The City To Come

Why I wrote "In Defense of Facebook"

2012-01-04T16:29:00.000-06:00

Photo from Thrive80.com

As many of you know, I write for a blog called Thrive80. This week they are celebrating the release of a book called "Unfriend Yourself." They've had a lot of blog posts recently about the dangers of social media, and how much better life would be without it.

I'll readily admit that there are problems and issues with social media. But I'd like to submit that the answer to these problems and issues is not to simply "unplug" and retreat, but it is to use these social media in a way that glorifies God.

That is why I'm glad Thrive80 asked me to write a post "In Defense of Facebook." I got to write about using Facebook for the sake of the Gospel. This is only a fraction of what I wanted to write, but time and space limited what I could say. I hope to write a follow up post soon, talking about some practical ways to use social media for good.

Check out the post, and let the website know you want to hear more from me by "liking" the post, tweeting about it, and sharing it. This will let me keep writing about the Gospel for Thrive80.

Why are we talking about a brutal murder? It's Christmas time!

2011-12-14T19:16:00.000-06:00

My brother recently posted a status on his Facebook page that stirred up a tiny controversy that has great implications. Joseph posted a quote from a popular Lecrae song, saying "If Jesus wasn't executed, there's no celebration." This is referring to Galatians 6:14 where Paul writes that he cannot boast in anything except the brutal murder of Jesus Christ, because through this he and every Christian has been set free from sin.

This post itself wasn't what brought about the discussion, but it was the time of year that this was posted. A couple of Joseph's friends (who are my friends as well) poked a little fun at him for posting a song about the crucifixion during Christmas time. Of course, the posts were in jest, and I of all people have an appreciation for teasing, especially my little brother. But I think this joking reveals a subtle (but important) issue in Christianity today.

We want to divorce the idea of Jesus coming to earth as a baby from His mission. In fact, we'd rather not think of anything bad when we think of Jesus' birth. We want to remember a Silent Night, in which Jesus laid Away in a Manger, no crying He made... but that's not the reality of the events surrounding Jesus' birth.

In a culture known for hospitality (travelers would stay with friends, or even in strangers' homes), there was no room for Jesus, even in the Inn. He was rejected from His birth. He was put up in "barn" or more likely a cave where the animals were kept. This place was nasty. It was before power-washers and cleaning supplies and electricity. It was stinky, and when Jesus was born, He was placed in a feeding trough.

Why do we domesticate Jesus' birth so much? Why would we rather throw a baby shower than remember the funeral procession for Jesus? Perhaps we would rather think happy thoughts about His birth than to be reminded of the reason He had to come -- our sin. Jesus came from heaven, a place of riches beyond compare, to a house only fit for animals. He got dirty for us, He became uncomfortable for us.

But most importantly, He came to die. That was His job. He set aside His power, glory, and relationship with the Father to become obedient, even unto death. His birth was overshadowed by the cross. The Wise Men who brought gifts for the little baby Jesus (who was probably about 2 when they found him), brought Myrrh, a spice used to anoint dead people. They had no business giving that to a little two year old, yet there it was, a picture of the cross to come. And when Jesus was young, His family had to flee to Egypt to escape the massacre of all the boys that Herod killed, knowing that Baby Jesus was all-powerful.
So yes, there's good reason to celebrate; Jesus has come to earth! He has come, as a baby, in the most unassuming of ways. So we rejoice in His birth, but not simply because babys are cute, and it's fun to think about little baby Jesus, but because He came to set us free from the sickening slavery of sin. He came, ready to die.

We hold these things in tension. God didn't give us an easy way out. We should not simply celebrate Jesus' birth at Christmas and His death on Good Friday and His Resurrection on Easter, but we should always remember these things. They are held in tension, as the sacrifice for our sins is laid in a manger, just a baby.

As I do that, I find it helpful to look through Christmas hymns that are cross-centered. There is a beautiful way to hold these things in tension, and often times hymn-writers get it right. So this Christmas, as you sing songs, read over the verses you sing, and also read the verses that are skipped over. And celebrate Jesus, born to die, and to be raised again.

Here's a couple of examples:

From Hark, The Herald Angels Sing:
Mild He lays His glories by,
Born that men no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.

What Child is This:
Why lies He in such mean estate,

Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear: for sinners here,

The silent Word is pleading.

Nails, spear shall pierce him through,

The Cross be borne for me, for you;

Hail, hail the Word Made Flesh,

The babe, the son of Mary!

FINALSSSSS

2011-12-05T20:59:00.001-06:00

Hey followers!

Please pray for me as I finish up the fall semester here at Moody. I'm only a week and a half away, but have a lot of work left to do. Please keep me in your prayers if you think of it.

-cd

Five things I do to relax

2011-11-24T13:33:00.000-06:00

I need to take a break from studying!

With Thanksgiving weekend now here, I enjoy getting a chance to relax and take a break from normal activities.

Here's some things I do to relax:

Pray

Talking to God gives me a peace that goes beyond all comprehension... hmmm... seems I read that somewhere before...

Take a nap

Sometimes I just need some sleep. Even in the times when I have "too much to do" I'm too tired to actually accomplish anything. So I take a nap, and am actually able to do more when I wake up refreshed.

Watch tv

Sometimes Jay Leno or Stephen Colbert or some other quick tv show will help me relax... 20 minutes of laughing will go a long way

Clean up my desk

Having a clean working area seems to be incredibly helpful

Exercise

I go for a short run or hop on the bike. It really helps.

What do you do to relax? Comment with a 1-10 word description of what you do to relax.

Guest Blogging

2011-11-22T11:58:00.001-06:00

Yo, I'm guest blogging at Thrive80. It's a blog from a bunch of young people, with new posts every day. Check out my post HERE and like it, share it, vote for it, etc.

Also look at other people's posts while you're there.

If you want to hear me more on that blog, let them know. And comment on it if you'd like. This is the photo... with a photo like this, you know it's a good blog.

Execution Jewelry

2011-11-15T19:59:00.001-06:00

I grew up listening to Christian music. I love me some Going Public by the Newsboys, Nu Thang by DC Talk, Don't Censor Me by Audio Adrenaline, and Change Your World by Michael W. Smith. And going back and listening to some of that music brings back strong emotions. But I'm thankful that Christian music has come a long way since I was 3.

My dad, Smitty, and me

What I have loved though, is this desire in specific artists to communicate heavy truths in an artistic way. DC Talk talked about racism, Audio Adrenaline about being a missionary in your everyday life, and Michael W. Smith about wearing a cross without picking up your spiritual cross.

When I was younger (aka the 90s), it was super popular to wear a cross necklace, especially a wooden or a golden cross. Michael W. Smith (Smitty) wrote a song dealing with that in the early 90s. He has since gotten a lot cooler. (I'm not hating on Smitty, I respect him a lot! In fact, I recently got the chance to meet him on one of his tours. My dad and I got back stage passes!)

So anyway, this was the response to it when I was 3-ish (you don't have to watch the whole video, although it will give you a laugh. I love a. the guy yawning at the beginning, b. the little head shake Smitty does towards the beginning, and c. the way everyone on the stage does the head bang thing at the end.)

Here it is:

Nowadays, with people like Ke$ha talking about being cool with Jesus cause she's got Him on her necklace, there's new issues that have risen. We as Christians need to be thoughtful about the music we listen to, and respond theologically. Artists like Andy Mineo address this by getting to the point behind what Ke$ha is saying by writing this lyric: "We don't want no Jesus 'less He's chillin on our necklaces." You can see this in this short clip from his song, Formerly Known:

Mineo also addresses the same issues as Smitty in his song "Pick it Up." It's still essentially the same message (Why do you wear a cross?), but more of a modern feel. (This one you should want to listen to all the way through, but I won't know if you don't.)

I'm thankful for artists like Andy Mineo, because he isn't afraid to address real issues. He also makes quality music. He hasn't attached his message to some old form of music, such as hymns, quartet music, or easy listening. He is exploring new methods of music and keeping great content. He glorifies God by writing new music and playing skillfully (which by the way is a command in Scripture.) He's one of many who do this, and I'm thankful for his ministry.

(You can download his recent album here for free. Don't worry, it's his own website, 100% legal.)

Keep it up Christian artists!

And for all you readers of this blog, support these guys, the people who make music that is honoring to God in both content and form.

Bubby's still at work

2011-11-08T20:54:00.000-06:00

My mom sent me some photos the other day... reminded me of my most popular blog post of the semester.

You can read it here.

He doesn't have his light up shoes any more...

Mindless Media

2011-11-01T23:42:00.001-05:00

Kickin back after a long day, to watch TV

My mom posted these pictures of my new little brother watching Sesame Street this past week. He is zoned out! Just chillin' in the laundry basket, completely enthralled with the TV.

How often do we consume media like my little brother does? Sitting back in out laundry basket (or lazy boy), consuming whatever is thrown our way? Do we trust whatever is placed on the screen before us?

I recently watched Jay Leno's interview of President Obama with my girlfriend and roommates. I actually watched it twice, with two different groups of people, and each time, we took time to pause the clip, discuss what was happening, what was being said, and what was being said behind the words. It was great.

This is not an isolated example, I've been doing this with friends, coworkers, and my roommates as I read articles and newspapers, watch movies and tv shows, and engage in social media. I've grown as a thinker and as a Christian as I've thought more critically about what I consume. It is especially helpful for me as I grow as a communicator.

My little bro watching Sesame Street

I've been making an attempt to be more attentive when watching TV/movies. I want to make sure to engage the media I consume, from TV and movies to blogs and news articles I read.

A couple of things have been helpful as I've sought to intentionally engage media of all kinds:

Watching with friends - Community is very helpful in processing what I watch and read, and helping make good decisions in what I spend my time consuming.

Taking time to discuss - For me, this is often in the middle of a show or movie or whatever, but for some that may be very annoying. At least make an attempt to discuss what you've seen at the end.

Being intentional - Not every show or movie made is worth watching. Not every book or blog written is worth reading. Pay attention to what you are consuming.

What do you do to consume media in a God-honoring way?

Dare to stand out

2011-10-24T14:57:00.000-05:00

I saw this fence last spring along the beach while I was walking one misty day. It caught my eye, cause it stands out. In the middle of a cloudy Chicago, this fence could not help but stand out.

The first thing you notice is this yellow gate. Your eyes are drawn to what is different. You don't notice the fence that it's connected to on either side until you study the photo for a while. Why is that? It's because the yellow fence looks so much different than it's surroundings.

The Christian's life should be similar. Your life should stand out in a dark world. You should not be conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of your mind in Christ Jesus. You shouldn't use your freedom as a cover up for evil, but for sharing the Gospel.

Are you salt and light?
Or do you use your "freedom in Christ" as an excuse to look just like the world?
What about your speech, your conduct, and your belief makes you different?
Can people see the brightness of your hope in a dreary world?

Do you stand out amongst your surroundings, or do you fit in without even thinking?

Power-boots

2011-10-18T16:32:00.001-05:00

It's autumn in Chicago, which means great weather for evening walks through the city with friends. I saw this advertisement a few days ago while on one such walk with my lovely girlfriend. It got me thinking...

This is out in front of a store on Oak Street.

What is this advertisement really selling? Is it boots? Or is it something else? When we see commercials on TV or in magazines marketed to guys, it's often selling sex, wealth, status, or power. This ad seems to be promoting something, maybe it's power? Could we capture what the advertiser is trying to say?

"If you buy these boots, you will have power over the man in your life."
"When you wear these boots nothing can stand in your way."

Maybe it's something else, but I wonder what is being communicated.

Is this right? What if it were a picture of a man wearing boots, stepping on a woman's head? What would the public think of that? I would venture to say the general response would not be pleasant.

This one's on Chicago Ave.

I saw another ad a few days later. This one was for BP. I don't know about you, but the first thing I think of when I hear "BP" is oil-covered birds, a destroyed Gulf Coast, and the other aftermath of the Gulf Coast oil spill and leak.

Yet BP (yes, British Petroleum) is supporting the USA in the olympics. This has little to do with the Brits' love for America, and much more to do with BP's desire to change their image in America.

Think about it for a second, your first response to this might be, "Oh the Olympics are coming up soon, I'm glad BP reminded me. Those BP logos kinda resemble the Olympic circles."

What BP wants you to think is "If you don't like BP, you don't like America." To hate BP is unpatriotic.

The main point:

I've raised a few questions in this post. Not because I like questions for the sake of questions, but because I like questions for the sake of answers. Yet answers usually come in response to questions. So it's important to be asking yourself questions as you live your life. Throughout your day, as you consume media (consciously or unconsciously), think through what you are being told, or led to believe. So if it's an ad, a tv show, a movie, a book, a radio program, a song, or whatever, think through it for just a second, and see what worldview is being portrayed. There's a lot more than meets the eye.

What are your thoughts on these two ads?
What questions do you ask yourself through out the day when you encounter various media?

God's Glory in the Evil of the Cross

2011-10-03T14:11:00.000-05:00

Download this book for free at desiringgod.org

I've been thinking a lot lately about evil. (Well since the topic came up in a discussion in church yesterday). Then I read this today. What a powerful display. This is from the introduction to Spectacular Sins by John Piper. Let this encourage and comfort you.

     The apex of the glory of Christ is the glory of his grace—treating people infinitely better than they deserve—giving himself for the everlasting joy of the worst of sinners who will have him as their highest Treasure. And the apex of this grace is the murder of the God-man outside Jerusalem around a.d. 33. The death of Jesus Christ was murder. It was the most spectacular sin ever committed.
     At the all-important pivot of human history, the worst sin ever committed served to show the greatest glory of Christ and obtain the sin-conquering gift of God’s grace. God did not just overcome evil at the cross. He made evil serve the overcoming of evil. He made evil commit suicide in doing its worst evil.
     Evil is anything and everything opposed to the fullest display of the glory of Christ. That’s the meaning of evil. In the death of Christ, the powers of darkness did their best to destroy the glory of the Son of God. This is the apex of evil. But instead they found themselves quoting the script of ancient prophecy and acting the part assigned by God. Precisely in putting Christ to death, they put his glory on display—the very glory that they aimed to destroy. The apex of evil achieved the apex of the glory of Christ. The glory of grace.

Things Caleb Takes For Granted Number Twenty

2011-09-24T14:32:00.002-05:00

Every so often I'm reminded that I take pretty much everything for granted.

Here's another thing I take for granted:

My Moody Education.

I so often take my education for granted. It's a college education, for one, but it's also under some of the best profs in the world in my field.

Wow. What else can I say?

Die-hard Theology Fans: A caution to Bible College students

2011-09-16T11:43:00.000-05:00

My new haircut

I'm a big fan of the Dallas Cowboys. That might be an understatement. Well, look at the picture, and then decide. I care a lot about the Cowboys. Maybe too much, but that's another blog post.

I know the names of most of the starters, I understand the basic function of their positions, and can even recognize some formations in relation to certain plays. But I'm far from an expert. I have never played football (minus the one game of flag football I played last year on the kickoff team and the time I played in 2nd grade). I didn't even start regularly watching football until I came to college three years ago. Yes, I had dabbled in football growing up, watching the Boys on Thanksgiving and Christmas and such, but I had not been fully converted to being a football fan until later in life.

I remember my freshman and sophomore years watching games with people who grew up watching football. They would take time to explain plays to me, and why certain rules existed. They helped me grow, and their knowledge of the game fueled their passion for watching.

I still don't understand all the stuff involving contracts and backup players and what routes each player is to run and all of the rules of the game and how the entire league works, but I know that I love watching the game. I'm a football fan. I'm learning more and more about the game every week, and thanks to friends who have been football fans much longer than I, I'm growing as a football fan.

As an encouragement to my fellow Bible College students: let me submit to you that we should come alongside our peers in the same way that friends have come alongside me in my football journey. Many of our Christian friends have developed a personal love for Jesus and for theology later in life (i.e. during college). We've been blessed at Bible College to immerse ourselves in theology and doctrine and training for ministry. We've been blessed through chapel, community, and opportunities to serve throughout the city. We know the ins and outs of theology and such.

With graduation coming soon for some of us, let us come alongside those eager to learn. May we let our passion for the Lord be contagious. I pray our knowledge of Scripture fuels our pursuit.

So share your passion for Jesus. Let your excitement be contagious. Don't look down on people without a degree in Bible or Theology, and don't judge people who haven't been around Christianity their whole lives. Don't expect people to know the finer points of doctrine after a month of coming to church. But share your life, share your joy, and use what you've learned to encourage others to learn more too.

Be an encouraging theology fan, not an obnoxious one.

May we never forget

2011-09-10T11:08:00.002-05:00

All week people have been talking about where they were on September 11. I remember exactly where I was. At the time I was homeschooled, and was driving into town for the one class I took in public school, choir. We heard on the radio the beginning reports of the towers being hit. During choir, my teacher played the radio saying, "pay attention, history is happening."After choir my mom took me over to the church where my dad was at work. (There was TV in our church, and not at our house.) I remember being glued to the TV, scared out of my mind as I watched the events unfold. I ran back and forth from the TV to my dad's office to tell him the latest updates.

Photo from www.headlinesnews.net

I was 11.

This was the first world event I remember unfolding. Previous events I had learned about in history class. But this one unfolded in front of my young, impressionable mind. We went to war over this, and have been at war since. This day stands in my memory sharply. I'm the youngest of the generation that remembers this day.

There will always be this deep hurt for my country when I think of 9/11. I keep wanting closure, but I don't know if I'll ever get that. Even the fatal capture of Bin Laden did not soothe the pain I feel for my country.

What a constant reminder that my citizenship is not here, but in heaven. May we never forget.

Digging holes with light-up shoes

2011-09-06T10:59:00.001-05:00

Bubby loved helping remodel the house this summe

This summer we did some remodeling around my parents' house. One of the projects we did (I don't have a clue why) was to install egress windows in the basement. My two teenage brothers worked with a contractor to get this done, digging two holes about five by five feet and six feet deep. I was working on a farm during the day each day throughout the summer, so I successfully avoided most of this work.

One day I came home after a full day of work to meet my two-year-old brother eagerly waiting for my return.

"Culub! Culub!"
"Hi Bubby! How was your day?"
"Dig?"
"What?"
"Dig! Dig! Dig!"
"Mom, what is he saying?"
"I told him he could dig holes for the windows, but not until you or your father gets home."

I did not want to go back in the hot sun and work even more, but my little brother was so excited to work alongside me that I agreed to work for at least a little while.

"Go grab your shoes Bubby."
"Why?"
"Because we're going to work outside."
"OK!"

Bubby ran outside without his shoes on.
I repeated the above conversation about three or four times before finally convincing him to get his shoes. After he got his shoes on I handed him his little shovel, I grabbed mine, and we went to the first hole. After about two minutes Bubby asked me this question.

"Culub, we can dig over there?"
"No Bubs, we're digging in this hole right now. Let's finish this hole first."

Bubby looks at the work he has to do

"Why?"
"Because Bubby."

How can I explain to him that switching holes will take time, we'd have to climb out, go to the other hole, climb down, and start over there. How can I explain that it's pointless to switch? We had decided on this hole and simply needed to get it done. Both holes needed to be dug, and we were focused on this one.

"Ok!" was his trusting response.

As we dug, I obviously was the one doing the work. Bubby moved his little shovel around, hit the side of the walls, asked me to use his shovel to dig, kicked rocks, but the thing he spent most of his time doing was watching his shoes light up. He stomped his feet, jumped up and down, and told me every 60 seconds or so to look at his shoes.

Had this been a coworker of mine, or someone with the ability to do the same amount of work I could, I would have been beyond frustrated. But this was my baby brother. I love him, and he came away from the afternoon knowing he had worked with his big brother. In his mind, he had dug those holes along with my help. However, I loved being able to spend time with him, even though he was not helping me make any progress.

As I reflected on this experience this summer, I was reminded of my relationship with God. When I take part in the work of God, sometimes I have the idea that I'm actually doing the work. However, Scripture is clear that God is the one who really does the work. He allows us to be a part of His work.

Ohhh!!!

Sometimes I'm just like Bubby. I don't want to put my shoes on, but after being gently reminded several times, I finally put my shoes on. But I get distracted. Instead of focusing on digging (the work that God is doing), I focus on my light-up shoes. So instead of focusing on the worship I'm taking part in when I lead music, I focus entirely on my guitar or the notes I'll sing or something like that. While it is important to put on my shoes before I dig, and it's important to lead music skillfully, I pray I don't lose sight of what is really going on in the midst of the work of the Lord.

I also understood a little more of God's heart in working with us as I worked with Bubby that day. I was never mad at my brother for not being able to do the same amount of work I could. He could not even work in that hole without my help. In the same way, if God is not at work, neither will my work amount to anything. Yet when God is at work in my neighborhood, my city, or even around the world, I am privileged when He invites me to join in His work. I loved that Bubby wanted to be with me, and God loves when we want to be with Him.

In what ways are you focusing on your light up shoes? Do you think you are doing the work that God is actually doing? Do you trust that God has your best in mind when you continually ask "Why?"

The Proverbs 31 woman is following me on Twitter. So is the Proverbs 5 girl.

2011-09-01T21:27:00.001-05:00

Like anything, the Internet can be used for good or for bad. As Christians we need to be careful how we use the Internet. Not only do we have to guard against where we go on the Internet, we also need to be aware of what comes to us. A couple of days ago I found these two notifications in my email inbox.

Everyday when we get online we have a choice. Will we follow lady Wisdom from Proverbs 31? Or will we follow the sketchy girl found in Proverbs 5 who leads us to distruction? (Check out Proverbs 5 here. ) They both follow us, but who will we listen to as they call out in the "streets" of Twitter?

This post is not just for guys, it's for all of us. Are we using out time online to glorify God and pursue righteousness? Or are we allowing ourselves to respond to whatever comes to us on the web?

Use the Internet as a tool, don't let it turn you into it's tool.

Permanently Temporary

2011-08-19T16:12:00.002-05:00

It's my last year at Moody. I'm a Senior. I have spent the past four years packing and unpacking all my things every couple of months. By the time I get settled in each Fall it's almost time to go home for a month for Christmas. And then when I get back to Moody in the Spring I have a little time to stay put before Summer rolls around. But there's also those trips to Haiti, Hong Kong and China, Spain, and Morocco that I end up going on. I'm never in one place for more than a couple months.

Moving into D312 last week

Knowing this has made it all the more difficult to unpack this year. As I brought my stuff from home, and dragged out the boxes from storage I began to wonder if I really needed to hang my pictures up, or unpack all my books. Will I really need my coat and boots? What about my Christmas lights?

My time here is so temporary. But I choose to settle in and unpack. Why? Because I'm here, and I have a desire to make this dorm (D312) my home. Even though I know I'm leaving soon, I want to feel like I'm at home.

Isn't this the same way with all our lives? We read that we are aliens, strangers, in a foreign land. Our citizenship is in heaven. Yet we live like this earth is our home.

How would our lives be different if we lived in light of our soon-coming graduation into eternity with Jesus?

Thorns, Thistles, and the Sweat of my Brow

2011-06-18T15:57:00.000-05:00

After spending three and a half weeks abroad, I was welcomed home to my freedoms as an American citizen by being summoned to serve on jury duty. When I was not serving in the juror pool, I was working on a farm, killing weeds in a forest. An army of Autumn Olive plants has taken over an entire forest as seen in this picture:

My job has been to rid the forest of all these plants. It's been good to be outside doing physical labor, but it has also made me more and more aware of my human frailty.

I've come to understand the Curse and the Fall in Genesis 3 a little more this past week. My week has been full with thorns, thistles, sweat on my brow, and even a few snakes. As I've labored out in this forest, I've been awakened more to my longing for heaven. I had the privilege of listening to a few sermons from Matt Chandler on my iPod while working out in the field, and in one recent sermon Chandler outlined death and the origins of death in the Fall. In the next sermon, he began to describe heaven. My longings for eternal rest with Jesus were stirred. As I worked out the consequences of the Fall, I listened to a glorious description of Heaven and the Ultimate Reality to come when we see Jesus with unveiled faces.
With this all in mind, my fervor for serving God's Kingdom with every breath and every second of my life was renewed. I want to encourage you to not waste your summer, but use it for the Kingdom. How are you advancing His Kingdom this summer?

Today is the day Jesus is coming back!

2011-05-23T07:15:00.001-05:00

With the repeat of Harold Camping's failed predictions of a rapture we can know the time of, Jesus' words ring in my head.

"But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come."
(Mark 13:32-33 ESV)

Jesus IS coming back, but we do not know win. The application is not for us to try to predict and to find out when He is coming, but to live every day as though Jesus were coming back. Perhaps it would be helpful to put a piece of paper in your wallet or on your mirror or on your computer's screensaver, saying "Today is the day Jesus is coming back!"

How would your life change? Would you sell your possessions to tell everyone as some who followed Harold Camping did? Would your budget look different? Would your time look different? Would your facebook posts look different?

So live as if today really is the day, because it could be.

We know not when Jesus will return, but we should live in light of His return, knowing that He is coming at any minute.

Lord Jesus, come quickly!

"MBI Story" Review

2011-05-23T07:09:00.002-05:00

In celebration of Moody Bible Institute's 125th anniversary Moody Publishers released a book highlighting the history of MBI. The author of the book is James Vincent who has been on staff at MBI for years, now as Senior Editor of Moody Publishers. This history of Moody is titled, "The MBI Story: The Vision and Worldwide Impact of Moody Bible Institute."

This book is a great read for those interested in MBI, and those who have been involved in MBI at some point in their lives. However, as one might expect, the story may not be as interesting for those not well acquainted with Moody's ministries. I say that because I do not know if a history of any other institute would be as compelling as one of MBI is to me.

Many perspectives are presented in the book, however one of the biggest weaknesses of this book is the lack of a student's perspective. Vincent was not a student at Moody. As a student reading this book, I was not reminded much of my time at MBI as a student as much as I was reminded of my time as a part-time employee, research that I have done on the history of MBI, and my family's own history with the institute. The book was more of a museum, less of a dorm/cafeteria/library/classroom.

Yet this work is a great combination of historical facts. While many facts are presented, there does not seem to be one "MBI Story" running through the book. There are many stories (called "MBI Impact) in the book, but they are set apart from the text, on pages of their own. They interrupt the flow of the historical facts (the flow of the book), and some times are just more lists of facts.

One of the main points of this book was to prove that "innovation is part of [MBI's] DNA" (20). Throughout the book Vincent shows how different leaders have been innovative throughout the years. This is perhaps the best picture of a thread that runs through the entire piece. However, organizationally, this book is a bit of a mess. Some of the information is repeated several times (because the book is laid out categorically, not linearly). This also takes away from the story-feel of this book.

Overall, however, this book is a great read for those who love Moody, and want to know more about the institution so dear to them. I would recommend this book to every student at Moody, as to remind them where this institution came from. I would also recommend it to any and every prospective student, so they know what they are hoping to become a part of. For employees, this book is a great reminder of the overall purpose of Moody, and the reason each of us does what we do. And for alumni and supporters, this book also allows people to see the long history of Moody, and the ways we are continuing in the footsteps of those who have gone before us.

I received this book free from Moody Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

It feels like summertime!

2011-05-23T04:18:00.000-05:00

THIS POST SHOULD HAVE GONE UP LAST WEEK, BUT BLOGGER FAILED TO PUBLISH IT AUTOMATICALLY. I just wanted to keep you all aware of what is going on in my life! Here it is:

Lord willing, this post is going up while I'm in Spain! If everything has gone according to plan, I flew out of O'Hare on Saturday, and arrived in Spain yesterday, and I'm probably still suffering from jet lag as you are reading this.

I've finished up another great semester at Moody, and I'm looking forward to a great summer. Winter seemed to drag on forever in Chicago, as you can see in this picture from early May this year. It was a chilly spring, with lots of clouds and rain.

The Trump Tower cuts through Chicago's cloudy sky in early May

I'm in Spain visiting my girlfriend's family, and I'll be here for about 3 weeks or so. I plan on coming back home to Normal to do some construction work and online work for Moody Distance Learning. I also hope to be very involved in activities with Grace Church in Normal, especially in light of the 50th anniversary!

Hopefully I'll be able to share some pictures with you of my time in Spain, but until then, thanks for following along this summer!

Methods for leading Church Music

2011-05-09T10:28:00.001-05:00

A lot of my readers know me as a musician. Perhaps it is because leading music is such a public ministry, or maybe it's because there seems to be a rumor going around that I'm a music major at Moody. These beliefs are not out of line; in high school I led the youth group band, for a while led the college group band, and was involved in "big church" music nearly every week. I was in band and choir and marching band and wind ensemble and jazz choir and played music with my friends Jared and Josh constantly. We played music at events around the community, around church, and on several mission trips. In college, though, the role of music in my life has diminished a bit. However, I still have been involved in leading music at the church plant I'm attending here in Chicago. I have lead music about every three weeks or so, along with a few other things for school and back at home.

Over the past few years I've had many opportunities to lead music in many different environments. I don't know much about music, but I've formed my own habits. I would love to share them with you, not as "A guide to leading church music," or a "How-to manual," but as a post on how I prepare for leading worship music. Perhaps this will benefit you, especially if you are a musical worship leader or are aspiring to lead church music.

My Current Method:

My method of preparing has changed much over the years, and is still in process. But here's a few principles I implement at this point:

I Start Early

I usually start thinking about my set about two weeks ahead of time. So two weeks out or so I'm listening to songs I hear in chapel or at church services or what comes on my iTunes with intentionality. I'm aware of what songs I have a longing to hear. (Do you ever get a craving to hear a song? Sometimes I just want to listen to a certain song, and I can't get it out of my head until I play it. This happens curiously often with "Come Thou Fount.") The songs I find myself gravitating towards make it onto a mental list of options for leading music. Starting early helps me orient myself to a list of songs from which to choose.

I Prepare My Heart

Preparing my heart to respond to God in song is a process. I often find listening to sermons or reading God's Word ignites a response in my heart that responds in song. It could be a phrase in a sermon, a verse in Scripture that reminds me of a song, or perhaps simply the Spirit moving in my heart that encourages me to play songs in response.

I Pick Songs with Similar Themes

Sometimes I know what the message theme will be ahead of time, in which case I try to match the songs with that theme. More often than not though, I do not know the theme of the message. Therefore I usually try to keep songs around one theme. This helps me focus on what songs to play, and allows our hearts to respond to one singular theme.

I Pick Songs in the Same Key

There's a certain flow I like to keep in leading church music. As a congregant singing along with a music set, I am sometimes interrupted by a leader needing to switch keys for a new song. I think many times those 5-15 second pauses break me out of musical worship, and bust the mood. Because of this I try to pick two to three songs in the same key. This way I can smoothly move between songs. Having this smooth process as a priority has opened me up more and more to key changes. (I have found doing key changes is helpful in keeping a song moving along. Especially in doing hymns, the last verse is a great place to take it up a step.) I like to keep the flow of the music going, and having similar themes and close keys helps the response in singing to have few awkward transitions.

These are just some of the things I do, there are other things as well, to be sure. But most of that stuff is quirky, I think. However, the important thing is that I enjoy singing praises to our Creator and Sustainer. There are times when all this planning goes out the window, and I pick up an out-of-tune guitar in Haiti and lead a small group of Haitians in the few songs they know in English. Or I'll play along with a group of Guatemalan believers as they sing "I can Only Imagine" in Spanish, as I sing in English. Or maybe it's simply a response to the Lord when no one else is watching. There's no preparation for times like these, and the Holy Spirit is the orchestrator for both these times and the times I plan ahead alike.

How do you prepare for leading church music?

The Statute of Limitations in God's Law

2011-05-02T20:11:00.002-05:00

How long will Osama Bin Laden go unpunished?

I asked this question in a paper this semester. I got that paper back this afternoon, and wanted to share it with you.

This semester I've spent a lot of time in Judges 9, learning about God's justice. I preached a sermon on this passage for my narrative messages class (video of this will be posted sometime, when my computer gets fixed...) and I also wrote a paper on it recently, in sermon format.

The following is my sermon for a class titled "Forbidden Knowledge and the Monstrous in the Novel." This class was essentially a class on the theology of sin. I learned much about evil and God's justice. I got my paper back today, and in light of yesterday's events, I thought I'd share it with you all. The main character in this story was killed in a military operation, and God took credit for it. I find it interesting that Osama Bin Laden was on my mind as I wrote this paper.

Here's the paper, completely unedited:

From genocide to abortion, our world is full of evil. Men and women carry out evil on a seemingly endless scale ranging from public to personal sins. It is utterly impossible to watch the news and not see the pervasive problem of evil. Nearly everywhere we turn there is violence and murder and sin, and we want to see justice! Or maybe it is more personal for you. Perhaps you see the guys on your floor getting away with drinking, pornography, or some other sin, and boldly defying God. When will God answer their evil?

Our deep desire for justice is reflected in entire culture: through music, television, literature, and much more. For instance, look to the most popular TV shows today. CSI, NCIS, 24, and countless other shows that highlight the search for justice. The idea of justice has gripped our culture. But 21^st century America is not the first culture to be intrigued with justice. Literature is full of examples of people seeking justice. Allow me to give you a couple of examples not only from a different century but also one from another country.

In 1818 Mary Shelly published her classic work, Frankenstein. In this story, Dr. Frankenstein creates a monster. He breaks many moral and ethical laws in doing so, and throughout the book the monster seeks justice. Left alone without a mate, the monster tries to rectify this and many other wrongs committed against him by getting revenge on Dr. Frankenstein. At first, the monster asks Dr. Frankenstein to create a mate for him. However, after agreeing to do so, Dr. Frankenstein destroys the mate he was building for the monster. This leaves the monster hopeless, rejected, and still lonely. Dr. Frankenstein’s sins have left the monster feeling unjustly treated, and he seeks his own revenge by eventually killing those closest to Dr. Frankenstein. The monster forces the hand of justice, and Dr. Frankenstein realizes he has to suffer the consequences of his actions.

Robert Lewis Stevenson’s 1886 work, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde also examined this theme though from a slightly different angle. Dr. Jekyll has created a potion that allows him to turn into Mr. Hyde, a very evil man, in an effort to completely separate evil from himself. In this piece Mr. Hyde is able to continue to do evil, while the other half of his personality, Dr. Jekyll, lives a perfectly normal life. Towards the end of the story, Dr. Jekyll describes the conflict within himself. Dr. Jekyll explains his feelings the day after Mr. Hyde had committed a murder in this quote from the last chapter of the story:

The next day, came the news that the murder had been overlooked, that the guilt of Hyde was patent to the world, and that the victim was a man high in public estimation. It was not only a crime, it had been a tragic folly. I think I was glad to know it; I think I was glad to have my better impulses thus buttressed and guarded by the terrors of the scaffold. Jekyll was now my city of refuge; let but Hyde peep out an instant, and the hands of all men would be raised to take and slay him.[1]

However there is a problem with his thinking. Dr. Jekyll is not able to have continual refuge in his alter ego. Eventually Dr. Jekyll turns into Mr. Hyde without the aid of the potion, and he spends more and more of his time as Mr. Hyde. Justice eventually is enacted, and Mr. Hyde pays the ultimate price for his crimes. He cannot outrun the Hand of God’s justice.

What is particularly interesting is that early on in the story, the other characters are not aware that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are one and the same person. So as Dr. Jekyll struggles with the sins of Mr. Hyde, those watching him assume that he is actually struggling with some sin from far back in his past. Dr. Utterson, Dr. Jekyll’s close friend thinks this through one evening. Listen to one more quote from the story,

And the lawyer set out homeward with a very heavy heart. “Poor Harry Jekyll,” he thought, “my mind misgives me he is in deep waters! He was wild when he was young; a long while ago to be sure; but in the law of God, there is no statute of limitations. Ay, it must be that; the ghost of some old sin, the cancer of some concealed disgrace: punishment coming, … years after memory has forgotten and self-love condoned the fault.”[2]

“In the Law of God, there is no statute of limitations.” Is this statement true? I often wonder what God’s policy is on justice. When does His mercy run out for evil people? Sometimes it feels like we have to seek our own revenge like Frankenstein’s monster did if we are ever to see justice. Other times it seems as though we can escape our judgment by becoming another person, as Dr. Jekyll attempted to do.

So is there a statute of limitations to God’s justice? Can we outrun our own sins and hope that God forgets? The answer to this question lies in our passage today, Judges chapter nine. Please turn with me there; Judges chapter nine. We will be in the entire chapter today, starting with verse one.

In this passage we are introduced to Abimelech, whose name means “my father is king.”^[3] His father is actually Gideon, also known as Jerubbaal, his less-famous nickname. You remember Gideon; the man who defeated the Midianites with only 300 men in his army. He put out that fleece, and then put it out again. You may not remember the less famous part of his story, though, where the people of Israel asked Gideon to rule over them. They had seen God’s military success as Gideon’s, and wanted to have a king to be their leader instead of God. Gideon refused, saying “The Lord will rule over you.”^[4] Because of this, the people of Israel quickly forgot all the good that Gideon had done and grew apathetic towards his family.

So Abimelech, “my father is king,” is incorrectly named. His father, Gideon, was not king. Maybe Abimelech’s mother thought Gideon should have been king, and maybe that’s where the name comes from. We simply don’t know. But what we do know about Abimelech’s mother is that she was a concubine. Abimelech was born out of wedlock.

Our story picks up after Gideon has just passed away, leaving 70 sons. With Gideon gone, Abimelech decides to make a power play. He goes to Shechem, the city where his mother is from. There he gathers up his relatives, and pitches a genius idea. He asks them if they would rather have 70 rulers, or one. “Keep in mind,” he says, “if you choose to let me rule, you will be honoring your familial ties.” Abimelech is trying to become king and is pitting one side of his family against the other. This is a genius political move: setting up a problem that isn’t really there to leverage a kingly position. But it is a terrible moral decision. Abimelech should have stuck with his father’s philosophy and allowed the Lord to rule over His people.

In fact, it’s important to note that God was not consulted in this decision at all. There is no advising with the priest or any spiritual leader.^[5] This is the beginning of a long fall for Israel into coveting other nations and wanting a king.

Abimelech’s relatives agree to go along with his plan and financially back a campaign to murder all 70 of his brothers. Abimelech hires some thugs to become hit men who bring all of his brothers to a public execution. Only one son escapes: the youngest, Jotham (whose name means The LORD is upright, or just). Look with me at verse 5.

And he went to his father’s house at Ophrah and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself.[6]

This idea of one stone indicates a methodic execution.^[7] This was public, premeditated murder: a horrific event. This type of evil seems nearly unthinkable. But is it really that far from the reality in which we live today? Think of dictators like Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, or Muammar Gaddafi. These men have murdered the innocent in order to leverage power. When I see people like this I wonder to myself, how long, oh Lord, will these men outrun Your justice? Do You see their evil?

Jotham, the youngest son who escaped surely must have thought the same thing. In verse seven, he goes into the “public square” of the town^[8] and begins to give a speech. In it he criticizes the very idea of kingship, and points out that the leaders of Shechem have chosen the least qualified man of all to fulfill the role of king. He reminds them of what his father Gideon did for them in delivering them from Midian. However, Jotham says almost sarcastically in verse 19 that if the people of Shechem have done what is right they should feel fine. Let’s look at the text, starting in verse 18.

“You have risen up against my father’s house this day and have killed his sons, seventy men on one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his female servant, king over the leaders of Shechem, because he is your relative— if you then have acted in good faith and integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the leaders of Shechem and from Beth-millo and devour Abimelech.”[9]

Jotham does not actually believe that there is any chance they have done their deeds in good conscience. He is actually pronouncing a curse on these evil leaders, along with Abimelech. After this bold speech, Jotham runs away for his safety.

At this point in the narrative we are waiting for God to do something. I’m waiting for fire or lightning to come down from heaven and punish these people for their evil. I’m ready to see God’s justice. But the next verse is so confusing. Read verse twenty-two with me,

“Abimelech ruled over Israel three years.”^[10]

Abimelech reigns for three years and we know nothing about this time. I’m sure Jotham and others began to wonder things such as “when is God going to fulfill His curse? Is Abimelech getting away with murder? Is God really just?” Jotham might have even said something like, “Lord, I’m named after Your justice! When will Your justice prevail? How long, oh Lord, until You enact Your justice?”

Perhaps you have had a similar experience. Maybe you’ve known someone who has gotten away with pervasive evil for far too long. At first you thought to yourself, “Surely God will bring around justice.” But you’ve waited and waited and waited, and seen no answer. In fact, it seems like the wicked people in your life are prospering! Will God bring justice?

Often our instinct is to try to enact our own form of justice, just as Dr. Frankenstein’s monster tried to enact his own justice. Yet this is not the best option. Notice what Jotham does; he waits. During those three years Jotham is patient. We don’t hear a word from him. He does not round up a group of people loyal to his cause, instead, he trusts in the word the Lord had given him. Just as he was able to wait and trust God to enact justice, we should be able to wait on the Lord as well.

Sometimes God enacts justice through a series of events in His own time. God does exactly that in our passage. Let’s look at verse 23.

And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech.[11]

Now let’s quickly address something. God does not cause evil, but He is even in control of evil. All evil things must pass through Him. He is using this evil for His own good. God puts enmity between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem and this evil spirit sets up a political disaster that spins out of control. The leaders of Shechem turn against Abimelech and begin to put a noose around the economy by ambushing the trade route.

Another problem that arises as God works His sovereign plan is Gaal and his move into Shechem. He begins to intensely question Abimelech’s authority. He says, starting in the middle of verse 28:

“Who is Abimelech, and who are we of Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him? Would that this people were under my hand! Then I would remove Abimelech. I would say to Abimelech, ‘Increase your army, and come out.’”[12]

Zebul takes this information to Abimelech who sets up a trap to get Gaal out of the city. So Abimelech and Zebul set up this little ambush forcing Gaal and his relatives out of the city. Gaal runs away with his tail between his legs leaving a defenseless city for Abimelech to exact revenge upon.

The next day Abimelech takes his army out, divides them up into groups, and slaughters the people of Shechem while they are out in the fields. They also kill everyone in the city. The leaders of Shechem seek safety in the tower of the city, but Abimelech outsmarts them. He sets brush all around the tower and lights it on fire burning all 1000 people in the tower to death. But Abimelech has not had enough revenge.

Abimelech heads out to Thebez which was basically a suburb that had supported Shechem in her insurrection. He begins to try to destroy the town in the same way as the people retreat to the tower. He attempts to burn down the door of the tower, but as he is getting ready to do so a woman drops a millstone on his head, squishing his skull. This millstone was a common household item used for grinding grain. It was also heavy and large.

Every time I read this story, I imagine my mom climbing up to the top of my two-story house and dropping a big bread machine on the head of a 5-star general. It’s simply an embarrassing way to die, especially for a warrior.

Embarrassed and shamed beyond explanation, Amimelech has his armor-bearer kill him with the sword before he can die of his injuries. He does not want people to know he had been killed by a woman.

After Abimelech’s death, everyone packs up and goes home. This war was not being fought for any reason other than Abimelech’s pride. There was no movement, no belief in any cause, the army was simply following a king that had been put in place through a violent series of events. Because of this one man’s sin, hundreds, if not thousands of people were murdered.

So what has happened here? The author of the story summarizes what has happened in all this. Verses 56 and 57 read:

Thus God returned the evil of Abimelech, which he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers. And God also made all the evil of the men of Shechem return on their heads, and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.[13]

We see that through natural events of war and Abimelech’s own pride and arrogance, God was at work. He clearly initiated the chain of events by sending an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. Then God just let things play out. We know He was at work because the author tells us God made all the evil return on the heads of those involved in the gross murder of 69 of Gideon’s sons. He made Jotham’s curse come true.

Now how is this an encouragement to us? We see that God is clearly at work through our circumstances. He also is working on His own time-table. God chooses precisely when and how He will enact justice, according to His sovereignty. His methods are best and He will use even evil to bring about His own glory. Remember that God is not unaware of the monsters in your life. He is not overlooking those who oppress you. God will eventually enact His justice. It may not be today. It may not be in three days, three years, or even three decades. But we know God is a just God and he will not allow unrepentant sin to go unpunished.

Isn’t it interesting that we want justice for everyone else but mercy for ourselves? We want punishment for others, but forgiveness when we mess up. When it comes to our own lives, we don’t want God to enact justice. We want His mercy.

So before we finish, let us remember that sometimes we are the monster. Sometimes we are the dictator. Sometimes we are the evil and oppressive one. The Christian rock band Thousand Food Krutch describes this dichotomy in the song “Favorite Disease.” Let me read you a few lines from this song:

Silent warnings, tell me that I've let things come undone.

Show me, teach me, the way to heaven, cause no other way can,

Sometimes I feel like a monster, and times, I feel like a Saint.[14]

I confess that there are many times I feel like a saint, days when I’m very near to the Lord. But there are also many days when I feel like I’m the monster. When I mess up royally and break the heart of God and of those around me.

Flannery O’Connor captures this well in her short story, Revelation. In this 1965 story, Mrs. Turpin sits in a doctor’s office waiting room, silently judging all those around her. She has an encounter with a young girl in the waiting room that arrests her attention and by the end of the story, Mrs. Turpin realizes that she herself had been worthy of judgment all along. She has a vision of all the people she had judged in a procession to heaven.

I think that we are often quite like Mrs. Turpin. We’re quick to acknowledge that other people deserve justice, yet slow to understand our own shortcomings. Perhaps today you are unable to see yourself as the monster. Maybe you are unaware of the ways you are angering God.

But I also want to speak to those of you who are acutely aware of your sin. Perhaps you relate with the lyrics from another Christian rock song, titled “Monster.”

The secret side of me, I never let you see

I keep it caged but I can't control it

So stay away from me, the beast is ugly

I feel the rage and I just can't hold it

It's scratching on the walls, in the closet, in the halls

It comes awake and I can't control it

Hiding under the bed, in my body, in my head

Why won't somebody come and save me from this, make it end?[15]

The good news today is that somebody has come and has made a way of escape! Jesus Christ came and stood in our place. He has paid the price for our evil. He paid for every monstrous deed we have ever done. It’s through Jesus that we have peace with God and the Father’s desire for justice is satisfied. Romans says,

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, wehave peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faithinto this grace in which we stand, and werejoicein hope of the glory of God.”^[16]

God’s justice should give us peace. We know that He will right the world’s wrongs. We don’t have to take our own revenge because we know that God will do that for us. For those of us who have been saved, we know that God has already poured out His justice and wrath on Jesus, in our place. We are recipients now of His mercy and grace. We are thankful that while God is completely upright and just, He is also infinitely merciful and gracious to us.

Let us thank Him.

[1] “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” University of Virginia Library. Web. 9 Apr. 2011.

[2] Ibid.

^[3] Exhaustive Dictionary of Bible Names, 4.

^[4] Jdg 8:23.

^[5] Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, Jdg 9:1.

[6] Jdg. 9:5

^[7] Bible Knowledge Commentary, 1:397.

^[8] A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments, Jdg 9:7.

[9] Jdg 9:18-20

^[10] Jdg 9:22.

[11] Jdg 9:23

[12] Jdg 9:28-29

[13] Jdg 9:56-57

[14] McNevan, Trevor. “Favorite Disease.” The Flame in All of Us. Tooth and Nail, 2007.

[15] Cooper, John. “Monster.” Awake. Atlantic, 2009.

^[16] Rom 5:1-2.

Are You a CEO?

2011-04-21T15:10:00.000-05:00

Chocolate and candy, bunnies and eggs, Peeps and jelly beans, cards and ... oh yeah. Church.

Our culture loves to party. We get riled up for any holiday we can. On St. Patrick's day everyone is Irish, and on Christmas everyone is giving. Americans love holidays. We buy cards for any possible observance of any bizarre holiday we can make up.We have Halloween candy, Christmas candy, Easter candy, Valentine's day candy, etc. We dress up, decorate, organize our lives around these holidays.

We go ALL IN on holidays. The danger of this though, is to add church to the list of "things we do for Easter." My dad always makes jokes about the CEO Christians. Are you a CEO? What does that stand for?? A CEO Christian is a Christmas and Easter Only Christian. They only attend church out of tradition.

Are you a CEO? Will you go to Church this weekend out of tradition? Or will you go out of a love for the One who died and rose again for your freedom?

What is Easter to you? Is it a Holiday weekend, with eggs and bunnies and candy? Or is about remembering the costliness of your salvation?

Things Caleb Takes For Granted Number Nineteen

2011-04-18T04:55:00.002-05:00

The Costliness of my Salvation

I am constantly thanking the Lord for saving me through the work of Jesus on the cross. I study about it continually. I hear it preached consistently. It's become so much a part of my thought process that when the story comes around, I expect God to save me. I read Genesis 3:15 and expect Jesus to come and save me. However, this is God's grace, not His obligation. I often take His grace for granted. I am constantly in danger of thinking that the Cross is just a story. However, Jesus' sacrifice is a BIG deal.

Jesus came and died a BRUTAL death on the cross for me. Too often I glance over it. When I take the price of my salvation for granted, I trivialize God's justice and grace. The beauty of the cross is we see the weight of God's justice and the price of sin contrasted with God's love for us. And in this divine act we see these things all work together, in the wonder of the Cross of Christ.

As Easter weekend approaches, take some time, not a minute, not five, but take some significant time to reflect on the costliness of your salvation. Read the passages in the Gospels. Or watch the Passion of the Christ. Do something to reflect on what He's done. Then thank Him.

Bubby's little robe

2011-04-11T09:44:00.000-05:00

In preparation for the sermon I preached last week, I did some reading in 1 Samuel. The first couple of chapters talk about how a mother, Hannah, was left childless. She prayed to God for a child, and He gave her a boy, Samuel. Hannah dedicated this little boy to the Lord's work, and he grew up in the temple, learning how to serve from Eli. (You can read the full story here.)

I remember reading this line: "And his mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year..." And could not help but understand Samuel in the Bible in context of my little brother Samuel. (I call him Bubby.) I imagined Bubby in his "little robe" and his little feet pattering around the temple as he learned to serve the Lord.

Little Bubby is so funny, he's always doing something weird. I imagine Samuel in the Bible having a little 2-year-old sense of humor, and his mother coming and seeing him every year.

This story came to life for me these past couple weeks as I read the story more. My sister's name is Hannah, and my brother's name is Samuel. I began to see the characters in the story as real people, not just characters in a story. I wonder what it would be like to see my sister Hannah go through what Hannah went through in the Bible. I wonder what it would have been like for my brother, who's a little toddler to be running around the temple having fun.

How do you remember that the Biblical stories include real people?

Things Caleb Takes For Granted Number Eighteen

2011-04-04T06:04:00.001-05:00

Married Parents

The longer I've been away from home, the more thankful I've become for my parents. Many of my friends come from single-parent homes, or from homes with very dysfunctional mother-father relationships. Often times the children of a dysfunctional marriage suffer the most. However, I do not have that issue in my life. I don't really understand the blessing of coming from a two-parent home, with a level of normalcy.

Often times I forget how great it is to come from an abnormally normal family. I've been given a head-start towards my own marriage one day, and I am thankful for that. But sometimes I take my parent's relationship for granted. I simply need to constantly thank the Lord for where He's put me.

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2011-03-28T13:24:00.001-05:00

This past week I got onto my blog and was surprised to see that even in the absence of my blogging the past couple of months, hundreds of people have come through my page. This is both humbling and nerve-wracking. I'm surprised anyone would want to read what I have to say, and now knowing that many people do, it makes me realize how careful I need to be to write appropriately.

I know many of you faithful readers follow along simply to stay up-to-date with what is going on in my life. You are friends from Normal, or South Dakota, or family from all over. Thanks for following along. Some of you are friends here in Chicago, who follow along to see what my thought processes are in dealing with many things we are learning in school. Maybe you are a person who found this blog by accidentally typing something into Google that pulled up my page. For that, I profusely apologize, and direct you to the upper left-hand corner, where you can press the "back" button to leave at any time.

Anyway, as I am trying to be more diligent in updating,I hope to be able to post about once a week here. But instead of asking you to check this blog every week, I have added a new feature on the right hand side near the top, where you can have my blog posts sent directly to your inbox! Simply enter your email address in the box that says "follow by email" and click submit, and it will walk you through how to get my blogs emailed to you. (If you are reading this on Facebook, scroll down to the bottom, click on "view original post" and follow the above instructions.)

Again I'd like to thank all of you who follow along and pray for me.

Things Caleb Takes For Granted Number Seventeen

2011-03-21T04:46:00.007-05:00

I have safety.

(Police investigate a shooting with Moody's men's dorm, Culby, in the background)

A few weeks ago a panhandler pulled a gun on two Chicago police officers, fired, and was fatally wounded when the officers returned fire. (You can read the entire story here.) While this is scary for anyone living in Chicago, it was even more real to me, as this whole ordeal went down in front of my campus at Moody. However, this is only one of at least 5 shootings I can remember within a 3 block radius of Moody the past few years. The reality of Chicago’s violence echos up and down LaSalle Blvd and Wells Street late at night as cop’s sirens scream in the night. I know many children who have been affected by this violence here, and it’s impossible to ignore all that happens here in Chicago.

However, as the bullets were flying past the Moody dorm last month, I was tucked safely away at work. No Moody students were hurt during the ordeal, and the situation was quickly contained. I’m thankful for the safety I do have here at Moody, not only from the Chicago Police, but also from the Public Safety department. While they have many annoying policies and methods, I realize they have an incredibly hard job. I take my safety for granted far too often, not thinking of those who protect me.

Lord, thank You for the ways you protect me, not only by Your sovereign Hand, but also through those You have placed around me. Please allow me to neither worship safety nor take it for granted, but to remember that You have chosen to keep me safe up to this point. Help me to remember that ultimately the safest place for me to be is in Your Arms, and I need not fear even death when You are near me.

I'm not that smart, I just listen to hip hop

2011-03-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

"When will I be as smart as you guys?"

The question still echos in my head. A compliment wrapped up in a question. A subtle affirmation of the discussion we had just finished. A temptation towards pride.

I was at Calvary Bible College just outside Kansas City, MO. My girlfriend's sister, Jesica had been talking with us about the ins and outs of various doctrinal points. I had pointed to a couple of passages of Scripture that supported my point, and felt pretty confident in my view.

As Jesica asked that question though, I began to wonder how I came to be familiar with doctrines, church fathers, and most of all, Scripture passages. I remember being in her shoes, a freshman, lost and confused in the world of Bible College. I explained to her how I felt.

"Jesi, when I was freshman, I remember feeling so much guilt when I would talk with other upperclassmen. They would spit out Scripture references that I had no idea what they said, and they assumed I knew. I thought to myself, 'I'm a pastor's kid, I of all students should know these references!' I wondered if I was dumb, and if I would ever learn all that these students knew. Thankfully, over the past couple years, I've been able to learn lots about the Bible and many passages."

Being in Bible college has significantly helped me in my Biblical literacy. Constantly being in classes about the Bible, around friends who love the Bible, and doing homework in the Bible has grown my knowledge and love for God's word greatly. (Let me be careful to say, that is mixed along with service and response to what I hear, not simply filling my mind as a Christian. The things in this post are simply part of growing as a Christian, and becoming more familiar with the Scriptures.)

But if you're not in Bible College, and you're wondering some ways to grow, let me outline a few helpful things.

Reading the Bible all the way through

My freshman year I was in classes called Survey of the Old Testament and Survey of the New Testament. These classes required me to read all the way through the entire Bible in a few short months. This helped give me a foundation for understanding not only where things are in the Bible, but the overall story of God's Word.

The ESV

The English Standard Version was published in 2001. Most of their Bibles have the exact same pagination, so that the Bible in the pew has the same page numbers as your personal Bible. With each passage being in the same place on the page in each Bible, those of us who are spatial learners can easily find passages in their Bible. If you have any sort of photographic memory, this is also significantly helpful.

Following along rigorously in church

In high school I found Sunday morning sermons a time to open up to the passage the pastor was using, listen to his words, and begin to think about how it all made me feel. More recently, I've begun to use Sunday mornings as a time to be actively engaged in the sermon and the Biblical text. As the preacher works through the passage, I'll turn to cross-references, and begin to think about how this fits in with other Scripture. Doing this makes me more familiar with how passages relate to one another, and how they relate to real-life issues.

Memorizing Scripture

One thing that gave me a head start in high school was memorizing Scripture. In fact, memorizing passages and even entire books has been incredibly helpful not only for knowledge about the Bible, but heart change as well. Having Scripture memorized makes it very easy to pull out passages that relate to topics of theology, or even every-day life.

Listening to Sermons

With the invention of podcasts, listening to sermons throughout the week has been incredibly helpful in my growth as a Christian. When working out, when doing laundry, or even while relaxing, I enjoy listening to great preachers exposit the Word of God. Please contact me if you are interested in who may be good to listen to.

Bible Classes

Admittedly, taking systematic theology courses and classes on specific books of the Bible (Hebrews, Genesis, The Gospels), has helped me greatly as well. (If you'd like to take classes, I'd encourage you to take some of the most affordable Bible classes online, from Moody. No, Moody's not paying me to say this, I really believe our classes are great!)

Lastly, Christian Hip-hop

Seriously, this has been one of the best ways for me to remember different passages and what they say. Listening to these artists has helped stick verses in my head in a way that's very easy to remember. Along with direct references to Bible verses, there is great theology, and allusions to many passages and Biblical stories. I'll provide a few examples from Lecrae, to highlight the dozens of passages I can remember just from filling my head with Godly hip-hop.

Don't Waste Your Life

If Christ is real then what am I gonna do about everthing in Luke 12:15 down to 21 You really oughta go and check it out!

Indwelling Sin

In Lecrae's conversation with sin, he quotes Scripture: I start thinking Philippians 4:8 when you showing up...Yeah I know but I'm dead to you and one day I'll be present with Jesus, who died and bled from you. Colossians 1:15 that's the God that I trust in. The Father crushed Him and in doing so He has crushed sin.

Got Paper

Now look at 1 Timothy 6 it's so clear
You chase the money and wind up in a snare
An it's sick man, that knowing God ain't good enough we gotta tell em they can get rich quickly. Now this is heresy, false, it's not true. 2nd Corinthians chapter 8 and verse 2.

I'm a Saint

I'm looking at Ephesians 2 like what did Jesus see in you? Nothin. By His grace he chose to love on folk like me and you.

The Bride

Who should people submit to? Who will conduct the discipline? If excommunicated what body will they be missing then? Look at Ephesians 4 where Paul gets practical, 1 Timothy and Titus if you thinking I'm irrational.

Beautiful Feet

In Luke 4:16 on down to 21 Jesus says He's Messiah, says He's the Chosen One. But more than that He quotes Isaiah, that shows our Savior targets oppressed, captive, blind, and the broke. I'm saying He had a heart for the poor, had a heart for the low. And 1 John 2:6 is way we should go. In Deuteronomy even though they under the law, the tithes every third year the poor got em all.

These things have helped me immensely, I hope they will help you too. I'm not smart, I've simply chosen to expose myself to the Bible daily for the past three years. If you are wanting to grow in your knowledge of the Word beyond Sunday morning, or reading a chapter a day, try one of these things. Immerse yourself in the Word, from the books that you read to the music you listen to, and enjoy growing deeper in knowledge of and Love for the Word.

He is still Good

2011-03-16T13:45:00.001-05:00

Life is full of highs and lows. There are times when I feel like Paul in Philippians saying "To live is Christ, and to die is gain!" There are other times when I can relate with David when he says all he has to eat are his own tears.

Towards the end of last semester was one of the low points in my life. Many things were crumbling around me, the future was most unsure, and I felt more alone than I had in a long time. However, as I wrote about in mid-November, I could still rest in the goodness of God throughout that difficult time.

Today I write to say things have been easier recently. (Note that I did not say "God has blessed me recently," because I know that I have blessings in the life to come beyond compare to the trivial trappings of this world. He blesses me every day, in countless ways I often take for granted.) Not that fewer trials are always better, but that life has simply been easier the past couple months. God has provided finances in many mysterious ways. He has provided work for me in the coming months and years. He has comforted my family in the loss of my grandfather last month. He has healed my ear with incredible speed. He has blessed me with a relationship with a girl that I could hardly imagine I would ever be with.

But these things are nothing in view of the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. Yes, the Lord has poured out many tangible blessings on me the past few months, but that is not why He is good. He is good because of Who He Is. Jesus tells the rich young ruler that God alone is good. God is our standard of good. He is good because all that He created is good. He is good because all His works are good. He is good.

So what is my response when my life seems to be no good? I know that God is good, even when times are rough. But what should my reaction be? 1 Peter tells us exactly what to do when we encounter suffering:

Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. (1 Peter 4:19 ESV)

My response to suffering should be to do good as well. When life hands me uncertainty, doubt, disappointment, and pain, my response should be to trust God, and continue to do good.

No matter where you are, if you are at a high point of the mountain, or in the deepest darkest valley, remember that God is good. Not because of your place in life, but because of Who He Is.

A great perspective for this coming semester

2011-01-19T12:43:00.000-06:00

My close friend and former roommate, Roman Randall has a great blog. This most recent post caught my eye. Roman talks about the need for a healthy perspective. Take a minute to read his blog, and subscribe!

Christmas Letter 2010

2010-12-23T11:13:00.000-06:00

Dear friends and family,

Merry Christmas!

Many of you who read this blog are supporters of my ministry, both financially and through prayer. Let me first of all thank you all who have partnered with me this past year. God has been at work in my life in many ways! Thanks for joining me in the work He is doing!

As you will remember, in January of this year, Haiti suffered an incredible earthquake. I was burdened to participate in a trip to do relief work, and thanks to God’s provision, and your prayers and support, I was able to go down six short weeks after the earthquake, with a group of Moody students. We spent about 10 days there doing all sorts of relief work, working with the UN, US Army, the local church, an orphanage, and the World Food Bank, among others. We were blessed to be a blessing, and I was able to put into practice many things I had learned in my classes at Moody. You can read more about my trip to Haiti here.

Living in Chicago another year has opened my eyes to many societal problems right here in my own city. I have seen more poverty, homelessness, violence, and brokenness in the past year than I ever thought I would. I’ve continued to get involved, and to learn more about the different ways to bring the fullness of the Gospel to my city. I had the privilege of being able to pour into the life of one young man in Chicago this year as a part of the Big Brother Big Sister program. I’ve also had opportunities to serve in after school programs, church programs, and other ways throughout the city.

One of the ways I’ve been involved in ministry in the city is through my participation in a church plant in West Town, The Painted Door. We started weekly services on Easter, and found our own building at the beginning of the summer. I’ve been blessed to lead music about every three weeks or so. I’ve learned a lot from doing music and working with many different people. I hope to continue to get involved at this church, including getting involved with the neighborhood in which the church meets.

I’ve been blessed the past year to continue my studies at Moody Bible Institute, and I have learned so much. I especially enjoyed learning about different aspects of urban ministry, communication classes (including my first preaching class), and more about God’s Word in general. One specific assignment was a great learning experience. Researching the life and ministry of Emma Dryer opened my eyes to the history of Moody, her passion for ministry, and the way in which she approached ministry in the urban center of Chicago. Assignments like this one have encouraged me as I begin to think of the future ministry I hope to do by the power of God in me. I have also gained a great respect for Moody, and I’m realizing all the more the privilege it is to study here. I have a great respect for the people who have made and continue to make Moody what it is.

Another way I’ve been blessed to learn this year is through the ministry of Matt Chandler. He has been going through an immense amount of suffering this past year, and as I have watched him, I have learned a lot. I actually wrote about it here several months ago. I wrote that I had grown in knowledge through watching this ordeal. However, more recently, I’ve been able to grow in experience.

This past semester I’ve been learning a lot about suffering. And for some reason, the book of Hebrews has been a centerpiece to my learning experience this semester. I took a course on the book of Hebrews, I preached a sermon on Hebrews 3, I spent much time listening to sermons on Hebrews, and a lot of time reading and meditating on Hebrews. And to top it off, many of my friends in my preaching class chose to preach from Hebrews as well, and I had the chance to work on several other sermons that were from the book of Hebrews.

Hebrews 11 and 12 have stood out to me as I’ve worked through some of the trials in my life this semester. I’ve realized that through many of the struggles I’ve faced that God is growing my faith in Him. I’m seeing Him work in incredible ways. I’ve had incredible financial troubles that God has worked in, proving Himself to be even more incredible than any trouble I’ve faced. I’ve had some very scary episodes with my ear as well, but I know also that God is at work in that to bring about His glory.

I’ve been reminded that my body is not my own, that it’s God’s, to do His work. So I when trials come (like what has happened with my ear), I can rest in the knowledge that God is working His purposes. I need to remember what Hebrews says, “Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.” I know that in every struggle, God is at work, and I count it a blessing that God has chosen to allow such trials to come through my life.

Through these various trials, I’ve been able to see God’s grace, and the Body of Christ in a much fuller way. God has provided a steady job for me, and when money has still been tight, God’s moved the hands of people I don’t even know to give to my school bill. I’ve been so blessed to see God’s grace in a way I could not otherwise see. I’ve gotten to know Him so much more this year, and it’s been an amazing journey.

There’s so much more I could talk about, and more I’ve said all year. I’d love to talk to you more about the ways I’ve seen God at work, and share my love for Him with you. Let me know if you’d like to hear more about what God is doing in my life!

Merry Christmas, and thanks again for all the support you all have given me over the past year!

-Caleb

I might write this post again, in two months

2010-11-12T14:00:00.000-06:00

My school bill posted to my account today. It is a crazy amount of money. Yes, Moody is "tuition paid," and yes, I know other people pay a lot more for college, but it's very hard to pay for room and board in downtown Chicago. Not to mention any more food I want to eat above 15 meals a week, clothing, health supplies, laundry, etc. Every November thus far has been incredibly hard for me financially. My first payment for school is due December 1. And while I work 20+ hours a week, school is more expensive than what I make.

Because of this, every semester I am faced with this reality: If God does not step in and intervene, I will not be at school next semester.

But I know that God has brought me here. He has made it so clear in the past. There was a time when I was short thousands of dollars, and received up to $4000 in the mail; exactly what I needed. I know God will keep me here at Moody if He wants to. He will move in people's hearts, He will give me extra hours to work, He will do something. But even if He doesn't, He is still good.
If I am not at Moody next semester due to my school bill, God is still good.

Now finances are not the only thing weighing down on me. Tomorrow I am going home to see my grandfather for what will probably be the last time. I am going to say goodbye to him before he passes away. When he does pass on, He will be with Jesus in heaven, and God is still good.

I found out yesterday that I will be having ear surgery in a month to repair a hole in my eardrum. I know there are risks involved, but even if I loose my hearing, God is still good.

There is a girl that I really like, and would like to date her soon. But if that doesn't work out, and if I never get the chance to date her, God is still good.

No matter what happens, God is still good.

Maybe you are noticing a theme?

How can I be saying this? How can I truly believe that God is good? Because there have been times when I have wrestled with God, and asked Him, "Lord, if you have called me to Moody, why does paying for school have to be so hard?" I have struggled to understand, and I have been hurt deeply by some of these things. But I know God is good.

Psalm 34:18 says "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted."

Many of these things have broken my heart, and left me utterly helpless. And I know that in these times, God is very near to me.

And Psalm 73:28 says "But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works."

I have experienced a lot of trials and pains in my life. I know there will be bigger and harder trials to come, but I have already seen a lot. But through everything, I know God is at work. I know that He is doing something much bigger than me. And not everything up to this point has made sense. I am confused as to why God has done a lot of what He's done. But what I can see of God makes me trust Him more and more.

And I know this is working for good, not only because the Bible says so, but also because I can see the blessings God has brought out of many of my trials. And because of this, I can tell of His works, like Psalm 73 says.

God is good, and it is good for me to be near Him. God is seeking His own glory in all this, and not my glory. And that's good. Because I am in Him, and I can draw near to Him.

So if I can't pay my school bill and I end up at home next semester, I will write this same post all over again.

Pray for Workers

2010-10-19T00:16:00.000-05:00

Missions Conference is held annually at Moody Bible Institute. It is great to be at a school that has been known as a school in love with missions for the past nearly 125 years. The past two years have been an incredible blessing to my life. This year was no exception. While I worked quite a bit, I was still able to attend the plenary sessions throughout the week.

The conference started on Tuesday morning with Dr. Nyquist's chapel message. He encouraged us to pray for workers to be sent into the harvest "Matt. 9:35-38). This was convicting for me. His main point of application was that we should pray for missionaries to go, and I confess I rarely do that. We need to be praying, not because God needs us to, but because Jesus commands us to. So I'll be doing that more as a result.

The opening session Tuesday night was loosely based on Luke 15:11-32. While I disagreed with the format of the message (I'm a Biblical Exposition major who knows next to nothing about message prep and delivery), I think the content carried it through. What Skye Jethani said was very true and timely. I know the Holy Spirit worked through Skye, and I was encouraged to find my significance in life through being with God, and not through what He chooses to give me or how I choose to serve Him. Again, Skye encouraged us to be cultivating a life of prayer. He mentioned something that I have been longing for. At some point in his Christian walk, he asked an older man to teach him how to live a life of prayer.

I really desire an older, godly man to pour into my life. I sincerely miss the multi-generational community of believers at my home church, Grace Church. I wish I could have people pour into my life like I did in high school. Now I spend most of my time with college kids and no one in my church is over 40. I hope to find someone to walk with me sometime soon.

There were other speakers, and I appreciate them for coming and sharing, but I think what I took away from missions conference this year was really a desire to see God at work in my life. Missionaries from all over the world were here, and I heard story after story of God at work, and I felt a desire to just be in a place that I could see Him move. If that's in downtown Chicago, I wanna be there. If it's rural South Dakota, I wanna be there. If it's in the middle of nowhere, China, I wanna be there. I want to see God at work. If He's not moving, I don't want to be there. And I began to realize I might not end up in a city. I might end up right here, downtown Chicago. But more than I desire a type of ministry, I desire, I yearn to see God at work. I hope and pray that is your desire too.

So if you were able to attend missions conference, or if you had no interaction with the conference at all, I would encourage you to see where God is at work around you, and get involved. There's nothing more exciting than God's work. Join Him in the missions He's doing all around you. And pray that God will continue to send more workers across the world.

Time to Check into Rehab

2010-10-08T16:04:00.001-05:00

Over the past few years, I have really begun to enjoy Christian hip-hop. About the time I came to Moody I was introduced to Lecrae's music, and through his ministry of music I began to listen to other artists such as Trip-Lee, Sho Baraka, Shai Linne, Tedashii, Flame, Pro, DJ Official, and many others.

Lecrae's new album just dropped last week, and it has really grown on me. Here's a quick review of the album:

The idea behind Rehab is that the Christian life is really rehabilitation for us. We don't come to Christ after we are all clean and pretty, but when we are at our worst. And HE alone can rehab us.

Track 1: Check In
The song really sounds like an addiction. Chant-like and almost no vocal dynamics, this song is still addicting. It really sets up the entire album. This line summarizes the song, and the album: "Got a war inside my soul and it’s wantin’ to break through
I’m ready for Rehab, jus’ do what Ya gon’ do"

Track 2: Killa
This track deals with something many, if not most, guys deal with. With language from Proverbs 5, Lecrae describes a girl who is a killer. By her seduction, she destroys men. The chorus sounds like a secular song while Lecrae is in the background saying she is a killer. Great couple lines:
"Evil looks so lovely covered in her lace of lies
And the silky smooth seduction just manipulates my mind
Her fabrical fabrication is fueling my fascination
While I’m intoxicated she starts her assassination
I’m losing all my honor and my years to the merciless
Giving all my life away but I’m just so immersed in this (killa)"

Track 3: Divine Intervention
A song about how God is the One who intervenes into our lives.

Track 4: Just Like You
Deals with the struggles of growing up without a good role model. The mood of this song really reminds me of the hood and the kids I know in the Chicago projects. Kind of dark and depressing.

Track 5: Gotta Know
Pretty sure this song is about knowing we're saved. It's a good jam. Like it a lot. They coulda made it a tiny bit faster.

Track 6: Used to do it Too
Talks about how we don't do what we used to do, because we've been changed by Christ.

Track 7: Children of the Light
I love this song. It has Sonny from P.O.D. and reminds me of the days I used to listen to them. Really a cool song that mixes the two genres.

Track 8: High
Song about keeping our pride on low and our faith on high. This was the first single off the album, and probably one of the weakest songs. I'm not a huge fan of this song.

Track 9: New Shalom
Super sweet beat. Taking about waking up and living in the peace of God. The beat and vocals are straight thug, and I love it. This is a good song to wake up to in the morning. Super artistic. In the first verse Lecrae uses a ton of words that start with "p" in a great use of alliteration.

Track 10: 40 Deep
Another hard beat, more of what I had been expecting from the album. Talks about the importance of Christian community. Love Trip's line where he says "we livin by the blood, like we parasites, get it, right?"

Track 11: Walking on Water
Probably my favorite song on the album. I love how the beat keeps coming in and out of the song. I can't ever get enough. Obviously about faith. Love this song.

Track 12: God is Enough
This track makes me wanna take a car and go for a drive. This would be so fun to drive around to. A quick beat, kinda like a dance beat.

Track 13: Boasting
At first, the acoustic guitar sounds completely out of place on this album, but as the song progresses, you see how this song fits in.

Track 14: Background
A friend of a friend made this beat, and I really like it. I overheard some samples of it before it came out, so I feel like I have a special connection to it (but I really don't). I like the chillness of this beat.

Track 15: New Reality
Kinda sounds like a song from the 90s. I really like it though.

Track 16: Release Date
Not a fan of this son at all.

Track 17: I Love You
This song is hot. LOVE it. Super cute, even for a rap song. I love how he gives the old phrase a new twist "Cross my heart and hope to live to make you smile." Good quote right there.

The album was a lot more mellow than I had hoped, but that has actually grown on me. I really like it. I think the lyrics are quite mature, and the production has taken a step forward as well.

Find out more about the album and purchase it here.

I stole this story, but it's really good.

2010-10-06T08:24:00.000-05:00

A man decided to write a book about churches around the country. He started by flying to San Francisco, and started working east from there. He went to a very large church and began taking photographs, etc. He spots a golden telephone on a wall and is intrigued with a sign, which reads "$10,000 a minute."

Seeking out the pastor he asks about the phone and the sign. The pastor answers that this golden phone is, in fact, a direct line to Heaven and if he pays the price he can talk directly to God. He thanks the pastor and continues on his way. As he continues to visit churches in Seattle, Boise, Minneapolis, Chicago, Milwaukee, New York, Atlanta, and on around the United States, he finds more phones, with the same sign, and the same answer from each pastor.

Finally, he arrives in Texas. Upon entering a church in Dallas, lo and behold, he sees the usual golden telephone. But THIS time, the sign reads "Calls 25 cents."

Fascinated, he requests to talk to the pastor. "Reverend, I have been in cities all across the country and in each church I found this golden telephone, and have been told it is a direct line to Heaven and that I could talk to God, but, in the other churches the cost was $10,000 a minute. Your sign reads 25 cents a call. Why?"

The pastor, smiling benignly, replies, "Oh, my son, that's very easy to explain. You see, you're now in Texas and, of course, it's a local call from here."

I got this from www.mikeysFunnies.com

Thanks for your prayers

2010-10-01T00:45:00.000-05:00

First of all, I have no idea where I would be without the prayers of many people, that I am often times unaware of. Thank you, if you are one of those people who prays for me. I know that I am sustained only my God's grace and your prayers for me.

Right now, I am going through several struggles, but I was reminded of this in God's Word today:

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:15-16 ESV)

Christ has experienced struggles and disappointments far greater than mine and is completely sympathetic towards me. In fact, elsewhere in Hebrews we learn that Jesus intercedes for us, and He is even interceding on my behalf for the struggles I am facing now. And He knows how to deal with my struggles far better than I do, and understands more than any of you do.

So I want to thank you who are doing the same for me, who are doing the work of Jesus in my life by praying for me. I know many of you are aware of different struggles in my life, namely finances for Moody and my ear problems. I wanted to address the second one quickly, since many of you have been asking.

I have had ear problems since I was born. I had many ear infections and complications as a little boy. For a while I was fine, but when I was 13 or so, I began to have many sinus and ear problems again. I had a number of surgeries, and I have lost count of how many different times and ways they have tried to correct my sinuses and ears (it's more than 7 or 8 times). One of the surgeries I've had is where they put tiny tubes in my ears to allow them to act normally and drain any water or whatever, like normal ears do. I've had this a couple times. These tubes are supposed to stay in for a few years, then work themselves out, and the eardrum should heal right back up.

About two or three years ago, I started to lose hearing in one ear, and the doctor looked at it and saw a giant hole in my eardrum. This hole was made when the tube came out, and my eardrum did not heal up the hole. It was a mess, and they immediately did surgery to rebuild my eardrum. It worked amazingly, and I was very happy with the results (after I got over the the pain and inconvenience of the surgery).

Because I have had these ear problems, water has always amplified ear infections and such. So I have avoided swimming since my freshman year of high school. This summer, however, after playing ultimate frisbee on the beach in the hot summer air, I decided to jump in the lake for the first time in years. It was fun, but I noticed I got some water in my ear. I tried to get it out over the next few days, but i couldn't seem to get rid of it.

One morning about 4 am, I woke up with my ear (that still had a tube in it) covered in a pool of blood, along with my pillow and hand and face. Besides being freaked out, I was also frustrated and scared. Over the next month and a half 3 different doctors saw me and eventually got the ear infection to go away, by taking the tube out, putting me on antibiotics, steroids, and pain killers. There was lots of pain, blood, tears, and not a lot of hearing. But through the doctors, God finally removed the ear infection.

However, the hole is still in my eardrum. And I've been seeing the doctor to find out if I need surgery. I saw him again today, and he said if it is not closed up in 6 weeks, we will do surgery.

I would ask you to join in with me in praying for a miracle. If God sees fit, He can heal my ear. If he wants to take my hearing forever, He can. I know that I am in His hands for His plans and purposes. However, I know that God loves me deeply, and cares for me as His child. So please join me in asking 1, for God's glory to be proclaimed in whatever circumstance He puts me in, and 2, if He is willing to heal my ear as a testimony to His glory.

Thank you all for your concern!

-Caleb

Things Caleb Takes For Granted Number Sixteen

2010-09-24T20:29:00.003-05:00

My hearing, again.

This summer I fought off a terrible ear infection. From hearing loss to blood in my ear, it was a scary experience. While it was a reminder of how fragile life is, and how little control I actually have over my life. During this time, I lost quite a bit of hearing. It was weird to listen to music, to try to hear coworkers, and many other normal tasks. My hearing is a lot better today, but not 100%.

I have a hole in my ear drum now (I've had this in my other ear before, so it's unfortunately familiar territory) and unless our Lord intervenes, I will have surgery in a couple of weeks. I have faith that through the surgery my hearing will be basically restored, but even if it isn't, God is still righteous and loving.

But this time of sickness has reminded me how much I take my hearing for granted. I love hearing things, especially sermons and music. Losing hearing would be the scariest thing ever for me, and I would be incredibly sad if that ever happened. But I know hearing is a gift God has given me, and I need to use it to His glory. I need to be thankful for the hearing I do have, and be the best steward of my ears as possible.

(If my surgery goes bad, and I can't hear, or whatever happens, I know that it's for God's glory. Yes, I'm saddened by the thought, and it's been very uncomfortable the past few months, but I know that God loves me, and what He does is for my best interest, namely my sanctification. However, please continue to pray with me that He will do a miracle to heal me.)

Doc Sauer On Em

2010-09-18T14:07:00.004-05:00

If you missed it, I rapped for the first (and last) time recently. Here it is:

A lot of people have been asking me for the lyrics, so here they are. But before I give you the lyrics, let me explain a couple things.

Doctor Sauer is a prof here at Moody who tries to lighten up the dating culture here at Moody. He encourages people to date multiple people at a time, in order to get to know many different types of people. (His view of "dating" is more like going on dates, I think.)

Johnny-Mac is a Christian hip-hop reference to John Macarthur. He met his future wife when she was engaged to another man.

Brian Kamm(erzelt) is a prof here as well, and is 32 and single. I respect him so much, and learned more outta his speech class than I have in most of my other classes.

CPO is our campus post office, and last year I got a lot of un-signed love notes, so therefore CPO spam.

My freshman year I won the "schmooze award" at my job, for kinda being a suck-up to our boss. Also, my roommates made a video that included a song called "Heartbreaker" by Taio Cruz. People associate that song with me, since my roommates put pictures of me up there when he says "they call me heartbreaker."

Sean Kingston has a song called "Suicidal" about beautiful girls.

The SDR is our student dining room. You can't go on a date there, or if you do, that's whack. DTR means "Define the relationship" and there is a certain small round table in the SDR where that happens.

There's a park a block away that has been nicknamed "Moody make-out park" because it's against the rules to show PDA on campus.

I'm not a dating king at all, in fact, I've been at Moody for over 2 years and not dated anyone, so it's more of a joke, because I talk about dating all the time, but don't have any Moody dating experience.

Moody Girls are engaged

or dating other men

I'm flyer than these dudes

it don't make no sense

I Doc Sauer on em, I Doc Sauer on em

All these girls are engaged,

yeah, I johnny-mac on em

take em from their man,

straight swagger-jack em

Won't be 32 and single

Brian Kamm on em

That's why I get the love notes,

CPO spam on em

I try to impress the ladies,

yeah ya know I schmooze on em

I might break their heart though,

Tiao Cruz on em

I go to a marriage school

Moody Bridal on em

Like Sean Kingston

I'm Suicidal on em

I take her our to dinner

SDR on em

sit at that round table

DTR on em

Walks in the park,
Moody make-out on em

Keep it holy and righteous,

Above reproach on em

Met an amazing girl

A real winner on em

but she turned out to be so cold

Chicago winter on em

Wanna get engaged soon

ring by spring on em

That's why I'm caleb beaty

Dating King on em

Moody Girls are engaged

or dating other men

I'm flyer than these dudes

it don't make no sense

I Doc Sauer on em, I Doc Sauer on em

I Doc Sauer on em, I Doc Sauer on em

My body is not my own

2010-09-18T10:00:00.000-05:00

Do you ever hear a sermon and think to yourself, "I know just who needs to hear this!"? I sometimes actually come up with sermons, or even as I am reading a portion of Scripture will think to myself, "so and so really needs this Word from God right now, I must be the person to tell them." While there are times when the Holy Spirit uses people (such as myself) to convict His Elect of their sin, I find that there are more often times when I have a plank in my eye and I'm trying to get a speck out of someone else's eye.

This happens to me often, and more recently while I was doing laundry. I was thinking to myself how some people live completely in the moment, not thinking of a legacy. I began to think about all the different things people do, wasting their lives, not preparing for the future. People don't take care of their bodies, they don't watch their heart and mind to keep them pure, and spend time doing things with no real value.

Then the Holy Spirit switched all that around on me very quickly. He showed me the ways that I was failing to think about the future as well. My body is not my own. It belongs to my future wife, kids, and the people I will minister to. The choices I make in what I eat and how I exercise will affect me for the rest of my life, and I need to be mindful of that. When I only eat junk food, I'm not affecting only myself, but my future family and ministry. When I choose to sit and spend hours watching movies or TV shows, I am not only wasting my own brain power, I'm hindering my future ministry.

After writing this, a blog post came up on theresurgence.com that relates partially to what I was thinking. Check it out, and consider what ways you should think about your future and legacy.

Moody Dating 101 Part 7: Wrapping it all up

2010-09-15T08:22:00.000-05:00

I think by default, everyone's facebook relationship status should say "it's complicated."

Every relationship is complicated. Whether you are single, talking, dating, courting, engaged, married, divorced, or whatever, your situation is unique to you. People will often excuse certain behaviours by saying "I'm in a unique situation," or "it's just a little complicated." Everyone is in a uniquely complicated situation, and needs to deal with stuff a little differently than their parents or friends or roommates did. However, just because your uniquely complicated situation has put stress on you does not mean that you can use that excuse to cover up sin.

That being said, I know what I have written the past several posts has come from my own "complicated" perspective. I know it's different for each person, and there are issues going on that make it hard to simplify relationships. But in one last plug for Kevin DeYoung's book, Just Do Something, I'd like to share a couple quotes that address how people respond to their complicated relationship status.

"Whether it's the Holy Spirit saying "No, never" or Jesus apparently wanting to "date" a myriad of girls at every campus, God's will is frequently employed as an excuse for difficult relationship decisions. This is the sort of accountability-dodging jargon we want to avoid. If you aren't interested in dating or courtship or marriage or whatever, just say "No thanks" or "Not now," but please don't make God the bad guy in your relationship messes."

Be honest with yourself, your friends, and others around you. Don't make something more complicated by throwing around stronger terminology than is appropriate.

"Gentlemen, there are wonderful Christian girls waiting for you to act, well, like a man. Stop waiting for romantic lightning to strike. Stop waiting for the umpteenth green light. Stop "hanging out" every night without ever making your intentions clear. Go ask a girl on a date, or ask her "to court," or whatever you think is the appropriate language. But do something."

Stop being passive. If you are ready to date, stop complaining about the "dating culture" and get out there and do something.

I would also like to say, wherever you are in your relationship journey, take time to seek advice from older men and women (Titus 2). Older couples and older singles can provide some great insight that we lose sight of while we are in Bible College.

And as you talk with older people in your church or your life, realize that you are not going to be where they are right away. I continually have to remind myself that I'm not looking for a Proverbs 31 woman. The woman there has children that have risen up and called her blessed. This woman has taken a while to get there, and has grown with her husband for years. I am, however, looking for a woman on trajectory. A woman who is growing now, who is serving now, who is not just sitting around waiting for a perfect marriage to happen. So many people are looking for "the one" when really they need to become "the one" and see that relationships grow in marriage. I'm sure people who have been down this road will be able to share stories of growth in godliness and love for each other. So seek godly advice and counsel.

Also seek the Ultimate Counsel. Spend a lot of time in prayer. Not praying for writing in the sky, or a feeling of certainty, but for God to soften your heart to His will for you today. Not for your future relationship, or where you will be in ten years or five years or when you graduate, but that you would follow His will today. So pray for your own heart, and maybe spend a little less time asking God to change your circumstances.

In summary, don't be too serious about dating. Don't think he or she is going to marry you just because you went to JSB together, or got Starbucks 3 times in a month. But also don't be too casual. Don't date someone you could not see yourself marrying. Don't try to rush or delay anything. Wait on the Lord's timing (which could be slow or fast). Seek to glorify Him, and let relationships fall into place as you serve Him.

Finally, I want to conclude with this (in case you missed it). Neither being in relationship nor singleness are bad. Both are good, and both are acceptable according to Scripture. God designed relationships, but sin jacked them up. So let's be open to the Holy Spirit, and see where He leads us. Let's submit to Him over our own desires, whatever they may be. And lets serve the Lord with our singleness, our relationship, our marriage, our all.

I'm not an expert on dating. I have been in a couple relationships, seen some good, seen some bad. I've been thinking and reading about dating quite a bit the past couple years. Often times I find myself in the middle of a conversation or an argument about dating and Moody's culture. That being said, the preceding thoughts are not entirely my own. Where I borrow from a speaker or an author, I have cited them. But many of the other thoughts I presented have been developed through dialogue with many people, specifically including Matt Heltzel, David Schmitke, and Christy Spader. I'm also indebted to Roman Randall and Chris Lash for the innumerable conversations we had in D312 last year late into the night many times last year. Finally, Brenton and Amber Smith, have really shaped the way I approach the idea of dating and relationships with the opposite gender through many late-night conversations in their apartment.

Questions to discuss:

Anything you would add to these posts?

Moody Dating 101 Part 6

2010-09-13T08:19:00.001-05:00

Culture has placed a high value on materialism and professions. The more money you make, the more society values you. It's foolish, and very contrary to Scripture. However, as this has taken root in feminism, a woman working in the business world has become more valued than a woman who works at home. Honestly, I believe that working at home with children is more draining and tiring than a job in the business world (several women have told me this who have been both stay-at-home and working moms).

In light of this view, a lot of girls seem to have a view of marriage that is completely jacked up. They almost seem to think that staying at home and raising kids makes them second-class citizens. But training children is the most important thing I can think of. I believe children's ministry should start at home. Home should be the center for ministry for the forming years of the lives of all children. The value of raising the next generation is incredibly high.

But for some reason I know a lot of girls who believe that they cannot do ministry if they are "tied down" by a husband or kids.

I want to tread lightly here, because I have not experienced this personally. I do however, have conversations about this theoretically constantly with guys and girls my age. It's a tough issue to accurately address, especially in a little blog post like mine.

I would say that a woman's priority is/needs to be her home. (As should a man's.) This might mean working outside the home to provide for the family financially. But as Mark Driscoll has pointed out several times, the cost of extra transportation, taxes, daycare, etc. actually makes a two-parent income hard to actually be profitable. (Driscoll has a lot of good material about issues pertaining to this, I would suggest looking up some sermons or blog posts from him for further study.)

At Moody, girls might think less of being a working professional or making money, as they want to change the world for Christ. And Paul even says that it's easier to do ministry single. But it's not always about what's easy, or what you want. It's about what God wants.

I'd love to say more on this, but I have no knowledge of this issue. I do recommend chapter 9 of "Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God's Will" by Kevin DeYoung. He touches briefly on this, and does a good job of giving a broad view of this issue.

I'll close by offering this idea, an idea I'm still trying to wrap my head around. Just as I wrote about how there is not just one person out there for you to marry, I believe there is not just one path of ministry you can choose. A lot of people feel "called" to a certain ministry or place or people group. While I do believe God places burdens in our hearts for certain times and places, He has you here, now, and you need to live where you are. (For more on this, I recommend the rest of the book "Just Do Something" by Kevin DeYoung.)

To sum it up, be open to where God might be leading you, and who He might have you serve with.

Questions to discuss:

This was easily the most difficult post to write, because I'm not confident on how to address this. What are your thoughts on this issue?
Is this a tough idea to discuss for you? Why?

Would the Psalms measure up to today's musical standards?

2010-09-10T08:48:00.001-05:00

I stumbled on this blog post the other day, and it addressed many objections I hear often as a music leader. If we were to put the Psalms up against the same test many put new music up against, we would lose many of our favorite Psalms. Please take a minute to glance at this blog, noting the post utilizes sarcasm to make it's point. Here's the link to the post.

Moody Distance Learning: Study Tips: Staying Organized

2010-09-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

This is a blog for the Moody Distance Learning students, but it's some great help for any of us. There will be several more blogs to come!
Check it out:

Moody Distance Learning: Study Tips: Staying Organized: "Every year students lose papers and forget about homework assignments because of a disorganized approach to school..."

Moody Dating 101 Part 5

2010-09-08T08:38:00.002-05:00

This concept of waiting to say "I love you" is often tied to the idea of not awaking or arousing love until it's time, an idea found three times in the Song of Solomon. I have heard many people take this idea and use it to talk about "guarding" their heart. This is probably not a great application of the text (seeing as how the entire book is about opening up to love, and even in heartache opening your heart), however, I believe it is a good idea for young people to "guard their hearts," especially in junior high and high school. Don't share your heart with everyone you have a crush on, every close friend. Be discreet in how you share, what you share, and who you share it with.

When you get closer to serious dating, this type of guarding your heart (keeping everything to yourself in order to keep yourself safe) is probably inappropriate. In a relationship, guarding your heart needs to look very different. I don't see this idea in the Bible very clearly. Some translations of Proverbs 4:23 might say to guard your hearts, but the context is talking about adhering to wisdom. The ancient Hebrew mind would not have related that to dating at all, or relationships. It's obviously in the middle of keeping wisdom, as a way of life. (This can be related to being wise in how you live your life, including relationships, but I'm not sure that "guarding your heart" is the best wording for that.)

The other place I see guarding your heart is in Philippians 4:7 (one of my favorite books in the Bible) where Paul encourages the believers in Philipi to place their trust in God. "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." God will guard our hearts as we place them in Jesus. It is not our job to build up walls that guard our hearts, but our job is to trust the One who can truly and ultimately guard our hearts. Knowing that God is protecting us should give us peace in every circumstance. That being said, Paul goes on to say: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."

We should be wise in what we say and do, and practice the things according to the example we have in those who have walked before us in the Gospel, as Paul had encouraged his readers to do earlier in the book, but beyond that we can trust that God will guard our hearts.

How does this relate to dating? While you should not pour out your deepest darkest secrets on the first date, make out the first week, or spend 20 hours on the phone each week, there is a sense of trust and openness that should be developed over time. Guarding your heart should not include pushing your boyfriend/girlfriend away because of your insecurities. But dating should be (especially between Christians) a place where each person gradually opens up to the other, building on trust.

Let me also say that there will be pain. Someone will get hurt. Often times this guarding of hearts is based out of fear of getting hurt, but that can't be our first and primary motive. We should be willing to risk getting hurt, and trust that God will take care of us as we know He has what's best for us.

I'll end by saying this. Don't guard your heart. Let God guard your heart. The idea of guarding your heart places the responsibility for your peace and your security in your ability to keep your heart safe. Instead of that, trust in God, obey His commandments, and He will keep your heart safe as you walk according to what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable. His way is better.

Questions to discuss:How do you guard your heart?

What are some practical ways to set up some boundaries?

A Quibble With Spurgeon

2010-09-07T09:51:00.000-05:00

I recently found this blog post by Kevin DeYoung, A Quibble With Spurgeon. I think it relates to what I was trying to say about my service in Puente when I blogged about the Student Leadership retreat. It also relates to my major at Moody, and how I want to serve the city. Yes, I think I can do other things, but for some reason (at least right now) I feel a burden for the city of Chicago. I've said this before, that the burden may be lifted when I'm done with school, but I know that for right now, God has placed me here for a reason, and I must continue to serve Him.

So glance at the DeYoung's blog -- it's short, and it's quite good for those of us going into (or who are already in) ministry.

Moody Dating 101 Part 4

2010-09-04T09:52:00.007-05:00

I remember when I had my first serious crush on a girl. I was in high school, and I had liked a girl for several months. She and I would end up dating for about six months, but as I began to seriously think about asking her out I began to seriously consider what I believed about dating. I read a couple of books that stick out in my memory. Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot and Boy Meets Girl by Joshua Harris shared an idea that I took to heart. They talked about the idea of waiting to say "I love you" to someone until you were ready to marry them. As I considered the real meaning of "I love you" and the power of those words, I decided to not say that to a girl until I was ready to put a ring on her finger. But I liked how Elisabeth Elliot described it. “My father counseled his four sons never to say, ‘I love you’ to a woman until they were ready to follow immediately with ‘Will you marry me?’” -Passion and Purity

This was really the start of my views on romantic love. I love a lot of things, my friends, Qudoba, Trip Lee, Chicago, playing guitar, walking in the city at night, my Macbook, and the list goes on and on. The love for those things however, is a spec in comparison to how much I will love my wife one day. Unfortunately we have cheapened that word to mean almost nothing. I even tell my friends who are girls that I love hanging out with them, or that I love their friendship, (I have sometimes accidentally said "I love you" and quickly followed it up with "as a sister in Christ.") I want to preserve that romantic, intimate phrase for the woman God has for me, and not be telling many different girls what I only mean for one; my wife.

Let me quickly add here that I don't think it's wrong to tell your boyfriend or girlfriend that you love him or her. This is simply a choice I have made. I want to show my love time and again, earning the right to say that phrase with the weight of my previous actions behind it. Saying I love you is a lot like an "emotional kiss" in that it's fun to say, it's fun to hear, but it leads to some serious things pretty fast. There is a place for it, but I want to make sure I do it in the right setting.

So how has our culture jacked up the meaning of love? Matt Chandler addressed this on Valentine's day earlier this year:

"To be real honest with you, I’m not a big fan of Valentine’s Day. It’s not because I don’t love love. I very much love love. But I think our culture has no idea what it’s celebrating. It has no real clear definition of “love.” If you’ll pay attention to our culture, our definition of love can’t be defined outside of self-seeking or “what makes me happy. . .how does it work for me. . .” So that’s a really lame, weird thing to celebrate. If the idea is that love is this kind of emotional, stirring, mysterious thing that can attack you from out of nowhere, that is so powerful that you can’t control it, that’s a dangerous, terrifying idea. It’s not to be celebrated, honestly. So for those of you romantics who think it should, let me just say this. Right now, I’m very much in love with Lauren. But let’s say I go to the store tonight to buy a bag of chips and the baby angel in the diaper with a weapon pops me in the back, and now all of a sudden I see this other lady and now she’s the beautiful one, she’s the one that I love. That’s a terrifying idea and not one that I think should be celebrated." -Colossians (Part 3) – The Image of What Is Invisible Matt Chandler – February 14, 2010

Love is a big deal. That's why it is important to not take it lightly especially when starting a relationship. However, taking love seriously does not mean being in this emotional state of bliss constantly. It's important to keep emotions in check, and True Love in view. A good perspective of this is found in Ephesians 5 where Paul commands husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the Church. He goes on to explain that meant Jesus laid down His life, meaning husbands should have self-denying love for their wives. That is the type of love that we should strive for. That is why I believe saying "I love you" has such a heavy meaning behind it, that can't be fully developed after the first 2 dates or as soon as it's facebook official.

Would I have laid down my life for my girlfriend in high school? I'd like to think I would have. By God's grace, if some incredible situation arose that required me to love her more than my own life, I hope that I would do that, as I would want to do for anyone. But I'm still glad I held back from saying such meaningful words too quickly. Those words are for my wife, and I don't want to waste them.

Questions to discuss:

How do you show you love someone? How do you receive love? Are words enough to communicate that?
How do you define love?

Moody Dating 101 Part 3

2010-09-01T11:36:00.003-05:00

Many people I have talked with over the past couple years have had this idea that there is this "one person" out there that is perfect for them, their soul-mate. And when they date around, they are "test-driving" different models to find the best possible match. People have told me this is the best option because you can make sure you find the right person for yourself. There are many things wrong with this idea, one of the biggest of which is it isn't about you finding someone who meets your desires and needs. Instead, it's about who God has for you to serve Him with.

I would try to explain why this is such a dumb idea, but Matt Chandler has outlined it so well multiple times, I decided to share a piece from a sermon of his with you.

"I’ll be very honest with you here. My wife Lauren, she’s just a girl. And I could be married to another woman and be happy. Do you know how I know she’s the one for me? Because I’m married to her. That’s how I know. If I were married to someone else, they would be for me. You see, in this idiot ideology that we’ve created with our movies, if one person marries the wrong person, doesn’t that jack it up for everybody? Because that means if Lauren is not my girl and I married her anyhow, that means I married someone else’s perfect one, which means they’re forced to marry someone else’s perfect one, which now means they’re forced to marry someone else’s perfect one. And so if you just do the little map, someone 700 years ago married the wrong guy, and now we’re all in trouble.
This is a foolish, ridiculous idea. I’m just a man, and Lauren is just a girl. Lauren cannot complete me, cannot fulfill me, cannot make sense of my world and to expect her to is to put pressure on her that she will be unable to carry, will be unable to sustain and will be unable to bring any of those things into my life, which will create in me an anger towards her for not doing what she was never designed to do, created to do or able to do to begin with. So when a woman says, “This man will complete me. . .this man will make sense of my world. . .this man will make me know who I am. . .this man will heal my wounds,” you are putting weight on the man that he will be unable to sustain and it will only be a matter of time before he develops hobbies to get out from under that expectation. He cannot carry it.
Put your hope in God, not men. We’re sinners. Which means sometimes on accident or sometimes on purpose, we’re going to fail you and wound you. Don’t ask us to be more than we were designed to be; we will fail you. Put your hope in God, not in external beauty and not in men." -The Path (Part 7) – Sanctification in Marriage, Matt Chandler – October 25, 2009

While many people have told me that dating will prepare them for marriage, I often wonder if American dating actually prepares people for divorce. If the first boyfriend/girlfriend doesn't work out, we move along. And as we look for "that one" we come up with a ridiculous idea of what needs we need to have met. Instead of turning to God we turn to a person. We go into marriage with these incredible expectations, and when those idolatrous expectations are smashed to pieces, we believe we have not married "the one." Our discontentment leads many to divorce, instead of pushing people to the One all-satisfying life-time Partner, Jesus Christ.
Questions to discuss:

Have you ever found yourself hoping that you can find "the one?"
Do you believe there is one person out there, a soul mate for each person alive?

Things Caleb Takes For Granted Number Fifteen

2010-08-31T08:44:00.001-05:00

My hearing.

This summer I fought off a terrible ear infection. From hearing loss to blood in my ear, it was a scary experience. While it was a reminder of how fragile life is, and how little control I actually have over my life. During this time, I lost quite a bit of hearing. It was weird to listen to music, to try to hear coworkers, and many other normal tasks. My hearing is mostly back today, and if the Lord permits, my ear should heal up the rest of the way the next few weeks.

But this time of sickness reminded me how much I take my hearing for granted. I love hearing things, especially sermons and music. Losing hearing would be the scariest thing ever for me, and I would be incredibly sad if that ever happened. But I know hearing is a gift God has given me, and I need to use it to His glory. I need to be thankful for the hearing I do have, and be the best steward of my ears as possible.

Moody Dating 101 Part 2

2010-08-30T11:28:00.014-05:00

The Moody dating culture creates a pressure that students respond to in a variety of different ways. There are obviously good ways and bad ways to respond to this. There are two inappropriate ways to respond that I have seen quite a bit at Moody, and to be honest, I have been a part of each of these groups at different times.

Group one worships an idol of relationships. Their theme verse is Proverbs 18:22. This type of person is always looking for a girlfriend or boyfriend, trying to meet as many people of the opposite gender as possible, and constantly having DTRs. Members of this group often believe that their ministry will not be complete unless they have "the one" by their side. This view on dating can quickly become sinful as I have seen young men and young women put their pursuit of dating on par with or over their pursuit of God.

Group two worships a different idol, an idol of singleness. Their theme verse is 1 Corinthians 7:8. Often times hurt by a bad relationship in high school or early in college, or possibly motivated by the failure of their parents or other close relatives marriages, members of this group take their singleness seriously. Some will complain about bro-sis events and how MBI is trying to set up marriages. They often cite an unproven statistic that the Moody divorce rate is the same as unbelievers. This view on dating can also quickly become sinful as I have seen young men and young women take up pride in their singleness which is can be rooted in bitterness and anger toward God.

Often times people from group one and group two will get together and argue over who's idol is more righteous.

It might be hard for you to think of relationships as idols, because we all know idols are made of wood or stone and are not found in America. But I believe anything that takes away from the glory of God and takes any of our worship-energy from Him and places it on something else is an idol. I'm not the only one who sees relationships as idols, Tim Keller also sees this possibility.

"Romance is another idol. This is when you look to your lover or spouse for worth. Only they can make you feel valuable. You cannot lose this person. People who have a good marriage must constantly fight this idol, constantly looking to Jesus and finding their satisfaction in Jesus more than their spouse." -From Tim Keller's opening session at the Gospel Coalition 2009 (found at www.theresurgence.com )

Groups one and two each take pride in their stance, and worship their boyfriend/girlfriend or their singleness over Christ. Both positions are sinful, and distract from the glory of Christ. This needs to stop, so prayerfully consider if there is any idolatry in your relationship status. If so, please repent, and remember that Jesus is the only one who can fulfill your needs truly. I've been in this place many times, and I can speak from experience, the Gospel is a much better cause to stand behind than a girlfriend or my singleness.

Ways to tell if relationships are your idol:

You spend more time thinking about your boyfriend/girlfriend than you do thinking about God.
You are more worried about how righteous your boyfriend/girlfriend thinks you are than you are about how God considers your character.
You are more proud of your singleness than you are of your relationship with God.
You are more worried about finding a boyfriend/girlfriend that meets all your needs than becoming a better man or woman of God for your future spouse.
The Holy Spirit continually convicts you of your relationship status and your heart attitude towards it.

It is important to note that there is a potential to not recognize an idol. Sometimes people who value relationships or singleness do so to a point of boasting over their personal "call" or desire, but yet claim to recognize the value in both. Sometimes to identify the idol, we need to really ask the Lord to search our heart and convict us. As you begin to examine you're heart in this area, it's important to realize that between these two extremes is the balance God desires us to have: a Biblical view on marriage where Jesus is always main priority (no relational idol) held in tension with the truth that being in marriage is one of the most powerful ways we can worship Christ with our earthly lives (no idol of singleness). Balance is the resolution to this common problem.

Questions to discuss:

How have relationships been idols in your past (or present)?
What ways do you keep yourself from idolizing your relationship status?
How do you keep Jesus the most important part of your life in your singleness or in your relationship?

Moody Dating 101 Part 1

2010-08-26T08:00:00.015-05:00

I'm not an expert on dating. I have been in a couple relationships, seen some good, seen some bad. I've been thinking and reading about dating quite a bit the past couple years. Often times I find myself in the middle of a conversation or an argument about dating and Moody's culture. That being said, the following thoughts are not entirely my own. Where I borrow from a speaker or an author, I will cite them. But many of the other thoughts I present have been developed through dialogue with many people, specifically including Matt Heltzel, David Schmitke, and Christy Spader. I'm also indebted to Roman Randall and Chris Lash for the innumerable conversations we had in D312 late into the night many times last year. Finally, Brenton and Amber Smith, have really shaped the way I approach the idea of dating and relationships with the opposite gender through many late-night conversations in their apartment.

"Hey! Congrats! I heard you're going to Moody BRIDAL Institute!" "Is your major going to be 'Women's Ministry?'" "I heard it's ring by spring or your money back up there at Moody!" "I'll see you at Thanksgiving, and you'd better bring a Moody girl back with you!" "Make sure you get your M.R.S. Degree!"

I heard these and many other "Moody jokes" long before I came to Moody for the first time. Even before I came, I knew with this new chapter in my life, relationships would take a new level of importance and significance. I remember a conversation I had with one of my friends the summer before I came to Moody who had gone through college at Emmaus Bible College. He told me that they would call it Emmaus Bridal College, and made jokes about it all the time. I told him I was excited to get away from the drama of high school dating and break ups. He told me the drama at college is still there, only its about "who will I marry?" instead of "who will I date?" He was right. The drama didn't stop with high school.

When I arrived at Moody, I was unprepared for the onslaught of dating and dating talk that came with this college experience. I heard from so many people about the "Moody dating culture." Now, the definition for this "Moody dating culture" varied depending on who I talked to. During our all-hall meeting the second week of school our RS, Brenton Smith, talked about his desire to change the dating culture at Moody. However, he meant something incredibly different from what some of the students would say. Everyone I talked to seemed to take issue with the "Moody dating culture" according to their definition of it.

There definitely seemed to be quite a bit of relational pressure when I got to Moody. And at first it was easy for me to buy into the idea that Moody was some magical place where everyone falls in love, and if I wasn't careful, it would happen to me too. As I began talking to friends at other colleges, and see relationships happen outside of Moody, I realized the pressure that seems to be at Moody is not unique to this campus.

Take this summer, for example. I went to a wedding with my friend Elizabeth, a female in whom I am not romantically interested. We did go, however, "as dates" to the wedding. At the reception table we sat with people we did not know previously. A couple of the girls at the table (who attend two separate colleges in Michigan) began to ask about our relationship. We told them that we are just friends. They immediately began to prod and try to tell us that there was more there. It escalated to them accusing each of us of secretly liking the other for a few minutes. While it was all in good fun, I realized that this sort of joking does not just happen at Moody's infoRmaL nights, the Student Dining Room, on bro-sis events, or during chapel in Torrey Gray.

This type of relational pressure is common across campuses throughout the US, and I'd venture to say around the world. Of course, at secular colleges and among non-Christians, the relational pressure looks more like hooking up and sleeping around than courting and marriage, but it's there all the same. If anything, the "Moody dating culture" is a more mature culture that realizes the responsibilities that will come after college, and that now is hardly the time to mess around and give up parts of ourselves that we can never get back.

Dating at Moody may seem intense, but the "Moody bubble" is not the only place where there is relational pressure. Understanding that this pressure exits the same outside the bubble as it does inside merits everyone cannot "do what they want" and blame it on the dating culture. Each student at Moody still has a responsibility to respond correctly to this pressure. The next post will define what specific shape this pressure takes across Moody campus and how students respond.

Questions to discuss:

How do you feel about the humor and jokes surrounding the Moody dating scene?
What ways have you experienced relational pressure where you are?
How have you responded to that pressure?
If you are a "Moodie" what is your impression of "Moody's Dating Culture?"

Are we growing up or just getting older?

2010-08-24T09:55:00.001-05:00

In relation to this whole issue of dating and waiting and pushing marriage further and further into our 20s, this article from the NY Times outlines how my generation is waiting longer and longer to grow up. Albert Mohler had a great response to this article yesterday too. You can read his response here.

I think this issue is huge among my peers and I, and there is much to be said about maturing. I wonder if my generation is too dependent on childish things and not forward focused enough.

What do you think?

Win Prizes From Logos!!!

2010-08-23T19:16:00.000-05:00

I found out about this sweet chance to win some stuff from Logos. Check it out:

Logos Bible Software is giving away thousands of dollars of prizes to celebrate the launch of Logos Bible Software 4 Mac on October 1. Prizes include an iMac, a MacBook Pro, an iPad, an iPod Touch, and more than 100 other prizes!
They’re also having a special limited-time sale on their Mac and PC base packages and upgrades. Check it out!

Moody Dating 101

2010-08-23T11:19:00.004-05:00

Over the next few weeks I'm going to be posting my thoughts on dating. I often find myself caught up in the middle of discussions about dating, and I wanted to have a place where I could

1.   organize all my thoughts (cheap counseling),
2.   keep myself accountable to what I believe (although I'm sure a lot of it will change the minute I actually start dating),
3.   point people when they ask about my views (or accuse me of having whack views).

I would love feedback, because this is such a big deal for me and a lot of my peers.

I believe that relationships are one of the primary expressions of who God is. Because of this, I think the enemy has decided to attack them wherever he can. God is in perfect relationship with Himself within the Trinity, and He created male and female to be in relationship with each other. Wherever satan attacks this, he distorts the picture of Christ and the Church that we are supposed to be. Perhaps this is why there is so much confusion, bitterness, anger, hurt, sadness, despair, hopelessness, and sin involved in relationships.

Please feel free to interact, discuss, and disagree. But let's keep it uplifting, glorifying to God, and edifying to each other.

A Humble Foot-Washing

2010-08-20T10:53:00.000-05:00

I had the opportunity this past weekend to go on the Moody Student Leader Retreat. It was an incredible 4 days with some of the coolest people at Moody. I went with the group Puente, as the events coordinator. I had very few expectations going into this retreat, so it was really neat to participate in all the events and watch everything unfold.

A couple things I've been reflecting on:

Puente and my involvement. As I have told people that I'm a part of the student group Puente, people have reminded me that I'm not hispanic, I don't speak Spanish, and that I'm white. This is due to a common misconception of what Puente is. Puente exists to equip the student body to minister to the latino communities in Chicago. That is what Puente really is.

Someone asked me if I was "called" to Puente. The answer is simply: no. I'm not "called" to latino ministry, I don't have visions and dreams of hispanic ministry, nothing like that. However, an opportunity opened up for me to serve this city and this student body with my friends, and I took it. We'll see where it leads, and hopefully we'll have a great year in Puente.

The leadership at Moody. During the last night of retreat, we had a foot-washing ... time. During this time, Dean Arens washed my feet, as a symbol of service to me. It was an incredibly humbling time, as I realized that Moody Bible Institute is like no other place I've ever been. Only at MBI have I seen such a humble leadership. It's one thing for Dean and Joe to stand in front of me and say "we're here to serve you." I've heard that phrase from people all the time, only later to find out that most of those people had no intention of serving me at all.

However, when Dean got down on his knees and washed my muddy, sandy feet, I knew that there was a humility among the Moody leadership that I have not yet seen anywhere else. And that made me want to be the best student leader I could be. I want to be a servant to the student body like Dean is a servant to us.

I'm pumped for this year. I think it will be incredible as we seek to serve the student body as much as possible, making this the best year possible. Let me know if you have any ideas or concerns this year!

My Mom's Blog is Better than Your Mom's Blog

2010-08-11T11:07:00.001-05:00

Remember when your mom got on facebook? (Well maybe she hasn't so it's not relevant.) Well remember (or imagine) how awkward that felt (or would feel). Then, imagine if she got more popular than you, and had more facebook friends than you. That is really awkward, I am speaking from experience.

Now. Imagine you are really into blogging. You can express yourself on your blog as much as you want, and your mom's friends dont see it all on your mom's facebook page. NOW IMAGINE YOUR MOM HAS A BLOG!!!!!

On top of that, it's a pretty good blog. Uh oh.

Here's my mom's blog, and I must say, it's pretty good. ;)

Processing Life: I Lost My iPhone!

2010-08-11T10:55:00.000-05:00

My Prof tells a great story with an important application:
Processing Life: I Lost My iPhone!: "Late afternoon on Monday Jeannette & I took off to Indy for a couple meetings I had. For the 3 hour trip I was wearing my usual uniform of..."

Being sick and hearing sermons

2010-08-07T16:40:00.000-05:00

While I hate being sick, there are a few redeeming aspects to an occasional cold, flu, or ear infection. Sometimes I believe that God uses times of sickness to wake me back up to the reality that I need Him for everything, even my very life. While sickness is not fun, it does provide an opportunity to brush up on reading, writing, and listening to sermons.

Today I watched a sermon from Matt Chandler two weeks before he found out about his brain cancer. I've heard this sermon several times before, and I think I might have even posted it to facebook. But each time I hear this, it tears me up, as I know there is always this bit of pride in me that thinks I'm the next big deal in Christianity. I feel like God needs me to save America, or that I will be the first preacher or minister or missionary to "get it right," whatever that means. But there I am alive because God keeps my heart beating, my brain... waving, and my lungs breathing. He doesn't need me in any way, but I'm blessed beyond reason to have a part in His work. I pray the Lord keeps me humble, and that I don't get it twisted.

Please take 40 minutes to watch this message. You have 40 minutes to watch your favorite TV show, and plenty of time to be on facebook and twitter and youtube... you have time to hear this. It might not be as meaningful to you as it was to me, but it might be a better use of your time. Possibly. But when you get to the end of this video, and as Matt encourages you as the listener to throw off sin and all other entanglements in order to run the race marked out for you, please hear God's plea for you to walk in the good works He's prepared.

MEMO: TO: New MBI Students

2010-08-05T12:40:00.000-05:00

My roommate this summer has been Spencer Smith.

Spencer Smith

While we are very different, we are also similar in a lot of ways. I've learned from him this summer, and learned that he is actually kinda smart. So it is with much love that I reccommend that you read a recent blog post he wrote. Especially if you are coming to Moody Bible Institute in the fall. You can find his blog here.

Bad arguments and good deeds

2010-07-27T08:45:00.000-05:00

For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.
(1 Peter 2:15-16 ESV)

As a Bible College student, I often get the opportunity to discuss and debate methods of ministry. However, in the course of these discussions, there are times when some fool decides to insert a comment with no relevance. In fact, there are times when people will directly attack the ideas and beliefs I hold to. Honestly, my first instinct is to shoot back a sarcastic response, cut the person down with my harsh words, and move on. However, this is highly ineffective, and sinful. How should I respond?

Luckily, God, by His grace, put this passage (among many others) in my Bible, and preserved it for the past 2000 years for me. There are several observations the Holy Spirit opened up to me about these two verses.

God's will is in the present.
So often I hear people talk about God's will as if it is some elusive idea one can find with enough hours of prayer, fasting, and reading obscure minor prophets. However, as I have read the Bible, I constantly have seen God's will in the present tense. (1 Thes. 4:3, 5:18; etc.) It's not that God has some huge plan that we are required to figure out, but we should live according to His will moment by moment.

God wills that we do good.
God wants us to be intentional about what we do. There are many things that are just fine, but they are neither good or evil. Often times these types of things can make us busy, and crowd out time for doing what is good. God's will is that we intentionally do good.

By doing God's will, good works, we bring credibility to our beliefs.
We can argue day and night about the most effective ways to feed the homeless and care for the fatherless, but in the end there is no value to these discussions unless it leads to action. When we actually go out and do the will of God and do good works that bring glory to our Father in heaven, we will be able to discredit critics.

Arguing doesn't solve anything, but doing good works will.
This verse reminded me of 2 Timothy 2:23 where Paul talks about avoiding foolish and ignorant controversies. God would rather us spend our time working then arguing. Even if we have critics of the good work that we do, at least we are doing good deeds, serving those in need instead of wasting time arguing with fools, and becoming foolish ourselves. And Peter states here that doing good works should silence the ignorant people, which will free us up to be servants of God.

We do these good deeds with our freedom.
I often hear of people talking about their "Christian freedom" as a way to justify drinking alcohol, smoking, and joining in other aspects of culture. But this verse shows us that our freedom is not simply to allow us to indulge in the pleasures of society, but it is to live "as servants of God." What does that mean? Well a servant... serves! We should use our freedom to serve others, acting on behalf of God as His Hands and Feet.

I love talking with friends and profs about ministry, and I love reading about and listening to messages and conferences on ministry. But I know I have learned more, taught more, and known God better through actually doing good deeds. Not for my own benefit, but for God. And in doing that, I have benefited greatly.

I write this to encourage you to go do something for God, today. God is glorified in our good works, and serving Him should be a natural outpouring of gratitude of His service to us on the Cross. Let's get out in the world, and be His Hands and Feet.

A beautiful ceremony

2010-07-25T01:41:00.000-05:00

Last week I got the opportunity to go up to Michigan to celebrate David and Katie Skero's wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony on the beach of Lake Michigan on a cool afternoon. (It was the first wedding I've been to since my friends Cedric and Hannah got married several years ago.) I was so happy that the ceremony was not only about David and Katie, but also about their relationship together with Christ. Christ was proclaimed and worshiped throughout the day, and it was obvious that they each love Him.

The ceremony (and a conversation I had afterward) got me thinking about the reality of marriage. David's dad officiated the wedding, and during the course of his sermon mentioned a couple of times the difficulties ahead. It really struck me at how difficult a marriage must be. And while there is a temptation to sugarcoat it and put on a wonderful, memorable wedding day, I was glad they chose to be honest.

Marriage is about the good times and the bad. Should not a wedding address both the good and the bad? Two sinful, jacked-up people are committing to live together the rest of their lives! There will be so much revealed in the marriage that is impossible to have living alone. (I cannot believe how much of a mirror living with roommates has been. I cannot imagine what living the rest of my life with one person would be like.)

While marriage is an exciting, wonderful institution God has given us, it is not something to be taken lightly. I really appreciate the fact that this ceremony celebrated the lives God has joined together, but also acknowledged that only based on Christ would this marriage survive. The beauty of the marriage is in the fact that two sinful people can actually live together the rest of their lives because of the grace of Jesus Christ. He is the foundation for every relationship, and His beauty is highlighted especially in our darkest times.

I'm praying that God will bless the Skeros, and that they will love Christ more and more together, serving Him with all they are. Thanks guys for being such a picture of God's love and grace.

Ear infections

2010-07-20T09:48:00.000-05:00

You might know that I have had many surgeries related to my ears and sinuses. I have another problem with my ear, and after seeing the doctor last week and getting on a ton of meds, I am hopefully getting over all this. But as my friend Matt Heltzel reminded me the other day, our bodies are really just walking, rotting, corpses. We are falling apart day-by-day. We only have so much time on earth. So let's get to work.

back to the grind,

-caleb

An incredible resource for you

2010-07-05T12:27:00.000-05:00

Recently I heard a seminar done at The Village Church on how to study the Bible. I am obviously in Bible college, and most of my classes center around learning the Bible and studying God's Word. This seminar, however, was an incredible summary of a couple of my Moody classes. They even recommended the books I've used in Studying and Teaching the Bible, and Hermeneutics and Bible Study Methods at the end of the seminar. Everyone should listen to this, it is two hours, but especially the first hour is helpful. If you are interested in going deeper in your walk with God, learn or review some great ways to study the Bible!

Click here to listen to the seminar.

An honest prayer

2010-06-28T16:52:00.001-05:00

An exerpt from "Apathy" by Trip Lee:

When I drive through my city and I see these folks is hurtin,
Yeah I'm certain that I care till I'm at home and close the curtains.
It's like they ain't even there, man my heart is so disturbin,
I should be prayin fo em, findin ways that I can serve 'em.

The bottom line:

Lord I'm prayin I'll be on the grind.
Pursuing service, never outta sight, outta mind
Preachin Truth an tryna model my Lord
Till He's back and them knees hit the floor.

I'm waitin.

-My honest prayer too.

Friday Night Fun

2010-06-25T19:38:00.000-05:00

It is Friday night, and I am at home answering questions like this:

Describe and biblically defend orthodox Chalcedonian Christology. Discuss how it interacts with Antiochene and Alexandrian approaches to Christology (both outside of and within orthodoxy), and name and describe one example each of an Alexandrian and Antiochene heresy to which Chalcedonian Christology responds.

I am so ready for summer to be here for me, and for school to be over.

Emma Dryer

2010-06-24T09:29:00.002-05:00

This semester I had the privilege of doing research on Emma Dryer for a class project at . I had been pretty interested in her in the past, as I know she was a teacher at ISU in Normal, and I live in Dryer Hall, named after her. As I did some research and compiled my paper, I was blown away by some of the things I found.

I spent several hours over the course of a couple afternoons deep in the Moody Library in the Archives. I got to read the original letters from Emma to many other people. I found that Emma had kept a journal most of her life, but towards the end of her life she had burned all those journals. Most of what I found was correspondences between her and her supporters and DL Moody, and a few letters about her by the people who knew her best.

While many people think that DL Moody founded my school, the driving force behind this wonderful institution was a largely unnoticed woman, Emma Dryer. I think her story deserves to be told.

A Little Background:

Photo from Moody's website

Emma was born in Massachusetts in 1835. While she was still a child, her parents both passed away, leaving her an orphan. As an orphan, she went to live with her aunt in New York. While there, Emma had access to the best education available and studied hard, becoming a great student, and presumably found her love for education during her own education. In 1864, Emma accepted a teaching position at Illinois State Normal University (now Illinois State University), in Bloomington (now Normal), Illinois. Not only did Emma teach both grammar and drawing, but she was also the head of the women's faculty, and was one of the principles at ISNU.

Emma In Normal, IL:

While Emma was heavily involved in Christian work while she was working at ISNU, God had deeper plans for her. In 1870, Emma fell very ill with typhoid fever. Neither Emma nor her doctors thought that she would make it through this disease, and everyone was surprised when she pulled through and had a complete recovery. After her recovery, Emma sensed a deep call from God to leave her job as head of the Women’s faculty and teacher at ISNU.

Meeting DL Moody:

During the summer of 1870 Emma spent a lot of time recovering in Chicago. During one of those trips she met DL Moody. She explained it in a letter to her friend...

I was visiting friends in Chicago when I became acquainted with Mr. Moody. Rev. Pastor, of the 1st M.E. Church of Chicago, who married my dear friend, whose home had been in Chicopee, Mass. But their home was at this time near Lincoln Park; he said to me at the supper table, “I saw D.L. Moody and enquired after you.” I replied, “After me; how does he know anything about me?” He answered, “He knows everybody, he has been to a S.S. or a prayer meeting and has heard of you. He wants to see you: he is an excellent man, but don’t you have anything to do with him. He is full of work, and in a little while you will work yourself sick.”

Shortly after this, another friend told Emma that Moody had been asking about her. This friend also told her not to get involved with Moody’s work, because working with him would work her to death. Finally, a third friend from the YWCA told Emma that Moody had asked her if she ever saw Emma. This friend also warned her against joining the work. None of these friends of Emma knew the others were each telling Emma the same thing.

I found it interesting that these friends warned Emma that this type of work would take a physical toll on her even while she was recovering from an illness that should have killed her. While this ministry would tax her physically at times, Emma was more concerned about God's leading than her physical health.

Finally Emma agreed to meet with Moody when she visited Chicago. Emma was delighted to meet Mr. Moody, who had heard quite a bit about her. In the course of talking, Emma was surprised when Moody asked a very direct and unexpected question. She explained this in another letter...

[Moody] surprised me by abruptly asking, “Do you understand the doctrine of the Coming and Kingdom of Christ?” I answered, “I believe it, but the doctrine is great, and I would not like to say that I understand it all.” In his quick way, he asked, “Where did you get a hold of that?” I replied, “I found it in the Bible.” He said, “I am mighty glad you know that doctrine. Why! It is the key to the Scriptures.” … I liked his Christian earnestness, and his direct way of introducing a subject, and reaching its most important truth...

Moody was very impressed with Emma, and her passion for teaching and the Word of God. "He knew that women had a unique ability to evangelize to mothers and children in a way that men never could, and saw Dryer as just the person to help him encourage this group."

Moving From Normal To Chicago:

After meeting her, Moody convinced Dryer to leave her job at ISNU to join the work of the YWCA in Chicago. She moved to Chicago later that year.

It's crazy that she would leave a job with immense prestige and good pay in a safe little town to become a support based urban ministry in a sinister part of inner-city Chicago. Emma seemed much more focused on the excitement of the work that God was doing than she did about the money and the status she held at ISNU. In a letter to a friend in New York City she remembered that she was “Deeply impressed by [Moody’s] earnest consideration to the will and work of God." This mattered more to her than the money.

The Great Chicago Fire:

The year after Emma moved to Chicago the Great Chicago Fire destroyed much of the city. It started Sunday night, October 8, 1871, and burned until Tuesday morning. More than 2,000 acres of downtown Chicago were burned. In the devastation following this great disaster, Emma sprung to work. According to many sources, nearly 90,000 people were left homeless. While Emma lost everything in the fire, she immediately got to work getting food, clothing, and shelter for the thousands of victims. As a direct result of serving people in the aftermath of the fire, Emma “saw that the impoverished masses were quite as much in need of the Word of God as the were in need of food and shelter.”

Emma's Work In Chicago:

Dryer quickly rose to a place of high position in Chicago. She became superintendent of the YWCA in November, 1871. She worked with the Chicago Evangelization society, which eventually became Moody Bible Institute. Emma was also on the board of the Chicago Bible Society, as the only woman among twenty-eight other men. She worked very closely with Moody, R.A. Torrey, Dr. Moorehead, and the other bosses who were doing evangelistic work in Chicago during the late 1800s.

Dryer also “corresponded with groups and individuals all over the country.” She was very involved in fundraising, and often wrote personal thank you notes to her supporters. Many of these letters were long and contained a clear outline of the Gospel. Emma wanted to take every chance she had to share the Gospel with everyone she encountered. Even writing thank you notes was an opportunity for ministry for her. At the top of her stationary were both a Bible verse and a short quote. The verse was from Philippians, “Holding forth the Word of Life.” The quote was “Unlike all other books, the Bible is it’s own interpreter.” Dryer wanted everything in her life to flow out of the Bible. Her goal was to share the Bible with as many as she could.

Moody had a profound impact on Emma, and one of the first questions he ever asked her remained with her for her entire ministry. The question he had asked her about the coming and kingdom of Jesus resonated throughout her ministry. She loved the Lord Jesus greatly, and wanted to see His Coming and His Kingdom. She often signed letters by saying, “In the hope of the Gospel,” showing her deep desire for the advancement of Christ’s kingdom in Chicago and the world. On a piece of her stationary in her own handwriting, Emma wrote this quote dated 1873: “I hope that we may, within a few years, see our city filled with live missions, doing a great work for Christ, and hastening the Coming of His dear Kingdom.”

This quote grabbed my heart, because I have the same hope and prayer. I wonder why it has not yet happened.

Starting Moody Bible Institute:

Emma prayed for years that God would start a school for training people for ministry in Chicago, the United States, and across the world. From 1883-86 prayer meetings were held weekly on Saturday mornings for the “establishment of the Bible Work in Chicago, and the training of missionaries for home and foreign fields.”

On January 22, 1886, the topic of a school was brought up in an evangelism meeting. At that point, Moody stood up and for the first time endorsed the idea of a training school for men and women, “I tell you what I want, and what I have on my heart. I believe we have got to have gap-men to stand between the laity and the ministers; men who are trained to do city mission work. Take men that have the gifts and train them for the work of reaching the people.” Moody also said that Emma Dryer was “the best teacher of the Word of God in the United States.”

What a powerful claim! Moody had been doing teaching all over the states (literally coast to coast), and even throughout Europe. However, this great man of God had an immense respect for Emma.

Moody had been spending most of his time in New York and in England in the years leading up to the founding of the Chicago Evangelization Society (now MBI). He was absent from Chicago later in 1886 when the approval was given to purchase the land that is now Moody’s campus. In a letter to Mrs. McCormick, Emma told her that Moody had telegraphed her giving her the approval to purchase the property by the church (which was on Chicago and LaSalle). She also mentioned the possibility of future land of empty lots on down LaSalle Street. Emma was the driving force behind making a lot of this happen, and “at every opportunity she [had] encouraged Moody to start a training school for young men and women.” 1886 was a great year of answered prayer for Emma and many who had been standing with her for the previous 16 years.

Emma wrote a letter to Moody around this time, telling him how much she had hoped and waited for the founding of this school. “Through loneliness and trouble, and constraint, wearing work, then I held on. When others shuddered, I believed. When others hurried away, I prayed on and worked on. When others said you were never meant to come here, I believed that God had made you speak The Truth, in preaching and planned purposes. And I prayed on." This letter was full of both prayer and encouragement. Emma obviously had a very close relationship this man who shaped history.

Emma's Legacy:

Dryer passed away in April of 1925. She had a stroke late one evening, and died shortly afterwards. Her obituary read: “Her training school for young women was the forerunner of the present women’s department of Moody Bible Institute. One of the constantly used lecture rooms of the Institute is named in her honor…” and her memorial service was held in that very room.

This time period was an amazing time of God’s work in Chicago. The group of people that Emma worked with changed the city for the better in many different ways, and the legacy of their work continues today. In a letter on MBI letterhead to Ms. Waite, the writer informs Ms. Waite of Dryer’s passing. The letter concludes with quite a sobering, yet peaceful statement. “Thus one by one we are gathering on the other side.” As this group of people passed on, their legacy lived on, in the ministries they had given their lives to. Emma and her friends had truly lived for the advancement of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Some Final Thoughts:

Emma had a deep heart for the city of Chicago, and gave her life to ministry in the neighborhood where I now live. I want to have the same passion she did, and hopefully the power to give up the many things she did to serve the Lord. Emma did not let herself simply get caught up in people's physical needs, but saw a deeper need for God and His Word. However, she did not ignore those physical needs either, but worked to meet people where they were at.

I want to be like that.

Most of this material came from a class project for "History and Theology of Urban Ministry." I have taken out some of the more formal language, and added commentary to certain parts, as well as editing out some boring parts.

Special thanks to Moody Bible Institute for allowing me to use the Archives. Much of the information in this post comes from direct, unpublished sources accessed 4/27-4/29 2010.

Thanks also to the Moody Website, where much of the foundation for the timeline of this story was found. I referenced the following two links often during the course of my research in late April 2010:

http://www.moodyministries.net/crp_MainPage.aspx?id=62

http://www.moodyministries.net/crp_MainPage.aspx?id=64

Things Caleb Takes For Granted Number Fourteen

2010-06-21T10:11:00.000-05:00

I have access to running water.

Last week Moody had to shut of the water in my building for a few hours. I was at work during this time, but I remember the thought flashing across my mind: “I have a right to that water… even if I’m not at home when it’s turned off.” I realized how stupid the thought was immediately, the fact that I have running water 99.99% of the time is incredible.

When I was in Haiti, most people did not have running water. We did, while we were down there, have a couple hours a day with running water. I saw running water as such a blessing in Haiti, but subconsciously here at home I see it as a right.

Children gather around a well in the morning to get water for the day.

Girls pumping water out of the well in the refugee camp where we stayed.

Not only do I have clean, fresh, unlimited water, I have running water constantly. God, thanks for the blessing of running water in my very room. Thanks even more for the Living Water You have given me.

Mars Hill Music: Finally something I can agree with

2010-06-18T14:28:00.001-05:00

Finally! Something from Mars Hill Church pertaining to music that I actually agree with! Usually I am kinda turned off by the style of Mars Hill's music, as I dislike the whole west-coast/indie/trendy type of music. But I read a short blog post that was really encouraging. Here's one thing Pastor Tim Smith said:

If a song can’t stand on its own with an acoustic guitar and a few voices raised together, it needs more work. Effects and instrumentation shouldn’t be used to cover up a poor song. If you can’t strip it all away, and still have substance that moves hearts to worship Jesus, then you’re relying too much on technology, tricks, and gear.

Here's the rest of the Mars Hill blog.

Dropped-Dollar Dilemma.

2010-06-17T09:41:00.001-05:00

Last night I was in line at the grocery store, and as I stood in line for the self-checkout, I observed something quite interesting...

As I was standing in line, the man two people in front of me was talking to the guy next to him as he pulled out his wallet. In doing this, he dropped a dollar bill on the ground. The guy behind him, immediately in front of me, saw it happen too. He was pretty well dressed, and just had a drink that he was buy. Mr. Well-Dressed looked down at the bill for a moment, and I assumed he would tell the man who dropped it. He didn't.

The man who dropped the dollar eventually moved up to a self-checkout lane, and Mr. Well-Dressed scooted up in the line. He looked around a little bit, then pretended to trip on the bill. (I mean seriously, how could stepping on a dollar bill startle you that much?) He seemed to be startled to see it laying there. He bent over and picked it up, and made a sweeping motion in front of himself with the dollar bill, eyebrows raised, as if to ask "Is this anyone's?" Seeing no response, he pocketed the bill and moved forward.

My question is, what do you think I should have done? Did I have a moral obligation to tell the man who dropped his dollar? What if it was a $5? A $20? $100? Was I right to give the guy in front of me a chance to give it back, or should I have said something immediately?

What do you think?

Growing up, and waking up.

2010-06-15T18:15:00.014-05:00

Growing up is scary.

As I have grown the past couple years a lot of responsibilities have fallen on me. A job, taxes, bank accounts, cooking for myself, shopping for groceries and clothing, figuring out transportation, trying to figure out the rest of my education, and many other things. The growth I've experienced has been slow, but incredibly good. I've enjoyed what God has shown me, and how He's preparing me for the things I will face in the future.

However, with growing up and becoming responsible, I have had to give up some things that I enjoyed in high school. I have realized it more and more, especially in comparison to life in high school.

One way I realized the growth I have experienced recently is through occasional trips home. A couple of weekends ago I went home to see my sister graduate from high school. After her graduation party I went and hung out with my friend at his house in the country. Hoping to relive our summers during high school, we had thought about staying up late and messing around like we had many summer nights growing up.

But I had just finished a final earlier that day for summer school and traveled 150 miles, and Jared had worked 10 or 12 hours in the sun making money for a discipleship trip he is going on this summer. So after just about two hours, we decided to go to bed, at about 11. This was a sharp contrast to the nights that we had spent staying awake and driving around and going to Denny's and shooting guns and making fires and going four-wheeling, and many other fun and wholesome things.

I began to think about how my mindset has changed since those days. Staying up all night was worth it simply for the sake of the experience. Now, I realize that each day I have certain responsibilities, and I need a good night of sleep in order to function well during the day.

I've thought a lot about sleep recently, and the wisdom to getting a good night's sleep, and waking early. I did a simple study in the Bible, and found that many times through out the Bible men wake up early in the morning to meet with God. I want to be able to be like Jesus who would wake up early to pray, in order to start my day out right.

I see many people who think they are still in high school, partying late every weekend, staying up till 4 a.m. committing all sorts of sins, not thinking about their next generation or the legacy they will leave, but thinking about the next weekend and the sins they can get away with.

I don't just see this in college kids, but even people in their late 20s and 30s. I know some parents who still do this, people who can't let go of the immaturity of high school and accept their responsibilities of raising children, among many other things.

This is not an idealistic commentary, but just a discussion I've been having with myself, really. I stay up late hanging with friends or watching movies or writing a paper that I should have done weeks earlier. But I want to be a man of God, a guy who puts the priority of leaving a legacy in front of the latest Russell Crow movie, or sleeping in till noon on the weekends.

There are times when staying up late is fine, and sleep is not the most important thing in the world. However, I believe there is self control and discipline in regulating a sleeping pattern or schedule. I've been thinking about that recently, and I am working on and experimenting with different ways to be responsible with my time.

Many of the men who have changed the world were awake very early. John Wesley, for example, was awake every day at 4 a.m., and would spend hours in prayer before he did anything else. There are endless examples, but I just want to see what God could do with my life if I were to give my sleep up to Him.

My Boys.

2010-06-11T16:12:00.000-05:00

These men have been incredibly impactful in my live the past couple of years. Check out their blogs this summer. If you like what you find here, you will like their blogs even more.

Chris Lash:
http://christopherlash.wordpress.com/

Roman Randall:
http://romanlutherrandall.blogspot.com/

Matt Heltzel:
http://matthewheltzel.blogspot.com/

Asset Based Community Development - In Action

2010-05-25T23:43:00.002-05:00

This evening I had the privilege of seeing a theory that I’ve learned a ton about the past year in class acted out in real life. In my urban classes I have learned a lot about asset-based community development or ABCD. In a nutshell, this is looking not only at the bad in a community, but also seeing the good, or the assets, that are already in the community. Community development starts there, with what’s already in place so that the community can continue to grow on their own, without becoming dependent on an outside force.

Tonight I saw that first-hand. I went to meet with my friend Brian, head of The Just Life (affiliated with Park Community Church). I met him on a basketball court in Cabrini-Green.

As I walked up to him I saw a line of young men spinning big arrow signs. I was immediately impressed with their skill and athleticism.

(image borrowed from thejustlife.org)

Brian explained to me what his ministry, along with GRIP ministries was doing in the community. I was very impressed with what they are doing by using the talent in the community. They are actually implementing ABCD, and it was really educational to see it acted out in my neighborhood.

They are teaching kids how to work for an ad agency called AArrow advertising. This has empowered young men in the neighborhood to become business owners and hold down a job that works for them. I’m completely blown away.

Click here for the link to the blog post from Brian about this.

The Haiti Series: Encouragement From a Depressing Book

2010-05-23T23:51:00.000-05:00

2 a.m.

I woke up tossing and turning in my sleeping bag. I landed on a rock under the tent. After trying to move the rocks around under the tent in order to try to make my sleeping area a bit softer. I began to hear roosters crowing about this time. I laid in bed for two hours or so trying to fall asleep again amid the noise and the heat of the humid night air. At about four I got out of the tent as the morning began to get light. The orphan girls were mostly awake and moving around. The rest of the team was still mostly asleep, and I took the time to be alone and read and journal.

As I was reading through Lamentations, I began to see many parallels between the destroyed city of Jerusalem and Port-au-Prince. I saw vast ruin, women and children in streets, and destruction as far as my eyes could reach. As I read Jeremiah’s account of the destruction of Jerusalem, I was able to relate with the same questions he was having. I began to get really depressed as I read the questions that Jeremiah asked of God. I began to wonder how in the world Jeremiah dealt with the pain all around him.

I read on, and suddenly a passage (that I had always heard jacked out of context) exploded on the page in front of me. Jeremiah has just finished describing the hell he was living in and asking God to remember his afflictions and sufferings. Then he shows us a piece of his heart, explaining his hope in the Lord:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.

Great hymns of the faith are written on the first two verses of that passage, but I know of no hymns written on the other 152 verses in this book. I will venture to say you will never sing a hymn in church called “My bile is poured on the ground because of the violence in my city,” or “The Lord has stomped on the virgin like a winepress.” Only about 5% of this book is positive, but for me, I was able to realize the truth of that 5% in the moment of seeing the greatest destruction of my life thus far. Had Lamentations been 100% happy or positive, I don’t know that I would have been able to relate. But because of Jeremiah’s lament, I was able to be drawn in, to relate to his questions and cries. Then I saw his faith in God, and how true that was to him in the midst of vast destruction.

This was such an encouragement to me, and it was one of the many times that Scripture would become very alive to me.

As people began to wake up, we started getting ready for church. I was pretty tired after having spent the previous day traveling and only getting about four hours of sleep.

The view from the stage.

At church we were asked to sit up front on the stage, a place of honor for missionaries. It was hard to pay attention for 3+ hours while the service was in Creole. As I sat and thought about my trip up until that point, I became aware that I had yet to do much of any type of ministry. In my previous trips I had been able to see substantial progress by day two. For instance, in Mississippi, I would be able to see houses framed out in a day or two, or a roof shingled in a morning. Here, I could not see anything I had actually done.

That afternoon carried the same theme. We spent time with kids and others around the orphanage, and waited for evening church. As I sat in church that night, I wondered when the emotions would set in. I remember destruction and poverty wrecking me in places like the Gulf Coast, Memphis, Guatemala, and China. However, I was not wrecked after 30+ hours in Port-au-Prince. Had I become calloused? Had this just become a project? Was I only seeing the issues through the lenses of the classes I had taken at Moody about poverty and relief?

A view across the campus to the destroyed school building.

As I laid in bed that night I thought through all I had seen in view of my new theology of the poor and impoverished. I listed out the questions I would hope to answer: What is the U.S. Army really doing to help? Where do short-term mission trips fit into rebuilding Haiti? How do we help rebuild when people seem unmotivated to help themselves? Where does the moral responsibility lie for fixing this disaster? How can we help in the middle of a corrupt government on top and an unmotivated and broken people on the bottom?

What hope is there for the country of Haiti?

and I fell asleep…

#D312: A Year in Review. Pick Your Favorite Quote!

2010-05-23T02:15:00.006-05:00

If you’ve missed reading these updates from #D312, here are a few of the best!

(These have been nominated for best quote of the year by an amazing panel of judges.)

"I'm gonna slap you with an apple." #D312
"I made a vow with God to not play rob bell through that speaker." #D312
"I am eating chocolate and doing pull ups at the same time." #D312
"Sometimes sisters become wives." #D312
"You're gonna make coffee now?" "no, premake it." "Oh, you mean the znnnnnnnnzzzznnznznzz?" "Yep. we're gonna grind it." #D312
"Dude tweet that." "I already did." #D312
"I saw that face-- that's the tweet face." #D312
"I need to look masculine today because of the twitter feed last night." #D312
"My one hour to relax, and the internet is not working!!" "Read a book. Or smoke a joint." -#D312
"I am a 5.5 Calvinist..." "Wait so you are a half double-predestinationist?" #D312
"When I write a book 4 young men, its gonna have a chapter called "Avoid The Pot." Its gonna b 2fold. Avoid marijuana and potbellies." #D312
"I follow @johnpiper" "Well I follow @realrobbell" "AND I FOLLOW APOLLOS!!!" #D312
"he alegoricalaorized..... the crap out of that!" "HEY! He influenced my girlfriend to think that too!" -#D312
"I just wanna get naked and frolic through a field." "I'm gonna ignore that and go to bed." -#D312
“U know whats the best? Setting ur alarm for 9 and waking up whenever I want! 8:30, 6:00, 7:15" "Ur gonna wake up at 9." "Yep I am." - #D312
"You just exegeted my finger!!" "You can't exegete a finger!!!!" #D312
"I'm not gonna tweet that... just cause you keep repeating it." - #D312
"Don't mess with me, I'm in a man-mood." - #D312
"Please post on twitter everything I am about to say." - #D312
"If you come with us to subway, I guarantee that you will find something encouraging about David Livingstone along the way." - #D312
Yep, there's some root beer in a shoe. How bout it?" - #D312
"Martin Luther put Maccabees in his Bible because he thought it was expired." "I think you mean inspired." #D312
"The definition of read has become blurred since coming to college." #D312
"I watched Juno today, and I'm really glad I'm not pregnant." #D312
"If I was getting mauled by a lion, would you help?" "Yeah, I'd help the lion." #D312
"Don't get drunk on water." "Name that verse." "Proverbs." "That's not a verse." "Prove it." #D312
"Peter probably farted and blamed it on Thomas. Thomas doubted that he farted, and Peter denied it three times." #mbi #D312
"Guys, I think I'm a water-a-holic" #D312
"I love how short @mattheltzel is." #D312
"My love language is hate." #D312
"I can't wait to crap in Israel. Like Ezekiel. " #D312
"I'm not tweeting that cause I know you want me to." #D312
"I met this girl.... she's very atractable." #D312
"I don't understand why people wanna date Jesus. WE'RE ALREADY MARRIED TO HIM DANGIT!!!" #D312
"I think it's mildly sinful to buy headphones when you're angry." "Oh you're right. That's in 2 Peter." #D312
What happens in #D312 stays in #D312. and on twitter.
"Did you know hulu works really fast during chapel?" #D312
"Are you a feminist?" "No, I'm a know-your-role-ist." #D312
"So we're like half-dating..." "Oh, you mean hating..." #D312
"Caleb, don't tweet that." "Too late." #D312
I promise that #D312 is funny right now, but our humor has evolved past 140 characters now...
"I'm a type "B" personality. The only reason I would ever have a heart attack is because I eat so much candy." #D312
"Be fruitful and bachelor to the rapture. What verse is that? Proverbs, right?" #D312
"Jude is like a facebook message. Maybe a DM on twitter." #D312.
"Augustine could NOT climb the Sears Tower." #D312
"Don't say that. I just rebuked you. Colossians 3 and 4. And 5,6,7." #D312
"I'm literally going to cover your body with honey and let a bear into your room. Do you ever work out.?" #D312
"Is sean there?" "yeah, but i cant give you the phone cause he's lifting weights right now." #D312
"Two wrongs dont make a right, but two Wrights made an airplane!!" #D312
"I would tweet that if i could." #D312
"The national guard is in a boat." "you're thinking of the COAST guard." #D312
"That's your flesh showing up. With spiritual motives." #D312
"You know what it's a good day for?" "Breaking hearts." "...I was gonna say summer bash." #D312
"Have you ever had a small cow?" "A BETTER question: Have you ever had a small cow?" #D312"
"You know who has good suffering lyrics? As I lay Dying." "You can't understand them." "yeah you can. If you read their lyrics." #D312
ive got a hole in my pants. i cant hug you. #D312
"... so your computer means more to you than your face?" "CWAP! I NEED TO STUDY!" #D312
"The rooster crows, the cocker spaniel wags it's tail, and still Thou art with me." #D312
"That song was written in the 80s..." "Yeah, I'm not really a fan of classical music." #D312
"we didn't fall for JACK!" "HAHAH YOU FELL FOR JILL when jack and jill went up a hill!!!" #D312
"GET MY ORANGE!" "YOU THREW A CUP AT ME!" "I BARELY HIT YOU!" "YOU BROKE MY SHOULDER!" "GET MY ORANGE! GET MY ORANGE!!!!!" #D312
"YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET THE TICKET! WHAT WAS THAT?" "A PHONE!!" YOU THREW A PHONE AT ME? CALL ME DADDY! DID YOU PEE ON THE SEAT?" #D312
"People get struck by lightning all the time and live." "and die." #D312
"Guys can i ask you something?" "What?" "Zip it!!" #d312
"What?! I made up a song called 'Caleb's got a bum in his face." #D312
"Is she a Sophomore?" "I dont know but is she single? Yes." #D312
"Oh! I thought i tweeted that. I just didnt click send" "Whelp you snooze you loose thats what i always say." #D312
Clearly she did not take my advice to burn her phone...cause she just called again. #D312
"Have i ever lied to you?""Well there was that time that you told me there was a scorpion in my bed and there wasnt""That was a joke" #D312

Which quote is your favorite?

The Haiti Series: The First Evening

2010-04-07T10:42:00.001-05:00

As we drove in the hot afternoon air, I sat in the cab of the truck with all our luggage in it. Four of us crammed into two seats, and drove for 45 minutes to Grace Village, the local organization where we were to stay. I sat with a member of our team, the driver, and a Haitian man who had been in Bible College in the states until the earthquake. As we got talking, this young Bible College student told us some of his frustrations about the aftermath of the disaster. He started by telling us how at first he was very appreciative of the UN and the US Army in their response to immediate needs in the days after the earthquake. However, he went on to say that the US Army seemed to be doing very little in the time that we were there. This young man was also frustrated with the Haitian business people he was trying to work with. As he had been trying to rebuild parts of Haiti, he had been cheated and deceived by Haitian people looking out for their own interests, not for those of all of Haiti. These Haitians had been taking advantage of aid and other things, in order to make themselves wealthy off the earthquake. This young man was frustrated that his fellow Haitian brothers were not looking out for their country, but only trying to help themselves. Finally, he was frustrated with many groups who had traveled down with no purpose or connections. Some short term groups had come down with good intentions, but no good plan on how to help.

All the things he mentioned I had been asking myself about the relief efforts. But hearing it first hand from a Haitian man within my first hour of being on the ground was honestly very disheartening for me. I had wanted to see hope when I landed, to see change for the good of Haiti, but I was slapped with the hard reality of the destruction and corruption all around.

We got to Grace Village, and drove through a huge refugee camp for several minutes. As I was taking it all in, I began to wonder about my safety and security in a camp like this. As I was thinking of this, we pulled up to a gate. A couple of armed guards opened up the gate, and we drove through the gate into a small 2-3 acre compound. They shut the gate behind us, and we found ourselves in a walled-in area where the girl’s orphanage was. This orphanage is part of Grace Village’s ministry in the Carrefour area of Port-au-Prince. There were several tents, and plenty of open space. This was an oasis of space in the middle of a crammed refugee camp.

It was beginning to get dark, so we set up the tents. We set the tents up beside a large cell phone tower that had been placed on the campus after all the towers had been destroyed. (Communication was very important to everyone trying to get work done down there.) This tower had 24-hour armed security, so there were always two armed guards right beside our tent. After we set up the tents, we ate dinner together in the darkness of the night.

As I laid in the tent later that night, I thought about all the destruction I had seen on the drive in, and the pain and suffering that I was in the middle of. I wanted to get to work immediately, and start fixing everything. As I thought about all the things I wanted to do, I fell asleep…

Things Caleb Takes For Granted Number Thirteen

2010-03-28T22:27:00.002-05:00

I have an adequate diet.

On my trip to Haiti, I was able to help distribute food to many different people. While I was glad to be able to help give, I realized that the food I was carrying for people was not going to be enough for them. While we were down there, we also were able to eat good food. I realized that we were feasting compared to the refugee camp that we were staying in. They had very little, while we had a lot. I take every meal for granted. I know that across the world there are people who don’t know where their next meal will come from, yet I am never hungry.

As I become more aware of this, I think in this case I need to do more than just be thankful for the blessings I have, but I also need to seek how to be a blessing to others, especially those who are hungry and starving.

Let me know if you have any ideas on how a college kid can help get food to those who are starving across the world.

The Haiti Series: From ORD to MIA to PAP

2010-03-25T22:18:00.002-05:00

My trip to Haiti started the day after the earthquake happened. I walked into work and saw my friend Welson there at work. I knew that he was born and raised in Haiti, and most of his family was in Port-au-Prince. I began talking to him about his family and friends. He was having a hard time reaching his family in the aftermath of the earthquake. As I talked with Welson, I found out that he had been planning a spring break trip down to Haiti for months. In talking to Welson, he invited me to join him for a meeting the next week about the trip. I attended the meeting, and after a day of prayer decided to join the team. God gave me significant affirmation of my participation on the trip, and despite my fears about the trip, I decided to go and follow the Lord’s leading.

The next four or five weeks are a whirlwind in my memory. I was extremely busy as midterms approached and as I prepared for the trip.

I finished up my midterms at 2 pm on Friday, March 5, and at 3:30 met the team to leave for O’Hare. We got on our flight and I ended up being seated by Elizabeth, one of the students on the trip. (I did not know anyone really except for Welson on the trip, so I really got to know everyone the first time during the trip down to Miami.) Elizabeth and I were able to engage one of the stewardesses in conversation about our trip to Haiti. She was very kind to us after we had talked with her for a while, and gave us supply kits for each of the team members. After the flight landed we stepped out into the warm Miami evening.

I was very happy to leave the snow of Chicago and land in the warm night air of Miami. I was also happy to hear Spanish being spoken everywhere. We took a shuttle to a hotel, and spent our last night on mattresses for a while.

We woke up early and after breakfast headed back to MIA to catch our flight to Port-au-Prince. I had been wondering who would be taking a commercial flight to Port-au-Prince, and as we waited to board I saw many different mission groups waiting also. Most of the people boarding the 747 were relief groups and mission trips. We were able to talk with several different people from all over the states on their way down to help. We landed in Port-au-Prince mid-afternoon Saturday. On the approach to the airport, I was sitting in the middle of the plane, and while I could catch glimpses of the ground from the windows, I did not really see much destruction from my standpoint.

Our plane pulled up to the airport, and we walked down a hallway to a waiting area where the airport staff was waiting to bus people to the building where we could go through immigration and claim our luggage. As we walked towards this area, we saw the U.S. army in powerful strength. They were there to help run the logistics of the airport.

We grabbed our luggage and made our way through immigration and on into the afternoon heat. There was a crowd of people around the exit of the airport, and we pushed our way through to a truck and van waiting for us. We piled all our stuff into the truck and started down the road…

Haiti Preview

2010-03-18T09:56:00.002-05:00

I got back home from Haiti yesterday. My trip was incredible. I was able to serve so much, and learn a lot also. Because I just got home, I have a lot of work to do this week, but I will try to begin writing about my trip over the next few days.

I am planning on sharing both the work we did, and some of the things I learned and am processing. I learned a lot on this trip, and I hope it will be stuff that I can use in my future ministry.

This trip was one of the most amazing experiences of my life, partly because of the people who went down on the trip with me. We didn't know each other at all for the most part, but we were able to be flexible and work together for the whole trip.

Each of us was there seeking the interests of Christ, not only our own interests. Because of this, we were able to have basically no conflict over the whole trip; we each were there for a reason higher than ourselves. I also heard no complaining, even though we were experiencing some difficult living circumstances. The Holy Spirit brought us together and gave us unity as we were intent on one purpose: serving the cause of the Gospel in word and deed.

While there is much destruction and despair, I also see hope and healing on the horizon. I cannot wait to share with you all what the Lord is doing.

-caleb

Live from Haiti!

2010-03-07T11:12:00.001-06:00

Hello from Haiti! I am so excited to be here serving people in need. We have sparadic Internet access here, and I can get on it with my iPod. I am taking notes in my moleskine and will post a synopsis when I get back. Please continue to pray for our team to be able to serve the Lord and the people of Haiti.
-Caleb

Being Called

2010-02-27T13:58:00.000-06:00

Yesterday in chapel there was a panel discussion about urban ministry (this whole week has been urban emphasis week at Moody). During the discussion a question was asked about how these people doing incarnational ministry avoid burnout. The response was something I’ve been wanting to hear at Moody chapel for quite a long time. The panelist said that before going into urban ministry one should very carefully pray and consider their calling into an urban setting. If one was to too hastily jump into urban ministry without a true love for this type of ministry, he or she might quickly experience burnout. This was actually quite a relief to hear for the first time in quite a while. I’ll explain.

The most blatant expression of what I am talking about occurred last week in chapel. Mrs. Kay Warren spoke in chapel about the need for Christians to get involved in ministering to those who are suffering from AIDS. (Let me say, I do agree that Christians should be involved in issues like this, and at the very least be aware of what is going on.) The point that caused me to stop and really question if I believed what Mrs. Warren was saying was when she said that God would not say “Well done, good and faithful servant” to her when she died if she did not join the fight against AIDS.

While this may be true for her, because she is burdened and called to do this, it is not true for me. I am not called (as far as I know) and not burdened specifically for people with AIDS. I believe it is a problem, and I am aware of the significance of the issue. But Mrs. Warren continued to say that if we don’t have friends with AIDS then we are judgmental towards people and don’t care enough. She told an emotional story, and finished off by encouraging us all to get involved in this issue. While I appreciated many things that Mrs. Warren said, that part didn’t sit well with me.

There are more examples:

About a month or so ago Student Mission Fellowship brought in a speaker from I-Sanctuary (an organization for women coming out of trafficking and prostitution). The speaker that day also told emotional stories and told us about how this was the biggest issue facing us in the world, and encouraged us to get involved with their organization out on the West Coast.

At missions conference last semester speaker after speaker told us about their mission and the work that God is doing and the emotional stories of their ministry. The main speaker talked about how the Dalits in India are being mistreated and murdered unjustly. This was the biggest issue for us that week. At the end of the week they made a call for students to come forward to give their lives to overseas missions. Tears flowed down people’s cheeks and hundreds went forward in another emotional event.

There is definitely a place for emotions in ministry. We see Jesus weep for Lazarus and over the city of Jerusalem. And there is definitely a place to get angry over injustice, and to weep with the victims of such. But these things are so huge. I have heard people say that their issue is the most important thing facing us today, about each of the preceding issues, and about many more things. We face AIDS, prostitution, lack of clean water, racism, famine, homelessness, youth violence, slavery, genocide, natural disasters, and so many other injustices. There is no way for one person to be involved in all these problems. Yet I think that often times, students at Moody feel as though they should bear the weight of all these burdens. We sing and pray that God would break our hearts for what breaks His, yet this is probably impossible.

However, God has burdened each of us for something specific. And I believe we should be as involved as possible with that. (One problem I had with the speaker talking about women coming out of prostitution was the fact that she did not mention that Chicago is the biggest city for trafficking in the U.S. but instead asked us to get involved in building a shelter overseas and on the West Coast.) We should be involved here in our own city first. Why is it so easy to send money to build something overseas but not to spend time here in our own city?

I think that people should give themselves fully to what God has called them to. While it is good to be saddened and upset by injustice that we see in the world, we should try to stay focused on where God has placed us. As one human being, I do not have the capacity to change everything, but I can make a change in the place God has placed me.

I have seen and heard about a lot of people in Christian ministry who have burn out and quit. Perhaps what they were doing was not what God called them to. There very well may have been a need, but if they did not have a deep burden and heart for those people, burnout would happen quickly.

There are discouragements and sorrows and trials and pain and suffering in ministry. In these times, God should be the strength and the reason to go on. If someone goes only to meet a need, they will find that their own strength is not enough.

I think that many of us Moody students are called to full time ministry. In deciding where God is leading us, we need to be careful not to make an emotional decision, or only go to meet a need because no one else is. We need to go out of a love for people, a burden for an issue, and a love for God.

So when people come into chapel and say that they represent the biggest issue today, that’s probably not true. It might be the biggest issue for them, but that’s because God has laid it on their heart. Too many times I have heard people try to do the work of the Holy Spirit in convicting us to join an organization. I would rather people just present what they have, and leave God’s work up to Him.

Things Caleb Takes For Granted Number Twelve

2010-02-24T23:25:00.000-06:00

A Warm Coat.

This winter has been much more mild than last year. Chicago is known for her wild and bitter winters, and yet this year it has been quite moderate. There have been a few especially cold weeks, but overall, not as bad as usual. But even in this mild winter, I have been cold many times. I have not been as cold as others though, because I have a coat. Actually I have two winter coats, and two jackets. I always am able to stay warm.

I know some kids, and have seen some adults who don’t have coats. I take for granted that I can just throw on a coat and go out into the winter. Some people don’t have that luxury. As I complain about the cold, I should stop and be thankful for my coat, and the warm clothes I have.

Prayer for Haiti

2010-02-22T14:34:00.001-06:00

Dear friends,

As I am preparing to go to Haiti, many of you have committed to pray for me. First of all, I am very grateful for your prayers. I could not do anything aside from the power of God, and I know that your prayers on my behalf are so important. So here are a few things to pray for:

As I am preparing:

Praise God for providing all the funds for my trip, and even a little above our expenses that will allow us to offer a greater amount of relief while we are down there!
Praise God for the work He is already doing down in Haiti, and that we as Moody students get to be a part of His work.
Ask God to continue to put the logistical pieces in place for us as we try to plan out our trip.
Ask that God would prepare my spirit for the spiritual darkness that I will face and that I will remember the power of Christ over all things.

As I am there:

Ask God for continual boldness as we proclaim His kingdom wherever we go.
Ask God to give our team unity based on Christ and His work in Haiti.
Ask God to grant each of us on the team humility as we serve our brothers and sisters in Haiti.
Ask God that He would allow us to be an encouragement to the believers down in Haiti.
Ask God to constantly give us single-mindedness, as we stay intently focused on our purpose for being in Haiti.
Ask God to do His will in and through our trip, as we submit to His leading throughout the trip.

Thank you again for joining with me in prayer. There are many more things to pray for, and as the Holy Spirit leads you, please continue to pray for me and the people I will be serving.

I hope to update this blog a little bit while I am down there, but I will have a full report sometime after I get back. Be watching for that!

-caleb

Matt Chandler and God's Glory

2010-02-19T22:32:00.001-06:00

One of my heroes is Matt Chandler, pastor of The Village Church in Highland Village, TX. He has recently been struggling in a very public battle with brain cancer. I have been struck by how well he has stayed strong thus far. MSNBC recently did a huge article on this. It was so cool to hear this report, along with hearing Matt preach and still talk about his struggles. I feel like I have gotten to see a very personal side of Matt through this, and I’m continuing to pray for him as I grow from his ministry.

Here’s one of the ways I have grown in knowledge, as I have gotten a better understanding of God’s sovereignty.

I had this thought after reading the MSNBC piece on Matt Chandler:

It’s not about us. We have been created in the image of God, and as a result of sin, we have fallen. As part of that fallen nature, we still retain the image of God, and Satan wants to distort that as much as possible. One part of God’s image is His glory. While we were originally created to reflect His glory, we now seek our own glory, and when things don’t go well for us, we are deeply saddened, embittered, and angered. We are created as worshippers, and the lie that Satan told us was that we could be like God. Well that’s not true. Because we were created TO worship, not to BE worshipped, we make crummy gods. When life falls apart, we lose our illusion of control, and see the effects of sin more clearly.

We so dearly want to hold onto life for our own glory, but it’s not about us! We live to forward God’s mission, whether by life or by death. Oh! To die for Christ! The honor and the glory that would be! But so much harder is the daily taking up our cross and following our Saviour. And daily living with the persecutions and trials and pains of this life is so difficult at times. It’s only when we see ourselves as living for His glory alone that we can function fully through the burdens of this life. When we are trapped in the delusion that our lives are about us and for our name, we get upset when life falls apart.

The Bible says that we (along with all creation) were created for God. When we get over ourselves and start living all out for Christ, we are acting in accordance with the way we were created. This is when things will seem the most right, as we long and wait for heaven.

While trials and sufferings will come, we can have faith that our citizenship is not here, it is in heaven. We will have complete peace, with the image of God restored in us. I cannot wait for that day.

Things Caleb Takes For Granted Number Eleven

2010-02-17T11:16:00.000-06:00

Peaceful sleep.

As I mentioned in the story I told last week, my friends who are homeless were rudely awakened by a jerk pouring hot water on them while they slept. They were awaken immediately, and soon had frozen blankets and clothes.

I don’t have to fear this. In fact, I am almost never woken up except by the alarm I set. I get to chose when and how long I sleep every night. My roommates are very respectful towards me in allowing me to do this. I am very grateful that I am able to take care of my body by getting enough sleep.

There are many people who don’t have a quiet, solitude, private place to sleep. I need to be more thankful for this, and stop thinking I have a right to this. This is a gift from God.

Things Caleb Takes For Granted Number Ten

2010-02-14T10:35:00.000-06:00

My singleness.

With Valentines Day today and all the things that go along with it, singleness, dating, engagement, and marriage are all talked about and thought about, especially here at Moody. I often joke around about being single and all that, and I think that’s because I’m comfortable with being single. But I know there are times that I desire companionship and I desire to be with someone.

Sometimes I take for granted being single. I sometimes get so caught up in what could be that I forget the blessings of now. Right now I have lots more free time than I realize, that will someday be given to a girl. I have money now that will someday be given to a girl. I should be taking better advantage of this time to become a better man while I wait for God to work out whatever He will.

I know that someday (maybe soon, maybe in 20 years) God will bring someone along side me to work with me in the ministry He has for me. I have faith that God will bring that person along. But He has me here now, and I should not take this time for granted!

-caleb

A glimpse into Friday nights in downtown Chicago

2010-02-13T13:27:00.001-06:00

Last night my friend Brooke called me and asked me to go with her to talk to her friend, who is homeless, because she had a really bad day. So I went with Brooke down Chicago Avenue towards Michigan Avenue. Let me paint a picture of the night…

I meet Brooke in the Moody arch, and she begins to tell me the story. “My friend and her husband are homeless, and Andrew and I have made friends with them recently. They sleep down in the tunnel on the way to Oak Street Beach.”

At this point I realize I have seen this couple many times over the past several months. They have all their possessions in a big suitcase, which has their blankets and anything else they own in it. There have been a few times that I have seen this couple, but I have never met them.

Brooke continues to explain: “I gave my friend my number and told her to call if she ever needs anything. We’ve talked many times, but this time she said she got in a fight. That’s why I asked you to come along.”

My heart rate jumps a little bit now, but I am not too worried, because this is pretty safe part of town. As we walk through the snow piled up on the sidewalk beside an abandoned lot, Brooke asks me if I have any money on me. I say I don’t ever carry money on me, because people always ask for it. She says that’s good, because it’s a way to legitimately say we can’t help every single person who asks.

As we near the place where we are to meet this couple, a man stops us. He addresses me: “Sir! I don’t mean no harm, but can I ask you a question?”

“Sure. What’s up?”

“I have been homeless for three days, can I have three dollars?”

“I’m sorry sir, I really have no money.”

Brooke affirms my statement: “Sir, we legitimately do not have any money on us.”

“Well thank you, and God bless,” he says.

Brooke and I cross the street, and see her friends. Brooke gives the lady a hug, and they begin talking about what had happened. I go inside to get napkins for the tears that are flowing down the woman’s face, and bring them back out to her. She and Brooke exchange words for ten or fifteen minutes, and Brooke prays for her and encourages her.

A man walks up while we are all talking, and asks us for money. I say that we don’t have any, and that we’re sorry that we can’t help him. Brooke’s friend yells at this man, and he leaves.

A white man who has been standing a few feet away watching all this, comes right up behind me and whispers into my ear: “that dude just wanted a piece of her action.” He walked away without letting me respond to him.

If I could respond, I would say “excuse me, this woman is our friend, and we came here to see her, she didn’t stop us. Jackass.” Thankfully I don’t have an opportunity to speak out of my anger.

The man I saw earlier come back up to me and says “Sir! I don’t mean no harm, but can I ask you a question?”

“Sorry bro, you already asked me a question, right over there. And I answered it. I’m sorry.”

“Man, forget you,” he says, and walks away.

“Have a good night,” I say.

As my eyes follow him, and Brooke continues to comfort her friend, I see two guys sharing a joint. As I smell the sweet smoke in the cold air, I recognize the smell of weed. These two dudes are sitting outside of McDonalds smoking pot in the middle of everyone.

Business professionals are walking quickly past us, on their way home from Michigan Ave, on their way down to the subway. Many of them stare at us two white college kids with two African-American homeless people. I am tired of people staring at us, so I just stare right back at one woman, who finally breaks eye contact in embarrassment.

Slowly strutting by are many high-school kids, with pants sagging around their knees, ball caps to the side, and extra large sweatshirts and coats. They are yelling sexual jokes at the girls, and the girls are swearing back at them. Every couple minutes another group like this will saunter by.

By the time Brooke finishes up, I am freezing. We walk back towards campus, and Brooke explains a little bit of the situation.

“This couple sleeps under the tunnel, and they had people throw hot water on them for the second time this year, while they were sleeping. You have no idea how angry this makes me. They ended up fighting with each other because of this.”

I think it’s great that Brooke is able to help comfort her friend in this situation. She calmed her down quite a bit, and it was cool to pray for her. I begin to process this more as I go back up to my room.

A little bit later, my friend Sully and I go back out to McDonalds to buy fries for a bunch of people in our room. As we walk towards McDonalds, I hear a now-familiar voice.

“Sir! I don’t mean no harm, but can I ask you a question?”

“Hey homie, this is the third time tonight you’ve asked me a question.”

“Shut up man! I was gonna ask you for somethin different. I wanted… a cigarette.”

“Sorry bro, but neither of us smoke,” says Sully.

He doesn’t respond, and we walk on.

Now I’ve had all sorts of experiences like this before, but I just wanted to write about this while it’s still fresh in my mind. Many things I’ve learned in class I am able to interact with in real life. I am feeling more and more of a Biblical burden to help the broken and care for the poor. It’s hard to figure out exactly what that looks like, but I am hoping that I continue to learn over the next few years.

"Far Away" Music Video | Lecrae | (Haiti Relief) [OFFICIAL]

2010-02-10T20:31:00.001-06:00

I bought this song yesterday, and then tonight at PCM I saw this video as the leaders played it for the kids. It moved my soul and my heart, and I know it will move yours too. Please watch this and hear the message that is so carefully and gingerly given to a people in need of love.

Things Caleb Takes For Granted Number Nine

2010-02-10T19:22:00.002-06:00

My physical wholeness.

Last week in my PCM (my weekly ministry through Moody with Sunshine Gospel Ministries), we watched a video with the kids in our tutoring program. It talked about a few different people who were experiencing life with much difficulty due to physical deformities. As I watched their stories, I realized how healthy I really am.

I started to think, if I were to have physical problems, I would think of it daily. I would likely have thoughts such as: “Lord, if you heal me, I would praise you every day for my health,” or something like that. I realize that I take my healthy body for granted. I can walk, run, open doors, get dressed, and do pretty much anything for myself.

Thank You God, for blessing me everyday by upholding my health, something You have complete control over. I know that whatever happens to me is for Your glory, and I am grateful that at least until now, You have chosen to keep me healthy and whole. Thanks for Your love and grace.

Founder's Week and Doers of the Word

2010-02-08T11:16:00.000-06:00

Last week was Founder’s Week at Moody, and I got to listen to over a dozen different speakers give sermons throughout the week. I was really encouraged by what I heard, and I am super grateful for the chance I had to hear so much of God’s Word in one week.

Moody Bible Institute's Founder's Week. We all had our Bibles out constantly.

There is a phrase that has been in my head recently, from the book of James. Chapter 1 verse 22 says “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” I know that I have heard a lot of speakers, and I remember one speaker getting up and saying “Founder’s Week is a week for these speakers to bless your heart with their message.” While that’s true, we should be blessed by hearing the Word of God, we should not let it stop there. We need to be stirred to action when we hear God’s Word preached. In fact, later in the passage in James it says if someone is “a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” We can be blessed by what we hear, but even more blessed by putting it into action.

I know that my desire to serve has been deepened because of this week, and I am working on ways to put that into action. Getting involved more in my church and with my little brother are two of the ways I want to grow. I also have been encouraged to deepen my relationship with God. Mark Jobe and Nancy Leigh DeMoss really hit on the personal relationship with God part, and I’m excited to fall more and more in love with God daily.

Now it’s off to lunch and classes… learning more and more now that Founder’s Week is over!

1000 Miles Apart

2010-01-31T16:12:00.001-06:00

Since I have been living in Chicago, I have been more and more burdened as I see the racial divisions of the city and our nation. I have been more and more aware of the chasm that lies between races to this day in my city. From the neighborhoods that people choose to live in to the places where people work, I have seen there is a lot of talk and not a lot of action as people process ways to reconcile these issues.

The most blaring divide is that between white Americans and black Americans. In a relationship scarred by slavery and segregation and hatred, the tensions that still exist are largely ignored, especially, I feel, by the people on the white side of the issue. I know that it is easier to sweep some of this stuff under the rug, say that we didn’t personally enslave people, beat them, lynch them, deny them equal opportunities, and simply ignore the issues. But at some point there needs to be reconciliation. And I have heard people cry for that, especially from the African-American community. I have heard all sorts of speeches and sermons and songs about reconciliation, but in my opinion it seems to be largely one-sided.

I am thankful for the advances we have made in the past 50 years, but I want to see more. Even among our churches there is separation. There is a famous saying that goes something like this: “Sunday morning is still the most segregated time of the week in America.” I would love to see that change. I know that different ethnicities worship differently, and there is a place for these different expressions. But we need to get to a place where we realize church and worship and fellowship is not about getting our personal ethnic needs met, it’s about the glory of God.

I recently re-discovered this song by one of my favorite bands, Downhere. (These guys are white Canadians.) Please take a look at these lyrics that explain a little bit more about our passive attitudes towards this issue.

I wonder when this poison seed made a root and grew a weed

I wonder when I taught my feet not to walk down certain streets

I want to feel what I believe: that we are all the same

It's not our houses, it's our hearts 1000 miles apart

You stay there, and I'll stay here, into our corners we disappear

And we don't ever have to talk, 'cause you like hip hop and I like rock

But sometimes thoughts hurt just as bad as striking cheeks with hands

It's less our homes and more our hearts 1000 miles apart

When will we have eyes to see?

When will we learn?

Will we ever have eyes to see

That from our colors we learn?

A change of heart, a change of tune, can we forgive each others' wounds?

Can we cut down this fence of weeds, and neighbors, close as brothers, be?

Cannot love conquer even when we don't look the same?

'Cause we don't have to keep our hearts 1000 miles apart

If we are not intentional about engaging relationships cross-culturally, we are allowing poison seeds to take root, and grow. Not doing anything is often times just as bad as actively hating. When we don't care enough to change, we don't care enough about the person we are ignoring. When we allow apathy towards a subject like this to set in, we have pushed love to the side.

In order to combat this, I have begun to ask my self the following questions recently.

Who am I avoiding because of differences?

Who am I judging because of differences?

Who am I ignoring because of differences?

From Peter’s first sermon in Acts when he preaches about the unity in Christ between Jews and Gentiles, to the book of Revelation where we see every tribe and nation praising God, we know that the New Testament is a book of reconciliation. Racial reconciliation is even found in the Bible, and we need to seek that as we seek God’s kingdom here on earth.

Let’s try to be more intentional in our lives and our relationships, and close the gap of 1000 miles between us and our brothers.

More for Moody

2010-01-28T22:33:00.001-06:00

Check this blog out. We are seeking more for Moody in the coming years. more4moody.blogspot.com

Things Caleb Takes For Granted Number Eight

2010-01-25T20:34:00.001-06:00

I have clean water.

Clean Water. I can turn it on with the turn of a handle.

1 in 8 people in the world do not have access to clean water. That’s nearly a billion people. That is something I do not think about daily. But 1 in 8 of my fellow human brothers and sisters think about that all day every day. The opportunity I have in America, in Chicago, to have this clean water is such a blessing.

When I waste water or take it lightly, I am not thinking about others. I would encourage you to join with me to pray for the very real needs of our brothers and sisters who need water right now, as you read this. Let’s also look for ways to help get water to those in need.

God, thank you for giving us not only clean water to drink and use every day, but also for giving us living water. Please help us not to take either for granted.

-caleb

AmeriCorps in Chicago

2010-01-20T22:46:00.001-06:00

Over the past week, I have been watching the events in Haiti unfold along with the rest of the world. I have had many flashbacks to the time I spent in the Gulf Coast in the years after Hurricane Katrina. One thing that I happened to remember was the time two of my friends and I took a week long trip down to work with friends there. I remember working along many members of AmeriCorps. I worked with people from there on several trips, but I especially remember them that specific trip with Nate and Jared. As I was remembering all this over the weekend, I remember having this thought: “I knew that it was still an emergency down there because AmeriCorps is down here working.”

This Monday, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I worked along with my church at Nobel Charter School here on the Near-North side to help put on a literacy fair. Six or seven people from The Painted Door and I volunteered to help out with the event. When we showed up, I realized most of the staff was working for AmeriCorps, and that they were really involved with certain schools here in Chicago. Through conversations with some of the people there, I was able to learn more about the school and their work.

I then realized that they are in the Chicago school system because we are in a crisis as well. Just like AmeriCorps was trying to help out the victims of Hurricane Katrina, they are trying to help the victims of a crooked and perverse educational system stuck in a rut of violence and poverty. Chicago is in a state of emergency, and we need to do something about it.

Right Here is Where We Start to Run

2010-01-19T19:29:00.001-06:00

Picked up the paper, and read the news. Can you believe what is happening? People homeless and begging for food and the whole world is just standing still. I want to practice what I preach; to put love into action. Right now the world within our reach, right here is where we start to run. -Audio Adrenaline

Two days ago I was made aware of a chance to go to Haiti. My heart has been breaking for the people of Haiti, as I mentioned in my previous post. With this chance to go, and the burden on my heart, I began to pray and talk with people about going.

I told God this morning that if He really wanted me to go, He would provide funds. I thought that I wouldn’t go, because I could not raise enough money, and I had not asked for any money yet. I told a few people in my church (who are praying for children in an orphanage in Haiti) that I had a chance, and to be praying.

One of my good friends felt burdened to give, but has no money to give me. She told God that any unexpected money she got this week she would give to me. She prayed that this morning, and got an unexpected check this afternoon in the mail. She told me right away, and I knew that God had called me to go on this trip.

I have friends already asking how to support me, and even had a friend offer to help me write support letters and fundraise. God is making it clear to me how much I can trust Him in this trip, and I am excited to see where He will take me.

God has opened up a way for me to go. I will, Lord willing, be serving and supporting Friend Ships with their boat, Integrity near Port-au-Prince. Please pray, as our proposal to serve was sent earlier today. We are planning on going for 13-14 days in the middle of March.

Please, if you feel called to, pray for me. Pray for the following:

The eternal salvation of Haitian people
Medical supplies, food, and water to reach those who still have had no contact with the outside world yet
Correct allocation of funds to those who need the relief money
Wisdom for our team leadership as we plan the logistics
Finances for our team (We each need to raise $1400)
Friend Ships as they are making multiple trips bringing supplies to Haiti

Please contact me if you want more specific ways to pray, or if you want to financially support me or the team as we aim to be God’s hands and feet in Haiti.

Things Caleb Takes For Granted Number Seven

2010-01-03T22:48:00.000-06:00

I have access to God’s Word.

There are about 200 million people in the world who cannot pick up a copy of the Bible in their own language, simply because it is not written in their language. I have access to the Bible in English, and I own about 12 Bibles, and in 6 different English Translations. (I also have dozens of versions and hundreds of other study resources on my computer in Logos, a program I highly recommend.) I have access in my library to dozens more translations, and thousands of commentaries, concordances, and other Bible-study tools. Many people don’t even have the New Testament in their language.

Besides the people who don’t have the Bible in their own language, there are millions more who have no money or are in countries where it is very hard to get a copy of God’s word. I rarely think of the blessing I have in being able to read whenever I want, and I don’t read the Bible nearly enough in light of my opportunity and access. I take it for granted daily, without thanking God for giving me this.