Thoughts From the Journey

Greetings all.
Usually I only write on my blog when I have a theological or pastoral point to make.  Today is a little different.  This post will take on more of a spirit of personal reflection regarding the journey over the last six months.

Dorothy Mae 

First, this summer saw the birth of our second child, Dorothy Mae, June 24.  Since our son Isaiah (who just turned two last month) was born with all kinds of health conditions, conditions which are slowly but surely correcting as the days go by, we were afraid that Dorothy Mae would have the same issues.  I was very nervous about it for the last four months or so of her time in utero, my anxiety being directly contrary to my theology, thus showing the weakness of my flesh (ala, the disciples in Matt. 26:41.)  But Dorothy Mae came to us 2.5 lbs larger than Isaiah was at birth, healthy, and full of life.  I wept when I held her in the post-op room, waiting for mommy to be brought back, Dorothy Mae having no need for chords or cables.  Today, at just over two months, she's almost 10 lbs, drinking a lot of formula, and being the drama queen that I expected her to be.

Tragedy 

Second, Kate lost her dad Andy in May, roughly a month and a half before Dorothy Mae was born.  It was very sudden, and he was only 65.  Losing a parent is hard enough, but for it to happen as close to the birth of a child is even more difficult.  We were left to grieve from afar, as our being a high-risk pregnancy cancelled any possibility of travel for the funeral.  The sentiment left over from this death followed by life is that the Lord gives and the Lord takes away (Job 1:21).  Kate is an only child, and she was very close to her dad.  Since the summer was so crazy with life happening, the grieving process has looked a little different than usual.  But isn't that how life works sometimes?  We're thankful to have the Holy Spirit as our Comforter (Jn. 14:16), as He is Jesus' spiritual presence with us while He is Himself at the Father's right hand.  This may be the best part of the hope of Biblical Christianity - Christ's very presence with us as we follow him.

Academic Adventure 

Less important, I took a fairly drastic shift in my postgraduate studies.  I signed up last year for the DMin (doctor of ministry) program at Denver Seminary.  After taking one class, it seemed pretty clear that the program wasn't for me, nor the DMin degree itself.  No poor reflection on Denver Seminary - it is without question full of godly faculty and students, and I'm very grateful for my short time there.  I just am on a different journey than that program would have offered, and it took joining it to find out.
So I withdrew from there and enrolled in the PhD program at Columbia Biblical Seminary (at Columbia International University, South Carolina), a program which is completed entirely online.  But this required taking two semesters of Greek this summer (yes, two semesters this summer).  Long story short, I survived, and looking back, I'm glad to have done it so intensely, because completing it so quickly enabled me to begin the first PhD class yesterday.  Over the next couple of years I'll have to relearn German (I took it in high school) and learn either French or Latin, as a requirement for my research studies.  I'll be exploring the relationship between the Protestant doctrine of "Sola Scriptura" and the (relatively) recent interest among reformed-leaning evangelicals in Biblical Theology.  I should have a PhD in theology in five years or so, Lord willing.
Further, I'll be teaching the 8th grade Bible class at our local Christian school.  I did not foresee this happening, but, as is so often the case, the Lord had other plans.  What a great opportunity to serve area kids and families.  Grateful (and prayerful - this will be a new adventure).

Rich Ministry 

Finally, this summer saw a lot of ministry.  The challenge as a Baptist pastor is getting stuck in the insular world of church ministry, and never connecting with nonbelievers.  But this summer saw a weekly basketball outreach and a partnership with several area churches for an outreach tent at the NJ State Fair (which takes place in our county).  Finally, I had a few other opportunities to speak and present the gospel before non-churchgoers.  First Baptist had four baptisms at the beginning of the summer, and there are a few in the works for the fall, as well as some potential new members.
Ministry is funny.  You grind and grind and sometimes it seems like you don't get a lot of return.  But then when you step back and take a look at has happened over the last 3/6/9/12 months, it's clear that God has been at work.  You're reminded of Jesus' endearing word to Peter and the apostles: "I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18).  People are being discipled, brought to believe, and mobilized to shine light into the world in which they live.  And you know it's the Lord doing all of it.

Sojourners and strangers

On many occasions, the New Testament refers to Christians in terms of being sojourners, strangers, exiles, etc. (eg. Heb. 11:13, 1 Pt. 1:1, Ps. 119:19).  What does that mean if not that we're on a journey and don't really know what the future holds?  There will be twists and turns, unforeseen chapters, changes in goals and priorities, etc. etc.  But we should be thankful that our Lord has the road mapped out, and not only is He in control, but He's good and He loves us.  There's more I could say, but there's no better place to end than reflecting on God's control, goodness, and mercy.  May it be a reminder to you today as you journey.  Follow Him and take up the cross daily - this enslavement to Jesus (cf. Rom. 1:1, 6:18) is the only freedom there is.

ινα χριστον κερδησω (That I may gain Christ, Phil. 3:8)
Scott