150 miles?

Well I'm in for 150 miles this coming weekend. We will do 75 miles the first day, sleep on an air mattress, get up, eat some grub and hit it for another 75 miles! I did 60 miles on the bike a few days ago and this will be a tough challenge for me. I haven't been professionally fitted to my bike so I experience some serious neck/shoulder pain after the first 10-15 miles. (Yeah I have a big cranium!) So, what's my plan? Aleve! I'll be doing the anti-inflammatory cocktail pre & post ride on both days. Hopefully that makes it tolerable. My legs (I think) can keep going. It's just sitting on the bike for 5 or 6 hours that's the pain (literally).

Posting Slow Down

Yes, I've been slack on the blogging lately. Recently I've been studying Daniel and this week it converged with a lot of time studying Romans! My head hurts! Daniel with all the prophecy to be explored & Romans with its mind stretching theological tonnage! Daniel: Gold, Silver, bronze, iron....lions & leopards & bears (Oh my!)... Little horn...big horn...this kingdom that kingdom... Babylon, Mdeo-Persia, Greece, Rome, THE KINGDOM. Romans: Flesh, spirit, works grace, old man, new man, propitiation, redemption, I don't do... I do... Abraham... Adam vs. Jesus... Sin, justification, righteousness, etc. It was also an especially busy week too (I won't bore you with the details). All this while I am alledgedly training to ride a 150 miles in 2 days at the end of the month! This isn't happening. I guess I'll try to tough it out.

MS-150

My wife & I did 50 miles on our bikes yesterday. It was my second time going that far. You have to wonder why I'm sure. It's training...We are signed up for a 150 miles over two days bike ride on the Eastern Shore of Virginia at the end of this month. It's called the "Bike MS: Virginia's Ocean to Bay Ride 2008." We are part of a team with family and friends from church. It's to raise money for therNational Multiple Sclerosis Society but it also corresponds with the anniversary of the death of a friend, Bruce Horner. Bruce was killed in Iraq and I wrote about him previously. Bruce is one of the many fallen soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Our team name, "Team Fallen Soldier" reflects our desire to honor all of them. Those who knew Bruce Horner, are confident that he would've been right there with us saddling up and doing the MS 150! He was that kind of guy. So, we ride to help raise money for MS, to remember Bruce, and to honor all the fallen soldiers. If you have any interest in supporting us financially you can click here. By the way, that's Bruce on his bike in the pic.

Cottrell's latest

Jack Cottrell's latest book related to the ongoing "gender wars" in the church has just become available. If it's like his previous works, then it is a must have for discerning church leaders. Cottrell, in estimation, is the preeminent theologian in our movement today and is well respected beyond our fellowship. He continues to write prolifically and I am most appreciative (as are many others). His works related to the roles of women demonstrate his commitment to truth inspite of the times. I pray the next generation will see another "Cottrell" appear within our movement to help stave the incessant barage of egalatarian assaults on the church. There's a good review of Cottrell's Headship, Submission and the Bible: Gender Roles in the Home over at the Gender Blog.

"Full-time" Ministry

Do you ever wonder where the concept of full-time ministry came from? Sometimes I think it might be the devil. Shocking coming from a "full-time" minister? I'm sure. Honestly, at times, I feel more like the clergy guy that we typicaly belittle - you know "Reverend __________" at the denominational church down the street. I mean how did we get to a point where we needed to hire someone to visit people...go to hospitals & with folks...counsel church members...attend seminars and luncheons...chat with random members who show up at the church building...cast vision...be the point man...listen to complaints...develop strategies...organize events...and, of course, "preach" to Christians every Sunday? Whatever happened to every member ministry? Sure, I'm a part of this system and part of me says just work within it because it's basically all we got. The other part of me sees it as a big man-made club endeavor. You know - give the people the programs they want and keep them coming and giving, etc. Let me also note that I'm very familiar with the arguments that are employed to support our modern minister concept: 1. He an evangelist. 2. He's a paid elder. But the typical modern senior minister (not to mention the plethora of other "ministers") concept just isn't to be found in the Bible (IMHO). Now the Bible doesn't explicitly prohibit paid minsitry be it teaching or mowing the lawn or cleaning bathrooms. I guess I just wonder how productive it really is. We have our professionals and some are extremely bright and articulate. But, meanwhile back at the farm, there are a bunch of infantile sheep sitting on the bench listening to sermons. Might their dependency on the professionals stunt their growth? Think about it: if they "evangelize" at all it usually is just getting someone to talk to their minister. If they have a need the other members of the body are welcome to help, but there's just something special when the minister shows up. What would happen if every Christian was expected to do ministry, not just fill some riole in the preacher's program(s). It's funny how cults like the JW's exist fine without "paid staff." They seem to get everyone married & buried too. Of course they're bound for Hell (just in case you think I've totally lost it).

Local Elections

I just voted in our local elections here in fabulous Newport News. The City Council race was pretty intense. A long time member, Bill Haskins, retired opening up an opportunity. Six candidates have been aggressively vying for this slot. It is very interesting watching politics at the local level. I pulled the lever for Pat Woodbury. Will she win? She looks to be among the favorites but some of the "good old boys" appear to be behind someone else. As I get older I can more clearly see the powers who control much of what happens in my hometown. A Woodbury win might shake that up a little.

Dever Gets it Right

Mark Dever: "It seems to me and others (many who are younger than myself) that this issue of egalitarianism and complementarianism is increasingly acting as the watershed distinguishing those who will accommodate Scripture to culture, and those who will attempt to shape culture by Scripture. You may disagree, but this is our honest concern before God. It is no lack of charity, nor honesty. It is no desire for power or tradition for tradition's sake. It is our sober conclusion from observing the last fifty years"

For more Highlights from The Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood Spring 2008 Edition go here.