Living Grace to the World

InterAct Ministries exists to plant churches – transforming communities – in the North Pacific Crescent (learn more here). I’ve been on the board for quite a while. I appreciate what we do, but my continuance is enhanced by the opportunity to go to Alaska early in August each year.

This year’s trip began with two days with Dan and Kathie Jarrell. Dan is teaching pastor at Changepoint (more here) and a long time friend. As he picked me up Thursday evening, he asked if I got sea sick. Wondering what he had in mind, I said I didn’t. So he suggested we go out on the Prince William Sound to do some shrimping and fishing for silver salmon. Down in Oregon, we call them Coho’s. He didn’t have to do any more persuasion! Up at 4:30 Friday for breakfast. Then Dan, his son Andrew and I were driving through the railroad tunnel to Whittier and onto our boat. Corky is Kathie’s cousin, a great guy, who made his own boat! You can see it is really nice. Hearing it began as a pile of plywood was astounding to me.

After a marvelous ride through the Sound we went into a bay to set shrimp pots in 500 feet of water, connected to 600 feet of line (that’s a lot of rope!) and bright red buoys. We’d come back at the end of the day to retrieve them.

We went another 45 minutes or so to the place we were told Silver’s were running. We trolled a bit and sure enough there were exciting blips on the fish finder. Soon four lines were out. It was just a short while before we had our first hit. They “made” me take the third strike.

If you look close, you can see that my teeth are clinched. They really fight! As much as I enjoyed bringing fish in, netting them while someone else brought one in was just as exciting. We all limited, a total of 12 silvers. But in the success, it seemed Dan only remembered the ones I’d let get away! Teasing is a big part of fishing, I discovered.

Saturday was the Arctic Thunder air show (here) with my first look at the F-22 Raptor (more here).

What an incredible aircraft. In addition to being super fast, it can do maneuvers that are more like the specialty acrobatic prop planes. Astonishingly, after the fighter landed following the mind blowing demonstration, one of God’s raptors flew majestically overhead. Since Dan is the honorary commander of one of the units, we were distinguished guests and watched from the DV tent with Air Force chefs catering our lunch. Apple and goat cheese crepes and braised steak tips in rich gravy were just some of the possibilities.

After the board meeting, I got to hang out with a group of high schoolers for discussion of prayer. What a great time to wrestle with them. It went on and on until finally Dan called finish in view of my 6:00 am departure. After we stood on the deck of the home in Bear Valley (yes, they’ve seen 14 bears so far this summer) and talked more. A great end to the Alaska time.

I’m preaching on this passage at Grace on August 15 so I’ve been reading and re-reading and studying a lot. I’m realizing that the view of tongues I’ve held for a long time isn’t the most likely one. So with any change like this, I’m running it be lots of people. Reading the Bible in the community of faith is so important. The more diverse the community, the more likely getting past the mistakes of one.

So I start with the purpose of tongues. Acts 2:11 says they were declaring the wonders of God. I’d taken that as evangelistic, but on reflection and comparison with 1 Cor. I’m thinking it is praise. Greg Haslam, Pastor of Westminster Chapel in London and one of the men on the Grand Canyon trip, was the one who raised this possibility in our intense discussions.

1 Cor. 14 adds these points:

Tongues are to God by the Spirit (2, 28) where prophecy is to other people. That direction is so obvious. I don’t know how I missed it up to now.

Tongues are a language with informational content, not ecstatic babbling as with pagans. This is very clear in Acts 2 but also in his reference in verse 10-11. There is much debate about whether it is human languages or if it can include language of angels. That seems an open handed issue right now. 

Tongues edify the speaker (4, 28) where prophecy edify the congregation. I’d always taken that as dismissive of tongues, but I think I was wrong on that. Lots of things build me and it’s good. Col. 2:5, 8 say put off sin and 3:12 says put on fruit of the Spirit. That edifies me so I can be more Christlike and a better member of the community. The error would be self-indulgence, something the Corinthians and not a few Americans are into (!!). Building myself is very good if it helps me be a better Jesus follower.

Paul is quite positive about tongues, just not in the public gathering of the church. I’m not sure how I missed his statement that he would like everyone to speak in tongues (14:5). Yes, prophecy is much preferred in the gathering but that does not mean tongues have no place. He is quite clear that he speaks in tongues a lot (14:18), but not on the gathering. That’s the place for prophecy to strengthen, encourage, comfort, edify, instruct (3,4, 26, 31).

Tongues are for prayer (14:14) from the heart. Of course there is also prayer with the mind, i.e., in a known language. Both are good in their proper place, it seems. Some prefer spirit prayer while others prefer mind prayer. Neither is a higher spirituality, it seems. I think Romans 8:26 speaks to this when it says “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” So the graonings there are the Spirit at work helping us when our mind and understanding fail us and we don’t know how to pray. That groaning certainly could come out of my mouth, I think.

Tongues are for praise (14:16) just as they are in Acts 2:11 and 10:46. That isn’t helpful for the congregation unless it is interpreted or explained as Peter did in Acts 2.

In the gathering Paul does not speak in tongues though he does speak a lot, evidently in his private devotions. Where the Corinthians were seeing their public use of tongues as a mark of their high spirituality. Paul shows them that it is a sign, but a sign of God’s judgment on their prideful self-indulgence! Hearing Babylonian in the streets of Jerusalem in 586 BC was a sign that God’s judgment had come to sinful Judah (he quotes Isaiah 28:11 a statement of His judgment in 14:21). Similarly, it is not a blessable thing if unbelievers hear all the confusion of public tongues and walk away thinking the people and their God is crazy.

So I’m thinking tongues is private prayer and praise to God in an unknown language.

That’s what I’m thinking in outline. I’d love to get input!

Floating down the Colorado River at the bottom of the Grand Canyon was so far beyond any possibility that it didn’t even make my bucket list. But it was real, thanks to the Christian Leaders’ Trip sponsored by Answers in Genesis. We started at Lee’s Ferry just below the Glen Canyon Bridge and spent six days on the river and five nights camping in the sand. 186 miles later, we went out to the rim world by helicopter, a trip highlighted by a much anticipated shower (!!). I put quite a few pictures here.  Brian Morley, a professional photographer posing as a Master’s Seminary philosophy prof is putting his pictures here.

Seeing the boats that would take us down the river as we drove down to riverside was almost too much to handle. In God’s grace, I had bars on my cell phone so I tried to share some of it with Sherry before we took off for total isolation. I got a little more excitement than I bargained for. As I started to put the phone away into the plastic bag that also had my wallet there was no baggie. It was gone! Dropped in the bus? Probably, but it had already left. Panic! No wallet meant no ID and no exit from the canyon! As I reported my predicament to the leaders (with no small embarrassment!) another team member walked up with the missing baggie. He had found it, dropped onto the ground. Whew!!

We immediately had our first teaching hike, seeing a petrified log. Andrew Snelling, our geologist, helped us see that the sedimentation that led to fossilization had to be fast or the higher parts of the log would have rotted. Even more convincing is the fact that branches of the tree are in a completely different layer than the trunk. There were many stops along the river and hikes for on site lecture.

It certainly wasn’t all study! The meals were great. Made to order omelets one breakfast and blueberry pancakes another. Dessert one night was strawberry cheesecake and our final supper was bar-b-qued steaks. A highlight for me was the intense conversations about Bible and life as we floated. I got a two day intensive on Spirit renewal from Greg Haslam, pastor of Westminster Chapel in London. Mark, Evan and Seth and I talked about mentoring, creation ethics, and spiritual formation. I talked of Genesis 1 as the story of the LORD, who created sun, moon, stars, plants, animals and everything else, shaping Eden/Israel for a place for Him to live with Adam and Eve, the first humans. Conversations went on into the dark and started again at first light, even before the “Coffee!!” call. That wasn’t too hard to ignore. Cowboy coffee isn’t quite what this Portlander looks forward to in the morning.

One fun part of the trip was hiking up canyons to picturesque water falls. But we didn’t just look and take pictures! God provides showers for tired professor/students! Some of the funnest things were climbing to the top of water falls and jumping into the pools below. But running the rapids of the Little Colorado with nothing but a life jacket wrapped around my hips was incredible – and a bit nerve wracking as I bounced off huge boulders and got sucked under water longer than I was ready for! (Brian has a picture of our human chain here. I was in the 24 member world record chain!).

There are many lessons and thoughts that come after an experience like this. Some profound ones like “wearing shorts means your legs get scratched up.” Isolation is unusual for  me. This is the first time in all my travels that I’ve not communicated with Sherry on a daily basis. There was profound worship that comes in the context of such a marvelously beautiful piece of the earth. Reading Psalm 104 took on a whole different flavor in the bottom of the Canyon. But one thing that hit us all is the reality of God’s judgment on sin. Thousands of feet of sediments laid down in God’s work to rid the earth of wickedness, layers filled with fossil remains of living beings, a huge graveyard. I work to overcome sin with the grace of the LORD who came to die for sin. I am always humbled by His grace in doing that. But this reminded me of the future of those who will not respond to His grace, refusing to receive His life. “Who is sufficient for these things?” (2 Cor. 2:16 ESV)

The study sessions are most excellent, especially since I am learning in areas I know virtually nothing. So I get to indulge my curiosity bump fully in areas like limited government, economics and Catholic Social Thought. You can see more about Acton and hear recording of some of the lectures here.

In a sin marred world, things always go bad. So who limits the badness? God ultimately, but within the limits He sets, is it government regulation or free market forces? The State is to punish wrong doers (Rom. 13:4) but who limits the evil state? Acton and I believe that the better force is people as a whole (market) than government officials. For example, should government or the market set prices? I remember 1979 when the government tried to set gasoline prices. It was a disaster. But I also remember the situation a couple of years ago when gas went to $4.00 per gallon and people were calling for government intervention. It didn’t happen and the prices in Portland are around $2.70 per gallon now. 

Limited government means the state should not do everything, should not be the agency responsible for social services. Other agencies, church, family, business have areas they do better than the state. When people get to places of power, they tend to lose contact with the ordinary people, lose the common good as a top value, and serve people of power and influence. BTW, Michael Miller defined common good as “the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or individuals, to reach fulfillment more fully and more easily.” Of course that begs the question of what fulfillment really means, but the direction is right on. Examples of things the government is not the best agency is feeding the people or converting the people to Jesus. 

One question that made me think: should all immoral things be illegal? Should all things that are morally wrong also be against the law of the state? What of adultery? It is surely immoral, but should it be illegal? I absolutely want it limited. Do I want the state watching and punishing that behavior? If so the state has to watch lots of behavior to see if it’s adultery. I find myself thinking I’d rather not have the state doing that. Ditto with lies. Some lies are illegal: contract fraud for example. But what if a father lies to his children about his porn addiction?

In the area of economics, should we develop our thinking from the concept of scarcity (distribution of limited goods) or the basis of maximizing exchange of goods, many of which are not scarce. Information and grace are examples of non-scarce goods. The goal is win win where both parties are better off after the trade than before. So the limits are that there can’t be fraud, exploitation and private property which is to say, I must have ownership of the thing I trade.

Does justice mean equal distribution of goods (think Robin Hood and take for the rich to give to the poor) or does it mean all people work under the same law? I’m inclined to the latter. It frustrates me that government employees have PERS and we have Social Security and our 401K programs.

Are economics explained by seeing people maximizing their material well being? In part, but certainly not exclusively. Think of all the gifts that are given and non-material oriented activities like parenting, church, and such.

There’s lots more and I still have two days to go!

My friend Rob Schwarzwalder is Senior Vice President at Family Life Council. He notified us that the Gay Lesbian Activists Alliance just updated their 2010 agenda. So rather than debating whether there is a "homosexual agenda" or not, it is better to read it for yourself. It is here.   Among its many policy proposals (some of which already are in place) are:

** Legalization of prostitution
** Permitting "adult" entertainment (e.g., strip clubs and pornography centers)
** Requiring libraries to carry "gay friendly" books
** Elimination of educational vouchers (which enable many minority families to send their children to decent schools)
** An official police policy toward "transgendered" individuals
** Ending the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington’s historic adoption and foster care relationship with D.C., since the Archdiocese would not place children in same-sex "families."

From many years of working in the offices of senators and representatives, he knows the agenda for homosexualization of mainstream culture and socio-political life is purposeful and aggressive.  I like his conclusion: "Let’s always pray for those committed to a same-sex lifestyle, that the Lord would deliver them even as He has delivered those of us who know the Savior.  But let’s also never compromise our dedication to standing for the protection of our children, the sanctity of marriage, and the dignity of human sexuality as ordained by our Creator.”

400 of us are at The Acton Institute, which has as its mission to promote a free and virtuous society characterized by individual liberty and sustained by religious principles. So I’m sitting in lectures all day for three and a half days. It’s a role I’ve not been in for a long time! So far I’ve heard lectures on Christian Anthropology, Limited Government, Basic Economics, and Natural Law as Foundation for Government.

I suppose it is typical that I’m often impressed by the two lectures where I know nothing than the ones I do a lot with. I have basis to assess where I’ve done a lot of thinking. But then I learn a lot less too. For example, the lecture on Christian Anthropology got to humans as embodied persons with reason, will, creativity, fallen, and both individual and societal is very good. But, good as it was, not even mentioning the image of God just seems wrong to me, I have to say.

There are different ways to see people. The standard trichotomist system sees humans as spirit (God connecting faculty), soul (mind, will, emotions, etc), body (world connecting faculty). But why does the Bible only use that particular breakdown once (1 Thess. 5:23) and even Jesus uses others (e.g., heart, soul, mind, strength in Mark 12:30)? I am inclined to see people as whole persons with both material and immaterial essences which may be distinguished, but cannot be divided until death. Thus everything we are and do, work and worship, is both spiritual and physical. People are unrepeatable individuals as well as social beings. While all humans are unique, there is a commonality of humanness that is true of all humans. When I do a breakdown, I see people as Spiritual (related both to God and other spiritual beings), Intellectual, Emotional, Physical, Volitional – Moral (thus free and responsible), Vocational, Social (related to friends, state and church), and Familial (“nuclear” family as well as family line) beings. Lots to say here!

Stephen Grabill’s work on natural law is another area I know about. I was applauding most all the way, but didn’t learn much of anything. I fully agree with him on the concept of natural law, a common morality available to all humans can serve as a good foundation for government and public policy. It is not sufficient, of course, but if we were to follow the results of the research, we will know that criminal acts come from criminal character. Environment and economics are not sufficient reasons for crime. The recent data that major crime fell dramatically after the economic collapse fall of October 2008 makes that abundantly clear. You can see that FBI data here and New York City here and Chuck Colson’s commentary here and here. People who refuse the data do so for philosophic not evidential reasons. While general revelation and natural law is a good source of moral information and can be the basis of good moral law, it cannot bring about right action. I agree with Stephen that many who dismiss natural law because it is not enough give up what should not be given up, especially as we enter the public arena. Waving our Bibles as authority source won’t work on the campus of Grand Valley State University (where we are meeting) or the campus of Intel.

More to come!

I asked you to pray for Carl’s May 18 prostate cancer surgery. It went well and his post-surgical recovery continues to go well. I am in full agreement with Carl’s assurance that I don’t want to experience life with a catheter! The good news is that they found no cancer in the tissue surrounding the prostate. If you want to send him an email, he is at jclaney@westernseminary.edu.

My May 25 surgery to repair a Zenker’s Diverticulum (a pouch in my esophagus, described here) was also routine. I am glad to say I have been both pain free and phlegm free. I will be very glad to get off the liquid diet. It is good for promoting healing in the incision in my throat, but not for fine dining.

The very sad news is from Katharine Sweeney. Jim’s note to his prayer team is so good I want to forward it to you:

For the past several years you have joined so many other dear friends who are praying for Katharine on her journey with cancer. You will never, never know what your care and your prayers have done for our lives. God has used you in such a powerful way on our behalf, and our gratefulness knows no bounds. We have kept uppermost in our minds and hearts His Word: "Trust in the Lord, and do not lean on your own understanding. But in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will guide your steps." Just yesterday [May 25], we learned of the next step God has ordained. Her chemo treatments ended in March (chemo no longer able to fight back the cancer). She entered a clinical trial two weeks ago. But within the past three weeks she has become increasingly weak, with dizziness and difficulty walking on her own. She was treated for pneumonia at first, but things didn’t improve. Yesterday a scan revealed that the cancer has migrated from her lungs to her brain. That, of course, was the news we dreaded, but we had long been informed that it might come at some point. She has been in the hospital since yesterday, and they are continuing to watch her. While weak, she is certainly alert and the one who is encouraging all her family. She will be coming home in two or three days.

We were made aware that radiation treatment might well shrink the brain tumors, giving relief and improvement for an extended time–she’ll regain some of her strength and mobility. So tomorrow she will begin a series of 10 radiation treatments over 10 days. Of course, to the doctors this is an offer of temporary help–a longer survival time with a decent quality of life. Just how long, they can’t say.

Has this shaken our faith? Absolutely not. God has not changed; neither His power nor His faithfulness is diminished. We are confident that the powerful prayers of so many dear friends like you have not been wasted or ignored by the Father of mercies. God simply seems to be saying, Katharine, my perfect plan all along has been to call you home to be with me–and only He knows when. We have sought His will and His time, and when God’s will is discerned and embraced He will be glorified in that. Does it hurt? Of course. But He gives strength for that, too. And . . . who knows fully just what He still might have in store?

Our family is so very grateful for your prayers. We are now praying that God will grant Katharine an extended time with sufficient strength to enjoy her family and friends in the days just ahead. We’d be grateful to have you join us in that prayer.

In His strength,

Jim and Katharine

On a final note: I am going to write a series of short biblical theological pastoral papers on topics ranging from Genesis 1 to election to divorce and re-marriage. If you would like to join me in thinking through such issues, shoot a reply back to me and I’ll include you on the list. Being in the list does not obligate you to respond or interact, I hasten to say.

Jesus bless you!

Gerry

I blog at www.breshears.net. My seminary email is gbreshears@westernseminary.edu. I still use gbreshears@compuserve.com as well as gerry@breshears.net. Western’s blog is http://westernseminaryblog.wordpress.com, the Th.M. blog at http://westernthm.wordpress.com and the alumni blog is http://westernalumni.blogspot.com/

We were in the middle of a stormy season and then came the hail! Sherry was home when it just covered us up. You see the impact when the ice stuff comes on the leaf protector on our gutters. They are because the falling debris overwhelms our down spouts. But they stopped the hail and the water cascaded down! Pretty fun. Fortunately not much damage to our plants in our new garden (Cyndee’s contribution to home.)

Western’s graduation weekend is always an incredible time. You remember yours I’m sure. At this year’s banquet, we heard John McKay tell of his first class at Western, Dr. Millard Erickson’s Twentieth Century Theology. His shocking introduction to Western came when he sat down for class that first day. His neighbor heaved a big sigh as he commented on the difficulty of the required pre-class readings and the pre-class paper. A quick change of attitude, and some serious catching up followed quickly. His great relief when he turned in his exam turned to dismay when he discovered it had been submitted to Dr. Mallard Erickson. John is always the loyal Duck fan, much to Todd Miles’ dismay!

My highlight was Tin Nguyen who acknowledged how his speech impediment had left him feeling disqualified from any public speaking. He then spoke eloquently of how God has called him to take the gospel back to his native Vietnam and to Vietnamese people in Malaysia, using his technical skills as a senior engineer at Intel to enable him to minister, teach and preach to Vietnamese people in several areas. He will go to Vietnam again at the end of this month. His prayer request is that he would be able to speak the Word boldly despite the danger of official reprisal.

Please pray for Carl Laney. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer and will have surgery on May 18. Norm Thiesen just had prostate surgery and Terry Burns had it a few years ago. They interact about their shared experiences which the rest of us hope are unique to them.

Katharine Sweeney discovered that the chemotherapy that had been recently doing so well has finished its work and her lung cancer is growing once again. She will participate in a research trial of a new type of treatment. Her presence at the Commencement services were a time to greet and pray for her.

Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe, the fourth book Mark Driscoll and I have done together, has been released. An Episcopal priest adopted it for their year long apprentice training program reviewed it here. Since I so dislike writing, it is all the more amazing that our books were done in three years!

You must read Bev Hislop’s book, Shepherding Women in Pain. Don’t let the title mislead you. It is not just for women. Where else will you find immensely helpful chapters on such issues as infertility, eating disorders, incarceration, suicide, domestic abuse, divorce, spiritual abuse and same sex attraction?

Other recent faculty and student books include Todd Miles, A God of Many Understandings?: The Gospel and Theology of Religions and Marc Cortez, Theological Anthropology: A Guide for the Perplexed and Jim DeYoung, Burning Down the Shack. Matt Mikalatos, long time Campus Crusade worker and 2010 graduate, published Imaginary Jesus, a tale of Jesus constructs from Magic 8 Ball Jesus, Harley Jesus, even Liberal Social Services Jesus. We are a productive seminary!

A final note: I will be having surgery on May 25 to close up a pouch in my esophagus. It should be quite routine and make swallowing easy again.

Jesus bless you!

Gerry

I blog at www.breshears.net. My seminary email is gbreshears@westernseminary.edu. I still use gbreshears@compuserve.com as well as gerry@breshears.net. The Western alumni blog is at http://westernalumni.blogspot.com/

PLEASE let me know of email address changes.

There are surprises in my life that make me laugh. This is one of them. Getting my author copy of this foreign edition of Death by Love made me laugh out loud. Somehow the idea of the first translation of one of our four books being into Korean seemed so joyous and ironic. It’s a country I’ve never been to though the explosion of Christianity there has been amazing over the last couple of generations. This book is the one that is my favorite of the four, so I’m glad they chose it. But just the sight of the book in characters I can’t even begin to make out, knowing that the message of full flowered atonement is going to this great country is a joy. So I share my discovery here.