I married a good friend this past weekend - it was the first wedding in which I was the primary minister. Such a blessing to be involved in leading two people before God to make vows of holy matrimony...

A Quick Quote from the Challenge to the Couple:
Marriage is more than a legal contract. Marriage is more than a civil agreement to jointly order your individual affairs. It is a holy union made before Almighty God and only to be dissolved at death.

We tried to stress the seriousness of the marriage covenant and the blessing and joy of Biblical marriage before God.

Back to some seminary studies in the New Testament

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Writing. To pull aside the mind from the distractions of our day to bring the soul to the contemplation of truth, to put thought down in a clearer form, can appear as if one is called to scale the heights of an icy slope with but flip flops on his feet. Tonight the mind races as I read a biography or the medieval scholastic philosopher Thomas Aquinas. A quote deeply challenging and quite relevant to many a debate I have had with both friend and adversary has confronted my mind. This is from GK Chesterton’s transcription of a debate between Thomas and Siger of Brabant on the nature of Theological and Scientific truth.

If there is one sentence that could be carved in marble as representing the calmest and most enduring rationality of his unique intelligence, it is a sentence that came pouring out with all the rest of this molten lava [this is a reference to a portion of a fiery rebuttal to the point of an opponent in debate – RM]. If there is one phrase that stands out before history as typical of Thomas Aquinas, it is that phrase about his own argument: “It is not based on the documents of faith, but on the reasons and statements of the philosophers themselves.” Would that all Orthodox doctors in deliberation were as reasonable as Thomas in anger! Would that all Christian apologists would remember that maxim; and write it up in large letters on the wall, before they nail any theses there. At the top of his fury, Thomas Aquinas understands, what so many defenders of orthodoxy will not understand. It is not good to tell and atheist that he is an atheist; or charge a denier of immortality with the infamy of denying it; or to imagine that one can force an opponent to admit he is wrong, by proving he is wrong on somebody else’s principles, but not on his own. After the great example of St. Thomas, the principle stands, or ought always to have stood established; that we either not argue with a man at all, or we must argue on his ground and not ours. We may do other things instead of arguing, according to our views or what actions are morally permissible; but if we argue we must argue “on the reasons and statements of the philosophers themselves.”

At times I have heard that we cannot reason with an unbeliever because there are no common epistemic grounds by which we can argue. I have always wrestled with this. What is the point in persuading anyone (2 Cor 5:11) if one cannot understand the language and rationale by which we attempt to persuade? Now a man may deny reason in order to hold conclusions contradictory to his own arguments – but such a man does not lack common ground, he lacks honesty. He will not admit to his own reasoning. His mind understands, yet his will remains obstinate – such is the state of the man at enmity with God – he will turn and cannibalize himself only to prevent his turning to his Creator. Like others before him, he simply will not come (John 5:40).

Curtis Chang in his excellent book “Engaging Unbelief – a captivating strategy form Augustine and Aquinas” gives a strategy which seems to follow the Thomistic maxim above. Enter a friends story on her terms, understanding it well according to her arguments. Retell the story by her own reasoning exposing its tragic flaw and inconsistencies. Capture the story correcting the flaw with the truth of the gospel. The gospel will capture the truth in the position, exclude its error and free us to see clearly on the other side.

I do not think for once that Thomas is suggesting that we abandon our own presuppositions to argue by way of another’s. It is precisely because we see by our faith that we can argue by way of another’s principles. If we were blind men we would not see well enough to not step in another’s dung heap. But because we do see by the light of faith we can kindly say “Sir this is dung” and then via his own nostrils and soles of his shoes demonstrate it to be such. Then we may suggest to him: “You would do well to avoid this steamy pile, behold there is another path to trod – and upon that path we may follow the one whose sandals we are unfit to tie.” If one then chooses and persists to wallow in dung – such is his lot.

With the foolishness of preaching and with an apologia for the hope that I have.

Out…

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Today, I am setting up a new friend on the blog trail. A promising young writer who wanted a place to put down thoughts, write some articles, etc. Why not blog? Welcome to the world of blogs - both mindless, senseless, and hopefully one more that is profound

Out...

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The next few weeks we will be on the road a bit:

• Preach at our church in Blacksburg, VA
• Spend 2.5 days in Ohio at AIA Headquarters
• Officiate a good friends wedding
• Some Vacation Time with Kasey's Family
• Back to Tenn

Pray for us as we begin with our new work at Fellowship Bible Church on July 19th! --------

Last night I was on a plane landing in Nashville descending down from 26,000 feel. I looked and saw all of the small individuals lights - the lights of homes, stores, automobiles, and street lamps all became visible even from such a loft height. I began to think about how each of those lights has a purpose in the world "down there." To illuminate a home, permit reading in a late night hour, to bring light to dark alleys for safety, to pilot cars through the darkness on to their destination. Lights supporting life down below. I then thought of all the individual lives that these lights are serving - and I felt small. There is such a smallness in being human. We travel through space a breakneck speeds, on a rotating sphere comprised of ores, oceans, and organisms. The thoughts of the Psalmist began to travel in my mind. "What IS man that you are mindful of him!" Even more so, who am I amidst these millions of lights and lives taking place in the saga down below?

The startling truth that rings through in the message of Jesus is that among the billions of people who are living and have lived, every individual is vested with a glory unknown to any other part of God's creation.

He does love the sparrow, yet we are more valued. He clothes the flowers in beautiful splendor, yet we are more loved. Not one hair on our heads is missing or has fallen to the earth unnoticed. One small life, one significant small light.

As I looked away from the city into the darkness of the earth from 26,000 feet, I could not help but think about how lights illuminate the darkness, cast out fear, and bring truth to confusion. How much more does God intend his people to shine forth in a world darkened and broken by sin.

Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
2 Corinthians 4:1-7 - ESV

We are but small people, but oh what light and treasure does God place into our broken jars of clay.
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The news has been filled today with the remembrance of Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States. Both sides of the political frakus in America has given evidence to the character and respect gained by one man over a long and diverse journey.

One quote I heard today stood out to Kasey and I:

The problems we're overcoming are not the heritage of one person, party, or even one generation. It's just the tendency of government to grow, for practices and programs to become the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this Earth. And there's always that well-intentioned chorus of voices saying, "With a little more power and a little more money, we could do so much for the people." For a time we forgot the American dream isn't one of making government bigger; it's keeping faith, with the mighty spirit of free people under God. State of the Union 1984

It reminds me of a quote by another great statesmen of times only remembered faintly.

Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. John Adams - 2nd President of the United States

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Kasey and I are in Tennessee land these days. We have moved and have been "close" to finishing unpacking for several days - just when we are almost there - another box surfaces. I am really praying for wisdom in loving and leading my family in these days. Kayla is doing great; all of life is an adventure for her. She is really enjoying having her Daddy around so much. I too am thankful to be with her so much. Ky hasn't adjusted well with the move throwing off her schedule - that has made the nights a little longer than they were in Virginia. It will be quite a while before Kasey has a new schedule with the girls so her life seems a little bit thrown for a whirl - she has been such a hard worker in getting the house together. She is starting to be a little hard on herself for not getting it all cranked out. We just need to live in grace with one another and the transition. On to bed time fun with Kayla... --------

Spending waaaay too much time on tech support with Dell these days - I think the new system I bought in Dec has a bad motherboard - I thought this all along, but finally after 3 phone calls they might agree with me.

What a great way to spend your first week in a new town - on hold with a PC company who hasn't been able to help.

Joy doth not cometh from things - even cool computer things

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Stuff flows in and flows out Stuff piles in our attics and garners much clout

Stuff sneers and and lingers with a life of its own
Stuff fills up and explodes and will constantly roam

Furniture, knick-knacks, and storage galore
And yet we continually buy more and more

Stuff stays around from primary school days
with little league trophies leading the way

Stuff that sprawls and Stuff that spreads out
If I could just one day through it all out

Oh stuff how we love thee in the great USA
How much of our hearts do you steal away?

Will stuff, homes and things gain rule in our souls?
Oh God grant us mercy that it never take hold

What is the solution to our dilemna this day
To follow Him faithfully and to give it away

Open hands are an enemy of an abundance of stuff
and may God grant us the words - Enough is Enough...

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