Pray for Us

Pray for us! We just learned this morning that our house that we are currently in (and renting) just came under contract. It closes at the end of February, but the buyers do not need the house until the first of April. So we have time to transition to another place. It is hard to believe – this house has been on the market for over two years. Ugh…the thought of displacing the boys is heart wrenching at the moment. There is always the possibility that the contract will fall through…anything is possible. We know that the place has significant foundation issues, so perhaps the inspection will kill the deal. Lord, what are you up to?

Word, Spirit, and Power

So our parent church in Abilene (Beltway Park Baptist Church) is having their Word, Spirit, and Power Conference this weekend, beginning this evening. It entails three heavy hitters in the charismatic world: R.T. Kendall, Jack Taylor, and Charles Carrin. And to be completely honest, I am struggling with a degree of trepidation.

I am certainly open to the ministry of these gentlemen and have a confidence that they are truly functioning under the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and with a doctrinal solidity. My uneasiness comes more from the fact that it has been over ten years since I have been in this kind of environment, and a great deal of water has passed under the bridge since that time in college. Perhaps my seminary education has made me more critical of such things, more skeptical.

One factor in my reservation is that many in the charismatic camp hold distinct anti-intellectual stances, making it clear that they are anti-education and anti-seminary. Seminary is cemetery in their minds. It corrupts the heart and the work of the Spirit for crass book knowledge, or so they say. I know there are exceptions, but this sentiment is still strong. Supposedly, the Spirit often works in ways the mind cannot comprehend, outside the realm of theological discourse. And I acknowledge that there is certainly a high degree of mystery when it comes to the person and work of the Spirit. I have heard that the heart will understand the things of Spirit that the mind will not.

I guess I have been influenced too much by my seminary professor, David Buschart, one of my theology instructors. He consistently made the point that as believers we need to earn the right to declare “mystery.” We need to be willing to dive into scripture, to wrestle through the theological issues of justification, salvation, sanctification, glorification, the character of God, the condition of humanity, the Trinity, the role of the Holy Spirit, etc. And in the process, we attempt to understand or interpret our experiences in light of scripture (and not the other way around). What if I hear or see something not spoken of in scripture tonight, something outside my theological framework? It should drive me to study, to question, to struggle. If it is within the realm of possibility, as scripture reveals, then I can declare “mystery.” But if it not within a reasonable range of possibilities according to scripture, then I have a responsibility to speak up, to be a voice for theological integrity and orthodoxy.

It's Official

It was inevitable, and it comes with a mixture of emotions!

Dave Brubeck Quartet

So I am trying not be one of those kinds of people that exclusively listens to Christian music. Not that such a practice is wrong by any means, but I am finding that there is world of quality music outside the Christian genre.

Thus, I am delving into the world of classical jazz. One album that I am thoroughly enjoying is Time Out by the Dave Brubeck Quartet, originally released in 1959 by Sony Music Entertainment Inc. Such tracks as "Blue Rondo a la Turk" and "Take Five" are impeccable and display an expertise in music that are truly a cut above.

Homemade Lattes for the New Year

Happy New Year to all my friends and readers!

So for Christmas, my big gift from Adina was my very own espresso maker/steamer. Unfortunately for Sweetwater, there is no Starbucks – in fact, the nearest coffee shop is a 45 minute drive in Abilene. So out of pity and compassion, Adina came to my aid. I had unpacked it from the box and even followed the steps to run it through its “Before Brewing” cycle to make sure all the elements were functioning properly. But because we did not have any espresso coffee, we refrained from actually brewing or steaming for my delectable hazelnut latte – until today.

So the fiasco was comical at best. We do not have any official shot glasses, so we have no idea on just how much water to allow through the espresso filter for a shot. The first time around for two shots, I allowed nearly a half of cup of water to pass through the filter – the espresso was so weak I could barely taste it. And for whatever reason, the maker was not brewing the espresso hot enough. On the second attempt, I did much less water, which seemed to work – but still the espresso was only lukewarm. After settling for less than best, I then took a whack at steaming some milk. It seemed as though I was forming some nice froth (and redeeming my latte-making skills). So I poured the steamed milk and froth into my cup with my already brewed espresso, added some hazelnut flavoring, stirred with my new battery-operated stirrer (it is quite impressive), and…managed to taste tepid milk with a slight hint of espresso and hazelnut. It was horrible! Adina and I have not laughed so hard in weeks.

So pray, for my own well-being, that my latte making skills dramatically improve!