Pamark's Thought

Christmas Plans

noreply@blogger.com (Mark and Pam) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 03:52:00 +0000

Sometimes it's helpful to post our schedule on here so people know where we'll be during the busy holiday season. So here goes:

My semester ends on Thursday, December 17.
On Saturday, December 19 we head to Chicago to be with my family for a few days.
Fly to Terrace from Chicago on Christmas Eve Day! Unfortunately we're heading straight through Vancouver and won't be able to see all our Seattle/Lynden/Bellingham friends this Christmas. But we're very excited to go back to Terrace and spend the Christmas and New Year's with Pam's family!
I'm preaching at Terrace Christian Reformed Church (the church of Pam's youth) on Sunday, December 27.
Return to Chicago via Vancouver on January 5.
Back in Grand Rapids late on January 5 because school resumes the next day!
Preaching at my home church (Christ Community Church of Plainfield) on January 17.

Thanks for reading our blog and have a blessed advent season!

The Lost Boys of Sudan

noreply@blogger.com (Mark and Pam) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:40:00 +0000

If you're anything like me it's hard to imagine what is happening throughout the world unless there is a face attached to a story. One such event is the genocide and poverty in Sudan. It has been in the news a lot in the past few years but I never really understood what was happening there.

That was until I watched God Grew Tired of Us. The film follows some of the Lost Boys of Sudan on their journey from Sudan to Ethiopia then Kenya and finally to the United States. The film was very entertaining at parts, but it's most powerful moments came during the testimonies about their families and the immense longing they had to know their estranged mothers, fathers and siblings. I also appreciated it for the profound and wise commentary that the Sudanese refugees gave on American culture.

Here is a video of one of the main characters of the movie, John Bul Dau being interviewed on a very good Canadian show called The Hour.

Please rent the movie and learn the story of these men.

Our Next President?

noreply@blogger.com (Mark and Pam) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:58:00 +0000

I'm hoping Ron Paul's next Presidential campaign gets some traction. It would be great to see a Ron Paul/Mike Huckabee ticket!

Yogurty Goodness!

noreply@blogger.com (Mark and Pam) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:00:00 +0000

Due to popular demand, here is my yogurt recipe. I shall note that this is a recipe that has changed over time and crafted to perfection.

List of required ingredients/materials:

big soup pot (with lid)
three 1-quart jars and lids
sieve
thermometer
measuring cup
one 6 oz. cup of yogurt (Pick one with a few different yogurt cultures in the ingredient list. I like the Brown Cow brand. Either plain or flavored is fine. Note that the picture below has packets of yogurt cultures, I have found that a cup of yogurt works better.)
ten cups of milk (higher the fat content = sweeter yogurt)
1 big towel

Instructions:

Heat milk to 180 degrees on medium/high heat. Stir constantly while heating.
Turn off element/stove and place lid on the pot. Let sit for 30 minutes. Even though this sounds unimportant this step will make your yogurt less tart and much thicker.
Take lid off and let cool to 140 degrees.
Remove one cup of milk from the pot into a small bowl and stir in the yogurt.
Put the smaller mixture back into the pot. Stir well.
Sieve the mixture into 1 quart jars. Place lids on the jars.*
Rinse out the pot. Place jars in the empty pot and fill pot with hot tap water (around 120 degrees Fahrenheit). See picture below.
Place the lid on the pot and wrap completely in a large thick towel for incubation. see picture
Check the temperature of the water every couple hours to make sure it is between 110 and 130 degrees.
After 5-8 hours remove jars from pot and place in fridge to cool.
Enjoy your yogurt with fresh fruit (like peaches or blueberries).

*At this point you need to be careful that the temperature of the milk doesn't fall below 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

Knowing God - Sermon

noreply@blogger.com (Mark and Pam) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:16:00 +0000

This past Sunday I preached at my home church, Christ Community Church in Plainfield, Illinois. This was the 4th time I preached in church and the first time I have preached at a morning service (the other 3 times were all in front of small groups at evening services).

My sermon is posted on the church's website. Click here to listen to or download the sermon.

During the sermon I refer to the two images below.

From 2009

Thanks for listening!

Thoughts on Alaska, Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Mark and Pam) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:38:00 +0000

This blog post is a continuation of an earlier post titled Thoughts on Alaska, Part 1. The earlier post is more general while this post will include some of my theological reflections based on my work in Anchorage.

My Missions/Evangelism professor Pieter Tuit encouraged our class with some words that I hope I will never forget. He said, "You are instruments of God, nothing more and nothing less." What he meant was that I am not essential for God's plan of salvation for people I talk with (because God can do things however He wants to) and yet I am something that God will use to do His work. I tried to keep that attitude at the forefront of my mind during my work in Penland Parkway.

People want to know the Truth.
As I entered Penland Parkway for the first time I had no idea how people would respond to my being there. Pastor James (of Trinity CRC, the church where I served) had warned me that I would likely be cursed but most of the time the residents just wouldn't answer their door. My perception going in was that most people have already made up their minds with regards to Christianity. This meant that I would either be trying to convince them of something they didn't want to believe or I would be telling them something they already knew. I figured there would be some people out of the 300 or so who would be interested and it was my job to find them and connect with them. After visiting the first few trailers I realized my ideas were wrong.
Many of the people I talked with in the trailer park were receptive and appreciative of my visit. Not only this but it seemed as though they were just waiting to hear what I had to say. Although I was in a very poor area, I would guess I would have experienced a similar reaction. I would guess that one out of every four people I talked with did not attend church and were (at least superficially) interested in Jesus. Before I went out into the neighborhood we, that is me and the church, prayed fervently that the Holy Spirit would prepare people to accept the Gospel. I was shocked at how real the answer to that prayer was.
It is the Christian's responsibility to provide others with a decisive moment regarding their faith in Jesus.
Before this internship I underestimated my role in God's plan of salvation for other people. This attitude really affected my demeanor in talking with people in Penland Parkway. When visiting with one person I caught myself being perhaps overly polite. He said, "I don't believe in any God. I'm an atheist." To which my knee-jerk reaction was to say, "That's OK. Have a good day and thanks for your time." Two seconds after leaving their doorstep I realized that my language was not accurately portraying the truth of the Gospel.
I then began to think seriously about my role in the lives of the people with whom I was talking. I would knock on each door with the Jesus Film easily visible to the resident. When someone rejected me I never saw it as them saying no to me personally but rather he or she was saying "No" to Christ. With many of the people (some of whom even said they were Christians) there was a visible immediate reaction once they saw the video in my hand. I was really saddened for those people who shuddered at the sight of the DVD in my hand, and yet I also feel that I was doing God's will in bringing them the message.
Christians need to evangelize with the same perseverance as Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons.
One other thing I was surprised about were the amount of JW's and Mormons in the trailer park. Not only this, but I was also shocked at how those people were thoroughly trained to reject any conversation with me. I have studied Mormonism in particular at some length so I was looking forward to discussing their faith in the same way that Mormons expect to converse with any Christian they encounter. I never got this opportunity, despite the proportionally large number of JW's and Mormons.

At our previous church (Faith Reformed in Lynden) Pastor Paul would often refer back to his cross-cultural experience in Chiapas, Mexico and how that shaped his faith. I now understand how such an experience can influence a pastor and, although it was difficult at times, I have learned lessons about God and humanity that will hopefully remain in the forefront of my future ministry.

Year Two at Seminary

noreply@blogger.com (Mark and Pam) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 03:58:00 +0000

Tomorrow I will resume my education at Calvin Theological Seminary.

Going into the year, I have a lot to be excited about, one of those things is the possibility of receiving a seminary scholarship from Logos Bible Software. The generous folks at Logos are offering a $1000 scholarship for seminary students. To me it shows Logos' dedication to excellence in preaching and Christian scholarship (and I'm not just saying that to win the scholarship, I really believe it).

Here's what my class schedule looks for first semester.

Hermeneutics (3-day seminar)
Apologetics
Systematic Theology
New Testament Narratives
Hebrew Fundamentals
Heidelberg Catechism

Some other highlights from the upcoming semester are a visit from Ben, Liza and Claire in October, lots of great activities with the youth group at our church (Shawnee Park CRC), and preaching at my home church in Illinois this Sunday. I really hope to preach more often this semester, as the more often I do it the more comfortable I am being in the pulpit.

It's gonna be a great year!

I Have Addictive Tendencies

noreply@blogger.com (Mark and Pam) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 03:24:00 +0000

When I find a song I really like, I tend to overdo it by searching for various covers of that track and listening to it incessantly. Right now that song is "Reckoner" by Radiohead (thanks for the CD Ben and Liza!).

Here is Gnarls Barkley doing the song much justice during a concert in the UK.

Since Gnarls's diction leaves much to be desired, the lyrics are posted below.

reckoner

can't take it with you.

disavow your pleasure.

you are not to blame for

bittersweet distractors

dare not speak its name

dedicated to all you, all your needs.

because we separate like ripples on a blank shore

reckoner

dedicated to all you, all your needs

For those of you who expected Part 2 of my "Thoughts on Alaska" they are still percolating.

In the meantime let me know what song tops your list right now! Maybe it will be my next FSATM (favorite song at the moment).

Thoughts on Alaska, Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Mark and Pam) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 05:15:00 +0000

Many people I talk with are curious about my time in Alaska. The big question is always, "What were you doing there?" The answer is a little complicated. Each week I was involved in a different ministry, but the common thread that tied them all together was outreach/evangelism to a nearby trailer court called Penland Parkway.

First of all I was astounded at the racial and socio-economic diversity of the people living in Penland Parkway. The trailer court consisted of over 300 trailers, some of which were new and adorned with potted flowers while (many) others barely had a front door and wreaked of garbage from several yards away. Culturally, the largest population in the trailer court was Alaska Native but there were also large numbers of southeast Asian people, white people and a small number of African Americans.

I snapped this picture of one of the trailers. This is an average trailer in Penland Parkway. Some are nicer but many are in worse shape than this one.

My main objective was to visit each trailer during my 5 weeks in Anchorage and share the Gospel with whoever lived there. One method I used was inviting any children in a residence to our Bible Club (which was like a small VBS) or the church's Vacation Bible School. The other, more direct method, was handing out DVDs of The Jesus Film to anyone who would accept it. I attempted to strike up a conversation with each person I came saw and steer the conversation towards spirituality, Christianity, church or whatever he/she believed in. When people didn't want the DVD, they would willingly offer their opinions and reasons why they thought I was selling snake oil.

In general, the residents of Penland Parkway were very accepting and amicable. Most people would answer there door with some skepticism on their faces, but after I assured them I wasn't selling anything they literally and figuratively opened up to me. By the end of my 5 weeks I was able to knock on over 300 trailer doors and distribute over 50 DVDs. We also brought more than 20 kids from the neighborhood to our VBS.

I'm not exaggerating when I write that God taught me a lesson about Himself, myself, the world, evangelism, or his people every day I was in Penland Parkway. I will write some of those thoughts in Part 2 of this series of blogs.

Thanks for reading!

Hiking in Alaska

noreply@blogger.com (Mark and Pam) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 04:52:00 +0000

Pam and I are having a great time in Alaska. I'm learning a lot in my internship and she really likes working at the local Starbucks.

During our first week here we had some time to go hiking. On the Sunday before our hike we went to church and I got to talking with some local hikers. I told them I planned on doing a short, 6 mile round tripper to a backcountry campsite. They quickly convinced me to do a 26 mile hike over Crow Pass. I figured it might be our only chance to get into the Alaska backcountry so we could give it a shot.

Some of the trail highlights included seeing a mother and baby mountain goat, viewing a massive glacier from Crow Pass and camping at a beautiful site near Eagle River. The tough parts of the hike came when we had to traverse a steep snowy patch in the trail (photo 12) and a harrowing ford of Eagle River. The river was waist high, freezing cold and about 150 feet wide. It was exciting, but very tiring.

Click the image below to enjoy some pictures of our hike!

American Idol

noreply@blogger.com (Mark and Pam) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:59:00 +0000

Last night I was flipping through the channels and came across "In Touch" with Charles Stanley. I like Stanley's preaching so I checked it out, only to find that the pulpit was occupied by David Barton. The usual backdrop behind the preacher (a map of the world) was covered by an enormous American flag.

In my worship class we had a heated discussion about this very topic. Should an American flag be raised at the front of church? Should we hold a special service on 4th of July weekend in honor of our nation? How much patriotism should we show during worship?

Anyone who knows me knows that I love the United States. I know and love our history and I'm proud to be an American. That being said, I am offended that a 40 foot-long American flag covered the map of the world at First Baptist Church. Doesn't the Bible constantly warn against pride and trusting in earthly power? Shouldn't we, as Christians, consider our American citizenship less important than our identity in Christ?

The typical rebuttal to my outrage would tell me to listen to David Barton's words. He "preached" (and I use the term loosely) about how the United States was founded by Christian men who had a goal to create a Christian nation. He said we need to protect our Christian heritage by electing Christian people "whether it's the local dog-catcher or the President." I'm not against electing Christian people, but there is an implication that if only the United States could have a really Christian President then we would be ok. These people (although they would never admit it) are all about trusting our power as a nation and our human leadership over the leadership of Christ over our personal lives. It's far too easy to project our national problems onto a corrupt political system instead of taking personal responsibility for things like racism, corruption, environmental concerns or social injustice.

All this leads to my distaste of promoting patriotism during worship services. When the focus of an entire Sunday morning service is on the United States, we are worshiping something, and it's not God. That makes God angry, so it should make Christians angry too.

To The Last Frontier!

noreply@blogger.com (Mark and Pam) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:36:00 +0000

Today Pam and I will leave on our journey to Alaska. We'll be in Naperville for a couple days with my family and then we fly out to Anchorage on the evening of July 4. We will return from our trip on August 14.

We plan to do some sightseeing the first week we're in Alaska because my internship doesn't actually start until July 9. The event I most look forward to is a very quick backpacking trip into the Chugach State Forest. I'll take my camera and post some pics to this blog.

In case I haven't told you yet, I'll be an intern at Trinity Christian Reformed Church in Anchorage for six weeks. They want to get more involved with the surrounding immigrant and Native American communities so I'll be planning and implementing some strategies that would make this happen. I'll also be helping with VBS and their youth program. Meanwhile, will work at Starbucks, as well as lending a hand with church stuff when she gets the chance.

We have been excited about the internship since I was assigned to it in March so we're ready to get started!

A Baptist Who Loves Calvin?

noreply@blogger.com (Mark and Pam) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:59:00 +0000

Check out what Pastor John Piper has to say about the impact and beliefs of John Calvin.

Pics From Our Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Mark and Pam) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:13:00 +0000

We had a great time in Lynden/Vancouver/Chicago/Eagle River!

Click on the image below to check out a photo gallery from our trip.

Off to the Northwest

noreply@blogger.com (Mark and Pam) — Thu, 28 May 2009 00:52:00 +0000

Tomorrow (Thursday, May 28) Pam and I will begin our journey to the Northwest. We're driving to Chicago to hang out with my family for a couple days. Then on Saturday we fly out to Seattle. For our first few days we'll be in Lynden with our good friends the Heisers. We'll be at Faith Reformed Church on Sunday, so it should be a really good chance to catch up with all the people who were such a big part of our lives for the first 3 years of our marriage. During the week I hope to visit my old workplace (Logos Bible Software) so I can see how much they have ruined the place since I left.

On Tuesday we will be picked up by Pam's sister, who will bring us up to Vancouver for a week of fun and frivolity. We'll be meeting a new niece and a new nephew for the first time, which we both can't wait to do. It looks like we have a busy week planned.

Our trip ends back in Seattle, where we will hang out with our old friends the Rocks before heading back to the midwest. We will then stay in Chicago for a couple days and then head up to my grandparents' house in Eagle River, Wisconsin. We haven't been there for 2 years, and it will be great to sit by the lake in their backyard and read/swim/nap.

We're very excited to see our friends and family!

Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan

noreply@blogger.com (Mark and Pam) — Tue, 05 May 2009 21:13:00 +0000

This past weekend we went to Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan with my parents and my sister's family (Laura, Matt and Emmitt). We had fun walking around the tulip fields and getting a strong dose of Dutchness. The tulip fields were beautiful but pretty disappointing compared to the Mount Vernon Tulip Time. I would guess that the fields in Holland were 4 or 5 acres while the ones in Mount Vernon were 30 or 40 acres and had many more varieties.

However, the fields gave me a great opportunity to use our camera. Enjoy the pics.

Do Christians Exist?

noreply@blogger.com (Mark and Pam) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 16:00:00 +0000

I recently read "Whether Christianity Exists" by Soren Kierkegaard for my church history class. The point of his homily is to show how far removed we are from the church as its described in the New Testament. Although it was written in the early 19th Century the criticisms are incredibly applicable to me and the church in general.

"If I must be candid, I do not deny that I am not a Christian in the New Testament sense; if I must be honest, I do not deny that my life cannot be called an effort in the direction of what the New Testament calls Christianity, in the direction of denying myself, renouncing the world, dying from it, etc.; rather the earthly and the temporal become more and more important to me with every year I live."

He has some very challenging and convicting things to say for the modern evangelical pastor as well. Referring to the church leaders of his day he writes:

"He lectures about renunciation, but he himself is being steadily promoted; he teaches all that about despising worldly titles and rank, but he himself is making a career; he describes the glorious ones (the prophets) who were killed, and the constant refrain is: If we had been in the days of our fathers, we should not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets."

Happy Earth Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Mark and Pam) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:21:00 +0000

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.” 7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the expanse “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.

11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth,b and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Cuddles and Snuggles

noreply@blogger.com (Mark and Pam) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 02:47:00 +0000

Actual conversation that just took place while giving Pam a hug.

Pam: I need a snuggle.

Mark: What's the difference between a cuddle and a snuggle?

Pam (speaking in all seriousness): A snuggle has more nuzzles.

More Details on Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Mark and Pam) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:34:00 +0000

Details are coming together regarding our summer. Here's the latest news.

First of all, we booked out flights to Anchorage and we will be there from July 4 through August 13. If anyone is wants to visit us while we're there it would best to do it right when we get there. We're actually arriving in Alaska 6 days before I start my internship so we can do some camping up in Denali National Park.

Some more exciting news about the trip is that Pam scored a job at a Starbucks in Anchorage. She will probably be working a lot, which means we'll definitely be able to keep our medical coverage and her status as a Starbucks employee in Michigan. She's really excited to show those Alaskan bumpkins a think or two about coffee-makin'.

Perhaps more applicable to the people reading this blog, we are planning a trip to Seattle/Lynden/Vancouver during the first week of June. Prospective dates for the trip are May 30 through June 6 or 7. It all depends on how long ya'll will let us stay at your places. We plan to hang out in Lynden for the first couple days at the Heisers and then up in Vancouver (where we'll meet our newest niece and nephew for the first time)!

Other than that, not a whole lot going on around here. I'm preaching my first sermon in class on Tuesday. Then I'm doing it for real the following Sunday at a Christian Reformed Church on a Navajo reservation in NW New Mexico! I'm excited but quite nervous. Why will I be in New Mexico you ask? I'm one of the youth leaders at our church and that's the location for this year's spring break server project. I plan on taking hundreds of pictures and maybe even blogging while I'm there.

What's going on with Pam and Mark?

noreply@blogger.com (Mark and Pam) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:35:00 +0000

Where in the world have Pam and Mark been for the last month? Are they so busy that they can't take an hour every few days to write a quick blog entry? Why does my breath smell bad in the morning even though I brushed my teeth right before I go to bed? The answers to these questions, as well as many others, will be answered in time my friends. But as for now, I just wanted to update ya'll on what Pam and I will be doing in the near future.

The biggest news we've gotten recently is that we'll be headed to Anchorage, Alaska for our summer internship. I'm supposed to be there from July 15 to August 19. We also plan on bookending our trip with hang out time in Vancouver and Lynden. Pam and I are really excited to be headed to the nation's 49th state. I'll be helping with the church's cross-cultural youth ministry, which reaches out to the local Asian and Native American communities. Hopefully we'll be able to fit in a quick trip up to Mount McKinley, North America's most scenic and tallest mountain. It's likely that Pam will transfer to a Starbucks in Anchorage, which would be great.

I recently started a new quarter at seminary. My winter quarter was very difficult and I'm glad to be taking 4 courses this quarter instead of the 5 I had last quarter. In case anyone is wondering what I learn at school, right now I'm taking Greek, Preaching, Church History and Evangelism/Missions. I am also getting more and more involved with our local church's youth group. In April (3-11) I'm going with the group on a serve trip to Shiprock, New Mexico.

Right now Pam's parents are in town and we've been having lots of fun playing games and seeing the glorious sights that Grand Rapids has to offer. Here are a few pictures of our recent activities. Including me helping my nephew Emmitt walk around my parents' living room.

Worship Symposium

noreply@blogger.com (Mark and Pam) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 02:26:00 +0000

Last weekend I had the privilege of attending the Calvin Symposium on Christian Worship. The conference was intended to present various styles of worship and ideas that can be incorporated to make worship more biblical, theologically accurate and fresh. It was definitely interdenominational - my first session was presented by a panel of emergent church leaders, the second was done by a Lutheran organist and the third was by an actor who performed dramatic Scripture readings at his Presbyterian church.

The first session, as mentioned earlier, was an honest look at the Emergent Church. In short, the movement was founded on the idea that church needs to adjust to a post-modern culture. This means the church needs to rethink everything, from how we worship to the buildings we meet in to the theology and ancient creeds.

The high point of the session came when Jason Clark, a pastor in London, England, discussed the topic of his Ph.D. disseration: consumerist tendencies in today's congregations. To me, the greatest danger in any modern church movement (especially the emergent movement) is that it makes church so fun and entertaining that people see it as a time of entertainment and refreshment rather than worship.

There was a whole lot I disagree with about the Emergent Church but if you want to read up on it more check out the following sources:

Peter Rollins's Blog - He was a panelist and is a pastor in Belfast, Ireland
Emergent Village - A useful hub of Emergent Church information
New Kind of Christian - This book was constantly referenced during the panel's discussion of the emergent movement

As I stated earlier, I don't endorse the movement (sorry, I still have some marketing tendencies), but there is a lot of really cool stuff that they're doing that any denomination can use. We need more creativity in worship and the EC folks really get that.

They Don't Say 'Em Like They Used To

noreply@blogger.com (Mark and Pam) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:50:00 +0000

During many of my classes we talk about the value of writing a prayer or praying something that someone else has written. My church history prof, in particular, usually starts class with a prayer written by a church father from the middle ages. Here's one that he recently read that was written by Thomas Aquinas in the 13th Century:

O creator past all telling,
you have appointed from the treasures of your wisdom
the hierarchies of angels,
disposing them in wondrous order
above the bright heavens,
and have so beautifully set out all parts of the universe.

You we call the true fount of wisdom
and the noble origin of all things.
Be pleased to shed
on the darkness of mind in which I was born,
The twofold beam of your light
and warmth to dispel my ignorance and sin.

You make eloquent the tongues of children.
Then instruct my speech
and touch my lips with graciousness.
Make me keen to understand, quick to learn,
able to remember;
make me delicate to interpret and ready to speak.

Guide my going in and going forward,
lead home my going forth.
You are true God and true man,
and live for ever and ever. Amen.

While it's good that we can say what we're thinking to God, this prayer puts my free form prayers to shame (since they usually start well but turn into a grocery list of stuff I think I need).

Good Bye 2008!

noreply@blogger.com (Mark and Pam) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:58:00 +0000

A trip to Germany and Spain. Moving 2700 miles. The skyrocketing neice/nephew count. Becoming a student again. 2008 was an amazing year!

Now that I'm a student I doubt 2009 will match this past year for momentous events, but you never know. I thought I'd take this opportunity to inform ya'll of Pam and my plans for this year.

The biggest event of our year will likely be a cross-cultural internship this summer. It's our hope that Pam will be able to join me on this 5-week missions trip. With the economy being so poor we need to decide if her being with me for the entire five weeks is worth risking her job not being here when we get back. We have several contingency plans and I'll let you all know what we plan on doing in a couple weeks.

We also hope to visit the northwest this year. We really miss all our friends and family in Lynden, Vancouver and Terrace and we know that if we know our best chance for a long trip out to see ya'll is this summer.

Thanks for making 2008 a memorable year!

Personality Type

noreply@blogger.com (Mark and Pam) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:32:00 +0000

Last week I took a personality test for my small group. I've done these things before and they haven't been very accurate, so I went into it with some skepticism. This was actually pretty good though.

Try it out at www.humanmetrics.com
Get some analysis of your results at www.personalitypage.com

It turns out I'm ENTJ and Pam is ISFJ. I think that makes us a pretty good combo.

Let me know what you are in a comment.