell them what my plans were and to assure them that I would fulfill the commitments made on behalf of the Department even without pay. Dr. Andy Rucks, with whom I spoke, was very comfortable with my commitment. I told him the rest of the story and how I had gotten to that point. Then, out of the blue, he asked me if I’d like to teach public health law at the UAB School of Public Health to graduate students. I was ecstatic at that thought and said, “yes.” He’s now working on that.

Thus you see, God has brought me from “No” to “Yes” in 6 easy weeks. All glory be to Him, the Giver of all good and perfect gifts.

John and the Bear Selma, March 9, 2011

2011-03-09T14:49:00.000-08:00

Picture provided by Jackie Holliday, Area Administrator for PH Area VII.

The Vision

2010-12-22T08:36:00.000-08:00

Prologue to John’s 2010 Christmas Story. The real story.
Diary entry. Tuesday, 11-9-10.

Yesterday, during a deep conversation with a friend, I came face to face with a reality that I not faced before. I realized that I thought of myself poorly, I won’t describe it, it’s not worth the effort, for whatever reason in my childhood. The reason really doesn’t matter – whether it was my Mother’s domination or Grandmother’s judgmentalism or the desertion by my Father and thus, my growing up without a father. The point is that I have perceived that I am no good and evil and therefore must perform at perfection to be acceptable to someone.

That perfection does not allow for me to be human and have the same desires and make the same mistakes that other humans make. I must be either Nietzsche’s Superman or Camelot’s Lancelot’s perception of his own perfection or worse, perfect enough not to need a savior. Perhaps that is why I have such a difficult time accepting forgiveness.

My friend and I role-played. The friend played God/Jesus who asked me if I could accept His forgiveness. I said that I could not. He asked me why. I had difficulty with the answer, but it seems that my sin, my self-enemy, my “me” is just too bad to be salvaged.

In other words, God asked, “So you’re saying that your sin is so great that my grace cannot cover it?” “Yes,” I admitted. “So then what kind of a God do you believe in – one that is all powerful or one that is not powerful enough to forgive you?” If the latter is so, then He is not a God at all but a cosmic pretender and my badness is worse than His goodness.
Examine the facts. God created the Heavens and the Earth merely by speaking it – willing it - into existence. I have seen Him work in great and small things that only He could have done. I have seen Him heal the sick, raise the dead, give sight to the blind and make the lame to walk. And He has promised that if I will only trust Him, He will forgive me and wash me as white as snow.

It takes faith to accept this, but the evidence is that Grace is real and that it is greater than my sin and my imagined sin. Shall I crucify Christ again by refusing his grace-gift? What a dangerous course that would be and what a foolhardy course as against the great weight of the evidence.
Then tonight, I thought I would read Chapter 2 in Boa’s book.(1) It is filled with spiritual affirmations about not my goodness but my personhood and my right standing with God not based on my own merit but based on His love and amazing grace.

Then I thought of the song, “Amazing Grace” and felt how John Newton must have felt and how he must have shed tears when he penned the lines, “amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me/ I once was lost but now am found/ Was blind but now I see.”

And then, I had a vision from God, the role-played God, but God. In the vision, I was walking with my Father by a beautiful lake. He had on a plaid shirt, a ball cap and hiking boots. He had a pipe but I saw no smoke. I was once again a little boy about seven or eight years old and he had his arms around me and I felt more loved and secure than I have ever felt before. We talked and he showed me many things in nature and I looked on with wonderment.

But then I saw a snake and the snake struck at us and my Father reached out and caught it. The snake wrapped itself around him and they rolled around and fought on the ground. It was a gory and bloody battle to the death.

I saw the snake grow large and turn into a black and gold dragon that was huge. My Father held firmly and tightly around the snake’s neck until he broke its back with a snap. And then it was over.
My Father lay mortally wounded on the ground and I went to him. He reached out to me and I felt secure again. He said, “Don’t be afraid, I’ll always be with you and protect you. Nothing can ever harm you as long as you stay close to me.” Then he smiled and lay back down. As he did, I saw his spirit rise from him, a benevolent spirit which came to me and held me just as my Father had done.

Again, we walked and talked and enjoyed each other. He said, “We’ll have many places to go and many hills to climb, that’s why I have on hiking boots, but I’ll guide you and uphold you, you need never be afraid.” And we walked on through the woods and up hills.
We came to a very high mountain, as I have seen in Northern India in the Himalayas and we looked down at the valley below. He said, “All this is yours because all of it is mine, but more importantly, all the people there are yours, love them as I have loved you.”

Then we climbed some stairs through stone and masonry arches that appeared very old and perhaps were a ruin. At the top, he said, “I’ve got to go now, but I’ll always be with you. I love you. You are my son. Don’t be afraid.” And then he disappeared.

I stood there and looked and thought how precious he was to me and how he had saved me from the deadly dragon-snake at the cost of his own life. Yet, he lives on in me because I AM his son, his heir – the object of his affection. With such a blessing, how can refuse his grace gift?
Then I seemed not to remember my sin. All I remember is him and how his love made me feel. And all was quiet.

“Thank you, God, for this vision, this affirmation of who you are and who I am. I now know your love and power. Surely it is sufficient to cover my deepest woe. I trust You – I know so. AMEN.”
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(1)Conformed to His Image, by Kenneth Boa. Zondervan Press, 2001.