Refined and Reformed

Sunday Morning

2012-01-29T20:21:00.000-05:00

So by the title, I'm sure many of you have no idea what I'm going to write about. But then again, I am a young, christian seminarian that works at a church...maybe I'm being naive. It's very likely that I'm going write about church.

I have the privilege of serving at a wonderful, evangelical (Gospel-centered), presbyterian church, Neelsville Presbyterian Church. I sing for a living. I'm the contemporary worship leader and I am charged with the task/joy of introducing new music and styles of worship to the church. But every fifth Sunday, I get a true treat. I get to simply attend. I'm able to just walk into the service, fifteen minutes before it begins. Furthermore, I get to sit with my wife for the entire service. (another rare occasion)

As we walk in, I noticed a familiar "back-of-the-head". After finding our seats, I turned around to see...Byron. He had come to church today. So I went to greet him. We had an interesting interaction. He started speaking with me about altar-boys being able to perform marriages (I just let him talk). But I shook his hand, and thanked him for coming. He said with a big smile, "I told you I'd be here." And that was the end of our conversation. As I turned to walk back to my seat, I noticed that clutched in his hands on his lap was the bible I had given him. I was really happy to see Byron. I hope he enjoyed the service today.

2012-01-26T15:16:00.000-05:00

This next series is going to be my first attempt at writing perhaps in preparation of a book. I have no idea if it will ever be published, but one does not write a book without drafting first. So, consider this a draft...rough. Please feel free to comment and interact with me throughout this process.

Things in "quotes" or marked with an asterisk* may be defined or elaborated below the passage.

Title: TBA

Introduction: TBwritten

   Chapter one: A Rite of Passage

   As thousands of young bible and seminary grads are pouring out of institutions large and small, nationwide, they smack into reality; "I need a job." Granted, there are those who have positions arranged for them upon graduation. But for many students, the great quest for a flock has just begun. For those who have not given future employment any thought, this can be a sobering experience. If you have had no experience to build your resume'...good luck! But for those who have worked in a church, para-church, or non-profit, you have it a little better. So far, so good.

However, even an experienced graduate may soon run into problems. As one searches for a church, the search can become gut-wrenching. Should you find a country church or a city church? What denominations are you most compatible with? Which style of worship can you endorse? Big church or small church? Orthodox, Post-Modern, or either of those packaged in the other? Big salary so I can teach others to be generous? Little salary to embrace suffering for the Gospel? Backyard or Overseas Missions? I'm sure I've missed many other questions. Here's a big one: What positions can I actually do?

Answering that question will likely depend on how you answer these questions:
What experiences, skills, training have you had? What are your spiritual gifts? Do you play instruments? Can you sing? Do you own a mac*? Do you like children? Do you like youth? Do you like college age people? Are you college age? Do you enjoy public speaking?

After all this, you may have found several churches. You will need to go ahead and start working on crafting your personal testimony, a list of theological essentials you believe in, and a cover letter, all versed to optimally match the respective churches you are applying to. And you may be lucky enough to be selected as a candidate for a position. Don't forget that in today's technological age, you will likely be asked to include a video/audio of you doing the thing you're applying for.

Once you become a candidate, another line of questioning ensues.
What experiences, skills, training have you had? What are your spiritual gifts? Do you play instruments? Can you sing? What is your vision for God's church? Where do you see yourself in five years? How do you intend to contribute to our church's growth? Give us your five year vision for our church. How can you make our ________ ministry unique? How do you intend to reach a younger demographic? What leadership experiences have you had? How will you shepherd our church? How many hours will you devote to pastoral visits? What is your commitment to discipleship? Small groups? Youth group? Worship? Evangelism? Missions? Men's ministry? Women's ministry? Pregnancy Ministries? Some of these questions are invaluable, while others seem trivial. Never the less, you will answer each with its due conviction.

Then you may get the job...or not. In fact, you may go through the cycle of questioning, application, "candid-dating*," and interviewing before you find a place to invest your life, or part of it anyway. After a few years, all of your work will be evaluated both by you and your "employers*." And you or they may suggest the cycle of employment start all over again for you.

This is the experience of countless partners and friends in ministry I have spoken with. This is my experience. This is the process our culture has created. Western evangelical christianity has created a method and madness to church staffing that reflects attributes of the corporate world, American Idol, and a mom-and-pop restaurant. But how biblical is this process? Does it seem like church staffing has grown wildly out of control? What is a biblical way of looking for a job in ministry and what is a biblical way of seeking out the right candidate for a ministry position? What are the proper markers for evaluating the success of a ministry according to Scripture?

These are the questions this book is designed to investigate. I'm not claiming to answer these questions out right. There are many brilliant leaders and speakers who will disagree with my answers. But I will answer these questions based on my convictions from God's word and the economy of the church in the world. In a way, this book is an indictment of the sins that creep into a system wrought with good motives. However, eventually a church staffing model founded too much on shifting sand* and not on Christ, will likely crumble. Likewise, a ministry leader who seeks gainful employment over loyalty to the suffering and glory of Christ, will likely not find joy in their ministry. This book will serve to expose these tendencies and offer a plea for humility and faith in the sovereignty of God's power in growing His kingdom.

Endnotes:
* fact - many seminarians and bible college students have an Apple laptop, or other apple product.

"candid-dating" - Both parties should try to be as honest as possible, but this is not always likely. And in that way, the candidate processes of church employment is a lot like dating...you talk on the phone, say nice complements, and talk about yourself.

"employers" - you may work for God, but the leadership of the church evaluate you in most cases.

* Shifting sand will be further explained in a later chapter - basically I'm using it to refer to the ever changing lists of qualifications/expectations/abilities/traits to look for in different positions. This will vary based on cultural trends in ministry.

Thanks for reading. I look forward to some comments.

2012-01-25T20:27:00.002-05:00

This week has been interesting...

Monday, I was sitting in the office of our church speaking with Pete (senior pastor). As we are talking, a man walks in. He is wearing a very eclectic outfit. He asks to speak with a priest, pastor, or someone. This man's name is Byron. I spoke with Byron for about 20 minutes. We offered him a cup of coffee. Byron told us a massive volume of stories about his life. I'm inclined not to believe many of them. Byron has won the lottery, Michael Jackson has willed him 300 million dollars, he's the son of an American Ambassador, one of the first African-American ambassadors. Byron then went on to explain how he's headed to jail. Byron did not want money. In fact, he was fine with his potential prison sentence. But Byron doesn't have a wife or kids. So he wanted advice on how he should go about getting married or just having a kid. I was really puzzled. I'd never received this type of request before. So, I told Byron I wanted to pray with him. It's difficult to pray with a man who claims he knows several religions, and is unashamed about seeking a way to have a child outside of marriage. But I prayed for him still. Byron then was leaving to go on his way. I made sure I gave him a bible and I talked with him about why God's plan for marriage doesn't really sound like Byron's plan. He was appreciative, but I don't know what he's going to do. He anticipates going to jail in about a month.

Tuesday morning, I was heading out to my car. There were two young women in the parking lot. They asked me if I lived around here. "Yes", I said. Then I saw there name tags...They were Mormon missionaries. My mind was scrambling to try to remember all of my apologetic ammunition to "go down in a blaze of glory." (Sometimes, seminarians are dramatic like that) But as I spoke with them, I knew that this was an amazing opportunity for me. I have recently had a class on presuppositional apologetics, which is designed to approach defense of the faith beginning with caring about the person you are speaking with. So there went my blaze of glory scenario. Furthermore, it was important for me to understand their worldview before I could assert mine. I needed to be able to show the inconsistencies in their view if I wanted them to see that my faith is more consistent with reality than theirs. Now for you who know what Mormons believe, you may think this is not very hard. But this was my first time ever getting a chance to speak with Mormon missionaries. So I took full advantage. As they asked me questions, they saw that I was very knowledgeable about the Holy Bible. So they quickly started to try to win me over with the Book of Mormon. This opened up for a line of questioning from me. I asked some very personal questions. I asked them if they had any doubts about their faith. I asked if anyone in their church has had questions or different interpretations about the Book of Mormon. These questions caught them a little off guard. I then returned to asking just general questions about the origins of the book. Lastly, they knew they weren't going to get anywhere, so they just asked me to keep praying about this revelation, that God would open my heart to it. Then they handed me some potent materials. I read the materials. This was a great learning opportunity for me. I loved it. They knew I wasn't budging, but we were respectful of each other. It was a great chance for me to not be the Reformed intellectual screaming "Heretic," even though they are. They left me with a card of their contact information. I'm half tempted to give them a call, now that I know where they stand. But I've got a lot of other things on my place right now. If I could have asked a few more things, I would have asked, "What makes my belief wrong? Why is there no historical record of the prophet Nehi? How can any of us live a perfect enough life to obtain heaven*."(Their eschatology is REALLY strange).

Today... locked out of my house and out of my car. Bad day...I missed the 1st day of a 3 day class. It took me 2 hours to walk to my church. I didn't have my lunch with me, so I had to walk to a restaurant. That only took 20 minutes. All of the walking did two things: 1) It wore me out. 2) Opened my eyes to see Germantown. It's really different walking the streets and driving them. Everybody drives around here. Life is really fast-paced. But the walkers see tons of action on a single road that drivers miss. I realized how this town is hurting. It needs the Gospel badly. Over the past few days, it's like God is trying to get my mind on track with His. There are people who mentally cannot keep their life straight, but they desperately need godly wisdom and love. There are intelligent people who follow a religion, no matter how ridiculous is sounds and are trying to persuade others of their special revelation, and there are countless hurting people that are predisposed to living a life in pursuit of happiness. In a way, it was a good week...a way for me to get in touch with reality and know what our calling is as Christians. By the way, I saw Byron again today. He's doing well.

Where I have been

2011-06-07T23:52:00.001-04:00

Where have I been?

I find that this question intrigues me. As I reflect on my blog, it seems the answer is, "absent." However, I pose this question to myself to force reflection. As I think about my life, my first two years of marriage and ministry, I have come far. Not that I myself have been the driving force in my crash-course into the real world. Rather, I have been thrust into experiences and situations I would not have dreamed of. And the result...multi-faceted growth, wisdom, tenacity, confidence, and humility. The surprising part is that most of this change happened in the past 4 months. So you may be curious..."What could have possibly caused this change in you?"

For the past four months, I have been the lead pastor of Crossroads, the church where I am currently the Associate Pastor. There is a lot of nitty-gritty about how I got there, but that is for another time. For the purposes of this post, all you must know is that the Senior Pastor left and I had to step up. I refer to that time as "living seminary." I sat in board meetings, managed our staff and volunteers, conducted 2 weddings, visited and prayed for the sick, and preached weekly. Additionally, I preached a revival service at another church. I continued many of my "regular duties" as well, although I must admit that I had a little help from my friends. Although the pace seemed exhausting, God provided strength and through the daily grind...I had joy...for the first time in a long time, I had joy in my vocational ministry! And it wasn't the change in duties. No, it was the change in ME.

Now weeks later, I look back at that time and know that I'm a changed man. Having got my feet wet and succeeded was a great feeling. Yet, the success was not without its difficulty. Truly, the experience has confirmed to me, the passions and gifting I always thought that I had. I thought I could be a teacher/preacher, and through the encouragement of our congregation, I have realized the reality of it all. So where have I been? I've been in some strange situations and conditions. Although the answer is vague and only I know the detail to which I've been changed by my experience, I am immediately confronted with another question:

Where am I going? To be honest, I don't truly know. However, this I know...I'm not going back. The regiment, discipline, dependency, and purpose I have gained in my vocational ministry and personal life have transformed the way I will live my entire life. And so I know that I will not (at least at all costs) go back to mediocrity, whether intellectual or spiritual or ethical or moral...I can't stand my past mediocrity. I need to strive for excellence.

I have realized one last thing...it is not in my power to accomplish those things. Only the transforming, regenerating power of Christ can improve my old self through a complete, whole-package transformation.

So I encourage you to ask yourself two things...Where have you been? Where are you going?

Just some FYI, if I'm absent on this blog for the next few weeks, I will likely be working on my truck. It desperately needs a heart transplant (motor). So, Where am I going? NO WHERE IF I DON'T GET MY TRUCK DONE!!!!!

Spring is nice

2011-03-22T15:04:00.002-04:00

So, I've decided that Spring is nice for several reasons. Have you read or heard cliche' christian poems about Spring's symbolism of new growth and a new birth in Christian life? I know I was sick of hearing them. For one, it sounded "emotional and fluffy". Secondly, I didn't understand it. So, recently I asked myself, "why have I misunderstood this simple analogy?" The answer came with brutal honesty. I misunderstood them and did not care about them because of my ignorance of the NT teachings about new growth and being a new creation. This is a sad admission from a "bible" student. Thankfully, I've read considerably more on the subject and have been enlightened by the biblical metaphors employed. I hold less reservation for things "emotional and fluffy" because there is a place for that kind of language. There is beauty and reverance in that kind of language. And often times humility is required in appreciating where the new growth comes from.

So this year, I like Spring because of the symbolism I can see in it.

I also like it because it is warmer than winter.

He must increase, but I must decrease.

2011-03-15T16:16:00.005-04:00

There is a sweet and profound statement here in this title. Often it is recognized as lyrics of a contemporary song, however, they come from John 3:30. Here we see John the Baptist exalting Christ. And as Christians, we would expect this. Right? I mean, Jesus should automatically be receiving the praise and glory, not John, even though John had baptized Jesus.

But look at this story in reference to preachers today, and Christians for that matter. How many preachers or Christians are willing to give up their crowds, their facilities, their fame, their comforts for the glory of Christ? How many of us see our ministries as just that; ours? The empowerment of the Holy Spirit in John the Baptist is AMAZING! John had a prolific ministry teaching and instructing people to turn back to God. Yet, with unfathomable humility, he exalts Christ, knowing that he is dismissing his own significance. John was willing to forsake the pleasures of his own exaltation for the joy of seeing God at work by fulfilling his service to the Lord. To him, that joy far out weighed the satisfaction of flattery from men. John knew that Christ is more mighty than himself. Do we know that the Holy Spirit is more mighty than ourselves? It surprises me how much "church" we can do without inviting the Holy Spirit to work in it. It suprises me how much we accept the exaltation for church growth, powerful sermons, great music, instead of directing it to God (Holy Spirit).

Speaking from my perspective, I can say that in my flesh, it is easy for me to struggle with who gets the glory. After all, I labored over the preaching, or the music, or the curriculum and scheduling, I was the one putting my reputation on the line, putting my neck out. Shouldn't I be entitled to boast a little in my own accomplishments? We would be lying to say we never struggle with that. But when I consider the supreme cost of true discipleship...Oh, what a humbling thought! When I consider the cost of my iniquity, how much shame I feel. When I consider the grace bestowed, what sorrow I have for my vanity and selfishness.

The flattery and praise I receive from mankind truly pales in comparison to the riches and blessings that God has prepared for a faithful servant. Despite my accolades, my gifts and talents, my positions, I want to live in such a way that if God wished to forsake all earthly blessings from me, I would still praise Him, and give Him reverent exaltation, and decrease my pride.

So, I invite you to meditate on this. Ask yourself, "How much do I need to apply this?"

New Things

2011-03-08T11:50:00.003-05:00

Wow...it has been entirely too long since I've been on here. Well, I'm giving an update. A little crisis here at Crossroads. Our senior pastor is going through some personal struggles and has embarked on an emergency leave of absense. This has thrust me into an interim teaching pastor role.

So, I'm now deciding to utilize this blog FOR REALS. No more 3 posts for the year. Blogging is now going to be a priority of my week. Enjoy.

Some things you may not know...

2010-08-23T22:11:00.005-04:00

For those who may wonder, the previous post is not something completely out of the ordinary in how I spend my time. Ever since visiting Israel, I've had a strong appreciation for how archaeology can illuminate the historical and geographical settings of the Scriptures. Today, was another day full of discovery. I've discovered some articles on FOX news about archaeology. I've discovered that there are some schools locally that teach archaeology, and I've discovered that profession of archaeologist is low paying, slow moving, and requires great training.

Is this something I would really like to do? I am not convinced that I want to make archaeology the sole focus of my education or my full-time work, but it will always have a place in my heart. Perhaps it is not the science of archaeology that intrigues me, but how it can provide accurate understandings of the past. In most professions, people strive for innovations in the future. In archaeology, we strive for "innovations" from the past. There is constant interpretation and re-interpretation of data recovered from a site. Unfortunately, one must be trained in history, ceramics, science, forensics, botany, zoology, geology, and many other disciplines to be able to have a clue when it comes to being an archaeologist. Yet, archaeology does little good for economies; it is a by-product of a good economy. One requires so much knowledge for little in career opportunities. Additionally, like the Arts, archaeology falls victim to recessions and depressions. When money is tight and crisis is in the world, archaeology can have little room to grow. Global political conditions create difficulty in acquiring funds and approval for new excavations or continuing old ones. Biblical scholarship no longer gets first grabs at archaeology; they are now second to cultural resource centers and anthropology departments.

So to answer my question, is archaeology something I'd like to do? Perhaps. I understand that any involvement with archaeology would be a great privilege, a rare opportunity, and additional education.

Am I going to invest large sum of money and time into an education that will afford me few opportunities to make a living and limited information to enhance my perspective on the Scriptures that might otherwise be readily available just by reading published materials of other archaeologists? Answer: no.

I've decided that any education I pursue will either be in church history or biblical studies. It is in these things that archaeology is an aid, not a foundation. Church history is not even a foundation to the Scriptures, but is more of an aid for understanding global history of Christendom. Biblical studies is where my true passions are. This is what I believe, is the most redeeming and time worthy information. Between the Bible and other great pieces of literature, works of philosophy and theology, for me is a happy place. Even in the midst of business of life and ministry, nothing refuels me like engaging in intellectual analysis of Scripture or deep, critical thinking about God, philosophy, and other aspects of Christianity. Some of my favorite time is spent reading, writing, and teaching. Sounds like I'm cut out to be a teacher of some kind.

Now I will continue to pursue the possibilities of my future education. Prerequisites: end result must aid in finding employment to provide for my family, something that addresses my interests, and something allow me to continue in education for the rest of my life. I'll tell you what I choose...

2010-08-23T11:43:00.003-04:00

Today, I just read a FOX News article on a new theory about the dead sea scrolls. They sited a few sources. I don't really know how this will change a Christian's perspective on the scrolls themselves, but the research will be interesting I'm sure.

The Significance of Jesus Christ

2010-02-02T23:45:00.002-05:00

Prolegomena - Of course there are debates and discussions of Jesus' humanity and deity. However, an accurate biblical depiction is that He was fully God and fully man. The brief discussion of Christ's purpose and significance will be based upon this assertion that Jesus was exactly who the bible claims Him to be. Basically, I ask all of us to approach this discussion from the view point that if everything the Bible says is correct, than this is who Christ is.

When discussing the purpose of Christ, there are many facets to consider. One must remember that Christ is a member of the Godhead, the Trinity and that Christ was not created for a specific purpose. Rather He had existed before any purpose was defined. If one believes in the Eternal Trinity, Christ existed before His specific purposes in creation and humanity were enacted. However, since the Trinity exists outside of time, the actions taken within time existed in the mind and will of the Godhead eternally.

Several weeks have passed since my first draft of this post. As I tried to describe the significance of Christ, I was simply at loss for words. I could not sit, even with time on my side, and write my thoughts and observations on the topic. It was not for lack of diligence that I have not written about these things, but rather from a lack of understanding. I had such a limited sense of Christ's significance that articulating became a difficult and fearful task. However, more recent reflections and studies have given me fuel for thought. Thus, I feel I can now convey my thoughts to you.

To answer the question of the significance of Christ, one would have to define Christ's chief end. In other words, what is the goal of Christ? This thought is guided by the logical and theological analysis of John Piper from his book, Desiring God. On page 33, Piper writes that "the chief end of God is to glorify God and enjoy himself forever." This concept was one that I understood in reference to human purpose, but I never thought of God's need to have a chief end or purpose in His will. The idea of God glorifying Himself seems redundant at first. But as one examines the options, what other purpose could there be? Most other suggestions would infer an inefficiency in God. But God has no inefficiencies. If He did He would cease to be God. It is widely accepted that God is not in need of our praise or our companionship. So why then did He even create? Because of His chief end.

You may wonder why I digressed to God. Well, the answer is simple. Jesus was God incarnate and the chief end of God must therefore be the chief end of Christ. So the purpose of Christ is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever! This is primarily the purpose of Christ's existence, but yet Christ's role here on earth played yet another part.

Christ also modeled the glory of God and how to enjoy God forever. Tonight, Sam Storms spoke about the purpose of a pastor being the same reason God created the universe. (remember God's chief end) Through that purpose, pastors lead, teach, exhort, pray, disciple, encourage, and train the people of God to the joy of God. Jesus did this same thing. And so it was with the purpose of prophets and priests of the Old Testament.

Christ not only existed to glorify God by through obedience, but also to bring humanity into a fuller understanding of their purpose as part of God's creation. He taught them that their lives are to be spent having joy as a result of God's glory. This concept is not easy to understand, but I assure you this is a great part of the enlightening in my life. I highly encourage anyone searching for reasons for proactive faith or just for some stimulating study of logic, theology, and Scripture to please read Desiring God by John Piper. These are the reasons why this Christmas celebration was significantly meaningful to me. The supremacy of Christ, demonstrated in the Scriptures and my own life, has spiritually transformed by perspective and awaken me from a spiritual coma. The person of Christ has turned from a mysterious figure in my religion to the object of my affection and joy. For this, I give thanks and praise to God for His gracious gift.

*Endnote - I'm not a "Piperite", but I do believe that he has been given an incredible mind to process logic, theology, and thought. Additionally, his skills as a communicator are amazing. Furthermore, beyond his academic and entertainment values, his heart has truly been transformed by God. From this transformation John lives his life much like the Apostle Paul, setting an example for believers. From this transformation, the other skills and qualities are accentuated.

Please read the whole way through...

2009-11-25T21:02:00.002-05:00

This week marks one of the most important holidays in America, but before you sigh deeply and prepare yourself for another cliche' lecture about the importance of Thanksgiving day, you will be interested to know that it is not the subject of this post. To the contrary my birthday was this week, November 24th, 1987.

To let you all know, my birthday was wonderful. It was my first birthday with my new blackberry and the constant barrage of texts and facebooks updates provided me with the fond thoughts and feelings of my friends and family all day. I highly recommend it. As the day unfolded the encouragements began to elicit deeper meanings to me, and now the day after, as I reflect upon the joyful wishes, this thought has struck me.

Another great holiday is soon approaching. This one is full of many activities and family celebrations, but for Christians, the holiday is so much more meaningful. This year, like never before, the importance of Christmas has resonated in my being. Now, please understand that this is not an attempt to "re-spiritualize" our minds. Nor to play the cliche' "reason for the season" card. To be honest, although I would wish all people could take part in the epiphany that has occurred, I'm content in having this growth in myself, and only wish to share it with others as testimony to God's work in me.

When I was in Israel, I visited the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem. After entering through a very small door, you would enter a large room. This room was dark, for imagery purposes, imagine the room where we first meet Theoden, King of Rohan. However, unlike that room, this one was filled with elaborate and ornate fixtures, especially at the front. As you approach the front, you are to go to the right side of the center structure. There is a small entry way that leads you through a narrow stairway that reeks of Kerosene. At the bottom of the steps, you enter a cave like room, where there are two small marble "nooks" one is designated as the place where Mary gave birth to Jesus and the other was where Christ lay in the manger. This was crowded by a multitude of visitors who were holding garments of cloth and pictures, praying and kissing both the objects in their hands and the stone which was marked with a silver plated "bethlehem star" on top of the base surface. Many were praying for healing and blessing. I was not compelled to join them. Thinking that my trip to Israel would enhance my spiritual connection to God, I tried to force the significance of the place. But there was no moving experience, no righteous conviction, just an awkward feeling of foolishness and jealousy. Foolishness for trying to force spirituality and jealousy of others that were deeply moved by the place. The following Christmas was more meaningful, but not on account of my trip. Rather through the scriptures my perception of who Jesus is and what he did for us was challenged. Wrestling with those realities, brought the stronger convictions of the importance of Christmas.

See the significance of Christmas goes far beyond the nativity. As I have wrestled with the testimonies of Scripture, Christ has become more of an amazing figure. Although, I searched for the significant meaning of the place, I realize now that the place is not important. Although the prophesies foretold of Bethlehem, it was not the place of the event that was so significant. Truly, the event of that place is what changed the course of history.

My next posts will try and exam some of the facets of the significance of Jesus. My hope is that through study of God's word and wrestling with the reality of it's claims this Christmas season would bring about in you a deep connection with God and provide reason for daily praise and adoration for his bountiful mercies.

Welcome

2009-11-20T23:31:00.000-05:00

Since this is my first post, this will be more of an introduction to the purpose of this blog and the content that readers can expect to find here. One should know that I started this blog from the recommendation of my wife. I have had many thoughts/opinions/incites that I have no venue to express, other than in random conversation. And so I thought I would develop my thoughts by writing them down. Originally, this was to be for my own benefit only. However upon my wife's suggestion, it struck me that a public viewing of my work would force me to develop these thoughts with a great deal of care and precision.

Readers can expect many of the posts to cover topics related to my passions. For those who do not know me, I am quite passionate about Scripture, Theology, Church History, Philosophy, some politics, and life in general. This will be a fairly academic blog, providing links and citations to my research. But I make no promises that I will remain strictly academic. Just like any human being, I have hobbies that include music and the great outdoors. So for those of you who appreciate those subjects, you may find those posts either a peaceful reprieve or an additional blessing.

So if you are reading this, I want to say thanks for checking out my blog. I hope that you will feel that your time is not wasted here. I want this to be an enriching source for challenging the brain and enhancing the abilities of the christian intellect.

Blessings.