Dan Savage and Youth Ministry

Youth Ministry can learn from Savage

The words and works of Seattle sex advice columnist Dan Savage are no different than the other times and activities that have been influential on the rising generation. Fred MacMurray had his Follow Me, Boys!, Hitler stirred his 100,000+ youths in the late 1920s and early 30s, Billy Graham challenged youths at the rallies in Chicago and beyond, and Henrietta Mears influenced 1000s through Forest Home Christian Conference Center—and on and on it goes. Before we move on, let’s not forget about the dad wearing his red cardigan buttoned sweater in the 60s sitting next to his wife on the living room sofa—she’s wearing silver horned-rim glasses and her hair is in a bun—and he’s combing through the Luther League catechism at the family altar after the evening meal. Bessie, Jimmy and Butch are sitting at his feet. We can hear the recitation going on: Do you hope to be saved? Yes, that is my hope. In whom then do you trust? In my dear Lord Jesus Christ. Youth ministry and all, here, flourishes too. Influence happens. The elder shall serve the younger. Dan Savage knows youth ministry is inescapable.

We read of Savage gone savage in Seattle recently and we get upset. He’s been given a venue to practice in a concentrated way what Francis Schaeffer said in the opening paragraphs of How Should We Then Live? that theology comes out of our fingertips. Savage’s theology oozes—a non-Christian one, we know.

But what can we learn about youth ministry from Dan Savage?

1. Church Youth Ministry that tries to mimic his vulgarity and sensationalism shouldn’t. Our vulgarity cannot compete with Savage’s. Ours is too Christian. We’ll only spin our wheels in mimicry. We’ll get fame for 3 weeks, hear from our parents and church elders about it, and that will be that. Vulgarity is attractive to youth pastors. Don’t go there. The same goes for sensationalism. Sensationalism seems fun, but it is like spiritual Listerine—it puckers your lips and must be spit out. Dads, youth pastors, retreat speakers, stay with your strengths: tell stories. Tell them calmly, without the sensationalism of the bizarre and ooh; and without the cheek-grimacing, eye-squinting looks due to the gore—and please, retreat speakers, forgo for the umpteenth time some story about throwing up. A good story about a slice of your life about what you learned will go miles for discussion fodder with young people. Savage wants to light up the scoreboard. Take your cues from Joshua—tell stories about the memorial stones stacked up next to the Jordan.

2. Church Youth Ministry that practices one-person, one-direction influence, like Savage’s, loses. You, dad, in the cardigan sweater can outdo Savage. Youth pastor or small group leader on Wednesday nights, you can own Savage. He speaks from a distance. He’s at a microphone—he stands on a platform at that. Also, as a columnist, he writes at a keyboard. His ministry is one of d-i-s-t-a-n-c-e. Unlike Savage, dad and mom, you live with your sons and daughters. Elders and pastors, you live around the 20-somethings in your congregation. Savage doesn’t. He won’t win because of his distance. He can speak. But he cannot model. His practical theology is absent of Trinitarianism. Not yours. Be with your students. Speak to them, live with them. Teach them, and model alongside of them. Trinitarianism wins. Not Unitarianism—not the one person, one way, influence. No way. Savage loses. Youth Ministry which practices Trinitarian life with connectionalism with life-to-life discipleship, with multiple persons and varied persons, wins. Savage is transcendent, but his immanence is wanting.

3. Church Youth Ministry that lacks the biblically informed practice of circular reasoning will fail with respect to defending truth on the street. Savage does circular reasoning. In his apologetics, he uses an authority to defend authority. We can learn some things from him. Apologetics in Youth Ministry has been popular for decades. Evidence That Demands a Verdict blew wind in our sails for 35 years—and it’s still blowing. It’s been the Youth Ministry Apologetics Thing. Watch Savage. Believe it or not—he appeals to the Bible. There’s nothing new here; many people do. But Youth Pastor, take a cue from Savage. The Seattle Times writes of the recent speech that he gave, “In the speech, Savage, citing Sam Harris’ ‘Letter to a Christian Nation,’ said the Bible gave instructions about how to treat slaves. If the Bible erred ‘on the easiest moral question that humanity has ever faced ... What are the odds that the Bible got something as complicated as human sexuality wrong? 100 percent,’ said Savage. Students are heard cheering and clapping.” Savage, like Sam Harris, has standards. In this case, interestingly, it’s his use of the Bible. Two questions come to mind—1) How do I know the Bible is true? 2) How can I make proper use of it? On the first, the Bible says it is true. The Bible is the cement upon which knowledge rests. Can we really use the Bible to prove the Bible? You bet. How is Savage proving his points about questions in life? He’s proving his answers with the Bible. Good, Mr. Savage, I say. He knows that no argument proves itself; there must be a starting point. Good for him. For many of us as Christians, sadly, our starting point might be experience. Feelings. Medicine. A parent. Archaeology. The number of extant NT manuscripts. But wait. What happened to using the Bible? Savage does. Why don’t we? If we use something other than the Bible as an ultimate authority then we haven’t proven it to be ultimate authority. We used something outside of and apart from the Bible. Youth Ministry, make your starting point the Word. Second question: How can I make proper use of it? This is where Savage goes savage. He’s dead wrong on this one. He imports feelings or science or statistical information into his interpretation; rather, instead, the Bible should interpret itself. Mr. Savage, let the Bible teach us. You appeal to it, use it—properly. Dad, mom, elder, Sunday school teacher, the Bible has 66 Books. It is one voice with multiple authors within its cover. The voice of the Old Testament is heard in the New. The New speaks and echoes the Old. Scripture, our authority, interprets Scripture. Only God testifies about Himself. Equally biblical, only God is to explain His teaching about slavery, sexuality, marriage, personhood, work, family, calling and more. We must go to the Bible as our final authority, and we must use the Bible properly to prove and interpret ethics for everyday living. On one hand, we take a cue from Savage—we are to prove our points by God’s Book; on the other hand, we must become students of the Word to use it well. Savage gets our attention about these things. When Youth Ministry recovers a practical apologetics, biblically informed about its circular reasoning, just as Savage shows us, we’ll begin to properly equip our students in our churches.

In thinking about tolerance or no—with respect to Mr. Savage and his ways, and in addressing the matter of straight bashing or no, and bullying or no, Youth Ministry is cooking in Seattle. We all get our shot at this. The Savage train is right on schedule. Toot. Toot. Youth Ministry, get aboard.

G. Mark Sumpter

As the Election Year Takes Shape

The Westminster Confession of Faith

CHAPTER 23   Of the Civil Magistrate


1. God, the supreme Lord and King of all the world, hath ordained civil magistrates, to be, under him, over the people, for his own glory, and the public good: and, to this end, hath armed them with the power of the sword, for the defense and encouragement of them that are good, and for the punishment of evildoers.

2. It is lawful for Christians to accept and execute the office of a magistrate, when called thereunto: in the managing whereof, as they ought especially to maintain piety, justice, and peace, according to the wholesome laws of each commonwealth; so, for that end, they may lawfully, now under the new testament, wage war, upon just and necessary occasion.

3. Civil magistrates may not assume to themselves the administration of the Word and sacraments; or the power of the keys of the kingdom of heaven; or, in the least, interfere in matters of faith. Yet, as nursing fathers, it is the duty of civil magistrates to protect the church of our common Lord, without giving the preference to any denomination of Christians above the rest, in such a manner that all ecclesiastical persons whatever shall enjoy the full, free, and unquestioned liberty of discharging every part of their sacred functions, without violence or danger. And, as Jesus Christ hath appointed a regular government and discipline in his church, no law of any commonwealth should interfere with, let, or hinder, the due exercise thereof, among the voluntary members of any denomination of Christians, according to their own profession and belief. It is the duty of civil magistrates to protect the person and good name of all their people, in such an effectual manner as that no person be suffered, either upon pretense of religion or of infidelity, to offer any indignity, violence, abuse, or injury to any other person whatsoever: and to take order, that all religious and ecclesiastical assemblies be held without molestation or disturbance.

4. It is the duty of people to pray for magistrates, to honor their persons, to pay them tribute or other dues, to obey their lawful commands, and to be subject to their authority, for conscience' sake. Infidelity, or difference in religion, doth not make void the magistrates' just and legal authority, nor free the people from their due obedience to them: from which ecclesiastical persons are not exempted, much less hath the pope any power and jurisdiction over them in their dominions, or over any of their people; and, least of all, to deprive them of their dominions, or lives, if he shall judge them to be heretics, or upon any other pretense whatsoever.

G. Mark Sumpter

Socked In and Soaked

The rain stayeth

The Flood Watch continues for the Rogue River at Eagle Point, below gold ray, and at Grants Pass affecting Josephine County. A very wet storm combined with snowmelt in the mountains will cause rivers to rise with minor flooding possible this until Sunday morning.

HT: Zach's Southern Oregon Adventures

The flood warning continues for the Rogue River near Agness from late tonight to late Saturday night. Minor flooding is forecast with a crest of 17 feet. If the river rises to this stage or above it may affect recreation interests along the Rogue River at and below Agness. Sudden river rises of a few feet may also affect home and business owners with boat docks on the river. This crest compares to a previous crest of 15.9 feet on January 19th of this year.


G. Mark Sumpter

Earthquake!

Remembering Sourdoughs along with March 27, 1964

I used to ride my bike along this area in Anchorage. We call it Earthquake Park now. Peggy and I would take long walks along various paths of what was once a neighborhood. We’d make our way on down to the edge of the Cook Inlet.

Back on March 27, 1964, Alaskans saw TVs shake and turnover and then crawl across the living room, and houses and cars and towers tumble and crumble. I used to stand next to the inside wall of the house, as a quake would hit, and I could watch the wall twist and turn like a copperhead slithering away into the woods.

Alaska has 12,000 earthquakes a year, more than any other state in the Lower 48. “One of those struck Alaska in March 1964, a 9.2-magnitude disaster that killed 131 people, including 16 in Oregon and California. And it wasn't the quake itself that caused most of the fatalities. As in the Japan disaster [last] year, it was the tsunami. The earthquake and resulting tsunami were especially destructive to the town of Valdez, where 31 people died.”

From the Anchorage Daily News

Many stories, many shared experiences surround the ’64 quake.

G. Mark Sumpter

Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport…

Ice Hockey shows up in the strangest of... 

BETHLEHEM, West Bank — The annual cleaning of one of Christianity’s holiest churches deteriorated into a brawl between rival clergy Wednesday, as dozens of monks feuding over sacred space at the Church of the Nativity battled one another with brooms until police intervened.

Wednesday’s fight erupted between Greek Orthodox and Armenian clergy, with both sides accusing the other of encroaching on parts of the church to which they lay claim.

Denver Post wire services

G. Mark Sumpter

Homeschooling Continues to Get House in Order

Sanctification in Homeschool's Living Room

We’ve been waiting for more and more of the corporate sanctification for homeschoolers. We made more progess on getting a start this past week. It’s hard, but it’s great.

We’re still 1) walking through the questions about classical education models and applications for homeschooling, 2) walking through the unity and diversity questions of the local church and the varied callings of families and their application-of-choice—traditional classroom, public or Christian, and one-day co-ops or one or two-day class involvement with public school, Christian school or home-school. No question, we, the local church, with her elders, pastors and parents, have made progress the past 5-6 years on these matters. This has been the kindness of our God and Father.

We’ll keep walking through the doctrinal distinctives—and recently Answers In Genesis experienced this. I trust that there’ll be more to come.

It’s about time for us, as Homeschoolers, to learn how to home-school our own home. We’ve been learning the rules for engagement on the nature and calling of the family and the same for the local church, now she needs to learn how to fight and be good on other areas of doctrine and practice. Ken Sande’s work will help us. Maybe the folks at Monument Publishing need to provide helps on taking up the positions between Mr. Inns and Mr. Ham. Get the high school students grounded in the positions and turn us loose on learning and grappling to help with progress in our sanctification. It’s a good time to debate; it’s a good time to help contribute to our own house’s order.

We can look ahead for more growth in sanctification regarding positions in things like: Christians and filmmaking, Christians and Entrepreneurial Home-based endeavors, and Christians, Homeschoolers and their Role in Worship-leading in the Local Church.

Homeschoolers are learning to wade through positions on socialization and courtship and dating; let’s continue to get grounded in these other positions too.

G. Mark Sumpter

Tattoos Up When Economy Down

For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.

December 19, 2010

By Paris Achen

Medford, Oregon  
Mail Tribune

While other downtown Medford shop windows went dark during the recession, Phat Kat Tattoo and Piercing on South Riverside Avenue was expanding and renovating.

Although owner Jeff Rahenkamp attributes much of Phat Kat's success to its clean and friendly environment, the shop is not an anomaly. In fact, the tattoo parlor is a microcosm of an industry that has continued to grow and thrive in spite of the economic downturn.

“When people are losing their homes, their cars and everything, you can't take tattoos away,” Rahenkamp says. “They're mine. Unless you're taking my skin off, you aren't taking it.”

Nearly one in four Americans had a tattoo in 2006, according to a study published in September of that year by the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

“It's no longer just bikers, drifters and people who don't want to conform to society who have tattoos,” Rahenkamp says. “Now, we're tattooing doctors and lawyers.”

For the rest of this story go HERE.

Is it true that people still continue to tend to their appearance and persona even though their pockets jingle with only a little change and their bellies are hungry? Some point out that surrounding the times of the GREAT DEPRESSION the market was double bullish with respect to personal cosmetics and perfumes. 

Evidence from Avon, the famous perfume and cosmetics company:

“California Perfume issued its first product catalog in 1896, which contained descriptions of items but no photographs. In 1897, McConnell [David McConnell, a 28-year-old, who launched Avon] had a three-story, 3,000-square-foot laboratory constructed in Suffern, New York, to develop new cosmetic products for the company. In 1906, its first print ads appeared in Good Housekeeping and its first color catalog was issued. Disaster struck that year when CPC's San Francisco office was destroyed in the great earthquake that decimated the city. A new office soon opened, as did new branch offices in Luzerne, Pennsylvania, and Davenport, Iowa. By the end of the year, the company had ten thousand sales representatives and managers, and offered 117 different products. 

In 1914, CPC opened a sales office in Montreal, Canada, followed the next year by a manufacturing plant. By 1920, annual sales revenue had topped $1 million. Fueled by the economic boom of the 1920s, annual sales reached $2 million in 1928, powered by twenty-five thousand sales agents in the United States and Canada. The company moved into a new headquarters, a just-built skyscraper in Manhattan. It also introduced its first products under the Avon brand name: a toothbrush, talcum powder, and a vanity set. 

McConnell died in 1937 and his son, David Jr., became president of CPC. The company moved its headquarters to a larger building in Rockefeller Center in New York. The company also instituted a money-back guarantee on its products. Despite the economic hardships following the Great Depression (1929-34) when millions of Americans lost their jobs, CPC managed to flourish, doubling its sales revenue to $4 million by 1938.”

Read more: http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/businesses/A-F/Avon-Products-Inc.html#ixzz18hqTuBXY

G. Mark Sumpter

Big Daddy Cabbage

At the Alaska State Fair

Speaking about the size of the vegetables grown in the Matanuska Valley as a sermon illustration has been overused by me, but it still provides an Alaska-size kick in the pants.

See this STORY.

As a kid, we enjoyed getting close to these creatures; obviously, it would take two, maybe three Shaquille O’Neal-size men to get their hands locked around these beasts.

G. Mark Sumpter

Torque Up the Volume

Bambi backs Godzilla into a corner on this one

It was five years ago, March 31, 2005, that Terry Schiavo passed away; we also remember the call to stand for life. Put me in coach, I’m ready to play!

My wife recently read this book, and it sounds like a super read.

Note this announcement: Country Legend Randy Travis Headlines the April 11 show in Indianapolis with Opening Act Collin Raye

The Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation is excited to announce the first annual Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Concert to be held at the Murat Theatre in Indianapolis, Indiana.

This concert showcases two award-winning Country stars in a rare appearance together on the same stage! It promises to be a fabulous music show, long to be remembered by country music fans! The concert comes just days after the fifth anniversary of Terri Schiavo's death and will benefit the Foundation established by her family.

With one of the most recognizable voices in country music and over twenty-five years on the country music charts, Randy Travis is one of the top-ten selling solo country artists of all time. Collin Raye has produced five Platinum Albums, and fifteen #1 hits. But perhaps the closest to Collin's heart is his granddaughter, Haley, who is afflicted with a rare degenerative brain disorder. Collin has worked tirelessly to help find a cure for Haley and has helped other families who are faced with similar situations.

The Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Concert will be Sunday, April 11, 2010…

I got wind of this news today about the concert, and I wanted to pass it along. It’s this news that helps us to keep jumping up and down with gratefulness for the kindness of our God and His common grace.

G. Mark Sumpter

The Pledge Preserved and A Note of Instruction

One way to learn more about God's good use of ritual

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – A federal appeals court in San Francisco upheld the use of the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance and “In God We Trust” on U.S. currency, rejecting arguments on Thursday that the phrases violate the separation of church and state.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel rejected two legal challenges by Sacramento atheist Michael Newdow, who claimed the references to God disrespect his religious beliefs.

“The Pledge is constitutional,” Judge Carlos Bea wrote for the majority in the 2-1 ruling. “The Pledge of Allegiance serves to unite our vast nation through the proud recitation of some of the ideals upon which our Republic was founded.”

We can joyfully express gratitude to God for this! God has displayed His gracious way of intervention and preservation regarding His own providential favor for Christians in this land. Amen and Amen.

Did you notice the words, “The Pledge of Allegiance serves to unite our vast nation through the proud recitation of the ideals…”

The men of the nations and peoples of citizenship have their ways of symbol and worship. It’s inescapable. Men are ritual beings; men are given to symbolic practice and ritual—in this case, it comes via public voices in recitation as a form of civil pageantry. We have it right here: unison of voices, eyes focused, bodily posture, cadence and form; and with diction of prescribed words—from memory to boot, and more.

We try to deny our rituality as humans, generally, and we try to banish it from our public corporate worship, specifically. It’s can’t be done.

Read this explanation from Ken Myers:

Ritual is thus part of human nature. It is not peculiar to religion; it is part of being human. The rejection of ritual is almost impossible, since actions and gestures have a way of becoming formalized even when we don't try to formalize them. But the effort to overturn all ritual is a wonderful way to identify with the dehumanizing tendencies of modern culture; a wonderful way to reject the assumption that there are things common to human actions and societies.

Here I must ask respectfully if the Puritans' distaste for ceremonies and rituals was really consistent with their convictions about the universality of human nature and the necessity of taking the light of nature seriously. One early twentieth-century Lutheran noted that the New England Puritans possessed a "rigid Calvinistic hostility to everything that is studied or uniform in religious ceremony, and for a century or more they seemed to glory in the distinction of maintaining church song in the barbarous condition that this art has ever suffered since the founding of Christianity." The Puritans' purge of liturgy began with the worthy goal of liberating Christian consciences from false obligations imposed by the Roman Church. But one must ask if they didn't err in condemning any effort to structure the experience of worship in ways that accord with created human nature.

Ceremony per se is not a problem. After all, the strictest Reformed churches still structure their services somehow, still have ushers walk in sync when delivering offering plates, and still allow pastors to use certain archaisms when praying. There are hidden rituals in many allegedly ritual-free churches. These hidden rituals simply lack formal names; often they came into being without any thought or care, usually being products of pastors' personalities.

From Ken Myers and his site at Mars Hill Audio commentary and cultural analysis ministry in Virginia.

Ritual and formalism are here to stay—the question regarding public worship is: are you using it for the good pleasure and honor of our gracious King?

Events like this ruling from the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals reminds of us of such things.

G. Mark Sumpter

Tony and The Tiger

First Steps of Opportunity for Coach Dungy

Men who confess transgressions need hope, truth and grace. The only way Tiger will get out of the woods is by coming under the sound of the gospel and benefiting from God's appointed means of grace. The men who are orbiting in a certain oikos, God-ordained spheres of family and household-like realms, need to step up and attempt to be vessels of His message of mercy. Dungy and Woods orbit in similar spheres: sports, the public eye and they're men.

Mr. Tony Dungy has been walking in a profession of faith in Christ Jesus, he's spoken with wisdom and compassion regarding Michael Vick; and do you remember his words after accepting the Lombardi Trophy at the Super Bowl in 2007? Beyond words, Tony has demonstrated truth in action.

Tony and Tiger need to meet, and God willing, Tony can confront Tiger with the grace and truth of Jesus Christ.

Are you praying for this oikos ministry?

John 1:38-49

They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.

Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah." You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone). The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

Tony to Tiger: “Come and See.”

G.Mark Sumpter

Walk it Out, Albert, Walk it Out

As St. Louis All-Star first baseman Albert Pujols boldly keeps talking of the walk he has with the Lord Jesus Christ, he will get tested more and more about his profession.

He'll be in the hometown limelight tonight and tomorrow night with the 2009 Major League All Star campaign going on. Walk that talk, Albert, walk it out.

He commented today in USA TODAY that's he clean, that he doesn't do "that crap," referring to roids. May God draw near to him and give him an increasing faithful testimony before a stage that is so racked with hypocrisy.

G. Mark Sumpter

Remembrance

The U.S. Marine Corps Memorial is silhouetted against the early morning sky during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, Sunday, May 24, 2009, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/J. David Ake)

G. Mark Sumpter

The Body, Baseball and Entertainment

Dodgers All-Star ball player Manny Ramirez and his 50-game suspension for the use of human growth hormones splattered the news yesterday. Talk has focused on how long it will take for the fans to forgive and forget the drug-happy antics of the entertainers on the diamond and get back to the game. Concerns about the HGH sins of Major League Baseball will last about 30 seconds. Romans 1: 22-24 tells us the first thing to go, to spin out of control downward in degradation, is the body. Apart from grace, for ball players, dancers, doctors, students, rockers, truckers, teachers and more, the first thing to go is the body. Lusting, abusing, killing, and tattooing all line up and take a number. Sins of the body are the opening chapter telling the tale of paganism and idolatry in the church and the world. Want to see worship of the creature? Look at the body. And as well, at the opposite end with respect to help, hope and renewal, getting rid of bodily sins is the toughest thing; it's the last for full, final and total sanctification---Romans 7:24, O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Entertainment and bodily sins can easily go hand in hand. Sinful man, tied as he is to the sins of the body, can't fight his way out of a bodily paper bag. Ball players need Jesus. The fans need Jesus. We all need Jesus. Deliverance from the flesh only comes by submission to Jesus. Romans 7:25 I thank God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!

G. Mark Sumpter

Open Letter to Sproul, Horton and Begg

Dear Brothers,

On the west coast we just received your conference announcement for the fall teaching ministry in Seattle on September 25-26, 2009. God has used you greatly and you have taught us well for two or three decades on the doctrine of the church. What happened to your sound doctrine and life when it came to planning worship on Sunday the 27th? We look to you to call the theological and practical shots for us on a number of counts. You straighten us out on any number of things including holiness, a Christ-less Christianity and in being a practical model for us for expository preaching. High fives. But planning and hosting worship on the Lord's Day?

I see that your cruise is taking off on the 28th. Sounds relaxing and super fun. B.C. is almost God's country. I think I follow your thinking, the Lord's Day falls right before the 28th. Something needs to be provided for worship.

Why not put a check box on the registration form for those that need help for getting to worship that Sunday AM, contact the area NAPARC churches in the Seattle area for making transportation arrangements, and encourage your attendees to participate at a local historic and confessional church? Would making such arrangements be a hassle and bother? Probably. But your staff knows how to host events with a capital H. Do hard things.

Your sea cruise heading out of Seattle is going to feature teaching on the church. Why not start the cruise one day earlier by cruising over to a local church on the 27th?

The Pacific Northwest desperately needs your teaching. You know us. We're the tree-huggers, boaters, hikers, hunters and recreationalists in the USA. We'll be found anywhere in worship on Sundays except in house of the Lord with His people gathered in Jesus' name. We're praying for the I-5 Corridor from Sacramento to Seattle. Help put feet to our prayers, won't you?

Blessings in Christ Jesus, Mark Sumpter
Faith OPC/Grants Pass, Oregon


G. Mark Sumpter

Whatever Happened to Diversity?

I have been reading summaries from Gene Veith’s book, God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life. Dr. Dennis Johnson of Westminster Seminary has been feeding me notes and commentary. Also, the book, The Call by Os Guinness has been helpful.

Some words from Veith, an article on work: “God is graciously at work, caring for the human race through the work of other human beings. Behind the care we have received from our parents, the education we received from our teachers, the benefits we receive from our spouse, our employers, and our government stands God himself, bestowing his blessings.

The picture is of a vast, complex society of human beings with different talents and abilities. Each serves the other; each is served by others. We Americans have an ideal of self-sufficiency and often dream of being able to grow our own food, build our own homes, and live independently of other people. But our proper human condition is dependence. Because of the centrality of love, we are to depend on other human beings and, ultimately and through them, on God. Conversely, other people are to depend on us. In God's earthly kingdom, we are to receive his blessings from other people in their vocations.

The purpose of one's vocation, whatever it might be, is serving others. It has to do with fulfilling Christ's injunction to love one's neighbor. Though justification has nothing to do with good works, vocation does involve good works. The Christian's relationship to God is based on sheer grace and forgiveness on God's part; the Christian's relationship to other people, however, is to be based on love. As Wingren [a Swedish writer] puts it, ‘God does not need our good works, but our neighbor does.’”

And now read the old Scottish Adam Smith from his The Wealth of Nations,

“But man has almost constant occasion for the help of his brethren, and it is in vain for him to expect it from their benevolence only. He will be more likely to prevail if he can interest their self-love in his favour, and show them that it is for their own advantage to do for him what he requires of them. Whoever offers to another a bargain of any kind, proposes to do this. Give me that which I want, and you shall have this which you want, is the meaning of every such offer; and it is in this manner that we obtain from one another the far greater part of those good offices which we stand in need of. It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities but of their advantages. Nobody but a beggar chuses to depend chiefly upon the benevolence of his fellow-citizens. Even a beggar does not depend upon it entirely.”

The current office of the President and his cabinet want us more and more to move to centralization so that there’s a one-size vocation fits all, all dependent on government, not a God-dependent citizenship that’s stirred by an appropriate person to person self-interest, and thus, a mutually dependent, neighbor to neighbor productivity and fruitfulness, all according to one’s own skills, training, desires, and experiences. I thought we were at the intersection of “To Each His Own,” Boulevard and “American Diversity” Drive? Whatever happened to diversity?

G. Mark Sumpter

Raising Old Glory on Iwo Jima

On this day 64 years ago, during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II, United States Marines take the crest of Mount Suribachi and raise the U.S. flag. Marine photographer Louis Lowery records the historic event. Several hours later more Marines head up the crest with a larger flag, and Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal takes what will become the most reproduced photograph in history: five Marines and one Navy corpsman struggling to hoist the heavy flag pole.

The tiny volcanic island—located in the Pacific about 700 miles southeast of Japan—was to be a base for fighter aircraft and an emergency-landing site for bombers. On Feb. 19, 1945, after three days of heavy naval and aerial bombardment, the first wave of U.S. Marines stormed the island's inhospitable shores where a garrison of 22,000 heavily entrenched Japanese soldiers awaited in a system of underground tunnels.

During the next few days, the Marines slowly advanced under heavy fire from Japanese artillery. On February 23, the crest of 550-foot Mount Suribachi—the island's highest peak and most strategic position—was taken, and the next day the slopes of the extinct volcano were secured. More than 6,000 Americans died taking Iwo Jima, and some 17,000 were wounded.

HT: Frode Jensen

G. Mark Sumpter