Young Adult Reformed Fellowship

A great poet faces tragedy

2008-05-27T22:52:00.002-04:00

I was an English major in college. I've written poetry for over a decade. I've appreciated Christian music for longer than that.

Christian music is sometimes cheesy. Sometimes decade(s) behind 'modern' music. But I have been convinced for sometime that Christian music (good, well written Christian music), even in the background of our homes, can be an edifying force that should not be underestimated! (Think of it as the 'anti-TV' that can have such a subtly negative effect)

One Christian musician stands out to me as a 'poet with a guitar.' His music has, for decades, spoken to deep Christian truth and the experience of believers as they walk "the road that leads to heaven."

You may have guessed already, I'm talking about Steven Curtis Chapman. A poet with a guitar, who faced great tragedy last week. My personal blog tells the story and offers some preliminary thoughts. (That entry has also received featured status on Xanga and garnered attention from Turkey, Malaysia, and the Netherlands, among other places! So I'd be interested in any refinements or additions to my thoughts that you can offer).

How (if at all) has the death of the Chapman's youngest daughter affected the conversation in the circles you move in?

Spectrum @ COG: Every Member a Minister

2008-05-19T19:31:00.003-04:00

Spectrum, our small group at Covenant of Grace, studied Ministries of Mercy by Tim Keller this past Fall and Winter (our study notes). This is one of the quintessential books for studying and understanding diaconal or mercy ministry within your local church and within the community around you. It is brimming over with deeply theological and practical reasons for taking care of your neighbor, no matter who they are or how worthy we deem their needs.

Keller centers his teaching around the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10: 25-37 continuously provoking the question, who is my neighbor? From there he encourages us to identify with the ministry of Jesus Christ, who was abundantly gracious, generous, humble and always Kingdom focused. However, there is also a call for balance between giving and keeping, properly stewarding what God has given us, between a ministry to Church and to the world, first taking care of those within our congregations then looking to the outside world, and balance between conditional and unconditional giving, having the proper judgement to know when to let mercy limit mercy. Finally, there must be a balance struck between the ministry of the word and the ministry of deed because the ultimate goal with any mercy ministry is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, so that full restoration can be made. There is a need to take care of the temporal or physical needs, but this must be coupled by caring for the everlasting and spiritual needs of the individual for there to be true mercy ministry. For what would be more merciless then to feed a man today, but then fail to invite him to the magnificent feast at the table of Jesus Christ?

Our study would not be complete without also looking at opportunities to get involved with ministries of mercy happening all around us. With organizations like Samaritans Purse, Helping Up Mission, Center for Student Missions, Hannah More House, Maryland Food Bank and Habitat for Humanity we have opportunities to get involved today and make a difference in the lives of others. And so do you, if you take a moment to stop, look and listen to the cries of your neighbors all around you and become an active minister of mercy.

Tale of Two Erics

2008-05-09T13:49:00.005-04:00

This past weekend YARF had a volunteer day with the Arundel Habitat for Humanity where we were able to help a family in need by putting 2 coats of white paint on the walls of two and half floors of townhouse in Brooklyn and at least 1 coat of paint on ourselves. It was a rewarding experience for everyone involved knowing that we were being used by the Lord to meet the needs of those that were in genuine need of our mercy, love and care. While we didn't get to meet the family that would be living in the house, there were new relationships being forged amongst our group and deeper relationships being built amongst friends.

I met two new people in particular, neither of which were there because of YARF, but they were both named Eric. Eric the builder was there in a leadership role with Habitat. As a devout Christian and former home improvement specialist, he had decided that he would like to work for Habitat full time. He had a genuine heart for the people that were going to live in the house and gently directed us in our painting, so that it was done properly. At times this was quite annoying, but you knew the love of Christ was his guiding principle. He prayed for all the volunteers before we started to commit our time to the Lord, and he prayed for our group in particular before we left thanking God for using us to His glory.

Eric the painter was there volunteering with his son for the 5th or 6th time in the past year. He too had a heart for service and was working hard for the family in need right alongside each of us. He took great care to ensure that we weren't missing rooms or parts of the ceiling as the house pulsated with life from the other volunteers. There was one crucial thing that Eric the painter was missing though and that was eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. We spoke about his past and current church involvement, but ultimately he was more swayed by the "historical" record than what he perceived to be the biblical record. His doctrine of Scripture, fallible and man breathed, and his doctrine of Salvation, man centered, all pointed him towards a supposedly historical Jesus figure rather than the actual historical-redemptive Jesus Christ of scripture, time and space.

Eric the painter continued to work throughout the day with a smile on his face, but it was a different smile than the one that adorned the face of Eric the builder. Even as the two men said good bye to me, there was something different in their eyes that I could see. Assurance, faith, love and hope beamed from the builder while the painter looked to be searching for something more. Please pray for the continued ministry of the former, that he would be strengthened by the service of volunteers and that he would bring glory to the Kingdom of God. But most of all pray for the later, that he would be moved by the outpouring of faith around him, that the message of scripture would grip his heart in unimaginable ways and that ultimately he would put his faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation.

Our God of the fullness of time: The sweetness of Galatians 4

2008-05-08T01:29:00.005-04:00

It's after 1am. An empty coffee cup sits on the table in front of me. My tired eyes blink with the strain of staying awake.

This is my first post to the YARF blog. My first ever blog post was about the passing of great Australians. This post will address a joyous first, for a couple my wife and I know well.

I said my eyes were tired, they're also a little wet! I just received an email from good friends of ours with the first photos of them with their adopted Korean child. The new father is Korean American, the mother, Filipino American. They have had a remarkable journey in their own faith walk and God has brought them to this experience of parenthood in an amazing way.

Several weeks ago, when we had met their new son by photo only, I was reading Galatians and was struck by 4:3-7:
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

I am so awe-struck by that. Our God is a God of the fullness of time. It is so difficult in many of the darkest times in our lives to see that. When we ask God "why?" He answers with the gentleness of a father and the authority of a king, "the fullness of time has not yet come."

It is true in the cross. It is true in our daily walk. And I praise our God-of-the-fullness-of-time that it is true in the lives of our friends - new parents today.

Blood: Water Baltimore

2008-05-01T20:01:00.005-04:00

Do you have the passion to dream? Have you ever had an idea to do something, but thought it was too big for you? It is amazing to see what people can do for the Kingdom of God when they have a passion to serve. When they stop fearing what might not happen and start trusting in what God will do through them. Blood: Water Baltimore is an organization that desires to be used by God as an agent of change, as an agent of mercy, and as an agent of compassion in a part of the world aching for healing through clean water to drink and clean blood to live. They have the passion to not only dream, but dream big.

And they are asking that you be a part of this dream. “You. You saving lives. You building wells. You establishing justice. You waging peace.” You being used by God in the army of compassion to bring about healing, hope and love to an entire continent. Is that idea too big for you? Yes it is, but it is not bigger than God and when you surrender everything to him you will see his Kingdom grow right before your very eyes. Because where Satan’s hold on death, dying and decay is defeated there the Kingdom of God lives and reigns in the hearts and minds of men and women, just like you.

You are invited to help make this dream a reality. Over the next few weeks you will have an opportunity to dream at a race, a meal and a concert. Go to http://www.bloodwaterbaltimore.com/ to find out more about these events, to be kept up-to-date or donate your time, money or efforts. But most of all pray that Jesus Christ will reign in your hearts, so that you might serve passionately and compassionately in a world crying out for hope.

An Apologetic for Christian Counseling

2008-04-22T14:49:00.003-04:00

Why is counseling necessary?
All Christians live out the three parts of the Biblical drama; we are created, fallen, and redeemed. It is within the context of these three phases of the Biblical story that counseling ministries unfold. We were created imago dei to live within the context of relationship. Even before that relationship was broken, Adam and Eve were dependent on God and in need of His counsel. With the fall, the ability to perfectly image God and to live in perfect union with Him and with one another was destroyed, which has left our relationships marred by sin and suffering. It is both the pre-Fall dependence and the post-Fall sin and suffering that counselors seek to address in their mercy ministries, with the ultimate goal of redemption. When viewed in this light, counseling is not only a means of addressing sin and suffering, but also a ministry to entice us towards the Gospel, modeling the pre-Fall dependence on God.

The goal of redemption is accomplished through a ministry of walking alongside others as they struggle with their creational dependence on God, as they deal with suffering and sin related to the fall, and, ultimately, as the Holy Spirit extends the grace of redemption. In modeling Christ's kenotic ministry, counselors need to empty themselves to be used by the Holy Spirit to transform hearts and change lives.

How does it help the church?
I believe this model translates well into the ecclesial ministry where faith and action collide. Modeling Christ's example as image bearers, Christian counselors can radiate the gospel through a unique, redemptive ministry, which is meant to support the work of Christ as already established by the leaders of the church. Therefore, a Christian counselor's role is not to usurp the authority of the church but to assist pastors, elders, and deacons in their ministries. There may be mental health issues that pastors feel require more clinical counseling than they are equipped to offer, or seminars that can be given on marriage and family issues, or ways to walk alongside the church leaders through support, consultation, and counseling. The ultimate unified goal of redemption is what establishes a working relationship between counseling and the church. Counseling is a ministry that can be offered to Christians and non-Christians alike to either entice them towards the gospel or bring them into closer communion with their Savior--soli deo gloria.

Amy Price is a Clinical Professional Counselor for Wellspring Counseling Center in Towson, Maryland. She works with children, adolescents, adults, and marriage and family issues. For more information, or to set up an appointment, please contact Wellspring at (410) 321-6035, or e-mail her.

Looking for a job in the Lone Star State?

2008-04-01T22:37:00.003-04:00

Looking for a job in the Lone Star State? Everyone should live in Texas at least once in their lifetime!

Christ the King Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Houston, TX is looking for a Children's Education Coordinator. Ideally, the person would have an education background. The job consists of planning/coordinating all children’s activities and programs at the church and training volunteers.

If you are interested contact:
Kristen Autrey
Children's Education Coordinator
713.892.5464 x 19
kautrey@christtheking.com

Habit Forming

2008-03-24T15:35:00.002-04:00

One of the essential responsibilities for the Church is to provide mercy to the world around us, and not mistakenly, one of the main purposes for YARF is to provide opportunities for mercy ministry and service together. Hopefully service is something that has or is becoming a habit for you as you grow in Christ.

Our next opportunity to come together will be a Habitat for Humanity Day. We will be working on a construction site which does not require any special skills. Here is your chance to show the fallen world that there is a better way, there is hope and there is redemption. Help to build a better community for tomorrow by participating in an act of service, kindness and compassion with us.

DETAILS:

What: Building Community: One House at a Time
When: Saturday, May 3, 2008
Time: 8:00am - 4:00pm
Location: Arundel Habitat for Humanity - 901 Pontiac Ave, Brooklyn, MD

To find out more information and to sign-up for a day of service with us please take a moment to check out the website or Facebook.

Hope Eternal

2008-02-14T13:06:00.000-05:00

Are you filled with the romantic spirit today? Are you panicking because you don’t know what to get that special someone or don’t have a special someone? For some this day will bring great joy and for others it will cause great despair. Either way, there is a reason to have an eternal hope that transcends your current relationship status.

As image bearers of the Living God, we each reflect the imprint of our Creator on our heart, mind, body and soul. As Christians, we each reflect the light of the world, Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit illuminating our entire being. If our eyes are the lamp of the body (Matthew 6:22), then they not only allow the good to illume internally, but also allow that light to shine brightly outward into the world. By our nature, we share Jesus Christ with every ounce of who we are with everyone we encounter.

Pat Monahan sings a song called Her Eyes and the chorus repeats, “Her eyes, that's where hope lies. That's where blue skies meet the sunrise. Her eyes, that's where I go when I go home.” The reality and the depth of truth found in those words struck my heart as I thought about the godly woman that my wife is and the presence of my Savior in her heart. She reflects the eternal hope of a redeemed world that is only found by faith in Jesus Christ, and my eyes reflect the same to her. The spiritual presence of Jesus Christ in our lives is what makes this hope a reality, for us and for anyone who has been made anew by the Lord.

Whether you are married and are enjoying the blessing of a united flesh, or you are dating with an eye towards a hopeful future, fix your eye upon Jesus reflected in your beloved. Whether it’s complicated and you are trying to persevere through a difficult time, or you are single longing for someone to call beloved, fix your eye upon Jesus reflected in the covenant community of brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers in Christ. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). His eyes, that’s where hope lies, that is the transcendent eternal hope guaranteed, bought and paid for by our Redeemer shining light upon our path home.

Stache Bash Update

2008-02-10T14:10:00.000-05:00

Now is the time to sign-up for the Stache Bash. To learn more about your opportunities to serve check out Facebook or MySpace, and then immediately sign-up to participate!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mustachio
Subject: One week till Clean Shave Day!!

Grab your razors, some alcohol-free after shave, because there's just one more week till clean shave day (Feb 16)! So if you or a friend are planning on growing a sweet sweet charity stache, our sponsors would love to know who you are. Just send us at Mustachio a picture of yourself and we'll add it to the gallery of great and glorious growers who've already committed.

Doesn't your stache just tingle with anticipation?

UPDATE

Pledge sheets are now available for the Growers.

Growing is Fundamental

2008-02-03T13:45:00.000-05:00

GROWING YOUR SOUL
If you are a college student or young adult looking for an opportunity to grow in your faith and meet others that are like minded then you will want to check out the RUF Spring Training Conference on Godliness and leadership coming up this month. They will be offering topics on discipleship, Bible study, evangelism and leadership. The registration deadline is February 15th and the weekend conference will February 22nd - 23rd.

Contact Steven Badorf (Baltimore area) or Chris Garriott (Washington area) for more information or to sign-up for this enriching experience. To view more information online check out RUF Hopkins or RUF Maryland.

GROWING YOUR STACHE

Once again Hunt Valley Church is sponsoring a number of events to raise money for Blood:Water Mission, a charity to bring clean water and clean blood to the poor in Africa. You may remember last year's efforts where they raised close to $15,000 (correct me if I'm wrong HVC) for BWM.

They have some bold plans for raising even more money this year, and are again asking for brave men to step up to the challenge of growing a "sweet sweet stache", says Mustachio. The growing period will begin on February 15th and culminate at the 2nd Annual Stache Bash on March 15th at Mt. Washington Tavern.

Contact Mustachio (Jay Jacoby) for more information or to sign-up for this hair raising experience. To view more information online check out Facebook or MySpace, and even sign-up to participate.

Orphan Found IV

2008-01-23T13:27:00.000-05:00

According to Shane and Wendy Lankford, members of New Covenant PCA, their orphan was born on Wednesday, January 9th and was 8lbs. 4ozs. and is 18" long. As you can imagine, they are thrilled to be bringing home their son very soon. Praise the Lord for what He is doing to redeem the lives of Shane, Wendy, baby Lankford and the birthparents.

Grae Haven
I know, the title is only for Lord of the Rings dorks like us. We are excited to announce that we will (Lord willing) be bringing home a little Lankford on Friday. Yes, this Friday. Please be in prayer for us as we begin this new adventure. We've had a wonderful experience and feel like we are adopting a family. We have been so blessed by our interaction with the birthparents and their families. We still have a few weeks of nervousness because we are taking placement early. Please pray for the birthparents as well. This is a joyful time for us, but a very bittersweet time for them. We can't wait to share a 'lil Grae with you!

Citizen Soldier

2007-12-19T12:25:00.000-05:00

As the son of a Marine who served in Vietnam my father instilled a heart of service in me that is difficult to quantify or understand. His service took both an emotional and physical toll on him, one that most of us would spend our whole lives trying to avoid, and yet there is a sense in his demeanor that he was simply fulfilling his duty to serve. We are all called to do something extraordinary in life and fortunately we have a heavenly father to guide us down that path.

With that sense of service in mind and with the holidays upon us, I want to draw your attention to a website that exists to give directly to those that are currently serving in harms way, taking that very same emotional and physical toll on themselves. AnyMarine.com was started to supply those Marines most in need with exactly what they need. There are some that receive more than others because of family, and this site makes sure that all, family or not, receives love and care from those they are protecting. I want to encourage you to think about how you can do something extraordinary for someone that is doing something extraordinary for you.

3 Doors Down has written a tribute song called Citizen Solider where the chorus sings, “On that day, when you need your brothers and sisters to care. I'll be right here.” Think about our citizen soldiers and their sacrifice to be where we need them, when we need them. Think about how you can humbly and selflessly serve your brothers and sisters. Think about the first steps that Jesus Christ took towards the ultimate sacrifice, the cross, were at his humble birth. He is the true light to guide us from darkness and despair, the one walking beside us during our times of trial and the one instilling a heart of service beyond compare.

Do something extraordinary, do something Christ-like, do something self-sacrificial, not because it’s Christmas, but because it’s Christian.

Citizen Soldier by 3 Doors Down

Beyond the boundaries of your city's lights.
Stand the heroes waiting for your cries.
So many times you did not bring this on yourself.
When the moment finally comes, I'll be there to help.

On that day, when you need your brothers and sisters to care.
I'll be right here.

[Chorus]
Citizen soldiers.
Holding the light for the
ones that we guide from the dark of despair.
Standing on guard for the ones that we've sheltered.
We'll always be ready because we will always be there.

When there's people crying in the streets.
When they're starving for a meal to eat.
When they simply need a place to make their beds.
Right here underneath my wing, you can rest your head.

On that day, when you need your brothers and sisters to care.
I'll be right here.

[Chorus]

Hope and pray, that you never need me.
Then rest assured I will not let you down.
I walk beside you, but you may not see me.
The strongest among you may not wear a crown.

On the day when you need your brothers and sisters to care.
I'll be right here.
On that day when you don't have strength for the burden you bear.
I'll be right here.
[Chorus]

Coffeehouse and Open Mic Night

2007-12-18T12:12:00.000-05:00

Our first event of 2008 is now upon us! We will gather for a night of conversation, music, games and of course, coffee & other treats. In addition to having a house band, this will also be an OPEN MIC NIGHT. So if you have been looking for an opportunity to share your musical, lyrical or poetic talents – here it is! Please sign-up now to share how God has gifted you.

DETAILS:

Date: Saturday, January 19th @ 7 PM
Location: Liberty Church, PCA
What: Coffeehouse w/ live music and open mic night

Open Mic Details: We are looking for individuals and groups who have a desire to share their talents in an edifying way. Since we are created by the Creator, and in his image, we should not deny the finger print of God’s imagination on ours and should employ that gift as often as possible. You can sign-up online to participate in this live event. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions (admin@eyarf.org).

Every Jot and Tittle

2007-12-14T14:18:00.001-05:00

You can now find your one stop shop for all the RSS (really simple syndication) feeds on our website. You can subscribe to them using various online and software based feed readers. For you iPod junkies, you can even add the Sermons feed to iTunes!

byFaith the magazine of the Presbyterian Church in America has a new face online as well with the re-designed ByFaithOnline. “You'll have an opportunity to comment on articles, and to engage others who've expressed their point of view…Audio and video features now available…You'll find sermons from pastors all around the country.” While you are there, think about subscribing to the print magazine to help keep this resource available.

The Westminster Bookstore has recently re-designed their site as well. This a great resource for buying books at low prices and for getting really cheap shipping costs. If you are a small group leader and need ideas or materials for lessons this is your place. If you are just looking for something to wet your theological appetite here you go. And if you just want to help out a poor seminary student earn points towards discounts at the bookstore himself, be sure to access the bookstore from either here or here!

Tis the season to be volunteering…

2007-12-13T14:55:00.000-05:00

Fa la la la la la la la la

This is the time of year when all the charities start calling more frequently, bundling their return address mailers together and generally trying to help us get our last minute tax-deductions for the year. But what about those things that aren’t tax deductible, like volunteering your time? While this is something that should mark our lives all year long there is something nice about the collective atmosphere around the Christmas season that gets our altruistic juices flowing.

With that in mind I’d like to point your attention to a resource that may help you find a way to donate some of that non-tax deductible time of yours, a precious commodity I know.

ChristianVolunteering.org is a free directory with over 2,000 volunteer opportunities in ministries serving the “poor.” The site’s partners include the Salvation Army, GospelCom (BibleGateway.com), World Vision, the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions and over 1,000 ministries serving under-resourced communities. In addition to volunteer opportunities for individuals, you can also search the site for opportunities that might be appropriate for church small groups and for short-term missions trips. If you just type your postal code, you can get a listing of the volunteer opportunities in your region.

Artist Spotlight

2007-12-07T15:12:00.000-05:00

If you have been to any of the YARF PDub nights we’ve had recently at Towson University then you’ve experienced the musical talent we have. It dawned on me that we never actually introduced the band to anyone. In keeping with the chivalrous tradition we’ll start with the ladies who treated us to their vocal stylizing, and introduce Emily Palmisano, Lisa Vowles and Dori Plait. Next on bass guitar, men’s vocals and rhythmic screams on “It is Well” was Ben Burke, who incidentally is celebrating a birthday tomorrow. Behind him was Mark Vowles, formally of the band Custom Blend, playing guitar, and Luke Greffen beating on the drums, despite a severely bruised calf muscle. Last but not least was singer, song writer Brody Bond playing guitar and teaching us a new tune to “It is Well”.

Brody has recently released an album entitled Lovers Try that you can listen on MySpace or Virb, and purchase from his website (http://www.brodybond.com/). There you can also join his mailing list, so that he knows you are interested in his music, stay up-to-date on live shows and even sign-up to host a living room show yourself. If you are looking for some new music for yourself, for a friend or a good stocking stuffer you’ll want to swing by his site. Not only will you be treated to Brody’s musical love offering, but you’ll be supporting a local Christian musician with a heart for the lost and the poor.

24 Mission Trip – Reflections

2007-11-13T15:24:00.000-05:00

A couple weekends ago our 24 Mission Trip Team traveled down to Washington, DC to take part in mercy ministry to the District of Columbia with Center for Student Missions. Many of us were encouraged and spurred on by our experiences on the trip. Some of the highlights included:

A prayer tour of the city on Friday night where we drove around to various locations that needed the intercession of God’s people
Time at Food and Friends packing approximately 200 – 300 meals for people dying of HIV/Aids/Cancer and other life threatening diseases on Saturday morning
Time at St. Thomas More Nursing Home and Rehabilitative Center meeting with and talking to patients suffering from strokes, drug abuse, car accidents, etc. on Saturday afternoon

You can read what our team had to say about the impact of our trip here (www.eyarf.org/24).

Pdub Night 2

2007-11-12T20:18:00.000-05:00

A second night of music, prayer and devotion where RUF meets YARF meets Praise and Worship. This will be an opportunity for RUF students, YARF'ers and other campus ministries to come together for singing, prayer and devotion to our Lord, Jesus Christ. We will join our hearts together in praise, and have the opportunity to hear a message from Rev. John Aldrich (associate pastor from Covenant of Grace).

DETAILS:

Date: Sunday, December 2nd @ 7 PM
Location: Towson University (University Union - Susquehanna Terrace)
What: A night of music, prayer and devotion

Communities of Grace*

2007-11-02T09:05:00.000-04:00

This weekend the 24 Mission Trip Team will be traveling down to Washington, DC to participate in mercy ministry with Center for Student Missions. Please continue to pray for our group as we engage in urban ministry, learn about DC and bring healing, compassion and love to people in need.

Our trip is not the only community of grace that is currently active. Mission to North America recently sent an appeal for prayer for the California Wildfires. Their appeal was for prayer, for donations and possibly for volunteer support. By the grace of God those needs have been met.

MNA
Thank you for your prayers for the people of southern California who have experienced loss from the wildfires. The churches of South Coast, Pacific, and Korean Southwest Presbyteries have assessed damage among their members and their communities. At this time, they do not believe there are any needs which are beyond their ability to address using the resources of the churches and presbyteries, as well as gifts already given. Please continue to pray for our churches and presbyteries as they care for our PCA families, and as they have opportunity to minister in Christ's name in their communities.

Reflect on these verses this weekend as you think about the YARF mission team and those bringing healing to California.

Hebrews 13:1-3
1Keep on loving each other as brothers. 2Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. 3Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

* Titled borrowed from a recent sermon by Mike Khandjian from Chapelgate Presbyterian Church.

Orphan Found III

2007-10-15T16:37:00.000-04:00

Several months ago, Shane and Wendy Lankford began the long and expensive adoption process. They were overwhelmed by the amount of love, prayer and financial support that came pouring in to them. Now they have gotten over another hurdle as they have been selected by birth parents to raise their little boy due January 6th.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "shane"
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2007
Subject: Adoption

Hey peeps, just want to let you all know that Wendy & I have been chosen for adoption of a baby boy to be born around Jan. 6th! He should be in our home sometime in early Feb.! We are very excited and also very cautious since the birthparents will still have 30 days after the baby is born to reconsider and choose to raise him themselves instead of giving him to us. Please pray that the Lord's will be done in this matter mainly for the best interest of the child, and for grace in receiving whatever final decision is made. We thank you all ahead of time for your prayers...and we look forward to showing our little all his big brothers and sisters.

I know that the Lankford’s covet your prayers and support, as I’m sure Bethany Christian Services do. There are plenty of opportunities to not only support the Lankford’s, but other families through financial and volunteer means at the mission in Crofton, MD. How can you make an impact in someone’s life today?

Spectrum @ COG: Boasting in Christ Alone

2007-10-04T18:57:00.000-04:00

This past summer Spectrum, our small group at Covenant of Grace, went through the book of Galatians. We were aided by two great study materials that enabled us to delve into this essential epistle. We followed along in Tim Keller’s study, “Galatians: Living in line with the truth of the gospel” and used heavily Philip Ryken’s, “Galatians (Reformed Expository Commentary)”. And of course no good reformed Bible study is complete without a bit of Calvin sprinkled in there!

We were challenged over and over again by Paul, Calvin, Keller and Ryken to set aside everything that was not essential to the Gospel and to make Jesus Christ the object of our faith. We are to live the very life of God as Calvin says. You can retrace our steps through the summer and through Galatians on our small group website.

Focusing on the essentials of the gospel enabled us to hear the rich testimony of God’s word and his teachers over and over again as they defined the gospel. Ryken’s commentary focused the gospel on the atoning death and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. While Keller urged us to define it for ourselves he laid down a foundation from which we could see a progression from the beginning of the epistle to the end, as Paul himself bookends the letter with gospel presentations.

Here is how I answered the question of what is the gospel at the beginning of the summer:

I am separated from God by own sin. God's gift of grace is given to me by the sacrifice of His own son, restoring my relationship with God. I am justified and am no longer a sinner before God through His grace and by my faith in Jesus Christ.

Here is how I answered the question at the end:

The gospel is a life lived by Christ, through redeemed man for the purpose of bringing love, peace and mercy to the world.

Just a little different and more outwardly focused...at least I got more efficient with my words! How would you answer the question, what is the gospel? And more importantly, how will you live that out?

NCPC 9-25-07

2007-10-04T15:22:00.001-04:00

Last week (9/25/07) at the NCPC C&C study we watched a lecture by Al Mohler on Postmodernism and Society.

Big things are changing in our society. One of the biggest movements to take shape and carry weight is postmodernism. This is a big thing and has garnered a large following in part due to the fact that it is so ill defined. Mr Mohler began his study by looking at the key features of postmodernism.

1) Deconstruction of the truth.
The deconstruction of truth is vital to the postmodernist movement because to the postmodernist, truth is made not learned or found. When you consider and understand this fact you begin to understand how important it is for them to deconstruct the truth that the oppressors have constructed. According to the postmodernist all claims of truth have been constructed to aid those in positions of power so liberty, then, would come from the deconstructing of that truth. What the postmodernist fails to realize is that truth is fixed, and unchangeing. One of my favorite quotes is from Winston Churchill and is on this topic:

"Truth is incontrovertible; malice may attack it and ignorance may deride it; but, in the end; there it is." (Sir Winston Churchill, 1874-1965)

2) Death of the Meta-narrative
the meta-narrative is the overarching story. It is the story that describes life as we know it, our history, our rules of nature, our creation and exhistence. It is the basis for truth; the one place that we can check new facts against for validity or a determination of their falsehood. The meta-narrative is one of the most feared items by postmodernists. To the postmodernist the meta-narrative is the primary tool of oppression by those in power. The postmodernists want to discredit and do away with the meta-narrative so there is no longer a point of comparrison for their smaller individual narratives upon which they base their lives and thought processes. To the postmodernist all that matters is his/her individual story. That defines truth, right, and wrong for them. If they do not do away with the meta-narrative then there is something more they have to asnwer too, a higher truth and authority they did not have any say in. Without the meta-narrative, the postmodernist is free to make his/her own rules and then there is no conflict with the path they walk.

3)Death of the Text
After the death of the meta-narrative comes the death of the text. The text is the primary source of the meta-narrative so it would be the logical step to kill it as well. This is done by undermining the validity of the writing as well as the author. The general idea is that the text is dead by nature of the author being dead. Without the ability to speak up and defend the text the postmodernist asserts that the interpretation of the text is left to the reader. This removes any ability for objective study and interpretation as everything gets broken down into the small stories of individual creation. Without the ability to objective and absolutely determine intent and meaning of the text then there is no way to hold anyone accountable to that text.

4) Dominion of Therapy
As we have already discussed the primary action of postmodernists is to destroy truth. When this occurs all that is left is therapy. When there is no absolute truth all that is left to go by is what makes us feel good. Historically you can look at societies and see their focus based on what building was the center of their lives. What building was the nicest, the best kept etc. Historically this building was their religious building. Whether that was a church, a temple, a mosque, or whatever. Now it is a medical center. The focus in society has shifted away from the truth of scripture and landed squarely on the focus of man and what can be done to make us feel better.

5) Denial of authority
The postmodernists want to deny all authority and break life down to the individual, that is until it comes time for someone to deny the authority of the postmodernist. The reality is that there cannot be a world without authority. It simply is not possible. So the postmodernists strive to deconstruct authority that disagrees with them.

6) Displacement of morality
The striving to be free from any control finally presents itself in the postmodernist attempts to free themselves of any moral restrictions as well. Like all other areas of postmodernism, the idea of morals and a moral compass is in reference to themselves alone. By this they attempt to rid themselves of any moral chains that would restrict their free actions. Sadly this leads to devestating consequences. A large majority of postmodern philosophers have died horrific deaths at the hand of their moral "freedom" which is nothing more than rote and wanton sinfulness.

So these are the key features of postmodernism. How then, does postmodernism manifest itself in society? Well thankfully for now, postmodernism is pretty much isolated to the itellectual, academic, elites. The bad news is that as time goes by it is trickling down as this group is having more influence over different areas of society such as art, movies, music, and higher education. Postmodern art is intended to be jarring and disassociative. It is meant to have no meaning leaving interpretation up to the viewer. The drive behind postmodern entertainment is subversion and conglomeration. The prevailing trend in postmodernism expression and entertainment is to take any or all known previous styles of the genre and put them together. This is seen in music, movies, art, and architecture.

Postmodernism does or soon will effect ever facet of life. The push of postmodernism is one of transgressing all boundries. Sex and gender studies are the largest growing classes in universities nation wide. These same universities are pushing and giving greater and greater support to magazines and papers dealing with sex and "exploration" across the firmly established boundries we have known until recently. The constitution has become one of the greatest documents up for interpretation. Under postmodern thought there is no longer anything keeping people from interpretting it at their will and finding rights and freedoms that were never there nor were they intended to be there, and once these rights have been found, they will never be given up. When this as the basis of our country is under review from a postmodernistic perspective, it leads to a breakdown of the shared consensus. With this breakdown comes a myriad of opinions as to who is right and who is wrong and this leads to innumerable lawsuits.

Ultimately postmodernism hits home with the family. Under postmodern thought the family unit is completely undermined and destroyed. The function and authority of the parents is denied and removed in favor of childrens rights. This gives the children more control than parents have. The role of education is removed from the parents and given to the state. This of course also greatly effects the other major roles traditionally allied with the family and those are the cultural, moral, and spiritual shaping of the children.

This is why it is the ultimate christian responsibility to subvert subversion.

$200 for the best party you've ever been to

2007-10-04T13:57:00.000-04:00

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Past events can be seen here: http://www.charityis.org/events/

This group is phenomenal. They've raised over $1M in one year of existence. Some cool video of recent work: http://www.charityis.org/september/

NCPC STUDY 09-18-07

2007-10-01T22:42:00.000-04:00

Sorry this is really late all. I was hoping to combine it with last weeks as that was on postmodernism as well but I didnt get a chance to get that one typed up yet.

This week at the NCPC C&C study we watched a teaching by Ravi Zacharias on postmodernism and philosophy.

We started off the teaching with a definition of postmodernism. Postmodernism can be summed up by the following statement. "We don't know where we are and we don't know who we are and we are trying to pontificate the depth of it all."

We began the study by considering a few key points. Postmodernism begins with the assertion that we dont really know who we are. How then can we define humanism if we don't know who we are. This creates a problem that the postmodernists attempt to fix by removing the concepts that words and morals have meaning to anyone besides the person speaking. So this forces the following question to be asked: Do words and morals have meanings or do they mean whatever definition the speaker wants to fuse to them? The postmodernist answers this question by simply saying no words and morals do not have meaning apart from the definitions the speaker chooses to fuse to those words and morals. This leaves the person speaking to define their own morals and words. This makes it infinitely difficult to keep track of things and what people are saying as now everything has different definitions based on the whim and will of the people speaking. This leads to the ultimate reality of "I" being at the center of postmodernism. What I say, how I define things, how I interpret things, that is all that matters.

We can see the progression of different theologies over the course of history, from rationalism to empiricism to naturalism to existentialism all finally culminating in postmodernism. All of the basic tenants of the different theologies can be seen in postmodernism. They are the building blocks of postmodernism.

Postmodernism was really born in Genesis 3 when the devil is tempting Adam and Eve. Upon posing the question "Did God really say...?" Satan redefined Gods reality and authority and allowed the situation and the command to be redefined in terms of Adam and Eve. This is the essence of postmodernism, the idea that words and morals are free to be redefined by the people speaking or hearing them. When you choose to play God you are left in the position of having to attempt and redefine good and evil.

There are three major tenants of postmodernism.

1) They do not believe there is no point of reference for words - shifting ground in propositional truth.
- We manufacture words and meanings by how we use it. But they use tons of words saying their philosophy is stable
- Its based on an epistemology that holds to a limitless instability of words in language.
- Rhetoric radically suspends logic and opens up possibilities of referendum. This raises things, simply put, to "dizzying heights of meaninglessness"

2) There are no laws of logic that are undeniable.
- The fundamental laws of logic are Identity, Non-contradiction, the Excluded middle, and rational inference. Postmodernist thinkers want to debunk these and with them logic.
- This leaves us living in a world where there is no absolute or logic. We cannot live in such a world. It would be utter chaos.

3) There are no boundaries for meaning.
- When you allow this to be your rule of life and follow a path based on this mentality it turns into a life of tragedy. There are many whose lives have been a testimony to this fact.
- They decide to write their own story by denying an overarching story. Where is the meaning in this? Simply put its genius gone wrong.