Apology

The featured speaker at the Missions' Conference last night was Erwin Lutzer, from Moody Church in Chicago...I can't say I found him tremendously impressive, but know you certainly can't judge definitively on the basis of one presentation - had never really heard of him before the last day or two. He did say somthing that I feel was quite misleading...He mentioned that more Christians - ie. Anabaptists - had been put to death in the era of the Reformers than in the early Roman Empire, insinuating that was sheer wicked prejudice on the part of the Reformational church...Mentioned Zwingli as mocking the "baptism" of an Anabaptist forcibly drowned in a river...

My understanding of this period of history is that the great challenge to the Reformers was to prove that European/western culture could survive without the centralized authority of the Roman church. In Protestantism, every man would be his own pope and society would break down into total chaos and confusion. The Reformers responded no, believers were under the very real authority of thee word of God. A conscience in submission to that word would be orderly and godly...

Then the Anabaptists appeared on the scene. As I recall, though will have to now check this out in my church history book, many of them denied the orthodox position on Scripture, believing that there was direct inspiration of the human spirit. They denied the legitimacy of civil leaders, and were iconoclastic - entering Catholic churches and destroying property etc...An unruly bunch in many ways, indeed threatening civil order and the legitimacy of the Reformation itself. That is what the Reformers were fighting against. They were as frightened of the potential of this group as were others. This is when, in reaction, Luther began to go somewhat backward in his theology, retreating to a somewhat more RC understanding of the Lord's Supper etc...And Zwingli (returning to him) was the main proponent of the authority of Scripture, as Luther was of justification by faith...

It seems to me there was an unbalanced presentation in Lutzer's speech...Am going to try and talk with him about it today, if possible...Went to his Wikipedia entry and saw that both his MA and doctorate are in philosophy, from a Jesuit institution...Last but not least, he gave Dad the heeby-jeebies....And I have learned over the years how very good Dad's radar is...What is the truth about this man? Don't know, will just keep these things in mind and heart.

Father, fill us with wisdom and discernment!

Babies

Maryanne came to Chattanooga for an overnight getaway Wednesday afternoon. She brought just one fellow-traveler with her - Baby WIll. He was as good as gold, but my, how he talks! On and on he goes - with much expression. What a chatterbox he will be...And then Cora comes into the picture - little blue eyes shining in her roly-poly porcelain face...I imagine Grace will post some pictures on Facebook of the two together-be sure to check and see...Dad and I are off to a missions conference today that Tim told us about....And now, most importantly...a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our Abby!

Laughter

And did we laugh. I met Katherine last night for coffee at Stone Cup. We sat for three hours and, at times, were laughing so hard we both had tears running down our cheeks. Thank-you, Father, for a friend who shares my cynical/philosophical sense of humor!

Homeward Bound: Part Two

Wow! A Tim Horton's this far south (we are south of Dayton, Ohio). Great! This way we get a reliable and cheap supper - chili and a toasted bagel each. In we go and place our order. Oh, dear. This does not look right. The chili is the same as ever, but the bagel! It is kind-of-heated, but definitely not toasted...And there is no butter! They have just opened and I guess they are not aware of the expectations! I go back to the counter, bagels in hand, and tell the young man - kindly, for his good! - that he will probably have many Canadians stopping there, and that these bagels simply won't do...They have to be brown, and soaked in butter!...Alright! That is taken care of. Dad and I munch our way through our supper contentedly.

We leave in darkness. Early evenings and we will now miss all the most beautiful scenery in Kentucky and Tennessee. Too bad! As we climb in the car, I have a sense of foreboding. Let's pray again, I say to Dad. "Father please take care of us as we drive the rest of the way in the dark. You know we are tired, and our eyesight is not A1. Please keep us from other cars, and other cars away from us. Amen."...And I ask Dad to drive now. But I must stay awake, not sleep, though I am very tired. He might need me....And we enter the highway.

We are now through Cincinnati and have entered Kentucky...Getting there! Oh, more construction! As always...and no shoulder for the next few miles...Alright..But we continue on at seventy miles an hour, as does everyone...Boy, traffic is heavy for this time of night....John, John, watch out! Watch out!...What?...And he sees it - an old van, stalled in the right hand lane, right in our path - no hazards, nowhere to go with the closed shoulder...A man jumps up and down beside it, motioning us away with all his might....Dad intuitively swings into the left lane - empty! And so does the transport behind us as he realizes the danger...And we are past almost before we can think...Safe! And a prayer answered.

But I still cannot get that man out of my mind. Did he survive until a policeman was able to stop traffic flow? Were there others, perhaps children, in the car that he had not had a chance to get out? To me, he looked like a dead man, like a man hanging over a cliff with an unraveling rope...An image I will never forget.

Homeward Bound: Part One

Finally we are approaching the border. It has been a long drive after a late start, so it is already one-thirty. I am driving as Dad has needed to catch up on some sleep...But things look different this time. There are twice as many gates as there used to be. Are they really all for border crossing? Are some for entrance to the highway, just beyond? What is this? I get in one of the new lanes and wait a few minutes - very slow...But, perhaps these are not what I want . I switch into one of the lines at a gate I recognize. Good! There are only two cars in front of me. This should be quick. But it isn't. We wait and wait. And we are not the only ones. All the cars are sitting, sitting. The guards are out of their booths, heavily armed,looking under cars, examining documents, doing who knows what else? And the cameras. I don't remember that many cameras - not one, but many in each line, photographing from every angle. What is this? This does not seem a user-friendly situation. Finally, car one gets the signal to move out. Car two pulls ahead and sits for ten minutes while he is thoroughly investigated. Now our turn...Big, swarthy face. Not friendly looking....What is your citizenship. I'm Canadian. And what does Dad say? Canadian? American? Duel? He has gotten in trouble before for giving the wrong answer. Both, he finally says and this seems acceptable as guard looks at our documents. Where have you been? Where do you live? How long were you there? Any alcohol? Tobacco? And I breathe a sigh of relief. Seems we are about ready to be released. But he mutters something into a microphone. And we are told to go into the nearby area to be searched....Here! Here! Park here! ...And I do....No, over here. And I do. I watch an old man get out of his car. Guards take it and drive it through a huge machine I assume is some sort of detector. A short distance away, someone's engine is being taken apart piece by piece... Now, get out of the car and go into the office. Take your documents and purse but leave your cell phone and everything else here...But I have jewelry in my suitcase. I don't want to leave it.....Don't worry. I won't steal it. We will take good care of you. You are on the right side of the border now....We enter the office, Dad tired with hands in pocket...Take your hands out of your pockets!...Go to that lane. Hand in all your documents, then go and sit over there. While we wait, other terrorists enter the office - women, children grandparents. We sit quietly together. OK. Over here. Where do you live? Who was driving the car? Is it your car? Where did you go? Why did you go? How long have you been in the States? All the while she searches my face, especially my eyes, looking for telltale signs of lying...My mind races while I am answering her. How do you look honest? Do I look honest? I don't know...All right. Go and sit down again...OK. Come and sign this sheet. Here are your documents. You can go now...We go out to the car and I open the trunk. I may get into trouble for it, but I am going to check to see my jewelry is still there. It is....You know what? The people involved were pleasant and professional. But I'm still not sure I am on the right side of the border.

The Little Reprobate

Tim and Aileen are out. Dad and I sit at the table with the children. Time to read the Bible and pray.

Michaela: I don't want to read the Bible tonight. It's boring.

Mimi: Oh, but it's important to read it every night, just like Daddy does. Of course we are going to read it.

Michaela: No, it's boring.

Michaela again: And I don't want to pray. Usually I pray but tonight I don't want to.

Beba: OK guys...

Michaela: I have to go poo poo...Right now...And off she goes.

Dad begins to read the Bible. Slam goes the bathroom door!

And mostly, as far as I can tell, she is not abnormally rebellious...What a job God does when he takes these little unruly hearts and subdues them...But also, given her wee age and generally submissive heart, how absurdly humorous....

Needed: The King's English

Dear Campbell Soup,
I think your most recent radio ad for one of your products needs revamping. I followed your oh-so-compelling script with (some) interest: How do you feel about going home to those low-fat frozen meals in your freezer? I mean, they are great if you want to eat sixteen of them...But now let's think about Campbells Junky Soup...Can't you just taste the roast beef, the cut vegetables, the simmering potatoes? Simmer it. Let the smell waft through the house. Substantial. Satisfying. A real alternative: Campbells Junky Soup...

Nightmare: Standing behind the lady who is spending sixty-seven dollars at the dollar store....

Sign at the coffee shop: I don't have a problem with coffee. I have a problem without it.

Bumper sticker: My child is an honor student and my president is a moron...

Most beautiful spot in USA: Chattanooga, walking across the Tennessee River via the walking bridge on a clear and sunny day...

Utter relaxation: Agatha Christie late afternoon while drinking a glass of wine.

Anticipation: Canada in the fall...God willing, see you soon, family...