observing reformation day

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his issues of dispute with the practices of the Roman church upon the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. These points of disagreement have been called Luther's Ninety-five Theses. This action is widely considered the beginning of the Protestant Reformation- in which the protesting parties were divided from the official church of Rome as they sought to worship according to Scripture and conscience, apart from church traditions. 

The Reformation was by no means perfect, nor were the instigators thereof- however, the movement has indeed borne fruit for the world and the history of the Church at large. The Reformation preserved the Biblical assertion of the priesthood of the believer which was at the time obscured under traditions within the church of Rome: this is the doctrine affirming that every believer can approach God directly, without the mediation of a priest. It also affirmed that we are saved by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ: not by any works meriting our salvation, nor relying on further representative sacrifices or intermediaries. It was the Reformation that insisted upon the bible being put in the language of the people and in the hands of the common man- not the clergy alone, as was the tradiiton of Rome at that time.

These are Scriptural truths that most of us cherish deeply. I know that I certainly do. That is why I am celebrating today as Reformation day; as a direct result of those events in history there is a copy of the Holy Scriptures, in my language, sitting on my table right now. Because of the Reformation, I recognize those Scriptures as the final authority in my life, superceded by no man, nor any tradition. These truths are precious- and due to them,  I am grateful for the work and sacrifices of my long past brothers and sisters, imperfect though they were.

Happy Reformation day. When you pick up your own copy of the bible today and read it in english, thank God for the men we know as the Reformers.

a reunion

My friends, Peter & Jessica, arrived on the island today. Peter and I spent years as friends (maybe more like family) here in Maui; having him and his lovely wife back here for a week is a joy. Peter will be speaking on the topic of Apologetics this coming week in our SBFM course- but until that starts on Monday, we all plan to spend the weekend both resting up and catching up. 

With my longstanding friend Peter & his wonderful wife Jessica (Peter is such a brother to me, I feel like Jessica is my sister in law- i love this extended family God has given me!)

pray for the people of the Himalayas

Please remember to pray for the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal! I am praying for myself and my team to walk in boldness, empowered by the Holy Spirit to testify to the saving power of the Almighty God in Christ. Those far mountains and deep valleys are not sufficient to hinder the love of God from reaching the people to whom He is bringing His revelation.

they're almost half way...

Next week will mark the halfway point in this Fall's SBFM course, complete with a mid-term exam- they're almost there...! Wow, time flies. 

Studying, studying...and studying some more:)

well shod squirrel

Today, in the mail,  I received a pair of boots that I ordered online a week ago. This was a joyous occasion for me. These boots are (made for walking, yes, but also...) for my upcoming trip to Nepal. I didn't have a single pair of hikers or even athletic shoes to my name, and when I found that we would be doing a great deal of trekking to village areas, I knew the shoe hunt was on. Athletic shoes and I have never had a good relationship, so I leaned toward hiking boots which were recommended anyhow. After a bit of research online, I found an (on sale) waterproof hiking/walking boot with great traction, serious warmth, lightweight build, and a style I could reconcile myself with:) 

So today when the package arrived, I promptly put on jeans and thick socks (despite the afternoon heat) and set out to see if my research paid off. I tried the boots on, and while it wasn't love at first sight, I think we have a winner. I am thankful to have this pre-trip task already taken care of, and look forward a well shod trip in December. 

this week in SBFM

This week, Tom (our base leader and my partner in leading the School of Foundations and Missions), is teaching our SBFM course lectures. We are doing a two week Bible Overview, surveying the meta-narrative of Scripture from Creation through the First Century. This isn't study for the sake of study- the goal is to provide a context and framework for an understanding of Scripture and an awareness of the enduring purposes of God upon the earth.

Its always an outstanding series of lectures for our students, as even for those having grown up in the church, its easy to have never really developed a strong understanding of the big picture of Scripture. As a result, the bible seems to many people to be a collection of disconnected stories and incidents- capped with the gospel story of Jesus and a shout out from Paul to the early church. These weeks are intended to bring understanding to the consistent epic of Scripture- looking at the clear theme of God's Self-revelation and His redemption of Man in the context of both His love and His holiness throughout the ages. Throughout the Bible this redemption is promised, covenanted, prophesied, and accomplished. But as we typically read in short erratic patterns, most of us tend to miss the continuity of the story and fail to see how it fits together. Its always exciting for the class to see the big picture that sets what they do know and understand in context... significantly deepening their understanding.

shout out to Hawaii Five-O

Got new olive colored cargo pants ala Steve McGarrett this evening at a thrift store for $6. One step closer to being outfitted to trek through Nepal; one step closer to being as hardcore as Steve McGarrett.

Photo: Hawaii Five-O (the new series, based on the 1960's television classic)

a glimpse ahead

I wanted to share this video from a recent Nepal outreach team sent out from our  base's Discipleship Training School. We will not, of course, necessarily be doing the same projects as they did, but i hoped this video could give you a glimpse of Nepal! Our contact (the man shown briefly at the very end of the video) intends that my team will be spending significant time teaching believers in more remote villages who have received little or no instruction in the Faith since receiving Christ. So as you watch these images from the dusty streets and elaborate temples of Kathmandu to the tiny communities nestled between soaring Annapurna peaks, I hope that God will move your heart to prayer for the people of Nepal and those seeking to bring the light of Christ to this remarkable Himalayan kingdom.

hello, weekend!

This week, I have been teaching in the course I co-lead, the School of Biblical Foundations and Missions. Twelve hours of lectures later (my topic was Bible Study: Rightly Handling the Word of Truth), I have finally wrapped up my last session and the weekend has arrived. Hello, weekend! This week actually flew by and seems surprising that its Friday again...but no complaints- i'll take it! A day of rest will be most welcome. Happy weekend, one and all!