Category: Uncategorized Page 58 of 71

Freddy, if you do not know, is a very special pig. He himself has said so, in so many words. In explaining to a rabbit named Twenty-One (rabbits being far to prolific to have individual names) why he was too busy to accompany him into the frightening Big Woods, Freddy said this:

“I’ve got this poem to finish today. You see, Twenty-One, I’m writing a Book.”

The man who has chronicled Freddy’s adventures, Walter R. Brooks, who also introduced the world to a horse named Mr. Ed, goes on to explain:

“He said it like that, with a capital letter, and I don’t know that you can blame him for there are very few books in the world the authors of which are pigs.”

And I would add, to update Freddy’s special status, there are probably very few Wikipedia entries in the world the subjects of which are pigs. But Freddy’s got one. He’s even got his own web site.

Freddy has held a special place in my heart from the time I remember my older sister reading the books about him to me as a child. And now, having a young son, I have the excuse to read them again. If you don’t have such an excuse, go find one. Freddy is a lot of fun.

And it is with that in mind, mere fun, that I share the following. I make no spiritual application and draw no truth from it. I have no agenda in mind other than to share my delight. In Freddy and the Ignormus, Freddy is speaking with a frog named Theodore, who is really quite a clever frog, with a fine bass voice, but fairly reclusive. About Theodore, we read this:

“Theodore was handsome for a frog. At least, other frogs said he was, though as Mrs. Wiggins, the cow, said, he could be a whole lot handsomer than the whole frog tribe and still be pretty near the homeliest critter under he sun. And after all if your face is green, and you have a huge mouth, and bulging eyes, and nothing much in the way of a nose, you have to admit yourself that you are pretty homely.”

That made me laugh.

Any other Freddy fans out there?

Technorati Tags: Literature

When I expressed to a friend not too long ago that I was reading Jonathan Edwards’ treatise On the Religious Affections (yes, I’m still plodding through), he quipped, “So are you unsaved yet?”

If you have read Edwards, or one of his disciples such as John Piper, you will understand my friend’s comment. There is a sad truth to this: a deep contemplation of Edwards (or of his disciples) can have the tendency to unseat one’s confidence and assurance of his relationship with God.

Edwards pursues a noble, and in many respects necessary, path. What signs accurately distinguish a true and genuine profession of Christian faith from one spurious or casual? The distinction is critical since it is possible to rest upon works or culture or background for salvation when such comes only by the work of new birth wrought by the Holy Spirit in the heart. Are there clear evidences by which one might judge himself to be truly born again?

Edwards looks at the religious affections as the basis for our convictions. For him, the affections are akin to what we consider to be our emotions. With true religious conviction there will be a deep response of the heart, a deep seated and expressive love for the things of God which can only be produced by the work of God in the heart.

However, an emphasis upon our uncontrollable emotional response may leave one wondering if he has faith, and what he might need to do to get faith. Reading of Edwards’ signs of true grace can cause a reader to doubt his salvation. As much as I am inspired by Edwards, Piper, and others, this does concern me. I don’t wish to leave any child of God without hope.

And yet, if we fail to consider the signs of a work of God, if we don’t long to see evidence of God’s presence, is there not the corresponding danger of leaving the unconverted falsely in hope? Yes, there is. James Montgomery Boice once spoke at the church I pastor and cautioned us to consider that a good number of those in worship on any given Sunday may not at all have been converted.

There is a great deal of complacency in the Christian church, people who believe they have been saved, but are truly unacquainted with the work of God’s spirit. Edwards describes the fruit of a true conversion as having

“…a conviction, so clear, and evident, and assuring, as to be sufficient to induce them, with boldness, to sell all, confidently and fearlessly to run the venture of the loss of all things, and of enduring the most exquisite and long-continued torments, and to trample the world under foot, and count all things but dung, for Christ….” [page 303]

So many in our pews seem to lack such a conviction. We are happy to have a church to go to and songs to make us happy, but is there an inner conviction so deep that we would for Christ venture the loss of all things? If there is not, can we really claim to have been born anew? That is the question that Edwards and others rightfully forces us to ponder.

There is therefore a challenge to light a fire beneathe the nominal and complacent, and to do so without wounding the sheep. That indeed is a challenge.

Technorati Tags: Christian Life, Church, Edwards, Grace

Yes there are more important things in the world, but this graphic clipped from the ESPN website may explain why we who love baseball are having fun in Tampa Bay these days. It is not just that the Rays are winning, but they are doing it all the right way, with speed and defense and pitching, and without ego. It’s just fun.

Technorati Tags: Baseball

When we left for our annual family camping trip ten days ago, I entitled my post ‘Magic‘. A good number of you probably wrote me out of the book of the faithful with my use of such language. So be it.

We are back now, and whatever you call it, we are grateful. God was so good to us. At one point my wife and I stood back in wonder that not only all six children, one grandchild, and three ‘children-in-law’ were there – and that in itself speaks of the riches God has given us – but that also they all WANTED to be there. They all LIKE each other. That is not our doing, but is a gift of God, for which we are deeply grateful.

The trip (to the Cataloochee group campsite in the Great Smoky Mountains) was full of wonder. The isolation was marvelous, the beauty astounding, and the calamities bonding. Spent nearly all of one afternoon trying to fix an oil leak in my son’s car without the benefit of the proper tools. My grandson was off and on sick, and once fell into the fire pit. Ice was a two hour trip away. The listed ‘comfort station’ was not the expected sink and flush toilet, but four infrequently cleaned portables. And so on.

Barb and I once attended a seminar by marriage guru Gary Smalley. He said that the one constant he found among happy families was camping. His theory was that shared calamity unites us, and camping guarantees calamity. I can’t speak for the accuracy of his research or the validity of his conclusions, but my experience says that there is truth in it. We are not always a happy family and there are times we don’t all like each other. But we share some precious memories, often having to do with broken vehicles, excessive rain, poor trail map reading, or inadequate toilet facilities. After the fact, we laugh, and long to ‘do it again’.

My advice to families? Buy a tent and head for the hills. Works magic for us!

Technorati Tags: Family

No one likes to be caught napping. But, napping may be one of the smartest things we could do. I’ve often thought that a good 20 minutes asleep is better than 2 hours nodding off and being distracted. But I don’t do it. I’m too embarrassed that someone will walk in and find me asleep. “What are paying him for, anyway?”

I’m not planning on starting any new habits. I somehow think that walking would do me better in the long run. However, I did find this page in the Boston Globe intriguing. Read it, and then go take a good nap.

Technorati Tags: Work

I am convicted by this observation made by John Frame in his book The Doctrine of God.

“My perception is that gentleness and humility are among the virtues least practiced by Christians today. If God himself can serve his creatures, surely we, who can boast of nothing except the cross, should be able to serve without seeking constantly to maintain or improve our own status and reputation.” (Page 443)

It would not surprise me to find out that when he wrote this, Professor Frame was in the middle of some conflict or interpersonal struggle, either as a participant or an observer.

I see truth in the observation. I see it in my own soul – I’ve seen the cross and yet gentleness and humility are so hard to come by. Why might Christians have such a hard time with this?

Technorati Tags: Christian Life

We are camping this week. Each year the Greenwald clan packs up and heads for the hills. This year we will be at the Cataloochee camping area in the SE portion of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is great for the whole family to be together.

Every year is an adventure, and every year we have with us at least three very attractive teenaged girls who almost always attract attention. One year we were camped by a stream, and every teenaged boy soon learned that the quickest route to the stream was ALWAYS by our campsite. Yeah, right.

So, going into the wild with attractive females requires some preparation. A few years ago I stumbled across an article on the GSMNP web site which was originally titled ‘Bears and You’. So, I pasted it in my word processor, and replaced every occurrence of the word ‘bear’ with ‘boy.’ The results were not just humorous, but actually in many respects wise. I reprint this hear for your fun and enjoyment!

BOYS AND YOU!

Boys in the Park are wild and their behavior is sometimes unpredictable. Although extremely rare, attacks on humans have occurred, inflicting serious injuries and death. Treat all boy encounters with extreme caution and follow these guidelines.

Encounters Along the Trail
Remain watchful.

If you see a boy at a distance do not approach it. If your presence causes the boy to change its behavior (stops feeding, changes its travel direction, watches you, etc.) – YOU’RE TOO CLOSE.

Being too close may also promote aggressive behavior from the boy such as running toward you, making loud noises, or swatting the ground. The boy is demanding more space. Don’t run but slowly back away watching the boy. Try to increase the distance between you and the boy. The boy will probably do the same.

If a boy persistently follows or approaches you, typically without vocalizing, or paw swatting, try changing your direction. If the boy continues to follow you, stand your ground. If the boy gets closer, begin talking loudly or shouting at it. Act aggressively and try to intimidate the boy.

Act together as a group if you have companions. Make yourselves look as large as possible (for example move to higher ground). Throw non-food objects such as rocks at the boy. Use a deterrent such as a stout stick if you have one. Don’t run and don’t turn away from the boy.

Don’t leave food for the boy; this encourages further problems. Most injuries from boy attacks are minor and result from a boy attempting to get at people’s food. If the boy’s behavior indicates that he is after your food and you’re physically attacked, separate yourself from the food and slowly back away.

If the boy shows no interest in your food and you’re physically attacked, fight back aggressively with any available object – the boy may consider you as prey!

Help protect others, report all boy incidents to a park ranger immediately! Above all, keep your distance from boys!

Technorati Tags: Family

Many magical things will be happening in the upcoming week.

First, the Greenwald family will be hiding out at a campsite in North Carolina and will be having a great time together. That in itself is magic. No it’s not. It’s the gracious providence of a very kind God. Imagine thirteen people who actually like each other and are actually related to one another. We are so grateful for the opportunity.

Second, we will be nearly completely out of touch. That should have a certain magical quality to it. We will be deep in the woods – out of reach of internet, cell phone reception, and hot water. Magical.

Third, and this is the real magic, I will continue to post. It will be by magic, but posts will appear. However, I will not be able to respond so your comments. So, if you ask a question or make some kind of comment that needs a response, it will look as if I am ignoring you. I’m not. I’ll catch up when I return. Well, I’m going to take a hot shower first.

Young men dream dreams. Sometimes, as older men, they fulfill them.

Mike is a man who as a young man dreamed of hiking the Appalachian Trail. The first opportunity he got, he tried, and he failed. The mental struggle of sticking to it for the full 2000 miles overwhelmed him, and he stopped.

That was years ago. Since that time, he met Marsha, who became his wife, who gave him Joshua, his son. But also, since that time, he met Jesus. There are few I know who find such joy in loving Jesus. In time God made him an elder at Hope Presbyterian Church, a role that he has filled with the same passion and joy that he brings to everything. I have called him the ‘soul’ of our session (the board of elders in a Presbyterian church is called a ‘session’).

His dream, though, remained unfulfilled. But now he is pursuing it afresh. With the encouragement of his fellow elders and the support of a wife who knows the importance of a husband being freed to pursue his dream, Mike set out at the end of March to conquer this trial. As I write, he is at the 1/2 way mark and none of us doubts that this time he will make it all the way.

But isn’t this a waste of time? Mike wrestled with that. Can one hike the Trail to the glory of God? We concluded that yes, he could. God has in this given Mike a sweet sabbatical from the routines of life, and He has given him an opportunity to pursue a dream that was once abandoned. I have no doubt that Mike will return refreshed in the reality of God’s grace and renewed in his passion to serve his God and King. To that end we are praying.

If you’d like to follow Mike’s progress, he keeps a journal HERE. If you are clever with these things, set up an RSS feed and you can track his progress with every post. Go for it, Mike! We’re with you!

Technorati Tags: Dreams, Sabbatical

I am planning soon to post two or three thoughts on the struggle of loving imperfect people. We all say that we love one another, but when we have so much trouble doing it in our homes, how can we really do it in the church?

As I’ve pondered this, this post floated past my radar screen. Ransom Fellowship is a wonderfully engaging ministry out of Minnesota headed by Margie and Denis Haack. In Margie’s reflections on forty years of marriage to Denis, she makes the following observations (I’ve highlighted the pertinent points):

“I used to think of couples married forty years as wizened in body and mind, the undertaker on-call, and living in apartments that smelled of boiled cabbage, but that isn’t exactly our life. Marriage is less and more than I’d imagined.

”My first difficult disappointment way back was that he did not make me happy every moment of every day, in fact, I couldn’t believe he called to the worst in me and I gave it. I spent a lot of time, still do, actually, in confession and prayer, confession and prayer, repeat, repeat. I was also shocked that I should feel lonely. Ever. Of course, I was only twenty then and hadn’t read the books. Blame it on that. Over the years after we went to bed, I learned not to mention getting rid of the carpenter ants, which are attacking the back of our house as we lie here. And he’s learned to tolerate my allergic coughing and wheezing with just the slightest rattle of his magazine.

Marriage is more than I imagined. We share a purpose and calling that has made the years both intense and lovely. We’re friends and lovers, but we’re not the same. I’m still learning how healthy it is to be differentiated (he will never like gardening and I will never enjoy list checking) and how good not to be responsible for the mate’s ultimate happiness. In learning a little more of what it means that Jesus is the lover of my soul I find it easier to rest in darkness. He is steadier and more comforting than a man, or a woman. We just aren’t equipped to do what only God can do – love us to redemption. We actually love each other better knowing this.

Her wonderful testimony (which is better in its whole context) illuminates points which I hope to make later. But this is useful in its own right. Love does not mean fulfilling another’s ultimate happiness. Only Jesus can do that.

I was, by the way, first put on to Denis Haack through some wonderfully humble reflections on the church’s relationship to culture accessible here and here. Once you get past the fact that he sounds like the insidious creep Ben on TV’s Lost, you will find that these are helpful messages.