Baby Bible

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Baby’s First Bible
NKJV
(Thomas Nelson, 2008), hb

This is a Bible intended as a gift for baby showers, baptisms, etc. Here are some quotes from the publisher’s promotional material:

“Here’s the first baby keepsake Bible with the ‘AWW’ factor! The flocked packaging and Bible cover with the precious duckie designs … will keep recipients enchanted for years to come.”

“Receive God’s promises as you follow the captivating critters on the artistically designed pages.”

One of the key features listed is the “fuzzy duck on cover and box.”This is really sad. I am not looking for a Bible for my children that has the “AWW” factor. I am looking for awe, of God that is. This approach, though no doubt well intended, is misdirected. The promo lit seems to suggest that if children like the cover and occasional color page of “critters” they will be drawn to like the Bible. While we never know what God might use, we are to depend on proper means. What will draw children to love the Bible will be reading it (when they can) and having it read and explained to them by adults who love them and love God.

It is a good thing to desire to give a shower gift (for instance that is Bible related). Giving a Bible that will probably never be used is not the best use of funds though. The child will not be able to read this text for sometime, and once he or she is able to read, this design will likely be too childish. Instead give a good Bible story book that parents can read to the child. Some of my top recommendations are listed on the left hand side of this site. Then, if the child does not have a Bible once he or she can read, then give him a standard Bible.

Who Was Born This Special Day?

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Who Was Born This Special Day?, by Eve Bunting
Illustrated by Leonid Gore
(Atheneum, 2000), hb., 32 pp.
Ages 3-5

This book is nicely illustrated and simple. There is not much to the book. The title question is asked through the book going through various animals as not the one born this day. On the last page it is noted that the child was the one born this special day. So, this is a fine picture book if you are looking for something simple. There is nothing objectionable in it but neither is there anything very noteworthy.

Christmas, God Working in the Dark

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It seems that many people think you can only celebrate Christmas if all is well. You can see this in the various statements beginning with, “It just does not seem like Christmas because … Perhaps we set ourselves up for failure by expecting everything to be just right at this time of the year.

If we pay attention to the Biblical text we notice that Christmas is in no way connected to things going well. In fact, as we can see from numerous texts, Christmas is typically set in dark and difficult situations. The message of Christmas is that God is still at work in such times accomplishing salvation for His people. This is why there is hope and why we can be merry despite what may be happening around us.

One place we see this is in the familiar Christmas story in Luke 2. The chapter opens by stating that the pagan Roman emperor had decreed that people would have to register for tax purposes. This would certainly not have been received as good news by Jewish people in that time. First of all, what government requires registration for taxes in order to decrease taxes? This decree would have been an odious reminder of their subjugation under pagan rule. This decree was a symbol of oppression. They were not free and had to pay high taxes to far away rulers who served idols. Furthermore they would have to return to their hometowns in a day when travel was difficult and costly. For those like Joseph’s family who had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem, this would be a long journey which would interrupt work (and thus pay) and exact a toll on the family.

It is highly likely that this decree of Caesar’s would have been met with protest among the Jews of the day. Some may have cried out, “Where is God? Why does He allow us to be so mistreated? When will he deliver us? Does he care? Has he forgotten us? Is our suffering hidden from God?”

What they could not know was that God was right there working through this hateful decree to bring the Savior into the world. God was at work moving the heart of this unbelieving king to make this decree so that Joseph and Mary would travel to Bethlehem so the Messiah could be born there in fulfillment of prophecy. The very thing which looked to them like evidence of oppression was actually the beginning of deliverance. What looked like the absence of God was preparation for the incarnation, Immanuel, “God with us”. When God seemed most absent, He was there working as He often does, in the dark, accomplishing the deliverance of His people.

This is fruitful to ponder and apply to our own lives. Christmas is not the pretence that all is well now. Such pretence is a sham and people see through it as Scrooge did. No, Christmas is the blessed assurance that God is still at work redeeming His people. It is the reminder that God accomplishes salvation even when it looks bad. This gives us hope and points us forward to the coming day when God will make all things right. With this truth in mind we can celebrate in hope and declare our hope and joy as a statement of faith.

Thanksgiving Hymn by Douglas Bond

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Readers at my children’s books blog will know that one of our favorite authors is Douglas Bond. It has been a delight over the last several months to get to know Doug via email as we have prepared for his visit to Union as part of the Psalms Project.
One of the things I appreciate about Doug is his appreciation of poetry and good hymnody. He recently sent me a Thanksgiving hymn of his and gave me permission to post it. I hope you appreciate it as much as I have.

We Rise and Worship
“O taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8).

We rise and worship you our Lord
With grateful hearts for grace outpoured,
For you are good-O taste and see!-
Great God of mercy rich and free!

Electing love from God on high!
In gratitude I wonder why
This Sovereign Lord-O taste and see!-
In love decreed to rescue me?

Your Son obeyed the Law for me,
Then died my death upon the tree.
O Jesus Christ, I taste and see,
And marvel that you purchased me!

In might, your Spirit drew me in,
My quickened heart from death to win.
O Holy Spirit-taste and see!-
From death to life you’ve set me free!

With thankful praise our hearts we give,
And grateful now we serve and live.
O Trinity, we taste and see
Your glorious grace so full and free!

(Douglas Bond, November 19, 2007)

You can learn more about Doug and his work at his website.

Pastor’s Self-Evaluation Questionnaire

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I recently came across this “Pastor Self-Evaluation Questionnaire” thanks to a link from Steve McCoy. The questionnaire was written by Tim Keller and David Powlison. I have only looked it over so far, but it is a wonderful, searching tool. It opens citing 1 Timothy 4:16 where Paul calls Timothy to pay close attention to his life and doctrine. This resource will help us to do that. Keller and Powlison walk through various areas of pastoral ministry asking searching questions. They are wise and, therefore, search out both extremes of each issue searching out if we are too lax on one side or to strict on the other. It is well thought out.

One might worry that such a tool might simply end up heaping condemnation on you. However, again, these are wise Gospel-centered men, and they set this up well, grounding it in the gospel. The best way I know to illustrate that is simply to quote their opening two paragraphs:

The questions that follow help you to pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching. The purpose is to bless you and those you seek to love and serve. For the vast majority of readers, it will help you set a positive, personal agenda for growth as God’s instrument. The Great Shepherd of the sheep will by His grace continue to develop you in His image. Conduct your self-evaluation in the light of His love.
Perhaps for a few readers it will prove to be a pass-fail test for your current ministry. Perhaps God has not given you certain gifts. Perhaps you are walking in some disqualifying pattern of sin. Even in these cases the questionnaire serves a positive purpose. The Lord has another place for those gifts that He has given you. The Lord has a way of repentance and renewal for sins that sabotage pastoral integrity and effectiveness. Remember the grace of the gospel.

Just this intro alone is rich in pastoral modeling. May we be careful to obey 1 Timothy 4:16 and also be faithful in this same firm, loving gospel-drenched way.

Psalms Project at Union

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I mentioned previously that with funding from a Worship Renewal Grant from the Calvin Institute for Christian Worship Union will host a series on the Psalms and Christian Worship. We now have finalized the schedule and speakers. In our chapel services (10:00 am) we will have the following speakers connected with the project:

2/18- John Witvliet (Director, Calvin Institute for Christian Worship)
2/20- Craig Blaising (Provost, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary)
2/25- Marty Goetz (Messianic Music Minister)
3/4- Ray Ortlund, Jr. (Pastor, Immanuel Church, Nashville)
3/6- Douglas Bond (author of numerous books including the Crown and Covenant series)
3/11- Calvin Seerveld (Institute for Christian Studies, Toronto)
3/13- Carl Stam (Professor of Music; Director, Institute for Christian Worship, SBTS)
3/20- Craig Christina (Pastor, FBC Jackson, TN)
4/3- Leland Ryken (Professor of English, Wheaton College)
4/8- Richard Wells (Dean of the Chapel, Union University)
4/24- Don Whitney (Professor of Biblical Spirituality, SBTS)
4/29- Ben Mandrell (Pastor, Englewood Baptist Church, Jackson, TN)
5/1- Web Drake (Professor of Communication, Union University)

These presentations range from sermons, singing and reading the Psalms, to lectures on various aspects of the Psalms including their place in private and corporate worhsip, the inmportance of lament, and how the Psalms have sustained suferign Christians in the past.

We will also have two afternoon sessions with dates still being set. In March James Grant (Pastor, FBC Rossville, TN) will discuss how he successfully introduced his church to singing the Psalms. In April Don Whitney will teach on praying Scripture including the Psalms.

All of these sessions are free and open to the public.

“This program is made possible through a Worship Renewal Grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Grand Rapids, Michigan, with funds provided by Lilly Endowment Inc.”

Christmas and Missions

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My friend Phil Eyster at Eagle Projects International just posted this photo sent to him from a friend in a Muslim country (you can see his comments at the blog). You can see the blood covering the streets after the Festival of Sacrifice last week. As we approach Christmas it is good to be reminded that we are celebrating the coming of the One who takes away sin, the one “who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” (Hebrews 9:14).
Christmas is the great missions story as God the Son crosses cultural barriers to redeem for Himself a people. May our celebrations indicate this truth.

Wedding Folder

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Here is a basic practical post. When I first began doing weddings as a new pastor, one of the challenges was keeping up with my notes, the vows and the order of the ceremony. I tried putting the pages in my Bible but that did not work well. In the end I picked up an unused choir folder at it worked marvelously! This has become one bit of advice I pass down to other pastors.

The choir folder is black so it looks the part in the ceremony, and I can slip in two sheets of paper (having trimmed the margins) both face up. The clear plastic in the inside holds the paper securely while not obscuring my reading. Usually, with the right font, I can have right in front of me the order of the service with vows and notes all in order.

So I pass this along in case it may be of help to others. You can usually find a left over choir folder lying around at church and put it to use.