In Christ Alone

In the new Trinity Hymnal, which we use at Grace, one section of hymns is entitled, "Union with Christ." But it only includes four hymns! When the hymnal is revised, I hope they'll add "In Christ Alone" by Getty and Townsend.

Each month at church we have a new "hymn of the month." I chose "In Christ Alone" for the month of October, and am excited that we'll be learning it together. But I haven't heard it sung as a hymn before, so I'm wondering how it will sound. The choir sang it some time ago, but their version, though beautiful, was too complicated for the congregation to sing. I'm hoping the version we sing on Sunday will be easy to learn for the church.

Union with Christ was a major emphasis at the seminary I attended. As I've been preaching through Romans in the evenings, I've been reminded of how profound and far-reaching this Scriptural teaching is: I have died to  sin in the death of Christ and I have been raised up to new life in the resurrection of Christ. I am "in Christ," therefore his victory over sin and death is my victory over sin and death. In this hymn are words to sing these glorious truths: "For ev'ry sin on Him was laid - Here in the death of Christ I live," and "Sin's curse has lost its grip on me; For I am His and He is mine."

Here is the final verse of the hymn. I think it is wonderful:

No guilt in life, no fear in death -
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from his hand;
Till He returns or calls me home -
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

Calvin on the Christian Life

Almost two years ago, someone asked me if I'd be interested to begin a reading group in order to discuss John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion. Since I love the Institutes, and since I had actually led a similar discussion group in Oklahoma, I was more than eager to begin one here in Alaska. Since our first meeting in December of 2007, the group has met more or less regularly and we are almost half-way done with the entire work.

Our next meeting is in October, and the reading we will discuss then includes a section from Book 3 that comprises Calvin's vision of the Christian life. This section (chapters 6 - 10 of Book 3) is often published as a separate book with the title, Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life.

It is golden, indeed. Rather than expounding on this or that particular Christian virtue, Calvin uncovers the heart and soul of what it means to live as a Christian in this world. The Christian life is first and foremost the denial of ourselves:

"If we then, are not are own (1 Cor. 6:19) but the Lord's, it is clear what error we must flee, and whither we must direct all the acts of our life. We are not our own: let not our reason nor our will, therefore, sway our plans and deeds. We are not our own: let us therefore not set it as our goal to seek what is expedient for us according to the flesh. We are not our own: in so far as we can, let us therefore forget ourselves and all that is ours. Conversely, we are God's: let us therefore live for him and die for him. We are God's: let his wisdom and will therefore rule all our actions. We are God's: let all parts of our life accordingly strive toward him as our only lawful goal. O, how much has that man profited who, having been taught that he is not his own, has taken away dominion and rule from his own reason that he may yield it to God!" (III.vii.1).

Part of self-denial is bearing the cross of Christ: "For whomever the Lord has adopted and deemed worthy of his fellowship ought to prepare themselves for a hard, toilsome, and unquiet life, crammed with very many and various kinds of evil" (III.viii.1). But God uses this hardship for our good: "in the very act of afflicting us with the cross he is providing for our salvation" (III.viii:1).

Another theme underlying Calvin's work, but one which he does not devote whole sections to explaining, is that of pilgrimage. We must have a godly contempt for this life, so that we will set our hope on the life that is to come. Christ "teaches us to travel as pilgrims in this world that our celestial heritage may not perish or pass away" (III.vii.3). I wonder if John Bunyan ever read this sentence in the Institutes, for it was the "Celestial City" to which Christian journeyed in Pilgrim's Progress!

At the same time, Calvin affirms the worth of this world. For instance, he argues that the basis on which we love and serve our neighbor, though they may not be worthy of such treatment by human reckoning, is the fact that they are image-bearers of God. Calvin also says we must use with gratefulness the good things of this world that God has created, not only merely to sustain physical life, but also for the delight and enjoyment they bring to us. He was no ascetic; his counsel here is to enjoy the good things God has given us in this world, but all the while fixing our hearts on the better world to come.

The very last section on calling was too short. I wish that he had written more on it. Though brief, the insight is profound. Calvin writes:

"The magistrate will discharge his functions more willingly; the head of the household will confine himself more willingly to his duty; each man will bear and swallow the discomforts, vexations, weariness, and anxieties in his way of life, when he has been persuaded that the burden was laid upon him by God. From this will arise also a singular consolation: that no task will be sordid and base, provided you obey your calling in it, that it will not shine and be reckoned very precious in God's sight." (III.xi.6).

Calvin's treatise on the Christian life is God-centered, well-balanced, and very challenging. If a Christian doesn't read anything else by Calvin but this, he won't go far wrong.

Monday - a day off

Robyn and I took advantage of my mom's being here, and went out on a date to a coffee shop in town called "Pandemonium." It's a bookstore, as well, and we took some time to browse the shelves. When I visit a bookstore, I always find myself thinking, "I wish I had more time to read." The work of preparing sermons involves quite a bit of reading, of course, but it is always a challenge to carve out time for general reading. I think it was John Stott who said a minister should devote one hour a day, three additional hours per week, one full day per month, and one week per year, solely to general theological study and reading. I haven't attained that, but I do try to devote some hours each week for study unrelated to sermon preparation.

We later went to Fred Meyer's, a grocery store, to pick up a few things. It was a bit dismaying to see that already an entire isle was devoted to Halloween.

Earlier today my mom and I took the four older kids to a local park. The highlight was the skate park, where the kids could ride their bikes up and down the concrete knolls and ramps. It was a little nerve-wracking to watch them do it. I've learned that a parent always has something to worry about. I was struck by that when Monica was born last week. She was not even an hour out of the womb, and I was wondering, "She's so quiet. I hope nothing's wrong." Parents' worry for their children never ends, I suppose, no matter how old the kids get.

Sunday night recap

It's 11:30 at night, and four of five kids are asleep. It sounds strange to say "five kids", but as of last week that's our kid total.

Today was Monica's first day at church. I pray that, no matter how many Sundays she has in her life, she will want to be with God's people that day, worshiping her Savior.

Some people were surprised to see her and Robyn there, but Robyn has almost always made it to church the first Sunday after giving birth. The one time she didn't was when Maggie was born on a Saturday. Like I said before, she is a trooper!

On a scale of 1 to 10, I thought my morning sermon was about a 4. I preached on the parable of the laborers in the vineyard from Matthew 20. I wanted to impress upon the people a sense of the grace and goodness of God (represented in the parable by the master of the vineyard who paid the 11th-hour workers far more than they deserved). Feelings can be deceiving, of course, but I felt that though I was saying all the right things, the force of the truth itself wasn't hitting home. Of course I know God's Word is effectual despite the inadequacies of the messenger, but every preacher senses that some sermons "work" more than others.

For the evening service, I preached on Romans 6:5-14. I wish I had preached that in the morning, instead! It is a great passage, and I thought my message went well overall. I said this passage was Paul's "emancipation proclamation," by which he declared we who are in Christ are now free from the slavery of sin. All of Romans 6:1-14 is a great passage, and I hope to hear Sinclair Ferguson's sermon on this passage that is available online.

On the way to church in the evening, the clouds parted some and the sun shone on the mountains to the east of us. The snow on the upper half of the mountains was a brilliant white. Even after making the same drive to church for over two years now, I am often struck by the beauty of those mountains.

Dinner tonight was sockeye salmon baked in a butter-lime sauce. It went very nicely with a cold Alaskan Amber.

The calvary has arrived!

My mom flew in from Missoula, Montana, this evening to meet her newest granddaughter, and to help out our family while Robyn recovers and we all adjust to life with Monica.

We've also been greatly helped by the kindness of friends who have provided meals for us. Tonight a family brought by a crock pot full of delicious moose stew for dinner. Only in Alaska!

Sleep was hard to come by last night. It'll be that way for a while now, until Monica learns that nighttime is for sleeping, not eating.

Tomorrow is Saturday and while I've spent some time studying Matthew 20:1-16, for the morning sermon on Sunday, I haven't given it much sustained attention. Now that my mom is here, I hope to have the time necessary to pour myself into writing the sermon. It is a grand theme, the sheer generosity of God towards sinners, and one which I would feel inadequate to preach no matter how much time I had to prepare.

Welcome Home, Monica!

Today was baby Monica's homecoming. She and Robyn were discharged from the hospital this morning, and they were met at home by the four smiling faces of her siblings eager to get another look at their new baby sister.

So far Monica has proved to be our quietest newborn. I have yet to hear her raise her voice. I don't know how long this will last, but for now we are enjoying her soft-spoken ways.

The last two days have been harbingers of winter: strong winds and frost on the car in the mornings. And the snow is already half-way down the mountains. Alaskans call the first snowfall visible on the mountaintops "termination dust". Summer is officially now over.

One nice thing about this fall, however (apart from the obvious blessing of a newborn), is that we are going to receive our Alaska Permanent Fund dividend for the first time since we've been here. Many years ago when Alaska hit the jackpot with oil revenues, the government set aside a special fund, from which investment profits are sent to every Alaskan resident who has lived here at least two years (that's the simple version). This year's check for each Alaskan will be $1,305.00. Not a bad deal, I say.

Introducing Monica Sue

God blessed us early this morning with a beautiful, healthy little girl. Her name is Monica Sue, and she was our smallest baby yet: 7 lbs., 1 oz., and 19 1/2 inches long. The delivery went as well as could be expected, and Robyn is feeling great. For all these things, we rejoice in the the abundant goodness of our heavenly Father.

The doctor began inducing labor at 7:25 a.m. yesterday morning. And then we waited, and waited, and waited some more. What do you do in a maternity room all day long when nothing maternal is happening? Robyn worked on her birth announcements. We watched a mandated video on the danger of shaking a baby. It is sad beyond words that some babies die at their parents' hands.

In the afternoon, with still nothing much happening, we followed three baseball games simultaneously: the Cardinals, the Mariners, and the Memphis Redbirds (the Cardinals Triple A team). One was on the computer, and two on the T.V. Robyn was having trouble keeping up with the action of all three games. I'm not sure why. We also caught a couple of "Seinfeld" re-runs. I had brought a book to read, but because I felt impatient and a little anxious about the impending delivery, I couldn't concentrate. We also prayed.

Finally, at about 10:00 p.m., the contractions began to intensify. The baby finally arrived at exactly 2:00 a.m. this morning. Robyn's doctor stayed on duty all night and did an outstanding job with the delivery and follow-up care.

The nurse who helped was a model of efficiency and thoroughness. She spoke quickly, and with a slight Russian accent, which made it hard at times to absorb the torrent of information she unloaded on us. She described every conceivable medical exigency connected with childbirth (while in the same breath assuring us that she doesn't expect that to happen, though she can't make any promises), gave detailed instructions on virtually every aspect of the care of newborns, went over various ways we could make our stay in the room more comfortable, and of course asked all the standard nurse questions. She was also Robyn's cheerleader during labor, and never left the room without asking if Robyn or I needed anything. Truly a nurse extraordinaire!

And Robyn was fantastic throughout the labor and delivery - a real trooper. I can't imagine going through what a mom endures to give birth. She's relieved to have it behind her now, and as I type this she's sound asleep. Monica is right next to her in the crib, sleeping and hiccuping in the cute little way babies do.

This is our first Alaska baby. We had a good laugh this morning over the fact that Robyn was repeatedly asked if we have running water at home. I'm not sure what they were going to tell us if we didn't, but believe it or not we DO have running water. And electricity, and indoor plumbing! I did tell the nurse we don't have cable, but that wasn't a problem.

I'll always remember what the doctor said as he was finishing his check-up the day after Robyn gave birth to our first daughter: "Now all you have to do is raise her." No problem, right?

Getting ready for the amazing

Childbirth is amazing. I've been with Robyn for four deliveries so far, and each time I am struck by the wonder of it - that from the womb emerges a new human life (a divine image bearer!) where there was none before. Though conception, pregnancy, and delivery is a "natural" occurrence that happens all the time, it would seem impossible not to consider the hand of God in it. How sterile and inadequate are our scientific descriptions of the beginning of life, compared with David's words!: "...you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:13, 14).

Tomorrow is the BIG day. Robyn and I are to arrive at the hospital at 6:00 a.m. Soon thereafter, hopefully, they will begin the induction (I say "hopefully" because we've learned that Alaskans aren't always the most punctual people on earth). The kids are excited, too. And the older ones are beginning to ask the inevitable question: how does the baby come out, anyway? We tell them we'll explain it all to them when they are older.

I'm taking to the hospital some clothes, a book, my laptop, a camera, a camcorder, a cell phone, and a mp3 player. Robyn's taking the baby with her.

Lord willing, we'll have some happy news to announce tomorrow.

Sunday night recap

It's almost 10:00 p.m., three out the four kids are in bed, and I'm worn out. A typical Sunday night.

It was a good Lord's Day. In the morning I preached on Jesus' encounter with the rich young ruler from Matthew 19. My main point was that when Jesus calls us to discipleship, he both demands all from us, and graciously gives all to us. I concluded by pointing out that in the account there are really two rich young rulers: the one who spoke with Jesus, and Jesus himself. As the Son of God in the flesh, Jesus possessed in himself all divine authority and glory (and riches). Yet, he made himself poor for our sakes so that by his poverty we might become rich (2 Cor. 8:9).

At the evening service, I preached from Psalm 32, focusing on the blessedness of the one whose sins are forgiven. I've been preaching through Romans in the evening, but for today I re-worked an older sermon so that I could have some time during the week to work on next Sunday's evening sermon.

And that is, of course, because this week Robyn is going into the hospital to be induced. I'm praying that the labor and delivery will go well for her. Of course, I can't wait to meet the baby and welcome her to the family.

For this reason also I am working tomorrow, Monday, which is usually my day off. When I do work on Monday, often concentration doesn't come easy. But, I know I'll have some extra motivation to be productive tomorrow, knowing what is ahead for this week.

Back to Blogging

At least I hope so. It's been nearly a year since I last wrote a blog, and during that time I've often wished I had not given up. I will try to write regular entries, though it is not always easy with the press of so many responsibilities.

It's been a little over two years since we've made the trek up the Alaska Highway to begin our Alaska life. Though the time has gone by quickly, when we look at pictures from our trip here I'm surprised to see how much the kids have grown. Sander and Moriah have lived here for most of their lives!

God has blessed us the last two years. Though there have been challenges (being a pastor anywhere will involve difficulties), our family has enjoyed living in Alaska. For just one example of how life here has been good, we have a freezer full of sockeye salmon from our two summer dipnetting trips.

The kids are thriving. Robyn works hard at homeschooling Meredith and Maggie, and both of them are little scholars. There is an abundance of extra-curricular activities for the kids: gymnastics, piano, P.E., t-ball, and so on.

Life is about to get a little crazier, though. Robyn is due to give birth to our fifth child (another girl!) on Tuesday. We are both excited to meet the newest Johnson, and a bit apprehensive of the extra busyness she will bring. The house can be lively with four young children - but with five? But God has given us grace so far, and we are trusting in his faithfulness to sustain us each day.

I am enjoying the work of pastoring Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church. I find preaching twice on Sunday can be a challenge. It's not so much the actual preaching on Sunday (which is more exhausting than most people realize), but the real challenge for me is working on two different passages each week and trying to prepare a message from each that expounds the text, preaches Christ, and engages the listener. I am thankful for patient and faithful listeners!

One goal of mine is to write short book reviews in this blog (as I've done in the past). A brief recommendation for an encouraging little book: Living the Cross Centered Life by C. J. Mahaney. He reminded me of the need to remember daily what Christ did for me at the cross. A friend gave it to me to read some time ago. The day I finished it, I gave it to someone else to read!