As I type this into my laptop, Robyn, Sander, and I are in route to Phoenix, Arizona, flying high above the Oklahoma and Texas plains below. Our final destination is Wasilla, Alaska, where I will be preaching this Sunday.
What follows are some passing thoughts and one funny Maggie story:
A striking verse.
Every so often when I read the Scriptures, a certain verse will make, quite unexpectedly, a particularly strong impression on me. This happened the other morning when Proverbs 21:21 jumped out at me: “Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor.” The part that grabbed me was the pairing of “righteousness” with “kindness”. Here is, perhaps, a recognition on the part of Solomon that one of these qualities may abound in one person, but less commonly are they found side by side. A person may be very “righteous”: punctiliously keeping rules, successfully avoiding gross sin, and generally being concerned about holy and pious living. Yet this same person may have no compassion at all towards others, especially those whose moral track record is not as impressive as their own. On the other hand, a kind person, one who is warm, considerate and sensitive to the needs and struggles of others, can often be too tolerant of the sin in others (and maybe of his own, too). Righteousness without kindness leads to Pharisaism. Kindness without righteousness leads to powerless sentimentality. The godly person pursues both, because God himself is both kind towards men, and uncompromising in his holiness (Romans 11:22). And Jesus perfectly embodied both. He welcomed the humble sinner, even as conformed to God’s law and called others to do the same.
Tables turned.
The path towards ordination, at least in Reformed church circles, seems at times to be a never-ceasing series of examinations. Once you pass all the necessary seminary classes with their endless tests, then you must pass the presbytery’s exams. First there is the step of licensure, which includes a whole battery of exams. Then there is ordination with all its required tests (which are very aptly referred to as “trials”). Having survived all this (by the grace of God and with the help of caffeine), the exams (for the most part, at least) are over. So it was a nice change at our last presbytery meeting to be in the role of the examiner rather than the examinee. I was asked to give the theological exam to a man seeking ordination. He did well, and it felt good to not be the one sweating bullets for a change.
Shackleton fever.
I wrote a while ago about Ernest Shackleton and the amazing story of his team’s survival in the Antarctic. For this trip, I just had to check out another Shackleton book and read it, too. This one is a newer book and comes with plenty of pictures from the journey. I suppose it’s a bit strange to read about the Antarctic when I’m heading north towards the other end of the planet. But I’ve been bitten by the Shackleton bug and am dying to read more.
A polite child.
Our daughter Maggie can be charmingly polite at times. Earlier today she shut our minivan’s sliding door on her finger. As she cried out in pain, I frantically opened the door as quickly as I could. I had to keep from laughing when the first thing she said, through the tears, was “Thanks.” It wasn’t really necessary. Dislodging my children’s stuck digits from car doors is the least I can do as a father!
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