The Hanging Gardens of ... Hemmeke

Ok, maybe it's not quite the gardens of Babylon, but I'm pretty excited about my garden this year. Mostly because everything is growing so well and those nasty rabbits haven't broken through my fence (yet).

Last year I planted everything in plain old boring rows.

But this year.... ah, I was inspired by a drive through Amish country in northern Indiana where I spotted a garden planted in a V-shape. Amish gardens are always so lovely and perfectly kept, take time to drive slowly by if you happen through that area.

Being a graphic designer I decided to take my garden to the next level - at least make it nice to look at in case my veggies all flop! So I mixed in flowers with the veggies and came up with a diamond shape which actually makes good use of our teeny garden.

Oh, but that fence! Chicken wire, no less. Ugh. Not pretty. (But thank you Steve for building it.) I received a gift of flowering vine seed packets, and voila! Why not use vertical as well as horizontal space!? I already had a climbing rose... hang a basket of wave petunias off the corner of the shed and it's a complete visual feast!

The most exciting part? All those little seeds I planted are finally growing and establishing themselves. There's nothing more exciting than watching little things grow, and getting dirt under your fingernails in the process (gardening gloves are for wimps). Reminds me of motherhood....

Judges 2

Once Israel conquers the Canaanites, they fall into idolatry for two reasons, it appears. One is that they have no moral leadership after Joshua and Caleb die. The other is that they don't get rid of all the evil as they conquer. Some nations are too strong for them, and so Israel lives next door to idolatry, day after day.

How about you? Do you have solid mentors you can look to for inspiration and accountability, to avoid falling into sin? Are you living too close to sin? Is there something you can do today to remove yourself from it, or change it?

(2 references to the New Testament in Judges 1-2.)

What "Born Again" really means

Put John 3:3 and Galatians 4:26 together with Psalm 87, especially verses 4-6, to get the idea:

Being born in Zion = having God write down your name as a citizen there, regardless what nation you are from.

Reminds me of the Matrix, where some are born in Zion naturally, and others are brought in, freed from the machines. Both have been set free and have Zion as their home. Some are natural branches, others were grafted in (Romans 11:16ff), but all are born from above.

(2 references to the New Testament in Psalm 87.)

Speaking in tongues in 1 Corinthians 14

Just read this chapter and found anew in verse 28, that uninterpreted tongue-speaking ought not be in public worship, but for times of private devotion with God. Interpreted tongue-speaking ought to be allowed, though (vs 39). I can't say I've seen this done in a worship service. Charismatics seem specifically to need to hear this one chapter of the Bible that speaks most of the gift by which they distinguish themselves.

The broader issue for charismatics is that they associate the Spirit with sensational and super-natural happenings. This is a false/partial association. The Spirit produces "everyday" virtues and spotlights Jesus, not Himself. He typically brings about signs and wonders and super-natural events when He points to new revelation from God, as given at the Exodus, with prophets, Jesus, and the early church, to assure believers of this new revelation and to edify the body.

This is not to limit God's supernatural activity today. I believe he does heal by supernatural means. But has he given the spiritual gift of healing to Benny Hinn, or any other specific person today? I don't think so. But he gives healing and "mystic, sweet communion" with Him as He will, even now. And to go one step further, never having been on the mission field, He may give such supernatural signs through missionaries to a society in the grip of demons, to release those demons' hold on a people and let them see a stronger spiritual power than the spirits or the medicine men. The missionaries I've talked to say it's an act of faith for animist natives to take western medicine for illness. It is renouncing their belief in the local gods or medicine man. So conversion to God in such settings can also happen without "supernatural" signs and wonders, if the Spirit changes hearts within.

(11 references to the Old Testament in 1 Cor 14)

Actual church bulletin announcements

Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles, and other items to be recycled.
Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

Low Self-Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7pm.
Please use the back door.

For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

What's the big deal?

Question: What is it that some Christians find so problematic about The DaVinci Code?

Answer: If Jesus was not fully divine from the beginning, sent by His Father with that status, then He could not have born our sins upon Himself on the cross. Speaking of development of Christian thoughts (below), this is something Anselm around 1000 AD realized as he put together 2 Corinthians 5:21 with Colossians 1:19-20 or Hebrews 1:3. The Christian faith is a historically-based faith, not ideological. "If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith" (1 Corinthians 15:14). If certain events didn't happen, I will no longer be a Christian.

The visceral reaction from Christians shouldn't be hard to understand. "What's the big deal?" is the in-vogue reaction to the book. But Christians say Jesus means more to them than anything. So if someone starts telling lies about him, we get mad. This is natural. How would you react if someone slandered your wife in the local paper? You don't say, "I trust my wife enough to be unfazed by critiques leveled against her." No, you are in a relationship with her. It's personal. You're angry that people are telling lies about her, whether or not you believe them. Same with Christians. It's not just "our faith," or ideas. It's deeply personal.

Dan Brown claims that Jesus was not divine, but that His divinity was made up 300 years later. If we are to believe his version of history, or the Gnostic gospels over the Biblical ones on that point (which they don't all claim homogenously, anyway), then we might as well throw out other Biblical claims, too. Brown subtly claims he's not rejecting anything, only adding to our understanding of Jesus (like a good post-modernist, in my humble opinion), but he really is rejecting the New Testament view of Jesus for a Gnostic and neo-pagan view. Not all views of Jesus are compatible.

Brown's own story isn't at all consistent, either. He bases much on Gnostic gospels, but those same writings reject his feminist approach. The same piece where Jesus supposedly kisses Mary and the disciples get jealous, which Brown uses as significant evidence, later has Jesus saying that Mary will become a man so that she can be saved (i.e. - women can't be saved because they are inferior). He selectively draws from these writings to make up something relatively new about Jesus. It's akin to identity theft.

Joseph and Jesus

I read part of the Joseph story to Grace lately, and was struck at the number of Christ connections. He (both Joseph and Jesus) is mistreated by his brothers, which, along with his own faithfulness in resisting temptation, lands him in prison/Hell. While there, he preaches to those in prison (1 Peter 3:19). Some of them are released and ascend to life again. Others despair and die. When Joseph is released he ascends all the way to the right hand of the throne, where all authority in Egypt is given to him.

Joshua 15

While reading through the list of cities in Judah that Joshua conquered, I discovered a nugget of truth.

Ziklag is one of these cities Joshua took, where David later headquartered after fleeing from Saul. It was controlled by the Philistines in David's day, though God had given it to Israel. And David was the rightful occupant of Israel's throne, though Saul controlled THAT. It has always been this way with God's people - Abraham worshipped at Shechem, in the land God had promised him, but the Canaanites were in the land (Gen 12:6). We, too, are promised we will inherit the earth, but the Philistines are still in control. Sometimes this even applies in the church - God had to remind Elijah that he wasn't the only faithful one left - 7,000 others in Israel hadn't bowed the knee yet.

So take courage. God's promises of multiplying His faithful ones will come to fruition, regardless of how hopeless it may appear now. Remember David at Ziklag, the rightful king of the city, run over roughshod by the Philistines. But he acted with wisdom, diplomacy, godliness and patience, waiting for God's timing and vindication. Read Psalm 73, and be comforted.

Jesus, the Vine, in the Old Testament

Psalm 80
This Psalm struck me as especially rich in Messianic themes, while sitting at the airport, waiting for a flight. The shepherd of Israel (vs 1) is Jesus (John 10:3-4). His face shone (vs 3, 7, 19) on the mount of transfiguration. He speaks often of God planting a vine, but it doesn’t prosper (vs 8-13; Lk 20:9; Matt 21:33ff; Mk 12:1ff; Lk 13:6). Jesus Himself is the vine (Jn 15:1). The prayer at the end asks God to make strong the son of man of His right hand (vs 80:17). Jesus calls Himself “Son of Man” more often than any other name.

Our Dragonslayer

Poem by Johnny Hart, in his B.C. cartoon:

The State of Ship

An evil from the bowels of hell
Has seized our ship of state,
And broke upon its weary bow
The cruel champagne of hate.
They christened it
With sinful accusations born of rage,
Then shook their fists in history’s face
And wrote a brand-new page.
God called a youthful man of force
And placed him at the helm,
Whom we endorsed to steer a course
That evil cannot whelm.
A superhuman task
Is laid before our dragon slayer,
So let’s lift up our shining knight-
With all our might – through prayer!

Of Berries and Babies (Sara)

Summer is officially here: it's strawberry pickin' time! While Steve was away, I took my three kids, along with Grandma and my 9 year old niece to the local strawberry patch. In under an hour we easily picked 16 quarts of the reddest, sweetest berries I've had in a long time! I knew all those little fingers would be good at picking! And there wasn't one green one that made it into our baskets.

After a hot hour in the sun picking the berries, we tried our hand at canning jam. I usually do freezer jam, but since I'm short on space decided to can this year. Anyone else ever do this? Are the berries supposed to rise to the top, leaving the jelly part at the bottom? Two batches of canned jam and one of freezer jam are done - leaving a bit of room in my cupboards for raspberries! Can't wait!

Now that summer is here, I can really start preparing for baby's arrival. Only six weeks to go! We've decided on a name for this little guy (no hints!) and just need to dig out the baby boy clothes. The kids are excited, and I am definitely ready to be done with this pregnancy. Feeling quite large lately and a bit tired, but I won't let it slow down my berry and garden exploits. There's nothing like dirt under your nails to make you hum like a bee. And I think the neighbors enjoy watching this pregnant mama wield a hoe.

Home again

And now I'm home again. No more posting for a while, as I catch up on sermons to preach and minister to families. Visited in the hospital for a surgery, exactly 12 hours after I touched down at Grand Rapids airport!

General Synod - Day 6 - Finances and Communion

Last half day of Synod in the morning was finances and assessments (church taxes). GS is financed by a per-member amount paid by congregations, through classis, to GS. Lots of assertions made that raising the assessment would only be half a can of pop, but when you multiply by members, it adds up to tens of thousands. Easy to raise taxes when it's spread out over 170,000 members.

After synod closed and we gave General Secretary Wes a talking Charlie (Chocolate Factory) for his birthday tomorrow, and sang to him, we went to a final worship service, with communion. After all the discussion and debate and disagreement with them, there was something surreal about having the president of General Synod saying, "This is the body of Christ," the General Secretary saying "This is the blood of Christ, drink and live," dipping the bread in the wine, spilling a little on my fingers, then spiritually partaking with Jesus' body.

General Synod - Day 5 - supervising Kansfield

The General Synod recommended delegating supervision of Norm Kansfield to Orange Classis. He was deposed from office of General Synod professor and suspended from pastoral office in 2005. Orange classis responded with a letter that they were not included in this discussion! Many conservatives have suspected a move to get the trial undone by this move; that the liberal classis will restore him without true repentance or change of views. This opinion changed, talking with Orange classis people at synod, who say that's not likely - that the classis is either fairly conservative itself, or will at least respect past GS judgments and positions.

So GS did decide by a wide margin to delegate this to Orange classis.

General Synod - Day 5 - Synod decisions

After much debate, synod responded to the committee's recommendation against the overture to end dialogue. They agreed with the committee to continue dialogue by a 120-98 vote.

Then the overture to amend the purpose of dialogue came up. Informal discussions before this with like-minded men led us to coordinate our efforts on this one as the most feasible. Committee had recommended against this overture, but synod rejected it! In other words, they were open to the overture, saying we aren't reconsidering the righteousness of homosexual practice. Vote was 118-99.

In our polity, this did NOT mean that the overture was accepted, but that NOTHING was now on the floor. The overture's author then got up and immediately moved a similar motion, but with slightly less strong wording, to get the most votes possible, he told me later. I wanted him to simply move the whole overture, but it turned out he was right. It was defeated 102-116. This meant the synod didn't want to reject or accept the overture. Seems contradictory, or they just didn't want to deal with it (leave it to the dialogue process?).

Lots of other committee business I'll report later...