Monday, December 26, 2005

Christmas Music and Celebrations


Clarence, the local dairy farmer, joined us for Christmas dinner. He is a man of few words. He enjoyed working on a 3D puzzle with Hannah after dinner.

Nate wants to learn to play the guitar. I held the chords and Nate strummed. It kind of sounded like music.

Tsheko and I played a lot of music for the family over Christmas break. Singing was one of the best parts of Christmas.

Christmas was very nice this year. The day was made special with a lot of singing and music. We were joined for the Christmas season with Nathaniel's friend, Tsheko. Clarence, the farmer, came to visit us for dinner. It was special that Christmas fell on a Sunday. On Christmas Eve, the family took the annual pilgrimage across the Hudson to Clintondale Friends for a candlelight service. In the early hours of Christmas, Isaac, Nathaniel, Luke, Hannah, Tsheko and I all attended a very meaningful midnight mass with our friend, Trip Sinnot, at St. Joseph's in Millbrook. In the daylight hours of Christmas Day, the entire family had a gathered meeting for worship in the home. We were happy to be together.

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Oakwood Friends School


I just arrived home on Tuesday night, and while unpacking Wednesday I got a phone call from Oakwood Friends School offering me a job interview. Today (Thursday) I was offered a job teaching Algebra II and Geometry. Wow! A lot of change at once. It looks like I will be starting January 4th.

A Laugh


When we were looking at shots from this year's Christmas photo session (many are required for a large family), this one showed up and made us laugh. If you click to make the picture bigger, you will see that everyone looks desperately ill except for Rebecca who looks perfect. We have no idea what happened to make us all appear this way. It was definitely candid.

Friday, December 16, 2005

A Powerful Word from Pastor John Piper

ENEMIES OF THE CROSS AND HOW TO RESPOND TO THEM

In the Minneapolis Star Tribune on December 12, 2005, Paul Garwood reported the following:

"CAIRO - In a tape that surfaced Sunday, Osama bin Laden's deputy urged all Muslims to take up arms, saying a refusal to join the fight against "THE CROSS and ZIONISM" was a "malignant illness" that would lead to the defeat of militant Islam. Egyptian-born Ayman Al-Zawahri said the global Islamic community had "no hope for victory" until all Muslims signed on to the Al-Qaida-led jihad."

The most important word theologically, politically, and personally in that paragraph is the word "Cross." In this context it is a word to be wept over. The apostle Paul said in his day, "Many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ" (Philippians 3:18). Tears are not the only proper response to militant Islam, but tears are right when a group of people declare themselves enemies of the cross.

The tears are not for fear that we will be hurt. They are for sadness that Christ's sacrifice and God's love are so dishonored, and that so many enemies of the cross will perish. The Bible says, "The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing" (1 Corinthians 1:18). It is a huge sadness when God shows his love for people and in return they despise it. That is what God did on the cross: "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us [on the cross]" (Romans 5:8). To hate the cross is to hate the demonstration of the love of God, because the cross is the greatest display of God's love that ever was or ever will be.

The cross was the climax of Christ's obedience. It is as though all his obedience was summed up in those final hours of final testing. No obedience compared to the obedience of staying on the cross in fulfillment of his Father's will. The apostle Paul said, "[Christ] humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:8). It was the Father's will that Christ die for sinners. Christ obeyed. That's why Paul calls the cross, astonishingly, a sweet aroma to God: "Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:2).

Most precious to broken-hearted sinners is what the cross achieved in canceling all our shortcomings and opening the way to God. Paul said in Colossians 2:14 that in the death of Christ God was "canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross" (Colossians 1:14). And when all our failures were nailed to the cross, the way was open to God himself. "Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18).

The cross is our life and our joy and our only hope of fellowship with God. Therefore it is a great sadness when militant Islam calls all Muslims everywhere to fight the cross. But it is not new. Acts 9:1 said that Paul was "breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord," and Jesus said that "the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God" (John 16:2). It is breathtaking to read the transcripts of Al-Qaida tapes giving thanks to God for the successes of their killing.

My greatest longing in response to this enmity is that Christians walk in the way of the cross. Yes, militant Islam is big and threatening. It may even be the true Quranic Islam. There are alarmists whose whole tone seems to awaken political and even militant responses from Christians. My concern is that as the church we distance ourselves from this kind of response and focus on the truth that we will never spread the Christian faith by the sword. Some Muslims may kill to spread their faith. Some Christians have. But it is not the way of Christ. It is not the way of the cross.

Let us heed what Peter said, "But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps" (1 Peter 2:20-21). Militant Islam may call the Muslim world to arms against the cross. But the followers of the
cross will never take up arms to proclaim or defend Christ. We will die to make him known. But we will not kill to make him known. And even if there be but a remnant of Christ-followers left, the Lamb himself will stand forth at the end and win.


Pastor John

Thursday, December 15, 2005

A Season of Snow


This has been a very snowy December. Luke has been happily plowing away with his Gravely snow blower. His engine (Sept. 27: Luke's Very Special Request) is being put to good use.

A Season of Change


(Katherine and I enjoy the Advent season in our Endicott apartment. We got a Christmas tree to celebrate.)

Today I handed in the last paper for my Master of Arts in Teaching degree. I have three more days of student teaching left. I am planning on moving home on December 20th. I was recently asked by a teacher whom I respect tremendously to apply for a chemistry teaching position that just opened up in this Binghamton area. It was a wonderful job but at this point I have really decided that it is a priority to move home. (Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home. -Prov. 27:8) I plan to substitute and work on curriculum development during the coming semester. I am definitely anticipating spending more time with family. Student teaching has been very hard in many ways. I am grateful for the prospect of rest.

A Season of Reflection

Dad takes a moment to enjoy his First Things magazine. Dad has recently graduated to the reading glasses phase of life. He has not conformed to the conventional practice of wearing the eyeglasses over his ears. We tend to tease him about this.

A Season of Projects

Isaac's winter break started on Monday and he has not stopped working since he got home. He has been waking up at 3:45 am to go milk the cows with Clarence. In the afternoons and evenings, Isaac has been servicing the home. He installed a new bathtub faucet and drain in the downstairs bathroom and is now working on preparing my bedroom for my return. I am moving home in 5 days and Isaac is very lovingly doing a ton of construction work to prepare my bedroom. He is pictured above working on the installation of a new door.

Friday, December 02, 2005

Excitement!


We continued the Angell family tradition of getting our Christmas tree on December 1st. This year the tree was a Bentley Farm special - locally grown and raised. Hannah was in charge of decorations. Rebecca celebrates the season with (Hawaiian?) spirit.

Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room

Caleb, Rebecca, and friend Ethan celebrate advent with a reenactment of the manger scene. Notice the lamb on the shepherd's shoulder.