For the past several weeks, I have been in intense preparations for oral argument at the Ohio Supreme Court. The Rutherford Institute represents John Freshwater, the 21-year science teacher who was fired for discussing the gaps in evolutionary theory with his students and for having a Bible on his desk.
This is a case about censorship and religious hostility: two things that have no place in an American classroom.
If you're so inclined, you can watch the proceeding at the Ohio Supreme Court by clicking here.
I'm still in the recovery process, but I'll post more on this soon.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
An Arrow
Sunday night as I was praying for Nathan and tucking him into bed, it struck me that there is an unresolvable tension between living for this world and living for the Kingdom. My realization may have been triggered by Pastor O'Dowd's sermon Sunday morning, which focused, in part, on living out Kingdom values.
My nightly prayer for my kids always involves asking God to use them to build His Kingdom. Whenever I pray this, there is always a nagging thought in the back of my mind: What if God wants to "use" them in a way that is...well...dangerous?
And that brings the issue to the fore. Am I living more for my comfort, pleasure and peace in this world, or am I living as a disciple of One whose end was the cross?
It is so easy, so natural to get caught up in our daily to-do lists that we simply lose a heavenly perspective. I believe that unless we consciously battle this tendency, our focus will become fixed upon what we will make for dinner, how we will earn the next promotion, what kind of car we will buy, which sports our children will play, what we will wear to the next social engagement, where we will go for our next vacation, and on and on. This stuff becomes our life, and God's Kingdom remains a very nice, yet abstract idea that enjoys our full mental assent but commands none of our actual energy or time.
If we really believe what we say we believe, wouldn't a life lived out to the end in this way be something of a failure?
The sheer verbalization of this thought frightens me. I do want a peaceful, comfortable life. But I pray that it will be my desire to be an arrow that is not simply carried about safely in a quiver, but is shot into the battle by a worthy and loving Master.
Am I a soldier of the cross,
A follower of the Lamb,
And shall I fear to own His cause,
Or blush to speak His Name?
Must I be carried to the skies
On flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,
And sailed through bloody seas?
Are there no foes for me to face?
Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace,
To help me on to God?
Sure I must fight if I would reign;
Increase my courage, Lord.
I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by Thy Word.
Thy saints in all this glorious war
Shall conquer, though they die;
They see the triumph from afar,
By faith’s discerning eye.
When that illustrious day shall rise,
And all Thy armies shine
In robes of victory through the skies,
The glory shall be Thine.
--Isaac Watts
My nightly prayer for my kids always involves asking God to use them to build His Kingdom. Whenever I pray this, there is always a nagging thought in the back of my mind: What if God wants to "use" them in a way that is...well...dangerous?
And that brings the issue to the fore. Am I living more for my comfort, pleasure and peace in this world, or am I living as a disciple of One whose end was the cross?
It is so easy, so natural to get caught up in our daily to-do lists that we simply lose a heavenly perspective. I believe that unless we consciously battle this tendency, our focus will become fixed upon what we will make for dinner, how we will earn the next promotion, what kind of car we will buy, which sports our children will play, what we will wear to the next social engagement, where we will go for our next vacation, and on and on. This stuff becomes our life, and God's Kingdom remains a very nice, yet abstract idea that enjoys our full mental assent but commands none of our actual energy or time.
If we really believe what we say we believe, wouldn't a life lived out to the end in this way be something of a failure?
The sheer verbalization of this thought frightens me. I do want a peaceful, comfortable life. But I pray that it will be my desire to be an arrow that is not simply carried about safely in a quiver, but is shot into the battle by a worthy and loving Master.
Am I a soldier of the cross,
A follower of the Lamb,
And shall I fear to own His cause,
Or blush to speak His Name?
Must I be carried to the skies
On flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,
And sailed through bloody seas?
Are there no foes for me to face?
Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace,
To help me on to God?
Sure I must fight if I would reign;
Increase my courage, Lord.
I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by Thy Word.
Thy saints in all this glorious war
Shall conquer, though they die;
They see the triumph from afar,
By faith’s discerning eye.
When that illustrious day shall rise,
And all Thy armies shine
In robes of victory through the skies,
The glory shall be Thine.
--Isaac Watts
Friday, February 1, 2013
5 Minutes a Day - Day 13
Day 13 - February 1 - Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli
Thank you, again, for coming with me on this "5 Minutes a Day" Campaign. As promised, today is our last e-mail. But I hope and pray that it will not be the last day of your allowing God to use you in carrying His banner of Truth and Justice into the public square.
Did you notice that you didn't hear much about pro-life legislation in Virginia this year? Unfortunately, that was no accident. While two pro-life bills were presented this year (both of which died in Committee), the sad fact is that there was some "agreement" in Richmond that this session was a time to back off and "play defense." House Bill 1, of course, remained buried in the Committee from last year. My hope is that our efforts will remind key legislators that Virginians who care deeply about the cause of life have not gone away. I hope that this will figure into their plans for legislation next session.
Please continue to check back in with the blog periodically. I don't post every day, but will try to do so a few times each week.
Attorney General Cuccinelli has been a great friend to the cause of life. When Governor McDonnell chose to shy away from House Bill 1 because it became the center of media scoffing, Cuccinelli stood firm, publicly appearing at two separate events to dispel the doubts the Governor had raised about the measure's constitutionality. Let's take a moment to thank and encourage our Attorney General:
Dear Attorney General Cuccinelli:
Thank you for your willingness to use your office to stand for the sanctity of human life in our Commonwealth. It is important to me and my family that the laws of Virginia recognize that human life begins at conception, and that every human being—from conception until natural death—has basic human rights. I am aware that there are many Republican politicians who would prefer to ignore this issue, but because it is a human rights issue, it cannot be ignored. I am praying specifically for you today, that God would continue to give you great courage to stand for the cause of life. Thank you.
Sincerely,
[your name]
To send your message, please "copy" it, then click here, complete the required information, and paste your message into the "message" box.
Please pray for Ken Cuccinelli.
Thank you, again, for coming with me on this "5 Minutes a Day" Campaign. As promised, today is our last e-mail. But I hope and pray that it will not be the last day of your allowing God to use you in carrying His banner of Truth and Justice into the public square.
Did you notice that you didn't hear much about pro-life legislation in Virginia this year? Unfortunately, that was no accident. While two pro-life bills were presented this year (both of which died in Committee), the sad fact is that there was some "agreement" in Richmond that this session was a time to back off and "play defense." House Bill 1, of course, remained buried in the Committee from last year. My hope is that our efforts will remind key legislators that Virginians who care deeply about the cause of life have not gone away. I hope that this will figure into their plans for legislation next session.
Please continue to check back in with the blog periodically. I don't post every day, but will try to do so a few times each week.
Attorney General Cuccinelli has been a great friend to the cause of life. When Governor McDonnell chose to shy away from House Bill 1 because it became the center of media scoffing, Cuccinelli stood firm, publicly appearing at two separate events to dispel the doubts the Governor had raised about the measure's constitutionality. Let's take a moment to thank and encourage our Attorney General:
Dear Attorney General Cuccinelli:
Thank you for your willingness to use your office to stand for the sanctity of human life in our Commonwealth. It is important to me and my family that the laws of Virginia recognize that human life begins at conception, and that every human being—from conception until natural death—has basic human rights. I am aware that there are many Republican politicians who would prefer to ignore this issue, but because it is a human rights issue, it cannot be ignored. I am praying specifically for you today, that God would continue to give you great courage to stand for the cause of life. Thank you.
Sincerely,
[your name]
To send your message, please "copy" it, then click here, complete the required information, and paste your message into the "message" box.
Please pray for Ken Cuccinelli.
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